Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
  • Guitars
  • Amps
  • Pedals
  • Drums
  • Synths
  • Software
  • Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Recording
  • Buyer’s guides
  • Live
  • DJ
  • Advice
  • Acoustic
  • Bass
  • About us
  • More
    • Reviews
Magazines
  • Computer Music
  • Electronic Musician
  • Future Music
  • Keyboard Magazine
  • Guitarist (opens in new tab)
  • Guitar Techniques (opens in new tab)
  • Total Guitar (opens in new tab)
  • Bass Player (opens in new tab)
More
  • 9 next-gen drum plugins
  • SampleRadar: 163 tape loops samples
  • Best free music-making software
  • Best electric guitars 2023

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. News

Thomas Lang and Benny Greb's drum setups in pictures

By David West
last updated 27 February 2020

The technical masters share their kit secrets

  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Thomas Lang and Benny Greb's drum setups

Thomas Lang and Benny Greb's drum setups

Thomas Lang and Benny Greb have raised the bar for drummers everywhere by possessing that most enviable of abilities to turn their hands (and feet) to near-enough every musical style - from jazz and fusion to rock and pop - without breaking so much as bead of sweat.

Rhythm magazine caught up with the technical masters to find out the secrets of their technique, get some handy advice that we can all apply to our drumming and, of course, take a closer look at the pairs’ kits.

You can already read the full interview - Thomas Lang and Benny Greb: 50 pro drumming tips and tricks - but here we’re concentrating purely on gear.

  • Find your next setup with our guide to the best drum kits

First up: Thomas Lang shows off his kit

Page 1 of 12
Page 1 of 12
Thomas Lang's kit
DW Collector's series drums in Solid Black Lacquer: 22"x18" (x2) kick drums; 8"x7", 10"x8", 12"x9" rack toms; 16"x14", 18"x16" floor toms on legs; 20" gong drum

Thomas Lang's kit

What's the most common mistake people make when setting up their drums?

Thomas Lang: "To set the drums up for the viewer so it looks cool from the front rather than for yourself. I know a lot of young drummers make that mistake."

Next: Thomas's snares

Page 2 of 12
Page 2 of 12
Snares
DW Collector's Series 14"x6" main snare; 12"x4" second snare

Snares

"Number two would be to set the drums up so that the bass drum is facing the audience straight on, rather than being off to the right if you are a right-handed drummer, because the bass drum is not the centre of the drumset."

Next: cymbals

Page 3 of 12
Page 3 of 12
Cymbals
Meinl: 13" Byzance Brilliant Fast hi-hats; 14" Soundcaster Fusion Medium hi-hats; 12" Generation X Safari hi-hats; 8" Classics Bells Effect cymbals; 20" Soundcaster Fusion Powerful ride; 16" & 18" Soundcaster Fusion Medium crashes

Cymbals

"Number three is to try to make the drumset perfectly symmetrical."

Next: more cymbals

Page 4 of 12
Page 4 of 12
Cymbals cont.
Meinl: 18" Byzance Jazz Medium Thin crash; 17" Byzance Jazz Medium Thin crash; 14" Generation X Filter china; 16" Generation X Filter china; 19" Generation X crash; 10" Soundcaster Fusion splash

Cymbals cont.

"Another is to sit too low or too high, or to set up the cymbals too far away from the player so you have to play with your arm completely stretched - I see that a lot."

Next: hardware

Page 5 of 12
Page 5 of 12
Hardware
DW: 9700 boom stand (x10); 9000 single pedal (x2), 9500TB hi-hat stand (x2); 9100M throne; 9300 snare stand; 9303 piccolo snare stand

Hardware

"Whatever you do with your body mechanically has to be within a spherical space. It's not a straight plane, you are moving within a spherical space and your set-up has to reflect that…"

Next: heads

Page 6 of 12
Page 6 of 12
Heads
Remo: Clear Emperors on toms; Powerstroke 3 on kick; Coated CS on snare Sticks: Vic Firth Signature Series

Heads

"…so whatever is higher on the drumset has to be closer to you."

Next: Benny Greb's kit

Page 7 of 12
Page 7 of 12
Benny Greb's kit
Sonor SQ2 Vintage Beech in White Pearl: 22"x18" bass drum; 10"x8" tom tom; 14"x14" floor tom; 16"x16" floor tom

Benny Greb's kit

Benny Greb: "I would say it's that they don't really set it up, bit by bit, in relation to how they sit and to their body, but they set up their kit then sit behind it and see whether it feels right."

Next: Benny's snares

Page 8 of 12
Page 8 of 12
Snares
Sonor SQ2 13"x6.5" and 12"x5"

Snares

"What creates great results is to take your stool, adjust it so it is cool for you, which normally means there is more than a 90° angle between your legs and your spine and between your upper legs and lower legs.”

Next: cymbals

Page 9 of 12
Page 9 of 12
Cymbals
Meinl: 14" Byzance Extra Dry hi-hats; 8" Byzance Traditional Thin splash; 18" Byzance Extra Dry crash; 20" Benny Greb Sand ride; 12" Generation X Trash hat; 22" Byzance Extra Thin Jazz ride; 18" Byzance Jazz Extra Thin crash

Cymbals

"Then you set up the snare drum so it is comfortable, then a bass drum where the foot really sits, then a hi-hat where the foot really sits, and so on…"

Next: hardware

Page 10 of 12
Page 10 of 12
Hardware
Sonor 600 Series; Giant Step pedal

Hardware

"…if you let students do this, it really results in a very natural set-up."

Next: heads

Page 11 of 12
Page 11 of 12
Heads
Remo Coated Emperors on top; Remo Ambassadors on the bottom; Powerstroke 3 on the bass drum Sticks: Pro-Mark 5BG

Heads

For more advice from these two technical masters, check out Thomas Lang and Benny Greb: 5 pro drumming tips and tricks. And for more from Rhythm magazine, check out the current issue 188 fronted by drum pioneer and all-round legend Phil Collins, or subscribe to Rhythm for a monthly dose of new gear reviews, kit buying guides, pro drum lessons and all-star interviews.

Liked this? Now read: Travis Barker's drum setup: Blink-182/solo drummer's kit in pictures

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter

Page 12 of 12
Page 12 of 12
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
David West
Social Links Navigation
  1. Behringer BMX drum machine
    1
    The Oberheim DMX drum machine is set to ride again as Behringer wheels out its BMX “homage”
  2. 2
    A firmware update for the cut-price Yamaha DX9 synth makes it more like a DX7
  3. 3
    Fender and session ace Michael Landau team up for the Coma Stratocaster – a bespoke electric guitar for all occasions
  4. 4
    Bruce Foxton of The Jam's 11 career-defining songs: "Start isn’t exactly the same as Taxman... otherwise I’m sure Paul McCartney would have thought about suing us!"
  5. 5
    Peter Gabriel on music and AI: “I think you do better if you work with a powerful new tool than just grumble or pretend it doesn’t exist”
  1. Behringer BMX drum machine
    1
    The Oberheim DMX drum machine is set to ride again as Behringer wheels out its BMX “homage”
  2. 2
    Bad Bunny sued by ex-girlfriend for $40m after sampling voice memo in 2022's most successful album
  3. 3
    A firmware update for the cut-price Yamaha DX9 synth makes it more like a DX7
  4. 4
    Fender and session ace Michael Landau team up for the Coma Stratocaster – a bespoke electric guitar for all occasions
  5. 5
    Bruce Foxton of The Jam's 11 career-defining songs: "Start isn’t exactly the same as Taxman... otherwise I’m sure Paul McCartney would have thought about suing us!"

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • About Us (opens in new tab)
  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.