Hi-energy head?

Zoofie

Senior Member
Hey people!
I use remo ambassador on my joey snare at the moment but find it has a little to much ring and its too harsh.
Was wondering what good a hi-energy aquarian head would do?
Thanks!
 
I personally don't like the Hi energy head. It sounds pretty dead to me. If you're into the whole "cardboard box" sound though then it should be perfect.

Well, it also depends a lot an what kind of snare you have, doesn't it? On a ringy steel snare, it might dampen the ring beautifully, while on a wood snare it just kills it completely.

I used the Hi-Energy on my old brass snare, and I remember liking it a lot, it gave me a good, fat rock sound.
 
Ah cheers guys! Yeah , it sounds odd , but a non-ringy (technical term :p) short sound it what i am after.
Will this 'tame' my 13"/6.5" steel snare? With an ambassador its just like "Snapppppppppppppppppppp" , and kills your ears :p
Thanks again!
Zoof
 
Like most people, cranking the JJ sig typically causes an awful ring.

ALSO

Bad tuning = ring = bad
Good tuning = overtones = good

Even the most harsh steel snare can sound nice with proper tuning and setup.

If you like the solid feel of a 1 ply snare head, might I suggest you try a Coated Powerstroke 3 or Evans Genera without Dry vents. These heads are the same weight as a Coated Ambassador but have built-in muffle rings to help reduce high end overtones. On metal drums, they are quite nice sometimes. I'm using one on a Pearl Sensitone Elite Aluminum 14x6.5 to reduce the ring and fatten up the attack. I also use 42 strand snare wires. Its a specialty sound, not something you would want to use all the time.

Good luck, have fun and experiment!
 
I'd try a CS. Doesn't kill the drum like the PS3 yet tames the liveliness a bit.
 
the hi-energy head can be real dead if you tune it loosely. However, if you crank it up higher it'll ring a bit more, and sound better. It's kinda like the emperor X in that way, but it has more of a stiffer single ply feel to it. The Remo Powerstroke X would also be a good choice for steel. It has a muffling ring, but it's a thicker single ply head, so the crack would be a little fatter, and it's more durable than the ambassador weight heads.
 
I use a Hi-Energy head on my Mapex Pro-M 5x14 maple snare, and it sounds fanastic. With medium tension I still get a moderate ring that's pleasing to the ear- not obnoxious, not a cardboard box.
 
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