Emperor X tuning

[frank0072]

Hi all,

I've bought my first head yesterday, since my drums came with good heads two years ago there was no need for me to buy new ones. So, I bought the Remo EmperorX yesterday for my snare.

I have a Tama Rockstar steel snare, 14x6.5 I think, and I've tuned it with the reso at the lowest clear note and the batter pretty tight (I don't know how much turns), now it has some ring to it but it sounds not as 'alive' as I like it to be. I am afraid of over stressing the head, since it's my first head I've bought and tuned from scratch so to say.

Do you have tips for me? Should I tune the reso tighter or tighten up the batter?

Does anyone have experience with the EmperorX and does it have to sound more dead then other heads?

By the way, I used to have a clear kind of Ambassador no name brand.

Thanks for the input :-).

[Wavelength]

The Emperor X is a very heavy head, and it will sound dead and low no matter how you tune it. It's a very specialised head, and I'd not recommend it for general playing.

[wolfmoon]

You have the bottom head way too loose. I have used the same head. It will sound best with the top and bottom heads tuned up on the tight side.

[CBPEAVEY]

I've got an Emperor X on a 14x6.5 metal snare and I agree with what wolfmoon said. You really need to tighten the bottom and top heads higher up. You aren't going to break this head by tightening it up because of how thick it is. It takes a while to get this head tuned right, but when you do it is an excellent head, in my opinion.

[frank0072]

I've got an Emperor X on a 14x6.5 metal snare and I agree with what wolfmoon said. You really need to tighten the bottom and top heads higher up. You aren't going to break this head by tightening it up because of how thick it is. It takes a while to get this head tuned right, but when you do it is an excellent head, in my opinion.

thanks, that sounds good :-). I was a little hesitant because it's my first head (sounds funny). But, I'll try it.

@ Wavelength: I already thought so. I might fix up snare with an Ambassador single ply type of head, so I can use that for other stuff than rock.

[MaDaBe]

The Emperor X is a very heavy head, and it will sound dead and low no matter how you tune it. It's a very specialised head, and I'd not recommend it for general playing.

This is mostly incorrect. I play an Emperor X on a steel Yamaha drum and I crank it fairly tight but not too tight. The head does need to be cranked tight due to its being a thick and heavy head. But when its cranked tight it really comes to life and I (speaking from experience here) can say that my drum is very bright and responsive and the head doesn't kill or deaden the drum at all.

I think its irresponsible to advise someone not to use a product if you have no experience using the product.

Crank the Emp X tight . . . when it comes to life, you've got it.

Now I will agree with Wavelenght that if you aren't a heavy hitter and you're playing softer music then the Emperor X is pointless.

[larryace]

My opinions: (arrived at after hundreds of hours experimenting) The snare reso head should be the tightest head on your kit with the snare batter the 2nd tightest. A tight snare really carries well, especially unmiked. Hence the saying, tight as a snare drum. Make sure you tension your heads as evenly as possible, bringing them up slowly, no more than 1/8 turn per screw, less is better, and make as many trips around the drum as it takes to bring it up evenly, don't do a linear 12 oclock 6 oclock pattern, go around the drum, respect it's roundness. Drumset tuning is an art, and isn't easy, and can be very time consuming...but the results are well worth the effort. An understanding of the acoustic physics involved really helps. I think out of all the instruments, the drumset is the hardest to tune. It's relatively easy to get one drum sounding good, but to tune a whole set so the intervals are pleasing, and each drum is within it's happy zone, takes time and know how.