Tama Starclassic Performer birch/bubinga kit in Diamond Dust finish: 8, 10 & 12-inch toms; 14 & 16-inch floor toms; 12-inch Melody Maker snare; 14-inch Melody Maker snare (both steel shell); Gong drum; 22-inch bass drum; low-pitch set of Octabans

Mike Portnoy: “What you’re seeing on this kit and this set-up is a lot of experimenting for me. I’m loving and digging the stuff here. With all these new chapters and projects going on in my life I think I’m going to incorporate a lot of new set-ups to go with it. Not just cymbals but drums as well.

“This particular kit that you’re seeing is the kit that I’m using with Billy, Tony and Derek. For instance, this configuration, it’s a little different. I’ve never stacked Octabans like that. Normally, I have four going across.

“I like to mix up the set-ups for different things that I’m doing. The toms are 8, 10, and 12-inch with 14 and 16-inch floor toms and a Gong drum. This exact drumset, though, is something that Tama keeps here in LA and I’ve utilised this drumset in so many different places.

“Not only am I doing the DVD and shows with Tony, Derek and Billy on it, but that’s also the kit that I recorded Avenged Sevenfold’s Nightmare album on. I also used it with Transatlantic, Neal Morse and Liquid Tension Experiment live, here in California, so I have a deep history with this specific drumset.”