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Thread: Can a snare stand affect sound?

  1. #1

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    Default Can a snare stand affect sound?

    Let me start by saying that I know how newbish this question sounds.

    I had been using a double braced Trak stand that really had nothing wrong with it except it was moving around on me (toward my crotch FWIW).

    I started looking around for a deal on something more substantial and just grabbed a Yamaha 950 for a decent price.

    Now I swear I hear an improvement in sound, and this doesn't make any sense to me or my engineering degree! Anybody else have this experience?
    Taye Tourperformer, PDP Hammered bronze snare, 15" Diril Primitive hats, 17" XPlosion, 10" duo splash, 15" Xtreme china, 22" HHX Omni, 7" cup chime, Yamaha 9415 w. Vickicks

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    It sounds better because every time we add something new, we think it's going to improve the sound of our drums.

    If there is a difference, I doubt that human ears could hear it.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    My best guess is the plastic ball could be dampening slightly as the metal parts are decoupled? But even then, it's only the energy reflecting back into the shell that would be affected.
    Taye Tourperformer, PDP Hammered bronze snare, 15" Diril Primitive hats, 17" XPlosion, 10" duo splash, 15" Xtreme china, 22" HHX Omni, 7" cup chime, Yamaha 9415 w. Vickicks

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    Quote Originally Posted by Natman View Post
    My best guess is the plastic ball could be dampening slightly as the metal parts are decoupled? But even then, it's only the energy reflecting back into the shell that would be affected.
    Don't waste your time turning it into rocket science. It's a snare drum. I move my snares around a lot. The stand by my Ludwigs is a top of the line trick-a$$ stand that has more adjustments than my BD pedal. The stand by my Pearls is a good solid stand but doesn't have all the adjustments as the other 1.
    I just moved my Black Beauty SS from my Ludwigs to my Pearls, there was no difference in sound.

    Don't let this bother you as there will be no difference no matter how much we think we hear it.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    I think Rick is right... it's all psychological but if it is anything it's probably the fact that it's not moving while you're playing anymore so you're not hearing different ear shots anymore if that makes sense.
    RDM/Damage Poets
    UFiP TAMAHA Zildjian
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    AQUARIAN

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    Yeah, the difference is nominal. As long as the snare is not laying on the middle of the basket (which happens sometimes if the basket is not adjusted properly), you won't get that much improvement in sound from a new stand.

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    Depending on the difference in design between the two stands, it’s entirely possible it could effect the sound. How much depends on the differences between the individual stands...most likely very little....but it’s still possible. I’d say the biggest influences are how it “grips” the snare and how close the basket is to the reso head.
    “Better” is subjective to your individual taste.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    Snare sound can vary significantly depending on how firm the basket is tightened to grip the snare. The tighter it is, the more the drum will be restricted in its sound. Other than that, there may be perceptipal differences in sound but nothing overly significant.
    PDP | Black Panther | Sabian |

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    No matter what drum you may have in a snare stand, be it a tom or a snare drum, it should only be tightened enough to hold the drum in place and no more.

    It's not like the drum is going to get up and walk away, and, there should be no difference in sound other than what you have to deal with according to the acoustics of where you are playing which will, for the most part, be way more than any difference you might get from a stand.

    If all I had to worry about was what change in sound a stand was going to make on a given drum, I wouldn't have had to carry 3 sets of drums. 1 set tuned "normally", 1 set tuned for clubs with a lot of hard surfaces, and 1 set tuned for clubs with a lot of carpeting, drapes, etc.,etc., and 5 snare drums. Keep in mind that people soak up sound also.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  10. #10

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    Yeah, unless the stand is so junky it's rattling or cranked so tight it's deforming the rim and conceivably the shell and affecting bottom head, I doubt there's an audible difference.

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    They sell special Cushioned stands for something like holding your high Tom in a snare stand. The drum’s free to resonate more. So yes. I believe you can hear a difference. It could even be the type of rubber they used for the snare basket claws.
    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    There is intelligent life out there. The problem is that there isn't any here.

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  12. #12

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    I was curious so I tried a simple experiment. I held my Ludwig Supra, BB, and CM snares by the rim where they were free to resonate and struck them. I then mounted them in my DW 5000 snare stand and struck them.

    I didn't notice any difference but it was my ears. Not saying someone else wouldn't notice a difference if they tried the same thing.

    Not sure if this means anything except that to me the DW stand when adjusted correctly didn't seem to have any noticeable impact on the sound of my snares.

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    I love when we turn hitting things into rocket science.

    The speed of light in a vacuum is 186,282 MPH. Could it be 186,283, or 186,281. It travels 670,616,629 MPH. Is it possible that it's 670,616, 628, or 670, 616, 630.

    If you could drive your car at the speed of light and then turn the headlights on, what happens??? (Steven Wright) This is basically what we are talking about here.

    We are a hell of a lot closer to the ape at the beginning of 2001 than we are to putting a drummer on the moon. When things like this come up, I always picture a scientist writing equations all over a blackboard to explain why farts hang in the air longer than the smell of bacon.

    I think I'll go downstairs and move my drums over to the left 1', then over to the right 1', and see (hear) what the difference is. There will be a difference but, will I hear it?

    I FREAKIN' DOUBT IT!!!!!
    Last edited by rickthedrummer; 12-21-2018 at 02:26 AM.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  14. #14

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    Quote Originally Posted by BigFatDrummer View Post
    Snare sound can vary significantly depending on how firm the basket is tightened to grip the snare. The tighter it is, the more the drum will be restricted in its sound. Other than that, there may be perceptipal differences in sound but nothing overly significant.
    This is the answer you have been looking for. You clamp it in tight, you are dampening it. Just set it sit/float on the rubber "grippers" of the basket arms. The drum isn't choked, and it won't bounce around. I play my snares flat, no tilt (I stopped that over 50 years ago when I got my first set). Its just my personal preference.

  15. #15

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    Default Re: Can a snare stand affect sound?

    "This is the answer you have been looking for".

    Well, yes and no.

    The OP said:
    "Now I swear I hear an improvement in sound".

    Is there actually a difference in sound: YES In reality, does he really hear this difference: NO

    If you are in your practice room playing and a friend comes over, is there a difference in sound: YES Do you hear it: NO

    The OP said he heard both a difference AND a improvement (you can't hear the improvement if you can't hear the difference in the 1st place)

    So I stand by what I said in my 1st post on this topic.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

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