Help needed on setup

Ok....I have a little time let's play shall we? Lol

1. Who said *anything* about a TIGHT reso? No one even suggested such a thing. You read that into my post.

2. Where did the OP say they wanted a "thuddy" tuning?

3. Who is trying to educate you? You did not ask for help. Am trying to help the OP, not indoctrinate you on tuning methods lol.

If-*if* you followed my directions to detune down to finger tight then tighten one half to one full turn on the batter, and then tuned your reso equal to or slightly higher you will NOT have a "basketball" sound. Period...

Equal or slightly higher reso tunings are THE normal tuning setting suggestion in the MAJORITY of tuning guides.

Never said a lower pitched reso won't work for some people, just stated the "generally" accepted view.

To steer a newbie away from "generally" accepted practice is not the best way to get them to a good starting point for tuning...in my opinion of course. My goal was to give the OP a basic place to start that would get him or her close to a usable tuning without having to read or watch videos *if* they just wanted to get going with their new kit.

Doing something for "30 years" doesn't change any of this.

I truly wish you the best, and like I said, always good to have a third option.

Take care

Okay, either you are missing my point or I'm not making myself clear.

First off, I read nothing into your post. Saying that a tight reso always is a myth had nothing to do with what you said. I added that because there are people who think the reso should be cranked. This simply isn't true. I was only pointing out that sometimes a loose reso is okay.

What I'm getting at is this: if you want to change the body of the drum but like the attack and note, change the tuning of the reso. Sure you can do it with the batter, but then you also change the note and attack, as well as the stick response. Same thing with moongel or tape. If you change the reso tuning, you can keep the things you like and tune out the parts you don't. I'm not saying everyone should have a loose reso, I'm saying if you want a thuddy sound keep the reso loose. If you want a more of a boingy sound, tune the reso up.

Think about it this way, what happens when you take the reso off but don't touch the batter? The drum loses its body.
 
Okay, either you are missing my point or I'm not making myself clear.

First off, I read nothing into your post. Saying that a tight reso always is a myth had nothing to do with what you said. I added that because there are people who think the reso should be cranked. This simply isn't true. I was only pointing out that sometimes a loose reso is okay.

What I'm getting at is this: if you want to change the body of the drum but like the attack and note, change the tuning of the reso. Sure you can do it with the batter, but then you also change the note and attack, as well as the stick response. Same thing with moongel or tape. If you change the reso tuning, you can keep the things you like and tune out the parts you don't. I'm not saying everyone should have a loose reso, I'm saying if you want a thuddy sound keep the reso loose. If you want a more of a boingy sound, tune the reso up.

Think about it this way, what happens when you take the reso off but don't touch the batter? The drum loses its body.
Since we are still here....lol...

Truly, and with the best intentions and 0 attitude, while everything you say is *true* if you don't start from a "reasonable" tuning-i.e. "standard, traditionally accepted, verified by years of practice and millions of drummers world-wide", it won't matter what you do to either head-off, on, tight or loose. It all becomes moot because you are way in in left field from the start...

It can just as easily be said that a resonant head that is too loose will produce a dead, 'thuddy', character-less, tone with little to no resonance-regardless of where the batter head is at.... And at the point of "too loose" you will experience horrible vibrations that sound like the fart of a dead dog....

BUT-and IF the resonant head is at an appropriate lower pitch (NOT loose or tight) it can produce, as your case proves, a satisfying "thuddy" sound.

In the end...it's all good man.

Just trying to keep it simple for the OP. Start from a reasonable tuning and suit to taste with experience and experimentation.
 
I find for a jazz sound, both heads need to be quite tight, with the reso a bit higher than the batter. Gives a clear, quick note, easy to do doubles on the toms, etc.
For everything else - rock, blues, reggae, pop - I have the top tuned low and the batter 2 or 3 notes tighter. Gives a deeper, pitch bend sound.

Of course, everyone has their own experiences and preferences, and certain shells and edges may suit different tuning styles. There are dozens of posts about this, and the drum tuning bible explains it in detail.

For the OP I agree that a lower tuning combined with dampening the heads will give a pleasing, controlled sound which won't be too loud for their practise room. O rings would be excellent. So would moongels. And something soft in the bass drum.
 
Have ordered some new heads, hopefully will arrive tomorrow. Think i may have been spoilt with the electronic drums clinical sound lol

I think ordering new heads was a great move. I'm not the best drum tuner out there, but with that said, I don't think I've ever gotten a decent sound out of cheap, no-name factory heads.

What kind(s) of heads did you get?
 
Probably two big factors at play here.
Factory heads. You ordered new heads, so straightaway .... you should have better luck once your new heads arrive.
Your ears probably ARE jaded to your e-drums sound.
The Evans E-Rings (which trickg suggested) are just factory made richie rings. Very old school. You can make your own by cutting up your old factory heads.
Don't know what heads you ordered, or what sound you're striving for, but there's all kinds of head combinations available to you. Lots of beginner drummers immediately go to Remo Pinstripe heads (batter) because they filter out a ton of the overtone. Personally, I think they go a little too far. I like a warmer sounding drum, so I usually start with a two ply coated head batter, and a single ply clear head reso. (on toms). For kick, a Powerstroke 3 batter with an Ambassador (single ply) reso. when I want a more open drum, or an Aquarian Superkick I batter when I want more thud.
 
As stated earlier, 2 ply up top, 1 ply bottom. I like single ply and single ply center dots for snares myself.

For toms and kick, I tune like this guy. It's easy to do when its loud before a gig, and I can do a quick fine tune during sound check lol.

Snare is more personal. I typically crank the resonant head on mine to table top tight, and bring the batter up slowly till it feels and sounds right.
 
From what you said, it seems everything on your kit is pre-tuned to high/tight by the factory.

Loosen all the heads; top and bottom. Then, finger tighten all the lugs and tune up 1/8 or a small 20 degree turn so it sound more thuddy on the toms.


Also, drummers who want a flatter sound to be more balanced typically use moon gels or gaffers tape. I use electronic tape on my old heads but would never do that to new heads.

Then again, i went to the dollar store and found cheap black tape that barely has any grip but stays on haha drummers best friend for heads.


Also like the other guys said, use a pillow as a muffler in your bass head.

I use a layer of mattress foam cut in the shape of the head, about half way, so it lays against the face of the beater, then it lays flat in a 90 degree angle. I then use a clothe tied up in a roll and place it against the reso/side head. I also heard from a video on drumming by Simon Philips that a hotel towel works just fine.

Quick tip: Don't over aggressively muffle the bass to much. You want some of the sound to escape the head when you play.

If you don't already, you might want to get a reso head with a coffee sized hole in it, or cut one out yourself.

 
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