Drum Dial

I agree with what Larry said earlier about how the dial teaches one about subtle observations in drum tuning.
I think that every drummer should experiment with one for a spell.
I enjoy fooling around with my DD
I agree that the DD doesn't save any time while tuning.
I agree that the ear should always over rule the Dial.
Feeling of tension should always over rule the Dial reading too.
Use your senses of hearing and touch while tuning.
Use the Dial to get an idea of where you are with the tuning.
Just like when you are driving a car. You sense that you are going 120 KPH.
You look at the speedometer to confirm that you are going that fast.
 
I was at my local drum shop and asked the owner to pull a Mapex Brass Cat off the shelf.
He said, "let me tune it first". Then he takes out this really small manual torque wrench and goes around 10 lugs in about 3 minutes. I commented and said, "cool - you use that thing!" And he says "yeah, people travel miles for me just to tune their drums".

He did tap at each lug. He would have to since this thing measures lug - torque.
 
Use the Dial to get an idea of where you are with the tuning.
Just like when you are driving a car. You sense that you are going 120 KPH.
You look at the speedometer to confirm that you are going that fast.

True but when I change tires (same size) on my car and drive 120kph it still shows 120kph but when the drum dial shows 80 at the tome I want and I change heads (same brand and make), 80 on the new head may not be the same tone. I just find them unreliable and a waste of time and money, to many inconsistencies between heads, same as a torque key, too many inconsistencies between the tension screws and lugs for them to be acurate, although a torque key can be handy between songs to quickly tighten up a lug that has loosened from rim shots, it still wont be perfect but its closer than it was...lol
 
Couldn't figure it out? :p
No, they're just a toy to some of us. If you know your gear, & you know how to tune, you have no use for one. I know there's many that use them, and some of those know how to tune, but they bring nothing to the party for me. They'd just slow me down. I use different tunings & heads for different situation/rooms/etc, so am I expected to remember every setting? They're not even very accurate. If you use one, you need to fine tune anyhow, so what's the point.

I'm just off to fit an ashtray to my motorbike :)
 
No, they're just a toy to some of us. If you know your gear, & you know how to tune, you have no use for one. I know there's many that use them, and some of those know how to tune, but they bring nothing to the party for me. They'd just slow me down. I use different tunings & heads for different situation/rooms/etc, so am I expected to remember every setting? They're not even very accurate. If you use one, you need to fine tune anyhow, so what's the point.

I'm just off to fit an ashtray to my motorbike :)

Sorry KIS, I forgot how amazing you are. It is an honor to share the same site with you. :)
 
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If you absolutely have to have a tuning device and you got some cash burning a hole in your pocket, then this is the one to get. Its basically the same type of unit they use for tuning pianos but its made for drum. I have seen one in person and its the only thing I have seen that actually does it faster and as good or better than by ear. It can tune to the note of the shell or any other pitch you tell it. It tunes each tension rod and even tells you which one and which way to turn it. Its $250 but after wasting $80 on a drum dial and $30 on a rhythmtech memo key and another $30 on an evans torque key another $90 would have got it...lol
https://www.resotune.com/
RESO_II_Lee.jpg
 
HI,
This is a new compact drum tuner, which get the tone\pitch at each lugs and at the middle of the head, also it can gets hertz or difference value between each lugs to match them equal, basically it get what you heard from your ears, similar to a guitar tuner but now for drums, unlike what we got before like tama tension watch\drum dial which was never the notes\tone but only the head surface tension.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiFO-J67_Bc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt1EKjrMZzM
 
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HI,
This is a new compact drum tuner, which get the tone\pitch at each lugs and at the middle of the head, also it can gets hertz or difference value between each lugs to match them equal, basically it get what you heard from your ears, similar to a guitar tuner but now for drums, unlike what we got before like tama tension watch\drum dial which was never the notes\tone but only the head surface tension.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiFO-J67_Bc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt1EKjrMZzM

Snake oil also on this post.

Dennis
 
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The endless enigma of drum tuning.

I believe that the tuner in the video is scientifically sound and it does work.
My ears could hear everything that the tuner heard when a drum was detuned at different lugs. Could yours? If you could hear the differences between the lugs then you can tune a drum by ear.

If you learn how to tune by ear you will not need an electronic tuner like the one in the video.
 
The endless enigma of drum tuning.

I believe that the tuner in the video is scientifically sound and it does work.
My ears could hear everything that the tuner heard when a drum was detuned at different lugs. Could yours? If you could hear the differences between the lugs then you can tune a drum by ear.

If you learn how to tune by ear you will not need an electronic tuner like the one in the video.

I couldnt agree more, all tuners, keys, drum dials etc are going do is make it that much longer before you learn to do it your self by ear, but if you absolutely have to buy something make sure that it actually works, try it at the store first, if I had tried them before buying I would not have a drum dial and 2 different memo keys collecting dust in my gear bag. And just for the record I had already learned to tune quite well and just bought them to try to speed up the process, but guess what, they didnt, it actually took me longer than doing it by ear.
 
I got one for Christmas and I instantly loved it because it's a reassuring second opinion.

You have to use them with a pinch of salt though, just because all the lugs read the same doesn't mean they'll sound exactly the same, just use it as a good guide and fine tune by ear.

And stick to the usual tuning practices like opposite lug tuning and Gatzen's "detune the higher pitched lug instead of tightening the lower pitched lug" and you'll be laughing.
 
I got one for Christmas and I instantly loved it because it's a reassuring second opinion.

You have to use them with a pinch of salt though, just because all the lugs read the same doesn't mean they'll sound exactly the same, just use it as a good guide and fine tune by ear.

And stick to the usual tuning practices like opposite lug tuning and Gatzen's "detune the higher pitched lug instead of tightening the lower pitched lug" and you'll be laughing.

If you finger tighten all the lugs then turn them all the same amount with a key you will have all your lugs closer in pitch than if you make them all the same reading on a drum dial. Trust me, I have a drum dial and have tried it several times and I can get them closer this way with less fine tuning needed by ear than if I use the drum dial and make them all the same reading. It takes me twice as long to fine tune as they are much further apart. Plus it takes me 3 or 4 times longer to bring them up to pitch with the dial than it does to do equal steps with a key. Also if you like your toms tuned so one head is tighter than the other its much easier and faster to tune the remaining lugs up to the highest pitch lug on one head and tune the remaining lugs down to the lowest pitch lug on the other head.
 
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Yeah some people dig em, some people don't, I like them. I especially like mine because I live in a flat block so I can't make much noise, (well I could, but I'm a considerate neighbour), and tuning drums quietly can be torturous!

Even turns from finger tight will get you closer than a drum dial will and wont make any noise either.
 
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