# The Joy of Motion Drum Setup: Matt Garstka's Debut With Animals as Leaders

> Matt Garstka's drum gear on Animals as Leaders' The Joy of Motion (2014) — the Pearl Masterworks Maple kit, Pearl Reference snare, and Meinl Byzance cymbals behind his career-defining debut with the band.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Matt Garstka](/llms/drummers/matt-garstka.md)
**Band / Album:** Animals as Leaders — *The Joy of Motion* (2014)
**Genre:** Progressive Metal / Djent

## Overview

Released March 25, 2014 on Sumerian Records, "The Joy of Motion" is Matt Garstka's first studio album with Animals as Leaders, recorded roughly two years after he replaced founding drummer Navene Koperweis in 2012. Where the band's first two records established their instrumental djent identity, "The Joy of Motion" is the moment that identity absorbed Garstka's Berklee-trained, jazz-fusion vocabulary — a shift audible from the opening bars of "Kascade."

Working with producer Misha Mansoor of Periphery, Garstka tracked a performance that prioritized dynamic range over sheer density. Tracks like "Physical Education" and "Tooth and Claw" showcase the ghost-note-heavy, traditional-grip approach that would come to define his career, while "Crescent" and "Air Chrysalis" demonstrate the metric modulation and polyrhythmic layering he'd been developing since his session years.

Garstka's gear on this record reflects a drummer still calibrating his setup for the demands of Animals as Leaders' material: a Pearl Masterworks Maple kit sized for articulation rather than raw power, a pre-signature Pearl Reference snare, and an early iteration of the Meinl Byzance cymbal stack that would later expand into his full touring rig. This article breaks down the gear behind Garstka's breakout performance — see [What's In Matt Garstka's Kit](/articles/whats-in-matt-garstkas-kit) for his complete career-spanning equipment guide, and [Matt Garstka's full drummer profile](/drummer/matt-garstka) for his biography.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Pearl Masterworks Maple (Natural Maple finish)
- **Snare:** Pearl Pearl Reference, 14" x 5"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl — Meinl Byzance
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal; Pearl Demon Drive Hi-Hat Stand; Vic Firth American Classic 5A
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium tension for ghost note sensitivity and backbeat crack

### The Early Pearl Masterworks Setup

For "The Joy of Motion," Garstka brought the same compact philosophy to the studio that would define his entire career: a four-piece Pearl Masterworks Maple kit built around a 20" bass drum rather than the 22" or 24" shells common in metal. The smaller bass drum gave the intricate kick patterns on tracks like "Kascade" the quick attack and clear articulation needed at the tempos Animals as Leaders' material demands.

The 10" and 12" rack toms and 14" floor tom kept the kit's footprint tight, forcing musical decisions over pure size. Masterworks maple shells provided the warmth that let Garstka's dynamic playing — from near-silent ghost notes to full accents — translate clearly onto tape, while Pearl's MasterCast hoops added the focused attack that cuts through the album's dense, layered guitar production.

This was Garstka's first time recording a full album with Animals as Leaders, and the kit choice reflects a deliberate statement: rather than matching the band's technical density with a bigger rig, he used a smaller one to force clarity and space into every part.

### The Pre-Signature Pearl Reference Snare

Before Pearl developed his signature model, Garstka recorded "The Joy of Motion" on a Pearl Reference maple snare — the drum that established the sonic template his later signature snare would refine. At 14" x 5", it's shallower than many metal snares, prioritizing quick response and dynamic range over sheer volume.

That dynamic range is essential to how "The Joy of Motion" reads as a recording. Songs like "Physical Education" alternate between barely-audible ghost notes and full-force backbeats within a single bar, and the Reference snare's maple shell speaks clearly across that entire spectrum without the harshness that can plague brighter metal snares.

Garstka tuned the drum at medium tension, balancing sensitivity for ghost note work with enough crack to cut through Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes's layered eight-string guitar tracking. This snare tone — warm, articulate, dynamically responsive — became the acoustic signature that carried through to his later Pearl Matt Garstka Signature model.

### Early Byzance: Establishing the Dark, Complex Voice

"The Joy of Motion" documents an earlier, slightly leaner version of the Meinl Byzance setup Garstka would later expand for "The Madness of Many" and "Parrhesia." The core voices are already in place — the Dual Hi-Hats, the Extra Dry Thin Crash, and most notably the 22" Sand Ride, which became one of the most recognizable cymbal choices in modern progressive metal.

The Sand Ride's dry, articulate stick definition combined with a controlled wash gave Garstka a ride sound distinct from the bright, aggressive rides common in metal at the time — a choice that suited the jazz vocabulary he was bringing into the band. The Extra Dry Thin Crash's fast decay let him crash through fills on "Air Chrysalis" without the cymbal's sustain bleeding into subsequent phrases, a critical consideration on an album built from tightly layered polyrhythms.

Compared to his later, more elaborate stacks and multiple crash configurations, this early Byzance setup is comparatively streamlined — the sound of a drummer establishing his core cymbal voice before expanding it.

## Key Facts

- Released March 25, 2014 on Sumerian Records — Garstka's first album with Animals as Leaders
- Produced with Misha Mansoor (Periphery), emphasizing dynamic range over compression
- Pearl Masterworks Maple kit — compact four-piece configuration for articulation
- Pre-signature Pearl Reference snare — precursor to Garstka's later signature model
- "Physical Education" and "Tooth and Claw" remain the definitive ghost-note and polyrhythm showcases from this era
- 20" bass drum — smaller than typical metal setups, chosen for articulation at speed
- Compact four-piece configuration matching Garstka's minimalist philosophy
- Masterworks maple shells for warmth under dense production
- MasterCast hoops for focused attack in the mix
- First full album recorded with Animals as Leaders after joining in 2012
- Estimated kit value: $4,000-6,000 (Masterworks Maple configuration)
- Estimated snare value: $350-450 (Pearl Reference series)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What drum kit did Matt Garstka use on The Joy of Motion?**

A: Matt Garstka recorded The Joy of Motion (2014) on a Pearl Masterworks Maple kit configured with a 20x16 inch bass drum, 10x7 and 12x8 inch rack toms, and a 14x14 inch floor tom. The compact four-piece configuration, built from maple shells with Pearl's MasterCast hoops, prioritized quick attack and articulation over raw size — a deliberate choice given the album's dense, technical arrangements.

**Q: What snare did Matt Garstka use on The Joy of Motion?**

A: Garstka used a Pearl Reference 14x5 inch maple snare on The Joy of Motion, recorded before Pearl developed his later signature model. Tuned to medium tension, it balanced sensitivity for his extensive ghost-note vocabulary with enough crack to cut through Animals as Leaders' layered eight-string guitar tracking.

**Q: Who produced The Joy of Motion?**

A: The Joy of Motion was produced by Misha Mansoor of Periphery. The production emphasized dynamic range over heavy compression, allowing Garstka's ghost notes and dynamic contrasts — central to his playing style — to remain audible in the final mix rather than being flattened.

**Q: What cymbals did Matt Garstka use on The Joy of Motion?**

A: Garstka used an early configuration of Meinl Byzance cymbals on The Joy of Motion, including 15 inch Dual Hi-Hats, an 18 inch Extra Dry Thin Crash, a 19 inch Dual Crash, a 22 inch Sand Ride, and an 18 inch Vintage Trash Hat used as a China. The Sand Ride in particular became one of his signature cymbal choices, carried forward across his later Animals as Leaders albums.

**Q: Was The Joy of Motion Matt Garstka's first album with Animals as Leaders?**

A: Yes. Garstka joined Animals as Leaders in 2012, replacing founding drummer Navene Koperweis, and The Joy of Motion (released March 25, 2014 on Sumerian Records) was his first full studio album with the band. It established the jazz-fusion-influenced, traditional-grip playing style that would define his career.

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/the-joy-of-motion-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-07-08 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*