14x5.5 Yamaha copper Nouveau. Recently I've gravitated towards a different sound out of my kit and nowhere have I struggled more than with this single drum. It has a great hip-hopish high tuning sound, but I'm struggling to get a lower fat sound out of it. I've tried numerous different tunings. Batter low, reso lower, batter low, reso higher, batter medium, reso medium...if I tune up too much I'm right back into that high crack sound I want to avoid.
Would thicker heads help? I'm afraid you're going to tell me to go back to the drawing board with tuning so if you do; please give some specific advice.
I also tossed some Puresound 20 strands on and I'm anything but sold. They rattle a ton when they're off and I play with my hands (sometimes playing with sticks too). This must have something to do with the wires connecting them to the throw-off, but I can't think of a solution. I also think they give an undesirably tinny/brassy sound to the snare. Anyone agree?
Thanks...funkytomtom
A few suggestions.
I'm assuming you are trying to hear the sound you want behind your kit and not by listening in front while someone else plays. That's OK but just be aware you hear more high end, snare buzz, and just a plain different sound behind the kit instead in front of it.
Also, I have to assume you are speaking about live playing and not recording. Recording uses all kinds of acoustic and electronic tricks to get that 'fat and low' sound. I've even gotten a (relatively) fat sound out of my 5x13 maple Pork Pie snare when recording
That Yamaha is a really nice drum but usually not chosen for a fat low end. Having said that, players have gotten sounds out of Black Beauty snares where they had to at least account for some of the attributes you are challenged with.
As far as the head is concerned, if you are looking to hear more low end and go for fat, get a good 2 ply coated head and match it with a new snare side head. You haven't mentioned what heads you were using and what condition they were in. That can make a real difference. If what you want to hear is a fat sound to your ears while playing in the practice room, get a really thick head like a Remo Emperor X, Aquarian Focus-X or Evans Hydraulic. That will get much closer to the sound you are looking for. However - once you do that - that's the sound you'll have. Easier to dampen and tune down a head with higher frequencies than to brighten or liven up a head which was made to eliminate high frequencies and ring.
You mention snare rattling while playing with hands and snares off. To me that sounds like the snare wires may be too tight so that they are very close to the bottom head even when turned off. . The fat sound usually includes relatively loose snare wires. Think about it this way: If you tune a snare side head loosely and have really tight snares, the snare wires will bring back some of the tension you try to lose.
Also, a low tuned drum has a more pronounced, low note fundamental (think tom sound as opposed to timbale). When you have looser snares, you let that note 'sing' more. less snare wires would also help. For instance, I have 12 strand Puresounds on my 6 x 14 Pork Pie ash snare. Great sound for organic, big back beats - but not for higher pitched David Garibaldi type snare sensitivity. A trade off but a good one as long as use the right approach. If I put 42 strand snare wires on it and tuned that snare up, I could get closer to DG and a tighter, funk sound. If the brass sound from the Puresound isn't working, try another manufacturer. My Mapex Phosphor Bronze snare didn't like Puresound 16 strand Customs although all my other wood and metal snares did. I put the stock Mapex snare wires back on and it sounded better. FWIW: the black Mapex snare wires look closer to an old, discontinued Puresound lower snare wires line. You could try either their Concert series or get some more standard Gibraltar snare wires and see if they work. If you have an old set of snare wires, try cutting off some of the wires to experiment with less strands. make sure you bend the clipped ends away from the snare head. I try to replace the plastic strands that come with Puresounds with some kind of fabric ribbon (Grosgrain is available at fabric stores). The only drum that still has the strands is my Acro. That's just because the old Luddie strainer only takes strands. That might be a reason to swap it out in the future.
Then finally, after tuning the drum so that it resonates purely at a lower tom tom like pitch, I'd start experimenting with dampening. bits of Moon Gel or gaffer tape - but not so much you lose that tone. Try different areas on the head with different sizes of dampening material.
All that being said, the drum does matter. If you get a walnut 8 x 14 snare (or something like that) you'll have an easier time with low end. I've gotten wonderful fatness out of my Ludwig Acro with a Remo Underside CS Dot head tuned down with 16 strand Puresounds on it. The Acro cost me less than $100 and Acros are all over eBay.
Good luck and HTH
Jim