DW bass drum muffling pillows

G

Groov-E

Silver Member
Recently, I realized my 22x18 DW performance kick sounded flat, dull and lifeless. The toms and snare got a lot of attention in the last year, 2 head replacements and regular re-tuning, but I always figured the kick sound was "that DW kick sound" and I should get used to it.

Yesterday, I finally took the time to settle the matter.

After a couple of tests, I left the factory-installed reso-side pillow velcroed to the bottom without it touching the head at all to act as an overtone magnet, and turned the batter side pillow so only its "tip" would barely touch the head.

Here is a link for a description : http://www.dwdrums.com/factoryaccessories/fa.asp?sKITNAME=dscpBDP2

I tuned the batter well over JAW and the reso a half-turn more.

To my taste and in the environment in which I played yesterday, it was a game changer : I finally got a rich and full sound out of that kick.

Feathering it produced a nice manly whisper, playing it fully-open gave me tone and at last left me in charge of managing volume and resonance.

Of course I don't play double kick anymore, and a blastbeat might have been harder to control.

So instead of a dull unidimensional kick, I now have a great drum which needs a bit of control but has so much to give in return. That kick is a well-crafted instrument, and trust me I am no DW worshipper, far from it. In fact I came close to replacing the kit a couple of times in the last year by another manufacturer's set, but now [gear lust notwithstanding] I am set on keeping it.

It is all a question of taste, but if I can help someone else who is in the dark and like me did not give that kick enough love, I think it is worth it !
 
Groov-E said:
Recently, I realized my 22x18 DW performance kick sounded flat, dull and lifeless. The toms and snare got a lot of attention in the last year, 2 head replacements and regular re-tuning, but I always figured the kick sound was "that DW kick sound" and I should get used to it.

Yesterday, I finally took the time to settle the matter.

After a couple of tests, I left the factory-installed reso-side pillow velcroed to the bottom without it touching the head at all to act as an overtone magnet, and turned the batter side pillow so only its "tip" would barely touch the head.

Here is a link for a description : http://www.dwdrums.com/factoryaccessories/fa.asp?sKITNAME=dscpBDP2

I tuned the batter well over JAW and the reso a half-turn more.

To my taste and in the environment in which I played yesterday, it was a game changer : I finally got a rich and full sound out of that kick.

Feathering it produced a nice manly whisper, playing it fully-open gave me tone and at last left me in charge of managing volume and resonance.

Of course I don't play double kick anymore, and a blastbeat might have been harder to control.

So instead of a dull unidimensional kick, I now have a great drum which needs a bit of control but has so much to give in return. That kick is a well-crafted instrument, and trust me I am no DW worshipper, far from it. In fact I came close to replacing the kit a couple of times in the last year by another manufacturer's set, but now [gear lust notwithstanding] I am set on keeping it.

It is all a question of taste, but if I can help someone else who is in the dark and like me did not give that kick enough love, I think it is worth it !
Click to expand...

Welcome to the world of what I consider a great bass drum sound! I think most people tune too low. Gotta get the head singing a bit - it already has plenty of low frequencies!
 
incrementalg said:
The phrase "nice manly whisper" creeps me out.
Otherwise, congrats on finding the sound you want.
Click to expand...

Whats wrong with a nice manly whisper?

s-RON-SWANSON-large.jpg
 
Yea, manly and whisper don't really go together for me either lol.

ID nailed it, drums, by virtue of their size, have plenty of low end.

My theory is that bass drums tuned too low...will waste quite a bit of their frequencies to the subsonic realm. Tuning the bass drum up brings some of those frequencies up to the point where humans can actually hear them, resulting in the perception that you're getting more from your drum.

Plus the amount of bass you hear right next to the drum and the amount of bass you hear 20 feet away from the drum are different, as it takes about 20 feet for one bass wave at 60 hz (if my info is correct) to go one cycle.

Bass drums are easy for me. Tighten that reso enough to make a high BOING! sound when you tap it, (imagine a high tuned tympani) and keep the batter on the low side. The boingier the reso, the better. That's what really makes a bass sound that humans can hear. I love a wide open full front bass drum tuned that way.

THAT'S what I think of when I think of manly.

A manly whisper, same writing concept as Iron Butterfly, Led Zeppelin, right? There was a cover band around here in the 80's called Liquid Puzzle.
 
Groov-E said:
Recently, I realized my 22x18 DW performance kick sounded flat, dull and lifeless. The toms and snare got a lot of attention in the last year, 2 head replacements and regular re-tuning, but I always figured the kick sound was "that DW kick sound" and I should get used to it.

Yesterday, I finally took the time to settle the matter.

After a couple of tests, I left the factory-installed reso-side pillow velcroed to the bottom without it touching the head at all to act as an overtone magnet, and turned the batter side pillow so only its "tip" would barely touch the head.

Here is a link for a description : http://www.dwdrums.com/factoryaccessories/fa.asp?sKITNAME=dscpBDP2



I tuned the batter well over JAW and the reso a half-turn more.

To my taste and in the environment in which I played yesterday, it was a game changer : I finally got a rich and full sound out of that kick.

Feathering it produced a nice manly whisper, playing it fully-open gave me tone and at last left me in charge of managing volume and resonance.

Of course I don't play double kick anymore, and a blastbeat might have been harder to control.

So instead of a dull unidimensional kick, I now have a great drum which needs a bit of control but has so much to give in return. That kick is a well-crafted instrument, and trust me I am no DW worshipper, far from it. In fact I came close to replacing the kit a couple of times in the last year by another manufacturer's set, but now [gear lust notwithstanding] I am set on keeping it.

It is all a question of taste, but if I can help someone else who is in the dark and like me did not give that kick enough love, I think it is worth it !
Click to expand...

Interesting. I tend to think that a hole in the resonant head probably does more to kill bass drum sound than any other culprit. I use an Emad batter with the small muffle ring, and a coated Ambassador resonant with a 4" hole in it. No other muffling. Considering that the drum sounds MUCH better with no hole, why the hole? Because I started having aggravating problems with beater bounce. I may have had that problem all my life and simply started to notice it. In any case, I tried several different head combos but the only solution I found to the bounce problem was that cursed hole. I'm going back to a resonant with no hole and start the process of eliminating the beater bounce in some other way. And yes, I usually play heel up and tend to bury the beater. That may have to change. After doing it this way for over fifty years, that may be a chore! Anyway, thanks for posting your experience. Good work.
GeeDeeEmm
 
gdmoore28 said:
In any case, I tried several different head combos but the only solution I found to the bounce problem was that cursed hole. I'm going back to a resonant with no hole and start the process of eliminating the beater bounce in some other way. And yes, I usually play heel up and tend to bury the beater. That may have to change.
GeeDeeEmm
Click to expand...

If you go full front you have to rebound the beater, plain and simple.
 
gdmoore28 said:
Interesting. I tend to think that a hole in the resonant head probably does more to kill bass drum sound than any other culprit. I use an Emad batter with the small muffle ring, and a coated Ambassador resonant with a 4" hole in it. No other muffling. Considering that the drum sounds MUCH better with no hole, why the hole? Because I started having aggravating problems with beater bounce. I may have had that problem all my life and simply started to notice it. In any case, I tried several different head combos but the only solution I found to the bounce problem was that cursed hole. I'm going back to a resonant with no hole and start the process of eliminating the beater bounce in some other way. And yes, I usually play heel up and tend to bury the beater. That may have to change. After doing it this way for over fifty years, that may be a chore! Anyway, thanks for posting your experience. Good work.
GeeDeeEmm
Click to expand...

Have you tried the small vent holes like in DW resonant heads, or like Benny Greb puts in his BD reso heads? Before you tear up a new head, try duct taping over the big mic/vent hole in an old head of yours and cut small 1/2"-3/4" holes around the edges. It might give you the right balance.

249704.jpg


endorsments_005.jpg
 
gdmoore28 said:
In any case, I tried several different head combos but the only solution I found to the bounce problem was that cursed hole. I'm going back to a resonant with no hole and start the process of eliminating the beater bounce in some other way. And yes, I usually play heel up and tend to bury the beater. That may have to change. After doing it this way for over fifty years, that may be a chore! Anyway, thanks for posting your experience. Good work.
GeeDeeEmm
Click to expand...

Went through the same. A few weeks concentrated effort. Try adjusting your pedal tension a bit too, to spring back from the head more.

I also get more action from the bounce now of a full reso head. Its funny the habits all limbs develop. My foot' s habit used to be to press that beater up against the head, even at rest, but now it relaxes just off the head.
 
Tommy_D said:
Have you tried the small vent holes like in DW resonant heads, or like Benny Greb puts in his BD reso heads? Before you tear up a new head, try duct taping over the big mic/vent hole in an old head of yours and cut small 1/2"-3/4" holes around the edges. It might give you the right balance.

249704.jpg


endorsments_005.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes, I tried that head, as well, but it seemed unable to move the volume of air necessary to stop the beater bounce. Thanks for recommending it, though.

GeeDeeEmm
 
larryace said:
Yea, manly and whisper don't really go together for me either lol.

A manly whisper, same writing concept as Iron Butterfly, Led Zeppelin, right? There was a cover band around here in the 80's called Liquid Puzzle.
Click to expand...

The manly whisper sounded better in my head when I wrote it, but I stand by it.

Thanks for the constructive replies.

I do have the dw stock reso with 1/2 inch holes all around it. I'll change it for a full reso when needed. I don't need holes in my tom resos and they sound great, so I won't treat the kick any differently.

I like my 20x14 unported and unmuffled c&c kit with single-ply heads a whole lot better anyways, but rumor has it the rest of the kit wouldn't quite cut it in a rock context, hence the dw.

But since I'm trying new things, I'll bring the bop kit on my next practice and see how it goes.

I'm tired of hearsay.

And I'll keep you posted.
 
Groov-E said:
Recently, I realized my 22x18 DW performance kick sounded flat, dull and lifeless. The toms and snare got a lot of attention in the last year, 2 head replacements and regular re-tuning, but I always figured the kick sound was "that DW kick sound" and I should get used to it.

Yesterday, I finally took the time to settle the matter.

After a couple of tests, I left the factory-installed reso-side pillow velcroed to the bottom without it touching the head at all to act as an overtone magnet, and turned the batter side pillow so only its "tip" would barely touch the head.

Here is a link for a description : http://www.dwdrums.com/factoryaccessories/fa.asp?sKITNAME=dscpBDP2

I tuned the batter well over JAW and the reso a half-turn more.

To my taste and in the environment in which I played yesterday, it was a game changer : I finally got a rich and full sound out of that kick.

Feathering it produced a nice manly whisper, playing it fully-open gave me tone and at last left me in charge of managing volume and resonance.

Of course I don't play double kick anymore, and a blastbeat might have been harder to control.

So instead of a dull unidimensional kick, I now have a great drum which needs a bit of control but has so much to give in return. That kick is a well-crafted instrument, and trust me I am no DW worshipper, far from it. In fact I came close to replacing the kit a couple of times in the last year by another manufacturer's set, but now [gear lust notwithstanding] I am set on keeping it.

It is all a question of taste, but if I can help someone else who is in the dark and like me did not give that kick enough love, I think it is worth it !
Click to expand...

Glad you found your sound on the drum! That's why superior drums are just superior, you have more voices to find in them. Congrats! I could never find my sound on DW's, so I'm just DW-stupid.
 
Have you tried ye olde felt strips?

They're great for killing overtones without killing the sound of the head. They're a lot cheaper than a dw bass drum pillow as well.

Failing that the Simon Phillips/Herb rolled up towel gaffa taped to the batter head works really well but only if the batter head isn't pre-dampened.

Tune your reso head up as well so the air moves quicker, makes for a killer bass drum sound, more shallow the bass drum the better. Plus keep the reso head whole, can't the sound of a properly tuned bass drum.
 
mikyok said:
Have you tried ye olde felt strips?
Failing that the Simon Phillips/Herb rolled up towel gaffa taped to the batter head works really well but only if the batter head isn't pre-dampened.
Click to expand...

That's the Weckl Remo muffle http://www.daveweckl.com/remo.htm. He got the idea from Simon.

I use this with the PS3/4 and the remo reso head and it accomplishes both: full sound and less beater bounce.
 
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