Less sustain ... Some advice needed

anonymous
 
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pic from recent ebay ad:
(old 1962 drum)

s-l1600.jpg


outside-in:
m/g/g/g/g/m
outside in stacking:
h/v/h/v/v/h

I can rest awhile now/ carry on.
 
@Dutch Drummer Are your current heads worn out and in need of replacing or are you simply trying to achieve a different sound? If your current heads are still in good shape and you overall like the sound of your drums you could try simply detuning the batter heads 1/4 key turn on all lugs in a star pattern. It won't dramatically change your stick feel but it will drop the tone and shorten the note a bit. I'm very anti moongel but that's a personal thing and I fully respect their use and why people like them, they are a very affordable way to "season to taste" your dampening.

If you need or simply want new heads (which is fine!) I can agree with some of the above suggestions like a remo ps4 or controlled sound. Being partial to Evans heads I also can agree with the ec2. Don't overlook modern hydraulic heads either, they work a treat and are not the dead lifeless cardboard box sound they used to be known for. Finally, faux calf heads are super cool if you are not a heavy player. They give you the pleasing open tone of a regular coated head but they dont ring as long and are a bit more naturally thumpy sounding. Again, not for heavy handed players. I play mostly garage/surf rock, hip-hop, and some light-hearted prog stuff these days with 7a sticks and just wrist motions and I'll still blast through 2-3 faux calf snare heads in a year where as a standard coated head will last me 2 years. I know @jda has much better longevity than I with faux calf but I'm pretty sure he is playing music with a much lighter touch than I. They sound SO good though. The Evans calftone are as easy as slap them on the drum, finger tighten the rods, give each rod 1/2-3/4 or so key turn in a star pattern, than tweak to taste. Done, sounding great.
 
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I do not like moingel either. That is the reason for my question. Based on the reactions I have a lot too consider.
The one thing I allready did was detuning a bit.
And I like the sound of my drums a lot. But I do not like them ringing for about 10 seconds.
But I am greatfull for all your respons.
I think I will buy new heads. But I am not sure yet wich heads.
Thanks all you fellow drummers!
 
There is a video on you tube of Paul Leim going over a studio session he was leading. Look closely at his toms and "custom" mufflers he built. Those may work for you.

I think this it..
 
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I really like SnareWeights M1 or M80 (depending on the degree of dampening you need). Easily clip on to a rim. The leather can be flipped up off the head without unclamping it from the rim. Also adjustable by folding up one or both sides to stay secure with the center magnet. I know a lot of people complain about the price, but for me it was well worth the investment. The leather comes in several different colors if you have a preference.
For the OP this would allow you to keep your current heads.

Snareweights.jpg
 
Vintage Old School said:
I really like SnareWeights M1 or M80 (depending on the degree of dampening you need). Easily clip on to a rim. The leather can be flipped up off the head without unclamping it from the rim. Also adjustable by folding up one or both sides to stay secure with the center magnet. I know a lot of people complain about the price, but for me it was well worth the investment. The leather comes in several different colors if you have a preference.
For the OP this would allow you to keep your current heads.

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Thats's about the same price range as the Drum Wallet, IIRC.

Some people say a wallet is cheaper, but I see a lot of actual wallets around that price too... SO, regardless of what you use, it's going to be about the same cost. The added benefit of the Drum Wallet or Snareweights is that they won't move around like an actual wallet does.
 
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Vintage Old School said:
I really like SnareWeights M1 or M80 (depending on the degree of dampening you need). Easily clip on to a rim. The leather can be flipped up off the head without unclamping it from the rim. Also adjustable by folding up one or both sides to stay secure with the center magnet. I know a lot of people complain about the price, but for me it was well worth the investment. The leather comes in several different colors if you have a preference.
For the OP this would allow you to keep your current heads.

View attachment 142433
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I dont really use a lot of external dampening but if I did I like the look and practical application of something like this far more than something like a moongel
 
roncadillac said:
I dont really use a lot of external dampening but if I did I like the look and practical application of something like this far more than something like a moongel
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I likewise don't use much external dampening either. It's all in the batter and reso head combination and tuning to get each drum as close to the sound I want as possible. But in those moments when I need some dampening I'll decide between a Zero-Ring or Snareweight.

You can always use some loose cotton balls inside the toms and floor toms to shorten the sustain on the reso head, but that demands removing a head and retuning to open up the sustain of the drum when needed.
 
Plus one for futzing with the tuning. I guess some ratios make it a lot of work for the drum to sustain a fundamental resonance and make a noticeably shorter note even at the same pitch. It can be hard to find them though
 
I'm a big fan of Remo pinstripes and my favorite Evans EC2 heads over clear ambassador or G1 reso. Less ring and lots of tone.. I'm not a fan of other 2 ply heads like emperor or G2
 
Captain Bash said:
Keep head choice the same and just throw in a few cotton balls. The bigger the diameter drum the more cotton balls required. This approach cuts sustain not tone.
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First time i heard about this was when i saw a vid of Benny Greb talking about it. Also uses coated Emperors over coated Ambassadors. Can't deny that his kit sounds great!

Personally i use clear Pinstripes over clear Ambassadors, but that's the golden combo for my kit and the way i tune.
 
So many great answers here, between them all there is definitely a solution for you. I am in the camp of going open/no muffling/no gels and using tuning and head choice unless a specific situation calls for something. I forgot though I do have 4 cotton balls floating around in the bottom of my floor tom, but the effect is marginal.
 
WuHan Solo said:
Why not just dampen your current heads? There are plenty of options out there and it's easy to go back to the sustain you had.
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This. Moongels, or something similar.
 
wildbill said:
Are you talking about the Sonor set?
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Yes, it is about my SQ1. Love the set and its sound, but no matter how I tune it, the sustain is too long for my taste. I do not use moongel because that makes it sound dead. Just want a nice sustain for about 3 or for seconds.
But I must admit that it mightbe just something in my own head or ears. I played this kit with great pleasure for two years. But lately I practiced Bonham triplets and suddenly it felt it did not sound tight enough to my taste. The other band members think I am too strict for myself and my kit.
Nevertheless I will try the Remo Powerstrokes.
 
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Hoops too can allow or cut sustain
I can't in good conscious recommend die cast because of their cost....but if you find some sitting on a shelf forlorn and unloved...
 
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