Elvis
Silver Member
Re: THE SNARE TUNING THREAD.
drumzz2much,
Could be one or more of a number of factors.
1) If this is your first time using that head, it could be that it produces a sound (with the snares on) that is not to your liking.
I outfitted my drums with some MV's once, only to find that I didn't like it. Too dry and the snare had gained a "thick, muted sound.
The coating on the MV's is thicker than on most coated heads, thus the reason they sound the way they do.
2) The snare mechanism/assembly could be at fault. Strings/straps might be stretching. The snare itself might be misaligned (a commonly overlooked problem), the mechanism (throw-off) might be misadjusted, or worn to the point that it doesn't sit the snare on the head with the same tension each time. It could also be misaligning the snare as it is turned on (I've seen 'em move sideways many times).
3) Could be a rod backing off. They do this sometimes. You get everything tuned up to produce a great sound, but after a little bit of playing, the drum falls out of tune because one or more lugs are backing off. I had this happen in the studio once...talk about a nightmare!
4) The "nice" sound you're hearing with the snares off could be a factor of the snare side head being allowed to move more freely. With the snares on, it's movement is heavily restricted. The resulting sound might not be to your liking.
This would require playing with snare tension AND batter head tension to alter the sound more to your liking.
5) Hitting the center of any drum head under tension is a "dead zone". The drum will take on a deeper and darker tone, but it will be much drier (which can sometimes come across as a "tubby" sound). If you hit the head in the middle area between the center and the edge, the sound will become more full and sustain will increase.
However, as you move your "striking point" closer to the edge, the drum's sound also becomes more "tinny".
There's a few things to look at.
Let us know how you make out.
Elvis
drumzz2much,
Could be one or more of a number of factors.
1) If this is your first time using that head, it could be that it produces a sound (with the snares on) that is not to your liking.
I outfitted my drums with some MV's once, only to find that I didn't like it. Too dry and the snare had gained a "thick, muted sound.
The coating on the MV's is thicker than on most coated heads, thus the reason they sound the way they do.
2) The snare mechanism/assembly could be at fault. Strings/straps might be stretching. The snare itself might be misaligned (a commonly overlooked problem), the mechanism (throw-off) might be misadjusted, or worn to the point that it doesn't sit the snare on the head with the same tension each time. It could also be misaligning the snare as it is turned on (I've seen 'em move sideways many times).
3) Could be a rod backing off. They do this sometimes. You get everything tuned up to produce a great sound, but after a little bit of playing, the drum falls out of tune because one or more lugs are backing off. I had this happen in the studio once...talk about a nightmare!
4) The "nice" sound you're hearing with the snares off could be a factor of the snare side head being allowed to move more freely. With the snares on, it's movement is heavily restricted. The resulting sound might not be to your liking.
This would require playing with snare tension AND batter head tension to alter the sound more to your liking.
5) Hitting the center of any drum head under tension is a "dead zone". The drum will take on a deeper and darker tone, but it will be much drier (which can sometimes come across as a "tubby" sound). If you hit the head in the middle area between the center and the edge, the sound will become more full and sustain will increase.
However, as you move your "striking point" closer to the edge, the drum's sound also becomes more "tinny".
There's a few things to look at.
Let us know how you make out.
Elvis