Heads with a Warm Sound

[T_Weaves]

Remo coated powerstroke 3. Try it, you might like it.

https://www.zzounds.com/item--REMP301BP?siid=48763&gclid=CjwKCAiAs8XiBRAGEiwAFyQ-ej4oM8nzg25D8CKBBhsGBmhNU_0F_c746H8OqWmPmeY3aG0lKynRNxoCIuIQAvD_BwE

 

[markdrum]

I just realized I have been on this site now for 13 years, and don't remember any discussion on this. So if it just my feeble mind, pardon me. I have tried every Evans batter head on my snare and every one of them seems to have a plastic sound. I like my snare tuned high, and maybe that is the issue, I don't know. I have no issue trying other brands especially, Remo, that grew I up with, but just want something when I strike it doesn't sound too plastic or tacky. I have tried the Calftone and they were no improvement. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The Aquarian Modern Vintage and New Orleans heads are great when you want a fuller, more natural sound. I can't stand the sound of Evans. I want to like them but I can't.

 

[Bo Eder]

Dude, tune DOWN for a change. You’ll really like it.

 

[Chunkaway]

There's the problem, Dad. "Warm" and "Tuned High" just don't jibe. I tune my snare batters high, too, and I've had to come to terms with the same issue.

Take a big, deep wooden snare, though, and throw on a Coated Ambassador tuned to med-low tension, and you'll have the warm sound you want. (Try some cotton balls thrown inside, too. It works. Instant warmth.)

GeeDeeEmm

I have another suggestion. I also like to tune my drum up a bit for the rebound and ability to easily do ghost notes. I have recently been throwing on a Big Fat Snare Drum donut thingy on my snare and it lowers the pitch considerably. I still get the rebound and ghost notes, but now the drum sounds warmer and a bit lower pitched.

Big Fat Snare Drum

Big Fat Snare Drum BFSD Deep Thud 70 Giant Vintage March Pearl Tama DW Yamaha Mapex PDP OCDP SJC Truth Craviotto Gretsch Ludwig Remo Evans Zildjian Sabian Meinl

bigfatsnaredrum.com

 

[Drumolator]

My favorite snare batter head ever is the Evans coated UV2. Peace and goodwill.

 

[Stroman]

Grunt, the warmest sounding heads I've personally used are the Remo Coated Vintage Emperor.

Sounds like you have lots of choices, but cranking the snare high is going to be a factor. Maybe check out this video and see if this trick might help.

 

[larryace]

You didn't specify if you are looking for a warmer sound on your toms or snare. A high tuned snare cracks and I don't know if you can get crack and warmth at the same time from a snare. I go for warm on my toms all day, and a military sounding snare, which I would not describe as warm. If I want a warm sounding snare, I just tunes it way down.

One of my favorite snare sounds is a snare tuned low and sloppy with loose wires. I usually keep the reso really tight and leave it there. I tune the batter for the pitch I want. I would never use that low sloppy sound for the gigs I get, but I love playing it that way at home for my own pleasure.

 

[Bo Eder]

How about calf heads with the fur still on it?

 

[danondrums]

Remo with black dot underneath is warmer than the standard ambassador. I’d give that one a whirl.

Tuning down isn’t a bad idea either. You’ll adjust to the ghost notes/rebound and will make all the same things happen.

Could also be the acoustics in your room killing you with bouncing high overtones.

 

[gdmoore28]

Grunt, the warmest sounding heads I've personally used are the Remo Coated Vintage Emperor.

Sounds like you have lots of choices, but cranking the snare high is going to be a factor. Maybe check out this video and see if this trick might help.

Oops! I'd forgotten this trick. It is well worth the time and effort and results in exactly what most people mean by "warm."

GeeDeeEmm

 

[drumnut87]

looks into the aquarian modern vintage and the jack dejohnette heads

 

[EricT43]

A high tuned snare cracks and I don't know if you can get crack and warmth at the same time from a snare.

Tune the snare med-low and hit rimshots on the backbeats.

 

[Frank]

Very interesting thread to me. I, too, always search for the elusive warm tone.

I think my ears hear different stuff than most, so this will be most likely useless, but, what the hay:

1. Re: Big Fat Snare Drum: my initial response to it was very favorable. After playing with it for a while, I decided it was really choking the tone of the snare. I think much better results come from just using a mute ring from Aquarian or Remo.

2. Re: Coating: everyone seems to go down the coating road when looking for warmth. Again, this is probably just my broken ears, but I eventually decided most coatings do Not yield warmth. To my ears, attack really changes with coating, and not in a warm way. My ears hear more warmth from clear heads, not coated.

3. Play with Vibes plugs in your ears. They nicely cut some of the highs without making you deaf, and the tone you hear - a warmer tone - is much closer to what the audience is hearing.