Five kits, all capturing the raw, thunderous tone of classic ‘70s hard rock.
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Five kits, all capturing the raw, thunderous tone of classic ‘70s hard rock.
| ADD TO CARTFueled by acts like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, a new breed of rock burst onto the scene in the late sixties. With a big, thunderous sound, often with the drums as the barreling force in the front of the mix, the classic acts of this era didn’t only strike a chord that would resonate to this day – they shook the ground and started a landslide of heavy music to come.It’s from this legacy that the Big Rock Drums EZX picks up. Helmed by Rival Sons’ drummer Michael Miley and Grammy Award-winning engineer Dave Cobb (Rival Sons, Europe, Zac Brown Band), it sets out to capture the raw essence of classic rock drums as we know them. Recorded at Cobb’s own Low Country Sound Studio in Nashville, it presents five essentially different kits that still share one common denominator – they’re the massive, reverberant and roaring type, tailored for big rock songs.
As much as this is an homage to times that passed, it’s at the same time a reminder of the fact that great tones never die – they echo through the ages. Quite simply: vintage never gets old.
Meet the team behind the Big Rock Drums EZX and get a glimpse of what happened during the sessions.
Name: Michael Miley
Location: Nashville
Occupation: Drummer in Rival Sons
Links: www.rivalsons.com
We asked drummer Michael Miley to walk us through and put his own words to each kit of the Big Rock Drums EZX. Enjoy!
Oh, the Mayer Bros*. This kit has been used on all the Rival Sons’ albums. This kit just has it. Even Jason Bonham came in our studio and tracked with it. It’s fat, warm and punchy. Not too much low end; like in the subby neck of the woods. Low end is real beefy. The top snare head actually hasn’t been changed since we opened for AC/DC in 2010! This kit has the mojo risin’…
I walked in and saw this C&C* sitting in the closet. The shells were super lightweight and I initially thought it wouldn’t have that “Big Drum” sound, but Cobb assured us this thing sang. He was right. This kit had such a vibe about it while filling the room. It was used on two Grammy Award-winning country albums also. Warm, fuzzy, with a firm punch to the gut.
Broadkaster! This is from the reissue series Gretsch* has just released this year. This kit takes you back to the ’50s FOR SURE. This is literally the sound of the big band drummers, yet retaining that vibe for any modern or vintage sound in any recording and performing situation. And the Joyful Noise snare is just a cherry on top! Such a great company – EVERY single snare I tried over at Fork’s Drum Closet in Nashville had amazing character. I used this kit on the Rival Sons’ “Hollow Bones” album on a few tracks.
Don’t be misled when you see that the kick is 22″. Its impact is 26″ or higher – wide open with no muffling. Balls to the wall, this kit! These ’70s Superclassic shells made every stroke effortless. And being standard sizes, it filled the room, no problem. EQ some of the low end out, and you’ll have a Steely Dan sound, play it as is and you will attain Zeppelin heights.
Camco*. Yes. These drums were a surprise as I’d never played a Camco* kit before, only heard about them. Again, a 22″ kick wide open, filling the two-story high tracking room at Low Country Sound. If I was blindfolded, I’d swear this was at least a 24″ bass drum, if not a 26″. And this C&C* snare, holy moly. For being wood hoops, this snare had such a great ring! The cross-stick on this is obviously the way to go for any cross-stick tracking you might be doing.
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
Watch the always amazing Luke Oswald give the Big Rock Drums EZX a go on his e-kit.
Listen to a remixed version “Long Gone” by City of Souls, featuring the Big Rock Drums EZX. All drums were sound replaced using the multitrack sessions from the original recording.
Song used with permission. Connect with the band here: www.facebook.com/cityofsouls/
Kick
14x24" C&C* Player date 2
Snare
6.5x14" Joyful Noise Blackbird Studio Model
Floor Tom
16x16" C&C* Playerdate 2
Rack Tom
9x13" C&C* Playerdate 2
Hi-Hat
14" Zildjian* A Vintage
Crash
17" Zildjian* A 70s Crash
Crash
18" Zildjian* A 70s Crash Ride
Ride
22" Zildjian* K Ride
Kick
14x22" Camco* Oaklawn
Snare
6.5x14" C&C* Mahogany Maple Hoops
Floor Tom
16x16" Camco* Oaklawn
Rack Tom
9x13" Camco* Oaklawn
Hi-Hat
15" Zildjian* A Vintage Ching Ring
Crash
19" Zildjian* A Medium Thin Crash
Crash
19" Zildjian* K Medium Thin Dark Crash
Ride
20" Zildjian* Kerope Ride
Kick
14x24" Gretsch* Broadkaster
Snare
6.5x14" Joyful Noise Standard COB
Floor Tom
16x16" Gretsch* Broadkaster
Rack Tom
9x13" Gretsch* Broadkaster
Hi-Hat
15" Zildjian* A Vintage
Crash
19" Zildjian* A Medium Thin Crash
Crash
19" Zildjian* K Medium Thin Dark Crash
Ride
20" Zildjian* Kerope Ride
Kick
14x22" Ludwig* Superclassic 70s 3-Ply
Snare
5x14" Ludwig* Black Magic
Floor Tom
16x16" Ludwig* Superclassic 70s 3-Ply
Rack Tom
9x13" Ludwig* Superclassic 70s 3-Ply
Hi-Hat
14" Zildjian* A Vintage Ching Ring
Crash
17" Zildjian* A 70s Crash
Crash
18" Zildjian* A 70s Crash Ride
Ride
22" Zildjian* K Ride
Kick
14x26" Mayer Bros
Snare
6.5x14" Mayer Bros* Aluminum
Floor Tom
16x16" Mayer Bros
Rack Tom
10x14" Mayer Bros
Hi-Hat
15" Zildjian* A Vintage
Crash
19" Zildjian* K Medium Thin Dark Crash
Crash
19" Zildjian* A Medium Thin Crash
Ride
20" Zildjian* Kerope Ride
Snare
6.5x14" Gretsch* Broadkaster
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
4 GB free disk space, 2 GB RAM, DVD drive.
A working EZdrummer 2.1.4 (or above) or a Superior Drummer 2.4.4 (or above) installation.
