Skins for TAMA Superstar

[Staetus]

Hi there - im new to the forums, so hello every 1 :) I am purchashing a TAMA superstar (haven't decided wether to go custom yet, what difference does it make ?) I now need to decide what skins to put on it . . . .

I currently play on a Premier Royale with Remo WK Pin Stripe and C.S Batter on the Snare.

I no how i want them to sound, but dont have very much experience with skins :s

I love the sound that the Rammstein drummer the great Christoph Schneider produces from his kit a Starclassic Maple i Belive.

If you could point me in the right direction or make some suggestions, any help will be great :)

[JoeyWaters]

Go for any clear or coated 2 ply from your favorite drum head company. So,

Remo: Emperor

Evans: G2, EC2

Aquarian: Super 2 ( I highly recommend these), Response 2

Coated heads will be warmer and have a better mid-range punch. Clear heads will have a sharper, more plastic-like attack.

Stay away from Pinstripes! They are too dead for Superstars. If any of the above heads are too ringy, get some Moongel pads. Its better to have too much ring and take some out rather than getting a dead head and not being able to do anything about it.

Let us know which way you go!

[Staetus]

thanks for the reply was thinkin about the Evans G2 clears for the toms, but wasn't sure about a skin for the snare maybe a G2 again ?, definitly not a batter skin tho :p

I also use O-rings on my current kit as my kit is a tad old and rings to buggery so i can use these to dampen any ringing in toms.

[rhydianjlewis]

Dont get a g2 for a snare! usually snare haeds are 1 ply for sensitivity and so they are brighter and cut through the mix. go on the evans website www.evansdrumheads.com and find snare heads. Think about what you want the snare to sound like and read the descriptions until you find one that matches.

Hmmmmm, i just listened to a rammstein song to see what you want. The toms are quite resonant for metal, so g2's would be good, EC2's might be a little too muffled. The snare head should be one ply i think, with extra muffling, like a power dot or control ring.

I'm an evans guy as you can see.

good luck

[Staetus]

The Snare drum Power Center sounds like what im after. Thanks for all the help guys G2 Clear on the toms, and power center on the snare - can't wait till i get my new kit 2moro !

[Osh]

I use pinstripes on mine, and ambassadors on the resos, and when I play, they sound brilliant, exactly how I wanted them to sound, but then when I record myself and play it back, they do sound a little dead.

Everything souns great when I'm playing, just not when I listen to myself afterwards, very annoying!

[ermghoti]

Everything souns great when I'm playing, just not when I listen to myself afterwards, very annoying!

That's likely the sound that everybody but you hears. You are probably 1/4 as far away from your toms as the next closest person in the room. Your "just right" is everybody else's "kinda dead." Your "too ringy" is everybody else's "clear and projecting."

I believe the technical term is "Pinstripe Disorder."

[Osh]

That's likely the sound that everybody but you hears. You are probably 1/4 as far away from your toms as the next closest person in the room. Your "just right" is everybody else's "kinda dead." Your "too ringy" is everybody else's "clear and projecting."

I believe the technical term is "Pinstripe Disorder."

Hmm i love the way they sound i hear though, it's perfect, they sound like proffesional toms.

Once i get a bit of money i'll buy an evans G2 for my 12" and i'll compare.

[killer_deep]

How did ya'll tune the emperor heads on the superstar? I've been struggling to find a goo tom sound, and I'm wondering about the relative tuning of the resonant and batter heads.

S

[Big_Philly]

Hi there - im new to the forums, so hello every 1 :) I am purchashing a TAMA superstar (haven't decided wether to go custom yet, what difference does it make ?)

I have been told that the custom kit has a more "pure" sound, because they are laquered. And of course, the custom colours look awesome. But I'd have to try them out first to truly notice the difference.

[Freeway-Drummer]

I've got a Tama Superstar Brushed Metallic Black (BMB) it looks great.
I like this color because it's timeless.

[Osh]

Ok... i have now decided that I hate my pinstripes on my superstar.... but weirdly... the sound i like, is the sound i get when i put paper on top of the head????

I don't like the plastic-ish sound i get off the pinsripes... and the paper makes the sound more... round and less sharp. the only way i can describe.

But isn't pinstripe the most muffled head available?! Is there something wrong with me?

Ok i'll give you this... The sound I am looking for is the sound Dom Howard gets from his tama starclassic mirage. Here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr2J5kXcRgU)

And this is the sound I am getting... ish (the room is really bad for drums... open and really echoey) Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldStqfY7sVg)

Cheers

[harryconway]

I am purchashing a TAMA superstar .



I love the sound that the Rammstein drummer the great Christoph Schneider produces from his kit a Starclassic Maple

Ok... i have now decided that I hate my pinstripes on my superstar....


Ok i'll give you this... The sound I am looking for is the sound Dom Howard gets from his tama starclassic mirage.



OK, to both you guys. You want your Superstars to sound like Superclassics. Ain't gonna happen. Especially trying to replicate studio sound. $800 drums are not gonna sound like $2K pro-level kits with who knows how much studio EQ dumped on them. Try to make your kits sound as good as you can, and experiment. Find your own sound, perhaps. But if you want Superclassic sound, then buy Superclassic drums.

[Big_Philly]

Would Remo Powerstrokes be any good for a superstar custom? I am also looking for skins that wouldn't allow my drums to ring too much (i.e. a relatively short decay time), without making them sound dead.

[Skitch]

Would Remo Powerstrokes be any good for a superstar custom? I am also looking for skins that wouldn't allow my drums to ring too much (i.e. a relatively short decay time), without making them sound dead.

I have found the Powerstroke 3 on toms to be suprisingly good, especially on bigger drums!

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummermikemccraw
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=78564594

[Big_Philly]

Thanks! I already ordered clear emperors for the toms, but Ill need to replace them sooner or later and I'll give powerstroke 3 a go.

[toxegendrummer]

ive got ec2's on my toms, a g1 on my snare and an emad on the bass and they sound so fat...maybe next i'll get an emad2 but it still a pretty sound

[Big_Philly]

another Tama Superstar head question: what would be a good reso head for the snare drum? It's a 14x5,5" birch/basswood snare drum with a coated ambassador on top. Any help is appreciated. I like a funky snare drum sound.

[Budiesel]

Maybe a diplomat. Although, John Bonham Coated Emperor over Ambassador on his snare most often.

[Big_Philly]

Thanks, I'll consider the diplomat.
Any other advices?

[rhydianjlewis]

And this is the sound I am getting... ish (the room is really bad for drums... open and really echoey) Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldStqfY7sVg)



The link to the video of dom howard is dead, but i think i know what you want.

I think the main problem is not with the pinstripes but the tuning.
With those heads, if you want a deep, smooth sound you have to tune the batters as low as they will go without wrinkling.

I have emperors on my mapex m-birch and i have added a clip of what they sound like tuned this way...

All i could find is a very short clip of me mucking around while there was a single mic recording. :S

[Big_Philly]

I got a Remo clear ambassador as reso head for my snare, it sounds about the same as with the stock tama head, though it might be a little more sensitive, but it's slightly thicker, so I can tighten it just a little more. In order to avoid my snare resonating to my toms I had to tune the reso head very low, and with the stock tama head I had to tune it so loose that sometimes the tension screws vibrated out. Doesn't happen anymore now.

[jumpinjs]

Im using G2 clears on the top of my Superstar Customs with the original TAMA clears on the bottom. This combo produces good resonance for these shells and in the audience, they project well and dont sound dead. However, they are pretty bright, and Ive been thinking that they would sound warmer with coated g2s or even g1s.

I used to use pinstripes on my pearl exports, which worked well for them but I would not think to kill the sound of my Sups with them. I get many positive comments from other drummers around town about the look and sound of my kit, and they are always shocked when I tell them how much they DONT cost. These are amazing drums for the price!