Many Ways to Skin a Cat? ...Or your Bass Drum?

[Square]

So tell us all how you prefer your bass drum reso?

Also, let us know (for each or your choices):
Size of drum
Type of music it's used for

Have fun

 

[RVC]

10” depth X 20” diameter - full reso with DW pillows touching both heads

14” X 22” - ported (sometimes large center, sometimes small offset) with DW pillow touching reso side and wool tartan stadium blanket

14” X 24” - large center port with DW pillows touching both heads + a small towel for the mic to sit on

I’m playing old country/old pop & lite rock/old R&B. The heavily muffled sound is appropriate for the styles I’m playing, and suits my overall approach anyway.

With the little bass drum, I mic from the batter side with a D6 on a tiny desktop mic stand that fits under the snare drum. With the other two, I run a Beta 91a inside on the laundry. On all three drums, I augment the mic sound with a Roland trigger running into a TM-1, which I use a shortened 808 sub-bass sound.

 

[jda]

Having an Issue?.

 

[Square]

Having an Issue?.

Me? No not really. I prefer the booming sound of an unported reso with only felt strips. That does make accurate footwork more critical as the drum gets larger. Think 26” on my Vistalite.

As classic rock moves into the middle 70s I think we begin to see more dampening or more open/no reso which is a different sound. My Pearl Masters 24” has a ported reso and the small Pearl pillow. It gets this sound I think.

On my Gretsch kits, 22” and 20”, I use felt strips and I recently ported the heads. The jury is still out but I’m not sure that wasn’t a mistake.

Today’s slap happy bass drum sound just doesn’t do it for me.

I chose an AKG D112 for a mic as I think that translates the sound in a way that is closer to what I hear in my head.

 

[jda]

Full Ambassador reso - batter- either Fiberskyn Ambassador plain no ring with the 60s Pratt or Fiberskyn Ambassador powerstroke no felt

but open to anything
I like a musical (deep) note in the bass that adds long and short tonally with the other instruments, so I can play along with their shape shifting I want that longer note available; rather than solely "kick". I want to manipulate the foot drum like the rest of the drums and snare

60s mid sort of Motown like
I feel the 60s Motown drum sound can cross over into the 60s Elvin/jazz drum sound and
I don't plan on much work outside of those two areas

 

[bongoman]

Obviously depends on the sound and vibe of the gig, but my favorite generally is a full reso and just a smidge of damping. I voted “felt strip” but it could just as easily be a rolled up T shirt, a small towel, a bit of acoustic foam pressing lightly against the reso. I do basically the same thing with both my 16 and my 22. Jazz, funk, Latin.

 

[Square]

Full Ambassador reso - batter- either Fiberskyn Ambassador plain no ring with the 60s Pratt or Fiberskyn Ambassador powerstroke no felt

but open to anything
I like a musical (deep) note in the bass that adds long and short tonally with the other instruments, so I can play along with their shape shifting I want that longer note available; rather than solely "kick". I want to manipulate the foot drum like the rest of the drums and snare

60s mid sort of Motown like
I feel the 60s Motown sound can cross over into the 60s Elvin/jazz sound and
I don't plan on much work outside of those two areas

That’s where I’m at. I am still new to all things drumming wise. I have always buried the beater. I’m now working to gain more facility, trying to make burning the beater a choice and not a default. I’m also working on control there so that dynamics are chosen from a broader pallet.

 

[green glass drum]

".....what happened to the cat?.....guys?...."

 

[Square]

The cat is safe.

 

[Stroman]

So tell us all how you prefer your bass drum reso?

Also, let us know (for each or your choices):
Size of drum
Type of music it's used for

Have fun

How would you classify heads like PS3s, Force I, etc? Technically, I like a wide open full reso, if you mean one that isn't muffled by a pillow or felt, but it's a PS3, so it IS muffled.

How would you like that handled in the poll?

 

[Philaiy9]

Wow. I definitely didn't think my pick would be in 1st (full heads felt strips).

 

[Square]

How would you classify heads like PS3s, Force I, etc? Technically, I like a wide open full reso, if you mean over that isn't muffled by a pillow or felt, but it's a PS3, so it IS muffled.

How would you like that handled in the poll?

I never thought about that. I use ps3 batters and my Pearl also has a ps3 reso.

I guess in my mind that doesn’t count as dampened though I guess technically it is.

As far as the poll? Pick what you feel is best.

 

[Tiges]

So tell us all how you prefer your bass drum reso?

Also, let us know (for each or your choices):
Size of drum
Type of music it's used for

Have fun

Ludwig Classic Maple 22x18 Hard RocknRoll man.

 

[Iristone]

I mostly use a ported reso with a felt strip on each side, but a no-reso with some muffling on the batter side is an underrated option and sounds quite good. I don't like that sound unmuffled, though, as it sustains a pitched note and doesn't play well with bass guitar.

 

[Square]

Ludwig Classic Maple 22x18 Hard RocknRoll man.

Cool pic. You even have the cat!

 

[JimmyM]

Ported with laundry, unapologetically.

 

[spelman]

View attachment 145703

The cat is safe.

Look, it's the cat's pajamas...

 

[I-P]

2 Votes.

Out of the 2 kits I regularly use...

1 is full Reso with no dampening
1 is ported Reso with 14" dampening ring (from a Emad type head), taped onto the inside of the head. As much as I dislike doing this; I have, to this particular Reso head as it is the original Pearl branded Reso to the kit and I have no need (yet) to replace it. (Although I really should). I've had favourable comments when I play it live from sound guys to others playing my kit, so... I'll get a new Reso head one day. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

 

[ineedaclutch]

I prefer the feel of a full reso with felt strips or a DW pillow, and a Beta52 or D6 on a Kelly Shu. Unfortunately, it’s not always the most practical for larger stages when low-end rumble can really get cooking. So unless it’s a small venue, I run a port with the muffling necessary for the vibe. All gigs have, at minimum, kick and overhead mics. Most are fully micd.

Most gigs these days are R&B, Pop, Rock, and Country. These are the main gigging kits.

20x14 Starclassic Maple- Either a Coated Ambassador no port or 4” port, or an Aquarian Regulator. DW Pillow either way. Emad Batter

20x14 Rogers Tower- Coated Ambassador no port or 4” port. DW Pillow either way. PS3 batter

22x14 60s Ludwig Standard- Coated Ambassador c/w 4” port, light packing blanket. PS3 batter

20x8 Ludwig Giglite- Coated Ambassador no port. Felt strips. Coated Ambassador or Emad batter

24x14 Tama Imperialstar- Aquarian Regulator c/w port, small pillow. PS3 batter

 

[myxtc]

Obviously depends on the sound and vibe of the gig, but my favorite generally is a full reso and just a smidge of damping. I voted “felt strip” but it could just as easily be a rolled up T shirt, a small towel, a bit of acoustic foam pressing lightly against the reso. I do basically the same thing with both my 16 and my 22. Jazz, funk, Latin.

with a full reso how do you get a t shirt or pillow to stay against the reso?