I believe that every style of music determents a different approach on drums, a different set-up. Therefore I have a lot of drums and cymbals so I can decide what's best for the music I play with a band pr project. Below you van find a list of all the equipment I can use. For details upon the set-ups I use most I refer to the links below the picture of my set.


Epilogue drum kit


The Drums:
 TAMA Superstar Custom (Blue Metallic Fade)
22" x 18" bass drum
10" x 8", 12" x 9" & 13" x 10" tom toms
14" x 14" & 16" x 16" floor toms

I've choosen for TAMA Superstar custom drums 'cause of their strong projection. But they do sound very open and musically.
On my tom toms and floor toms is use REMO Pinstripe batter heads. I tune them pretty tight, The bottom heads are tuned slightly tighter so you have a deep tone that bends up. I love thetoms sound on the intro of "Planet Hell", a song by Nightwish, and used that as reference point.
For a bassdrum sound I really love a musical tone with a lot of mid and low tones. no high! For a head I use a REMO Powersonic batter head. On my front head is a small microphone hole in the left corner. I use no damping materials inside my bass drum, 'cause damping material turns down the musical tone.

 Snare Palette
14" x 6,5" TAMA Artwood maple snare w/REMO emperor X / emperor hazy
This snare I use for Seiphian. I was looking for a bright crispy and tight snare sound, that lies within the drums. The batter and bottom head are tuned really high. To dampen overtones I use a thick batter head.

14" x 5,5" TAMA Superstar Snare (birch) w/REMO coated CS on top
This snare drum  is tuned normally. I use a coated as batter head and it's tuned pretty high.

14" x 6,5" TAMA Diamond Plate snare w/REMO clear controlled sound on top
If I need a thick, fat sound that cuts right down through a wall of guitars I use my Lars Ulrich signature snare drum. I choose to put a clear head on this drum so it has a fat sound. I use this snare for heavy rock music.
The batter head are tuned pretty low. The snare head is. of course, tuned high.

Cymbals
Zildjian Avedis 16", 17" & 18" (2) crash, 12" splash, 18" china low
Zildjian A Custom 14" hi-hats, 20" ride,
Zildjian Z Custom 14" dyno beat hi-hats, 18" crash, 12" splash, 18" china

I know, there is no more taste involved than there is with choosing cymbals, so here is my taste.
I was looking for some warm crash sound. So I choose for the Avedis crashes. I have one 18" crash (left from my "heavy" period) but I don't use it anymore.
For a china I wanted one that was not to aggressive and one that would cut through the heaviest sounds. So I have one Avedis China Low (and I really love that sound!) and a Z Custom one.
Though I own one pair of A Custom hi-hats and one pair of Z Custom dyno beat hi-hats I combine most of the time both series. So I have one pair "A Custom top hihat / Z Custom dyno beat hi-hat" and one "A Custom bottom hi-hat / Z Custom dyno beat hi-hat". This way they are loud enough to carry heavy rock songs, but I can play subtle rhythms on them as well.

Hardware
TAMA Power Tower system
TAMA RoadPro Stands
TAMA Iron Cobra Twin Pedal
TAMA Iron Cobra Lever Glide HiHat stand
TAMA Cobra Clutch

For big set-ups (like the one I use for Seiphian) I use a rack system. It's easy and fast to set up, and you have enough space for all the microphone stands. And you have every thing always at the same position.
When I use smaller drum kits I use TAMA Road Pro stands. They are easier to travel with. I use the Corbra clutch to lock and unlock my hi-hat cymbals so I can play double bass patterns or "slur" effects. For pedals I use Iron Cobra power glide ones. I removed the too stoppers so my feet can move higher upon the footboard.

Sticks
Pro-Mark 5b, MT3 Mallets, 5a Pro-round tip
AHEAD 5b

I always bring a lot of sticks with me. Mostly I use the Pro-Mark 5b sticks. The Mallet sticks I use for cymbal-rolls. The 5a sticks are especially for subtle playing.
The AHEAD sticks are only back-up sticks. Or when I have to play really loud.

Percusion
LP Tambourine
LP Bar Chimes

For some extra elements in my playing.

Electronics
Senheisser In Ear Monitoring System
Behringer XENYX 1002FX mixer
Alto 4 channel headphone amplifier

For Seiphian I use a computer with audio samples (backing track) and a click track. I need to hear all that so there fore I have some electronics on my left side. All this is stored in a 19" rack case.

Old set-ups
For information about my set-ups from 2003 to 2007, click here;)