Snare head...CS dot versus Perimeter muffling

Can someone please describe for me the differences and how they work between something like a CS Dot, which has material added to the underside of the center of the head vs a PS3, which has material added to the underside of the perimeter of the head? Let's assume both are coated.

Thanks!

joshvibert said:

Can someone please describe for me the differences and how they work between something like a CS Dot, which has material added to the underside of the center of the head vs a PS3, which has material added to the underside of the perimeter of the head? Let's assume both are coated.

Thanks!

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Overtones tend to come from the rim of the head, probably has to do with sound reflection from the shell. Perimeter muffling (like a Powerstroke's ring, or an overlay ring) will cut down on overtones. Doubling down on the center (where stick attack mostly happens) gives projection like a 2-ply head without the dampening on the perimeter.

To add on to Al's post- basically, a powerstroke will give you a shorter note and deaden your ghost notes if they're on the edge. A CS will thicken your center sound (though IMO they decrease the volume subtly, since they are technically muffling the head) while still leaving all the overtones around the edge- even accentuating them since you have less lower tones from the center to balance out the spread.