Post your Tune-Bot settings

I'm not going to post numbers, but I want to offer up an approach that really works well for me.

First, using the tune-bot page, select frequencies from their page, selecting among the low, medium, high resonance sections, per your own preference.

Bring the tom up to those frequencies, both reso and batter. But then, tune the batter again by the Note, not the frequency number. Sounds obvious, but it makes a Giant, musical difference. You'll thank me later.
 
Last edited:
I'm not going to post numbers, but I want to offer up an approach that really works well for me.

First, using the tune-bot page, select frequencies from their page, selecting among the low, medium, high resonance sections, per your own preference.

Bring the tom up to those frequencies, both reso and batter. But then, tune the batter again by the Note, not the frequency number. Sounds obvious, but it makes a Giant, musical difference. You'll thank me later.
I agree with this, the Tune-Bot suggested frequencies get you close to the fundamental note, but not quite there.

I don't have my frequency numbers with me, but I can talk all day about the fundamentals I tune to...

First, the snare - I have settled on a G# for the snare as a good, all-purpose tuning (299/398 I believe). I'll go higher or lower for special situations, but for the most part I tune all my snares this way. It has enough cut, while still retaining some warmth and punch.

For the kick, I usually tune to a E for 22" and F# for 20".

Fundamentals of the toms depend on what configuration I'm running. Here are the most common setups I'll play:

1-up/1-down I'll usually tune to a perfect 5th interval.
12/14 A#/D# (but sometimes I'll tune to a 4th since they are so close in size, A/E)
12/16 A/D
13/16 G/C

1-up/2-down, perfect 4ths
12/14/16 A/E/B would be ideal, but B is pretty floppy for a 16, so more often I go A/E/C

2-up/1-down, a power chord (root/5th/octave)
10/12/16 D/A/D or C/G/C
10/12/14 D#/A#/D# (Dave Weckl's tuning)
10/13/16 fifths all the way (D/G/C)

2-up/2-down, I try to stick to 4th's but sometimes it's too low for the 16
10/12/14/16 D/A/E/B (D/A/E/C if the 16 is too loose)
A major chord also works well (C/G/E/C or D/A/F#/D)
Some folks like the "call to post" intervals (D/G/B/D), and this is good for getting good tone from the 16 without cranking the rack toms up too high.

3-up/2-down, I've tried two different tunings, and I like them both
8/10/12/14/16 G/D/A/E/B, same as the string tunings on a 5-string bass
I also like Phil Collins's tuning, which is a Dm7 chord (D/C/A/F/D)

All this is just for mid-range pop/rock tunings. Many more possibilities when you consider tuning very low or bop tunings.
 
I agree with this, the Tune-Bot suggested frequencies get you close to the fundamental note, but not quite there.

I don't have my frequency numbers with me, but I can talk all day about the fundamentals I tune to...

First, the snare - I have settled on a G# for the snare as a good, all-purpose tuning (299/398 I believe). I'll go higher or lower for special situations, but for the most part I tune all my snares this way. It has enough cut, while still retaining some warmth and punch.

For the kick, I usually tune to a E for 22" and F# for 20".

Fundamentals of the toms depend on what configuration I'm running. Here are the most common setups I'll play:

1-up/1-down I'll usually tune to a perfect 5th interval.
12/14 A#/D# (but sometimes I'll tune to a 4th since they are so close in size, A/E)
12/16 A/D
13/16 G/C

1-up/2-down, perfect 4ths
12/14/16 A/E/B would be ideal, but B is pretty floppy for a 16, so more often I go A/E/C

2-up/1-down, a power chord (root/5th/octave)
10/12/16 D/A/D or C/G/C
10/12/14 D#/A#/D# (Dave Weckl's tuning)
10/13/16 fifths all the way (D/G/C)

2-up/2-down, I try to stick to 4th's but sometimes it's too low for the 16
10/12/14/16 D/A/E/B (D/A/E/C if the 16 is too loose)
A major chord also works well (C/G/E/C or D/A/F#/D)
Some folks like the "call to post" intervals (D/G/B/D), and this is good for getting good tone from the 16 without cranking the rack toms up too high.

3-up/2-down, I've tried two different tunings, and I like them both
8/10/12/14/16 G/D/A/E/B, same as the string tunings on a 5-string bass
I also like Phil Collins's tuning, which is a Dm7 chord (D/C/A/F/D)

All this is just for mid-range pop/rock tunings. Many more possibilities when you consider tuning very low or bop tunings.

Isn't this all awesome? This really was a game changer for me.
 
I agree with this, the Tune-Bot suggested frequencies get you close to the fundamental note, but not quite there.

I don't have my frequency numbers with me, but I can talk all day about the fundamentals I tune to...

First, the snare - I have settled on a G# for the snare as a good, all-purpose tuning (299/398 I believe). I'll go higher or lower for special situations, but for the most part I tune all my snares this way. It has enough cut, while still retaining some warmth and punch.

For the kick, I usually tune to a E for 22" and F# for 20".

Fundamentals of the toms depend on what configuration I'm running. Here are the most common setups I'll play:

1-up/1-down I'll usually tune to a perfect 5th interval.
12/14 A#/D# (but sometimes I'll tune to a 4th since they are so close in size, A/E)
12/16 A/D
13/16 G/C

1-up/2-down, perfect 4ths
12/14/16 A/E/B would be ideal, but B is pretty floppy for a 16, so more often I go A/E/C

2-up/1-down, a power chord (root/5th/octave)
10/12/16 D/A/D or C/G/C
10/12/14 D#/A#/D# (Dave Weckl's tuning)
10/13/16 fifths all the way (D/G/C)

2-up/2-down, I try to stick to 4th's but sometimes it's too low for the 16
10/12/14/16 D/A/E/B (D/A/E/C if the 16 is too loose)
A major chord also works well (C/G/E/C or D/A/F#/D)
Some folks like the "call to post" intervals (D/G/B/D), and this is good for getting good tone from the 16 without cranking the rack toms up too high.

3-up/2-down, I've tried two different tunings, and I like them both
8/10/12/14/16 G/D/A/E/B, same as the string tunings on a 5-string bass
I also like Phil Collins's tuning, which is a Dm7 chord (D/C/A/F/D)

All this is just for mid-range pop/rock tunings. Many more possibilities when you consider tuning very low or bop tunings.
This is very cool, I know I’m late to the party, but I just got a tunebot and I’m struggling a little bit.

The suggestions are close, but are not quite there and I was wondering if you might be able to post a few of the ones you use?

I’m going to try your snare settings tomorrow first thing, but I’m really curious with the 299/398 snare what you would tune the kick to?

I’m trying to record some classic rock sounding stuff and I’m a band of one and I’m have a really hard time with these drums. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you!
 
This is very cool, I know I’m late to the party, but I just got a tunebot and I’m struggling a little bit.

The suggestions are close, but are not quite there and I was wondering if you might be able to post a few of the ones you use?

I’m going to try your snare settings tomorrow first thing, but I’m really curious with the 299/398 snare what you would tune the kick to?

I’m trying to record some classic rock sounding stuff and I’m a band of one and I’m have a really hard time with these drums. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you!
For the bass drum, it depends on the size. If you are using a 22" bass drum, then go with a D or an E.

Do you have the TuneBot app? It really goes part and parcel with the device. There is a calculator where you can tune a tom, snare, or bass drum for a specific note and resonance. You get maximum resonance when the batter and reso heads are tuned to the same pitch, so if you choose maximum resonance in the app, you will get the same tuning for both heads. Greater differences in pitch between the batter and reso result in less resonance. I think a good starting point is to use the "high" or "medium" resonance settings and see how they sound.

Here are the specific pitches I'm using right now, batter head frequency first, then reso head frequency. I'm tuning to a D-minor chord, similar to how Danny Carrey tunes his drums, and it sounds good with various styles of music. I like this tuning because the floor toms are high enough to have some tone, rather than just thud and rumble, and the rack toms are not so high that they sound tinny.

22" bass drum (D) 55/82
16" floor tom (D) 117/139
14" floor tom (F) 139/165
12" rack tom (A) 175/208
10" rack tom (D) 233/277

One disadvantage of this, that I've noticed when I have them mic'd up at home, is that the bass drum causes sympathetic vibration in the 16" floor tom, since they're tuned to the same pitch (an octave apart). In a mix with other instruments, I doubt it would be that noticeable, but I might try tuning the bass drum to an E (61/91) to try to avoid this.

This tuning has a minor third interval between the batter and reso on the toms, which is somewhat in between the high and medium resonance settings in the TuneBot calculator. If you want more info on how I came up with these numbers, let me know.

For my snare, I've found that tuning the reso head a little lower than I previously suggested seems to give the snare a more open sound. 398 Hz on the reso head starts to choke some of my snare drums. So these days I've been tuning it to around 370 or so, and then tuning up the top head until I get to a G or G# on the fundamental. Usually ending up around 310 or so on the batter head. For me, a tighter batter head is usually a good thing, as it makes double strokes that much easier to pull off.
 
For the bass drum, it depends on the size. If you are using a 22" bass drum, then go with a D or an E.

Do you have the TuneBot app? It really goes part and parcel with the device. There is a calculator where you can tune a tom, snare, or bass drum for a specific note and resonance. You get maximum resonance when the batter and reso heads are tuned to the same pitch, so if you choose maximum resonance in the app, you will get the same tuning for both heads. Greater differences in pitch between the batter and reso result in less resonance. I think a good starting point is to use the "high" or "medium" resonance settings and see how they sound.

Here are the specific pitches I'm using right now, batter head frequency first, then reso head frequency. I'm tuning to a D-minor chord, similar to how Danny Carrey tunes his drums, and it sounds good with various styles of music. I like this tuning because the floor toms are high enough to have some tone, rather than just thud and rumble, and the rack toms are not so high that they sound tinny.

22" bass drum (D) 55/82
16" floor tom (D) 117/139
14" floor tom (F) 139/165
12" rack tom (A) 175/208
10" rack tom (D) 233/277

One disadvantage of this, that I've noticed when I have them mic'd up at home, is that the bass drum causes sympathetic vibration in the 16" floor tom, since they're tuned to the same pitch (an octave apart). In a mix with other instruments, I doubt it would be that noticeable, but I might try tuning the bass drum to an E (61/91) to try to avoid this.

This tuning has a minor third interval between the batter and reso on the toms, which is somewhat in between the high and medium resonance settings in the TuneBot calculator. If you want more info on how I came up with these numbers, let me know.

For my snare, I've found that tuning the reso head a little lower than I previously suggested seems to give the snare a more open sound. 398 Hz on the reso head starts to choke some of my snare drums. So these days I've been tuning it to around 370 or so, and then tuning up the top head until I get to a G or G# on the fundamental. Usually ending up around 310 or so on the batter head. For me, a tighter batter head is usually a good thing, as it makes double strokes that much easier to pull off.
This is very helpful, thank you for taking the time to respond. There are so many schools of thought on how to tune drums and I really liked your approach.

I haven’t looked into the app and I’m checking that out right now.

I have 3 toms but right now I’m concentrating on just getting the kick and snare to be tuned and sound nice together.

If I were using a stripped down kit would it sound unnatural to have the snare and bass drum tuned to the same note? Or does the octave difference make it work? What kind of interval relationships do people look for between snare/bass when they have simple set up like this?

I know dampening drums is controversial, but if we’re to do that, would I need to take that into consideration when I am tuning the drums? Maybe tune a little higher and try to dampen to a nice pitch?

Really appreciate your input.
 
This is very helpful, thank you for taking the time to respond. There are so many schools of thought on how to tune drums and I really liked your approach.

I haven’t looked into the app and I’m checking that out right now.

I have 3 toms but right now I’m concentrating on just getting the kick and snare to be tuned and sound nice together.

If I were using a stripped down kit would it sound unnatural to have the snare and bass drum tuned to the same note? Or does the octave difference make it work? What kind of interval relationships do people look for between snare/bass when they have simple set up like this?

I know dampening drums is controversial, but if we’re to do that, would I need to take that into consideration when I am tuning the drums? Maybe tune a little higher and try to dampen to a nice pitch?

Really appreciate your input.
It would be difficult to tune the bass drum and snare to the same note. Let's assume you have a 22" kick, which in my experience generally sounds good in the range of D/D#/E. You could then go up 2 octaves for your snare, but that would still be a rather low tuning for a snare drum. You also might want to minimize snare buzz from the other drums, and for that it helps to have the snare drum tuned to a note that none of your other drums are tuned to.

My suggestion is to experiment with a couple different fundamental pitches for your bass drum and snare drum, and find out which you like best for each drum, and then select pitches for your toms to work around it. A good all-purpose medium snare tuning would be in the range of G or G#, that could be a good starting point to try, and then go higher or lower depending on your tastes. Every drum is different, and what sounds great on one drum might not be best for another. The TuneBot is a great tool for getting your drum tuned to a certain pitch, but you still need to experiment to find out what sounds best with your kit, your music, and your ears.
 
It would be difficult to tune the bass drum and snare to the same note. Let's assume you have a 22" kick, which in my experience generally sounds good in the range of D/D#/E. You could then go up 2 octaves for your snare, but that would still be a rather low tuning for a snare drum. You also might want to minimize snare buzz from the other drums, and for that it helps to have the snare drum tuned to a note that none of your other drums are tuned to.

My suggestion is to experiment with a couple different fundamental pitches for your bass drum and snare drum, and find out which you like best for each drum, and then select pitches for your toms to work around it. A good all-purpose medium snare tuning would be in the range of G or G#, that could be a good starting point to try, and then go higher or lower depending on your tastes. Every drum is different, and what sounds great on one drum might not be best for another. The TuneBot is a great tool for getting your drum tuned to a certain pitch, but you still need to experiment to find out what sounds best with your kit, your music, and your ears.
Thanks again! You are definitely on point. I think I have done enough research it’s time to really try a few things and trust my ears, cause they have taken me this far.

This helps a lot man, I am tuning my snare to a G as we speak and I’m gunna try to get my 22” kick to a D and see how that sounds together. I’ll try my best to work with the drum and not against it.

Really appreciate your time Eric. There is no substitute for experience in the drumworld, and I am learning that the hard way, but thanks to people such as yourself, I’m having a lot of fun giving it try.

Keep doing what you do!
 
This is a great thread! Quick snare question- for those of you with multiple snares, do you keep them tuned differently, or in the same basic area? I am doing a lot of recording, and have seven or so snares. I am trying to get each one around what I think is their sweet spot. I am keeping most reso’s around 390, and batters range from 250-310.
For snares, is there an upside to having them tuned to a note, or are all the various spots along the spectrum cool?
 
This is a great thread! Quick snare question- for those of you with multiple snares, do you keep them tuned differently, or in the same basic area? I am doing a lot of recording, and have seven or so snares. I am trying to get each one around what I think is their sweet spot. I am keeping most reso’s around 390, and batters range from 250-310.
For snares, is there an upside to having them tuned to a note, or are all the various spots along the spectrum cool?
There is no need to tune a snare to a specific note IMHO. Just tune it until it sounds good.

I generally tune my resos to between 370 and 400, and when I go for a lower tuning, I'll just detune the batter, and keep the reso where it is.
 
This is a great thread! Quick snare question- for those of you with multiple snares, do you keep them tuned differently, or in the same basic area? I am doing a lot of recording, and have seven or so snares. I am trying to get each one around what I think is their sweet spot. I am keeping most reso’s around 390, and batters range from 250-310.
For snares, is there an upside to having them tuned to a note, or are all the various spots along the spectrum cool?
I have 4 snares. My tuning is about the same as yours, the batters on 3 range from 296 to 310 and the reso's 370 to 390. The different heads and wires and drum characteristics give me different sounds . The exception is my 6 lug Ludwig Pioneer. It seems to favour a lower tuning - batter 270 and reso 370. It sounds a bit thin when I tried it at the higher tunebot settings of the others.
 
Thanks for posting. I use moongels to record, but am going a lot with the half moongel these days. The moongel made it too dry here for my liking.
 
Very interesting CBphoto,

I have serious difficulties telling the difference between the various snares. Which one is your favorite tuning of all?
Yes, the sonic differences between the wires is not as pronounced with this drum as it is with my other snare drums (e.g., SLP G-Maple).

Because this Spotted Gum is very hard wood (harder and higher on the Janga scale than bubinga) it cuts through noise (guitars, keys, screaming women) like a metal shell. To me it feels best tuned low, with Moon Gel applied. It has an excellent cut from the rim shot. When tuned high & tight, it only gets sharper.

Now that I know the Tama 10-hole die cast hoop works on Starphonic snare drums, I'm saving up for one.
 
Yes, the sonic differences between the wires is not as pronounced with this drum as it is with my other snare drums (e.g., SLP G-Maple).

Because this Spotted Gum is very hard wood (harder and higher on the Janga scale than bubinga) it cuts through noise (guitars, keys, screaming women) like a metal shell. To me it feels best tuned low, with Moon Gel applied. It has an excellent cut from the rim shot. When tuned high & tight, it only gets sharper.

Now that I know the Tama 10-hole die cast hoop works on Starphonic snare drums, I'm saving up for one.
Ok.

I agree with the low tuning, it's like day and night with or without the moon gel, could it even be played without it at a lower tuning?

I also wonder what kind of heads are installed on your snare? and what about the popular belief that the snare side head needs to be super tight (much tighter then the batter side), the maximum that the head/hardware can talk almost?

Close to 400hz on the lugs, I don't know the result of the fundamental frequency for the individual head with the lugs @400hz exactly.. it must be more then then 199hz.

In your tests, you seem to prefer equal heads or almost equal.
 
Ok.

I agree with the low tuning, it's like day and night with or without the moon gel, could it even be played without it at a lower tuning?
With a Genera or Genera dry. Or one of those Big Fat Snare Drum rings.

I also wonder what kind of heads are installed on your snare?
Evan coated G1 over Evans Hazy 300.

and what about the popular belief that the snare side head needs to be super tight (much tighter then the batter side), the maximum that the head/hardware can talk almost?
I found I prefer the sound of my snare drums with the reso head not "super tight". I tried it, years ago, and don't like the choked sound.

Close to 400hz on the lugs, I don't know the result of the fundamental frequency for the individual head with the lugs @400hz exactly.. it must be more then then 199hz.

In your tests, you seem to prefer equal heads or almost equal.
This wasn't any kind of specific test. It was just a simple demonstration, using three mics and a semi-dry room. The challenge (to me) was to demonstrate the differences in head tension and wires without adding anything to the signal except EQ (the same EQ to all examples) to make it sound as authentic as I could (I'm sure a pro mix engineer would make it sound much better).

My preference for head tension is to make the drum sound good. When I first received my Starphonic Aluminum, the reso head was tuned low and the drum sounded really fat! Now my rule of thumb is to balance the cut and the fat using head tension and snappies.
 
I found I prefer the sound of my snare drums with the reso head not "super tight". I tried it, years ago, and don't like the choked sound.
I'm moving in the direction of applying less tension to my snare reso as well. It's still tight but looser than my previous norm. I'm enjoying the spacious sound and softer feel. Right now, I'm running a Diplomat Hazy Snare Side (2mil). Its thinness maintains sensitivity and dryness even at lower tunings. It also conforms better to the snare beds without being cranked than thicker heads do. Its tuning range is much broader than I expected.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top