Snare is not cutting through!

DA-Drummer

DA-Drummer

Member
Hello Drummers,

I play in a band and since we are complete(2 guitars, 1 bass, drums and vocals).

Our guitarist had been complaining about not hearing the snare drum, and the snare is a essential part of the drums that indicate the beat, so we often play out of sinc.

So my question is: how can i let my snare cut through the rest of the band, so that everyone can hear the snare?

For your information: i own a steel snare 14"x5.5" with "Evans Genera HD Dry" on batter side, and resonant side the stock head, with "Tama MS20SN14S" Snares.

Sorry for my bad english, and i am not gonna by a new snare, because i dont have enough money
 
This might be a quick fix.

Tune the bottom head to a high note. Make it pretty tight. Tune the top head to a lower note but still pretty tight. Tighten up the snare wires, tight snare.

Do not clamp the snare tight in the snare stand. Leave it kind of loose in the snare stand.

See if this helps.

Just might be the guitars are too loud. I'll bet you can't hear the singer either.
My son plays drums in a punk band. He has to pound on his drums pretty hard in order to be heard.
He plays matched grip and can hit a rim shot with every stroke. He adjusts his snare so he can rim shot every stroke.


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Tell them to turn down their volume which I will bet is too loud for any venue.
 
GRUNTERSDAD said:
Tell them to turn down their volume which I will bet is too loud for any venue.
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+1000

Amps,unlike drums,have volume controls.Turn down the amps.If the guitar plays can't hear you....the're TOO loud.

Acoustic drums have a finite volume,and after than,they just begin to choke,so bashing the day lights out of them ,will just get you crap sound,and broken drums.

Tighten up the reso head a bit.It will raise the pitch a bit.

Steve B
 
I just thought of something.

Maybe the guitar players can't hear the drums because their hearing is so bad from playing loud guitars. LOL !

Hey DA. Make sure you wear ear protection ! Those little sponge rubber ear inserts that gun shooters wear. I'm not kidding !!!!!
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Back in the days i used to play without earprotection.
But recently i started wearing in ear earplugs(so i could drum along with click-track), but that what was to much work with cubase laptop and al that shit, but the volume was nicer, so now i play with earplugs,

the sound is nicer and no more ringing ears. But i have those poor quality orange ones, but maybe i'm gonna buy some good ones.

Thank you for all the responses!
 
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If you can't get the guitars to turn down, try a batter head that will allow more ring. While this won't technically increase volume, a longer note will give the illusion of a louder drum. Standard 1-ply coated of any make might help.
 
DA:
In your original post you said that you had a:
"steel snare 14"x5.5" with "Evans Genera HD Dry" on batter side, and resonant side the stock head, with "Tama MS20SN14S" Snares".

I agree with Steadypocket. Use a single ply batter head 10mil thickness and a thin 3mil snare side head.
Now crank that thin snare side head tight !!
Tighten up the snare wires.
Then adjust the batter head until your snare drum sounds like a loud gun shot.
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I just saw some footage from aborted drummer ken bedene, and i was looking what kind of snare head he uses. Read some forum's and came out he used singly ply heads, just like me, but then i discovered that the Genera HD Dry are double ply. *stupid me*

So i did some research and came out with Evans Power Center. Do you guys think that should work?

And is the resonant head that important? otherwise i have to buy a hazy 300 too i guess

Cheers
 
DA-Drummer said:
I just saw some footage from aborted drummer ken bedene, and i was looking what kind of snare head he uses. Read some forum's and came out he used singly ply heads, just like me, but then i discovered that the Genera HD Dry are double ply. *stupid me*

So i did some research and came out with Evans Power Center. Do you guys think that should work?

And is the resonant head that important? otherwise i have to buy a hazy 300 too i guess

Cheers
Click to expand...

Yeah the power center should be OK. it is a single ply 10 mil head.

The resonant head is VERY important ! Get a hazy 300 3 mil head !
You will hear the difference.
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A single ply batter with a reverse dot will work great. My guess is that you've got your batter head a bit too tight, and your snare side head way too loose.
 
Great advice on heads and tuning.

But I just want to emphasize the volume issue. When you are researsing with unamplified drums, then the other instruments have to adjust their volume to you. Because as mentioned, the drums and cymbals sound best at a certain volume which is not very adjustable. If you are completely mic'd then it's a different story, because then the PA mix can help boost your volume if necessary. But in my experience, most amateur rock bands simply practice at volumes that are MUCH too high, resulting in a shitty mix and obnoxious sound. Getting people to turn their instruments down if they don't "get it" is pretty much impossible.
 
Tell your stringslingers to turn it down! You could easily hurt yourself trying to keep up with that Marshall stack. A lot of these guys are trying to mask a lack of talent with an surplus of volume. You're tearing up your body and your other equipment trying to help them live out their stadium fantasies. They can turn it back up when you're miked and have adequate ear protection. See how they sound on acoustic guitars. You're playing an acoustical instrument. A lot of those tricks that they depend on so heavily don't work without substantial electronic intervention. When's the last time that you saw an "Unplugged" session?
 
DA-Drummer said:
Back in the days i used to play without earprotection.
But recently i started wearing in ear earplugs(so i could drum along with click-track), but that what was to much work with cubase laptop and al that shit, but the volume was nicer, so now i play with earplugs,

the sound is nicer and no more ringing ears. But i have those poor quality orange ones, but maybe i'm gonna buy some good ones.

Thank you for all the responses!
Click to expand...

'Back in the day?Young man,I have socks older than you.:):)

I'ts not the drum or the drum heads or the sticks or you ...nor anything else.

The guitars are simply TOO LOUD.Short of micing your kit,which for rehearsal purposes,is simply ridicilious,there's nothing you can do to address the loudness of your drums.Period.

Turn the amps down.Do you think Metalica plays at full volume when they rehearse?The answer is NO........

Steve B
 
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