DrummerCA35
Senior Member
Hello,
I play in a 5 piece rock/R&B/funk band. At the volume we play at, the drums and cymbals all cut through well, but the bass drum doesn't have enough presence/low end unless it's mic'd. It's a good bass drum, 22x18. EMAD batter head, the front head has a hold in it. I know I've seen threads that mention that single ply batter head with a sold front head (no hole) will put out more volume.
This hasn't been an issue in our rehearsal studio, they have a huge PA, and we mic the bass drum. But have our first gigs scheduled (bar). The band bought a Yamaha Stage Pass 600, no sub. The vocals sound good. As an experiment, we ran the bass drum through it. Not great, which was expected. Couldn't get a low end punch/thump, which is what a sub would do. It DOES add a little presence for the bass drum if not turned up too high. I made the low and high frequencies high, turned off the mids (that, I think, has worked before with other setups...)
So I'm wonder what options are. If I buy a sub, I have to carry it, and pay for it as the band isn't going to buy a sub. (Some of us pitched in for the mains, including me.) You'd think they'd all pitch in for a sub, but it's "not necessary" yet. I could just run it through the stagepass mains, but it's not great. Or I could just play with no mic in the bass drum, but after playing in the studio with a mic and subs, it's going backwards. I realize that the band and/or audience probably won't care or know the difference, though the band members DO like the solid low punch of a properly mic'd bass drum. Sometimes at the volume the band plays at, I'm hitting the bass drum and wondering who can hear/feel it. It feels SOOOOO much better with a mic'd amplified bass drum.
Part of me thinks about going electronic, and getting a E-drum amp, if I'm gonna carry an amp around. I have V-Drums to practice on, and rehearse/play out with acoustics.
Any input would great, thanks.
I play in a 5 piece rock/R&B/funk band. At the volume we play at, the drums and cymbals all cut through well, but the bass drum doesn't have enough presence/low end unless it's mic'd. It's a good bass drum, 22x18. EMAD batter head, the front head has a hold in it. I know I've seen threads that mention that single ply batter head with a sold front head (no hole) will put out more volume.
This hasn't been an issue in our rehearsal studio, they have a huge PA, and we mic the bass drum. But have our first gigs scheduled (bar). The band bought a Yamaha Stage Pass 600, no sub. The vocals sound good. As an experiment, we ran the bass drum through it. Not great, which was expected. Couldn't get a low end punch/thump, which is what a sub would do. It DOES add a little presence for the bass drum if not turned up too high. I made the low and high frequencies high, turned off the mids (that, I think, has worked before with other setups...)
So I'm wonder what options are. If I buy a sub, I have to carry it, and pay for it as the band isn't going to buy a sub. (Some of us pitched in for the mains, including me.) You'd think they'd all pitch in for a sub, but it's "not necessary" yet. I could just run it through the stagepass mains, but it's not great. Or I could just play with no mic in the bass drum, but after playing in the studio with a mic and subs, it's going backwards. I realize that the band and/or audience probably won't care or know the difference, though the band members DO like the solid low punch of a properly mic'd bass drum. Sometimes at the volume the band plays at, I'm hitting the bass drum and wondering who can hear/feel it. It feels SOOOOO much better with a mic'd amplified bass drum.
Part of me thinks about going electronic, and getting a E-drum amp, if I'm gonna carry an amp around. I have V-Drums to practice on, and rehearse/play out with acoustics.
Any input would great, thanks.