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Thread: NEED HELP with tuning

  1. #1

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    Default NEED HELP with tuning

    If I have my snare on, and it hit the toms, the tom sound really rattles the snare wire makes it sound nasty. It's so bad I can't even play my drums like it.

    Whenever I turn the snare off, the toms have the fat tone I like...at least the floor tom

    Also, I just bought two coated Remo Emperors for my two toms, and my 13" rack tom seems to be giving off a nasty overtone and I can't figure out how to get rid of it.

    Can anyone help me? I have a feeling this is a simple problem and I'm having trouble.

  2. #2

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    Default Re: NEED HELP with tuning

    Hi Jonzo. I did a quick search on this forum and found tons of advice for you in regard to the snare buzz problem. Just click "search" and type in "snare buzz" and you'll see what I mean.

    There's probably help for the tom tuning problem too. In fact I recall there's a current thread on tuning toms. No need to reinvent the wheel.

  3. #3

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    Default Re: NEED HELP with tuning

    Also, go to Drum Bum, and check out the free lesson section. There are links to tuning drums, including a link to Prof. Sound's Drum Tuning Bible. That is my personal favorite for tuning advise. BTW, the icon at the top right of the page will take you to Drum Bum.
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  4. #4

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    Default Re: NEED HELP with tuning

    probably cause the 13" is tuned to the same note as the snare ...might want to tune the snare batter and reso higher if its not that then its def the snare wires there not tight enough or they just simply suck ....good luck .....just keep playing with it until you find a sweet spot then take note of the tuning

  5. #5

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    Default Re: NEED HELP with tuning

    Its quite probable that the bottom snare head is tuned to the same pitch as the Tom batter. A retune should sort this out but as PS said, refer to Drum Bum for hints and tips
    Last edited by Dustin; 11-27-2008 at 01:12 PM.
    Dustin Lee Burgess
    Northfleet, England
    mapex mafia & paiste posse


  6. #6

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    Default Re: NEED HELP with tuning

    I like my toms tuned fairly low, just above wrinkle and just into the drums resonance. I do this by seating the head and hand tighten the tension rods against the rim in a star like or criss cross pattern. I start by using just a quarter of a turn at each tension rod again in a criss cross pattern. I then place my index finger against the center of the head, this will show any wrinkles at the tension rods that will need additional tightening. When all wrinkles are just out of the head, it's time to bring the head up a bit in tension to gets its full resonace, again maybe just an eighth or quarter of a turn at each rod. At his point it's time to make sure the drum is in tune with itself by tapping at about an inch away from each rod. Tighten or loosen each rod until all rods exhibit the same tone. Always tune up or tighten the rod, never just loosen a rod. If you find that a rods pitch is too tight, first loosen the rod below the pitch that you want, then tighten it to bring the pitch back to where it should be. This is the basic tone or frequency I like from my toms. This range is fairly narrow but works well for me to get each drums range just where it has to be. I tune both the batter and reso heads to the same pitch on each tom. I mention this because it also gets the toms fundamental frequencies below that of my snare drum.

    I also have my snare's bottom head pretty tight and its batter head tight but not quite as tight as its resonant head. Each head of my snare is in tune with itself. In other words the tone of the head is at the same pitch at each tension rod on the batter side and the snare side, although the snare (or reso) head will be at a much higher pitch than its batter head. The snare wires themselves are adjusted to where I get a nice tight snare sound, not overly loose that they rattle or overly tight where the start to choke off the snares natural characteristics.

    If I start to hear too many sympathetic vibrations from my snare when I hit a tom, I usuall go to the snares bottom head and tighten it a little more, nine times out of ten, this is the only adjustment necessary to contol these vibrations. I understand that a lot of people detune or loosen the tension rods at the four corners of where the snare wire lay against the reso head to lessen these vibrations. That might work, but I'm a firm believer of keeping each and every drum in tune with itself.

    BTW, you will never fully rid yourself of sympathetic vibrations, its the nature of the beast, but you can control them by getting the margin between your toms frequencies and your snare's a little farther apart. This works very well for me and I've been doing this way for more years than I care to remember, but this is not the only formula, you must experiment a little to get the sounds from your drums to your liking.

    To address your 13" toms overtones, the tom is just not in tune with itself. When you hit a tom, it should give you a nice clean fundamental tone without any pitch bending. It's the pitch bending you are hearing. See above for getting the heads in tune with themselve. It's very important to acheive this step to get your drums to sing.

    Sorry about the long version, but I hope this sheds some light,
    Dennis
    Last edited by audiotech; 11-27-2008 at 09:58 AM. Reason: addition to the 13" problem

  7. #7

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    Default Re: NEED HELP with tuning

    Thanks guys. With a little bit of playing around I got my drums tuned to a good sound.

  8. #8
    Larrysperf Guest

    Default Re: NEED HELP with tuning

    Also detune lugs on each side of snares and this most times gets rid of snare buss

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