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Thread: Bass Drum Tuning

  1. #1

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    Default Bass Drum Tuning

    Sorry, if I'm going overkill on the tuning questions, but I have another
    I put a new Remo Emperor as a batter with just a Remo Mapex stock head on my bass drum. It's always sounded fine, but recently it lost its sound. So as I'm retuning it, I've got my batter to a nice sound where I like it. But no matter howI tune the resonant, the bass drum has this huge ringing overtone. It's constant, even with a pillow completely covering the reso had it has this high pitched ring. I've even tuned the reso where it's barely above wrinkling to no avail.
    I'm tuning as close to the Drum Tuning Bible instructions as I can.
    Thanks again for the help you guys, hopefully this is the last tuning question from me for a while
    *EDIT I am currently removing both of the heads and re-tuning the drum.
    Last edited by coddude321; 07-22-2011 at 04:26 PM.
    “The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.”
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  2. #2

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    If you are happy with the batter just over wrinkle then your reso should be tuned the same except you should give it an extra turn and the ringing should die down. I have a pillow in mine too but it only touches the batter and the reso together ( 18 inches long x 2 inch thick by 16 inch wide) and I just love the sound of it. My batter is a Remo PS3 ( powerstroke ) and my reso is an Aquarian 2ply with graphics like in my photo album. Good luck

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Bass Drum Tuning

    Maybe consider some internal muffling such as a pillow or small blanket. Also, I've found that tuning the batter and reso heads both a little tighter than the provobial "just above wrinkle" produces great results on my kick drum at least.
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  4. #4

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    Personally I put the reso just over wrinkle and the batter a bit higher. Mine sounds like a CANON! I love it. I'm using Evans GMAD and EQ3 heads.

  5. #5

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    This is a great technique.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga8Q12mKYxI&playnext=1&list=PL6F56A1B55BB2 12F9"]‪Bob Gatzen - Bass Drum Tuning‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]
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  6. #6

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    What he said ^

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Bass Drum Tuning

    You're tuning it a bit too high, or the heads are tuned too far apart. I have always liked using regular single or double ply heads like that as batters vs premuffled, because I feel like you learn a little more about tuning without interior rings to come to the rescue. Shame it's not working out yet, but tune it fairly low and get the tones very close to one another, and you shouldn't have any problems.
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  8. #8

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    im sure ill get dissagreement over this but i have 2 kits with EMADs on them, i tune them as such,
    mount reso, tension to get the wrinkles out.
    install pillow
    mount batter, tension to pitch of reso
    fine tune.
    i need to get a video camera! i feel my bass tuning is exceptional, the sound is amazing.
    me thinks you are tuning too high. doesnt take much to get a bass ringing.

  9. #9

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    Any pillows I tried to use ended up covering way too much space of my heads, and it just produced this awful dud. I ended up barely tuning up the reso head. I think you guys were right, and that I had my batter too low and my reso too high. Thanks again you guys!
    “The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.”
    -B.B. King

  10. #10

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    experiment!

  11. #11

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    Pillows are effective, but will not sound good if improperly installed. Make sure the fatter side of the pillow lays across the shell evenly, with the ends tucked underneath the pillow and away from the corner pocket where the head and bearing edges are located. Even though a kick drum is most often times the largest drum in your kit, you want to dampen, not muffle or mute. The thin sides of the pillow are the ones that should contact the drumhead batter, and reso.
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
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    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

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  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by marko138 View Post
    Personally I put the reso just over wrinkle and the batter a bit higher. Mine sounds like a CANON! I love it. I'm using Evans GMAD and EQ3 heads.
    I'm with Marko on this, but different heads work the same, maybe tighter batter for the rebound(I think rebound is too useful & important to ignore, and don't much care for the metal drummers' "click") plus I paid a lot for a big drum, so I want it to sound big!
    Last edited by slinglander; 07-25-2011 at 07:50 PM. Reason: text
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  13. #13

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    im finding the smaller denser pillows are more effective

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by slinglander View Post
    I'm with Marko on this, but different heads work the same, maybe tighter batter for the rebound(I think rebound is too useful & important to ignore, and don't much care for the metal drummers' "click") plus I paid a lot for a big drum, so I want it to sound big!
    I play metal and I hate that click sound. I like boom from my kicks.

  15. #15

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    Umm, kickport. It sounds like you're not having trouble with the batter, so lets focus on the reso. A port hole definitely reducing the ring and gives a more focused sound out front. The kickport really does help emphasize the lower frequencies. It won't totally kill the higher overtones, but they'll be less noticeable. I used to try to kill all the overtones of my drums before I started playing with others. When you add guitar and bass to the mix, drums without overtones and resonance just sound dead.
    Mmm... Saturns.

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by marko138 View Post
    I play metal and I hate that click sound. I like boom from my kicks.
    im sure you will find the faster you go the more effective the click is.....

  17. #17

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    I have to say that lately I'm having issues getting the boom I want out of my Renown kick. I have an EMAD2 and EMAD reso on the kick. Both heads are fairly loose, although the batter is a little tighter to get some tone.

    But I just can't seem to get the sound I want. My son's Superstar kick is a canon, as is my old Tama Crestar.

    I have to keep playing with it, but anyone who's had luck tuning a Renown Maple kick, let me know.
    Jesse

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  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by kaosotis View Post
    I have to say that lately I'm having issues getting the boom I want out of my Renown kick...
    Good morning, kaosotis...
    I have a Camco maple, Ambassador heads, no port. I use felt muffling strips on batter and reso, and can adjust for 'boom' or dry using those and tensionning (see avatar pic...). Can fill most halls.
    If you need more 'punch', the EMADs are great heads; perhaps they should be 'cranked' a little more? If they're too loose they won't project. If you're sticking to them, try experimenting, but be sure to listen from in front, not just your playing position. The acoustic sound is very different to that heard by the public and, for 'live' playing, that's what really counts.
    Hope this helps...
    Have a nice day.
    Dad3353 (Douglas...)

  19. #19

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    Dad, thanks for the input. I've been playing over 30 years, so I'm pretty solid at tuning. That's what's throwing me off with this kick. The strange thing is I have almost the same head setup on the other two kits and they are easy to get a great sound out of.

    You may be right that I have it tuned too low. I'll just have to play around with it.
    Jesse

    1986 Tama Crestar - Lacquered Piano White
    2016 Roland TD-25K
    2015 Tama Starclassic B/B - Indigo Blue Sparkle

  20. #20

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    I'm guessing I tune my kick a little higher than most, and the only muffling I use in my kick is a rolled up towel that sits against the reso. I have a powerstroke3 batter head. I tune up the reso just until I start to get some ring in it, then back it off a bit. I really dislike that waffle kinda sound from a reso that's too loose. With the batter head, I don't get too fussy with it. I tune it until I like the sound, I don't worry so much about the pitch at each tension rod as long as they are in the same ballpark. I could feel you all cringe when you read that

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by itchie View Post
    im sure you will find the faster you go the more effective the click is.....
    I disagree. It's just not my thing. I'm never going to play speed metal. I've got my sound and I like it. The click isn't for me.

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