What does a port hole do? muffle the drum?
What does a port hole do? muffle the drum?
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You mean you want to put a hole in the resonant bass drum head?
Typically this for using a mic in a live situation. However, I think it makes most bass drums sound better and project better. There are kits for this. I believe the company is called "holz". Do a search for them... their product comes with instructions, and the product itself is a metal ring that prevents the head from cracking or tearing at the spot that you will cut.
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Some think that port holes are just for micing but they also allow the drum to breathe a little in un-mic'ed situations. It allows just enough air to escape that it gives the bass drum a little more "thud". Otherwise, the drum (depending on how it's tuned of course) can sound a little ringy or "boingy". I personally fell in love with port holes when the idea was introduced back in the 80's. Remember, port holes are not for everyone. A lot of drummers are trying to get back to a more purist way of thinking. (i.e. Why would you put a hole in the bass drum? You don't put a hole in your tom.) But as I teach my students, if you want a nice rock/funk type of thud from your kick, then why not do whatever it takes? I don't buy all this crap about you can't put a pillow in your bass drum because of x, y , and z. If you acheive the desired sound you're looking for, who cares what method you use to get it? Conversely, if you're playing traditional jazz, you're not going to be wanting a bass drum with a huge pillow and a port hole. You're going to want the drum to sing. This requires more resonance and tone from the bass drum. When I'm playing in a jazz combo, I use a smaller kit that's tuned for jazz.
Last edited by drummer; 09-04-2007 at 02:17 PM.
I ported my bass drum it does get rid of some of the ringing, and resonance that you get without it, and it does help you get more of that thud sound. I found with the head ported I didn't need to mute the drum, but if I needed some muting I could roll up a towel and stick it in the porthole without removing the head.
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i use the ol' hot tin can method for making holes. however the metal HOLZ look pretty cool.
all you have to do is take your average tin can heat it up on the stove till its red hot and place it wherever you want the hole. take safety into consideration, use gloves and make sure area under the head is not flamable.
maple goodness......
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...12802333_l.jpg
Lol funky, that does sound like fun. I took mine into the music store and they did it for me using a proper kit. I got one of those red groovy looking rings which look really cool and yes the bass drum had a better note to it (in my opinion) after that.
There's a little kit that Remo makes called DynamO's. They're just basically a stronger black plastic ring, perfectly sized to the hole. All you have to do is whip off the backing, to get the adhesive side and place it wherever you want the hole. Then with an Exacto-knife or Stanley knife, cut the hole out. The stronger plastic stops you from cutting right into your bass head, and you end up with a perfectly sized hole.
The plastic is also meant to add a fatter, more punchy thud to your bass drum, but I haven't heard too much difference so far.
I'll post up some pics of the job I did when I get a chance. I only did mine over the weekend as well.
HB58
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thanks for the suggestion guys.
LOL Good one Middleman!
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