18 inchers bass drum player... riser ???

[phil_qc]

Hi !

I should get my new drum this week and since it got
a 18" bass drum, I was wondering if I need a bass drum
lift or riser ???

If so, witch one to get ??? I don't want a full lift like the
DW but is the Gibraltar or Mapex model OK ???

Any help is welcome...

Thanks !

Philippe

[CheshireSounds]

I dunno yo. I get by on my 18 with no lift. Have to lower the beater a smidge to get the best sound, but not enough that is messes me up. Keep your drums light and your life simple. Just my thoughts...

[Tuxido]

I used a riser on my 18" at first.
And now I don't anymore, the beater doesn't have to hit dead center, plus, it sounds and feels better to me.

Also it's one less thing to carry around

EDIT: I had the gibraltar riser and it worked fine,.

[Steamer]

I've never used a riser on my 18" or 16" bass drums for my many years of acoustic jazz playing. Like the ringing clear tone and sharp snap attack of note riding the beater up on the head with a hard felt or wood beater. My mentor Claude Ranger got me hip to this sound especially with his wide open 16" bass drum sound with a hard beater hitting high on the head when I first heard him play.and for the custom made 16" he later made for me which I apply the same approach too. In other words the beater hitting dead center is not a way to get a certain degree of attack of note out of a small drum. Take a hard wood tympani stick and hit it dead center on a tympani and hear what happens. No sound to speak of other than a flat muffled sound. Now take the same hard wood tympani stick and hit the head hard towards the edge and hear what happens with the lively sharp attack of note with a full sense of tone coming from the drum. Same thing for open tuned small jazz bass drums and hard beaters can be applied. The next trick is knowing how to tune the bass drum well with a slight bit of muffling if needed {flam pad,felt strip etc..} for this type of riding high beater application to deliver the best sound.

No such thing as risers when Elvin and Tony played 18" bass drums in the early 60's and the beater was NOT hitting in the center of the head I guarantee you when you listen to all the great recordings they made with those 18" drums in the studio with Miles and Coltrane :}

[baz]

...I use a gibralter riser for my 18" bass drum, and I love it.

Using the riser allows me to get the best feel from my pedal, plus it rounds out the warmth, and boom from my bass, which is the sound that I prefer.

That being said, I am going to give what Stan suggests a try the next time I go out for my low volume acoustic/folky/country/y'allternative jam, as a little more attack with a little less sustain might work better.

...Stan.

I tried what you suggested, and so far I like what I am hearing.



I added the rail mount and a cymbal arm to eliminate the need fo the third cymbal, and second snare stand.



Versatility is a good thing.

Barry

[caddywumpus]

Originally Posted by Steamer

Take a hard wood tympani stick and hit it dead center on a tympani and hear what happens. No sound to speak of other than a flat muffled sound. Now take the same hard wood tympani stick and hit the head hard towards the edge and hear what happens with the lively sharp attack of note with a full sense of tone coming from the drum.

...but when you play timpani, you WANT the more "tonal" sound from near the edge (unless you're playing an Elliot Carter piece). When people play a kick drum, they may want the "more attack/less tone" sound. It's a matter of preference. When I play with my 18", I use a riser (and it works great) so that my beater can hit about half-way between the edge and center. I adjust the height so I can play either closer to the center or closer to the edge, depending on the sound I want. I like to have options. Some days I like more tone, and others I like to have more of a dry attack.

Phil, I would recommend playing around with the beating spot when you get your drum. Put the bass drum on the floor and try it. Put it on a pillow or two and try it. Focus on where the beater is striking the head. If you find where you like the sound, and you need a riser for it, then there's your answer.

[Steamer]

Originally Posted by caddywumpus

...but when you play timpani, you WANT the more "tonal" sound from near the edge (unless you're playing an Elliot Carter piece). When people play a kick drum, they may want the "more attack/less tone" sound. It's a matter of preference. When I play with my 18", I use a riser (and it works great) so that my beater can hit about half-way between the edge and center. I adjust the height so I can play either closer to the center or closer to the edge, depending on the sound I want. I like to have options. Some days I like more tone, and others I like to have more of a dry attack.

Phil, I would recommend playing around with the beating spot when you get your drum. Put the bass drum on the floor and try it. Put it on a pillow or two and try it. Focus on where the beater is striking the head. If you find where you like the sound, and you need a riser for it, then there's your answer.

But you do get more attack of the note combined with more tone having the beater hit higher up that's my point. Just boils down to personal preference {based on the music} as with everything in life.

[caddywumpus]

Originally Posted by Steamer

But you do get more attack of the note combined with more tone having the beater hit higher up that's my point. Just boils down to personal preference {based on the music} as with everything in life.

You CAN get a lot of attack on your bass drum near the edge IF you use a hard beater.

That's another good point, Phil. If you like the sound of your kick being played near the edge but want more attack (or less attack), you can try different beaters. With so many out there, you're bound to find something that you like in felt, plastic, rubber, or wood.

[Steamer]

Originally Posted by caddywumpus

You CAN get a lot of attack on your bass drum near the edge IF you use a hard beater.

That's another good point, Phil. If you like the sound of your kick being played near the edge but want more attack (or less attack), you can try different beaters. With so many out there, you're bound to find something that you like in felt, plastic, rubber, or wood.

There's a world of choices out there when it comes to sound and particularly bass drum sounds so experiment to find what suits you and your music best. I use smaller bass drums with wood or hard felt beaters and relatively completely open tuning with the beater hitting high on the head since i'm after a certain particular character and achieving something very different from a pop music flat BD sound. Lots of choices for sound{s} you can get out of a bass drum based on the music you play and how you want to hear it in the overall mix.

[phil_qc]

Hi guys !

Got my drum today and I did not receive the riser yet...
I tryed it good and it sound perfect without riser with the
beater beating just about 2" off center... I will try the riser
in the next week but I'm sure it's not needed for now...

Thanks again... I always got nice answers from this
message board... try to get this in car forums...

Philippe

My beater hits the head about 2" above center, too. How else could it happen?
I guess you could have the beater staff cut down to size. Cut off an inch or two.
I guess it comes down to how comfortable one is with a shorter beater staff. Say that several times in a row: shorter beater staff, shorter beater staff...
Dr. Phineas Shorterbeaterstaff, at your service.
"The Shorterbeaterstaffs were a well-to-do family in Frankfurt in the 1880's."
Also, a riser is just another piece of gear to carry around.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

This is a sweet Sonor. Is that 18, 12, 14??

[phil_qc]

Originally Posted by GRUNTERSDAD

This is a sweet Sonor. Is that 18, 12, 14??

Thanks !

it's a 18" 10" 14 "
I like the 10" better because you can tune it very low so
it will sound like a 12" but when tuning a 12" verry high,
it will sound choked... ...my taste...

Philippe

[phil_qc]

Originally Posted by jay norem

My beater hits the head about 2" above center, too. How else could it happen?
I guess you could have the beater staff cut down to size. Cut off an inch or two.
I guess it comes down to how comfortable one is with a shorter beater staff. Say that several times in a row: shorter beater staff, shorter beater staff...
Dr. Phineas Shorterbeaterstaff, at your service.
"The Shorterbeaterstaffs were a well-to-do family in Frankfurt in the 1880's."
Also, a riser is just another piece of gear to carry around.

I did cut my beater a bit for it to not destroy the head...
I found that I needed to adjust my pedal a bit to feel confortable
with a short beater (less slap, more direct)... So I adjust the neutral
point a bit closer to the head and add a bit of tension and now I feel at
home again...

Thanks !

Philippe