Bass Drum Sound

Explore · #1 06-16-2011, 08:38 PM

I have an old drum set, (Maxwin by Pearl) and the one peculiar thing that always bothers me is that the bass drum sounds very quiet maybe even a little muffled compared to all my friends bass drums who have much more kick to it. I was just wondering how the concept goes about what you put inside the bass drum to change the sounds, like blankets and pillows in it, mine has two pillows inside it right now( i didnt put them there). I also replaced the head and didnt get huge results.

#2 06-16-2011, 08:44 PM

First thing you need to do is take the pillows out. They are stopping all the air from moving. What kind of head did you buy? What size is your bass drum?

Fuo · #3 06-16-2011, 08:50 PM

May want to try a single ply head too... I noticed a volume drop going from eq4 (1ply) to ps4 (2ply). But yea... 2 pillows will really kill the volume.

DrumEatDrum · #4 06-16-2011, 08:51 PM

1) Maxwin by Pearl was a cheap set back in the day, and very low end by today's standards. So you may want to take that into account when comparing it to a friends kit.

2) OK, you changed the head, but to what? Different heads are going to sound differently.
Personally, I only use Aquarian Super Kick II heads for my bass drum, with no pillows or blankets.

3) What about the front head? Is there one? What kind of head is on that side? The front head can drastically affect the sound of a bass drum.

But before you do anything, take out the pillows and see what happens.

Explore · #5 06-16-2011, 08:59 PM

The head I replaced it with is a Remo powerstroke, and the front head is the maxwin one that came with the set(i didn't change it), but it says remo on it. I'm not sure what the size is, i know its just the standard size, so maybe 22 inches? I will take the pillows out and see what happens, but what is the point of the pillows and blankets in the first place, what is their purpose, and how does it change the bass drum based on how much of them you put in?

Spreggy · #6 06-16-2011, 10:52 PM

Here ya go man, start here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga8Q12mKYxI

keep it simple · #7 06-17-2011, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Explore

The head I replaced it with is a Remo powerstroke, and the front head is the maxwin one that came with the set(i didn't change it), but it says remo on it. I'm not sure what the size is, i know its just the standard size, so maybe 22 inches? I will take the pillows out and see what happens, but what is the point of the pillows and blankets in the first place, what is their purpose, and how does it change the bass drum based on how much of them you put in?

Pillows have no place in a bass drum IMO. They're put in there to muffle the sound. Many misguided players think they'll give you that modern wet thud sound, but the reality is, they just kill almost all the sound. Quite handy if you need to reduce volume for quiet practicing purposes though.

Once you've taken the pillows out, use the link already provided to tune your bass drum. If you want to cut down on the amount of sustain from the drum, there are various low mass muffling methods available. Anything from pre muffled heads to something like an Evans drum pillow (nothing like a normal pillow). Good luck on your journey, as tuning is something that comes with practice. It's not easy, but well worth the effort. Always remember that the sound you hear when playing the kit, is nothing like the sound the audience hears, & the room your kit's in has a big affect on your drum sound too.

Bull · #8 06-17-2011, 12:28 AM

Please keep in mind that video is for Evans products. You DO NOT need to buy that many accessories for a good kick drum sound.

makinao · #9 06-19-2011, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Explore

but what is the point of the pillows and blankets in the first place, what is their purpose, and how does it change the bass drum based on how much of them you put in?

Back in the 70's the fashionable bass drum sound was a dry thud. This was usually achieved by taking off the front head, and stuffing the drum with heavy curtains and/or pillows. This method was favored by recording and live sound engineers because it allowed them to construct the sound from scratch, as opposed to cutting down the boominess of an unmuffled drum.

But bass drums sound fashions have changed over the decades. First of all, most stock bass drums are deeper than before. In the 70's the average was about 14". Now they start at 18". Second, there are a new generation of heads that feature built-in muffling which do not stop the sound cold like pillows, but instead focus the sound. Third, smaller reso-head ports have become popular. Engineers can still position their mics inside the drum without having to battle boominess, and drummers can still benefit from the deep resonance of an almost full reso head.

For my 70's Pearl Thunderking 14"x22" kick, I used to use Ludwig Silver Dots (with no port on the reso head), and a 2" thick 14"x18" piece of foam along the inner circumference of the drum for muffling. I didn't need that much muffling because this kit was mostly used for unmiked live acoustic gigs. So I needed some boom for the sound to carry. Nowadays, on the same drum I've got (unported) coated Ambassadors, and a 2" cloth strip inside the batter head. Sometimes I'll take off the cloth strip out and enjoy a smaller version of the "Bonham" boom.

yesdog · #10 06-19-2011, 01:13 PM

[quote=keep it simple;855548]Pillows have no place in a bass drum IMO. They're put in there to muffle the sound. Many misguided players think they'll give you that modern wet thud sound, but the reality is, they just kill almost all the sound. Quite handy if you need to reduce volume for quiet practicing purposes though.

K.I.S, towels from Hotel's Inn rolled up and placed at the very bottom of the batter head with gaffers tape works great. You know who I am talking about, wink wink.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wGA1YgQ6zw

yesdog · #11 06-19-2011, 01:15 PM

[quote=yesdog;856433]

Quote:

Originally Posted by keep it simple

Pillows have no place in a bass drum IMO. They're put in there to muffle the sound. Many misguided players think they'll give you that modern wet thud sound, but the reality is, they just kill almost all the sound. Quite handy if you need to reduce volume for quiet practicing purposes though.

K.I.S, towels from Hotel's Inn rolled up and placed at the very bottom of the batter head with gaffers tape works great. You know who I am talking about, wink wink.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wGA1YgQ6zw

RESULT, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Jr4...eature=related

robderrick · #12 07-21-2011, 04:22 PM

Ive got a 24x 20 Ludwig kick that has always given me hell when trying to record. Theres the initial punch but its followed by a very annoying boom, almost note like. We've tried everything we can think, taking the reso head off and playing with the tuning on the batter head, using pillows, ported to non-ported reso heads, different mics, but it still always sounds like shit. Its got an evans emad for the batter and either a ported fiberskyn or a non-ported stock ludwig head. I know the emad is an older head, ive had it for about a year or so, but what head do you guys recommend and how should i tune it or set it up. i need that boominess to go away. Please help me out, i need to know which head to order soon. Thanks

ELPdrummer · #13 07-21-2011, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robderrick

Ive got a 24x 20 Ludwig kick that has always given me hell when trying to record. Theres the initial punch but its followed by a very annoying boom, almost note like. We've tried everything we can think, taking the reso head off and playing with the tuning on the batter head, using pillows, ported to non-ported reso heads, different mics, but it still always sounds like shit. Its got an evans emad for the batter and either a ported fiberskyn or a non-ported stock ludwig head. I know the emad is an older head, ive had it for about a year or so, but what head do you guys recommend and how should i tune it or set it up. i need that boominess to go away. Please help me out, i need to know which head to order soon. Thanks

You might try using a smaller, less deep bass, when recording.

ELPdrummer · #14 07-21-2011, 04:58 PM

I had two Ludwig bass drums molded together( some cut off one of them, of course) to have a 28x20 bass, so as to replicate the stainless steel drum set Carl Palmer used during the 70's, using wood shells instead of stainless steel. I am extremely pleased with the sound I have, and it looks great! I don't like the sounds of drums in today's music at all, compared to how they sounded during the 60's and 70's, so, there is very little muffling on my bass ( just a felt strip on front and batter head) and no muffling on my toms or snare. Everything today sounds stuffy and muddy, but, as the adage goes..."To each his own".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKN883OsSSM

robderrick · #15 07-21-2011, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELPdrummer

You might try using a smaller, less deep bass, when recording.

i thought that the drum itself could be the problem but i would think that after taking the reso head completely off that the depth of the drum would no longer matter. i really think its that old shitty emad so what head recomendations do you have.. If i change the head and the sound persists than i will try another kick but im trying to not have to buy a new kick..