Stick bag on the floor tom?

[Aeolian]

Was watching a bunch of Bob Gatzen videos about all the things that damp or kill a drum's tone. Whether the memory lock is engaged, where on the post the drum is mounted and so on. And it made me think of last weekend. First time I've played using my own kit in that particular room although I've sat in on other kits at jam sessions there. Space was tight so I hung my stick bag on the floor tom. It totally killed the drum, so I ended up wedging it against the back wall so it wasn't touching the drum. I thought it was a fairly live room what with a hard back wall and turn of the century tin ceiling. But the drum had to be left alone to work. Another live room I play in regularly where I'm in a corner, the bag helps tame the boom of the floor tom. Rooms with carpet or drapes on the back wall and there's nothing you can do unless you can get out a bit from it.

Has anyone else noticed this? Do you have a set thing where the bag is always on or off of the drum? Of course there is always the laying it across the monitor to protect you from bad soundpeople thing as well. ;-)

 

[harryconway]

I've never hung a stick bag off a floor tom, simple for that reason.​

 

[dholz]

i never noticed that before, i might have to try it out and move my sticks elsewhere

 

[dmacc_2]

I just lean my stick bag against the floor tom. Not sure why, just always have.

 

[rtliquid]

I always have mine hanging on the floor tom too. Bad, good, or indifferent, it seems to blend with the rest of the kit.

 

[NerfLad]

I just lean my stick bag against the floor tom. Not sure why, just always have.

Same, and my floor tom has more hang time than my RIMS-mounted rack tom. I think it depends\ on the weight. I don't keep many sticks in my bag, but I imagine a heavier bag might affect the sound noticeably. Maybe I should watch those videos again...

 

[bobdadruma]

I have been hanging my stick bag on my floor tom since Nixon was prez.
I have never had a problem with it affecting the sound to the point that I took notice.

 

[SgtThump]

I'm a big believer that all kinds of little things can change the tone, but for some reason, I'm having a hard time buying this one. I mean, my stick bag just loosely hangs there.

I'll try it on and off soon and report back, but I just can't imagine that making a noticeable difference.

 

[Florian]

I have been hanging my stick bag on my floor tom since Nixon was prez.
I have never had a problem with it affecting the sound to the point that I took notice.

me too....never an issue.

F

 

[caddywumpus]

I have been hanging my stick bag on my floor tom since Nixon was prez.
I have never had a problem with it affecting the sound to the point that I took notice.

This thread made me curious. I just tried it out on 3 different floor toms. No difference.

 

[8Mile]

That's where I hang mine, but I've never noticed a difference in sound. Seems like there wouldn't be enough weight coming from my stick bag to impact the resonance of a floor tom.

 

[porter]

I tried taking it off last month and it was a very subtle difference, but it was definitely there. The floor tom just sounds and feels much more open to me now without the bag hanging against it and dampening it. I don't think my bag is that heavy (3 or 4 pairs of sticks, brushes, mallets, and rutes) but there was definitely an effect I could hear.

 

[alparrott]

Mine is a Gibraltar over-the-shoulder bag, clips onto one tension rod, and since I angle my floor tom a bit, it hangs straight down and away from the tom. No difference at all.

 

[mikel]

I never hang my stick bag on the floor tom. Firstly, with sticks brushes and mallets in there its heavy.
Secondly, not that I subscribe 100% to the theory, but If you go to the expense of un-drilled shells and rim type mounts to promote, allegedly, more tone and resonance, why then hang a bulky heavy bag on one of the drums? If mounting a drum on the shell changes the sound/resonance then so will a stick bag.

Just my take.

 

[audiotech]

Most of the time I use the Promark stick holders on my kits, but when I do use a stick bag hanging from my 16" floor tom I hear no difference. The stick bag does not hold tightly against the drum but leans a bit outward away from the shell and does not affect its sound, I would definitely hear it. Here again it also depends on the way the floor tom is tilted on its legs. I always have mine tilted very slightly towards me pushing the bag away from the drum.

Dennis

 

[inneedofgrace]

Mine is a Gibraltar over-the-shoulder bag, clips onto one tension rod, and since I angle my floor tom a bit, it hangs straight down and away from the tom. No difference at all.

same here and I can't discern a difference

 

[vxla]

I hang mine on my rack, or leave it on the floor.

 

[The Old Hyde]

Take it off for recording if you're concerned, as far as live i really dont think it matters.

 

[gaz farrimond]

The only concern I have hanging my stick bag are the very, very fine surface scratches it causes in the lacquer when I knock it and it rubs against the drums. A bit of elbow grease and all is fine.

I understand people getting anal about isolation, mounts, damping, heads, things touching the shell etc. But lets be honest, when you're playing live, (Or even recording) can you or anyone else REALLY hear the difference in the final mix?

I remember Steve Smith showing how the sound of a snare drum changes depending which part of the tip you played it with. Personally, if he hadn't been close mic'ed I definitely wouldn't have heard any difference, and even in the ideal situation he was in, you reall needed to concentrate to hear the slightest indication of any possible change in the sound. Almost as much as during a hearing test, and how often do our ears play tricks on us during those?

 

[NUTHA JASON]

for me it is a non-issue. i would only use a stick bag at a gig where minutae of resonance at the level that a stickbag would have any noticeable effect are negligable. in the studio where the mic might notice a difference i wouldn't use a stick bag anyways.
j