a good percussion setup

[mikegee]

i was thinking about setting up a good percussion setup, mostly bongos and congas etc... anybody have any suggestions of what other instruments would make up a pretty good percussion setup? or a few different possible setups? i see the perucssionists on tv and in concert at times, but its hard to tell every instrument they have...

thanks

[DreamwaveMusic]

timbales, wind chimes, blocks and cowbells, djembe, different shakers and some effect cymbals, check out billy martins

[Bellringer]

I think it's good to balance out percussion drums with bells, shakers, chimes, and even wood blocks. Its also fun to make percussion instruments. I like to fill coffee cans with different items to get a variety of tone for shaking. Sand, glass, pellets, change, gravel, etc. You can always coat the inside of a metal container with glue and felt to change the tone a bit.
I always liked Skeleton Key's approach to percussion. They have everything from a red wagon to a keg. Meg White has a board with different pitched desk bells attached in a piano key pattern. It's great to have the basics but also stay unpredictable and original.

[mikegee]

Originally Posted by Bellringer

I think it's good to balance out percussion drums with bells, shakers, chimes, and even wood blocks. Its also fun to make percussion instruments. I like to fill coffee cans with different items to get a variety of tone for shaking. Sand, glass, pellets, change, gravel, etc. You can always coat the inside of a metal container with glue and felt to change the tone a bit.
I always liked Skeleton Key's approach to percussion. They have everything from a red wagon to a keg. Meg White has a board with different pitched desk bells attached in a piano key pattern. It's great to have the basics but also stay unpredictable and original.

those are some pretty good ideas, guys... yea, i saw that meg white bell board, pretty cool... anything else that might be interesting?

[cthetranspire]

Well, I'm definitely about the concept of "if it makes your ear happy, hit it". That and you can NEVER go wrong with some brake drums. Go to a junk yard and ask them for some, they're cheap. Get a few different ones, and you're all over it!!

That, and when you get a cowbell, do splurge. Nothing sounds better than LAYING quarter notes into a good cowbell.

[Nubus]

[GearJunkie]

[abarnett]

I'm a big fan of the ratchet. Seriously, its a useful tool and a useful percussive sound.

I would recommend avoiding tablas. They are really cool instruments, but not easy to master. People spend years learning the basic scales of the tabla.

[dagosto]

I find bongos and congas to be the most useful drums. They are very easy to get useful sounds out of. Congas are some of the most easy drums to record. I always use an XY pair of SM57's. You can mix them loud or bury them under a dense mix and they always add something nice to the song.

[smopo24]

Originally Posted by dagosto

I find bongos and congas to be the most useful drums. They are very easy to get useful sounds out of. Congas are some of the most easy drums to record. I always use an XY pair of SM57's. You can mix them loud or bury them under a dense mix and they always add something nice to the song.

Chimes, a good set of bells, and a few triangles would be nice; you never see enough of those! And I agree with dagosto; congas and bongos are not just fun, but easy to record, and bing to life a track when mixed into the right music.