How to reduce snare buzz?

[NoiseInMotion]

After offsetting my kit, I noticed that my 12" tom is causing my snare to buzz. What can I do to stop that?

[animal]

get rid of the snare. lol

[animal]

i know this is a shot in the dark and I speak from NO experience but, would the orientation of the snare wires effect snare buzz from a different position. Example, instead of the snare wires running 3 and 9 o`clock how about 9 and 11 or even 12 and 6 ? Just a question maybe someone can answer.

[yohin]

Wasn't there just a thread about this?

[NoiseInMotion]

get rid of the snare. lol

I kinda need it lol

Wasn't there just a thread about this?

*shrug*

/edit:
If you're talking about this thread, that's about controlling overtones and stuff, not the actual snares buzzing from nearby vibrations.

[bloodylipp]

tighten the snares. if you cant get them tight enough, re-seat them and then tighten them

[SladeGT40]

is the buzz from hitting the snare? or the toms? sometimes tuning my first rack tom up or down a bit will get it out of the resonant freq of the snares bottom head.

[NoiseInMotion]

It buzzes when I hit the tom closest to the snare. And blooddylipp, I don't think the snares could be any tighter if I tried. I had a guy at Sam Ash give it a tune up sometime last summer and it's still going strong.

[bloodylipp]

mine slightly buzz when i hit the high tom, but thats just part of nature. not really much a way around it.

[animal]

I know I am not very experienced with the drums but I have my snare wires really loose. I found it allows the drum to vibrate freely with nice open tone. If i tighten the snare wires up, it just kills the tone of the drum and chokes it out. I also have a looser tuning for that rock tone.

[fumbled time]

The buzz is common, some of the suggestions on here are good starting points. Overall it is as old a problem as drumming has been around(ok set drumming).

[bloodylipp]

I know I am not very experienced with the drums but I have my snare wires really loose. I found it allows the drum to vibrate freely with nice open tone. If i tighten the snare wires up, it just kills the tone of the drum and chokes it out. I also have a looser tuning for that rock tone.

all depends on the sound you want, i cant stand a long snare tone. i like it short, quick and loud. long tones blend with other drums and it gets over crowded and noisy. i like a studio type sound. if i wanted it to ring forever i would have played a timpani...

[SEAN8293]

what heads do you use? you might wanna try Evans EC2s, also try tuning the tom, both the reso and the batter

[ThePloughman]

Exactly what do we mean by the "snares are tight?"

This sympathetic vibration is caused by tuning frequencies of your tom and snare being quite close together. That and a combination of a loose reso head on the snare(possibly), or very loose wires, or very loose tuning on your tom.

[NoiseInMotion]

I got it to stop. Turns out the snares were a lot looser than I originally thought. I tightened them up REAL good, no buzz at all now.

[ThePloughman]

Just remember it should not require significant force to engage your strainer. Over tightening the snare wires will prematurely stretch them out, choke your sound, and will cause damage if you are playing a thin shelled metal drum, you will develope a dent under your throwoff.

[Nechre]

Hmm. Sympathetic snare buzz can result from tuning or from vibration. If drums are moving lots of air, you'll naturally get some rattling from the snares. If the drums are tuned to a similar pitch you'll also develop a buzz. When this occurs it's usually more pronounced and usually happens with high toms.

Something to consider other than tuning is the number of snare wires you have. The more strands on your snare the more sympathetic buzz you will get.

[echoe09]

So, i have the same problem as you do, and i fixed it by tightening, now i think i overtightened and streched out the snares. Ive been looking around for snare wires and saw these bad boys..

[Sorry echoe09, but the link sold the snare wires, making it a commercial link. I gave you a pick of the wires instead. - PB]



They are said to reduce/remove sympathetic buzzing but still have full sound..

Maybe this is the answer to our problems! Besides drier crisper sound is always a plus in the snare.

Note, i havent tried these or really heard much about them but if they do what they say they do then they are a must have to reduce/remove unwanted snare buzz.

[xsabers]

Yep, Puresound wires rock. Never tried this model though. I think I will next opportunity though.

[The Chazbo]

I find tuning my highest tom slightly different elimates the snare buzz when I hit it...as far as I'm aware it's something to do with frequencies conflicting But yeah, when you're playing with a band, etc, it's only really noticable from the drivers seat

[pastor_bob]

i know this is a shot in the dark and I speak from NO experience but, would the orientation of the snare wires effect snare buzz from a different position. Example, instead of the snare wires running 3 and 9 o`clock how about 9 and 11 or even 12 and 6 ? Just a question maybe someone can answer.

Animal, the snare drum usually comes with what are called "snare beds" that are cut into the bottom bearing edge to made sure the snare wires get close contact with the resonant head. The reso hoop is also cut to allow the straps of the snare wires to pass through, so no other orientation than the one provided can be achieved.

[veafer]

Me thinks snare buzz has been the topic of conversation since the civil war, at least. That's when one of the drummers asked the another how drummer how he could get his snare buzz under control while the cannons where going off in the background. Same answer then as now....Ya can't.........lol

[xsabers]

Animal, the snare drum usually comes with what are called "snare beds" that are cut into the bottom bearing edge to made sure the snare wires get close contact with the resonant head. The reso hoop is also cut to allow the straps of the snare wires to pass through, so no other orientation than the one provided can be achieved.

Um, well you could rotate the whole drum...

[van davis]

I have tried every Trick and tip but my snares still buzz but only when i hit my 8" and 10" maple toms, it dont buzz when i hit the 12" , 13", 14", or 15", or my : floor toms either, and i play DW maple Colectors series, my snare is 10 ply maple, and came fitted with copper snare wires, it really is anoying , but also my 13" side snare doesn't buzz at all, and its worse when my band has there Marshall stack amps going, any advice would be great, i may be late to this conversation, oh and i dont want to switch my DW wires for other brands,

[crispycritters]

I have found that retuning my toms (and checking the snare reso head/snare tension and retuning/adjusting if necessary) can remove it. If I do this I find my kit now may sound pretty crappy. With my rock kit I like low tuning, my 13 tom is the main culprit when its low - if I tune a bit higher it seems to move to my 12 its not too bad but its still there.

I want to switch to 12,14,16 instead of my current 12,13,16 and keep tuning low, but I feel this is giving in and I need to learn more about tuning my kit.

I think I might try out a set of these snare wires. My problem isn't too bad but it is annoying at times and I would prefer not to have it, or at least reduce the buzz as much as possible.