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Thread: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

  1. #1

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    Default Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Hi everybody, this is my first post so I'll also add a small introduction :P

    Ive been playing drums for about half a year now on a Tama Imperialstar, with large sizes.
    13,14,16 inch toms it has.
    Some time ago I bought new remo heads, for toms I bought pinstripes batters and ambassador clears as reso.
    Ofcourse the tuning didn't go very well the first time, but I managed to get them quite ok.
    But now I've got some time to tune these toms better, but first I wanted some good advice on how to tune my drums to get the sound I want.
    This is the sound that I'd love to get:
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmHhB9zV_rQ"]YouTube - Pretty Vacant- Sex Pistols (Promo Video 1977, HD)[/ame]
    In the intro you can hear them best I think.

    Does anybody have some tips on how to tune my toms like this?
    I've been trying a lot, but just can't seem to get the right tunings.

    Sleight

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Those toms are heavily muffled. Try a couple of moon gels on each tom.

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    You'll notice Paul Cook had a drumhead with a Power Dot on the bottom head. Now you don't have to duplicate that, but do go for a clear bottom head such as an Remo Clear Ambassador or thicker than it, maybe try one of the Evans equivalents. As for the top head, go for a Remo Emperor or Pinstripe, available in coated or clear, and maybe cnsider the Evans equivalents. My personal choice, to in a way duplicate a few drum sounds from that late 70's/early 80's era, is to go for either a coated Ambassador or Emperor top, a coated or clear Ambassador bottom, some careful tuning and tweaking and then some muffling...usually go for a slightly loose tuning, but leave a tiny bit of ring to it. Don't make them completely muffled, otherwise you'd have that "Don Henley from The Eagles cardboard box" sound, lol.
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  4. #4

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Quote Originally Posted by Drumbledore View Post
    . Don't make them completely muffled, otherwise you'd have that "Don Henley from The Eagles cardboard box" sound, lol.
    Exactly the sound in the video.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    I don't know if any of you guys noticed that he has a leopard skin colored sheet or towel over his snare drum. This would muffle the snare alot. The whole kit is like that not very loud but very bassy. Maybe I'm the only one who sees or hears that.

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Ye but I'm mostly interested in the toms :P
    Snare sounds just fine to me, not particulary good.
    Toms sound like tomheaven to me, superlow sustain, superlow overtones, but yet it does have more sound than a piece of paper.
    So tomorrow I've got whole day time to tune, I'll try to get them bit low tuned and then see how much muffling I'd need.

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Pearl MCX Man, now that you mention it....he does have something over his snare.

  8. #8

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    Thumbs up Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Quote Originally Posted by slinglander View Post
    Pearl MCX Man, now that you mention it....he does have something over his snare.
    thanks that's what I tought and saw. The snare kind of sounded dead and you can hardly hear the snare wires. This is the style that Paul tuned his drums too not very loud to drown the rest of the band. Even the guitars sound bassy too.

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Well, what you hear on the recording and what the toms sound like in person will be two different things. As somoeone else said, tune loose (low). I wouldn't thin muffling to be necessary with the pinstripes. Mine sounded similar to that recorded, mic'd from top. And I thought it was not enough sustain, too much attack, not much else. And I have no muffling. It's so crazy to me how drums sound in person vs what you hear when they are recorded. The rest of the live instruments mix together and affect the drum tones, as well as where the mics are, etc.

    Good luck working it out.
    Randy

  10. #10

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Ok so now I've tuned my heads quite low and added some muffling, now they sound quite a lot like what I was looking for, so thanks for all help folks! :P

    I know that toms in person or from the mics must sound different, but I don't mic my drums, don't even have mics, so I'm just going for a good sound that I like to play on :P

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Glad you were able to get the sound you wanted.

  12. #12

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    I dont know if the mics make the sound different but a mixer sure can make your drums sound good.I used to have mine toned down too but now I like em with more resonance.Im glad you like em.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    T.C.

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Tom tuning like Paul Cook

    Quote Originally Posted by LudwigLifer View Post
    I dont know if the mics make the sound different but a mixer sure can make your drums sound good.I used to have mine toned down too but now I like em with more resonance.Im glad you like em.
    Same here. I used to use Hydraulics and really liked that dead sound. Now I despise it.

    I've got my toms really singing right now. The floor has a TON of resonance. I can finally say I'm happy with my tuning....after what's really been 3.5 months of fiddling with these heads. (EC2/G1)

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