Drum Dial or Torque Key?

[drnez]

Looking for some input on both of these. I found that I am pretty bad at tuning by ear, so I'm hoping one of these products will be helpful. The real question is, which is the best bang for the buck?

The Drum Dial is about $50, where as one of the cheap torque keys is only about $15 or so. Is the drum dial good enough that its worth the extra $35?

[tlabrie]

I have never used a torque but I do own a drum dial and I am very glad that I bought one

[DLDante]

I own both. The DrumDial is handy if you just simply cannot tune by ear. It'll help you achieve a nice and even tune but it's also time consuming and somewhat tedious. I loved it until I got the hang of tuning by ear. I've never used it since.

Once you do get the hang of tuning by ear, the torque key is excellent. It won't give you a perfect tune straight away but it'll get you so close that you only need to make slight adjustments. For those that can tune by ear, the torque key speeds the process up.

So DrumDial if you're not confident in your tuning-by-ear skills, torque key once you finally are confident.

[Jerzey Street Band (JSB)]

I own both. The DrumDial is handy if you just simply cannot tune by ear. It'll help you achieve a nice and even tune but it's also time consuming and somewhat tedious. I loved it until I got the hang of tuning by ear. I've never used it since.

Once you do get the hang of tuning by ear, the torque key is excellent. It won't give you a perfect tune straight away but it'll get you so close that you only need to make slight adjustments. For those that can tune by ear, the torque key speeds the process up.

So DrumDial if you're not confident in your tuning-by-ear skills, torque key once you finally are confident.

+1

I have the drum dial and it was great when I was awful at tuning by ear, now I am comfortable tuning by ear and rarely use it

Remember the drum dial will not give you perfect tuning, it will give you perfect tension which sometimes can be two very different things. Lots of different things can affect the tension of the head at different tension rods. I had a 10" tom that was affected at one tension rod due to a nick in the bearing edge at that point and I never got a clear reading from the drum dial for that rod.

I guess if your drums are new (or better looked after than mine) then you will not have this type of problem.

As for the torque key, I have never used one myself but as DLDante said I believe it makes the tuning process alot quicker and then you can fine tune by ear.

[Russ]

I've heard a few people complaining that the torque key didn't do anything, or else was simply too hard to figure out. Haven't heard too much bad stuff about the dial however,(I own one as well) and i've found it very easy to use and helpful. 60 bucks ain't that bad for the peace of mind that you get from knowing how easy it is to get your drums in tune finally. I think i'd much rather get the dial over the key, because a dial eliminates the need for a specialized key anyways. TK's might be good for getting the same turn on all lugs, but because you can never read the status of the drum by looking at the key it just isn't as good as the dial. Shortens your tuning time, maximizes your playing time. No brainer.

[Atomic]

I like the key.

I have it and it barely takes me 10 minutes to tune my entire kit to the way I like it. It gets you very close to the tuning you had before, but you will usually have to adjust 1 or 2 of the tension rods to get perfect. But it gets it very close to perfect.

[drnez]

Awesome. Thanks for the advise. I'll probably go pickup a DD this weekend.

[scottd]

Agree with Atomic. I would go with the torque key. I have one and it works well. The way i use it is to get even tension as a starting point then fine tune around the lugs by ear. With a little practice most people should be able to tune by ear unless they are completely tone deaf.

[gonefishin]

Awesome. Thanks for the advise. I'll probably go pickup a DD this weekend.

I got mine from Drum Bum.

I tuned my set by ear for 30 years before buying the Drum Dial. Its great for getting the drums in the ball park of what sound you are wanting.

[DLDante]

I've heard a few people complaining that the torque key didn't do anything, or else was simply too hard to figure out.

It really isn't hard to use at all. There's a dial with numbers ranging from 0 to 9 (with 9 being the tightest tune). Simply set your level and adjust the lugs (in a star pattern of course) until the key clicks, letting you know that you've reached the desired torque. Now all of your lugs have the same torque. Now, having the same torque doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get the same tone from each lug. I think this is where people get messed up.

The second step is to tap around the lugs as you normally would when tuning. Usually you'll only have one or two that need to be slightly adjusted to get the same tone.

The torque key DOES NOT eliminate the need for tuning by ear, it simply speeds up the process by giving you a better starting point. It also makes it easier for you to tune your drums the same each time. Once you do know how to tune by ear, the torque key is an excellent shortcut. If you can't tune by ear, it'll still be as frustrating as using a regular key.

[Larrysperf]

Torque key and nice old tuning key and away you go. Nuff said

[pastor_bob]

I agree that the Torque Key is fairly simple to use, and it gets you in the ballpark pretty quickly. I don't use it much anymore, because my ability to tune by ear has gotten better. I guess I look at it as this: if I am only going to use it until I can tune by ear, I'd rather get the cheaper device. What can I say? I'm just cheap that way!

[drnez]

Amen to that! The main reason I want one is my hearing is not as good as it use to be. I suffered from extreme hearing loss in my left ear as a child, and it makes it difficult to pick up subtle pitch differences. Having something (anything) to help get close to the mark will be of great benefit, even if its not perfect.

[wm_crash]

If you have a cheap kit with manufacturing imperfections, then the torque key will only mess you up. An even torque in the lugs does NOT translate into even pressure applied to the rim of the head.

If you can afford an expensive kit that is absolutely perfectly cut and everything is dead on even, then you should buy the torque key, the drum dial, and the tension watch.

cheers,
wm_crash, the friendly hooligan

[xsabers]

I agree that the Torque Key is fairly simple to use, and it gets you in the ballpark pretty quickly. I don't use it much anymore, because my ability to tune by ear has gotten better. I guess I look at it as this: if I am only going to use it until I can tune by ear, I'd rather get the cheaper device. What can I say? I'm just cheap that way!

Wow, PB, that's something I would like to see! I can never seem to get a good grip on the tension rod with my apparently underdeveloped ear lobe muscles.


...sigh, afraid it's the ol' drum key for me...

[Cant Get Enough]

I use all three. Sometimes If I'm haveing trouble I'll try all three until I get the best tune on a particular drum and maybe change on the next drum. Just depends

[pastor_bob]

Wow, PB, that's something I would like to see! I can never seem to get a good grip on the tension rod with my apparently underdeveloped ear lobe muscles.

I'll just have to do a video and show you my technique!

[rglassma]

I have been using the drum dial for about 6 months now. I absolutely love it. If you want to precision tune your drums and repeat the tuning over and over, nothing beats it. I know that my drums are totally in tune no matter what tension the lugs are at. If I want to tune a snare drum to a certain sound, I set the tension on the beater head at 90 and the tension on the res. head at 80., etc... It just works..

I have a torque key also. The problem with it is torque instead of head tension controls the key. Hence, if you have a slightly warped hoop, and one lug or more are deeper in the threads, the tension can change. Also, if there is debris or rust in the threads, there will be more torque necessary to turn a lug. Hence, you will not necessarily have even tension on the head all the way around.. This is a fact based on first hand experience. I have compared the two. And have had uneven tension using the a torque key.

The drum dial is the best 60 bucks that I have ever spent !!! I highly recommend it. I would advise you though to be gentle and not drop it or shake it up too much... It can affect the callibration..

[DLDante]

...Hence, you will not necessarily have even tension on the head all the way around.. This is a fact based on first hand experience. I have compared the two. And have had uneven tension using the a torque key.

See, this is exactly why the torque key gets a bad rep even though it's an awesome tool. Many will use a setting on the torque key, tighten the lugs and think they're done. You still need to tap around the lugs and tune by ear from that point. The torque key only speeds up the process of tuning by ear, it doesn't eliminate it.

The Drum Dial is the closest you'll come to eliminating tuning by ear. It does the trick but it's a cumbersome process. I used to dread tuning my drums with this thing. The Drum Dial itself weighs like 3 pounds and I found myself having to go around the lugs 3 and 4 times before getting a perfectly even tension all around. You also have to be very careful with the little spike on the bottom (which is how the tension is measured) because if you are too hasty you can put a small dent in your drum head with it. Again, the Drum Dial definitely works and it was a life saver when I was first starting out. But now that I've gotten the hang of tuning by ear I can't see myself ever using it again.

I know everyone wants to compare these two things and say this one is better than that one but it's really apples and oranges. The torque is a shortcut for those that already know how to tune by ear while the Drum Dial is a crutch for those that aren't so great at it. Not saying that you can't use the Drum Dial if you can tune by ear, but I can't see why you'd want to considering the additional time and effort it takes.

[wolvie56]

Neither. By ear baby.

[rglassma]

There are those (such as me) that have tuned for many years and can tune by ear and still like the dial.. I am obsessive about tuning and like to be able to have accurate results over and over. I don't consider it a crutch. It is a tool just like a tire gauge when filling your tires with air, or a feeler gauge when measuring the gap of a spark plug.

It does take time.. Yes, but I am willing to invest what it takes to make it right. Tuning by ear is fine, if that is what you prefer. I'll stick with the dial.

[pastor_bob]

Thank you for your thoughts rglassma, and very well stated. It is pretty obvious from what everyone has posted that it's all about preference, and I think it is great that each drummer can find what works best for them. This really isn't about which method is best, but why we choose the one we do.

[TOE KNEE]

I've got a torque key and it's good. As stated before, it gives you a starting point, and you'll have to fine tune by ear. Also, never tune after you've been playing.

[xsabers]

Is Evans TK the best? They sure are pricey.

[drnez]

Is Evans TK the best? They sure are pricey.

Not sure.. They're only like $15?