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Ludwig Accent drumset for recording?

Axelorox

New member
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
83
I'm looking to take advantage of the July 4th sales and finally buy myself a drumset. My goal is to get a set good for recording my own songs via multiple tracks, Paul McCartney style (albums such as McCartney, McCartney II, Chaos and Creation). I already sing and play guitar, bass, and piano, so drums are the only instrument I'm missing. I will not be drumming live.


So far I have a basic idea of how to play drums, but still have a lot of learning to do. Guitar is my main interest. I'm not too versed or interested in the intricacies of different drum brands or materials. I just want something that is reliable, pleasant to use and play, and that will record well. I am not interested in getting a low quality beginner set and then upgrading later. I want to get Ludwig drums given the connections to McCartney and The Beatles (my two biggest musical influences). A lot of the music I'd record is in the style of those artists (Wings especially have been a big influence on me).


I'm currently looking at the Ludwig Accent set. From what I gather this is considered an entry level set that a number of drummers online seem to dislike. But it seems good enough for Paul; he's used it on a number of his recent albums where he plays drums. I'm wondering if the Accent would be good for my goal of recording my own songs. I'm not sure I'd be able to pick out big differences in sound compared to higher end sets (but am open to comparison recordings or videos!) If the Accent wouldn't be good enough, what would be some other Ludwig drums that could fit my goals? I am not interested in buying used.
 

Ed Driscoll

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
4,691
If your primary goal is creating one-man demos and recordings, are you sure you want to go through the learning curve of getting good at drums? Loops, such as Sony's Acid Loops, and software such as Toontrack's Superior Drummer 3 are full of beautifully recorded drums played by great (in some cases superstar) musicians in expensive recording studios. With a little practice, they can be easily edited and assembled to create almost any backing track, particularly if you're looking for straightforward Ringo-style drumming (since you mentioned McCartney).

You need a really good, well-designed and acoustically treated room to properly record drums; you don't need that great a room to record guitars and vocals. (A few duvets and a Reflexion filter or GIK's Portable Isolation Booth will allow you to capture excellent sounding vocal recordings.)

If you're really dedicated to wanting to learn the drums in addition to playing the instruments you already know, have at it -- and good luck. But if the drums are a means to an end in terms of writing songs and recording them, you might want to explore other options.
 
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Axelorox

New member
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
83
I have been wanting to learn drums for some years now but always found one reason or another to put off. But the idea of playing drums for my tracks seems more appealing to me than messing around with editing pre-recorded tracks. I'm an old-fashioned type. I do get that there will be quite a learning curve though and am ready to face that. I do have a spare room at home that I can modify as needed
 

reswot

Active member
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Messages
3,295
Rather than deal with having to mic a drum set at home, I’d consider buying an electronic set. Some of them sound pretty good and the ones with mesh pads can feel fairly realistic. Plus, it’s less irritating to the family.
 

Dragonkoi

Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2015
Messages
37
I am a Dave Grohl wannabe. I bought a Tama Rockstar and kit and taught myself to play again (I used to play for a year or two twenty years ago). I say go for it. It's more satisfying to play your own. There is still a learning curve and expense with drum machines. Careful mic placement in a small untreated room is fine for demos.
 
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