Head swapping, good or bad?

[slinglander]

My band wants to do some recording and my kit "sings" a lot, causing all kinds of recording problems. I like the sustain, etc., for live events but in these forums I read that I should swap my present heads for new ones to tone them down for recording.
Currently all tom heads are 10 mil. clear, Remo UT's(O.E.M.)
Planning on replacing with either 14 mil., clear, Remo Emperors or Evans clear, EC1's batter and resos. Tuned fairly tight-way past wrinkle-free.

Question is: if I do that replacement, can I re-replace them with my old(4 mo. old) heads when the band goes live again or does the stress of tuning and removal ruin all the heads? And can you tell just by looking at removed heads?

Thanks, Everybody.

[Timactionfigures]

I haven't had any problems with tuning, re-tuning, removing and re-applying the heads on my kit. I've cranked 'em fairly tight, had them tuned low, and anywhere in between and they still sound fine to me. My only concern would be if you tighten them TOO MUCH they will stretch and lose their tone.

Have you tried using Evans E-rings on your current set-up to try toning down the ringing? Maybe you won't need to change heads at all. I find they cut out the overtones, but also deepen the sound of the drum. May be worth a shot if it could save you a lot of hassle.

[kaosotis]

+1 to TAF. You absolutely can put heads back on, but I would play with rings or moon gel before swapping. You'd be surprised how much control rings can provide to cut overtones.

[Pearl MCX Man]

I had the same problem with single ply heads too much overtones etc. Switched to 2ply Evans G2 clear with a little moongel and that fixed it for me. I would try 2plies for recording cause you can always go back single ply for live playing. If drums are overtight they will ring and sound realy boingny with lots of overtones. I always tune my heads to finger tight then 1 whole turn which gives me the lowest pitch with not much overtones and it always worked well for me on single or double plies. Hope you figure out your problems.

[slinglander]

Moon gels give you the same results as rings?

[kaosotis]

Rings muffle tones more, but same general idea. The advantage of moon gels is you can adjust the muffling with more or less gels. There are different thickness rings, but it's harder to get right.

In the end, you might have to switch over to 2 ply heads with gels. Close mic'd drums for recording are a whole different beast because those tones you like live don't get blended with the mix the same way. So you won't get a nice tight recorded sound.

[nio]

Yeah, a set of rings(4) about $10 and a pack of moongel (4) is about ($6)...as opposed to a set of new heads which will probably cost you $12-$15 each. Personally, I like the rings. You can also put multiple rings on a single drum head to increase the muffling factor. The gels tend to get dirty and they come off (ie, not stick anymore). The rings will pretty much last forever.

[kaosotis]

True about the gels Nio, but one ring is the same as several gels. So I was figuring it would give him more ability to fine tune the muffling. If he's just using the stuff to record for a short time, the gels should be fine. Mine only get dirty after a long time, plus you can just rinse them with water and they are good as new.

[Russ]

I use remo muffls on the inside. They make them in pad and ring form for two different results. Awesome tone, they don't get in the way, and are affordable. Just take off the batter and put them under the head, and you're done. I highly recommend them for problematic or ringy drums, and I also record using them.

[Nechre]

Remember that although 2-ply heads reduce overtones, they also sustain longer. The engineer I worked with ended up taking moon gel to my kit, a move I'm still not thrilled with.

[Spiderjig]

And as far as checking for wear on your older heads, if they're sagging in the middle after you take them off, you should change them out regardless.

[Pearl MCX Man]

Moon gels give you the same results as rings?

Yes they do but the ring is one size and moon gell can be cut into any size you want from it's 1 x2 piece. I have a full piece on my snare head only just to kill some overtones.