Remo Coated PS 3 & Ebony PS 3 ported...able to tune?

so this is my new kick head setup....coated powerstroke 3 for the batter and a ebony powerstroke three with a 5'' mic port on the reso...initial install did not give me very good results at all...i tuned past the wrinkles when i put em' on...did a tap test to check the tuning spread...then gave it a kick...a glorified thud is what i got. tomorrow morning i'm tuning both sides looser to see what i get...
 
I had a Yamaha 20x14 with a clear P3 batter and an ebony P3 reso.(no port), and that little drum punched like Bruce Lee. Perhaps you haven't even tightened the head enough to hit the sweet spot.
 
Perhaps you haven't even tightened the head enough to hit the sweet spot.

..maybe i'm just as dumb as a door nail but i tuned just past the wrinkles (or so) on both sides of the kick and did the tap test to make sure the spread was even....put it down, hooked up my dw 5000 and gave it a couple kicks and it just produced a muted thud...i thought this would be due to me tightening it too much? wouldnt that give me a less bassy thud? it sure didnt sound like it was too loose...anyhow, i'll just experiment with it...i backed every lug off a full rotation on both sides to some improvement (at least i think, i had a total of half an hour on my lunch to put the heads on and tune em'...)
 
Actually, you're not tightening it enough. Tune the resonant head a bit higher - right now the head has no tension, so of course all you're going to get is a 'thud'. A bit higher on the resonant and perhaps a little higher on the batter and you'll get there.
 
I agree w/ MFB. Tune *just* past the point of wrinkles, if you're trying to get a low-pitched sound. If there are wrinkles, the head won't resonate as much as it's not in full contact w/ the bearing edge (as I understand it).

PS3 is the best bass head on the market, IMO. It's got the deepest, fattest sound I've been able to find.
 
Mediocrefunkybeat and zambizzi are right: PS3s can sound a little dead at the favored "just above wrinkle" stage. A little higher is better.

I bring the reso head up very gradually from finger tight, no more than 1/4 turn at a time. Keep raising it until it just begins to make a real tone, with some bottom and sustain; then stop.

This is higher than the "just above wrinkle" stage, but not by much. Use small increments or you could go right past it.

Then tune the batter just a smidge higher. This should give you a sound with some balls. If you want, raise the batter some more; as you increase the batter's tension you get more attack and less sustain. You can dial in the amount of each.
 
Back
Top