Bart Robley and Aquarian Drum Heads & Accessories

[JerryCymurderborg]

I'm an aquarian fan myself and I also have a question for you. I'm not in a band or anything, but the kind of music I play is mostly stuff like the band Nightwish which is a heavy metal band that does tons of classical and orchestral stuff mixed in with the metal. I was wondering what you would recommend for heads. What I have now are performance 2s on my toms, texture coated on my snare, and a superkick 2 on my bass. 

[bartrobley]

@JerryCymurderborg That sounds like you have a great head combination for metal. I might change the snare head out. Aquarian came out with a new snare head called the Triple Threat and it ROCKS!! I have one on two of my snare drums and I love the way it sounds and plays.

Thanks for the question and thanks for watching.

Happy Drumming

Bart

[nortsoldier]

Hey pal im wondering im in sort of a day to remember hard rock/Metal band what Aquarian heads would be good. I got Remo Pinstripes at the momen Aquarian allot more times then i have remo and evans...what heds would give the best sound

Andrew :)

[bartrobley]

@nortsoldier Hey Andrew. Thanks for the question. I would use the Super Kick and Regulator on the bass drum. On the toms I would try the Performance 2 and a Hi Velocity on the snare. Let me know how it works out.

Thanks

Bart

[nortsoldier]

@bartrobley Thanks pal....what about tuning? Tomwise...would you recomend low tuning on batter side and medium on resonant? i dont have great tuning talent...

thanks pal

Andrew :)

[bartrobley]

@nortsoldier . That's a good question, tuning can be a little tricky at first.. For more information on tuning check out my DVD "Drums ASAP Set Up." You can get it from my website.

[prognosis2112]

hi, why do you choose aquarian over anything else? and which heads are best for jazz. btw nice vid

[bartrobley]

@prognosis2112 Thanks for the question. I choose Aquarian for a few different reasons, First, and most importantly I love the way they sound. The way Aquarian heads are constructed, and the material they use, makes them much more durable than other heads. I haven't had any trouble with heads breaking, or coming unglued from the hoops like I have with other heads. As far as jazz, I would try the Modern Vintage. They will probably give you the sound you're looking for. Thanks for watching. Bart

[bartrobley]

@prognosis2112 Great. Let me know how they work out for you.

[aeronirvanazeppelin]

hey bart i was wondering where i can find out the actual thickness (in millimeters) of aquarian's heads.

thanks

[bartrobley]

@aeronirvanazeppelin That is a great question. Have you checked the Aquarian website? You might also try emailing Chris Brady at Aquarian. He would be able to help you out. Thanks for watching.

Bart

[danlc95]

Sounds great Bart! I'm wanting some Studio - X for my toms next time around.

[bartrobley]

@danlc95 Those are great heads. I use them from time to time myself. Have a great 2011.

All my best

Bart

[WoahBigRigs]

im looking to get another set of aquarian tom heads. i had the performance 2s and i love them! what kind of heads are you using in this video?

[bartrobley]

@WoahBigRigs Thanks for the question. I have a Hi Velocity on the top of the Snare, Coated Single Plys on the top of the toms, and Classic Clears on the bottoms of the toms and snare. The Kick is a Super Kick One on the batter side and a Regulator on the front. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching.

Bart

[TrickPercussion]

Great Video!

[bartrobley]

@TrickPercussion

Thanks so much for watching and posting

Bart

[drumsanddrumming]

You really got the right attitude- all the best!

johan

[bartrobley]

@drumsanddrumming Thanks so much

Bart

[Localdrummerweb]

hey man I am switching over from Evans and curious what heads I will need as far as aquarian goes..Im currently using G2's on top and G1's on bottom (Toms) and a superkick 2 on the kick drum..YES the superkick was what sold me on Aquarian lol..I have been an evans guys since I started playing over 15 years ago..but I just cant get that kick sound without the superkick..What Aquarian heads are similar to the G2's..looking for that nice low punchy tom sound from the custom pork pies ; )

[drumsanddrumming]

I played Remo for years and haven`t found any Evans I really liked but when I put Aquarian Texture coated on my snares it blew me away! So great!

[bartrobley]

@drumsanddrumming That is awesome. I love Aquarian, they never let me down. Thanks for watching

Bart

[bmankilla37]

I recently picked up some aquarian muffler rings, and i can say the helped IMMENSELY! I absolutely love them, and my toms finally have the sound ive been looking for!! :)

[bartrobley]

@bmankilla37 That's GREAT!! I always like hearing from drummers when they find a product that not only helps their playing, it enhances their sound as well. Thanks for waching and happy druming.

Bart

[munkych33z]

i love aquarian heads. amazing. after watching this was when i decided to check em out.

my setup now is:

Kick: Super kick 2 on batter, Regulator on reso

Snare: texture coated on batter, classic clear on reso

Toms: focus x on batter, classic clear on bottoms

THEY SOUND AMAZING

[bartrobley]

@munkych33z

That is great news, and I'm so glad you are happy with the heads. Thanks so much for watching and for the kind words.

All my best

Bart

[joegritschacher]

i'm an aquarian endorsee too!

could you recommend me drumheads which are for every style...?

[bartrobley]

That really depends on what sound you are going for. I use coated single plays on the tops of my toms. A Super Kick on the batter side of the kick and a Regulator on the front. A Hi Velocity on the snare and Classic Clears on the bottom of the snare and toms. I hope that helps.

[montecarlomty]

@bartrobley nice, hey I bought some coated heads but I cannot get them to lose all the wrinkles unless I tune them too high which I don't like, I seated them because I bought a Pearl EXR like 5 or 6 years ago and the video that came with it says you need to seat the heads, only to find out later by an evans video, yes they're evans heads =S only heads i could get, that you don't have to seat them because it damages the heads, could it be this? because I've never had coated heads before...

[Th3Chick3nDud3]

i recently read your reply regarding the aquarian pad, and I think i just might go for the aquarian pad at the end of the day, once i have the money :S. I have been endorsing the use of VF sticks throughout my drumming carreer as well, personally i LOVE and respect VF sticks. How ever i am considering switching to Pro - Mark scince they have a really WIDE selection of diametters, meaning a better feel and comfort on the hands, im still thinking about it though. I dont know what to do.

[bartrobley]

I've been a VF guy for years. They are best stick for sure in my book.

[IIxMCGOWANxII]

Toms sound horrid. I used the superkick for a while but it makes the bass drum sound a little too dead i think. Remo and evans still own

[bartrobley]

Thanks for watching and sharing you opinion. I hope that Remo and Evens give you the sound you are looking for.

All my best

Bart

[revup43]

so on this video what kind of aquarians are you using? ive recently started and need to replace my cheap came with heads. and my drum teacher told me about aquarians and ive been doing some research and like the way yours sound.

[gabbalabbawoop]

cheers! :D

do you have your own signature stick or just endorse a specific model? :)

[bartrobley]

I don't have a signature stick.....YET! : ) I use a wood tip 5A.

Bart

[gabbalabbawoop]

hi bart, do you use the aquarian drumsticks and cymbal spings as well as the drumheads and preactise pad?

thanks for the replies on your bass drum head vid btw :)

[bartrobley]

No problem on the replies, I'm glad to be of service. Thanks for the questions. I am a Vic Firth endorser so no, I don't use the Aquarian sticks. The only time I use the cymbal springs is if I'm using a china cymbal and it's clamped down real tight. They work great for that.

Thanks

Bart

[johanssonmatte]

Is the Gretsch walnut drumkit for rock guys or just for jazz? Great videos very useful,. thanks for that,

[bartrobley]

The walnut kit I have is one of the 2005 purewood kits. You could use it for jazz or rock, but it does have a 22" bass drum.

I'm very glad you like the videos. I have a new DVD and book coming out in January. I will be putting some more videos from the new DVD up next week. Please look for them.

Thanks for watching.

Bart

[jamy313]

loveing the snare. what is it? but not to sure about those toms.

[Rockinnsk8inallday]

damn that snare sounds so damn good! I'm pretty sure that Hi-Velocity brings that snare drum alive!

[bartrobley]

Thanks so much. The Hi-Velocity is a great snare head and is very versatile.

Thanks for watching.

Bart

[DoobieFroobie]

You sir have the WORST sounding heads ever.

[bartrobley]

Thanks you for your opinion and thanks for watching.

Bart

[DoobieFroobie]

Sorry for my rude behaviour, but I just had to say that.

[bartrobley]

That is beautiful thing about You Tube, everyone is aloud to speak their opinion.

What type of heads do you use and what sound do you go for?

Bart

[DoobieFroobie]

I use mostly Remos and Evans. I have Evans E-mad 2 kick head, and all of my toms have remos. I like a very pure tone.

[bartrobley]

Cool. I play coated single ply heads. I'm with you on that, I like the drum to sound like a drum, not the box it came in. Ya know?

All my best

Bart

[venomxhbk]

Hello, can you tell me what the best aquarian drum heads you think are best for heavy metal lol?

keep it up!

[tisBenG]

do u use bosphorus gold cymbals???? ive been looking in to them and they seem really good.

[bartrobley]

Yes I do. I just switched this year to Bosphorus and I LOVE the cymbals. My entire set up is the Gold Series except for a 10" splash with is a Traditional series. I've played a set of the Traditional hats that i really like. I might get a set of those in the future. If you have any more questions please pass them along.

Thanks for watching

Bart

[tisBenG]

awesome, would you mind doing a video of your kit and your cymbals, and do a bit of playing to because im really intrested in getting some bosphorus cymbals, that would be great.

thanks

[bartrobley]

I'm getting ready to shoot another DVD in October. At that time I'm going to do a plug for Bosphorus. When we did the School of Hard rocks DVD I was not playing Bosphorus yet. I was playing them on the Drums ASAP DVD. You might want to check that DVD out.

Thanks

Bart

[vanhalen021]

Awesome video. I love Aquarian heads especially the Performance II heads. What do you think of that snare head? I have a Studio-X on mine now but I have been wanting to try out other snare heads they make. Any recommendations?

[bartrobley]

Thanks for the kind words. The Studio-X is a great head. I've used the them my snare drums in the past.

It really depends on the sound you are going for. On my wood snare drums I use the Hi-Velocity head, and on my metal drums I use the single ply with a power dot. Please feel free to send me any questions you might have.

Thanks for watching

Bart

[bartrobley]

Thanks for watching. I agree Aquarian is the best. That might be a tough one. They have quite a few requirements you have to reach before becoming an endorser. However that is not for me to say. Try sending them an eamil. Best of luck to you.

Happy drumming

Bart

[JORDANROUBIQUE]

heyy. i have a question. ive been playing drums for a while now.. about two two and a half years.. and i love aquarian stuff. might i ask how i could go about endorsing there product? i would love to join the team.

im fifteen though lol.

[acdcrocker2009]

im realy influenced by phil rudd from AC/DC. i saw in the mid 90's he used aquarian drum heads. i loved the sound of his snare. his snare had a clear head with a white dot on it, plus a white ring around it. i couldn't find it on the site though. what is it if u know?

[bartrobley]

I just checked with my friend Chris Brady, who is the artist relations rep. for Aquarian Drumheads. He said it is a CCPD14. Classic Clear with a power dot. Good luck to you. Thanks for watching, and happy drumming.

All my best

Bart

[acdcrocker2009]

thanks u very much. im on my way to get it.

[CowboyAdama]

In the words of my little sister... SHOW OFF!

[JerryCymurderborg]

so how long are the overtones on the toms? also im not familiar with that snare head. how would you compare it to the focas-x coated my teacher has.

[bartrobley]

Hey Jerry,

By Overtones do mean how long do the drum resonate? Not long, it depends on how you tune the drum. Even though I primarily play rock music, I tune my toms like a jazz drummer. So they do resonate a little longer. The Hi Velocity is a double ply head with a power dot on the back side. The other snare head I use is a Focus X. They are both great snare heads. Check out my site when you get a chance.

Thanks again for watching.

Bart

[JerryCymurderborg]

Yep thats what i meant. thank ya Bart.

[bartrobley]

You've got that right. I love that pad! It feels just like a snare drum.

Thanks for watching!

Bart

[JerryCymurderborg]

the pad is great.

[JerryCymurderborg]

dude what toms heads do you have? they sound great. also what zildjian cymbals do you have?

[bartrobley]

Hey Jerry,

Thanks for stopping by an watching. The tom heads are Aquarian coated single ply on top and classic clear on bottom. I tune the bottom head a little higher than the top to get that nice sound. The cymbals are 16" medium, 18" projection crashes and a 20" Aramand ride. However, I just switched and started endorsing Bosphorus cymbals. They are great, and you should check them out. I will be shooting a new DVD on March 23rd on set up and tuning. Look for it soon.

Thanks.

Bart