The Scorpio
Senior Member
Hello fellow drummers. I have a problem with sound guys (or girls, if that's your thing.) When I sound check, they always love my snare, my toms, and overheads (if we need them) but they hate my bass drum. Recently I actually had one sound guy ("Yeah I've worked with Phil Collins AND Judas Priest") lecture me about my kick drum sound, for about thirty minutes. Nice fella...just VERY "word-y."
Let me explain. I used to play a 22 inch kick (Remo Powersonic Batter, Remo Ebony Ambassador Resonant with port hole off center) and that was fine. I could get a really nice sound that way. Sound engineers loved it, the world was at peace, and it rained butterflies and rainbows.
Then I got bored. So I flipped the script and and bought a 28x16 inch Yamaha sFz marching bass drum, which I then converted to a conventional bass drum. FREAKING LOVED IT right away. Great tone, projection, and pedal feel. I use an Emperor on the batter and an Ambassador on the reso side, no port hole. Felt Strips on both sides.
But here lately it's been really pissing the sound engineers off, which in turn is pissing me off.
***WARNING: I AM ABOUT TO RANT***
So here's the deal. I am the drummer. It is my job to a) set up the drums b) tune those drums and c) play those drums. If you are doing sound for me (specifically drum sound check) It is NOT, I repeat NOT your job to "create" my tone. That's my job. It is your job to REPRODUCE my drum sound as faithfully as you can.
I don't want my drums to sound dead as a hammer just so you can create the same sterile drum sound you created last night. Where's the fun in that???
I am my drum sound and my drum sound is me. My bass drum doesn't click, my toms ring. That's how I like them. I tuned them to sound that way for a reason.
Am I alone here or is anyone else having a similar experience?
-Kyle
Let me explain. I used to play a 22 inch kick (Remo Powersonic Batter, Remo Ebony Ambassador Resonant with port hole off center) and that was fine. I could get a really nice sound that way. Sound engineers loved it, the world was at peace, and it rained butterflies and rainbows.
Then I got bored. So I flipped the script and and bought a 28x16 inch Yamaha sFz marching bass drum, which I then converted to a conventional bass drum. FREAKING LOVED IT right away. Great tone, projection, and pedal feel. I use an Emperor on the batter and an Ambassador on the reso side, no port hole. Felt Strips on both sides.
But here lately it's been really pissing the sound engineers off, which in turn is pissing me off.
***WARNING: I AM ABOUT TO RANT***
So here's the deal. I am the drummer. It is my job to a) set up the drums b) tune those drums and c) play those drums. If you are doing sound for me (specifically drum sound check) It is NOT, I repeat NOT your job to "create" my tone. That's my job. It is your job to REPRODUCE my drum sound as faithfully as you can.
I don't want my drums to sound dead as a hammer just so you can create the same sterile drum sound you created last night. Where's the fun in that???
I am my drum sound and my drum sound is me. My bass drum doesn't click, my toms ring. That's how I like them. I tuned them to sound that way for a reason.
Am I alone here or is anyone else having a similar experience?
-Kyle