Solving overtones on toms

Also drums tuned beautifully in one room can sound like poo in another room. Standing waves, sound reflecting or sound absoring surfaces in the room, phase cancellation, comb filtering, drumhead choice, ceiling height, who knows even humidity, and many other things all factor in. In a Guitar Center, when you hit a drum, every drum in the general vicinity is subtly adding to the sound with sympathetic vibrations. Not the best place to evaluate a drums sound. A basic understanding of acoustics is helpful when trying to acheive great drum sounds. Guitar players have it easy. Just another unsung thing that goes into a great sounding drum performance, the drummers tuning ability. What is needed is a room frequency analyzer that talks to wireless motorized lugs that tune your drums automatically to compensate for different and changing room acoustics. I'll get right on that one.

100 % true.. This isn't mentioned enough sometimes. I have those heavy blue moving blankets lining the room from floor to ceiling in my basement where my sons drums are set up. This isn't soundproofing but without them every hit on any drum sounds like a gunshot. It's entertaining for a song or so but that's it. With the blankets up, all you hear is the sound of the drum. Big big big difference to actually hear the sound of a drum and NOT the drum and the concrete room. I never have a problem tuning anything down there... it's so easy to hear a clean pitch with no room reflections.. The only drum that gives me any agony is this steel Tama picilo that I bought him for his bday a few years ago. Sorry to say that thing just simply looks better than it sounds.
 
Batter is the one you hit. Reso is the one you don't.

Replace the resos. Most stock heads (other than what comes on high-end kits) are poor quality and hard to tune. Put some clear Ambassadors or clear G1s on there.

And--practice your tuning. Pins are among the least ringy heads available, so you ought not be getting loud overtones from them. (FYI, if you become a good tuner, you won't get obnoxious overtones from any head.)

If you're new to tuning these vids are pretty good:

Tuning toms

Tuning snares

Tuning bass drums

Why reso heads are important

Reducing snare buzz part 1 and part 2.

A good alternative is to take a couple of lessons from a drummer who can tune.

These videos are a great tool for anyone. I think these would be a lot easier for a beginner to follw than that so called drum tuning bible.
 
There is so much wrong in this post that I don't know where to begin.
1. Powerstrokes are 2 plies around the edges and one ply in the middle. this functions as a built in O ring (it's a little different because it vibrates with the head)
2. Pinstripes are two plies that are glued together at the edges. this is different than an ordinary two ply head
3. Clear heads have a sharper attack, not coated heads.

Powerstroke 3 heads are very much like a one ply version of pinstripes.

There is so much wrong in your reply I wonder if you know what you re talking about.

1. Try a PS and an amb with remo ring and you ll hear the differemce. Obviously, you re talking about something you ve never tried out.

2. Cut pinstripes in two and you ll see they re NOT glued. They were in the distant past but not anymore.

3. Clear heads have a wet attack and high overtones, coated has shapr attack, like hitting sandpaper, but mellow overtones.
 
I've got three kit's sitting right here.
One with clear pinstripes
One with clear ambassadors
One with coated ambassadors.

I have tried it and and think that I know what I'm talking about and I have 25 years experience playing these heads. How about you?

Wayne

There is so much wrong in your reply I wonder if you know what you re talking about.

1. Try a PS and an amb with remo ring and you ll hear the differemce. Obviously, you re talking about something you ve never tried out.

2. Cut pinstripes in two and you ll see they re NOT glued. They were in the distant past but not anymore.

3. Clear heads have a wet attack and high overtones, coated has shapr attack, like hitting sandpaper, but mellow overtones.
 
I've got three kit's sitting right here.
One with clear pinstripes
One with clear ambassadors
One with coated ambassadors.

I have tried it and and think that I know what I'm talking about and I have 25 years experience playing these heads. How about you?

Wayne

I don t see any powerstroke or o ring on any of your kits.

Fact is that a seperate ring muffles much more than a powerstroke. I expereinced that after switching from pinstripes, ambs, G2s to powerstroke. Amb plus o ring does not equal powerstroke at all. Maybe you should check the thickness of the rings, I m quite sure the o ring is much thicker than the flimsy ring of a powerstroke. From the top of my head it s10 mil vs 3 mil.
 
Have you done any tuning to the reso heads? I have learned that the batter head once tuned can still sound terrible if the reso heads aren't tuned properly. start with the reso and work from there.

I would also view this as a tuning issue. Use www.tightscrew.com to keep heads from detuning also, because tuning is a real pain.

Also use thicker heads. I do not advocating stuffing furniture (pillows, etc.) in any drum, including the bass drum. That just kills the sound.
 
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