Any body use Aquarian performance 2 on toms?

R

RUSTE

Senior Member
Hi guys. Ive been looking into aquarian heads for a while. I normaly use evans g2's or more recently ec2's on toms. Im getting a new kit ( sonor 2007 with 10 12 14 16 toms ) so fancy trying something new. I like to get nice low end with not to many overtons & i like a good feel so not tuned really really low so you can roll of them. i tune with the bottom head slighty higher than the batter head. Thanks
 
I have used the Studio X heads and they sound great... single ply though so if you're a heavy hitter it won't last long. DEFINITELY get the Super Kick 2 for the bass drum though. You won't be sorry.
 
i use them on my toms and i previously used the g2s. I wanted some deep sounded toms that sounded good tuned as you like,and found the aquarians performance heads brilliant,best heads ive owned so far. Very muffled though,but if thats thew sound your after. Most suited for metal and rock really
 
Sounds like the sort of thing im after. The best sound ive ever had was on a 12" tom with a evans g2 but with a hole moongel on. Sounds like maybe i can get this sound without the moongel plus people say its not good to play live with moongel. Is the superkick 2 as dampened as an emad with the thick ring? i just tryed out the new remo powersonic & it was ok but not as good as a emad. The thing i find with emad is im thinking of playing around with triggered bassdrums live but you cannot fit them on with an emad as the rings on the outside. Thanks guys
 
i think i have the aquarian heads your talking about ( mine are clear with the big black line around it) well anyways if these are the ones your looking at, its a MEH. not that special, although they have a VERY low dull sound, personally they aren't my favorite but they are still pretty good

i think it might just be my reso's that make them sound like that so DONT listen to my advice, just speaking my opinion
 
Yes.. the superkick II is like the emad... 2 ply with a built in ring.. you will NOT need any additional dampening on 99% of good bass drums with it on
 
i have those on my pearl session prestiege drumset and they sound pretty good. They arent the most resonant head int he world, but they arent choked. So for anice tone with a reasonable sustain and not a piercing ring, these are for you.
 
tamadrummer132 said:
i have those on my pearl session prestiege drumset and they sound pretty good. They arent the most resonant head int he world, but they arent choked. So for anice tone with a reasonable sustain and not a piercing ring, these are for you.
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Think thats just what i want. I like a slightly dampened drum but not choked. Think are give them ago. Might just buy 1 head first though just incase. Are they simular to the evans ec2's? or much more controlled? i do like the ec2's but when recording still find myself putting half a moongel on them.
 
it depends on tuning, but i think they have a wee bit rounder tone, and overall easier to tune. I think i will replace my old ec2's with either coated g2's or the aquariance performance 2's
 
DUDE, go with the performance 2's. i JUST switched out my EC2's for my old, beat-up perf. 2's and the sound still amazes me. i'd suggest ebony ambassador for reso, or a cs dot reso for floor tom to get that sound you want. it's just this nice, thick, fat tone with about half a second of sustain. the easiest heads to tune, just crank out the wrinkles, and you're set, no moongel, duct tape, anything like that. tune em low, tune em high, they won't dissappoint. my EC2's are going away for a LONG time...
 
i went from remo emporers to performance II's.they are very nice heads.good sound and durable as all get out.i used them on ludwig rocker elites.
 
I have coated Performance 2's on the kit I teach on at a music school. They are really close in sound to a coated G2.

My personal recording/touring kits all have clear Super 2's with Studio-X rings on them. LOVE that head! Nice and big sounding.
 
I used to use Evans EC2's on my toms. I have a Yamaha SC 8, 10 ,12 14 and 22 kit. I used to use just the 12 and 14 when I was drumming for my old psychadelic rock band, but more recently that band broke up and I formed a death metal band. Since then I have changed to Aquarian Performer 2's. I find them to have an equal bottom end sound, but less ring and overall more stick definition. Sounds great for high speed tom work but won't let you down on heavy tribal grooves either.

For the kick I have a Superkick II. The same as beofre with the EMAD. I played a freind's kit for a show one night beucase it was last minute and I found the EMAD to not come out as clear as the Superkick. The difference i think that the superkick's muffling is on the inside of the head. I use a kevlar patch as well and there really is no clicky or plasticy tapping sounds (wich i can't stand!) from the drum. Just tight bottom end punch.
 
i personally have never tried the performance 2's however evans ec2's are nice but the clear is a lot better than the coated which really shocked me cause i have always used coated heads
 
RUSTE said:
Hi guys. Ive been looking into aquarian heads for a while. I normaly use evans g2's or more recently ec2's on toms. Im getting a new kit ( sonor 2007 with 10 12 14 16 toms ) so fancy trying something new. I like to get nice low end with not to many overtons & i like a good feel so not tuned really really low so you can roll of them. i tune with the bottom head slighty higher than the batter head. Thanks
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Hi!

Well, the performance 2's might not be for you. The description says that they can be tuned tight or low and still sound good, which is somewhat true; however I think they sound best tuned lower.

I have them on my Yamaha set which has philippine mahogany shells. I would describe the heads as watery, open, and wet. They are definitely not a dry head and have a few overtones. Think about throwing a stone into a puddle of water; the stone hitting representing your stick hitting the head, the ripples representing the overtones. They're subtle but they are there, spreading out from the initial attack.

I'd give them a shot, I don't have much experience with other heads, all I know is that they sound way better than my stock heads did! I'm thinking about trying some evans G2 coated's next.


All the best!



EDIT : I have the RESPONSE 2's, not the performance 2's. Sorry :)
 
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I haven't been on the forums in so long i missed you guys! And I have a performance II on my floor tom and even on that size of a drum I feel it is to dead. It basically cuts the majority of the drums resonance and overtones while giving the tom a much deeper sound. I feel it robs the drum of any actual tone and makes it sound like your hitting a pillow. I used to think the muffled deader heads were my thing, but i recently switched over to clear two ply heads with no muffling and prefer the somewhat deeper yet still toneful sound. If what you want is a really deep sounding drum with little sustain and a rounder thumpier attack shoot for it. If you want a deeper sound while still getting that nice diving sound i recommend an unmuffled two ply. Good luck! Finding the right heads is an adventure we must all enjoy!
 
Go with the coated version, ....and whatever you do, go with the Aquarian Classic Clear for the reso!!
 
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