Obsolete Drum Setup: Raymond Herrera's 1998 Fear Factory Kit Breakdown | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drum kit did Raymond Herrera use on Fear Factory's Obsolete?

Raymond Herrera used a Pearl Reference Series drum kit on Fear Factory's *Obsolete* (1998), with the same core configuration he had developed for *Demanufacture*: two 22" kick drums (double bass setup), rack toms at 10" and 12", and floor toms at 16" and 18". All drums were fitted with ddrum and Roland triggers, the defining feature of Fear Factory's hybrid drum sound. The Pearl Reference Series' consistent maple shell construction supported the trigger system's requirement for stable, predictable sensor response. Herrera played a Pearl Custom 14" x 6.5" steel-shell snare also with trigger. Producer Rhys Fulber shaped the triggered signals more extensively than on *Demanufacture*, producing the more electronically polished drum sound characteristic of *Obsolete*. For the full Fear Factory drum setup context: [Raymond Herrera at MetalForge](/drummer/raymond-herrera).

Who produced Fear Factory's Obsolete and how did it affect the drum sound?

Fear Factory's *Obsolete* was co-produced by Rhys Fulber and Bill Gould. Rhys Fulber, best known as the keyboardist and co-producer of Front Line Assembly, brought an electronic music producer's perspective to the drum sound — his background in synthesizers, samplers, and electronic production informed how he deployed and shaped the triggered drum signals. Where Ross Robinson's production on *Demanufacture* had emphasized the raw, physical quality of Herrera's performance, Fulber treated the triggered signals as electronic material to be sculpted: the kick triggers processed for sub-bass density, the snare trigger shaped for mechanical crack, the tom triggers integrated with the electronic layers throughout the mix. The result is a more polished, electronically sophisticated drum sound than *Demanufacture* while retaining the acoustic power of Herrera's Pearl Reference Series setup. Bill Gould's contribution as co-producer brought additional creative perspective on dynamics and arrangement.

What makes the drum sound on Obsolete different from Demanufacture?

The core drum setup was the same — Pearl Reference Series with full ddrum/Roland triggering, Zildjian Z Custom cymbals, Pearl Eliminator pedals. The difference was entirely in production approach. Ross Robinson, who produced *Demanufacture*, brought a raw, aggressive aesthetic to the drum sound: the acoustic impact of Herrera's performance was foregrounded, with electronic triggering reinforcing rather than dominating. Rhys Fulber, co-producing *Obsolete*, treated the triggered signals more like electronic music material — sculpting the kick samples for sub-bass density, shaping the snare trigger for maximum mechanical crack, processing the electronic layer more extensively in the mix. The result on *Obsolete* is a drum sound that is tighter, cleaner, and more electronically integrated than *Demanufacture* — more polished in the studio sense while still carrying the physical power of Herrera's acoustic performance. For comparison across both albums: [Raymond Herrera full profile](/drummer/raymond-herrera). For the Digimortal follow-up: [Digimortal drum setup](/articles/digimortal-drum-setup).

What are the most important drum tracks on Obsolete?

"Edgecrusher" is the defining Herrera performance on *Obsolete* — the track opens with a sustained double-kick grid that has become one of the most recognizable industrial metal drum patterns, the machine-gun Pearl Eliminator patterns driving the track's aggressive opening over the triggered kick samples. "Resurrection" builds to a climactic drum performance demonstrating the hybrid kit's range from controlled groove to full-force aggression. "Shock" features sustained double-kick intensity throughout. "Smasher/Devourer" showcases Herrera's ability to drive a complex rhythmic structure with both kick precision and snare authority. The Gary Numan cover "Cars" demonstrates the band's versatility — and Herrera's ability to adapt his industrial metal approach to a classic synth-pop track. For the next Fear Factory album in the Herrera arc: [Digimortal drum setup](/articles/digimortal-drum-setup).

What cymbals did Raymond Herrera use on Obsolete?

Raymond Herrera used Zildjian Z Custom cymbals on *Obsolete*, the same series he had employed on *Demanufacture*. His setup included Z Custom 14" hi-hats for the hi-hat pulse, 16" and 18" crash cymbals for structural accents, a 20" ride for mid-tempo groove passages, and a china cymbal for aggressive trash accents. The Z Custom's bright, machine-hammered B20 bronze construction placed cymbal frequencies above Fear Factory's dense guitar frequencies — essential for cymbal definition in Rhys Fulber's mix. The china cymbal receives particular prominence on *Obsolete*, its aggressive character well-suited to the album's most intense passages on "Edgecrusher" and "Shock." For the full Raymond Herrera cymbal setup context: [Raymond Herrera at MetalForge](/drummer/raymond-herrera).