Sound guy wanted my drums taped up

[bhughesiii]

I was playing an outdoor gig last weekend. And when the "sound engineer" was doing the checks, he asked me if I had any tape for my toms. I have them tuned so that they have a long sustain. I tried using moongels but he said that the drums were too loose / open. Has anyone else had that issue?

[Northern Redneck]

Yep, and best thing to do is have some tape and do what he asks.

[porkpieguy]

I bought a set of the Remo rings. They don't look like they do much, but they really help with overtones (I don't use one on my snare though).

[Ray on the Drums]

I bought a set of the Remo rings. They don't look like they do much, but they really help with overtones (I don't use one on my snare though).

I'd be lost without'em! EVERY drummer should at least try'em. IMHO

[Ray on the Drums]

Using tape on drums is kinda like using whiskey to pull teeth!

Sure I guess it'd still help but they do have other ways now.

[BigFatDrummer]

I bought a set of the Remo rings. They don't look like they do much, but they really help with overtones (I don't use one on my snare though).

+1 although I currently use the Aquarian equivalents. Same thing though.

[Texdrumr]

My personal opinion here...

I would tell the sound guy no. I bought nice drums, nice heads, and spend countless hours tuning. Why in the heck would I cover up what they were designed to do? Might as well get a drum machine at that point.

I refuse to tape, moon gel, or whatever to my drums. To me that's like putting a governor on a muscle car. Just doesn't make sense to me.

Tex

[SpazApproved]

true @texdrumr...


but plenty of times my tom sounds great to me but once mic'd up you can just hear it ringing and overtoning through the stereo out front.

[veafer]

Years ago I learned, the hard way, that you never, ever upset the house sound people. They can make or break you.

Now, understand, I am not saying that you have to take his settins as the law, but you really have to be a diplomat about the way you go about it. He knows the venue better than you,(that's if you have never played there before), and he may have a bit more experience in getting a total sound out of your band. Play nice, and I am sure you will be able to work with him. Being hardheaded and stubborn won't get you anywhere. (Not saying you are, but I sure was at one time)

PS: I do carry a case of Moongel in my gigbag for just such an occasion. Even though I hate the stuff......lol

[Texdrumr]

I guess I should have clarified. Although I refuse to tape, I'm not opposed to 're-tuning' for the venue. I personally think with the quality of shells and heads, you can accomplish anything with proper tuning. If the word is "your toms are resonating too much", I think that can be fixed with tweaks to the tuning.

Tex

[bhughesiii]

I had four moongels on the batter head but it was still too much. He shoddily threw a few pieces of tape on the reso head and that still didn't help. I had to crank the reso head up to get the sound to choke some. Not sure what I can do to resolve it. 9 times out of 10 I am not mic'd up so I like to keep them as open as possible.

[xsabers]

I would have to say that every pro I have had the pleasure of talking to about the subject, keeps gaffers' tape at the ready. That's for recording or live performance. You can't let your ego get in the way. What sounds best from the throne rarely sounds best out front. You provide an uncontrolled, ringy sound that takes up space in the bandwidth where the vocals or other instruments need to be and you may find your drums (mostly toms) so low in the mix as to be ineffective. Most pro sound guys will make that sacrifice if the drummer isn't able or willing to make adjustments. Much like playing for the song, we should be just as willing to tune and muffle for the good of the mix.

NOTE: Don't you love "even ifs". So here's an "even if". This is true EVEN IF you simply have a lazy or inflexible FOH engineer. You are still dependent on them to have your drums sound good out front. Basically, they have the final say in how things sound in the house.

[funkyruss]

I would have to say that every pro I have had the pleasure of talking to about the subject, keeps gaffers' tape at the ready. That's for recording or live performance. You can't let your ego get in the way. What sounds best from the throne rarely sounds best out front. You provide an uncontrolled, ringy sound that takes up space in the bandwidth where the vocals or other instruments need to be and you may find your drums (mostly toms) so low in the mix as to be ineffective. Most pro sound guys will make that sacrifice if the drummer isn't able or willing to make adjustments. Much like playing for the song, we should be just as willing to tune and muffle for the good of the mix.

NOTE: Don't you love "even ifs". So here's an "even if". This is true EVEN IF you simply have a lazy or inflexible FOH engineer. You are still dependent on them to have your drums sound good out front. Basically, they have the final say in how things sound in the house.

And this, is the way it is.....do what your sound man asks, or, those problem drums get turned off in the mix...

[bhughesiii]

Thanks for all the replies. I was just wondering if that was a normal request as some of the drummers I watched live (one even from back stage live) as I was growing up I didn't notice any taping going on.

[EddieV]

I use tape.

MoonGel and Remo Rings work... but for me it's too much dampening. MoonGel doesn't travel well when your working three or four nights a week either.


Oh....and in most cases....do what the sound man asks.

[jgziegler]

If any of you come to Czech Republic, DO NOT do what the sound guys tell you my drum teacher (a Czech) who's been doing professional music here for 40 years and he says Czechs are incapable of being good sound people.

I agree with the Remo head comments, not only do they look a lot better, obviously they control the sound more evenly as well.

I really hate tape on drums, just imagine tape on a guitar or piano! But if it has to be a necessary evil, so be it...

[Northern Redneck]

I can buy a roll of duct tape for a dollar that lasts more than a year. Why spend the money on moon gels.

[itchie]

if you like the open sound and you play that way ....

why would you change? unless you where getting droning then i can understand

there's nothing i hate more than a flat dead drum sound

[quikstang2]

Alright! A thread about one of my pet peeves!

To answer the original question: No I've not often heard sound guys ask drummers to change anything. They just drop what they don't want to work on from the mix without saying anything. There are exceptions, but that's usually what I've seen done.

I like the overwhelming "bow to the sound guy" response. They'll never bother learning to do their jobs properly if everyone is always quiet about it. I'm not saying to give the guy the finger no matter what. Talk with him normally and see exactly what the issue is. Sometimes there are limitations that can't be fixed at the moment. I'm pretty sure they're not telling the guitarists to palm mute every note or taking the reverb out of everyone else's channels.

Maybe the better answer is for everyone to go buy $200 Sound Percussion sets and use Hydraulic heads, and then just play the cardboard boxes that they came in.

I've seen it done properly in all sorts of settings, without any mutilation of the drums. If the sound guy can't figure it out, chances are other things will sound like crap too. If it's a case of laziness, go ahead and drop me from the mix. Let's be honest, even if I do make all the changes, I'm going to be dropped from the mix half way through the first song anyway.

I had four moongels on the batter head but it was still too much. He shoddily threw a few pieces of tape on the reso head and that still didn't help. I had to crank the reso head up to get the sound to choke some. Not sure what I can do to resolve it. 9 times out of 10 I am not mic'd up so I like to keep them as open as possible.

That is absurd. Either the guy was clueless, or was using equipment that needs to be replaced.

[Spiderjig]

Guys, go to about the 4:00 mark and maybe this can clarify some things

[Northern Redneck]

If its your soundman that you hired and are paying you can demand what you want from him. If its the house soundman, you do what he wants.

[itchie]

going on that logic

the sound guy wants you to stop playing so he can go home and watch tv

[N2Bluz]

Guess I'm lucky (or maybe unlucky). We never play any places big enough or events important enough that have a dedicated "sound man". We always use our own system and run our own sound. If we do use a snake and have a sound man out front, it's usually a good friend from another band that runs it. I've ran sound on occasion for other bands, and I can appreciate the efforts involved with getting a good sound sometimes. As was already mentioned, a great sounding drum kit un-mic'd can be a completely new game once it's mic'd up and thrown in the mix.

[funkyruss]

going on that logic

the sound guy wants you to stop playing so he can go home and watch tv

That's mostly what they want! That's what i wanted when i was a sound guy!

[EyePea]

Guys, go to about the 4:00 mark and maybe this can clarify some things

That was interesting, thanks.