Get a drummer that knows how to make drums sound good, and trade him an hour of your time for his time to show you some tips on making a drum sound good.

Mixerman

The drummer I've been using went to middle TN to make his fortune. :)

Does the drum sound crap acoustically or is it just the mic'ed up version that's not working ? If it's crap before you even add a mic then no amount of engineering is going to get a good sound. If it's just the mic'ed version that's not working then have you tried a combination of 421 up close inside for the attack and U67 just outside for the body. Alternatively, try taking the front skin off altogether and experiment with moving the cushion around inside or using more/less cushion.

Hope this helps.
-Peter

Hi Wayne,

If you are recording the Pearl bass drum the same way as the DW there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to get a good sound.

All the big name drum manufacturers make good kits. In essence there is not much difference between say Yamaha, Pearl, Ludwig, Drum Workshop, etc. The players themselves are more of a variable than the kits they play. If you've checked your clabling, etc., you might also want to try different dampening inside the drum. Try a blanket instead of foam, or vice versa. The precise positioning of dampening inside the drum can make a large difference to the sound, play around with more or less of the dampening pushed up against the drum heads as opposed to just in contact with the shell.

Lastly, and my personal favourite, would be to take Mixerman's advice and find a quality drummer for an hour or so.

Greg

Thank Peter, Greg and Mixerman for the help. :o

When I find it, I'll let everyone know how dumb it was.

Wayne

It's the simple things that get us in trouble! :o

Thanks to all of you for the help.

Wayne