I bought a Tama Starclassic Performer B/B drum kit with 8x10, 9x12, 14x16 inch toms in Duracover Wraps from a Sam Ash store about months ago. I'm using Evans EC2s as the top heads and Evans EC Resonant heads as the bottom heads. Using the tune bot, I've tuned the 10" tom to C3 (Top head: 218 Hz, Bottom: 232 Hz), 12" to G2 (Top head: 147 Hz, bottom head: 193 Hz), and 16" to C2 (Top Head: 112, Bottom Head: 113). I've found these tunings to give each drum the type of resonance I want for each drum individually, with these nicely spaced intervals.

The problem I've encountered is that for some reason, when I hit the 12" tom, it causes the 10" tom's batter (top) head to resonate. When heard together, it sounds like a "wobbly", "vibrato-like" sound, which muddies up the clean tone. I've determined this by putting my hand on and taking it off the 10" tom while striking the 12" tom, and also testing what sound I hear from each tom mic individually when hitting tom 2. I've also got someone to hit tom 2 while I put my ear up to the bottom head of tom 1. It is not coming from there but from the top head. I've put my ear against the top head too. I know it is not a problem with the stand because it even has the same result when I hold the tom with my hand by the mounting system. The two toms are both on Gauger Percussion RIMS mounts.

I've tried muffing. One little drum dot near the edge of the top heads sounds good to me, but too much muffling and the drum sounds dead. I've even tried putting cotton balls in the drums, which someone suggested. It didn't help.

Is there a solution? What I'm wondering is why tom 1's top head is so sensitive to me hitting tom 2, when tom 2 does not resonate like that when I hit tom 1. Is it because 10" toms are just that sensitive? Is it the number of plies or because it has a wrap? Hmm...