Russ Nyberg's combined book setup for the 2018-2019 National Tour of Miss Saigon at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
Photo above: "The two Boss FS-5U Foot Switches are used to move Xylosynth patches forward or reverse."
Photo above: "Apple Laptops running MOTU's MachFive 3 Sampling Software for the Xylosynth and Roland Octapad."
Photo above: Sabian 14" AA Mini Chinese Hats (to the left of regular hats) are used on 'The Morning of the Dragon'."
Photo above: "Roland KT-10 Kick Trigger Pedal to the right of the bass drum pedal is for triggering the Odaiko Drum on 'The Morning of the Dragon'."
Photo above: LP Cricket and Thai Chap cymbals. Cymbals are played together as a pair, with hands.
Photo above: Roland Octapad covers all of the Odaikos, Grand Cassa, a few Nipple Gongs, some layered drums, and cymbal sounds.
"Miss Saigon has always been a bucket list show for me because of all of the unique percussion instruments required. I had the opportunity to sub both books on the Broadway production. I subbed the drum set book for Ray Marchica and the percussion book for Chihiro Shibayama. They were both wonderful at helping me learn this show. I remember the learning curve being a lot steeper verses other shows because there was a bit of choreography and memorization involved. I ran the show down every day to prep as a sub and it certainly benefitted me once I played my first show.
When I got hired for this tour, the first thing I was told was that it was going to be a one player, combined book. This certainly became a challenge but it is laid out very well by UK orchestrater, Stephen Metcalfe, and honors the late Bill Brohn’s work.
I like to have everything close and in arms reach. The timpani and Xylosynth needed to be stacked and close, as I wanted to keep the setup down to two music stands. Having the Roland Octapad next to the floor tom has worked well as I can easily access it from either station. Basically, one station is the drum kit and the other is the Xylosynth and timpani. The gongs and everything else are scattered in between the two.
The drum booth is a stackable baffle system made by Taytrix. Since I will always be remote in every theater, we can take up any area backstage and essentially build a room. They work great for sound isolation.
For my headphones I'm using GK UltraPhones. Good for overall hearing protection with the kit and I can slide one ear off when playing the timpani.
We travel with 15 players including the conductor and pick up locals in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, and St. Louis.
This show has been a lot of fun to play and I’m proud of all of the hard work of our fantastic cast, crew, and orchestra."
Drum Set:
- Pearl Reference Drums (10”, 12”, 16”, 22”, 14"x6” Snare)
- Remo Rototoms (8”, 10”, 12”)
- KickPort Bass Drum Sound Enhancer
Aquarian Drum Heads:
- Response 2 Clears on top of Toms
- Classic Clears on bottom of Toms and Snare
- Performance II with Power Dot on Rototoms
- Hi-Velocity White Texture Coated on Snare
- Super Kick II Texture Coated on Bass Drum
Cymbals: Sabian
- 16” AAXplosion Crash
- 18” AA Medium Thin Crash
- 21” HHX Groove Ride
- 14” HHX Evolution Hats
- 18” AAX Chinese
- 8” AA China Splash
- 14” AA Mini Chinese Hats (not sold as set)
- 19” HH Orchestral Viennese Piatti
Yamaha Timpani (26” and 29”)
Percussion:
- Bao Gongs (small and large)
- Nipple Gongs (small and large)
- Chau Gong
- Sabian 26” Zodiac Gong
- Tam Tam
- Tar (frame drum)
- Taiko (small)
- Kin (medium and large)
- Kabuki Clappers
- Chestnut Rattle
- Ching (small)
- Miller Machine with Finger Cymbal
- Kyeezee (Burma bell - small)
- Thai Bell Trees (3)
- Mark Tree
- Mokugyo Woodblocks (set of Polyblox)
- Piccolo Woodblock
- Cricket Clicker
- Thai Chap Cymbals
- Hindu Ankle Bells
Electronics:
- Xylosynth by Wernick Musical Instruments running MOTU's MachFive 3 Sampling Software
- Roland SPD-30 Octapad running MOTU's MachFive 3 Sampling Software
- The Xylosynth covers all of the marimba, glockenspiel, xylophone, gamelan, tubular bells, crotales, and Shamisen. The Roland Octapad covers all of the odaikos, gran cassa, a few nipple gongs, some layered drums, and cymbal sounds. Both units get their sounds from the two Apple Laptops.
Sticks and Mallets: Innovative Percussion
- Legacy Series 5AB Wood Tip Drumsticks
- GT-1 General Timpani Soft Mallets
- GT-3 General Timpani Medium Mallets
- RS30 Medium-Hard Marimba/Vibe Mallets
- FB-4 Field Series Large Bass Drum Mallets (used for the nipple gongs and Chinese gong)
- CG-2 Gong Mallets/Small
- IP908 James Ross Medium Brass Glockenspiel Mallets
- OS2 Orchestral Series Hard Xylophone Mallets
- WBR-3 Wire Brushes Fixed Wood Handle
- 5A Multi-Sticks
Russ Nyberg is a proud endorser of Sabian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Aquarian Drumheads, Kickport, and Cympad.
Miss Saigon - Tour - Russ Nyberg
September 2018
