You've mentioned 'surdos', and as a Brazilian I would like to add that what people do here to achieve that kind of sound (usually on big samba groups) is using very heavy (actual leather or very thick nylon with a Fiberskyn-ish layer) batter heads combined with very thin layered (5 mil regularly) resonant heads, with a few tricks (usually some tape) to control harmonics. Amazing content, as always. I really dig the research approach you guys give to the topics. That makes a big difference when you just can't access every product to put to test.
I have an 18 inch bass drum, 16 inches deep. I have been using it for jazz with single play skins, open with no hole or anything inside it. Bit of moon gel… Recently I fitted a Kentville drums kangaroo skin to it. This sounds great, but I discovered something I didn’t expect when I was asked to dep for rock band. It was on a tiny stage and they specifically asked me to play the jazz 4 piece (I have another kit with bigger shells). I tried tuning the kangaroo skin low - and found it could go very low - and it still sounded great. It seemed odd to me because drums were much bigger back when calf skin was ‘normal’. 1930s bass drums were often around 28 inch - which suggests that calf sling likes to be tuned tighter than Mylar. I always believed, maybe wrongly, that drums got smaller because the synthetic heads could be tensioned lower. Or maybe kangaroo is different? Whatever - I was amazed how low and powerful I could get the 18 with the skin. Very little damping needing, too.
You’re quite welcome! We won’t be doing any follow-ups to this as it’s really unnecessary. This wasn’t meant to be a definitive exploration of the range of a 22” bass drum but rather an outline for anyone watching to follow with their own drum. We’ve done plenty of videos with bass drums ranging from 16” to 24” in diameter and encourage you to check those out but, ultimately, conduct the experiment with your own gear. Cheers!
I’ve mostly played in jazz/blues inspired 3 piece bands. I’ve often wondered why my ears gravitated to higher turned bass drums. It just hit me it’s probably due to wanting my kick to cut through the mix. Good job, me.
Fascinating! That high tuning wasn't as repulsive as I was expecting it to be. I don't know it I'd want to ask that of my old 22" though... Thanks, guys, as always!
Interesting video. I would also like to take a moment to discuss kick drum mic stands. Why are they so large? Like in this video every time they show the kick drum there is the stand shaft and boom arm obstructing the view of the drum set itself, not to mention any graphics that may be on the kick reso. Even the smaller "Kick Drum Mic Stands" are too big. Why don't more drummers use a little tripod stands that normally go on desks? I've used such a stand for about 30 gigs so far. It works perfectly, plenty stable, and can literally fit in my pocket!
Witch heads do you use in this case. What i recogniced by trying out differend heads and differend tunings,is that pritty often the collar of the heads and the shape of the bearing edge don't fit together real nice,so that the head is not laying flat on the drum,if you just lay it there without any pressure,on sharp 45 degree edges much more than on rounded ones,or full roundover.This means on the other hand,that a certain amount of pressure is needed,before the head sits even all around the drum,and fingertight is not what it's ment to be.
I have found only Aquarian heads fit my Ludwigs. They are the only heads that sit flat on the bearing edges on their own without forcing them with tuning lugs. Years of trying remo and Evans heads I always wondered why I was having such a hard time tuning. I feel like I found the correct heads far too late in life. My shells do not have a round over or back cut. Just 45 degree cut on the inside. Too many heads curve at the collar too early and will not sit level. So far any line of Aquarian heads fit with no wobble. This is a topic that hardly anyone discusses.
Great video as always! Curious how you deal with the port hole on the reso side when tuning? I use a tunebot and I have found I’ve had to make higher tuning adjustments on the lugs nearest to the port hole to get consistent tones at all lug locations. Did you follow this same approach or did you get each lug to finger tight first and then just make equal adjustments on all lugs afterwards?
+soundslikeadrum *Thanks for the brief.* My TAMA®/Hoshino® IMB22E has an EVANS®/D'Addario® BD22EMADHW batter and TAMA-branded REMO® ES-1022-00 (Tama P/N BD22H) resonant, tuned to a potential Max resonance after tune-bot® tables.
You’re right a we left that out. To answer your question, no, it varied a bit. And, for what it’s worth, this was really a roadmap for you to conduct your own review of your bass drum and experience the results along the way. Cheers!
Have you guys considered using more microphones or also having a mixed section of your videos? I always have to crank the volume of your videos. I know you guys don't want to use eq or compression but with the majority of modern drum production being so detailed every nuance is important and not all sounds of the drum are heard in raw productions. Plus without musical context a lot of this information isn't as impactful as it could be
You have to completely forget everything that pleases your ears. It’s about the raw sound. It doesn’t appeal to our ears because there is no “production.”
I would much rather hear the bass drum from a room mic or from the heads like the other drums are micd. Placing a mic in the air port is just recording the plosives much like a beatboxer. Good for rap music bad for anything else requiring tone.
Did you watch the whole video and hear the two mixes? Also, this wasn’t so much a comparison for review as it was a methodology for an experiment we encourage YOU to conduct with your drum in your room.
I have experimented on my drums in both live and recording situations with all sorts of gear and techniques. I didn't mean to offend anyone with my opinion. It's just how I hear it I guess.
Not at all offended, it just seems that this video probably wasn’t for you and that’s fine. The point of this episode had very little to do with recording. We’re quite happy with our mic placement for this particular series.
I recently had to send my M88 in for repair (used to live on bass drum), and recently did some recordings with only the "kick out" mic, a cheap-ish condenser about 15cm away from the head. It's actually perfectly punchy and bassy and seems to give me enough to work with in the mix!
You've mentioned 'surdos', and as a Brazilian I would like to add that what people do here to achieve that kind of sound (usually on big samba groups) is using very heavy (actual leather or very thick nylon with a Fiberskyn-ish layer) batter heads combined with very thin layered (5 mil regularly) resonant heads, with a few tricks (usually some tape) to control harmonics.
Amazing content, as always. I really dig the research approach you guys give to the topics. That makes a big difference when you just can't access every product to put to test.
Thank you for sharing that! 🖖☺️
Fantastic! I appreciate this full range exploration! Great suggestion & growth potential. Thank you!
I have an 18 inch bass drum, 16 inches deep. I have been using it for jazz with single play skins, open with no hole or anything inside it. Bit of moon gel…
Recently I fitted a Kentville drums kangaroo skin to it. This sounds great, but I discovered something I didn’t expect when I was asked to dep for rock band. It was on a tiny stage and they specifically asked me to play the jazz 4 piece (I have another kit with bigger shells).
I tried tuning the kangaroo skin low - and found it could go very low - and it still sounded great. It seemed odd to me because drums were much bigger back when calf skin was ‘normal’. 1930s bass drums were often around 28 inch - which suggests that calf sling likes to be tuned tighter than Mylar. I always believed, maybe wrongly, that drums got smaller because the synthetic heads could be tensioned lower. Or maybe kangaroo is different? Whatever - I was amazed how low and powerful I could get the 18 with the skin. Very little damping needing, too.
Great info and insight as always, guys! Thanks 👊🏼🤘🏻
Thanks for the video! I would to see a follow up one on the 24, to see what bigger bass drums could sound like with this same method.
You’re quite welcome! We won’t be doing any follow-ups to this as it’s really unnecessary. This wasn’t meant to be a definitive exploration of the range of a 22” bass drum but rather an outline for anyone watching to follow with their own drum. We’ve done plenty of videos with bass drums ranging from 16” to 24” in diameter and encourage you to check those out but, ultimately, conduct the experiment with your own gear. Cheers!
How much tension (turns) are you adding in each step. I know our results will vary but curious.
I second this, 🍻
I’ve mostly played in jazz/blues inspired 3 piece bands. I’ve often wondered why my ears gravitated to higher turned bass drums. It just hit me it’s probably due to wanting my kick to cut through the mix. Good job, me.
Nice! Wise words, guys.
very cool and instructiv ! thanks
Fascinating! That high tuning wasn't as repulsive as I was expecting it to be. I don't know it I'd want to ask that of my old 22" though...
Thanks, guys, as always!
“Not as repulsive as I was expecting” is the endorsement of our work that we’ll be using going forward. 😂 Thanks!
@@SoundsLikeADrum Happy to be of assistance! 😉
Interesting video. I would also like to take a moment to discuss kick drum mic stands. Why are they so large? Like in this video every time they show the kick drum there is the stand shaft and boom arm obstructing the view of the drum set itself, not to mention any graphics that may be on the kick reso. Even the smaller "Kick Drum Mic Stands" are too big. Why don't more drummers use a little tripod stands that normally go on desks? I've used such a stand for about 30 gigs so far. It works perfectly, plenty stable, and can literally fit in my pocket!
Happy New Year Cody 🥳🎈🎉
Witch heads do you use in this case.
What i recogniced by trying out differend heads and differend tunings,is that pritty often the collar of the heads and the shape of the bearing edge don't fit together real nice,so that the head is not laying flat on the drum,if you just lay it there without any pressure,on sharp 45 degree edges much more than on rounded ones,or full roundover.This means on the other hand,that a certain amount of pressure is needed,before the head sits even all around the drum,and fingertight is not what it's ment to be.
I have found only Aquarian heads fit my Ludwigs. They are the only heads that sit flat on the bearing edges on their own without forcing them with tuning lugs. Years of trying remo and Evans heads I always wondered why I was having such a hard time tuning. I feel like I found the correct heads far too late in life. My shells do not have a round over or back cut. Just 45 degree cut on the inside. Too many heads curve at the collar too early and will not sit level. So far any line of Aquarian heads fit with no wobble. This is a topic that hardly anyone discusses.
Were you adjusting both heads throughout the range or just the batter?
If both were they tuned to the same pitch?
Thanks!
Both heads were adjusted to varying amounts. They were not tuned to the same pitch.
You should do this with a flagship electronic drumkit ;))
Great video as always! Curious how you deal with the port hole on the reso side when tuning? I use a tunebot and I have found I’ve had to make higher tuning adjustments on the lugs nearest to the port hole to get consistent tones at all lug locations. Did you follow this same approach or did you get each lug to finger tight first and then just make equal adjustments on all lugs afterwards?
+soundslikeadrum *Thanks for the brief.* My TAMA®/Hoshino® IMB22E has an EVANS®/D'Addario® BD22EMADHW batter and TAMA-branded REMO® ES-1022-00 (Tama P/N BD22H) resonant, tuned to a potential Max resonance after tune-bot® tables.
Yoppers. Good to go.
There's one thing you didn't specify: for every iteration did you tune the batter head and the reso head by the same amount?
You’re right a we left that out. To answer your question, no, it varied a bit. And, for what it’s worth, this was really a roadmap for you to conduct your own review of your bass drum and experience the results along the way. Cheers!
@@SoundsLikeADrum Alrighty. Thanks for the reply!
Have you guys considered using more microphones or also having a mixed section of your videos? I always have to crank the volume of your videos. I know you guys don't want to use eq or compression but with the majority of modern drum production being so detailed every nuance is important and not all sounds of the drum are heard in raw productions. Plus without musical context a lot of this information isn't as impactful as it could be
Might be your headphones, I have the opposite problem. Good luck!
You have to completely forget everything that pleases your ears. It’s about the raw sound. It doesn’t appeal to our ears because there is no “production.”
Don't get me wrong I love the raw sound but having both a mixed and raw sound gives an even better idea of sounds you're experimenting with
I would much rather hear the bass drum from a room mic or from the heads like the other drums are micd. Placing a mic in the air port is just recording the plosives much like a beatboxer. Good for rap music bad for anything else requiring tone.
Did you watch the whole video and hear the two mixes? Also, this wasn’t so much a comparison for review as it was a methodology for an experiment we encourage YOU to conduct with your drum in your room.
I have experimented on my drums in both live and recording situations with all sorts of gear and techniques. I didn't mean to offend anyone with my opinion. It's just how I hear it I guess.
Not at all offended, it just seems that this video probably wasn’t for you and that’s fine. The point of this episode had very little to do with recording. We’re quite happy with our mic placement for this particular series.
I recently had to send my M88 in for repair (used to live on bass drum), and recently did some recordings with only the "kick out" mic, a cheap-ish condenser about 15cm away from the head.
It's actually perfectly punchy and bassy and seems to give me enough to work with in the mix!