bass drum turning

[green242]

How do you tune a bass drum properly? OR, do you know of any sites that will teach me how to do this properly. Also, what have you found the best way to muffle your bass drum and get a good UMPH! out of it? I am looking for a good solid punch, almost like it sounds mic'd. Any Help is appreciated, ignorant comments not. Thanks muchly :chug: have a nice day.

[mamcdonald]

Medium to medium-tight batter, "barely past flappy" resonant. Hole on the edge. Hard pillow against batter + towel on resonant.

[othankheavenfor311]

it is mostly preference...

i like mine Medium to medium-tight batter, "barely past flappy" resonant

but for recording, i usually make my batter head losser

but like i said just play with it until it sounds good

[Zildjian]

I tighten mine about medium and put some pillows on it...For the reso low to mid tightening, i barely have anything muffling it...I like having a good punchy bass. Too much muffling i really don't like

[Ethan.]

Just tune it how you want; it's just like any other drum. Don't put too much muffling in, that totally kills the sound.

I use a PS3/Smooth White Ambassador, no muffling. It sounds great. I probably would use a little muffling if I had Amb/Amb though.

[green242]

right cool. I just don't want it to ring much at all... Just like a quick UMPH!... Like I said.

[ringworm]

Stock reso & batter here still,
Semi loose reso, batter fairly loose, but not slappy loose,
one towell rolled up againts batter,
4'' port hole. Not much attack, LOTS of thump

Just get a coated PS3, read up on this for diff tuning
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~prof.sound/

[Drummer300btx]

I have Aquarian super kick 2 over evans eq3 ported.

I love the super kick. Deep and punchy - pretty much everything I want in a bass drum. I tune both fairly loose but still tight enough were it isnt floppy.

[MeaninglessPhoto]

I use PS3 over Coated amb

I tune my batter a little less then finger tight. I tune my reso up a little more. About 1/2 a turn on every other lug. I love a punch bass sound. The only muffling I use is a felt strip on the batter.

But its all preferance man. Nobody here can tell you what you like. You just gotta spend some time doing different tuning combinations.

[green242]

I know it's preference. I was just looking for some ideas. I have a pearl session series maple bass, and I thot it should sound good, but I am having troubles. What about a port? Can I cut one somehow in my drum, will that give it a nice loud thump? What would a port do? Thanks

[Chris]

I know it's preference. I was just looking for some ideas. I have a pearl session series maple bass, and I thot it should sound good, but I am having troubles. What about a port? Can I cut one somehow in my drum, will that give it a nice loud thump? What would a port do? Thanks

Ports are the hole's in the resonate head. They make air release faster, so will give that sing less sustain. Also they are tended to be used for micing up.

[ofDooM]

i dont like the port on the edge...my bass drum has a big huge gaping port right in the middle. it makes me think that the sound doesnt come out correctly but thats just me.

i have one blanket in there and my bass drum head somewhat tight. its not completely tight like a snare drum and its not loose like a floor tom.

[maniac0796]

Is it possible to make a good port. I lack funds, and i want to put a port in my bass drum head. Is it possible say, to draw a stencil, and cut it out with a stanley knife or something. Could you sharpen the edges of a cake tin and punch a hole in the reso...:cool: ?
Would a home made one give a good sound. I don't want to try it and find out it sounds like a flacid pile of badger crap, and have to go out, and spend money meant for another thing on a new reso head. Is there anyone who's attempted this?

[bpd906]

Is it possible to make a good port. I lack funds, and i want to put a port in my bass drum head. Is it possible say, to draw a stencil, and cut it out with a stanley knife or something. Could you sharpen the edges of a cake tin and punch a hole in the reso...:cool: ?
Would a home made one give a good sound. I don't want to try it and find out it sounds like a flacid pile of badger crap, and have to go out, and spend money meant for another thing on a new reso head. Is there anyone who's attempted this?


Yep, they make kits, its really easy. I know GC has em and most online stores at well.

For my 2 cents: I tune my batter very loose just past wrinkles, reso medium tight.

[green242]

Yep, they make kits, its really easy. I know GC has em and most online stores at well.

For my 2 cents: I tune my batter very loose just past wrinkles, reso medium tight.

What about say... Free kit, like do it yourself. Is it safe to just use a stencil and a knife? If so what size should the hole be?

I have found that if I tune the bass drum finger tight, then a half turn for each lug, it's almost too tight and the kick basically bounces off of the head. ALSO, I found that when I tune finger tight, then half turn for each lug, the drum isn't tuned well, It may be WAY lower in one area, and higher in another, and I haveto adjust each one drastically, like some take an extra 2 turns and such. Is this normal?:smoke:

[ringworm]

I gott whore my home made reso again:smoke:
Its just some tubing from Home Depot
http://x402.putfile.com/2/5717390434.jpg (http://www.putfile.com)

[Double Bass Jim]

Loose tuning for me on the batter

I keep the reso side about medium so the tone shoots off the head well.

[saars]

I tighten the batter a lot, and the reso is almost to the point of being wrinkley. I put a blanket against the batter side, taking about 20 % of the bass drum. With this, I got a good deep thud. But I now want something more punchy.

[maniac0796]

Heh, we don't have stuff like home depot or guitar center in UK. There arn't really any big music chain stores in UK, it's all individual. so i could just say, get a small cake tin, or some PVC tubing, and cut around it, and it would make a half decent port in the reso?

[pitchfork]

Yeah but we have focus do it all, homebase, b & q - hardware stores you can get pvc tubing from.
Duckson and pinker is probably one of the bigger chains in the uk i know they have 5-6 shops.
Music shops sell pretty much anything you need anyway.

Try using emads or one of the pillows built for muffling, to much muffling sucks.

[green242]

I gott whore my home made reso again:smoke:
Its just some tubing from Home Depot
http://x402.putfile.com/2/5717390434.jpg (http://www.putfile.com)
So u did that urself? How and what difference did it make the sound? Quicker? Louder? deeper? ...
Also, If I have tom mounts on my bass drum, and I have no toms mounted on it, Would it make a big difference where the air escapes the holes in the top much? Should I plug them, get a cover for it? :confused:

[bpd906]

In my experience the holes dont make that much of a difference at all. They really serve two purposes, micing and its a hell of a lot easier to play with your pillow or whatever your using for muffling. Any decent Internet store has the kits for really cheap. Id buy the kit.

[maniac0796]

I hate crappy Tama skins. I need money to buy new ones. Theyz whats next on my list for new things :D. Then my kit will sound badass, (hopefully).

[green242]

What's a nice batter head? I had an evans head on my kit with a foam strip around the outside of it, and I thought that was part of my problem.. So I had an extra one that I got when I bought my kit which is a pearl head, So I switched the 2 and the pearl sounds much better, but still not quite the punch i'm looking for. Just an average bass sound. Any suggestions on a real good head I can get?

[ringworm]

^^PS3 is awesome IMO

So u did that urself? How and what difference did it make the sound? Quicker? Louder? deeper? ...
Also, If I have tom mounts on my bass drum, and I have no toms mounted on it, Would it make a big difference where the air escapes the holes in the top much? Should I plug them, get a cover for it? :confused:

Yep, just some plumbing hose cut down the middle & slid over the hole.
Nah, if anything, it took away a little resonance, but minimal.
Re-tuning can bring back most of it. These port holes are mostly just for looks, micing purposes & make it easier to play around with internal muffling.
Im not sure about the tom mount holes, I wouldnt worry at all.

[pitchfork]

What's a nice batter head? I had an evans head on my kit with a foam strip around the outside of it, and I thought that was part of my problem.. So I had an extra one that I got when I bought my kit which is a pearl head, So I switched the 2 and the pearl sounds much better, but still not quite the punch i'm looking for. Just an average bass sound. Any suggestions on a real good head I can get?

The emad will sound better if you tune it right and don't muffle much.

[green242]

Ok, I finally got the sound I was looking for. A low pitched boom, with some punch and real "umph!" to it. And for those who said, or think that a port makes little to no difference in sound. Huh, you were totally wrong in my case. It made a world of difference. In case you didn't notice I also gave the evans head another chance and I put some of that foam in for muffleing, a larger piece and a small piece on top of that, In wich I cut the same length as the kick drum... Anyway, I attached some pics for better understanding of what I did. Oh yeah, and I have both reso and batter about as tight as I could get it with my fingers. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/green242/IMG_2420.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/green242/kick.jpg

[ofDooM]

sick set. sick pedal.

[bpd906]

Sweet Mary, that pedal looks like it is right outta da box

[Cocaberry]

That head looks like it could use some patches. Evans AF patches are awesome.

[Basement Drummer]

The type of beater heads that you use will also affect the sound that you trying to get, the felt beater heads will have a softer sound then the plastic or wood, and the construction of the beater head makes a difference is it flat or is it rounded. I am sure that you can tune to what ever you what but the right beater makes it a little easier.

[TTTSNB]

Just above finger tight batter, medium reso, with a small pillow lightly touching both heads (For micing purposes, I can't really get a good sound out of a totally unmuffled kick close-miced). I use a Remo Falam Slam Patch and Danmar Red Wood Beaters.

[green242]

Sweet Mary, that pedal looks like it is right outta da box
Basically yes, it's smooth as faack. I Love it. Real easy heel toe as well with little effort.
That head looks like it could use some patches. Evans AF patches are awesome.
Yeah, It's got a dent in it from bein hit too hard with a plastic beater(not from me tho)

[Aaron]

Finger-tight + a half turn.

[bpd906]

Finger-tight + a half turn.

Give that man a prize Johnny!

[Aaron]

aw shucks.

[FullMoon]

How do you tune a bass drum properly? OR, do you know of any sites that will teach me how to do this properly. Also, what have you found the best way to muffle your bass drum and get a good UMPH! out of it? I am looking for a good solid punch, almost like it sounds mic'd. Any Help is appreciated, ignorant comments not. Thanks muchly :chug: have a nice day.


dude i just crank out both heads and tune it unevenly so that you get a thud with a small hum

[Ethan.]

By crank do you mean tighten very tightly?

[FullMoon]

as tight as itll get

[Double Bass Jim]

Yikes

Thats bad stuff man

[Ethan.]

Yeah... that probably doesn't sound like a traditional bass drum. Its not good to do that. Loosen the heads they sound much better. Trust me -- and the rest of the drummer world.

[FullMoon]

i haved so many complements on my bass drum its not funny so im not changing

[green242]

haha, I JUST realized, I spelled the thread title wrong... haha

[Aaron]

i just noticed too. ;) shh, no one knows.

[Ethan.]

I seriously just noticed too before I read those. :lol:
Strange...