Help choosing a 24" bass resonant Remo head

N

newbalance55

Junior Member
Hi!
I´ve just upgraded my set with a Premier Birch Artist Series drumkit.

i´m kind of newbie. I´ll go for sure for a Remo clear PS3 for the 24" batter, but I´m not sure about which resonant 24" bass head is more appropriate for my style (we play pop/rock/alternative/folk/alt-country).

I´m a Remo guy, so these are my options:
24" Smooth White PS3
24" Fiberskyn (is it Fiberskyn 3 Ambassador or Fiberskyn PS3?). Anyway it looks awesome. So vintage!

Two more doubts:

- port hole or not?
- Any extra muffling? (pillow inside, etc.)

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanx very much in advance
 
I have a 26" Tama Starclassic and just use a coated Ambassador with a 4" hole. It resonates quite a bit, but I don't use any muffling at all. I did have a 3" wide felt strip running north to south on the opposite side of the hole. This dampened the sound too much for me. However, for your styles of music, a felt strip may and a Fiberskyn (very similar in weight to a coated Ambassador) may be just what you need.

Think of it this way, too. The PS3 on the front leaves you no options for different sounds as it is already dampened. Go with the Fiberskyn so that YOU control the sound.
 
newbalance55 said:
Hi!
I´ve just upgraded my set with a Premier Birch Artist Series drumkit.

i´m kind of newbie. I´ll go for sure for a Remo clear PS3 for the 24" batter, but I´m not sure about which resonant 24" bass head is more appropriate for my style (we play pop/rock/alternative/folk/alt-country).

I´m a Remo guy, so these are my options:
24" Smooth White PS3
24" Fiberskyn (is it Fiberskyn 3 Ambassador or Fiberskyn PS3?). Anyway it looks awesome. So vintage!

Two more doubts:

- port hole or not?
- Any extra muffling? (pillow inside, etc.)

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanx very much in advance
Click to expand...

The Fiberskyn PS3 is like your batter, it has a perimeter ring. The regular Fiberskyn has gobs of nice tone, I wouldn't use the PS3 unless you're drum has a boingy sound.

Port the reso if you play out miked. Use muffling as necessary.

Don't port the reso if you play out unmiked, and no muffling. It's sustain that gets the bass drum heard.
 
newbalance55 said:
(is it Fiberskyn 3 Ambassador or Fiberskyn PS3?).
Click to expand...

They can be either. Here, check 'em out: http://www.remo.com/portal/products/3/8/52/ds_fiberskyn_3.html


newbalance55 said:
I´m a Remo guy, so these are my options:
24" Smooth White PS3
24" Fiberskyn (is it Fiberskyn 3 Ambassador or Fiberskyn PS3?). Anyway it looks awesome. So vintage!

Two more doubts:

- port hole or not?
- Any extra muffling? (pillow inside, etc.)
Click to expand...

I have one of each. I use a Smooth White PS3 that is ported and muffled if necessary. And a Fiberskyn PS3 that is unported and no additional muffling.

As for a port hole and muffling? Drumtechdad covered that......I only beg to differ with respect to the Fiberskyn PS3 as a reso. I actually love it.
 
Last edited:
Pocket-full-of-gold said:
I only beg to differ with respect to the Fiberskyn PS3 as a reso. I actually love it.
Click to expand...

Actually, I didn't mean to imply I didn't like the Fiberskyn PS3, but just to say I wouldn't use it unless the drum needed it. It's a lovely head.
 
JoeyHWaters said:
I have a 26" Tama Starclassic and just use a coated Ambassador with a 4" hole. It resonates quite a bit, but I don't use any muffling at all. I did have a 3" wide felt strip running north to south on the opposite side of the hole. This dampened the sound too much for me. However, for your styles of music, a felt strip may and a Fiberskyn (very similar in weight to a coated Ambassador) may be just what you need.

Think of it this way, too. The PS3 on the front leaves you no options for different sounds as it is already dampened. Go with the Fiberskyn so that YOU control the sound.
Click to expand...

I second this. I've played both PS3s on the reso and the Ambassadors. The ambs sound way more "wide open" and give you more of a rumble. More tuning options w/ this head, too.

PS3+Ambassador on the kick is a magic combo, for some reason. It's a great sound behind and outside of the kick.
 
A COATED Ambassador front head will sound a lot more solid, and get an overall fatter sound compared to a smooth white.
I use this also with the 4" hole like JHW (looks like Zam uses a CA front too).

To my ears, the CA gets a more "contained" type of sound used on the front.
There's not the tone bend a smooth white can get when you play softer or harder.
By "contained" I don't mean quieter, I mean more solid a tone and a beefy punch sound when you hear it out front.

The Coated PS3 has a less plastic "tong" sound to it on any kick I've heard it used on compared to a clear also.
The Smooth White PS3 batter will get a kind of "smack" sound compared to a coated.

That's the way they sound to me anyway. Depends on what you need. The clear just seems to be the default head, and it's been on every back line kit I've had to play on for the last few years (but the coated version is better sounding IMO).
 
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