Pearl Midtown Drum Set 4-Pc Shell Pack-Pure White (MDT764P/C33)

Product Information

The market for small drum kits has been swelling over the past few years. We all know how important a quality set it for any drummer – beginners and professionals alike. This is why drummers will spend huge amounts of money just to get their hands on the perfect drum set. The big selling point with this kit is the fact that you get 7 drums at a good price. You could set them all up if you wanted to, or you could select different sizes for varying settings to have appropriate drum setups. You get a lot of options. One thing I like about Pearl is its focus on finer details. They never leave anything to chance, which creates a market of highly reputable and helpful products. Cheaper compact drum kits are either made from hardwood or poplar. These are inexpensive woods to use, and the drums made with them aren’t as musically responsive as higher-quality woods. When testing each kit, I assessed their sonic performance, build quality, and versatility. I wanted to see what made each Pearl kit so good, and then I compared that to the quality that you get from other kits.

For instance, Sonor has been selling its High-end Select Force Jungle for several years now. And this configuration has surged in popularity and demand, compelling other players to come into the picture. It was only a matter of time before they added the “Safari” as the entry-level kit. Ludwig came up strong also, taking an even more massive chunk of the market when they started selling the Ludwig Breakbeats.

The rods on the Midtown rotate smoothly as silk. This is a feature you will find only in some intermediate and pro-level kits. These rods often have slight ‘grinding’ when tuned on entry-level drum kits. This makes Pearl Midtown even more admirable. I was not expecting that at this price range. The Midtown shows tolerances as you would expect in an intermediate solution. Every shell comes less than 1-mm’ out-of-round.’ Also, the ‘trueness’ of the bearing edges was with one mm with the whole kit.

From the perspective of shell make-up the Midtowns are all 6-ply, 7.5 mm Poplar shells with standard 45 degree inner and slightly smoothed over 45 degree outside bevel bearing edges. The toms both have six lugs per side, while the snare has eight. The bass drum also has six lugs per side which may seem like two too few to some, but should be more than adequate considering the expected tuning range. Some of the competitors in the segment boast 8 lugs on the bass drum, but instead provide either steel hoops or regular triple flange rims, while the Midtowns shine with their rounded over wood hoops with matching wrap on the outside. The great thing about an intermediate set is that you can easily use it within professional settings. You just need to equip it with high-quality drumheads and use it along with professional cymbals. Your cymbal setup is the biggest determining factor of how good your overall drum setup sounds.And the best part is, this head is tunable all the way to the jazz-range without any choking effects. But you will need serious heads if you want serious jazz. Time for the nitty-gritty; Measurements. Entry level kits can often display up to two or even three mm discrepancies when cross measuring the diameter of the shells, and similarly up to two mm from “level” to high and low spots of the bearing edge. The Midtowns however boast tolerances more in line with intermediate drums. None of the shells are more than 1 mm “Out-of-Round” and the bearing edge “trueness” remains within 1 mm throughout the kit. These are very impressive results in this price range. The bearing edges themselves are smooth, consistent and without flaws. Moving onto the intermediate category, the Pearl Decade Maple 7-piece is a huge maple drum set that Pearl offers. Every drum has a thin 6-ply maple shell that makes it warm and resonating.

The New Yorker (are you spotting a theme with the names here?) echoes some of the features of the Pearl Midtown: all-poplar shells and cut-out wooden bass drum hoops, while the riser mounts externally.

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Maple and mahogany are the best shell types for jazz, as maple kits have warm and resonant tones and mahogany kits have vintage low-end warmth. This drum set was so enjoyable to play. And as you would expect from DW, the standard of the build is virtually flawless. This miniature drum set sounded astonishingly good, and it makes the perfect travel companion or space-saving kit. If the bass drum is small enough, the toms and snares will fit nicely around it, no matter their size. Some compact kits have 12-inch snares, while others have 14-inch ones. In terms of sound, both are great, but the 12-inch snare will be easier to transport around. Wood Type The supplied riser slots into a hole in the bottom of the bass drum, making sure that it’s firmly supported from the batter side as well as the front, and Pearl has cut a groove in the batter-side hoop to ensure that your pedal chain doesn’t get caught. It’s a simple, but nice addition that adds to the Midtown’s no-fuss design. The hardwood drum shells are durable and well-constructed, with precisely cut bearing edges too. It’s also worth noting that visually this mini drum set looks great, too! It’s got a sparkle wrap that looks attractive.