Extensive Review of Resotune II

Yeah wait till you see it, its not 'as easy' to use right away as a TUNEBOT, but it does produce better results, hence the learning curve

Well I guess that's relative ... Not as easy to use as something that doesn't work as well. You may have to think about tuning a little differently than you did before. I know I did. But it's very easy to use when you understand that the main benefit is that you are tuning the drum to itself and not to each other in the set (although you are doing that to your own choice).

What I do ( in a 3 tom setup) is to roughly tune the middle sized tom to the relative pitch I want just by ear. You just sing that note in your head and tune the drum to that pitch trying to keep equal pitch on the batter and reso head. If they are the same head top and bottom then they will roughly have equal tension for equal pitch. If you are concerned about hitting a specific note then when you first fire up the Resotune then only push the "find pitch" button. It's gonna do its thing and finally tell you what that pitch it. If you want it to be something other than what it is now is the time to tune higher or lower. Push the find pitch button again til you get what you want while making small, consistent changes. Once you are happy with the relative fundamental pitch of the drum then push the "tune lug" button. Again after its done its thing it will give you a value. At this point you can't really (and don't want to) change this one. this value is a direct reflection of the "pitch" value. Now press the clear lug button. You should already be "green" on the first lug. Slide the Resotune around to the next lug and tweak it until it stops on the green. Keep going until you've done all the lugs. If they are all pretty close you may not have to go around again. But if some of the lugs are way off then tweaking one of them may overly affect some of the others and you'll have to go around again. I usually do anyway just to be sure. It's is very easy to hear the magic as you bring each lug into the green. You will hear the tone generator make the drum louder as the pitch at the lug comes into tune. Now I turn the drum over and do the reso side. If your heads are the same model and your tensions are even top and bottom then the lug pitch should be the same. If you tension your reso head higher or lower then the lug pitch will be different. So when you set the tension differently you get more and different harmonics. That may be something that you want. Personally I like it better when they are the same.

Sorry, this is getting to be a long post. Ok now that I have my middle tom perfect I roughly tune my upper and lower toms off that one, usually to the "call to post" pitches ( or so). Once I've got those rough pitches I was the Resotune same as above to tune those drums to themselves. It's really not very hard at all and probably takes less time than it took me to type this all out ;)
 
Well I guess that's relative ... Not as easy to use as something that doesn't work as well. You may have to think about tuning a little differently than you did before. I know I did. But it's very easy to use when you understand that the main benefit is that you are tuning the drum to itself and not to each other in the set (although you are doing that to your own choice).

What I do ( in a 3 tom setup) is to roughly tune the middle sized tom to the relative pitch I want just by ear. You just sing that note in your head and tune the drum to that pitch trying to keep equal pitch on the batter and reso head. If they are the same head top and bottom then they will roughly have equal tension for equal pitch. If you are concerned about hitting a specific note then when you first fire up the Resotune then only push the "find pitch" button.

Sorry, this is getting to be a long post. Ok now that I have my middle tom perfect I roughly tune my upper and lower toms off that one, usually to the "call to post" pitches ( or so). Once I've got those rough pitches I was the Resotune same as above to tune those drums to themselves. It's really not very hard at all and probably takes less time than it took me to type this all out ;)


Just to avoid any confusion the RTII has Tune Lug (lug clearing/pitch) and Tune Drum (the drums fundamental note as it is with heads on). Im assuming dboomer has the first model which has a 'find pitch' button.

Anyway, there is a slight learning curve with RT, where to place the unit when clearing, and sometimes knowing when to move on and come around again to a certain lug to reach final clear, how to move thru fast blinking tune lights etc.. I have a 6 lug 14 x 14 FT, it produces a challenge when clearing. Little stuff you pick up along the way, stuff you're not going to be aware of first time with a RESOTUNE. TUNBOT by comparison as an example is less to master.

Once you know what RESOTUNE is doing it is pretty fast to tune a drum.
 
I have the R2 unit. I just didn't have it in front of me. So when I wrote pitch I did mean "tune drum" which is essentially the fundamental pitch of the drum.

The thing I did wrong the first time I used it was muting one head while tuning the other like I was used to. So I set small toms on my snare stand so that the entire drum can resonate. Otherwise you just center the lugs between the center two posts as you move it around.
 
When I watched the video of this device on YouTube the end result just didn't sound that good. For me the ability to quickly tweak the tuning of my drums at the venue is key as I tune my toms so they sound good in the room. I tend to play small to medium venues, so at most just kick, snare and pair of overhead mikes.

I can see an application for this device in a studio, especially when the recording period spans weeks or months. For example I have experience of trying to get a very ringy snare which was used in a recording (but then used for a couple of club gigs) back at the exact same tuning a few weeks later. It took ages as both heads were way out from the original recorded sound.

So in short I think the tuner won't be that useful for the average giging drummer but very useful in a studio.
 
Captain Bash - I haven't seen a video that can do this product justice. I think the feature of getting all the lugs clear would be really hard to capture. (Well, at least for most of the recording you see on YT.) Maybe it could be done professionally, but I bet a lot of drummers wouldn't believe it!

dboomer and Les - when you start to clear the lugs, do you just move the unit clockwise or counterclockwise, or do you go to the opposite lug?
 
dboomer and Les - when you start to clear the lugs, do you just move the unit clockwise or counterclockwise, or do you go to the opposite lug?

Typically I go counterclockwise but it wouldn't matter. You could go in any order you wanted as long as you visit each lug. There are little rubber feet on the front side. You just slide the unit up against the rim until the feet prevent you from going any further and center the lug between the two center posts. You put the dowels into the posts on the back side to support the unit up off the head so that the units is floating rim height above the head. Drums must be free so that both heads resonate.
 
Captain Bash - I haven't seen a video that can do this product justice. I think the feature of getting all the lugs clear would be really hard to capture. (Well, at least for most of the recording you see on YT.) Maybe it could be done professionally, but I bet a lot of drummers wouldn't believe it!
Yup... I tried to shoot some video myself for the first generation RESOTUNE and the results were amateurish to put it kindly. Hard to imagine a smartphone or computer speaker doing any drum sound justice.
dboomer and Les - when you start to clear the lugs, do you just move the unit clockwise or counterclockwise, or do you go to the opposite lug?

To clear lugs you can step around the drumhead in any direction or pattern, while it will be easier to keep track of just going CW or CCW. As I think I posted before, you need to make it around the drum head two complete passes to insure optimal clear quality. RESOTUNE updates it's internal clear reference if a lug registers a stronger (more resonant) return. Two passes around gets them all in agreement to the same (strongest) clear reference.

Regarding direction or patterns, you will notice two loudspeakers on the bottom of RESOTUNE firing at the drumhead. These two speakers bracket either side of the lug being measured and reduce interaction from the other lugs.

Between the first and second generation I did research into trying to make RESOTUNE smaller and lighter (and cheaper). I can perform the scan and tune functions using only a single speaker. I can even measure clear with just one speaker...but, and this is a huge BUT, when using just a single speaker the tune and clear quality does not converge to a stable final result. The lugs interact with each other, just like now when tap tuning by ear or using a sniffer does. So you would have to chase tune and clear quality around and across the drumhead using the same technique as tap tuning. Then at the end of all that chasing you still might not get the same high quality result (I couldn't in my lab).

A cheaper single speaker version of RESOTUNE could probably work better (more accurately) than a note sniffer, but IMO doesn't get you all the way to a good final clear result, using a straightforward procedure, so I abandoned it (smaller, lighter speakers didn't work either). Cheap simple tuning approaches (like say a smart phone app) can get you most of the way there, but don't quite get you across the finish line.

Some customers tell me they used to clear their drums by ear after they finished tuning with other tuners.

JR
 
I've been using the RTII kind of going to the opposite lug - like you'd do to try to evenly tension a new head. Then once everything's clear, I may go CW or CCW just for speed. Glad to know either way is fine.
 
What I struggle understanding is why such a fuss is made about tuning a drum, all these devices come on, it's really not that hard to do with just a drum key and some ears. Also, fact is I also tune the drum for rebound and sometimes aim for uneven tension, eg. usually de-tune my 5 o-clock lug by a smidgen.

It would be interesting to A and B blind comparison of the same kits tuned via ear no devices and a Resotune or other device tuned kit. I suspect I couldn't tell any difference. I confess I own a drum dial but won't get fooled again !
 
When I watched the video of this device on YouTube the end result just didn't sound that good. For me the ability to quickly tweak the tuning of my drums at the venue is key as I tune my toms so they sound good in the room. I tend to play small to medium venues, so at most just kick, snare and pair of overhead mikes.

I can see an application for this device in a studio, especially when the recording period spans weeks or months. For example I have experience of trying to get a very ringy snare which was used in a recording (but then used for a couple of club gigs) back at the exact same tuning a few weeks later. It took ages as both heads were way out from the original recorded sound.

So in short I think the tuner won't be that useful for the average giging drummer but very useful in a studio. It would be interesting to A and B blind comparison of the same kits tuned via ear no devices and a Resotune or other device tuned kit. I suspect I couldn't tell any difference. I confess I own a drum dial but won't get fooled again !


What you're doing is tuning to lug resonance when you conventionally tune 'to the room', RTII has made me aware of this. If lug resonance is random, its that which interacts favorably or unfavorably with the room so to speak and tuning this way is never complete, precise, one drum is always going to sound better than the others as you simply cannot get each lug to be accurately in tune without some serious microprocessing capabilities. RTII's clearing capability ensures a 'cleared' drum will sound good in any room.

Take my word for it RTII is the holy grail of drum tuners, you have never heard your drums sound this good. Since sound is subjective, a video could be shot to show a sonic difference in results between RTII and other lesser drum tuning devises, but that's a whole other arena for John- adverti$ing. RTII is still ground floor. RTII is a sound generating microprocessor that analyzes frequencies it imposes on a drum/drumhead and shows the results, its a powerful tool.





dboomer and Les - when you start to clear the lugs, do you just move the unit clockwise or counterclockwise, or do you go to the opposite lug?


Altho yes, you can go any direction, going around the drum sequentially (either direction) is the easiest, fastest way, and Im lazy, going cross-lug means more work moving the unit.





The thing I did wrong the first time I used it was muting one head while tuning the other like I was used to. So I set small toms on my snare stand so that the entire drum can resonate. Otherwise you just center the lugs between the center two posts as you move it around.


What I discovered (first time) was RTII did still tune/clear with a dampening devise on the head. I had a small piece of tape on the reso head and noticed getting to green in clear was proving difficult, but not impossible, RTII was calculating with the anomaly, and it showed the extra effort in the LED sequencing. Keep in mind tuning with tape, gels on etc. is not appropriate, it results in a compromise, when RTII never needs to compromise to produce excellent results. RTII tuned/cleared drums sound and resolve optimally with no attachments to the heads. Can you use tape, gel's after clearing? Mmmmmm, experiment, since sound 'is' subjective... you could, but somewhat analogous to using a bra on the front of a motor car.





You just slide the unit up against the rim until the feet prevent you from going any further and center the lug between the two center posts. You put the dowels into the posts on the back side to support the unit up off the head so that the units is floating rim height above the head. Drums must be free so that both heads resonate.


Regarding direction or patterns, you will notice two loudspeakers on the bottom of RESOTUNE firing at the drumhead. These two speakers bracket either side of the lug being measured and reduce interaction from the other lugs. JR


While clearing I've noticed there are slight differences as to ones perception of getting RTII centered over the lug to be cleared. RTII clearing posts gap* is 1" 3/16, a tension rod is 3/16" wide, so there 'is' an inch of reading space there.

If Im sharp on a clear, I can move RTII just a little bit and get a green light. Knowing this can speed up your clearing process, and if you're overly OCD about clearing you might want to affix a thin stick to RTII in the center of the clearing posts to line up the unit with the center of the tension rod head, tho the end sonic result will probably be negligible, or maybe not, I'll probably get to that OCD state and have to experiment.

*Pic is a view of the bottom of RTII
 

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What I struggle understanding is why such a fuss is made about tuning a drum, all these devices come on, it's really not that hard to do with just a drum key and some ears. Also, fact is I also tune the drum for rebound and sometimes aim for uneven tension, eg. usually de-tune my 5 o-clock lug by a smidgen.

It would be interesting to A and B blind comparison of the same kits tuned via ear no devices and a Resotune or other device tuned kit. I suspect I couldn't tell any difference. I confess I own a drum dial but won't get fooled again !

I don't mean to sound immodest, but I can tune my drums quite well by ear. And you're right - it's not difficult to do. In fact, when I used the RTII I hardly had to turn my lugs at all - they were all very close. The thing is, even these small adjustments made a difference like night and day. It sounds crazy, but you really have to hear it and experience it to understand. Once you get everything clear, you probably won't want to detune any of the lugs.

I bet you COULD tell a difference in the A/B blind comparison - ear vs. RTII. I also bet you could tell the difference between a kit tuned with a DrumDial or TuneBot compared to the RTII.

I also have a DrumDial. It's not that I need it, but I find when I'd get to a tuning I liked, I could measure the tension and easily repeat it. It's just another tool that makes life a little easier. When I need to change heads, I'm looking to do it as quickly as possible!

I don't mean to sound like I'm making a fuss over a tuning device, but it's really impressive when all the lugs get clear. Believe me, I'd much rather spend my time playing and practicing rather than tuning.
 
What I struggle understanding is why such a fuss is made about tuning a drum, all these devices come on, it's really not that hard to do with just a drum key and some ears. Also, fact is I also tune the drum for rebound and sometimes aim for uneven tension, eg. usually de-tune my 5 o-clock lug by a smidgen.

It would be interesting to A and B blind comparison of the same kits tuned via ear no devices and a Resotune or other device tuned kit. I suspect I couldn't tell any difference. I confess I own a drum dial but won't get fooled again !

If you are happy with the drum sound you get now, keep doing that.

There are enough drummers asking for help to keep guys like me busy. In my judgement there are entire product categories of damping rings and trick heads engineered to reduce the audibility of poorly tuned drums, precisely because it isn't easy for most drummers.

Thanks again for some more positive feedback.. I know it sounds a little hard to believe coming from me, so I try not to make such expansive claims. It's better to hear personal anecdotes from happy customers sharing their actual results.

John Roberts
 
I wonder what ever happened to the Resotune? Seems like a solid concept and a great product if you're into precision tuning. But I see their website says NLA.

BTW, they have the best explainer on the physics of drum pitch and resonance that I've seen so far:

 
You know, I never see this mentioned, but I’m sure it has been. If you want an easy technique to check if your head is cleared, just tap at one lug, then the opposite lug in quick succession. If you hear the notes beating, you have more work to do. I use to struggle with tuning in the past, and came up with this on my own (as I’m sure others have) by watching guitarists tune up.
 
Basically, that is how Resotune works. Except it generates a precise tone which is very consistent compared to you tapping, which will be different every time you do it. Then it measure the phase differences between the two tones
 
I wonder what ever happened to the Resotune? Seems like a solid concept and a great product if you're into precision tuning. But I see their website says NLA.

BTW, they have the best explainer on the physics of drum pitch and resonance that I've seen so far:

He sold out and stopped making them. Probably due to the inferior products being cheaper and easier to use.
Sort of like Gresham's Law of good enough, like Stage Customs.
 
He sold out and stopped making them. Probably due to the inferior products being cheaper and easier to use.
Sort of like Gresham's Law of good enough, like Stage Customs.
That's too bad. I have a ResoTune and really like it. Maybe not the most convenient tuning product, but there's nothing like it when all the lugs clear.
 
Basically, that is how Resotune works. Except it generates a precise tone which is very consistent compared to you tapping, which will be different every time you do it. Then it measure the phase differences between the two tones
All I can say is, tapping and listening for note beating works great for me in clearing the head, I don't have an issue with "...compared to you tapping, which will be different every time you do it." If I tap by a lug, it's a consistent note. This isn't that complicated...that is, unless your edges are bad, drum is out of round, head is bad, lol, ok maybe it can be a bit complicated, but those issues affect ease of tuning whatever method is used.
 
That’s all fine. But this can do it with 10 times more accuracy than a trained ear.
My original comment was just to offer a tip to facilitate drum tuning by ear (which I am a proponent of, whenever possible). I'm not arguing the accuracy of the resotune vs the human ear, and the bar of diminishing returns. I think tuning devices are useful for those that just can't manage otherwise.
 
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