O.K., as usual, my long-winded (but hopefully useful) observations. Here in Reno/Carson City/Tahoe/ Nor Cal area..as a working bassist, I get to play with drummers using 'Rubbermaids' as my great friend and bandmate Tina Fink calls them. All are in local Casinos. Almost EVERY drummer required to use them, hates them. Except one. He bought an Alesis kit, and uses them live as he would a standard drum set. All of the house kits are VERY expensive Roland kits, too- some with the allegedly better mesh heads.
Without exception, I do not care for certain aspects of every drummer's idea of their particular 'patch' they use when they configure the kit for the gig. The toms are always out of proportionally loud, and have a horrible huge blooming front end note, followed by a long decay that masks a lot of what low notes other instruments, in particular, the bass- produce. The kick drum sound with every drummer, is far too big, far too low in frequency, and masks the other parts of their own kit mix, to the point where I just have to have the drums down in my in-ear mix. Yeah, all the gigs with house kits are in-ear ones. Even my friend that uses the Alesis kit- has the drum mix in the band's monitors, along with his own Simmons amp. It's a bit too much sometimes. If we are playing without in-ears, and the kick is in the band's sub, it's awful for me. I call it "Subwoofer Mask" where the sub and it's long waves and standing waves in most places- mask many desirable frequencies. I have heard Rocco Prestia BURIED by subs, as well as the subs NEARLY drowning out the vocals when I saw Three Dog Night about ten years ago. I do not attend live music concerts. Except at Bartley Ranch here in Reno. All Klipsch horns, and NO subs. I saw Pat Metheny and Christian McBride there. Wonderful. Just like the old days before subs- it sounded incredible. Most drummers around here, are quite vocal about their disapproval of electronic drum kits. But they use them, as the alternative is to not work. Sometimes, a drummer will just bitch about them all night. It's all part of the gig.
I show up, with the right basses for the music, prepared as a result of doing my homework, with the right amp/ speakers/ or my always at the ready in-ear setup. Whatever the drums are, are fine, I deal with it- because, I want to work, too.
