Why bother with the resonant head on the kick drum?

w3r1_drums

w3r1_drums

Senior Member
Recently I recorded 5 songs for my band's EP. For 4 of the songs I took off the resonant head and really got the mic close to the batter head, got a pleasant sound out of it. The 5th song was recorded with a ported resonant head and I got a usable but not as good sound (I kind of rushed the recording of it, I don't remember why - otherwise I probably would have removed the resonant head)

Anyways, I always just kind of assumed the resonant head was necessary for live music, but a couple weeks ago I saw a band whose drummer had no resonant head on their kick drum. So that got me thinking - are there any inherent advantages/disadvantages to having no resonant head on the kick drum? Why bother? For the genres I play, I feel like the convenience of being able to record without a resonant head easily would be worth just not having a resonant head on it, but if it's bad for live sound I wouldn't want to do that.... Thoughts?
 
I think the easiest way to explain it:
No reso head gives you a short, low-frequency "bump".
With reso head gives you a short, low-frequency "boom".

In the studio, anything goes and you do whatever it takes to get the sound that works for the song.

In a live setting, a kick drum with a reso head will produce a louder "boom" 'cuz it causes more of the shell to respond to the transient.

Here's an example of an audio engineer setting up Kenny Aronoff's kit with three mics (internal, external, sub-woof).

SW_Class_187.jpg


Here's a pic of Steve Jordan laying down tracks. Notice the foam in his kick for maximum deadening. The reso drumhead is there simply to allow the hoop to be attached. This keeps the lug hardware from rattling.

Steve-Jordan-Calm-At-The-Eye-Of-The-Storm-2.jpg
 
Why have different drums, implements to play them with, different heads, cymbals etc....?

It all depends on the situation.

No reso on the BD often records well. To me personally, it doesn't feel all that great and my taste generally leads to having a reso.
 
I use a reso head on all my drums for the same reason: tone. Peace and goodwill.
 
Thanks for the responses so far!

I'm curious, has anyone here tried gigging without a reso? If so what are your thoughts?
 
I've always thought that the point of removing the resonant head was to stop the BD from resonating. This allows the engineer/producer to emulate resonance and lengthen the note with ambient treatment, or to keep the track entirely without resonance.

Gigging without a reso is a bad idea, because it diminishes the structural integrity of the shell. Fortunately, you can cut a large diameter hole in the reso, leaving a 3-4" lip, which should have the same sonic result without the adverse structural effect.
 
Not to mention the lugs would juggle and jingle.

I do have a head that's cut out for that. Basically an old PS3 that got rippe that I cut flush with the dampening ring.
 
Ah so like these yamaha heads I always see on their stock kits

I'll wait til my band's EP is done to make sure I prefer the no reso sound (who knows? maybe I'll change my mind) before cutting a bigger hole/getting a new head with a big hole
 
Even if you prefer the sound and feel of a bass drum with no head on the front, I recommend you use one anyway, and just cut out a big hole. It will protect the edge and give the lugs something to hang on to.
 
I agree with cutting out a head to retain the front hoop and hardware, as well as protecting the bearing edge. If you like the sound go for it. It's a perfectly usable sound in most modern cases.
 
w3r1_drums said:
Thanks for the responses so far!

I'm curious, has anyone here tried gigging without a reso? If so what are your thoughts?
Click to expand...



EVANS makes a BD had called the RETRO SCREEN, look into it. I've used one many times live, great sound. PEARL makes a mesh screen, others too I think. The weave on the EVANS RS looks the best, smooth and precise. Other brands mesh heads don't look ass good IMO. You can crank a mesh head to get a slightly different sound/feel too.



My full front BD head is usually always tuned to an A, I tune the BD batter to feel. The length of the note I can tame with dampening if its too long.



Most drummers tune their bass drum to the lowest possible note that they believe sounds good, one may get lucky doing it this way if the BD is at a note that plays well with the other drums intervals, especially the snare, which I tune a fifth away from the bass drum.

Zeppelin's 'In Thru The Out Door' was recorded sans front BD head, who can tell really?
 
I mean I don't imagine the above is great for gigging
 
Would this be a good thread to ask the importance of (other than ease of access) porting the RH?

And if so, what is the ratio/formula for the size of the hole?

I'm planning on cutting a 6" (22"BD) one just so my hand can fit better.

How big?
 
MasterBlaster said:
Would this be a good thread to ask the importance of (other than ease of access) porting the RH?

And if so, what is the ratio/formula for the size of the hole?

I'm planning on cutting a 6" (22"BD) one just so my hand can fit better.

How big?
Click to expand...

The RH is ported usually for a mic. And ya it also helps to put stuff in the bass drum.
Some say 7" or more is the same effect as having no reso head at all. I don't believe that can be. Almost everything can make some difference.
But I would never go more than 5" personally.
The value of an unported head is deeper tone (boom) and rebound on your pedal, if you like rebound.
 
also. if you tune JAW and have no reso that beater will never come back to you.


same as if you go unported it's like playing on a trampoline.
ported is a happy medium for rebound, and allows you to adjust it.

Now as far as tone, your toms and snare sing because the air inside is causing vibrations between the heads. Same goes for your bass drum. No head, that air just goes out one time. When you play with mics (recorded in studio or live) you are mostly capturing sound off the batter heads. That is why drummers used to even play without bottom heads (Phill Collins etc)

It works if you want a dry thud... but your overheads, room mics, or room sound is going to be drastically different.


You can always experiment. Next time you change your head play for a bit and see how it sounds.
 
I feel the need for a RH in live and studio settings to capture what my drums actually sound like. It’s a preference I’ve grown to love. That said, I’m always open to new suggestions...

In fact, while in the studio 4 years ago, the engineer suggested taking the reso head off the bass drum (and using a pillow). He was fairly adamant in his opinion, but I can be just as stubborn. So I told him, “why don’t we just try a few tracks with it in tact. After the first song, I hear him say “you were right, your bass drum sounds fantastic like that!” I just kind of smiled and shrugged because the guy has had decades of experience, but alas he was never a drummer. I get that you want to define that punch, but you lose so much of the “body” of the thud/boom without a RH.
 
It also depends on the music. In jazz and orchestral, the reso head is the dominant sound. There is usually nothing inside the drum, and the microphone, if needed, is there to pick up the tone of the resonant head, which is tuned properly, not damped and has no hole cut in it. That's what you listen to. It is played as a full acoustic musical instrument. The reso head is the voice of the drum.

I know this does not work for most popular music styles and on rock recordings etc., but when a bass drum is designed, it is designed to able to be played like this.
 
I'm the studio I've done many "tricks" for getting sounds. Recorded with reso heads, without, sometimes even with a larger drum in front of the kick for extra resonance.

For me it all depends on the drums I'm using, the room I'm in, and the sounds we are going for on the tracks.

When it comes to live I've taken to using a reso head with a large 7" hole in the center. It cuts out a lot of the tone, but I use and internal micing system that keeps the Mic much closer to the batter head than if miced from the outside. Too much ring from the drum causes issues with that method of micing, so cutting it down with less resonance helps.

A couple acts have me use their logos and artwork on the front head too. Even with those I'll still have at least a small hole put in the head to vent it. I don't like the extra rebound you get when using an unportted reso head, and also to cut down the ring for the internal mic.the
 
I had a custom set of Eames drums made in 1981 where I had them not drill reso lug holes just on the BD. (Less lugs to buy, not to mention head and hoop.) I still have that set. So it's a bass drum concert tom. I played no reso head on my kick with a blanket and weight all through the 70's. I thought I would never change that preference. It's a physical reminder to my short sightedness lol. Not crazy about that sound now. Even for recording, I feel I get a better BD tone with a ported reso and some muffling than no reso head and muffling.
 
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