What is the fastest you have ever set up?

My two fastest times are 11 minutes and 12 minutes from the time I parked the car to having everything moved in, set up, cases put away, and sitting down sticks in hand ready to go.

I've never really timed it.

If I started with everything in cases, I could probably be ready to play in 4-5 minutes if I rushed.

Totally, serious, I think I was out of the car and ready to go in like seven minutes once. But everything was memory locked, my gig rug was spiked (marked with tape for placement), and I was using a three piece kit with a ride, crash, hat, triangle/woodblock, and a music stand. Good times!

Would have taken much longer if I wasn't running so late from a flat tire prior to the gig!

"Hey thanks for letting me use your kit!"

aaaand time.

LOL!

I've never officially timed myself, but I can probably go from my cases to playing in 15 minutes. Maybe shave a couple minutes if I REALLY had to. I probably average 20 minutes because I always end up helping with the PA, moving other folks' gear around with them, or otherwise helping out.

What helps me most time-wise is if I can get help hauling my gear in from the car, and if the stuff that's brought in is set up a few feet AWAY from where I'll be setting up. It never ceases to amaze me how 'helpful' folks always want to drop off your stuff right up on the drum riser. C'mon man, that's where the stuff is going to end up AFTER I pull it out of the cases and put it together!!!

In most of the clubs I play, it's completely acceptable to set your kit up prior to going on so you can just throw the drums on stage when it's your turn to play. So set up is the 15-20 minutes prior to, but loading the stage takes 5 minutes from nothing to soundchecking. Boo yah!

10 minutes and 27 seconds. 8 peice set and 9 cymbals. It was at my county fair, each band had 30 minutes from the time the last band finished their last song untill then next band plays. Soundcheck, teardown (the previous band), and set up all had to be done. I found it very amusing to watch people scramble to get everything they needed.

I hate that. We always went up after the guys that had 3 keyboards, 5-6 guitars, couple of basses, AND ONLY 4 MUSICIANS. Half their set would be used up switching guitars, and then they'd run long and take extra time striking. We'd wind up getting the stage with about 8 minutes to downbeat.

I finally decided I was done playing that kinda gig. Too much hassle.

/willy

What got me started on this thread was one night many years ago I got a phone call to fill in for a drummer who bailed (he was called by the band 15 minutes before showtime started inquiring his whereabouts... "Oh... uh... I forgot.... sorry.") Anyway, not even planning on going out that night, I said, "Yeah, sure, I can be there. My drums are already in the car." As soon as I hung up the phone I looked into the next room and realized they weren't in the car, but all set up in the next room.

From the time I hung up the phone to the time I was set up and ready took me about 30 minutes, including the 10 minutes to drive to the gig.

My own stuff: 10 minutes for the 'big' kit, 8 for the 'small' kit.

All times are approximate, give or take a half hour and two beers.

Or, as Mr. Hofmann pointed out, 20 seconds when the kit is provided by the sound company! (Just long enough to tie my stick bag to the floor tom!)

Unless we're first, we usually do gigs where we have about 15-20 minutes for the band that just played to get of the stage, and for us to get up and be ready to play. I'm used to it after 10 of so years... it's half the reason I play a pretty simple kit.

I must be doing something wrong. My average time has got to be over 25 minutes for cartage and set up. One thing that I *know* is holding me up is that I don't have a proper hardware case. I'm still making many trips for stands and pedals. But even without that, I don't think I'll be averaging any better than 20 minutes total.

/w

I just throw everything in a duffel bag.

things that've helped me cut down on setup/teardown...

use as little hardware as possible. mount multiple toms and cymbals on a single tripod. In college I mounted a lo and hi tom (Remo legeros,) 18" crash and 20" ride on a single-braced tama stand. a little wobbly at times, but it never fell over.

also, the lighter weight your hardware, the faster you can move carrying the hardware bag. I always crack up when I see a drummer with his 8" pish cymbal mounted on its own double-braced stand.

when I pack up, I don't tighten the screws on my stands after I've collapsed them. They go right into the bag. Saves time and frustration during setup and teardown.

and of course, use as few drums and cymbals as you can get away with.

20 min, and thats with my drum tech helping too. Its a big kit.

For those of you that dont have a rack, what kind of bag do you use to put all of your cymbal stands in. I have been looking for a long duffle bag, but I need somthing thats like at least 5.5' long. Where would you find a bag thats 5-6' long?

Thanks

I use one of those SKB hardshell cases for golf clubs. It's only 4' 2", but it does the job for me. Wheels on one end, handle on the other, second handle in the middle. It keeps my stands exactly where I place them in there, including stickbag and kick pedal.

Edit: I don't have to take the hi-hat stem out of the base, and it has never been bent once.

Originally posted by WillyRay I must be doing something wrong. My average time has got to be over 25 minutes for cartage and set up. One thing that I *know* is holding me up is that I don't have a proper hardware case. I'm still making many trips for stands and pedals. But even without that, I don't think I'll be averaging any better than 20 minutes total.

When I had stands, I had your same problem... lots of trips. I bought a cheap used Gibraltar rack. I take the two legs off, so it's three pieces with everything attached. The first trip is those three pieces, second trip is all the drums (all in gig bags, so I can grab everything at once, with the bass drum strapped over my shoulder), third trip is drum throne + pedals + sticks. The rack takes a matter of a minute to assemble, then just stick the cymbals and toms on and you're done.

One thing I've found that really helps -- don't screw your wingnuts back on the tops of the cymbal stands. I throw the wingnuts, felt washers, and black plastic "things" in my cymbal bag's little side compartment. It saves a good minute or two on having to unscrew the wingnuts.

I can set up in about ten minutes if I've got people to help me grab {censored} out of the car, depending on how far away load-in is of course..

If I know that I'm not going to have much time to set up (i.e. if I'm running late to a gig, or multiple shows in one night, etc), I won't bother putting my drums in cases/bags. It takes longer to get them in and out than it does to set up the whole kit. I'll just put a towel between them in the car so that they don't ding each other up. Obviously this won't work if you're using a van to haul all the gear though.

When we play bigger shows I've got to bring the triggers, rack, subs, etc... so that doesn't count.

I have a do-it-yourself hardware case. I bought a $15 plastic 'footlocker' at K-Mart or whatever. Then I got 4 casters at the hardware store and attached them to the bottom (about $30, I think) and cut up an old closed-cell foam camping mat to sit at the bottom of it. Total cost was $45 or so for a 16"x14"x36" hardware case. The nice thing about having wheels on it is that I can put a few things on top of it and roll it into lots of places. Maybe I'll get "extra fancy" someday and punch a hole in the side and put a rope through it so that I don't have to bend over to push it....I figure I should budget AT LEAST 2 or 3 bucks for that upgrade. If you want, I'll make you one and sell it to you for $150 or so (what it seems a similar case goes for from a "real" manufacturer).

The only problem I have is that with my rack, the long bars (3 vertical and 2 horizontals) don't fit in it. For that stuff, I pulled an old golf bag travel cover out of the back of the garage (every golfer I know probably has 4 or 5 lying around someplace). If you don't have one, you can get one for under $20 if you don't need a "fancy" one. Mine's just a cordura bag with a long zipper running down the length of it with a shoulder strap attached....basically an extra long duffel bag.

That's F-ing INGENIOUS! I may have to blatantly steal your idea, Steve! I have an issue in that I don't want to buy drum cases. I like the security of them, but I can't find justify in paying huge money for something that's made of molded plastic and foam (costs like $12 to make). A footlocker is an awesome idea; I've also heard of buying large plastic stackable containers. All awesome ideas.

For a hardware bag, hit up an Army-Navy store and buy a surplus duffel bag. I put 5 cymbals stands, my throne, and snare stand in one of those - 75+ pounds of gear and you just need to be able to lift it.

For a long time, the only case I had was for my cymbals. Those need protection, IMHO. Then again, if you're buddies with the Domino's delivery guy, I know of drummers who have gotten the pizza man to "liberate" one of those insulated pizza carriers for use as a cymbal bag. ;D

Maybe you could bolt on a push-bar, like a really hardward dolly would have?

/willy

Not a bad idea, but a few feet of rope stashes pretty easily when I throw the case in the car. I'd have to make the metal bar detachable if I went with your option. Still, not a bad idea.

Right now it's roughly #453 on my to-do list.

Takes about three minutes with my e-kit.

Carry it in, plug in the pedals, two line-outs and power. No need for a soundcheck.

Um, a long time? I dunno.

At the metal festival we have every year, we have 2 drum rugs set up. When the band playing finishes, we pop off the mics and then I hook ropes onto hoops I put on the rug. We pull it straight back. Whoever is on next has been setting their kit up to the right of the current bands drummer and I just hook the ropes up and drag them INTO place. It worked great. Total time to have the kit on stage, mic'd and ready to go? ~5min.

What pisses ME off are drummers, who at the end of their set decide that RIGHT ON THE RISER is a good place to break everything down. I may not set up real fast, b ut it's my time, so I do with it as I please, but I pride myself on having my whole kit off stage super fast.

When I see assholes breaking down on the riser, I just want to {censored}ing scream. TAKING YOUR {censored}ING {censored} OFF STAGE AND THEN BREAK IT DOWN, ASSHOLE!

Yep.

That's what I love about having everything racked. Two people each grab an end of the rack and lift it off somewhere out of the way, then one grabs the kick and the other grabs the snare/hat. Done. I can disassemble everything when I'm not in the way.