Question about Shell Tone and Tuning w/Tune-Bot

Zeus Mutation

Senior Member
Hi everyone!

I recently bought a new kit and a tune-bot studio. This has sent me on a quest to better understand my drum tone. The advertisement about having control like a string player is pretty close. I find myself experimenting with head type and various top & bottom tensions. Now I have questions... wondering what everyone else thinks?

My question begins regarding a 14" floor tom. In reading the article here: https://www.moderndrummer.com/artic...u-want-from-your-drums-part-2-drumset-tuning/
A 14" floor toms lowest note is 75Hz That's a second octave D# (sharp). Range being 75-110Hz D#-A2 (second octave).

Tuning a 14" Floor tom to an E2 is approximately 82Hz

Do you think the shell's natural timbre would adversely affect the tone if it were to be different from that E of 82Hz? In other words, Would the drum size matter if it could be tuned to a E2 regardless?

Now, here is why I'm off the rails. What I hate most about the feel of drums is what I call a loose batter that has a thwack type ripple before the articulation of attack or resonance is heard. This usually has me tensioning to a certain "feel" of my batter head. Then I adjust my resonant to achieve the overall fundamental note I seek.
The issue for me, although that works pretty well. I want to tune both heads the same for max res. I tested 3 ways and I just prefer full and open... and this now has me asking about specific frequencies.

So, this is where I am... My 14" Floor is a DW Collectors. Therefore the timbre note is listed. It's a Bb (B flat). Hmm... Okay, so with the tune-bot and a lot of patience I explored this drums Bb marking. The lowest octave Bb I could get to sound sweet was at 116Hz, again a second octave Bb. Which is 5 steps/semi-tones or a "perfect fourth' away from the note I want to max out the resonance at (E2 82Hz).

Do you think a 14" floor tom with a note closer to that desired E would make a sonic difference?

Would you guess every 14" tom of the same general materials tuned to an E2 of 82Hz sounds the same?


Now my sickness has me expanding...

A 16" Floor tom being listed with a range of 65 - 95Hz or C2 - F#2.
My "tension" concern, that thwack sound, can simply get more tension on the head and still achieve the E2 note. Does the 14 tuned to the same note have the same head tension? I'll have to experiment with that tomorrow...


I'm probably over thinking this but, wondering if starting with shells naturally closer to the note & octave you want to tune to sounds better than a drum tuned to a note "within its general size range" of notes?

Thanks for reading. I'll appreciate the feedback.
 
So... to add... I just tuned my 16 x14 Floor tom and my 14x14 Floor tom the exact same, same tensions, same heads, same overall fundamental note. The 16 sounds lower... even my wife thought she heard a difference.

I don't know what this means... but its interesting.
 
So... to add... I just tuned my 16 x14 Floor tom and my 14x14 Floor tom the exact same, same tensions, same heads, same overall fundamental note. The 16 sounds lower... even my wife thought she heard a difference.

I don't know what this means... but its interesting.


I went down this rabbit hole, It helped me get good at tuning drums, but some how confused me also. Could be the heads, the wood, bearing edge, hoop, even the room..

I was taking my toms into another room to tune them and could not BELIEVE how good they would sound, then put em back on the kit and pure garbage. I have also got some weird readings doing experiments, but I usually go with the tunebot being right..


I'd go online and use their calculators. they seem to be pretty good. I usualy go one step lower than they have though.
 
So... to add... I just tuned my 16 x14 Floor tom and my 14x14 Floor tom the exact same, same tensions, same heads, same overall fundamental note. The 16 sounds lower... even my wife thought she heard a difference.

I don't know what this means... but its interesting.

Lower overtones picked up by the Tunebot were louder on the 16.

I was under the impression that the notes on DW shells were for the factory to pitch match the set to itself. It might be meaningless if they don't pitch match the shells without the hardware because different size shells have different weight hardware, and it's not an even hardware weight change for shell size changes.
 
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Hi All!

So, my DW drums are originally a 5 piece with a 12, 14, 16 tom set up. 1 up 2 down. I added a 10" tom. The intervals for the floor toms are 7 semi-tones apart, a perfect fifth. 16D, 14Bb Odd, and the 12Eb is at a major 3rd, 4 semi-tones away.

My preference in intervals is the minor third... 3 semi-tones apart starting at a second octave C (C2). I want my kit tuned to C2-E2-G#2-C3

I've tuned my drums to these notes... but the 14 sounds bright. Oh, and I have the X-Shell wich is supposed to be a low timbre.

My quest really started in attempting to get the shell note to ring as stamped. I found my intervals were way to far apart for my taste. Not really smart of me to learn after the fact...

Now, do I take the kit back and get closer to my desired tuning or just tune the drums to these notes and accept it?

The 16 sounds warmer and of course lower than the 14 tuned the same way. Both darn drums ring at 82Hz and the head tension is almost the same too... just the 14 sounds higher overall.

Also, part of my problem is I'm coming from a 70's Ludwig of 14x14 rack, 16x16 Floor, 16x18 Floor and a 14x26 kick.

Wondering if the 14 is in fact great, I just need to get used to its sound? IDK..

Thanks so much for the feedback!
 
As an owner of 2 DW Standard Maple Collectors kits and a tune-bot user, I can tell you that: 1) The note stamped on the shell is assigned in the pre-production phase of drum building, meaning it is a bare shell, no holes, hardware, bearing edges, heads, or finish (lacquer or covered), and 2) The note frankly is meaningless once all that stuff from #1 is added to the shell and you have a completed drum.

I don't tune for thirds, fifths, or any other calculated interval of any of my drums. My gigs are about 50/50 where my toms won't be mic'd so I tune my kit a bit higher, but still each drum sounds good to me.

I use my ear to get the drum where I want it and I use the tune-bot to fine tune it. I'm a bit of a DW "fan boy" I guess, but when it comes to tuning, I listen to what the drums are saying, not what they state (stamped note).
 
Hi All!

The 16 sounds warmer and of course lower than the 14 tuned the same way. Both darn drums ring at 82Hz and the head tension is almost the same too... just the 14 sounds higher overall.


Wondering if the 14 is in fact great, I just need to get used to its sound? IDK..

Thanks so much for the feedback!

I have many thoughts on this! lol First, for the two floor toms to be tuned to the same Hz reading, and the smaller head to have "almost the same" tension is almost - almost! - an impossibility. Damned unlikely. I think that's just a perception on your part. A device that measures tympanic pressure, such as a Tension Watch, would help determine that. But the thing is, it's ultimately irrelevant. The only thing that matters in the end is, does the drum sound like I want it to. I have found through personal experience that you can try to make a drum do a certain thing, play a certain note, but that's really going at it backwards.

Also, you may be aware of this, but when you tune the head to a certain frequency at the lugs, the note at the center of the head is often different.

Just a note from my experience and my preferences - A minor third does NOT give me enough separation between floor toms in a live situation. They just sound like low pitched thuds, and I tune pretty open - no muffling, single ply heads. This will, of course, depend on your musical situation and your personal taste, but for me, I'd go with a larger interval.

Last, I'll say that drums in a standard kit have far too complex a sound to reduce them to notes. The different shell construction of DWs influences the overtones that are prominent is what you hear, but they can't change the fact that pitch is, by-and-large, simply a function of head diameter. It's not the ONLY factor, but it is the major factor.

Yes, I use intervals in tuning, both between heads and between drums, but ultimately I get the sound I want, and THEN record the intervals for repeatability. I tried it the way you are doing, and it just didn't work for me. It was backwards.

Those are my main thoughts about your project. I've been down that road! Good luck getting the sound you want, but don't be a slave to numbers, be a slave to your ears.
 
Lee Bro - Thank you for the comments.

I do the same, tune to what my ear likes and then tune-bot the evenness. I also never had a tool to truly see how the degree of adjustment changes things. No doubt for me, the tune-bot showed just how much a small adjustment changed things.

I then wanted to know what each drums frequency would be as it just started to ring above wrinkle. What note is this and gee... what notes could this be, etc. It was fun...

I think knowing the auditory ability of humans is a range, and not everyone can actually hear all those frequencies, puts the tune-bot into a interesting category. I don't care what my ear says... the damn note or frequency is... indisputable. So where for a century we drummers only could ear tune, we now have a device that not only helps us ear train, but gives us control as we haven't had before.

I'd be interested to hear just how many folks tune their intervals to known frequencies and those who ear tune the same intervals, just not knowing said notes. I guess many don't think intervals in precise ways because we hadn't had the tools? IDK, just thoughts... Plus, I want minor third intervals because I play with heavy down tuned guitars. Our drum intervals matter regardless of which we choose or how we get there.

I really am trying to love the 14...
 
ID Drummer - Thanks you!

So, its why I posted here... I needed educated points of view. I can second guess myself all day and go in circles.

I did tune that 14 to a D#, sounds way better... but

The tune-bot lets be get over critical, not sure its a good thing. But I am having fun trying all these combinations with better control. lol
 
Maybe not as educated as my friend IDD, but I would stop getting buried in the math and science. DW puts a note on their drums as to what they sound when tapped, not what to tune them to. Head changes will affect this. I have always used my ear and gotten my drums to where I want them, without Tune-bot, oscilloscope, or other tuning devices. Even though most heads these days are made of some polymer or plastic, temperarture changes will affect the sound. If you play a gig in a bar that is 72 degrees, and then the next gig is outside on a stage/platform, they will not sound the same. You may or will have to tweak them and this is where your ear comes in. The biggest key for me is to get the head close and then teak them with subtle changes on each lug screw. Go have some fun.
 
Drums can be tuned to notes, I do it all the time. A good tuning on a round and true drum can yield a "pure enough" tone.

FWIW, with 4 toms, I tune the 2 racks so the bigger of the 2 toms is a 4th below the smaller tom. The melody "Here Comes the Bride" is a 4th interval.

From there, I tune the 1st floor an octave (or 2?) below the high tom and I tune the 2nd floor to an octave (or 2?) below my 2nd rack tom. The tom notes resolve when I go down the toms. I prefer the reso head to be tuned an octave higher than the batter head on all toms.

With 2 racks and a floor I tune the rack to a note, then a 4th below on the next tom, then an octave below on the floor tom. So it resolves.

Tympanic measuring devices like the drum dial...what I learned on, are a completely different beast compared to the tune bot. They are harder to use. I prefer them. Now I just do it by ear. But that's after literally hundreds of hours, over a lot of years, learning to tune.

Keep at it. Everyone has to discover how they like their drums...on their own... through lots of diligent time spent.
 
Tuning aids such as Tunebot & drum dial are great tools during an experimental stage. They're useful for "clearing" lug frequencies when there's a lot of overtones floating around & mapping the relationship between batter & resonant head. They also aid consistency & repetition.

But - outside of the rapid repetition / consistency role, regard them as a training / experimental aid. Think of them as the calculator vs. mental arithmetic. Both have their place, but one is more useful in day to day life.
 
Drums can be tuned to notes, I do it all the time. A good tuning on a round and true drum can yield a "pure enough" tone.

They can be tuned to a note, without a doubt, but the fact that the OP tuned two different sized floor toms to the same note (frequency) and yet one sounded lower to the ear is an example of what I mean when I say you can't necessarily think of drum notes the same as guitar or piano notes.

Another example - remember the video of Guru snares all tuned to the same lug frequency for comparison, and yet the 13" snares sounded lower than the 14" snares? That's what I mean. Just because you tune the head to a certain note doesn't mean that is the note perceived by a listener. I think that's a good thing, personally, for a number of reasons.

EDIT - here's the snare drum video. All tuned to the same notes on the Tune Bot.
https://youtu.be/z-XhKOrcYFc
 
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Tuning aids such as Tunebot & drum dial are great tools during an experimental stage. They're useful for "clearing" lug frequencies when there's a lot of overtones floating around & mapping the relationship between batter & resonant head. They also aid consistency & repetition.

But - outside of the rapid repetition / consistency role, regard them as a training / experimental aid. Think of them as the calculator vs. mental arithmetic. Both have their place, but one is more useful in day to day life.

I respect your opinion, absolutely, but having used a Tune-Bot for nearly a year now, I would NEVER want to go back to tuning by ear again.

I attribute some of this to the fact that my drums are made by Yamaha and that Yamaha drums are known more for their reliability and utility than they are for their distinct character and/or colour. Essentially, they sound good to me no matter what I try with them, giving me back whatever I ask for. High tuning, low tuning, pitch bending or fully resonant - they just say "whatever - let's party!!"

My kits are tuned to perfect fourths currently and that seems to work really well for me. The 10" tom is tuned to 3C, the 12" to 2a and the 14" floor tom to 2f. I prefer high snare tuning so my snare is tuned to 3g# (328/400).

Interesting discussion!
 
Hi everyone!

I recently bought a new kit and a tune-bot studio. This has sent me on a quest to better understand my drum tone. The advertisement about having control like a string player is pretty close. I find myself experimenting with head type and various top & bottom tensions. Now I have questions... wondering what everyone else thinks?

My question begins regarding a 14" floor tom. In reading the article here: https://www.moderndrummer.com/artic...u-want-from-your-drums-part-2-drumset-tuning/
A 14" floor toms lowest note is 75Hz That's a second octave D# (sharp). Range being 75-110Hz D#-A2 (second octave).

Tuning a 14" Floor tom to an E2 is approximately 82Hz

Do you think the shell's natural timbre would adversely affect the tone if it were to be different from that E of 82Hz? In other words, Would the drum size matter if it could be tuned to a E2 regardless?

Now, here is why I'm off the rails. What I hate most about the feel of drums is what I call a loose batter that has a thwack type ripple before the articulation of attack or resonance is heard. This usually has me tensioning to a certain "feel" of my batter head. Then I adjust my resonant to achieve the overall fundamental note I seek.
The issue for me, although that works pretty well. I want to tune both heads the same for max res. I tested 3 ways and I just prefer full and open... and this now has me asking about specific frequencies.

So, this is where I am... My 14" Floor is a DW Collectors. Therefore the timbre note is listed. It's a Bb (B flat). Hmm... Okay, so with the tune-bot and a lot of patience I explored this drums Bb marking. The lowest octave Bb I could get to sound sweet was at 116Hz, again a second octave Bb. Which is 5 steps/semi-tones or a "perfect fourth' away from the note I want to max out the resonance at (E2 82Hz).

Do you think a 14" floor tom with a note closer to that desired E would make a sonic difference?

Would you guess every 14" tom of the same general materials tuned to an E2 of 82Hz sounds the same?


Now my sickness has me expanding...

A 16" Floor tom being listed with a range of 65 - 95Hz or C2 - F#2.
My "tension" concern, that thwack sound, can simply get more tension on the head and still achieve the E2 note. Does the 14 tuned to the same note have the same head tension? I'll have to experiment with that tomorrow...


I'm probably over thinking this but, wondering if starting with shells naturally closer to the note & octave you want to tune to sounds better than a drum tuned to a note "within its general size range" of notes?

Thanks for reading. I'll appreciate the feedback.




So... to add... I just tuned my 16 x14 Floor tom and my 14x14 Floor tom the exact same, same tensions, same heads, same overall fundamental note. The 16 sounds lower... even my wife thought she heard a difference.

I don't know what this means... but its interesting.




The 16 sounds warmer and of course lower than the 14 tuned the same way. Both darn drums ring at 82Hz and the head tension is almost the same too... just the 14 sounds higher overall.





You have the wrong tool for the job. TUNEBOT does not read the fundamental note(s), its simply picking up head resonance.



As Larry said in post #12 he (and everyone else on this planet) tunes their drums to notes, its what we do. The difference is... some do not know the notes they've tuned said drums to.


So your TUNEBOT is simply not giving you the 'whole' picture. When you tune your 16 and 14 with the TB to the same numbers, of course the 16 is going to sound lower, its fundamental is lower. Its not just the heads, its the drums construction, hardware, how the drum is floated on the floor, all these factors contribute. TUNEBOT doesn't allow for these real world factors in the tuning process, its just reading an isolated 'drumhead' note- head resonance, its not reading the note(s) the whole drum is producing when struck.


You'd need a RESOTUNE II type devise to read both fundamental and head resonance, its a next level drum tuner. With a RTII tuner I always tune to the drums fundamental... not a factory stamped note, but my desired fundamental, Im not at all concerned with head resonance. RTII will let you tune head resonance also but the drum in total limits the combinations of both.
 
You all may be right but Tune-Bot also indicates the fundamental note. Tune the heads to the appropriate lung tension that in total equates to that overall fundamental note. Striking the center of the drum gives you the fundamental. Tapping at the lus apron an inch away is the lug tension freq. Perhaps its because I'm using the tune-bot studio?
 
Resotune uses a combination of both heads to find the true fundamental tone.
A light tap in the center of the head with Tunebot will only tell you the lowest fundamental of the top head.
 
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