cliff wrote:
I have no data to support it, but I am going to guess that the Supraphonic gained a large lead when there were reletively few choices in the market (as compared to today), and that today there are dozens, if not more snares that record equally as well, but because of (i) Supraphonic's accumulated lead, and, (ii) dilution from a wide field of current competitors, it is statistically difficult for anything else now to catch up.
Good point, and also remember the relative singularity as opposed to the current proliferation of studios, so the ability to informally poll that sort of information was much easier. What surprises me is that studios still have house kits. Don't all drummers bring their own? Or is a house kit there to counteract the possibility of the pile of splinters and duct tape that might follow a drummer through the door?
As a side question, does the drum itself really matter in a studio? For a drummer/engineer, the best snare would be the one that requires the least work and that corresponds to his particular recording technique to produce a particular sound. But for the customer... make 'em happy.