OK I changed my mind

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
I had said many times the Remo Powerstroke 4 bass drum head is pretty cool. Today I've changed my mind.

I got a chance to really do an A-B comparison (a friend gave me a PS4 head, so I thought I'd change it during a rehearsal). I was using a Powerstroke 3 before this one and was happy with it (as usual). But when I put this PS4 on, the head felt stiffer to play, and the internet pitch seemed a bit higher than the head that was just one there. I decided to put the old head back on, and the phat lowness came back, and the nicer feel came back. Methinks there is something about the two-ply head and dampening ring that makes it feel stiffer, but I couldn't explain the higher pitch. I've tried pinstripes years ago (two-ply) on my bass drum and got a nice fat lowness out of those. The PS4 is basically a pinstripe with a additional dampening ring. It should be good?

Not sure if I got a bad head, but I've gone back to my usual PS3 head, and not sure I want to buy another PS4 just to find out. Anybody else have bad luck with a PS4 bass drum head as batter?
 
My 20” bass had a coated PS3 for years. Sounded good.
Last year I replaced it with a clear PS4 - it sounds better, deeper, solid. I’m happy.
I bury the beater, and have noticed no difference in feel.
Edit: I removed the patch on the PS4, it felt better.

I really like PS3’s on 22” drums, but I don’t own any 22’s.
 
I've never tried the PS series of BD heads. Am I missing anything being an EMAD 1 user for the last 10 years?
 
I've never tried the PS series of BD heads. Am I missing anything being an EMAD 1 user for the last 10 years?
Larry, if you like EMAD 1 which to my ear really strongly shapes a kick drums sound then a PS 3 probably won’t suit your aims unless you are after something different. I really like PS 3 on my 22 maple kick when paired with a fibre skin resonant, but this delivers a pretty open less shaped sound. The PS 3 does control the ring a little though. Personally I like my kick sound to be somewhat related to my toms (I use Uv 1 wide open).
 
Larry, if you like EMAD 1 which to my ear really strongly shapes a kick drums sound then a PS 3 probably won’t suit your aims unless you are after something different. I really like PS 3 on my 22 maple kick when paired with a fibre skin resonant, but this delivers a pretty open less shaped sound. The PS 3 does control the ring a little though. Personally I like my kick sound to be somewhat related to my toms (I use Uv 1 wide open).
I am perfectly happy with the EMAD 1. That's why I never tried a PS head. Thanks, I think you confirmed that the PS heads sound different than the EMAD heads. I'm not looking for anything different. Thanks for the info.
 
I wouldn't judge a head that quickly, but then again I've never really used anything but PS3s on my own kit, though. Already with that head clear, coated, patch or no patch makes a lot of difference. It isn't overly dampened, so I can fine tune the traditional way to my liking. If it ain't broke......
 
I'm not a hundred percent sure. But I think sometimes when you take a used head off of one drum and put it on another drum the head may not sound as good on the second drum as it would have if it was a new head. I think the heads kind of conform to the first drum so the subtle differences in bearing edges on the second drum might make the head sound not as good as it could.
 
I am perfectly happy with the EMAD 1. That's why I never tried a PS head. Thanks, I think you confirmed that the PS heads sound different than the EMAD heads. I'm not looking for anything different. Thanks for the info.
Probably the best sound I've found to my ears and mic'd up has been a PS3 with a 4" hole cut to the side, just off the muffling ring. Longer tone and more body than EMAD. I then cut the hole bigger, since I saw almost every mic's set had a 5 or 6" hole and ruined both the sound and the pedal feel. Haven't tried the 2ply version. Still debating if I want to attempt another pricey experiment, since the first head is now no good to me, but I will get another PS3 to cut a 4" hole again at some point. It was a super nice compromise.
 
My 20” bass had a coated PS3 for years. Sounded good.
Last year I replaced it with a clear PS4 - it sounds better, deeper, solid. I’m happy.
I bury the beater, and have noticed no difference in feel.
Edit: I removed the patch on the PS4, it felt better.

I really like PS3’s on 22” drums, but I don’t own any 22’s.

I had the exact same experience. Used a coated PS3 on my 16x20 Renown kick for years, then on a whim decided to switch to a clear PS4 last summer. I like it way better, as it's now punchier with more low end and a better tone overall. I did keep a Falam patch on it though.
 
In my brief 4-years on this instrument, the single-ply EMAD and single-ply-unencumbered reso have given me the greatest combination of consistency and variety for recording. I guess the drawback is that this is an unported config, which is great for recording and small acoustic/barely-amplified venues.

I have a ported PS3 Fyberskin I've thrown on when live-mic'ing.. Though in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter what head goes on the front since the audience doesn't hear it. All it really needs to do is control overtone/feedback .

Also note that I'm fairly convinced that any double ply head is defective by design.
 
Also note that I'm fairly convinced that any double ply head is defective by design.

LOL
I love this statement. "Any double ply head is defective by design."

.
 
Have any of you used the P3 with the black dot? How does that compare to the regular P3 and P4?
 
All bass drums are not made equal. The size, and material they are made of, make bass drums finicky. In my experience, I found wood shells liked SK1’s. Titanium loved PS3’s. Spun-fiberglass (which is all I play now), love the EMADS. I’m not saying certain heads would work on other shells, just my experience. All one ply for me.
 
All bass drums are not made equal. The size, and material they are made of, make bass drums finicky. In my experience, I found wood shells liked SK1’s. Titanium loved PS3’s. Spun-fiberglass (which is all I play now), love the EMADS. I’m not saying certain heads would work on other shells, just my experience. All one ply for me.
Perhaps you're right. This is on my 22x18 Pearl Reference bass drum - which is a big heavy weight wood drum. But it is strange that my Reference toms like double-ply Emperors.
 
Some years ago I tried the PS3 black dot and liked that one. It did feel a little stiffer because of the dot, but not as stiff as I experienced with this PS4, so I do like those.
Any difference in sound? Of course once you mic it up and put it though the PA those differences are minimized. I'm trying to decide between the P3 black dot and the P4 for my next bass drum head.
 
Any difference in sound? Of course once you mic it up and put it though the PA those differences are minimized. I'm trying to decide between the P3 black dot and the P4 for my next bass drum head.
I remember not having the higher pitch with the black dot. So it felt like a stiffer PS3, but the pitch didn’t go up like the PS4. I’d go with the dot.
 
I had the exact same experience. Used a coated PS3 on my 16x20 Renown kick for years, then on a whim decided to switch to a clear PS4 last summer. I like it way better, as it's now punchier with more low end and a better tone overall. I did keep a Falam patch on it though.
I've used 20-inch bass drums for many years now, and for some reason, I can never get the sound I like with a 2-ply head; It always sounds a little too muffled & dead for my taste. I really like the tone of the regular single-ply clear Evans EMAD. I've also gotten good results with Remo Powerstroke 3's.
 
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