Mike,Obviously you have an axe to grind that really has very little to do with how one mounts their drums. I completely understand the difference is very minimal when heard over the context of an entire mix, however, the difference is very noticeable to me and that, in turn would have an impact on my playing. Times have moved on, innovations have been made, some good and some not worthwhile. If the hardware designed in the 50's and 60's was so great, that is all we would be using today but as we all know much of it was doggerel, so much so that we ordered new drums without the hardware so we could put something better on it. As to what a good drum tech (not just a kid that sets up your drums) can bring to the table:- there are a lot of drummers who, quite frankly, are not very good at tuning their drums. A good drum tech will be good at that and should also be good at discerning what is appropriate for your style of music and mic situation. A drummer who is having issues getting what they want out of a kit should be able to describe what they are looking for and have a drum tech figure that out if they cannot. To be fair, there are plenty of drummers who bring that skill set to the table and don't need that help. The fact is (and I say this because I see it ALL the time) there are a lot of drummers who cannot do that. Sometimes the tech has to tell a drummer he is using the wrong kit to achieve what he is really looking for. - A good drum tech will know all about various drum shell types, bearing edge profiles, drum head selection, tuning techniques, etc. and will be able to help a drummer better define his style. Say what you want but there are a ton of professional drummers (endorsed drummers by the way) out there that just have no idea just like there are keyboard players who only play stock sounds and guitar players that have no idea what kind of power tubes they use in their amp heads. - A good drum tech can be a fantastic liaison between the drummer the monitor engineer and the FOH engineer. He can also be your ears out front where you can never be. If the two of you have a good rapport and a defined understanding of what you are wanting to accomplish, your tech can help you accomplish that with the FOH engineer including assisting with mic selection and placement. I am not talking about the kid behind the beer soaked console in a bar. These are high dollar professional engineers that care as much about the drum sound as you do. - If you have developed a good rapport with your drum tech and have a great deal of trust in your relationship as well as mutual respect, a really good drum tech can improve your playing to some degree. Keep in mind a really good drum tech will have worked for a lot of high profile drummers and engineers and will have learned a lot of things along the way that could very well be extremely valuable to you. That is, of course, if you are willing to listen.
I have no axe to grind, I am not vested in any projects anymore so i have no axe to grind but i do have almost 50 years of experience dealing with recording and live gigs, and most of your post supports what I am trying to get across here, and that is to many people I will not call them drummers or musicians rely on others to do for them what they should have learned to do for themselves their music and work ethic would be much better off if they had learned more skills.
When you say some drummers even endorsed ones are not very good at tuning or mic placement or anything then i say they are not very good drummers regardless of skill liken it to this a doctor learns most but not all of a part of a operation instead of being able to complete the operation he will call up someone else and ask his opinion or how to do it..... granted this example is over the top but you get the idea....
Music is a very unique thing each piece is different and it is that difference that attracts us to certain styles and genres thank goodness so many great drummers had their own styles and got those styles to tape for us to hear .
Music today sounds the same most is pop oriented even in country music there seems to be a assembly line I chalk it up to high tech and loss of musicianship people are not out on the road like they used to be there are exceptions but not many i would spend money on to either buy or listen to..
It is ok if we disagree after all it is what it is all about no reason we can not discuss like adults..... I can only offer my side of this but almost all of todays hardware came from copying Rogers memory lock , if you do not think drum stuff goes in fads just look at any group today they either have one tom on a snare stand ala Bonham ,probably not knowing he did it because of weight not resonance or they have the classic two up off the left side on a stand another setup i never did understand it will change again in a few years to some other setup it just goes round in circles fads gimmicks etc just play your music and be true to what it is nothing else matters the sound will develop it'self ...
