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Thread: 12" Tom Resonance

  1. #1

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    Default 12" Tom Resonance

    I have a new Mapex Meridian Maple kit which I have had for approx 3 months now. The toms are 10, 12, 16. The 10" tom and the 16" tom sound great and resonate well and have a very open sound when both heads are tuned close to the same. The 12" tom on the other hand, I cannot for the life of me get to resonate well. I hit it and I get the initial attack but very little resonance. I have tried coated emperor as well as coated G2 both over G1. Both of these setups sound great on my other toms, but I cant get the same resonance out of the 12" tom. Any advice is welcome.

  2. #2

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    I have trouble with my 12" tom as well.

  3. #3

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    Try this experiment...after you have properly tuned it of course...

    Take the tom off the mount, hold it with your hand by the rim/mount, then hit it and see if it resonates... if it is choked while mounted, you may need a mounting alteration.
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  4. #4

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    Tune your 12 away from the kit. Then tune your other toms around it.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    Quote Originally Posted by kickinit View Post
    Try this experiment...after you have properly tuned it of course...

    Take the tom off the mount, hold it with your hand by the rim/mount, then hit it and see if it resonates... if it is choked while mounted, you may need a mounting alteration.
    +1. I always seem to have trouble with this. My 14" Tom sounds awesome off the kit, low resonance and deep and punchy. When I put it on the kit it resonates to the point of me giving up on it. That's mostly why I took it off. Have u tried swapping out the batter.
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  6. #6

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    the 12" tom conspiracy

    seams to be universal issue

  7. #7

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    Quote Originally Posted by itchie View Post
    the 12" tom conspiracy

    seams to be universal issue
    What? I love my 12"!
    Question is how close to the top of you kick is the Tom? Deeper toms res' are closer to the hard top of the kick than are smaller Tom res' heads. That's one reason for tweaking tuning after toms are mounted. Try rotating/swiveling the mounted Tom then hit it and see if that changes the sound.
    Another problem I found is expecting a certain sound before mounting the Tom can throw your tuning off.

  8. #8

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    Funny thing is for me though, whenever I tune a 12/13/16 set up, I have no problem with the 12" nor the 16".....it just seems like the 13" feels out of place. Most likely because of the 1" difference betwen the two rack toms versus the 3" difference between the 13" and 16" toms.

    Of course that's why tuning with a 10/12/14 or 10/12/14/16 tom set up seems a little easier on my ears. So I've never really had a problem with 12" toms.

    A good Bill Bruford quote goes along these lines: "Whenever tuning a kit, the first rule is always this....all other toms will sound fine, but one tom will really stink, no matter how you'll try to fix it." It's sometimes just one of those things.

    I know that as drum enthusiasts we sometimes strive to have all heads looking like everything's balanced and all that, but (to the original poster) if you find that your 10" and 16" have worked fine (with the head combinations you mentioned earlier) yet the 12" isn't responding the same way, then it just might be the case you'll need a slightly different head combination. Experiment. Change the bottom or top head (maybe stick to the same brand, at first) to a slightly thinner or thicker one. Go over the tensioning of top and bottom heads again perhaps. Or as others have suggested, take another look at that tom's mounting hardware. Remember, no-one's telling you that you must have every tom head top and bottom the same, or that you must have one brand's hardware all the way around, otherwise you're breaking the rules of Drum Aesthetics 101. After all, what do you think would be better.....a kit that looks like showroom quality but sounds awful to play live and record....or a kit that looks a little individual yet has a quality and consistent sound through and through? Of course, the average guy out there would want both, but which one is really more important to consider, in the long run? Really, only you can tell yourself what you need and want out of your drums.
    Last edited by Drumbledore; 01-27-2012 at 08:24 PM.
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  9. #9

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    Sometimes toms don't fit the "here comes the bride" separation but rather a"door bell chime": din-dan-dawn-bong. Well that's as close as I can make it....after little while you get used to it and play, I think, more melodically.

  10. #10

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    I always tune my drums individualy off the kit this way I get the true tone of the drum. Once the drums are mounted then I tweeter abit with them. My 12 as never been an issue. I learned to tune all the drums with a familiar pattern, starting with the snare on right, H tom on left, lower tom on right and floor tom on left and then speed up the pace and that is how I know my drums are tuned. This may sound odd for some of you but it works for me. Some use the three blind mice or the wedding march but this one is hard to pinpoint. I would like someone to try this and let me know what the think. My set up is standard 12-13-16. Looking forward to any replies but please keep them friendly.
    Last edited by Pearl MCX Man; 01-28-2012 at 12:23 PM.

  11. #11

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    Quote Originally Posted by slinglander View Post
    What? I love my 12"!
    Question is how close to the top of you kick is the Tom? Deeper toms res' are closer to the hard top of the kick than are smaller Tom res' heads. That's one reason for tweaking tuning after toms are mounted. Try rotating/swiveling the mounted Tom then hit it and see if that changes the sound.
    Another problem I found is expecting a certain sound before mounting the Tom can throw your tuning off.
    There might be something to that theory, Sling. My 12" sounds heinous on the stand in front of the snare. When I put it on my stand for the floor tom it sounds much better. This is something I've discovered this week.

  12. #12

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    my 12 resonates poorly when im not playing with music, otherwise i just put it in the "snare buzz" category and live with it.
    remember, your drums sound different 30 ft in front VS behind the kit
    din dan dawn bong hits the nail on the head

  13. #13

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    I actually had a problem with the 12 on my dw. It wasn't seated correctly, so it was really choked and plasticy. I had beaten it so severly at this point that i wasnt going to get a good sound out of that head. Replaced the head, problem solved, tuned up easily. Definitely take the drum away from the kit and play around until you can get it to do it's thing. If you cant get it to sound right alone, try reseating or a new head:

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  14. #14

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    Use a single ply head for your batter side. Keep your resonate head at one ply. The looser your resonate head is the more your tom will ring. To get rid of the ring or too much resonace tighten up your bottom head. Any time you want your drums to resonate use the thinest single ply heads you can find. I use G-1 heads on both top and bottom. Incase I am playing a gig and break a head, I would take the bottom head off and use it on the top just to get through the gig. The snare is different, use what everhead you like for the sound you are trying to achieve on the top head and on the bottom head (resonate) use the hazy 200 or 300 heads, they are paper thin for resonation. Your top heads are adjusted for stick attack & timbre and bottom heads adjusted for resonance (ring or not to ring).
    Last edited by Jackie; 09-01-2012 at 09:59 AM.

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nechre View Post
    I actually had a problem with the 12 on my dw. It wasn't seated correctly, so it was really choked and plasticy. I had beaten it so severly at this point that i wasnt going to get a good sound out of that head. Replaced the head, problem solved, tuned up easily. Definitely take the drum away from the kit and play around until you can get it to do it's thing. If you cant get it to sound right alone, try reseating or a new head:
    Ive tried a couple of heads on it, same thing. I havnt had a chance to check it yet since I mentioned the problem, it could very well be that its because of the proximity of the bottom head to my bass drum. Its not above the bass drum by much and it does resonate well when i just hold it and hit it.

  16. #16

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    My 12" is right directly over my bass drum. I have no reso issues with it. I am of the thinking, mounting style has alot to do with it also. I agree you should tune it off the mount first then remaount it and see what it does. You can at least eliminate one thing at a time this way.

    Also, check your tuning lugs and make sure all your hardware is tight.

    Also another thing to check may be the hoops. Make sure one does'nt have a defect or one is to out of round and making contact where it shouldn't.

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  17. #17

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    If anything, mine resonates too much. You might try taking it away from the other toms as suggested, but bringing the pitches of top and bottom closer together instead of further apart. This will cause the drum to harmonize, and resonate as it is intended to. I use coated/clear textured 1-ply head combos for toms and snare.
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  18. #18

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    My 12x8 Ludwig tom buzzes my snare but the sound is the "bawm"
    Last edited by Olimpass; 02-06-2012 at 10:46 PM.

  19. #19

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    I've had some experience with this issue. Every shell has its sweet spot and some are more difficult than others when it comes to finding it. It could the the difference between head selection (as others have noted) an out of round rim or improper tuning. You could also be tuning it too tight which will choke the drum.
    Assuming the rim and all hardware are fine and you are using single ply heads (i prefer Remo coated emperors on my toms) I would suggest borrowing a Drum Dial just to check and see how far off your tuning may be between lugs and between batter and reso heads. The Drum Dial made a difference for me with my toms. I have been playing and tuning for years - by ear. Just last month I decided to try a Drum Dial and I was amazed at;
    1. how far off I was tuning by ear (1/2 turn on some lugs)
    2. how much resonance and warmth i got from my toms

    The Drum Dial makes a difference for me and it may be I just sucked at tuning by ear - but I know I had to be a least above average in the tuning department because I had good technique and high end drums with perfect bearing edges.

    Drum Dials are not cheap which is why I suggest you borrow one. If you don't know anyone with a dial, you could probably bring your tom to a local drum store that has one and ask to see how well they work.

  20. #20

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    I own one of those Ddials and is a good tool to have around. I use it after ear tuning the drum just to check the tension at the lugs. Works great so it is worth to invest in one if you can afford the 30.00.

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I own one of those Ddials and is a good tool to have around. I use it after ear tuning the drum just to check the tension at the lugs. Works great so it is worth to invest in one if you can afford the 30.00.
    love my drum dial. it's not the be all end all but it gets me really close in a hurry and i can save my ears for the fine tweaking.... also i can give my kit a quick once over while unpacking at a gig without annoying a dinner crowd.

  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by slinglander View Post
    What? I love my 12"!
    Question is how close to the top of you kick is the Tom? Deeper toms res' are closer to the hard top of the kick than are smaller Tom res' heads. That's one reason for tweaking tuning after toms are mounted. Try rotating/swiveling the mounted Tom then hit it and see if that changes the sound.
    Another problem I found is expecting a certain sound before mounting the Tom can throw your tuning off.
    My Tama and Yamaha drums used to be a pill to get the 12 right with the kit... always had to go lower then i wanted.
    My Gretsch 12", however, is dead on with the kit.
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  23. #23

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    Default Re: 12" Tom Resonance

    13" is my preferred rack size (except for the girls ) did I say that?.

    Anyway I have a 14" ArtstarII that never sounded right. I had it on a regular titan stand with the L mount. If your mount is the L kind try turning it upside down then mount the tom. I don't use this method but some people say it makes a difference.
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