Cutting a hole in the bass drum...How big, methods etc...

Re: porting the bass drum

Done ! Thanks!
My hearth was beating really fast at the beginning, so my tip is, to calm down and to apply controlled force when cutting to avoid slipping.
And got an idea, your description + my pic = how to port a bass drum tread ?

heres the pics;

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^^messed up there (slipped) but fixed it with the sandpaper, :)
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Re: porting the bass drum

Good job. Now I suggest you purchase a reinforcement ring (as mentioned above such as a 'Holz' to prevent a tear from developing. At the very least apply some clear tape around the circumference of the hole to help reinforce slightly (as emphasised above) good job, I'd be scared to ruin my Resonant head as you don't see too many Tamburos around.
 
Re: porting the bass drum

yeah, ill do that when i buy my hats *knock on wood* saturday.
i really was shaking when i was cutting, haha..
but it turned out good.:)
 
Holes in Kick Head

Just wondering what the general consensus was regarding the 'new trend' using 2 holes in the resonant kick head. I have always used one 5 or 6'' hole,right of center. As of late I have noticed alot of drummers using 2 holes and wondered what the effect on the sound is. Some,even though they have two holes,are only using one mic when playing live. I play rock on a 22x18 Mapex Pro M also. Thanks for the responses......
 
Re: Holes in Kick Head

Maybe they like how thier bass drum sounds without a reso head...but they don't like how that looks? But just one hole in the center would have that effect...

The only other thing that I can think of is two bass mics, both inside the drum, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Two mics are great but to put them both in the same area is pointless...Plus you said that guy wasn't using two mics...Hmmm....

anyone know for sure? I was gonna say so you can put the mic stand on either side, but that isn't an issue unless you are using a very small stand...
 
Re: Holes in Kick Head

Mostly I think it's just the latest fashion craze. I've even seen reso. heads with 3 ports in them. 2 or more ports basically negates the reso. head altogether.
 
Re: Holes in Kick Head

The stock head that came new on my '87 Premier kick had two holes - about a 5" near center and and a smaller one closer to the hoop. This was common on 80's Premiers for a while. I never figured out what the point was sound wise- figured it must be for looks instead of some special sonic advantage. Replaced it fairly soon with a Remo reso (stock heads often leave a lot to be desired). Later it came to mind that the maybe the large port was for placement of a large mic (D-112) inside and close to the batter, while the small one could accept a dynamic mic (SM57) placed slightly inside the reso to pickup the sound of the front of the drum as reinforcement.
Who knows? Head was long gone when I thought of this.
 
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Cutting hole in resonant head of bass drum

is it smart? is it stupid? is it worth it? does it actually help to open up the sound and make it sound better? or is it better to just get a new resonant head with a hole in it? and one more question, do bands usually cut holes, or do they usually just get heads with holes in em? had argument with friend want to know which sides right. thanks ahead of time.
 
Re: Cutting hole in resonant head of bass drum

wow so many questions haha..
Alright, first off, it's a totally personal option. Some like it, some don't. The holes are mainly used to lessen the boom i find and it helps record because you can place the mic right inside. If you want to cut a hole, a good width is between 6-10" but don't go beyond that. I prefer the bass with no hole and just a little blanket in it to give a real nice boooooom sound. Don't choke the bass drum too much with blankets and pillows. Also once you cut the hole, either go out and buy a ring to place on the cut part to stop further tearing, or place tape around it.
 
Re: Cutting hole in resonant head of bass drum

There is a drum head hole system called HOLZ that works great. I've used it on all the reso. heads I have that have ports.
 
Re: Cutting hole in resonant head of bass drum

instead of doing it yourself i would suggest getting a aquarian regulator with a hole. awesome head and it muffles a little so if you have a superkickII or Emad you're set.
 
Re: Cutting hole in resonant head of bass drum

are those resonant heads expensive?

and well the bass drum i have, i dont know if its just the beater or maybe i havent taken enough time trying to tune it, but it just doesnt sound like a bass drum. haha it has this nasty smack noise to it sometimes, and ive gotten it to where it sorta has the boom to it, but now my only problem is amplification, which is why i wanted to try to cut a hole to mic it.
 
Re: Cutting hole in resonant head of bass drum

Don't cut the hole, melt it. Use a small coffee can and heat it up on an electric burner and drop it on the head. It cuts almost instantly so be sure you have good control of the can.
 
Re: Cutting hole in resonant head of bass drum

Cutting a hole in the front bass drum serves two purposes. One, it is used for miking purposes to get a microphone inide the bass drum for a more isolated sound, and two, to reduce the resonance of the drum. The bigger the hole in the drum, the less resonant the drum becomes. Most companies that supply drumheads with a hole already cut in it have holes in the center of the drum about 10" in diameter, or a smaller hole offset about 6" in diameter. I personally prefer an even smaller hole, about 4" in the 4 o'clock position on the head to retain a good amount of boom but still being able to insert a microphone. If you aren't miking, I would not cut a hole out and tune the drum to get a big powerful sound. If you are miking, get an old head and experiment with hole sizes to find the amount of resonance you like before you actually make a hole. A great way to cut a hole is to find a metal circular object that is the size hole you want (I use a small coffee can). Heat it on a burner on your stove 'til it gets pretty hot, place it quickly on the drum head where you want it and press firmly. It will melt right through the head and give you a perfect hole every time. You may want to try it on an old head first. Good luck!
 
Re: Cutting a hole in the bass drum...How big, etc...

you want a 6-8inch hole you can put it anywhere. i suggest taking electrical tape and reinforcing it on the inside.but make sure you only put 1 layer so you dont change the sound to much.
 
Re: Cutting a hole in the bass drum...How big, etc...

The heated coffee can trick worked for me just fine. Just be careful what you have UNDER the head. I marked up my mom's cutting board so now (after 10 years or so now) it still has that semi-circle mark on it.
 
Re: Cutting a hole in the bass drum...How big, etc...

I can't agree with you on your reply jollymosher. Putting a 6 to 8 inch hole in the bass drum will significantly reduce the amount of resonance from the bass drum, especially an 8 inch hole. Too much if you want to retain some boom. Putting that hole in the middle of the head will reduce the resonance even more, since most of the force from the impact of the beater on the batter head will be directed toward the center of the front head, so it does matter where the hole is placed. Also, reinforcing the hole from the inside is a good idea, but I wouldn't use electrical tape. It looks like crap if a light shines through the back of the kick drum and casts a shadow on the head. I cut a "donut" out of an old front head the same size as the hole and used contact cement to glue it onto the head around the hole. It reinforces the hole really well, looks neat and professional if lights from behind cast a shadow on the front kick head, and it doesn't change the sound at all.
 
Re: Cutting a hole in the bass drum...How big, etc...

A good useful thing in my opinion are the 6 very little holes in DW-front BassDrum Heads. They do the job perfectly....

That's also the reason they are in black colors, so you don't see them.

Bernhard
 

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Re: Cutting a hole in the bass drum...How big, etc...

The DW head looks great and probably works well, but what about miking purposes? That's the only drawback I see to that head for live playing and having to deal with different sound companies and sound techs who prefer to place a microphone in the drum.
 
Re: Cutting a hole in the bass drum...How big, etc...

cdrums21 said:
The DW head looks great and probably works well, but what about miking purposes? That's the only drawback I see to that head for live playing and having to deal with different sound companies and sound techs who prefer to place a microphone in the drum.



DW is prepared of course for inside miking.....also all toms

Bernhard
 

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