Matt Greiner's Drum Setup on August Burns Red's Constellations (2009) | MetalForge
Matt Greiner recorded Constellations (2009) on a Pearl Vision Series kit with a Pearl Vision Steel Snare snare.
Complete breakdown of the drum kit, snare, cymbals, and hardware Matt Greiner used to record August Burns Red's metalcore breakthrough Constellations (2009)....
Frequently Asked Questions
What drums did Matt Greiner use on Constellations?
On *Constellations* (2009), Matt Greiner played his Pearl Vision kit — a four-piece configuration with dual 22" x 18" bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms. The Vision series' maple/mahogany hybrid shells gave the album its characteristic combination of attack and body. Greiner has been a Pearl artist since the band's founding in 2003, and the Export/Vision era — *Messengers* (2007), *Constellations* (2009), and *Leveler* (2011), when he upgraded to Pearl Reference — defined ABR's breakthrough drum sound, well before the Reference Pure kit and Byzance cymbals of his current setup took shape. For his current setup and career evolution, see the [Matt Greiner complete drum setup guide](/articles/matt-greiner-complete-drum-setup).
Who produced the drums on Constellations and where was it recorded?
*Constellations* was produced by Jason Suecof at his Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida — the same producer-studio combination ABR would use again for *Leveler* (2011). By 2009, Suecof was already one of the most in-demand metal producers in the United States, with credits including Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel, and many others. The *Constellations* sessions captured Greiner's drums with the modern, intimate, close-miked sound that defined late-2000s metalcore production — tight grids, sample reinforcement on kicks and snare, and minimal room ambience. The result is a drum tone that's aggressive and articulate without sounding sterile. See the recording techniques section above for full microphone and editing detail.
What cymbals did Matt Greiner use on Constellations?
On *Constellations* Matt Greiner played a still-developing Meinl cymbal setup — hi-hats, two crashes, a heavier crash for the album's heaviest sections, a ride, a china, and a splash. No specific named Meinl series is documented for this era; that would arrive with the Byzance line, solidified in time for *Leveler* (2011) and carried through his current setup. For the cymbal evolution across his career, see the [Matt Greiner complete drum setup guide](/articles/matt-greiner-complete-drum-setup).
How does the Constellations drum sound compare to Leveler?
*Constellations* (2009) and *Leveler* (2011) represent two chapters in the same continuous Pearl/Meinl story. *Constellations* used the Pearl Vision kit — a maple/mahogany hybrid shell with a direct, attack-focused character — paired with a still-developing Meinl cymbal setup. The result is the unmistakably modern late-2000s metalcore sound: precise, aggressive, articulate. *Leveler*, recorded with the same producer at the same studio just two years later, upgraded to a Pearl Reference kit and the newly solidified Meinl Byzance cymbal series — a warmer, more complex tonal approach that suited *Leveler*'s more progressive songwriting. For full context, see the [Leveler drum setup article](/articles/leveler-drum-setup) and the [Matt Greiner complete drum setup guide](/articles/matt-greiner-complete-drum-setup).
What snare did Matt Greiner use on Constellations?
Matt Greiner's snare on *Constellations* came from his Pearl Vision kit — a 14" x 6" steel-shell drum. The depth delivered the body and projection the Audiohammer production demanded. Paired with an Evans Genera HD batter head and tuned to a medium-high tension, the snare provided the cutting backbeat and sensitive ghost note response that Greiner's playing required. The signature snare moment is the verse pattern on "Marianas Trench," where the snare sits forward in the mix with unusual presence — partly mix decisions, partly the snare's natural projection.