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In a nutshell: Remo heads have a much more lively and wide-open tone since there’s more contact between their collars and the bearing edges of the drums, but they require more effort to tune because they will expose any inconsistencies in your tuning pattern/seating of the heads or any defects in the drums themselves. If you like slightly muted drums to begin with, don’t want to put a lot of effort into tuning your drums, and don’t mind losing the slightest bit of resonance, you can’t go wrong with Evans.
man well said. Couldn't have said it better. Remo's are harder to tune, but seem to offer a more rewarding sound when done correctly. Evans are GREAT right out the box tho with less effort on the tuning. I came up playing remo clear pinstripe, remo clear emperors. But im currenty playing Evans EC2 FROSTED!!! all these heads i have also used on the same set and they all are great. ITs a matter of preference and sound when its on this LEVEL!
I found generally a difference to my ears (and I am not a Professional by any means ), the Clear heads are Thuddier , and the Coated heads a little "Warmer" which is exactly how they are advertised in their merchandising materials. I have had Evans G2s coted on my toms now for about 6 months or so. I only play for about an hour per day as a 70 YO retired guy for just the personal pleasure , along to My Music. But then occassionally, I view some YT videos and see and listen to comparisons made and that starts the ball rolling for a change in Pursuit of the "perfect" sound. Obssession is a "curse" in disguise. It can make you spend Money for the sake of Change. As an example.... I just ordered and received form Sweetwater, new Re Emperor Batter heads in a 4 Tom drum set (excellent price at $54 with free shipping). I had a G2 coated on my 16 " Floor Tom. So the other day, I had a EC2 Clear 16" head from an earlier order in 2021 for my Gammon kit which i gave to my Grandson. I have a PDP Maple kit now. i installed the EC2 and said , Oh Yeah, I like it (still need the Evans E-Ring to further muffle the overtones). So now i ordered the Emperors to compare to the EC2s and the G2s Coated. See what I mean? OCD SUX..
im a remo guy all day. But Remo's are harder to tune, but seem to offer a more rewarding sound when done correctly. Evans are GREAT right out the box tho with less effort on the tuning. I came up playing remo clear pinstripe, remo clear emperors. But im currenty playing Evans EC2 FROSTED!!! all these heads i have also used on the same set and they all are great. ITs a matter of preference and sound when its on this LEVEL!
This is THE best way to compare heads. Same drums, same tuning, same microphone position, same playing. However, it's difficult for me to assess the differences between all the heads when there's a long time spread playing all of them, especially when there are different shell sizes with different tones. So, for those of us with AADD, can you PLEASE edit a video of each individual shell played with the various heads in a side-by-side comparison? Like this: 10" tom: Head #1, bam bam bam, head #2, bam bam bam, head #3, bam bam bam, head #4, bam bam bam. Then the 12", then the 16". This way we can better hear, focus on, and compare the sound characteristics of each head in quick succession. You already shot the video for it!
I think pinstripes sound amazing, as long as they're not too old. I've been playing some faster stuff recently and they're perfect if you want a lot of articulation whilst having good mid/low-end tones.
I'm strictly a Remo Guy. Presently running Vintage Emps. Early days, I loathed Evans, cause they had a Papery sounding Attack. But now they sound much better. Especially the EC2's.
Please. The evans heads are for idiots who can't tune a drum properly and just wanna sound like some modern day overly produced generic rock band. They have zero tone and zero tunability. You can't beat Remo.
Evans had made alot of improvements over tha years which u can appreciate! only thing i saw Remo do was make their logos bigger and it's always been harder for me to tune over Evans
@@blakedmc1989DrumsHD The improvements I noticed with Remo from the early days, is the coating on coated heads are more durable now. In my early years I only bought clear, because I noticed the folks that bought coated, their cymbals all had white streaks from the coating wearing off. It's so much better now. Coated is my preferable head. The only reason I'm running clear now is because I was curious on how the Vintage line sounded.
Amazing what branding and players can do to bias decisions. I currently have all remo’s on my kit but in this video I preferred evans over remo. I don’t want to, but I do
I changed to Evans 10 years ago. Never looked back. My kit SINGS exactly as I hear it in my head. I could never get my kits or snare drums to sound good with Remo. There was always something off with them. Evans head are just great.
Davvero molti complimenti! Siete davvero onesti intellettualmente e squisitamente professionali: date un grande aiuto! Le pelli si somigliano.......ma trovo che le nuove Pinstripe Clear siano davvero notevoli! Per chi vuole la risposta Remo, il "tocco"Remo , per il pop/rock quelle sono le pelli giuste. Grazie
I simply like Evans UV heads. They sound awesome and are well balanced between attack and resonance. The coating does not come off like normal Evans coated heads especially with Gaff tape.
I use different heads for different drums. My DW Collectors have Evans G2 coated on them. My Pearl Session Elite set came with Remo Pinstripes that played for a few years, but I have decided to change to Evans EC2. My little Gretsch Catalina Club (the small jazz kit w/18” kick) has Evans G2 coated heads on it. My kick drum head of choice has been Aquarian Super Kick II for a number of years.
I'd ask you for a video showing how you tune the toms. You achieve such an amazing sound no matter which brand you use. Thank you for this excellent video.
I have to admit, Remo does give Evans a run for their money, but I'll stick with the consistency of quality and sound with Evans. Great video guys, I know this is dated but you still deserve the acknowledgement. G2 tops and G1 bottoms, an Emad 2 Kick System Pack, and Power Center Reverse Dot Batter -n- 300 Snare Side on the Snare is a great starting point into the World of Evans Drumheads.
This was great. Forbsome reason I was conditioned into think that pinstripes were for either low end drums, for ease in the studio, and for those who didn't know how to tune. After 22 years of having them, I put pinstripes on my prized Yamaha Birch Customs recently and they sound incredible. I can't believe what I was missing. Lol.
I've tried a bunch of combinations of top/bottom heads in my studio. I keep returning to properly tuned Ambassador white coated tops and clear bottoms on all Tom's. No pinstripes or crap.
This comparison is brilliantly done, but I have controversial fellings. Since you are using a Tama Bubinga (one of my favourites) you can really test the differences. But, for those like me who proudly owns lower quality drums, these comparisons don’t normally fully work, as we should fit our chances among 2 or 3 head types that works. Last to be added, this type of contents invite us to keep learning on out instrument and running capacities, something that I am glad to you guys. This channel and you guys are simply amazing. Your content is marvellous. Keep it up!
Appreciate your thoughts, @kkeeooppss! It's indeed challenging to translate findings from top-notch kits to more budget-friendly options. We aim to provide insights that drummers at all levels can apply, but if you're diving deep into optimizing your setup, perhaps you'll find our deep-dive tutorials helpful: welcome.drum.dog
The sound of Remo across the board is more gratifying to most drummers. It's what it takes to get them to sound their best. I just bought several sets of both, and Evans tunes up in literally seconds. With Remo, the quality is not only all over the place...but, there's a drawn out method of seating/stretching that can take anywhere from a day to a week of gigs to get them at their "sweet spot" and broken in. And, until they get to that point, can sound bit boomy/flubby, and out of tune, not matter WHAT you do to them, or how you tune them. Evans won't sound QUITE as good, but still sound VERY good, and the convenience, and consistency, and more than makes up for any sound benefit Remo may have. Aquarian's are very, very good like that, as well, if you haven't tried them.
I used to always record with Remo ambassador clear, I found they were a little more warm with great tone, full bodied. For live I would use Evan’s g2 clear, they didn’t require much tuning for a great sound, and they packed a nice punch. I used the emad2 on my 24x 14 bass drum. Sounded like a cannon lol
Clear ones seem more suited to jazz fusion or funk or maybe they just seem warmer somehow. Smoother. Worth the effort. The evans G2 clear have the most stick marks on them..that says it all. They would be my choice. But very good video. Much appreciated
Have used pinstripes for 20 years. Really thinking about switching to the EC2 frosted. But kinda stuck between those and the G2 coated for batters. And dont know what to pair either of those with. The matching ec2 reso or g1 reso? I need help, cant make the decision at all.
I'm basically a dumb guitarist looking for new heads to put on my Pearl Export kit for my rehearsal room. The general consensus is to just throw Remo Pin Stripes on it, however after listening to the comparison with my novice drum experience, I think I prefer the G2 Clear. I like that there is just enough dampening to prevent too much over ring, but not so much that it impacts the attack. I also think the tuning sounds more stable when you listen closely to the overtones as the sound resonates and decays. In all honesty, this is like splitting hairs for very little distinguishable difference once it's in a full band mix.
Depends on whether you're actually doing to take the time to tune them well. If tuning is sometimes a problem, then go for EC2s. If you're willing to mess around with them, then G2s.
I've been pretty loyal to Evans. I've tried G2s, but usually ec2s. Both clear. Just purchased an new kit and am considering the Coated ec2s, Onyx or Aquarian performance 2.
Generally speaking I think I prefer the sound of the Remo's on the rack toms and the Evans on the floor tom. The Remo's just seem to ring a bit nicer on the higher pitched drums where as the Evans sounds nice and fat on the floor tom. The Clears sound nicer at lower volumes but the coated heads sound better when you lay into them. Overall though when you have the same drums, same tuning, and same mics they all sound very similar so if anything this just confirmed to me that you cant really go wrong as far as sound goes, to me it would be more about feel/durability etc. I find Remo's get marked up way faster but Evans are more prone to denting.
I'm changing my 8 main tom toms from Pinstripe to Emperor. The heads left Sweetwater this morning. Should be here by Monday. In the video there wasn't much of a difference according to my little computer speakers. I'll see when I get them changed.
I got g2 batter g1 reso after watching this video. The tuning is phenomenal in this video. It has a defined attack and sharp cutoff, but then still resonates a little after. Its like 2 sounds. Like someone strikes it with a drumstick, and then lightly bats it with a mallet. Any tuning advice? I wonder how much of what I'm hearing is that killer bubinga kit.
The Remos are definitely a more wide open sound perfect for jazz settings or a more vintage sound all together. Those Evans though man the tone quality and the control is just unmatched and I’m listening to this through a Bose system
I will add, I noted No Muffling on any of the Drums. I find that no matter what batter head I use, I need to add some muffling: Moon gel, Gatt Tape )although I ws told NOT to use Gatt tape especially on coated heads), or my fav Evans E-Rings which work great on all the Toms. Can you relay your Secret about Tuning. THX
My last 4 head changes have all been G2 Coated, really dig them. Honestly though, these all sounded damn good! Have you done any reviews on Evans G12 or G14? Someone just recommended them to me yet I've never heard (or used) them.
As soon as you play the whole kit a lot of the nuances disappear anyway. So for me it comes down to tunability, durability and feel. I tried a lot but always come back to G2s. I just bought some Aquarians though and the Performance 2s are super too. I will switch to those just for fun as soon some new heads are due.
Love these comparison videos guys!!! Although I know tuning and head selection is all personal taste, I feel the toms were tuned a bit high and the floor tom was a little too low. The difference in sound from head to head wasn’t all that distinguishable. Maybe it’s just me? BTW, what head are you using on that Starclassic Copper snare? It sounds amazing!!!
Agreed tuning was a bit dodgy for me. The 12 seemed choked and the floor Tom maybe a touch too dead. That nitpicking aside I thought it was a great video. The clear Ambassadors sounded best but that did not surprise me. The Ambassador clear or coated is always the best sounding head in my experience - downside is if you’re playing a lot and/or picky they need to be replaced or tweaked relatively often.
Maybe it's just my ears, but I couldn't tell much of a difference between the heads. Over my career, I've used Remo Emperor coated, Emperor clear, Control Sound Dot clear, Pinstripe clear, Pinstripe ebony, P4 clear, and Evans G2 clear, Black Onyx, Hydraulic clear, and EC2 clear. Probably the best combination I've ever heard was Remo Pinstripe as the reso and Evans hydraulic as the batter. Unfortunately, my OCD prevents me from mixing brands on a regular basis.
I agree. The fact the drum pitches were tuned the same you could hear some difference in attack and decay sounds but there weren't huge differences to me. And this is a nice drum kit so the shells might do more of the sound work than a cheaper kit. Probably playing with them over a much longer period of time you could hear differences. And since the toms were closed miced that might have evened out the sound. Using room mics maybe the differences would be easier to hear. I know I have felt that on a pretty cheap kit Pinstripes tuned well can sound pretty good. I think we are all loyal to certain brands. And I bet if you did a blind test few people could actually pick most of the heads correctly. I thought they all sounded pretty good. Maybe we should just play music instead of worrying as much about our tools as long as they meet a certain standard.
I have played remo as the only heads for 16 years now... I am shocked to hear how much better evans heads sound. I have cheated myself from the exact sound I was trying to acchieve...
Yeah when I heard Evans several years back I made the switch. Tried lots of different ones. I still use a Remo Powerstroke 3 clear on bass batter. Thats damn near perfect
I mean everyone preference, but i have never set behind a drumkit or listened to a drumkit irl with evans drumheada that sounded good... The only drumhead i kinda like is the emad, thats it... But the remo powerstroke just makes it no competition
Evans Hydraulic Black is my favorite head on the market. I have them on both my snare and toms. I love a dark, punchy sound with as little ring as possible.
I’ve been preaching Evans Heads for years. 1) They’re pretty much pre stretched. 2) The head makes contact with the bearing edge on the flat part of the head, not near the edge/bend. 3) They simply have a cleaner roundness to the note, and a crisper snap. If you want a more raw/overtone present sound, stick with Remo. That’s where they shine. If you want your drums to sound like they’re EQ’d, EVANS all day long. I’ve found with everything instrument related, you have hardcore traditionalist that think what they’ve used for years is the “best ever”. What’s funny is that when they listen, ears don’t lie.
Also, familiarity breeds sonic taste; if it's something you've heard your whole life, it probably sounds good to you. But remember that most instruments that are true classics, from Remo Ambassadors and Emperors to New Beat Hi Hats to Vox guitar amps, all have something slightly weird and crunchy in the mids that gives them their signature sound. I think it has to do with how things sound to the audience in a group setting vs how they sound to the musician playing them.
@@jkf9167Agreed. That said, frequencies are frequencies. I reiterate my above statement. If someone wants a more raw / mid range focused tonality, Remo all day. For me, I absolutely prefer toms to sound more processed, acoustically. Yes, I understand processed could also mean a more raw sound. That said, I use the term “processed” to mean more snappy and rounder on the lower end of the frequency spectrum. Some folks will prefer a 69 Camaro. Some folks will prefer a Ferrari. Both are great in their own right.
I will say, notwithstanding all other things affecting the sounds of the drums (Tuning, Reso head types, etc), this comparison video is confusing me More. I am a novice at drum tuning and Tweaking. I thought I liked Evans G2s coated batter heads on my Toms (8,10,12 racks, & 14 , 16 Floor Toms) on my PDP Concept Maple kit, but now I am tempted by trying different batter heads . EC2s Clear vs. Rmo Emperor Clears ... Uh Oh, my OCD might be kicking in:(:(, You would think that a 70 YO , retired Guy who plays only for personal pleasure as a Hobby, would not let that happen !! But it Does... Seeking that Perfection is a crappy trait of OCD. in this case, it's seeking that "perfect" sound for my Toms. No matter, this is great service to the drumming public. THX for this guys.
Diehard Evans blue hydraulic fan here, ambassador coated on back for rock ; jazz would be Emperor coated batter, ambassador coated as reso head. Premier elite 1972 for jazz, hydraulic blue on both sides of bd , ambassador coated + haze on 1960 gene krupa super snare Premier 75 resonator 24, 13, 14 ,16 and 6,5 super sensitive for rock. Very dynamic shells, 3 ply birch + re-rings, I hate to muffle with tape or gel, used ambassador coated + inside damper earlier.
Emperors have a more clicky stick attack than g2 but they do need a moongel to kill the overtones the g2stick attack sits more on the papery side but there is less overtones off the bat at least to my ears. i use emperor clear but would not cry if i have to use g2 at all
Still glad I discovered to Evans again a few years after buying Jay Postoned Tesseract kit that had them and Remo became such a let down in quality and service over the years. Much better quality, and the durability is insane. G2 over G1 clear and G1 clear over G1 on toms. Genera Dry on the snare. EQ4 on the bassdrum.
Well I use all drum heads and I like the Aquarian response 2s best on the toms Aquarian super kick on bass -and remo black dot on studio ⚫️try some Aquarian next time
Pinstripes or EC2 for me, I just put new heads on my kit and was going to get the ec2's but the Pinstripes were $25 less for the 6 heads I bought,money talks
As another viewer said below... Remo's sound better, a bit fatter with beautiful high-end snap.................ONCE you get them dialed in. You damn-near have to sacrifice a donkey to get that to happen. And, their QC is all over the place. After this amount of time, I'm stunned Remo hasn't found a way to fix those issues, to compete with Evans. For years, we tolerated it because Evans couldn't compete sound wise...they were terrible for what seemed like decades. Then they came out with their new manufacturing process with their "collar lock" is it???, and it's so damn close, that any sound benefits Remo may eventually have, are negated by how astonishingly EASY Evans heads are to tune up. It takes literally seconds. Get the tension just above wrinkle status, and you're done.
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In a nutshell: Remo heads have a much more lively and wide-open tone since there’s more contact between their collars and the bearing edges of the drums, but they require more effort to tune because they will expose any inconsistencies in your tuning pattern/seating of the heads or any defects in the drums themselves. If you like slightly muted drums to begin with, don’t want to put a lot of effort into tuning your drums, and don’t mind losing the slightest bit of resonance, you can’t go wrong with Evans.
I agree 100%.
man well said. Couldn't have said it better. Remo's are harder to tune, but seem to offer a more rewarding sound when done correctly. Evans are GREAT right out the box tho with less effort on the tuning. I came up playing remo clear pinstripe, remo clear emperors. But im currenty playing Evans EC2 FROSTED!!! all these heads i have also used on the same set and they all are great. ITs a matter of preference and sound when its on this LEVEL!
well worth the hassle, the audience and microphones can tell the difference how badass you sound
Jesus...I think we're brothers. I just left a comment that was almost exaclty like this on another of their videos. Well said.
Agreed. I've always thought Remo heads generally sound "bright/lively," Evans heads - "dry/neutral," and fwiw Aquarian heads sound "warm/smoky."
Altough I‘m a Remo guy the G2’s coated sounding perfect to my ears.
Not really a fair test though as their Remo equivalent, the Emperor Coated, wasn't tested here.
@@robinjohnson6301 - True!
I found generally a difference to my ears (and I am not a Professional by any means ), the Clear heads are Thuddier , and the Coated heads a little "Warmer" which is exactly how they are advertised in their merchandising materials. I have had Evans G2s coted on my toms now for about 6 months or so. I only play for about an hour per day as a 70 YO retired guy for just the personal pleasure , along to My Music. But then occassionally, I view some YT videos and see and listen to comparisons made and that starts the ball rolling for a change in Pursuit of the "perfect" sound. Obssession is a "curse" in disguise. It can make you spend Money for the sake of Change. As an example.... I just ordered and received form Sweetwater, new Re Emperor Batter heads in a 4 Tom drum set (excellent price at $54 with free shipping). I had a G2 coated on my 16 " Floor Tom. So the other day, I had a EC2 Clear 16" head from an earlier order in 2021 for my Gammon kit which i gave to my Grandson. I have a PDP Maple kit now. i installed the EC2 and said , Oh Yeah, I like it (still need the Evans E-Ring to further muffle the overtones). So now i ordered the Emperors to compare to the EC2s and the G2s Coated. See what I mean? OCD SUX..
im a remo guy all day. But Remo's are harder to tune, but seem to offer a more rewarding sound when done correctly. Evans are GREAT right out the box tho with less effort on the tuning. I came up playing remo clear pinstripe, remo clear emperors. But im currenty playing Evans EC2 FROSTED!!! all these heads i have also used on the same set and they all are great. ITs a matter of preference and sound when its on this LEVEL!
I was thinking the same
This is THE best way to compare heads. Same drums, same tuning, same microphone position, same playing.
However, it's difficult for me to assess the differences between all the heads when there's a long time spread playing all of them, especially when there are different shell sizes with different tones.
So, for those of us with AADD, can you PLEASE edit a video of each individual shell played with the various heads in a side-by-side comparison?
Like this:
10" tom: Head #1, bam bam bam, head #2, bam bam bam, head #3, bam bam bam, head #4, bam bam bam. Then the 12", then the 16".
This way we can better hear, focus on, and compare the sound characteristics of each head in quick succession.
You already shot the video for it!
Thanks for the sugestion. I'll put it on the list and send you a link when its done 👍
By the time it took you to type all that you could just move your cursor to the places you want to compare in less than two seconds.
I enjoyed all of them, but my preference for rock/metal seems to gravitate toward the PinStripe/EC2
I think pinstripes sound amazing, as long as they're not too old. I've been playing some faster stuff recently and they're perfect if you want a lot of articulation whilst having good mid/low-end tones.
Pinstripes have less articulation
I'm strictly a Remo Guy. Presently running Vintage Emps. Early days, I loathed Evans, cause they had a Papery sounding Attack. But now they sound much better. Especially the EC2's.
Please. The evans heads are for idiots who can't tune a drum properly and just wanna sound like some modern day overly produced generic rock band.
They have zero tone and zero tunability.
You can't beat Remo.
Evans had made alot of improvements over tha years which u can appreciate! only thing i saw Remo do was make their logos bigger and it's always been harder for me to tune over Evans
@@blakedmc1989DrumsHD The improvements I noticed with Remo from the early days, is the coating on coated heads are more durable now. In my early years I only bought clear, because I noticed the folks that bought coated, their cymbals all had white streaks from the coating wearing off. It's so much better now. Coated is my preferable head. The only reason I'm running clear now is because I was curious on how the Vintage line sounded.
I’ve been Evans for years. The Pinstripes sounded great! Might have to try Remo again
I've been pinstripes all the way but I'm curious about the G2 coated might give em a try
I used Remo Pinstripes as a youngster and then changed to Evans G2 coated as an adult. I like the warm tom sound and especially with maple shells.
Ouh good to know! What music genre are you palying? Bc I like mid/low tuning I wonder if uv2 would suite my Tour maple custom... (Mid sustain)
Amazing what branding and players can do to bias decisions. I currently have all remo’s on my kit but in this video I preferred evans over remo. I don’t want to, but I do
Same. I've always been a Remo guy but I kinda prefer Evans now...
😂😂😂.. I went thru the same feeling too...
I changed to Evans 10 years ago. Never looked back. My kit SINGS exactly as I hear it in my head. I could never get my kits or snare drums to sound good with Remo. There was always something off with them.
Evans head are just great.
I use Remo pinstripe for toms and ambassador for my snare, Dw maple snare, pearl hardwood kit. sounds epic with some studio lab drum tacs!
Try the CS coated X on the snare,
like an ambassador without annoying high overtone and lasts longer while sounding good!
Davvero molti complimenti! Siete davvero onesti intellettualmente e squisitamente professionali: date un grande aiuto! Le pelli si somigliano.......ma trovo che le nuove Pinstripe Clear siano davvero notevoli! Per chi vuole la risposta Remo, il "tocco"Remo , per il pop/rock quelle sono le pelli giuste. Grazie
I simply like Evans UV heads. They sound awesome and are well balanced between attack and resonance. The coating does not come off like normal Evans coated heads especially with Gaff tape.
Yeah I agree. Something about them still has that warm sound from the G2 but it just comes to life a little more
These videos are so fun to watch. Thank you for doing these types of videos!
I use different heads for different drums. My DW Collectors have Evans G2 coated on them. My Pearl Session Elite set came with Remo Pinstripes that played for a few years, but I have decided to change to Evans EC2. My little Gretsch Catalina Club (the small jazz kit w/18” kick) has Evans G2 coated heads on it. My kick drum head of choice has been Aquarian Super Kick II for a number of years.
G2 clear for me, that's why I use them. Having heard the G2 coated though it's a tough call.
After all these years and all the technology driven drum heads out there pinstripes are still where it’s at.
they are the best price i can find on good heads, thats what i came here to hear.
Damn you guys tune drums very well! These all sound amazing!
Thanks for watching dude
I'd ask you for a video showing how you tune the toms. You achieve such an amazing sound no matter which brand you use. Thank you for this excellent video.
The Evan's UV2 sounded really nice.
Yessir. Fat tone AND controlled overtones.
Awesome. Would be great to see a similar video with smaller head names such as Code and Aquarian 🙂
G2 coated heads just make me so happy and make me want to play for hours.
There's nothing like finding a head that just clicks with you. Glad the G2 coated heads are inspiring your practice sessions!
Terrific comparison!
I don't mind mixing Pinstripes and EC2's on my kit, it just depends on what your expectations are searching for.
I have to admit, Remo does give Evans a run for their money, but I'll stick with the consistency of quality and sound with Evans. Great video guys, I know this is dated but you still deserve the acknowledgement. G2 tops and G1 bottoms, an Emad 2 Kick System Pack, and Power Center Reverse Dot Batter -n- 300 Snare Side on the Snare is a great starting point into the World of Evans Drumheads.
This was great. Forbsome reason I was conditioned into think that pinstripes were for either low end drums, for ease in the studio, and for those who didn't know how to tune. After 22 years of having them, I put pinstripes on my prized Yamaha Birch Customs recently and they sound incredible. I can't believe what I was missing. Lol.
I've tried a bunch of combinations of top/bottom heads in my studio. I keep returning to properly tuned Ambassador white coated tops and clear bottoms on all Tom's.
No pinstripes or crap.
I use Evans EC2 clears but I really loved the sound with the UV2. Pinstripes third as they offer perhaps the most versatile tuning range.
This comparison is brilliantly done, but I have controversial fellings. Since you are using a Tama Bubinga (one of my favourites) you can really test the differences. But, for those like me who proudly owns lower quality drums, these comparisons don’t normally fully work, as we should fit our chances among 2 or 3 head types that works.
Last to be added, this type of contents invite us to keep learning on out instrument and running capacities, something that I am glad to you guys.
This channel and you guys are simply amazing. Your content is marvellous. Keep it up!
Appreciate your thoughts, @kkeeooppss! It's indeed challenging to translate findings from top-notch kits to more budget-friendly options. We aim to provide insights that drummers at all levels can apply, but if you're diving deep into optimizing your setup, perhaps you'll find our deep-dive tutorials helpful: welcome.drum.dog
@@drumdog thanks a lot! All your content is pretty valuable.
All sounded great
Awesome stuff, would have really like to see some Aquarian in there as well, particularly the Reflector heads.
I like the controlled sound of the Remo Pinstripes, the Evans EC2 are similar but ring a little too much for me.
The sound of Remo across the board is more gratifying to most drummers. It's what it takes to get them to sound their best. I just bought several sets of both, and Evans tunes up in literally seconds. With Remo, the quality is not only all over the place...but, there's a drawn out method of seating/stretching that can take anywhere from a day to a week of gigs to get them at their "sweet spot" and broken in. And, until they get to that point, can sound bit boomy/flubby, and out of tune, not matter WHAT you do to them, or how you tune them. Evans won't sound QUITE as good, but still sound VERY good, and the convenience, and consistency, and more than makes up for any sound benefit Remo may have. Aquarian's are very, very good like that, as well, if you haven't tried them.
Currently using Evans Hydraulic Clear on a Yamaha Stage Custom.
I used to always record with Remo ambassador clear, I found they were a little more warm with great tone, full bodied. For live I would use Evan’s g2 clear, they didn’t require much tuning for a great sound, and they packed a nice punch. I used the emad2 on my 24x 14 bass drum. Sounded like a cannon lol
I’d like to see the Evans EC2s clear versus frosted.
I grew up playing Remo pinstripes. But I am liking how Evans G2 Coated. May give it a try. Looking for new heads for my Tama Silverstar Birch kit👍🏼
They all sounded the same to me. Thanks for the hard work on the video.
Clear ones seem more suited to jazz fusion or funk or maybe they just seem warmer somehow. Smoother. Worth the effort. The evans G2 clear have the most stick marks on them..that says it all. They would be my choice. But very good video. Much appreciated
Great video guys! Thanks
Great :D I wasn't able to decide, if i should buy G2 clear or EC2S, but now I'm a step closer to clear emperors :D
Have used pinstripes for 20 years. Really thinking about switching to the EC2 frosted. But kinda stuck between those and the G2 coated for batters. And dont know what to pair either of those with. The matching ec2 reso or g1 reso? I need help, cant make the decision at all.
I wonder how coated Emps Vintage sound on a maple kit, would have like to hear it in this video to compare... Great video tho
Right now I’ve got pinstripes on my 10 and 12, G2 coated on my 14 and 16 floor toms
OMG that same fill on and on in the beginning!!
I'm basically a dumb guitarist looking for new heads to put on my Pearl Export kit for my rehearsal room. The general consensus is to just throw Remo Pin Stripes on it, however after listening to the comparison with my novice drum experience, I think I prefer the G2 Clear. I like that there is just enough dampening to prevent too much over ring, but not so much that it impacts the attack. I also think the tuning sounds more stable when you listen closely to the overtones as the sound resonates and decays. In all honesty, this is like splitting hairs for very little distinguishable difference once it's in a full band mix.
Depends on whether you're actually doing to take the time to tune them well. If tuning is sometimes a problem, then go for EC2s. If you're willing to mess around with them, then G2s.
Evans G2 clear are what sound best to my ear. I run them on all my kits. Now for the snare, I prefer REMO powerstroke.
Exactly!
Same dude! Im an Evans guy for the most part, but remo definitely kills it when it comes to snare heads! Powerstroke 3 FTW
So Evans G2 for the toms and REMO powerstroke for the snare, what about the bass drum which head should I buy?
I've been pretty loyal to Evans. I've tried G2s, but usually ec2s. Both clear. Just purchased an new kit and am considering the Coated ec2s, Onyx or Aquarian performance 2.
Generally speaking I think I prefer the sound of the Remo's on the rack toms and the Evans on the floor tom. The Remo's just seem to ring a bit nicer on the higher pitched drums where as the Evans sounds nice and fat on the floor tom. The Clears sound nicer at lower volumes but the coated heads sound better when you lay into them. Overall though when you have the same drums, same tuning, and same mics they all sound very similar so if anything this just confirmed to me that you cant really go wrong as far as sound goes, to me it would be more about feel/durability etc. I find Remo's get marked up way faster but Evans are more prone to denting.
I'm changing my 8 main tom toms from Pinstripe to Emperor. The heads left Sweetwater this morning. Should be here by Monday.
In the video there wasn't much of a difference according to my little computer speakers. I'll see when I get them changed.
I got g2 batter g1 reso after watching this video. The tuning is phenomenal in this video. It has a defined attack and sharp cutoff, but then still resonates a little after. Its like 2 sounds. Like someone strikes it with a drumstick, and then lightly bats it with a mallet. Any tuning advice? I wonder how much of what I'm hearing is that killer bubinga kit.
Thanks for the kind words! Tuning is medium batter with a medium-high reso head, tuned evenly across all lugs 🥁
Where are Remo Emperor coated?
The Remos are definitely a more wide open sound perfect for jazz settings or a more vintage sound all together. Those Evans though man the tone quality and the control is just unmatched and I’m listening to this through a Bose system
Always jealous of these tuning vids. I always need a little moon gel on my floor Tom’s to dial them in at low tunings.
Nothing wrong with a little gel Jeff 🙂 on that topic, look out for this Sunday's video 😉
I will add, I noted No Muffling on any of the Drums. I find that no matter what batter head I use, I need to add some muffling: Moon gel, Gatt Tape )although I ws told NOT to use Gatt tape especially on coated heads), or my fav Evans E-Rings which work great on all the Toms. Can you relay your Secret about Tuning. THX
My last 4 head changes have all been G2 Coated, really dig them. Honestly though, these all sounded damn good! Have you done any reviews on Evans G12 or G14? Someone just recommended them to me yet I've never heard (or used) them.
As soon as you play the whole kit a lot of the nuances disappear anyway. So for me it comes down to tunability, durability and feel. I tried a lot but always come back to G2s. I just bought some Aquarians though and the Performance 2s are super too. I will switch to those just for fun as soon some new heads are due.
Standard or fusions for remo heads?!
Great video! Keep it up!
Love these comparison videos guys!!! Although I know tuning and head selection is all personal taste, I feel the toms were tuned a bit high and the floor tom was a little too low. The difference in sound from head to head wasn’t all that distinguishable. Maybe it’s just me? BTW, what head are you using on that Starclassic Copper snare? It sounds amazing!!!
Agreed tuning was a bit dodgy for me. The 12 seemed choked and the floor Tom maybe a touch too dead.
That nitpicking aside I thought it was a great video. The clear Ambassadors sounded best but that did not surprise me. The Ambassador clear or coated is always the best sounding head in my experience - downside is if you’re playing a lot and/or picky they need to be replaced or tweaked relatively often.
Floor toms should be tuned as low as possible. Personally i think the tuning was great
Maybe it's just my ears, but I couldn't tell much of a difference between the heads. Over my career, I've used Remo Emperor coated, Emperor clear, Control Sound Dot clear, Pinstripe clear, Pinstripe ebony, P4 clear, and Evans G2 clear, Black Onyx, Hydraulic clear, and EC2 clear. Probably the best combination I've ever heard was Remo Pinstripe as the reso and Evans hydraulic as the batter. Unfortunately, my OCD prevents me from mixing brands on a regular basis.
I agree. The fact the drum pitches were tuned the same you could hear some difference in attack and decay sounds but there weren't huge differences to me. And this is a nice drum kit so the shells might do more of the sound work than a cheaper kit. Probably playing with them over a much longer period of time you could hear differences. And since the toms were closed miced that might have evened out the sound. Using room mics maybe the differences would be easier to hear. I know I have felt that on a pretty cheap kit Pinstripes tuned well can sound pretty good. I think we are all loyal to certain brands. And I bet if you did a blind test few people could actually pick most of the heads correctly. I thought they all sounded pretty good. Maybe we should just play music instead of worrying as much about our tools as long as they meet a certain standard.
I have played remo as the only heads for 16 years now...
I am shocked to hear how much better evans heads sound. I have cheated myself from the exact sound I was trying to acchieve...
Remo coated emperors are great though and weren’t here so.
Yeah when I heard Evans several years back I made the switch. Tried lots of different ones. I still use a Remo Powerstroke 3 clear on bass batter. Thats damn near perfect
I mean everyone preference, but i have never set behind a drumkit or listened to a drumkit irl with evans drumheada that sounded good... The only drumhead i kinda like is the emad, thats it... But the remo powerstroke just makes it no competition
did you changed the bass drum head and snare head too or just the toms ones??
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Good video!
Thanks!
that snare sounds immaculate
Evans Hydraulic Black is my favorite head on the market. I have them on both my snare and toms. I love a dark, punchy sound with as little ring as possible.
Is the snare drum a straclassic copper?
I must have missed it, but what microphones are you using on the toms? (Looks similar to the CAD M179 to me) Thanks for the video!
Nailed it, CAD M179! 🎙️👌
I’ve been preaching Evans Heads for years.
1) They’re pretty much pre stretched.
2) The head makes contact with the bearing edge on the flat part of the head, not near the edge/bend.
3) They simply have a cleaner roundness to the note, and a crisper snap.
If you want a more raw/overtone present sound, stick with Remo. That’s where they shine. If you want your drums to sound like they’re EQ’d, EVANS all day long.
I’ve found with everything instrument related, you have hardcore traditionalist that think what they’ve used for years is the “best ever”. What’s funny is that when they listen, ears don’t lie.
Also, familiarity breeds sonic taste; if it's something you've heard your whole life, it probably sounds good to you. But remember that most instruments that are true classics, from Remo Ambassadors and Emperors to New Beat Hi Hats to Vox guitar amps, all have something slightly weird and crunchy in the mids that gives them their signature sound. I think it has to do with how things sound to the audience in a group setting vs how they sound to the musician playing them.
@@jkf9167Agreed.
That said, frequencies are frequencies. I reiterate my above statement.
If someone wants a more raw / mid range focused tonality, Remo all day.
For me, I absolutely prefer toms to sound more processed, acoustically.
Yes, I understand processed could also mean a more raw sound. That said, I use the term “processed” to mean more snappy and rounder on the lower end of the frequency spectrum.
Some folks will prefer a 69 Camaro. Some folks will prefer a Ferrari. Both are great in their own right.
What does “chunnings” mean?
Really ?
My choice all Evans for me👏👏🤟🏻🤟🏻🥁🥁🇨🇦
Remo emperor clear sounds similar to the evans G2 coated or maybe it’s just me 🤔 great video bro 👍🏿
Emperor coated were not included :(
They all sound the same to me! They all sound good.
I'm a simple man. I see Murat Diril, I like the video!
Great cymbals 🙌
The G2 Coated sounded the best and consistent tone from tom to tom. The UV2 sounds weird on smaller toms.
the uv2 floor tom had a surprising amount of attack
always been a remo pinstripe player
I like the EC2 clear the most. G2 clear is a close second
I will say, notwithstanding all other things affecting the sounds of the drums (Tuning, Reso head types, etc), this comparison video is confusing me More. I am a novice at drum tuning and Tweaking. I thought I liked Evans G2s coated batter heads on my Toms (8,10,12 racks, & 14 , 16 Floor Toms) on my PDP Concept Maple kit, but now I am tempted by trying different batter heads . EC2s Clear vs. Rmo Emperor Clears ... Uh Oh, my OCD might be kicking in:(:(, You would think that a 70 YO , retired Guy who plays only for personal pleasure as a Hobby, would not let that happen !! But it Does... Seeking that Perfection is a crappy trait of OCD. in this case, it's seeking that "perfect" sound for my Toms. No matter, this is great service to the drumming public. THX for this guys.
Diehard Evans blue hydraulic fan here, ambassador coated on back for rock ; jazz would be Emperor coated batter, ambassador coated as reso head.
Premier elite 1972 for jazz, hydraulic blue on both sides of bd , ambassador coated + haze on 1960 gene krupa super snare
Premier 75 resonator 24, 13, 14 ,16 and 6,5 super sensitive for rock.
Very dynamic shells, 3 ply birch + re-rings, I hate to muffle with tape or gel, used ambassador coated + inside damper earlier.
Emperors have a more clicky stick attack than g2 but they do need a moongel to kill the overtones the g2stick attack sits more on the papery side but there is less overtones off the bat at least to my ears. i use emperor clear but would not cry if i have to use g2 at all
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Nice video bro thank u
Thank you
Please ambassador x head on toms testing.
Still glad I discovered to Evans again a few years after buying Jay Postoned Tesseract kit that had them and Remo became such a let down in quality and service over the years.
Much better quality, and the durability is insane.
G2 over G1 clear and G1 clear over G1 on toms.
Genera Dry on the snare.
EQ4 on the bassdrum.
Well I use all drum heads and I like the Aquarian response 2s best on the toms Aquarian super kick on bass -and remo black dot on studio ⚫️try some Aquarian next time
Pinstripes or EC2 for me, I just put new heads on my kit and was going to get the ec2's but the Pinstripes were $25 less for the 6 heads I bought,money talks
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As another viewer said below... Remo's sound better, a bit fatter with beautiful high-end snap.................ONCE you get them dialed in. You damn-near have to sacrifice a donkey to get that to happen. And, their QC is all over the place. After this amount of time, I'm stunned Remo hasn't found a way to fix those issues, to compete with Evans. For years, we tolerated it because Evans couldn't compete sound wise...they were terrible for what seemed like decades. Then they came out with their new manufacturing process with their "collar lock" is it???, and it's so damn close, that any sound benefits Remo may eventually have, are negated by how astonishingly EASY Evans heads are to tune up. It takes literally seconds. Get the tension just above wrinkle status, and you're done.
Remo emperor for me
REMO Emperor Clear.
. Evans EC2 coating for the first rack tom
. Remo Pinstripe coating for the second rack tom
. Stock head for the floor tom
May the insults begin..
I don't know what it is but remo pinstripes take the win on that Tama BUBINGA kit.
Emperor for me followed pinstripes
Those UV2 skins win by a long margin!
Pinstripe for me.
I've always used pinstripes tough moving on to evan g2s I feel like I'm breaking up with x wife or something
Just make sure you keep custody of your Tom’s 😅
The G2 clears were used heads.