Drummer’s Review
Here’s the latest video from the Drummer’s Review Live Room looking at a Sonor AQ1 Series Studio Kit (including hardware)
The kit features…
20” x 16” Bass Drum
10” x 7” Rack Tom
12” x 8” Rack Tom
14” x 13” Floor Tom
14” x 6” Snare Drum
100% Birch Shells
7.2mm, 9-ply shell construction
Sonor Smart Tom Suspension System
Sonor Single AQ Lugs
Remo-Made Heads Throughout
HS 2000 Series hardware pack and DTH 2000 Double Tom Holder included.
“Special mention must go to the high-gloss finish which was applied flawlessly!”
Filmed at Paul Caboche Studios (Cornwall, UK), July 2024. Scroll down for recording / production details.
“The kit sports 45˚ bearing edges throughout”
Sonor Says…“The AQ1 Series is all about Birch, just like its bigger brother, the SQ1 Series. Just as AQ2, it features our SmartMount that allows for significant better resonance and sustain of the rack toms made from 100% birch. The popular pre-configured Stage and Studio configurations are completed with the 5-piece HS2000 Hardware Set and are available in three stunning high gloss lacquer finishes: Piano Black, Piano White and Caribbean Blue.”
“The birch shells add a healthy amount of attack while the choice of slightly thicker supplied heads is a very welcome one adding body and depth.”
Pro’s:
Well-rounded tone with excellent projection
Flawless finish applied expertly
Full compliment of hardware included
“Sonor’s smart mount suspension system, with a double tom holder supplied with the kit”
Cons:
Slight rough spot on floor tom bottom bearing edge
“The matching snare drum gives an articulate and dynamic response, with everything from ghost strokes through to rimshots sounding crisp and full.”
Sonor AQ1 Series Studio Kit: UK RRP: £1249.00
For more details, head to: www.sonor.com
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For more completely impartial kit reviews, click HERE
Recording Details:
Filmed at Paul Caboche Studios (Cornwall UK).
Microphone List:
Kick Rear: Audix D6
Kick Front: Electrovoice RE27ND
Snare Top: Electrovoice PL80
Snare Bottom: Electrovoice PL80
Hi Hat: Oktava MK-012-01 Cardio
Ride: Oktava MK-012-01 Cardio
Toms: AKG C414B
Over Head wide: AKG C414B (pair)
Centre Over Heads: AEA R88 MK2 Stereo Ribbon Mic
Front Centre Room : AEA R88 MK2 Stereo Ribbon Mic
Wide Room Mic’s: sE2200T Tube Mic’s (pair)
Recording Process:
Microphone Pre amps: 16x Rupert Neve Designs 5052
Pre amp outs to Avid HD analog to digital converters connected to Avid HDX card
Recorded into Pro Tools Ultimate latest version running HDX cards mounted in an Apple Mac Pro 2019 16core.
Audio Template Details:
No EQ:
Direct microphone sound – no EQ either pre or post recording applied from the Neve 5052 Pre-Amps EQ section.
Basic EQ:
Basic EQ setting using the EQ section of the Neve 5052 mic Pre-Amps. No post recoded EQ or processing applied.
Full Studio Mix:
Post EQ section of the Neve 5052 mic Pre-Amps plus post production EQ, gating, parallel compression and some reverb added to the snare and toms. There was also some room mic processing along with parallel drum bus adding compression and reverb to the overall sound.
A Note From Paul…
“The microphones were set up with the overheads and room mic’s measured to the centre of the snare drum to keep the phase of any stereo pair in phase. The AEA R88 MK2 mic’s being stereo mic’s had no issue with phase but the front centre room mic and centre overhead where aligned with each other to keep the same stereo image. The phase reverse switch on the front kick mic was used to correct the phase between the two bass drum mic’s. The phase reverse switch was engaged on the bottom snare mic to correct the phase between the two snare mic’s. Hi pass filters only used on the hi hat mic, Ride mic and overheads. The AKG C414B mic’s on the toms have very little proximity bass boost so can be considered a pretty flat representation of the toms. The same can be said for the Electrovoice PL80 mic’s on the snare drum. Every effort was made so that the NO EQ sound example audio on the video was as true a representation of what the drums sounded like in the live room. The live room of the studio has been treated to also provide a neutral sound close to the drums with the room mic’s then giving a true representation of what the drums sound like in the room. Using 16 identical Mic Pre amps also helps with electrical phase so there is no difference between tone and phase of the Mic Pre amps. The brief for recoding the drums was to give as true a representation as possible of what the drums actually sound like and to then give examples of what can be done to the sound of the drums.”
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