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This timbre matching is allocated to DW drum sets and enhances the collective sound of the drum set. Diving right into this DW Design Series review, let’s look at the sounds this 5—piece shell pack has to offer. Straight away I was blown away by the incredible tone and warmth of these drums. Design Series HVLT™ shells feature edges that are precision-cut to both 45 degrees (toms) and 60 degrees (bass and snare) and tested on a flat stone for gaps.
What To Expect from This Kit
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Design 4-Piece Kit
On a blind test, it’s genuinely difficult to tell the difference between the sounds of the Collectors Series Vs Design Series with the same drum set configuration. Both drum sets sound full, and have a pronounced low end and responsiveness. The short distance between the heads means that the response is both immediate and carries with it a hard edge that opens up the possibilities of many more musical settings.
DW Design Series Premium DW Drums at an affordable cost
I would say the Collectors Series drums sound a little more full and have a slightly smoother tone overall across the kit. DW's Mini Turret lugs - a shrunken version of the company's distinctive rounded lug - are fitted in ideal proportions across the drums. Despite their minimal footprint, each lug is attached to the shell by two bolts. The DW Design Series Piccolo toms were designed with the legendary drummer Terry Bozio. These are made from chrome-plated steel and are 2.5″ in depth. The Design kits also feature the DW triple-flange hoops on the toms and snare with the snare also having a MAG throw-off.
It’s the complete package – delivering premium sounds and looks at a fraction of the cost of a DW Collector’s Series. Drum Workshop (DW) is now among the most trusted drum manufacturers in the world. They are producing a high-quality drum set that is suitable for all drummers. No one should complain because DW has drummed for amateurs as well as professionals. These drums are clear and responsive and have a very warm sound to them.
DW Design Series Drum Set Gallery
DW's Frequent Flyer kit was launched at NAMM 2014, joining the company's Taiwanese- manufactured Design Series. Devised at the request of jazz maestro and DW endorsee Peter Erskine, the Frequent Flyer is an off-the-shelf, no-compromise compact kit. For under $1700 (£1500, €1600) you are getting a lot of drum for your money. Almost every part of the kit matches up against the premium DW Collector Series kits.
DW Design Black Nickel Over Brass Snare Drum review - MusicRadar
DW Design Black Nickel Over Brass Snare Drum review.
Posted: Sat, 28 Nov 2015 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The two toms both share relatively short depths as well but are nowhere near as condensed as the kick. At 12" and 14" in diameter they offer a useful range of tuning options. A characteristically jazzy 'ping' is possible at high tensions, with the clean projection ensuring that notes almost leap forth. A DW STM suspension mount is fitted to the tom as standard.
My DW Design Kit Reviewed
All of the heads are single-ply and the rims of the toms and snare are graduated in two thicknesses according to drum size. Altogether this should maintain an open drum sound and allow plenty of projection. It’s new to the series and John Good believes this process is what gives the DW Design the inital attack and articulation. The snare drum included with the drums is the only drum configured with the traditional HVX ply configuration as we see in the Performance Series. The HVLT North American maple shells deliver incredible tonal clarity and projection. These drums produce a great amount of attack with just the right level of sustain.
The drums are hand-picked North American Maple, which is a superb choice of wood for many players. Many of the Collector’s Series drums are also made from NAM. Even though the cost of labor is drastically reduced, the quality of the drums is just as high, as they are produced with similar quality tools and profoundly skilled workers. The snare drum is very comparable to my DW Collector’s Series maple snare drum sporting similar dimensions. Once I got everything together and tuned up, I was so happy when I struck my first note.
From the very first smack of the beater, this drum proves instantly impressive. In order to maintain this level of affordability, all of the drums in the new series are made in DW's Taiwanese factory, where the cost of labour is drastically reduced. The standard of build is nothing short of superb, faultless in fact. Traditionally, DW drums are made with 1/36″ veneers, but the DW design shells are made of a thicker veneer, measuring 1/32″.
The newly designed mini Turret lugs, STM suspension mounts, True-Pitch tuning rods, and Remo heads also help to allow these drums to deliver killer sounds. The shells of the toms and bass drum are formed with DW's proprietary HVLT (Horizontal Vertical Low-Tension) process. This follows an arrangement of a vertical grained inner, horizontal outer and cross- laminate plies sandwiched in between. DW offers one standard shell pack and a reduced choice of drum sizes and finishes to keep a competitive price. The features that can be used to differentiate the design series from any other DW drums line include; grain orientation, lugs, thicker veneers, and sound.
One noticeable thing that separates this kit from the higher-priced DW kits is the white resonant head on the bass drum. The Design Series drums are made from North American hard rock maple wood. The maple wood gives them a warm tone that works well in a variety of musical styles. The hardware used on the shells makes the drums sing beautifully, typical of a DW drum set. With very little tuning, the toms soon get the thumbs up with their unhindered single ply heads allowing the drums to ring freely, giving greater potential for projection. They are well focused and each strike comes with plenty of attack, clearly discernible from each of the previous strikes, which aids articulation.
If you opt for the DW Design Series drums, you can be confident you will receive a professional level drum set in every way. The sound will be incredibly close to that of a DW Collectors Series drum set, and at a fraction of the price. The DW Collectors Series offers the perfect balance of tonal clarity, projection, attack, sustain, and warmth. These drums sound as good as you’d expect from a top-of-the-range flagship drum set. DW has taken lots of high-end features from the Collectors Series and put them into the Design Series drum set whilst keeping the price affordable.
The drum toms have a clear top and bottom drum head, while the snare drum batter is a Remo ‘Controlled Sound’ equivalent that has a reverse dot stuck to the underside. Now we come to the biggest difference between the two drum sets – the price! The new models have been re-engineered with dual shell fixings and a special fixing arrangement. The snare drum has a set of centralised mini lugs with extended portions designed to accept the tension bolts top and bottom, giving a slight 'propeller look'. The mini turret has been used on some special drum editions in the past, but DW has no future plans to use them on any other series. The design series of drums suit the drumming needs of the current generation.
The resonance is incredible—sustaining for more than a few seconds. I can attest in this DW Design Series review that I am so impressed with the quality of the craftsmanship of these drums; it looks to be equal to that of DW’s American produced drums. You may assume in this DW Design Series review that this would be a significant compromise – potentially sacrificing the quality of the drums. The kick drum produces a powerful low-end tone that packs a real punch.
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