# In Waves Drum Setup: Nick Augusto's Breakthrough Kit (Trivium, 2011)

> Complete gear breakdown for Nick Augusto's drum setup on Trivium's In Waves (2011) — the Tama Starclassic kit, Meinl cymbals, and Iron Cobra pedals behind Trivium's commercial breakthrough.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Nick Augusto](/llms/drummers/nick-augusto.md)
**Band / Album:** Trivium — *In Waves* (2011)
**Genre:** Thrash Metal / Metalcore

## Overview

Released on August 9, 2011 on Roadrunner Records, "In Waves" marked a deliberate pivot for Trivium — away from the sprawling, progressive ambition of "Shogun" (2008) and back toward direct, riff-forward songwriting. The gamble paid off commercially: the album debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200, Trivium's best chart placement to that point, and gave the band their first UK top-20 entry.

Nick Augusto, who had joined Trivium in 2007 and cut his teeth on Shogun's technically demanding material, approached In Waves with a different mandate. Where Shogun asked him to navigate 7/8 passages and 11-minute compositions, In Waves needed tight, aggressive, radio-ready drumming that still carried a thrash-metal edge. Tracks like "In Waves," "Built to Fall," and "Watch the World Burn" showcase a drummer compressing his technical range into shorter, harder-hitting statements.

Recorded at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producers Jason Suecof and Mark Lewis, the sessions produced Trivium's heaviest-sounding record since "The Crusade." Augusto's relentless double-bass work and punchy snare attack became the rhythmic backbone of the band's commercial breakthrough, setting up the even bigger chart success of "Vengeance Falls" two years later.

This article breaks down the specific gear Nick Augusto used on In Waves — his Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit, Meinl cymbal setup, and the Tama Iron Cobra pedal driving the album's double-bass attack.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Performer B/B (birch/bubinga hybrid shells, custom finish)
- **Snare:** Tama S.L.P. Steel Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl MB20 and Classics Custom series
- **Pedals:** Tama Iron Cobra 900 Double Bass Pedal (Rolling Glide cam)
- **Sticks:** Promark 5B Hickory
- **Heads:** Evans Genera Dry (batter), Evans 300 Snare Side (resonant)

### Augusto's Tama Starclassic Performer B/B

For In Waves, Augusto scaled back from Shogun's expanded five-tom array to a compact four-piece configuration — a single 22" kick, two rack toms, and two floor toms. The reduction reflects the album's songwriting: In Waves trades Shogun's melodic tom fills for tight, riff-doubling patterns that don't need the extra range a five-piece setup provides.

The birch/bubinga hybrid shell construction of the Starclassic Performer B/B was a deliberate change from the all-maple DW kit used on Shogun. Birch contributes a faster attack and more high-frequency clarity, while the bubinga layer keeps enough low-end warmth to project through the album's heavier, more compressed production.

On the In Waves World Tour (2011–2012), Augusto occasionally expanded to a double-kick configuration for extended live double-bass passages, giving him low-end weight without the latency a double pedal can introduce at speed.

### The In Waves Crack: Tama S.L.P. Steel

The Tama S.L.P. steel snare at 14" x 6.5" is the sound of the In Waves backbeat — bright, immediate, and tuned to cut cleanly through Jason Suecof's dense, drop-tuned guitar mix. It's a shallower, brighter drum than the DW Edge steel snare Augusto used on Shogun, matched to the more direct, verse-chorus songwriting of In Waves.

### Meinl: A Brighter, Tighter Voice

In Waves marked Augusto's switch away from the dark, complex Meinl Byzance line used on Shogun to the brighter MB20 and Classics Custom series — a change that mirrors the album's overall shift from progressive texture to direct impact. The MB20 Heavy Crashes at 17" and 19" speak immediately on accent hits, while the Classics Custom 14" hi-hats articulate cleanly at the fast 16th-note tempos the record's double-bass sections demand.

### Tama Iron Cobra 900: Driving the Attack

The Tama Iron Cobra 900 powered Augusto's double-bass work throughout the In Waves sessions and tour cycle, running the Rolling Glide cam for smooth, progressive foot response through the album's sustained, driving tempos.

## Key Facts

- In Waves (2011) debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200 — Trivium's best chart result at the time
- First Trivium album to reach the UK Albums Chart top 20
- A direct pivot from Shogun's progressive sprawl back to tight, aggressive songwriting
- Recorded at Audiohammer Studios with producers Jason Suecof and Mark Lewis
- Bridges Shogun (2008) and Vengeance Falls (2013) in Augusto's four-album run with Trivium
- Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit with Meinl MB20/Classics Custom cymbals
- Compact four-piece tom configuration — a scale-down from Shogun's five-tom setup
- Estimated kit value: $2,800–3,800 (2011) / $1,500–2,200 (used today)

## FAQ

**What kit does Nick Augusto use on In Waves?**
On Trivium's In Waves (2011), Nick Augusto played a Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit with birch/bubinga hybrid shells, configured with a 22" bass drum, two rack toms (10" and 12"), and two floor toms (14" and 16"). He paired the kit with a Tama S.L.P. steel snare, Meinl MB20 and Classics Custom cymbals, and a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double bass pedal.

**How does In Waves compare to Shogun in terms of drumming?**
In Waves compresses Augusto's playing into tighter, riff-forward structures on a leaner four-piece Tama Starclassic kit with brighter Meinl MB20/Classics Custom cymbals, versus Shogun's expanded five-tom DW kit, dark Meinl Byzance cymbals, and progressive odd-time compositions. In Waves debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200, outperforming Shogun commercially.

**What is Nick Augusto's overall drum setup?**
Nick Augusto's core setup across his Trivium tenure centered on Tama drums, Meinl cymbals, and Promark sticks, shifting from an expanded DW kit with Meinl Byzance on Shogun (2008) to a compact Tama Starclassic kit with Meinl MB20/Classics Custom on In Waves (2011) and Vengeance Falls (2013), always driven by a Tama Iron Cobra double bass pedal.

**How did In Waves perform commercially for Trivium?**
In Waves debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200 upon its August 2011 release — Trivium's best chart placement at the time — and gave the band their first entry into the UK Albums Chart top 20. It served as the commercial bridge between Shogun (2008) and Vengeance Falls (2013).

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/in-waves-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*