Skins and tuning

Wackamole

Member
Questions rampage. I've mucked around heaps, and I can get a good sound, but especially with my floor tom I always have too much resonance. What skins will kill overtones most, and would (for example) using a pinstripe on head and batter kill any ring and overtone dead? I got the eq2 on my bass drum and that was a quick cheap fix for puncyness, but how do I make my bass drum a slapariffic metal master? Would buying a smaller bass drum give me more punch and less boom? I reckon yes but that's just theory. Also, if I buy shallower toms will that give more punch less boom or is that far and away secondary to skins and their application. OK one more, I do heaps of ghosting, shuffles etc but play metal, have a metal snare, is there a miracle skin that gives me mean feel and response but doesn't ring like a telemarketer?
 
The easiest and least expensive way would be just to tune the heads differently. Personally I like my drums to sing, so I tune them to do just that.

Dennis
 
Yeah I've dumped my floor tom out to just when the lugs are about to go loose with pinstripe heads and it was still too resonant for what I like. Tighten it up and whoever hears me play it starts getting Bieber fever.
 
What you hear behind your kit and what someone else hears in front of it are different things, chances are it already sounds like swinging a dead cat by the tail into a brick wall.

Sorry, no offense, I just meant it`s probably pretty flat sounding if you aren`t right on top of it.
 
What you hear behind your kit and what someone else hears in front of it are different things, chances are it already sounds like swinging a dead cat by the tail into a brick wall.

Sorry, no offense, I just meant it`s probably pretty flat sounding if you aren`t right on top of it.

I agree, even regular 2 ply heads tuned up to give a second or two of sustain can still sound quite dead and thuddy out front.
 
Yeah I've dumped my floor tom out to just when the lugs are about to go loose with pinstripe heads and it was still too resonant for what I like. Tighten it up and whoever hears me play it starts getting Bieber fever.

It's actually not how loose the heads are, but the difference in pitch between the batter and resonant heads that affects the sustain of the drum. There are several different ways to kill your drums sound, but tuning is the most humane.

Dennis
 
Yeah all I'm looking for is definition at high speed really. I always play other peoples gear so it is what it is, but I haven't really been able to get a good sound where you can hear individual notes playing 32nds from about 110 up on mine. Have G2s at the moment. It still rings too much for what I like. Good tone, good dynamics, rings too much.
 
It still rings too much for what I like.

Sounds like you're after a processed "studio" sound. The fact is that drums don't sound like they do on most recordings. So the two options are, to either embrace the fact that drums ring to a degree (that's what they do, it's how they project). Or dampen.

If you want to deaden 'em that much try dampening........Moongel, gaffer tape, external muffler, something like that on the FT and stuff the bass drum with a pillow or foam.
 
To make you bass drum more punchy, take a bath towel and cut it in half. Fold the half into half. Put it in you bass drum so that it barely touches just the batter head a little or both heads a little. It works for me. Peace and goodwill.
 
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