10,000 Days Drum Setup: Danny Carey's Polyrhythmic Pinnacle (2006) | MetalForge
Complete breakdown of Danny Carey's drum gear on Tool's 10,000 Days — Grammy Best Recording Package winner (2007). Explore his Sonor SQ2 kit, Paiste 2002 cym...
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit did Danny Carey use on 10,000 Days?
Danny Carey recorded Tool's 10,000 Days in 2006 on a Sonor SQ2 custom configuration with Heavy Beech shells. The setup included a single 24x18 inch bass drum, five rack toms at 8, 10, 12, 13, and 14 inches, and floor toms at 16 and 18 inches. By this point his Sonor partnership was fully established, and the Heavy Beech shells had been refined over five years of touring behind Lateralus to deliver the warm, powerful tone heard throughout the album.
What cymbals did Danny Carey use on 10,000 Days?
Danny Carey used a combination of Paiste Signature and Paiste 2002 series cymbals on 10,000 Days. His setup featured Paiste Signature 15 inch Sound Edge Hi-Hats, a mix of Signature crashes (17 and 19 inch) and 2002 crashes (18 and 20 inch), a Signature 22 inch Dry Heavy Ride, a Signature 18 inch Thin China, and a 2002 20 inch China. The Signature series provided musical nuance while the 2002 series added raw attack for heavier passages.
Did Danny Carey use electronic drums on 10,000 Days?
10,000 Days marked Danny Carey's first substantive use of electronic percussion in Tool's studio recordings, integrating a Roland SPD-S sampling pad alongside his acoustic Sonor SQ2 kit. The SPD-S allowed him to trigger ambient samples and textural elements — most notably on the title suite "10,000 Days (Wings Pt. 1 & 2)." This was an early step toward the deeper Mandala pad integration that would define the Fear Inoculum sessions thirteen years later.