Bass drum port hole question

[remoking]

How will cutting a port hole in the front head affect the sound and tone of the bass drum?

[Mikey Dangerous]

Abso-freakin-lutely. The effect will be even greater if you're using a mic.

Basically, anything you do to any head of any drum will affect the sound and tone to various degrees. Just think of the physics behind how a drum actually produces sound.

[Wavelength]

Cutting a hole takes away some low end, tone and resonance, and adds attack.

[remoking]

Thanks...I meant to word the begenning of the question differently...so I edited that mistake :p

[Ironcobra]

The drum will be heard more than felt. You'll be able to more clearly hear the beater hit the head. It's popular for performing because of the projection it adds, as well as making it easier to include a kick mic.

[remoking]

Any suggestions as to where the best position for it is? I wanted to cut it dead center in the head just because I think it looks cool there...but I don't want to cut it in the wrong spot.

[ermghoti]

Conventional wisdom says cutting the hole in the center will have the most pronounced effect, being the closest point on the front head to the beater. Most people put the hole 1-3" from the edge of the head, to retain more resonance. Start with a small hole, it's easy enough to cut a bigger, or even a second hole if you want even less boom and more attack.

Basically, on a 20-24" drum, a 6 or 7" hole in the center of the head is like taking off the reso head entirely.

[Ironcobra]

Start with 4", I think that will be more than enough. If you place it dead center, you'll loose a lot of your low end thump because the center of the head is what oscillates the most.

2:30 and 4:30 look pretty cool for hole positions.

[remoking]

Start with 4", I think that will be more than enough. If you place it dead center, you'll loose a lot of your low end thump because the center of the head is what oscillates the most.

2:30 and 4:30 look pretty cool for hole positions.

I think thats what I'll go with. Thanks for the advice.

[KarlCrafton]

A 4" hole is plenty big enough for a mic--especially if you use a HOLZ or product like that.

There are a couple mics that take a little fanaggleing to get INTO the drum (if you want that sound), but even on heads with bigger holes like a 6", sound guys are placing the mic at the hole, instead of in the drum at the venues I've been playing around the Detroit & surrounding area for the last couple years.

The 4" hole will retain more resonance and be more like a non-ported head.
It won't sound exactly the same, and will feel a bit different, but when I finally HAD to put a hole in, I wasn't that upset with the way the 4" worked.

I've used the 4 and 8 o'clock position, and that option is just a "looks" difference.
The center hole will give the most attack and kind of a flatter resonance to the drum sound.
There's still some resonance, but the meat of the head (where the force of the air from the beater) is gone so the sound just goes out the drum.

If you need/want a more 80's style sound, then the hole in the center will do it, but for the most sound out of the front head, a 4" hole off to the side will give you that.

[lewisn27]

i would say it gives the drum more attack and takes away a bit of the resonance.

[remoking]

A 4" hole is plenty big enough for a mic--especially if you use a HOLZ or product like that.

There are a couple mics that take a little fanaggleing to get INTO the drum (if you want that sound), but even on heads with bigger holes like a 6", sound guys are placing the mic at the hole, instead of in the drum at the venues I've been playing around the Detroit & surrounding area for the last couple years.

The 4" hole will retain more resonance and be more like a non-ported head.
It won't sound exactly the same, and will feel a bit different, but when I finally HAD to put a hole in, I wasn't that upset with the way the 4" worked.

I've used the 4 and 8 o'clock position, and that option is just a "looks" difference.
The center hole will give the most attack and kind of a flatter resonance to the drum sound.
There's still some resonance, but the meat of the head (where the force of the air from the beater) is gone so the sound just goes out the drum.

If you need/want a more 80's style sound, then the hole in the center will do it, but for the most sound out of the front head, a 4" hole off to the side will give you that.


Thanks again for the advice. I think I'll go with a 4" hole at the 4 o'clock position.