Gavin won Modern Drummer magazine readers' poll for "best progressive drummer of the year" for four consecutive years. In 2011 he was voted best progressive drummer by the US DRUM! magazine and won the 2012 prog drummer award in Classic Rock magazine. In 2008, he joined King Crimson as part of a dual-drummer lineup with Pat Mastelotto. Last year Gavin was a featured performer on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' as part of their "Drum Solo Week", along with such players as Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, and Sheila E.
"I used C414s on the last Porcupine Tree studio album at AIR studios when the engineer suggested using them on the toms. I had never tried that before - but I was blown away by the clarity and punch that the C414s captured. They sound very even across my five toms", said Gavin.
At his home studio, Gavin is using a pair of C414 XLIIs to capture room ambience, making full use of their nine selectable pickup patterns."By changing the pickup pattern I can effectively change the size and response of the space. I A/B'd precisely against my previous mics and found the AKG's to go way beyond what I had before."
Capturing overheads are a pair of factory matched C12VR tube microphones which Gavin describes as "creamy heaven". For the bass drum Gavin is using the D12VR, AKG's new generation premium bass microphone which features an all-new ultra-thin diaphragm and the original C414 transformer from the 1970s. With a response somewhere between a vintage and modern upfront sound Gavin says "it really adds a nice solid punch to my bass drum".
Gavin concludes, "As a session drummer over the past 30 years I've used AKG mics so many times I've lost count. It's only been in the past 15 years - since I've had my own home studio - that I've really been paying attention to the kind of mics that made my drums sound great - and AKG's were always there".
(Claire Beeson)
