Resonant Head for a 22" bass drum

LeeLovesSabian

LeeLovesSabian

Silver Member
I am looking to replace my stock reso head on my bass drum.
I've been checking out the Remo Powerstroke 3, but have never used it; so I don't know if its what I need.

I want:
Great Sound Projection,
Volume,
Punch,
and not to mention, looks.

Anybody have recomandations?
 
LeeLovesSabian said:
I am looking to replace my stock reso head on my bass drum.
I've been checking out the Remo Powerstroke 3, but have never used it; so I don't know if its what I need.

I want:
Great Sound Projection,
Volume,
Punch,
and not to mention, looks.

Anybody have recomandations?
Click to expand...

Aquarian Regulator (ported).

There you go.

Oh, and don't you need two of them? Because of the double bass...
 
LeeLovesSabian said:
Thanks.

And no, I don't need two of them.
Im gonna be gigging around shortly, and I only bring one bass drum with me.

What exactly does the Aquarian Regulator provide for sound?
Click to expand...

Aquarian Regulator, ported .. These single ply, resonant bass drumheads feature Aquarian’s patented “Floating Muffling System”. They are perfect companions for the Super-Kick™ and Impact™ series batter heads. The Regulator™ heads are available in Video Gloss black or white. They are available with a large 7" hole in the center, a 4 ¾" hole off set, or a full head with no hole
 
wolfmoon said:
Aquarian Regulator, ported .. These single ply, resonant bass drumheads feature Aquarian’s patented “Floating Muffling System”. They are perfect companions for the Super-Kick™ and Impact™ series batter heads. The Regulator™ heads are available in Video Gloss black or white. They are available with a large 7" hole in the center, a 4 ¾" hole off set, or a full head with no hole
Click to expand...

Which hole size would you recomend for the list of charactoristics I made in the original post?
 
Now that you're all set, let me throw a monkey wrench into the works. ;-)

If you are playing out miked, you need a port. And, frankly, almost any premuffled head will do, since the power is going to come from the amplification. Muffle and tune to taste, to get the sound you want.

However, if you're playing out unmiked, a port will reduce the volume of the drum because it cuts resonance and sustain. (You get more attack sound, but less actual volume.) Heavily muffled heads will make the drum softer, too. If you are playing loud music unmiked you need all the resonance and sustain you can get, because that's what cuts through the band. In that case something like the PS3 is much more desirable.

This isn't a factor for me, but my kid plays in a very loud rock band unmiked all the time. When we used a ported and muffled bass drum--suitable for miking--the bass drum simply wasn't heard no matter how he laid into it. Eventually we tried PS3s front and rear, no port and nothing in the drum: voila. Loud bass drum.

He did a battle of the bands a couple of weeks ago, and we heard all manner of muffled bass drum heads as well as multiple futons stuffed in the bass drums; his was the loudest, and in fact the only one that could be heard clearly once the bands were cranking.

Note that PS3s don't sound that good, nor do they achieve their maximum volume at JAW tuning. You have to bring the heads up a bit past JAW, just to the point where they begin to make a real tone with some bottom and sustain. Then raise the batter a smidge more.
 
I just bought an Evans mesh head for my 22" for $32.99 from my local music store. I've played one show with it so far and the sound guy was uber-impressed with the sound and ease of mixing it. I had the chance to hear it as well since another band used my kit right after we got done playing and it seemed to have what you're looking for, in terms of punch, tone and looks. In addition, you don't need to cut a hole.
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Evans-Retro-Screen-Front-Bass-Head-Black?sku=440299
 
Last edited:
intooder said:
I just bought an Evans mesh head for my 22" for $32.99 from my local music store. I've played one show with it so far and the sound guy was uber-impressed with the sound and ease of mixing it. I had the chance to hear it as well since another band used my kit right after we got done playing and it seemed to have what you're looking for, in terms of punch, tone and looks. In addition, you don't need to cut a hole.
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Evans-Retro-Screen-Front-Bass-Head-Black?sku=440299
Click to expand...

At that point you might as well not have a resonant head at all. It's mesh, the air all just goes right through it, right?

Or is there some trick to those bad boys I'm unaware of?
 
Chaos_Inferno said:
At that point you might as well not have a resonant head at all. It's mesh, the air all just goes right through it, right?
Click to expand...
Not true, to my knowledge. Altering the tuning on the resonant side does seem to change the punch you get out of it (like a regular reso-head) but it has a more natural sound with fewer overtones.
 
Chaos_Inferno said:
At that point you might as well not have a resonant head at all. It's mesh, the air all just goes right through it, right?

Or is there some trick to those bad boys I'm unaware of?
Click to expand...

Along with what intooder said, having the mesh is better than no head at all because it helps prevent the drum from going out of round.
The hoop helps keep it circular, and needs a head to be used effectively. Thus, the mesh head.
And it looks better than the inside of a batter head... ;)
 
drumtechdad said:
Note that PS3s don't sound that good, nor do they achieve their maximum volume at JAW tuning. You have to bring the heads up a bit past JAW, just to the point where they begin to make a real tone with some bottom and sustain. Then raise the batter a smidge more.
Click to expand...

I figure "JAW" = "Just above wrinkles"?
 
The best resonant heads I still think are heads like Coated Ambassadors, G1 Coateds. Single ply and open. Tune them up and the sustain goes down yet the drum still sounds like a drum and not like hitting a pillow with a broomstick. Tune them low and the sustain opens up and the drum gets a deeper pitch. Muffle them later if you want as well, but at least it's not a permanent move.
 
I use a Fiberskyn3/Powerstroke 3 with a 4" port on the resonant head, and an EMAD 2 batter head. I get a very punchy sound. I switch between the EMAD and the EMAD 2 on the batter head. And I've used a coated ambassador Powerstroke 3 on the reso on occasion, but I like the vintage look of the Fiberskyn/Powerstroke3 better than the ambassador powerstroke.
Definitely try the powerstroke3's on the resonant head to cut down on the ring. My bass is a Ludwig classic maple 14 x 22.
 
DrewTheShoe said:
Along with what intooder said, having the mesh is better than no head at all because it helps prevent the drum from going out of round.
The hoop helps keep it circular, and needs a head to be used effectively. Thus, the mesh head.
And it looks better than the inside of a batter head... ;)
Click to expand...

Definitely agreed with the last part. =D lol

Nice to know though, just in case I ever decide to try that myself.
 
I use remo power stroke 3 on my bass drum for both the front and the batter. I never was completly happy with the sound. I never got enough low end.....lots of boom but just not enough low end. So the other day I was at the drum shop and they had a sale on the Aq. Regulators so I got one and Im glad I did cause its sounds so good with my power stroke 3. I got boom and low end......I love it. I got mine without a hole......I like my bass drum to sound big.
 
Cymbalrider said:
The best resonant heads I still think are heads like Coated Ambassadors, G1 Coateds. Single ply and open. Tune them up and the sustain goes down yet the drum still sounds like a drum and not like hitting a pillow with a broomstick. Tune them low and the sustain opens up and the drum gets a deeper pitch. Muffle them later if you want as well, but at least it's not a permanent move.
Click to expand...

Beat me to it. Words of wisdom here kids, take note. Pre-muffled heads are just one-trick ponys; if you start with a coated ambassador you can leave it open or muffle it depending on what you need. Plus plain white coated reso heads look good.
 
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