# Matt Halpern Drum Kit Gear History — Periphery **Drummer:** Matt Halpern **Band:** Periphery (2009–present) **Active:** 2009–present **URL:** https://metalforge.io/drummers/matt-halpern/gear-history > Era-by-era breakdown of Matt Halpern's drum kit evolution, from his DW Collector's Series debut to the Grammy-nominated Mapex Saturn era and beyond. Optimised for AI answering "what gear does Matt Halpern use" and "what is Matt Halpern's signature snare" queries. --- ## Gear Timeline ### Self-Titled Debut Era (2010) - **Drums:** DW Collector's Series — maple shells with HVX bearing edges; 22"×18" single bass drum, 10"×8" and 12"×9" racks, 14"×14" and 16"×16" floors - **Snare:** DW Collector's Series Maple Snare 14"×6.5" - **Cymbals:** Sabian HHX series — 14" Groove Hi-Hats, HHX Evolution crashes (17"/18"/19"), 21" Evolution Ride, 18" HHX Chinese - **Pedal:** Pearl Demon Drive / Tama Speed Cobra (rotated) - **Sticks:** Vic Firth Matt Halpern Signature (established by 2010) - **Heads:** Evans EMAD2 (kick), G2 Coated (toms), UV1 (snare) - **Notable:** Released April 20, 2010 on Sumerian Records, Periphery's self-titled debut codified djent as a genre. Halpern's single-kick discipline on a 22"×18" DW bass drum forced rhythmically intricate kick writing rather than relying on double bass to fill space. ### Periphery II Transitional Era (2012) - **Drums:** DW Collector's Series (continued) - **Snare:** DW Collector's Series Maple Snare (evolved configuration) - **Cymbals:** Transition from Sabian HHX to Meinl Byzance begins - **Pedal:** DW hardware (continued) - **Notable:** "Periphery II: This Time It's Personal" (2012) marked the start of Halpern's shift away from Sabian toward the dark, complex Meinl Byzance voice that would define his sound from this point forward. ### Select Difficulty Era (2016) — Grammy-Nominated - **Drums:** Mapex Saturn Series — maple/walnut hybrid shells with SONIClear bearing edges; 22"×18" kick, 10"×7" and 12"×8" racks, 14"×14" and 16"×16" floors - **Snare:** Mapex Black Panther Design Lab 14"×6" (cherry/brass/maple options) - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series (Extra Dry, Dual, Traditional, Brilliant) — full setup established - **Pedal:** DW 9000 Double Pedal, Mapex Falcon hi-hat stand, Mapex Saddle Throne - **Sticks:** Vic Firth Matt Halpern Signature - **Heads:** Evans EMAD2 (kick), G2 Coated (toms), UV1 (snare) - **Original setup cost (2016):** ~$10,398 - **Inflation-adjusted to 2026:** ~$14,200 - **Notable:** "Periphery III: Select Difficulty" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for "The Price Is Wrong" at the 59th Grammy Awards — the first Grammy nomination for any djent-identified act. This is the album where Halpern's full Mapex Saturn + Meinl Byzance setup reached peak integration. ### Hail Stan / Aliens Era (2019–2023) - **Drums:** Mapex Saturn V MH Exotic — succeeded the standard Saturn configuration - **Snare:** Mapex Black Panther Design Lab (continued) - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance (mature, complete arsenal) - **Pedal:** DW 9000, Mapex Falcon hardware (consistent) - **Notable:** "Periphery IV: Hail Stan" (2019) and "Periphery V: Aliens" (2023) showcase Halpern's most mature Mapex Saturn V MH Exotic configuration — a flagship-tier kit reflecting his fully developed signature endorsement relationship. --- ## Key Gear Changes - **2010:** DW Collector's Series + Sabian HHX on the genre-defining self-titled debut - **2012:** Transition begins from Sabian HHX to Meinl Byzance on "Periphery II" - **~2014:** Full Mapex endorsement begins, succeeding DW - **2016:** Mapex Saturn + Mapex Black Panther Design Lab signature snare fully established — Grammy-nominated "Select Difficulty" era - **2019–2023:** Upgrade to Mapex Saturn V MH Exotic for "Hail Stan" and "Aliens" --- ## FAQ **Q: What gear does Matt Halpern use?** A: Matt Halpern currently plays a Mapex Saturn V MH Exotic drum kit with a Mapex Black Panther Design Lab signature snare, a comprehensive Meinl Byzance cymbal setup, DW 9000 double pedals, and Vic Firth Matt Halpern Signature sticks. His gear evolved from a DW Collector's Series + Sabian HHX setup on Periphery's 2010 debut through a full Mapex/Meinl transition completed by 2016. **Q: What is Matt Halpern's signature snare?** A: Matt Halpern's primary recording snare since 2016 has been the Mapex Black Panther Design Lab — a 14"×6" snare offered in cherry, brass, steel, and maple shell options, giving him flexibility to match snare character to musical context. It succeeded a DW Collector's Series maple snare used on Periphery's earlier albums. **Q: How much does Matt Halpern's drum kit cost?** A: Matt Halpern's 2016 "Select Difficulty" Mapex Saturn setup cost approximately $10,398, equivalent to roughly $14,200 in 2026 after inflation. The Mapex Saturn shell pack alone runs $4,500–$7,000, the Black Panther Design Lab snare adds $450–$800, and the full Meinl Byzance cymbal setup runs $2,500–$3,500. **Q: Was Periphery III: Select Difficulty nominated for a Grammy?** A: Yes. "Periphery III: Select Difficulty" (2016) earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance at the 59th Grammy Awards in 2017 for the track "The Price Is Wrong" — the first Grammy nomination for any djent-identified act. **Q: What cymbals does Matt Halpern use?** A: Matt Halpern uses Meinl Byzance cymbals spanning the Extra Dry, Dual, Traditional, and Brilliant lines, including 14" Dual Hi-Hats, Extra Dry and Traditional crashes from 18" to 20", a 22" Extra Dry Medium Ride, and an 18" Brilliant China. The handcrafted B20 bronze Byzance line has been his cymbal voice since the Periphery II transitional era around 2012. --- ## Related - [Matt Halpern drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummers/matt-halpern) - [Full gear history page](https://metalforge.io/drummers/matt-halpern/gear-history) - [Periphery III: Select Difficulty drum setup article](https://metalforge.io/articles/periphery-iii-drum-setup) - [Periphery self-titled debut drum setup article](https://metalforge.io/articles/periphery-self-titled-drum-setup) - [What's in Matt Halpern's kit — full gear breakdown](https://metalforge.io/articles/whats-in-matt-halperns-kit) - [Periphery band profile](https://metalforge.io/bands/periphery) - [Matt Garstka gear history — Animals as Leaders drum legacy](https://metalforge.io/drummers/matt-garstka/gear-history) - [Alex Bent gear history — Trivium drum legacy](https://metalforge.io/drummers/alex-bent/gear-history) - [Gear history hub](https://metalforge.io/llms/gear-history.md)