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Thread: Damn Bloody Floor Tom !!!!

  1. #1

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    Default Damn Bloody Floor Tom !!!!

    Hi all,

    Re-tuning my kit tonight- got the snare, kick, rack toms sounding sweeeeeet ( to me anyway ) but no matter WHAT I try I cant get the ( 16 x 16 ) Floor Tom to sound decent.

    If I get the tone I want it rings and rings, If I then add moon gel or a Zero Ring it just kills the tone and becomes a dead thump.

    I have tried top head anywhere from just above wrinkle to medium tightness and the bottom head the same and any number of combinations of the two anywhere in between !!!!

    Any tips on how a good sounding floor tom should sound?? I hear drummers play, songs, bands, videos, live and I have never been able to get a sound out of any floor tom that sounds ANYTHING like everything else I hear

    Help
    ' Up the Irons '

  2. #2

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    Have you got a smaller floor tom? From what people have shown me most people have their 16x16 as a thump like you said. They have a 14x14 that produces a low tone so they don't have to use their larger floor tom much.

  3. #3

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    i had the same problem..in my small room..my 16x16 floor tom wouldnt stop vibrating...then my drum teacher guy came over..and tuned my drums, and it sounded perfect..idk how he got them to not vibrate. Make sure your top head is really tight, and your reso is tight, but still has a tiny bit of feel to it.

  4. #4

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    Ive had the same problem man. I just experimented and out of all my frustration I got it to sound decent.

  5. #5

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    Wotto, when I was tuning my new set (two rack and two floor toms), I decided to tune the toms in thirds from each other. I started trying to get the floor tom as close to a third from the bass as I could and then worked my way up. When I did that I got a terrible vibration off the snare whenever I played my 12" tom. I went back and retuned the 12" to stop the snare rattle, and then retuned the 10" tom. When I tuned the 10" I got such a sweet sound from it that I decided to tune every thing in thirds starting with the 10" tom. I love the sound as I roll threw the toms, now.

    My advice is to keep working until you get one of the toms just the way you like it, and then working in thirds, or fourths from there. I'll bet you'll get something that you like.

    Let us know how it's coming, whether you're frustrated or feeling like you got it. If you're down we'll encourage you. If you've got it, we'll celebrate with you!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  6. #6

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    Try dampening the resonant head (moongel or even just some cotton balls and tape) - that's what I've done. I've got a 16" X 16" too - they are the biggest pain to tune - they have so much resonance and boom to them, it's just a nightmare.

    I feel your pain brother
    "What consumes your mind, controls your life" - So, what consumes your mind?

  7. #7

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    i dont have too much problem with my 16....its the 14 that always gives me the crapola. My 16 is exactly how you described, a big thud that goes through the floor and imo, is nice!

  8. #8

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    Yeah, I like the thunderously deep note it produces, but it is hard to pick the note over the resonance - which doesn't sound good - also, my kit goes from like a 13" rack tom to a 16" floor tom - they sound so different it sounds wierd when you do a roll. I'd prefer to have a 14" in between the 13" and the 16" - but I don't think I'll be able to since they stopped producing my kit like 5 years ago. So I am stuck with my standard 5 piece untill I get enough money to buy that Tama Warlord Exotix kit - that's my new dream kit - screw DW.
    "What consumes your mind, controls your life" - So, what consumes your mind?

  9. #9

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    try tuning the resonant side really tight and yet still have it to the point where you can drive your finger into it just a little bit. then tune the batter side so it is tighter than the resonant. it sounds good for my 16X16 that's how mine's tuned
    Ostinato is the way to go!

  10. #10

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    Thanks for the tips so far - I will get back onto this tonight or tomorrow and let you know.

    Cheers guys


    Wotto
    ' Up the Irons '

  11. #11

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    Wotto, for more punch or attack, make sure your resonant head is tuned tighter than your batter. If they are tuned evenly this will result in a more open tone.

  12. #12

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    *raises hand* ive also had this problem, no matter how i tune my floor tom, it always rings, my racks have got a nice thump then they die, my floor tom rings, but i havnt tried dampening it so =/

  13. #13

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    I have dampening (cotton balls taped ot the head, i have NO money ATM) on both my batter head and resonant head - it no longer rings

    Now I hit it, it's deep and it it stops, just like I want it to. Maybe if I was playing a big live situation or recording, i'de change the setup, but just me and my headphones, or no headphones at all.....I don't want ring. I don't want resonance - i'm in a garage for goodness sake - there's enough resonance in the room, I don't need it from the drum itself.
    "What consumes your mind, controls your life" - So, what consumes your mind?

  14. #14

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    Well when I tune my floor tom I....... Wait, I don't have a floor tom

  15. #15

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    DC, we can alway count on you to lighten things up a bit!

    I, for one, have missed seeing your posts in the last few days.
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by pastor_bob View Post
    DC, we can alway count on you to lighten things up a bit!

    I, for one, have missed seeing your posts in the last few days.
    Yeah, wheres ya been?
    "What consumes your mind, controls your life" - So, what consumes your mind?

  17. #17

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    I cnat really get my floortom sounding great. It sounds ok. Its just the other toms go "thump" andc the froor tom goes "Boom" It rings a little bit but not too bad.

  18. #18

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    My work has been busy, it's our year end close. In Accounting that means working 11-12 hours a day :-( I also was away this weekend in MA, my hubby and I took the bike up there so I haven't been on in a while but I'm back. Glad to see I was missed, that warms my heart

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by vinnysimmo View Post
    I cnat really get my floortom sounding great. It sounds ok. Its just the other toms go "thump" andc the froor tom goes "Boom" It rings a little bit but not too bad.

    Toms are meant to ring. I know when you listen to your favorite bands cd that the toms don't hardly have any ring at all. This is the result of compression put on toms that DO ring like normal toms do. If you were to go play live or go to a recording session with toms that "Thump" to your audience or recorded material it will sound like your playing on wet cardboard.

    If you still insist on a "thump" take off your resonant head. I mean that's what they do. they give the tom tone and sustain. you dont wans sustain take off the reso head. then use a moon gel on the batter. that'll get you your wet cardboard sound.

    Another way to get a less ringy sound (but still have some tone) is to use heavier heads. i.e. 2 or 3 ply heads. if you use single ply or singly ply coated heads these will ring more then heavier ones.

  20. #20

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    Im ok with it ringing a little. Im just saying it sound nothing like the other toms.

  21. #21

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    Vinny, are you taking advantage of harmonics and tuning your toms in thirds, or fourths? If not, it might account for the difference between the sound of the rides and the floor tom. Just curious.
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  22. #22

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    i thought i was the only one who had problems with my floor tom.. i guess not. Im still experimenting, its just tuning is such a pain sometimes.

  23. #23

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    Easy fix for this, I have 2 16x16 floor toms. Tighten the resonant head (bottom head) a little tight, but not too much it will sound pingy when you hit it by itself. Then apply the batter head (top head) and tune preferably in the criss-cross directions

  24. #24

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    how tight with the batter though>?

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