tuning drums (1 Viewer)

[Pantone247]

whats all this about? How do you balance the beater head with the bottom head? Or should I even bother trying? huh?

At present I have my rack tom and floor tom tuned a fifth apart (sort of, I think...) but the rack tom sounds lower when it rings out while the floor tom stays fairly tight and higher sounding... like the inital hit is higher on the rack, but it rings a lot lower then the floor tom...

By this point I realised I hadn't a clue what I was doing so I dampened them all over the place (both heads), which sort of helped, and I left it at that... but still, somethings amiss...

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Re: tunning drums

Did you not get the TapeOp with the drum tuning article?
All the same, if someone wanted to do an auld workshop on this, that'd rule.
Maybe at a drum recording workshop thingy, assuming there was any interest in another one of those.

 

[Break Neck Speed]

Re: tunning drums

whats all this about? How do you balance the beater head with the bottom head? Or should I even bother trying? huh?

At present I have my rack tom and floor tom tuned a fifth apart (sort of, I think...) but the rack tom sounds lower when it rings out while the floor tom stays fairly tight and higher sounding... like the inital hit is higher on the rack, but it rings a lot lower then the floor tom...

By this point I realised I hadn't a clue what I was doing so I dampened them all over the place (both heads), which sort of helped, and I left it at that... but still, somethings amiss...

Is the rack tom giving a kinda "wowm" sound when it rings out? If it is then tighten your bottom head. If you are shit at tuning look up some vids on youtube. Some good ones up there. Im good at tuning but shit at explaing.

 

[Pantone247]

Re: tunning drums

Did you not get the TapeOp with the drum tuning article?

I did, that's what got me into this mess in the first place...

actually the problem is I have no idea what makes a good sound, or what I'm looking for so I just went at it, getting the top heads to a note on my guitar was fine, but matching the resonent heads was pure pissing in the wind

Is the rack tom giving a kinda "wowm" sound when it rings out? If it is then tighten your bottom head. If you are shit at tuning look up some vids on youtube.

I think this is it, so just keep at the resonent head? what am I listening for when I'm doing that?

What happens if I just take the bottom head off? I took the front head off the kick and it made no discernable difference... I think...

I'm not much of a drummer f.y.i.

 

[rampz]

Re: tunning drums

hey fiachra. theres a good vid on youtube of dave weckl tuning drums. ive tried doing it his way and it works fairly well.

 

[rampz]

has anyone tried one of them tama rhythm watchs? any use? worth 90 euros?

 

[plug]

drum tuning = the blackest of all the black arts...

the more drum tuning advice you seek, the more conflicting information you'll probably find as well; which doesn't help.

I've found that if you've made a mess tuning a skin the best thing to do is to just take the fucker right off and start again. time consuming but what the fuck. start right, end right etc. and with drum tuning practice really helps so...

were you putting new skins on the kit pantone?

 

[shower another shower]

All I know, with modern head technology, there's no longer a need to tune across the drum. Evans heads recommend clockwise tuning.

 

[the departed]

also when you stick a head on a tom or snare, you should, with both fists, push the skin down as far as it can go(without going crazy and busting it!) to stretch it out. its the same principle as stretching strings on guitars.


in regards tuning, i was taught on the most basic level, that tune the top skin tight and bottom skin loose(toms) for a fast hit with a bigger, more resonant sound.
or tune the top skin loose and bottom tight for less resonance and more of a 'classic' dryer sound.

its snare tuning that really takes the biccie though.

 

[sparse]

My bro got one of these
http://www.thomann.de/ie/evans_datk_drumkey_stimmschluessel.htm
seems to have taken some of the pain out of tuning.

also see check out
http://www.thomann.de/ie/drums_and_more_memokey_stimmschluessel.htm

 

[Break Neck Speed]

All I know, with modern head technology, there's no longer a need to tune across the drum. Evans heads recommend clockwise tuning.

Would you not warp your hoops by tuning this way?

 

[shower another shower]

Would you not warp your hoops by tuning this way?

Wouldn't say so. Not like its high tension marching drums or anything.
Still go around tuning in small increments like you would with conventional opposite lug tuning. I still tune the old way, despite Evans' advice to go clockwise. Wonder if it would be any easier?

 

[Pedronimus]

Check Bob Gatzen out, he has loads of vids on tuning.

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http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bobgatzen&p=r

 

[nonemoreblack]

Yeah Bob Gatzen is the man.

Wasn't that impressed with the Dave Weckl stuff on tuning (don't really like the sound he ends up getting) But that guy Bob really knows his shit, you should check out his vid on bass drums it completely changed the way I set mine up for the better.

 

[old]

That was good. Thanks!

 

[Pat Pockets]

Check Bob Gatzen out, he has loads of vids on tuning.


YouTube - "Drummers Only" Bob Gatzen Drum Tuning Tip #2
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bobgatzen&p=r

Cheers for posting this, it inspired me to reskin me whole kit today I always just thought id fuck up and the whole thing would sound like shit but that vid me realise its not that hard at all, well happier with it now.

 

[Pat Pockets]

My 12" tom has started to get a mad waaoommmnn sound out of it everytime I hit it Im starting to think its the bottom skin thats the problem. Also is it that important to stretch your skins when your putting them on? cheers to anyone who can shed some light on this.

 

[the departed]

My 12" tom has started to get a mad waaoommmnn sound out of it everytime I hit it Im starting to think its the bottom skin thats the problem. Also is it that important to stretch your skins when your putting them on? cheers to anyone who can shed some light on this.

r.e stretching. its important in the sense that the skin will take aaages to settle in. so youd be tuning it every time you play and during the session.
just play around with tuning and experiment. see whats causing the whoomph. get some tape and see what that does(use tiny bits!)

 

[Pat Pockets]

Took it off completely and put it back on again, sounds pretty much the same I'll try the tape idea and might invest in some of those dampening rings

 

[the departed]

Took it off completely and put it back on again, sounds pretty much the same I'll try the tape idea and might invest in some of those dampening rings

personally i hate those rings. they kill the resonance completely. did you look at the videos posted above? its gonna be a tuning thing as well.