McNeil Pro Drumming
Member
I realize there are other threads on this topic but I wanted to go into detail on an issue I’m having with sympathetic snare buzz that is being caused by the positioning of bass guitar amplifiers.
I've got my drums tuned up nicely. If I play my kit alone there is no excessive sympathetic snare buzz. So my issue isn’t in the way my drums are tuned.
However, I've noticed that bass instruments (usually electric bass) can cause my drums to resonate on their own. This happens when certain frequencies are played on the bass when the bass amp is within approximately 2 feet of my drums. The volume of the bass does not seem to be an issue (I’ve played extremely loud rock gigs before without a problem as long as the bass amp is 3 feet or more away from my drums). This problem seems to be almost entirely based on proximity of the bass sound source and (b which pitch the bass produces at any given moment.
When this occurs my snare drum emits really loud sympathetic snare buzz. To make matters worse, because the buzz is excited only by certain frequencies, it starts and stops abruptly which makes it very noticeable. For a loud rock gig when everyone is constantly playing at a high level of volume and the music contains very little sonic space this isn’t as much of a problem. However, I played a ballroom dancing gig the other night where we were are playing very quietly and because of the proximity of the bass amp my snare was emitting a lot of loud sympathetic snare buzz. I do about 120 gigs a year and only experience this once in a while but when it happens it is kind of annoying.
The bass player was not playing particularly loud. It was entirely because of the proximity of the bass amp. I know that it was being caused by the bass because the buzz would happen in time with what the bass player was playing and would light up on certain pitches. I knew this because it would get better or worse depending on what key the band was playing in (the notes that were setting the snare off were played more or less often in certain keys so on some songs there wasn’t a problem).
Obviously this was a problem because we were trying to play subtle ballroom dancing music and the music had some sonic space in it. So when I'm playing a cross stick 8th note groove on a ballad it sounds really bad if the snare is making all sorts of racket that has nothing to do with the music. I assume it is less obvious the further you walk away from the kit and obviously it didn’t ruin the gig, but I still think it's a problem.
Again, I have trouble shot this and have figured out that it is caused entirely by the proximity of the bass sound source and by the specific frequencies produced. I know this because a) my drums do not create extreme sympathetic snare buzz on their own b) I have played in situations with extremely loud bass guitar and not experienced this problem as long as the amp was 3 or more feet away from my drums c) it only occurs when the amp is within about 2 feet of my drums and happens in time with what the bass player is playing on certain pitches.
I don’t want to completely eliminate the minimal and natural sympathetic snare buzz that my drums produce on their own because the sound of drums and cymbals acoustically interacting with one another is part of what makes an acoustic drum set sound like an acoustic drum set (as opposed to a midi/triggered drum set). The amount of snare buzz caused by my own kit is within an exceptable range as is anyways. I simply want to find a way to eliminate this issue of extreme snare buzz caused by the proximity of the bass amp.
An obvious answer would be to set the bass amp up in a way in which this does not occur. However, this is not always possible due to space limitations and imperfect gig conditions. Changing the tuning of the drums is not an option either because a) that is not the source of the problem in the first place b) I like the way they are tuned and c) changing the tuning of the drums would only shift which bass frequencies would cause the buzz.
Are there any tricks or special gear anyone knows of that could help to solve this problem?
Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Cheers
I've got my drums tuned up nicely. If I play my kit alone there is no excessive sympathetic snare buzz. So my issue isn’t in the way my drums are tuned.
However, I've noticed that bass instruments (usually electric bass) can cause my drums to resonate on their own. This happens when certain frequencies are played on the bass when the bass amp is within approximately 2 feet of my drums. The volume of the bass does not seem to be an issue (I’ve played extremely loud rock gigs before without a problem as long as the bass amp is 3 feet or more away from my drums). This problem seems to be almost entirely based on proximity of the bass sound source and (b which pitch the bass produces at any given moment.
When this occurs my snare drum emits really loud sympathetic snare buzz. To make matters worse, because the buzz is excited only by certain frequencies, it starts and stops abruptly which makes it very noticeable. For a loud rock gig when everyone is constantly playing at a high level of volume and the music contains very little sonic space this isn’t as much of a problem. However, I played a ballroom dancing gig the other night where we were are playing very quietly and because of the proximity of the bass amp my snare was emitting a lot of loud sympathetic snare buzz. I do about 120 gigs a year and only experience this once in a while but when it happens it is kind of annoying.
The bass player was not playing particularly loud. It was entirely because of the proximity of the bass amp. I know that it was being caused by the bass because the buzz would happen in time with what the bass player was playing and would light up on certain pitches. I knew this because it would get better or worse depending on what key the band was playing in (the notes that were setting the snare off were played more or less often in certain keys so on some songs there wasn’t a problem).
Obviously this was a problem because we were trying to play subtle ballroom dancing music and the music had some sonic space in it. So when I'm playing a cross stick 8th note groove on a ballad it sounds really bad if the snare is making all sorts of racket that has nothing to do with the music. I assume it is less obvious the further you walk away from the kit and obviously it didn’t ruin the gig, but I still think it's a problem.
Again, I have trouble shot this and have figured out that it is caused entirely by the proximity of the bass sound source and by the specific frequencies produced. I know this because a) my drums do not create extreme sympathetic snare buzz on their own b) I have played in situations with extremely loud bass guitar and not experienced this problem as long as the amp was 3 or more feet away from my drums c) it only occurs when the amp is within about 2 feet of my drums and happens in time with what the bass player is playing on certain pitches.
I don’t want to completely eliminate the minimal and natural sympathetic snare buzz that my drums produce on their own because the sound of drums and cymbals acoustically interacting with one another is part of what makes an acoustic drum set sound like an acoustic drum set (as opposed to a midi/triggered drum set). The amount of snare buzz caused by my own kit is within an exceptable range as is anyways. I simply want to find a way to eliminate this issue of extreme snare buzz caused by the proximity of the bass amp.
An obvious answer would be to set the bass amp up in a way in which this does not occur. However, this is not always possible due to space limitations and imperfect gig conditions. Changing the tuning of the drums is not an option either because a) that is not the source of the problem in the first place b) I like the way they are tuned and c) changing the tuning of the drums would only shift which bass frequencies would cause the buzz.
Are there any tricks or special gear anyone knows of that could help to solve this problem?
Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Cheers