New heads...

Chaos_Inferno

Silver Member
I bought a Tama Rockstar 8 piece kit a couple months ago and haven't really played around with it as much as I'd like, but I never got to changing the stock heads because of the time constraints either.

I'd like a little expert advice on what types of heads will give me that really deep, warm tone with a decent amount of resonance but nothing that's going to ring for days on end, with that little bit of punch to them so that I don't have to rip into the drums just to sound like I'm actually making contact...

The shells are maple, the mounted toms are 8x8, 10x8, 12x9, and the floor toms 14x14 and 16x16. I have two 22x18 bass drums as well.

If you're looking for a reference as to the sound I'd like, I absolutely adore the sound of Mike Portnoy's kit after about 2000 (I have the signature maple snare already, no snare advice needed) as well as Blake Richardson's. I think I like the slightly punchier but still very warm tone of Blake's kit better but Portnoy's bass drums more because I want to avoid coming anywhere near that awful *TICK TICK TICK TICK* from the bass drums.

Thanks in advance. ;)

EDIT: Forgot to mention I have been thinking about trying the new Remo Powerstroke 4s out, their stats seem really well suited to what I need so they won't ring forever naturally but the maple shells should let them resonate just enough that I won't need to worry about any muffling and still be very satisfied.... that and how dark the tone is. Anyone have any experience with these yet or think I should just go for it?
 
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I bought a Tama Rockstar 8 piece kit a couple months ago and haven't really played around with it as much as I'd like, but I never got to changing the stock heads because of the time constraints either.

I'd like a little expert advice on what types of heads will give me that really deep, warm tone with a decent amount of resonance but nothing that's going to ring for days on end, with that little bit of punch to them so that I don't have to rip into the drums just to sound like I'm actually making contact...

The shells are maple, the mounted toms are 8x8, 10x8, 12x9, and the floor toms 14x14 and 16x16. I have two 22x18 bass drums as well.

If you're looking for a reference as to the sound I'd like, I absolutely adore the sound of Mike Portnoy's kit after about 2000 (I have the signature maple snare already, no snare advice needed) as well as Blake Richardson's. I think I like the slightly punchier but still very warm tone of Blake's kit better but Portnoy's bass drums more because I want to avoid coming anywhere near that awful *TICK TICK TICK TICK* from the bass drums.

Thanks in advance. ;)

EDIT: Forgot to mention I have been thinking about trying the new Remo Powerstroke 4s out, their stats seem really well suited to what I need so they won't ring forever naturally but the maple shells should let them resonate just enough that I won't need to worry about any muffling and still be very satisfied.... that and how dark the tone is. Anyone have any experience with these yet or think I should just go for it?


I am using the PS 3s on a kit right now and like the way they sound. I would probably go for it on a couple of drums and see if I like them or not.



Mike

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

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
 
I'm not particular to a specific brand, I've used and been happy with both Remo and Evans heads before, although I have a little bit more experience with Remo I suppose...

I probably won't just go for a new type of head not too many people have used yet, experience is a great teacher lol.

Plus I've only found a few rather obscure sites that sell the Powerstroke 4's yet anyways... so I might be better off trying the EC2's.

Any suggestions on a bass drum head? I have a Superkick II on an older kit of mine and kinda liked using it on another person's kit at a live show, although I think I might've tuned it a little differently personally. Any suggestions for a bass drum head?
 
first of all the tama rockstar is birch/basswood.
I suggest ec2s for the toms.
evans genera hd dry head for the snare for a nice focused sound.
Maybe evans emads for the bass
 
If you want boom AND punch from a bass drum head, the Super Kick I is the way to go. The Superkick II is similiar, but it doesn't sound as punchy.
 
If you want boom AND punch from a bass drum head, the Super Kick I is the way to go. The Superkick II is similiar, but it doesn't sound as punchy.
I'll keep that in mind for the Superkick...

I'm debating in my head if I should go with EC2 Clears or Coateds now. Evans' site says the coated heads are warmer but the attack isn't as defined as the clears. I'll get that really deep, lower warm tone from both I'm guessing, right?

And sorry about the wood mixups, I was thinking about my snare drum at the time and typed maple instead.
 
I'll keep that in mind for the Superkick...

I'm debating in my head if I should go with EC2 Clears or Coateds now. Evans' site says the coated heads are warmer but the attack isn't as defined as the clears. I'll get that really deep, lower warm tone from both I'm guessing, right?

And sorry about the wood mixups, I was thinking about my snare drum at the time and typed maple instead.

Do you live near a Guitar Center? The drumsets on display always have a plethora of Evans heads on them.
 
I've used a Rockstar DX for rock gigs and sessions for years.

I use:

Coated Emperors on the tops of the toms and Renaissance Diplomats on the bottoms. This gives them a balance of complex warmth and a cutting stroke sound.

Evans EMAD on the batter of the BD and a Powerstroke 3 for the resonant with a 5" hole in the MIDDLE (so the edge can resonate) with no pillow or muffling aside from the foam insert.

This combination I found using these drums for years with almost every type and brand. I've had engineers that can't believe what kind of drums they are.
 
For your tom batters, I would go with coated Emperors. For the bass, any of the previously mentioned heads will do fine.
 
Do you live near a Guitar Center? The drumsets on display always have a plethora of Evans heads on them.

Yeah, but they never tune em up right.... my drum kit came right off a display from our local Guitar Center and the drums were so ridiculously out of tune that it would be obvious to someone tone deaf.... I'm not particularly good at tuning either. I have had pretty good experience with Evans heads so far for the most part...

I've used a Rockstar DX for rock gigs and sessions for years.

I use:

Coated Emperors on the tops of the toms and Renaissance Diplomats on the bottoms. This gives them a balance of complex warmth and a cutting stroke sound.

Evans EMAD on the batter of the BD and a Powerstroke 3 for the resonant with a 5" hole in the MIDDLE (so the edge can resonate) with no pillow or muffling aside from the foam insert.

This combination I found using these drums for years with almost every type and brand. I've had engineers that can't believe what kind of drums they are.

Got any recordings of what you kit sounds like? Sounds really nice to me.... I'm looking for that really nice warm decay but when you hit the drum it has the kind of punchy/chunky attack to it. I can think of several bands where their drummer has that type of tone, Mastodon and Between the Buried and Me come to mind first...

I've heard that a hole in the middle makes a resonant head rather pointless, and a lot of people on this board seem to agree... I'm guessin you played around with an offset hole though before over the years. I had an EMAD once that I punched a hole in, and I don't think I play all that hard. I'll invest in a patch this time though lol. Regardless of what bass drum heads I get...
 
Yeah, but they never tune em up right.... my drum kit came right off a display from our local Guitar Center and the drums were so ridiculously out of tune that it would be obvious to someone tone deaf.... I'm not particularly good at tuning either. I have had pretty good experience with Evans heads so far for the most part...

drums always go out of tune with time... especially if theyre stacked.

as far as tuning goes, go here. also check out bob gatzen on youtube.
 
drums always go out of tune with time... especially if theyre stacked.

as far as tuning goes, go here. also check out bob gatzen on youtube.

Well these weren't even somewhat close to in tne with each other, and our Guitar Center swaps out display kits so often I don't think they'd be given enough time to go THAT out of tune.

Not really an issue though, not my drums lol. Thanks for the link though, I'll be sure to check that out.
 
Last time I was at a Guitar Center, all of the drum sets were perfectly in tune. In fact, one of the kits, a Sound Percussion, didn't have any heads replaced, they were all stock, but it was tuned SO well, it sounded better than all the other kits in the store, no joke. The snare sucked, but the toms were warm, focused, punchy, etc. It was awesome.
 
EDIT: Forgot to mention I have been thinking about trying the new Remo Powerstroke 4s out, their stats seem really well suited to what I need so they won't ring forever naturally but the maple shells should let them resonate just enough that I won't need to worry about any muffling and still be very satisfied.... that and how dark the tone is. Anyone have any experience with these yet or think I should just go for it?

When I got my old Pearl Sensitone brass alloy snare drum I couldn't get exactly the sound I was looking for. Then I tried a coated PS4 and there it was. With the PS4 it's just a great sounding drum, very focused. I think it's an excellent batter head for a metal snare drum. Don't know how it would work for a maple drum though. If you're looking for less resonance then I'll bet they could be just what you're looking for. Try them with Ambassadors for the reso heads.
 
When I got my old Pearl Sensitone brass alloy snare drum I couldn't get exactly the sound I was looking for. Then I tried a coated PS4 and there it was. With the PS4 it's just a great sounding drum, very focused. I think it's an excellent batter head for a metal snare drum. Don't know how it would work for a maple drum though. If you're looking for less resonance then I'll bet they could be just what you're looking for. Try them with Ambassadors for the reso heads.

I was thinking about using them as tom heads and not a snare head, I'm actually really happy with the Coated Ambassador I have on there right now.

I'll think about it in the future though.... it's an alternative idea.
 
If you want boom AND punch from a bass drum head, the Super Kick I is the way to go. The Superkick II is similiar, but it doesn't sound as punchy.

I second that...The superkick I has always sounded amazing on any set i've played it on...and it sounded incredible, with a perfect balance between boom and deep thud, it just sounds sooo goood.
 
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