Great video! i own a Supralite, the 14*8 model, and I love it. Really dense, present tone, easy to tune, sounds cool open, a tiny bit of tape/gel cleans up the overtones and makes is super punchy.
Yes sir ya do !!! I got mine around 5 years ago, 14x8 brand new in the box for £130 , I run it with an Evans heavyweight over a hazy emperor with 42 strand wires , it sounds great thro every tuning but both sides cranked up table top tight with those heads and wires it's the most fun you can legally have !!! 😉👍
they all sound great , just orderd a supralite .. 14x6 version i believe . Really a great sound for its price point .. wow. I do love the dry crack of the original Acrolite . I'm going to look around for one of those as well .
I might be alone. But, of five new issue Ludwig snares (Supralite, Acrolite, Supraphonic, Black Beauty), my order of preference is: 1=Supraphonic 2. Black Beauty (very close second, or tie even), 3. Universal Brass. 4. Supralite, 5. Acrolite. The new Acrolite has a pingy resonant ringy body resonance, that rubs me up the wrong way (though with a wallet/damping, it does sound good. And your vintage Acrolite sounds great, better than the Supralite. The Acrolite is the only one I would pass on, the other four I would use plenty. I think for a player coming up, makes sense to start with the great value Supralite, then fill snare collection out with a Universal Brass, then a Supraphonic, then a Black Beauty (in a different size to the Universal, or just sell or the Universal for the BB at that point).
Thank you for making this video. I understand many TH-camrs always recommend the second hand Acrolite but for whom living outside the US. The shipping cost diminished its best budget snare drum. Even local store would sold Acro for double the price of a brand new Supralite.
I guess I was expecting to be stoked to hear the deep shell on the Supra compared to the Acro but it never happened for me. I am sure, as you mentioned, the difference between steel & aluminum is influential. With that being said...I will have to stick with the Vintage Acrolite for all intent purposes. I think it is really just a better snare drum all the way around.
Cole " Do not (ever) say goodbye to your classic Galaxy Acrolite, that drum clearly sounded best in the particular comparison! TY S.R.PURDY 🥁 God Bless 🙏
Cole - That was a nice comparison between the Supralite and the Acrolite. I gotta wonder if, in the future, the Supralite won't be seen and talked about in the same way we talk about the Acrolite today. ...btw, your Blackrolite dates between the mid 90's and the early 2000's, not the 1970's.
Thanks for comparing snares! Supralites are very affordable and great sounding, depending on what sound your looking for. I think they are a well-rounded snare drum for many genres of music.
I‘ve got a Supralite in 14x8“ and it‘s really cool. It‘s a special feel to play a deep snare - very punchy and strong. But the Supralite is sensitive too and I‘m sure this will become a modern classic snare drum. If you have the money - buy it! 👍🏻🥁 P.S. I have a new Acrolite (aluminium shell) in 14x6,5“ too. Maybe it‘s a bit more sensitive and got less overtones than the Supra - but I love them both ❤️ I never were a big fan of Ludwig, but they put some magic in their snares. I‘ve owned a Gretsch Solid Aluminium snare which costs 750 € & I don‘t lie when I‘m saying I prefer the two Ludwig models! (I sold the Gretsch - wasn‘t a bad drum, but not as good as the Ls 😉)
I have a Supralite and a Supraphonic, both 6.5“, same heads (CS) same snares (PS Custom Pro). All lugs are tuned at appr. 280 Hz. I guarantee, you wouldn’t hear the difference when the are freshly tuned. One big difference though: once the Supralite detunes slightly it starts to sound a bit unpleasant whereas when the Supraphonic detunes it starts to sound even better. Might be the steel vs aluminum I don’t know
Great insight! I'd imagine that could have somtehing to do with the difference between the steel and aluminum shell, aluminum being a little more dull and forgiving so when it detunes you get more fatness rather than overtones.
@@Eurodrummer666 it’s more wet and has more ring but less snare sensitivity. But I agree, it’s just a matter of taste and hence I probably that’s why I like the Supralite more
@@GolddenWaffles i own the Pearl Ian Paice signature steel snare and it looks pretty similar to the supra. I always wanted to try a brass snare so I was wondering about the bb.
You're right they can't be duplicated. I've got a late 60s unfinished aluminum and an 80s black Galaxy and they're both just a joy to play. I've had them for years I think I paid $50 for the aluminum finish and $60 for the black Galaxy and it came with a hard shell case LOL
I bought a 13x6 supralite yesterday. Ive had and used an actolite for years and i love it. But i really wanted a high dry drum with a cutting rimshot but also articulate under the lighter touches for ghost notes and rolls. Kind of comparable to a lot of funk and ska but i dont want it too ringy. I was going to get either a piccolo or a side snare at guitar center but this caught my eye. I wanted something smaller in depth for sure i was going to get something a lot smaller. But after playing them all a bit this one seemed to have the sound im looking for especially with a moongel. I bought its and was asked if i wanted the protection plan, i asked back, its ludwig? Its steel? Yes and yes so i said thats insurance enouph. I love it, it cuts like no other.
The supralite is better than the acrolite or maybe supraphonic. Everytime I get my supraphonic out for a gig I compare it to the supralite, I got to go with the supralite. It just sounds more solid and sensitive. 🤷
Acrolites are ridiculous right now. Can barely touch one for under $200. Aluminum snares in general are super hot rn. Which makes sense because short of bell bronze/brass, nothing comes close to the qualities you get from them. And, I actually prefer the lighter dryer sound of aluminum to bronze by just a tiny margin.
I recently purchased a 14× 5.5 Supralite. Yes, the $ is cheaper due to the manufacturing location, but you're splitting hairs when it comes to sound. I look forward to many years of playing.
I literally don’t own one drum yet, and I’m already like, “Well, clearly, the answer is to get an Acrolite AND a Supralite 🤷🏼♂️” lol/smh Money’s stupid 😝😂🤦🏼♂️
Hi Markus - thanks for the comment. For your first concern you'll be pleased to know that you can click around the little red/grey bar at the bottom of the video and jump to whichever part of the video you're interested in. For some that's the commentary and for others the demos. As for compression, this is actually a fairly conservative mix. It's a tough balance to strike because everyone wants to hear the snare in a different way. If I use only room mics people want to hear close mics, if I use only close mics people want to hear the room. If I don't use EQ the drum doesn't sound accurate to how it did in the room. This is why I include a demo of the Acrolite as reference. You can use that as a known quantity to compare against. Hope that helps!
Yes. Pretty sad, but we’re in so deep now with Chinese “trade deals”. Thanks Kissinger, lobbyist scum, and our spineless government for that. The deficit we experience must be huge. Actually I just looked it up quickly: America experiences the largest trade deficits of any country, $500 BILLION to China alone. All we can afford are $199 snares!!!! FFS. That 8” sounds great, I love steel drums, most of them sound good, or can be made to sound good.
![เป็นไปได้ไหม - WanMai [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_6lZ6b3_7Vo/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video! i own a Supralite, the 14*8 model, and I love it. Really dense, present tone, easy to tune, sounds cool open, a tiny bit of tape/gel cleans up the overtones and makes is super punchy.
Thanks Jonas! Love the 8s!
@@ColeParamore Is the Supralite made in China?
@@m42037made in Taiwan
I think I need a 8” Supralite in my life.
I'm waiting for one in the mail that has been retrofitted with a pair of wood hoops.
Yes sir ya do !!! I got mine around 5 years ago, 14x8 brand new in the box for £130 , I run it with an Evans heavyweight over a hazy emperor with 42 strand wires , it sounds great thro every tuning but both sides cranked up table top tight with those heads and wires it's the most fun you can legally have !!! 😉👍
@Cameron Davis what sounds best to you? Love my 8
That's what she said haha. Someone had to say it. I like the 14x8 sound of the supralite
My acrolite is one of the few drums I've kept in my rotation forever. Got a nice one with the ludwig era case and all for 100 bucks off a buddy.
The black galaxy (blackrolite) snare where made on the 80s thru early 2000s. It has been my 'go to' snare for small gigs.
they all sound great , just orderd a supralite .. 14x6 version i believe . Really a great sound for its price point .. wow. I do love the dry crack of the original Acrolite . I'm going to look around for one of those as well .
Have one, like one, and yes they do have that great Ludwig bag for the buck sound!
I might be alone. But, of five new issue Ludwig snares (Supralite, Acrolite, Supraphonic, Black Beauty), my order of preference is: 1=Supraphonic 2. Black Beauty (very close second, or tie even), 3. Universal Brass. 4. Supralite, 5. Acrolite. The new Acrolite has a pingy resonant ringy body resonance, that rubs me up the wrong way (though with a wallet/damping, it does sound good. And your vintage Acrolite sounds great, better than the Supralite. The Acrolite is the only one I would pass on, the other four I would use plenty. I think for a player coming up, makes sense to start with the great value Supralite, then fill snare collection out with a Universal Brass, then a Supraphonic, then a Black Beauty (in a different size to the Universal, or just sell or the Universal for the BB at that point).
Thank you for making this video. I understand many TH-camrs always recommend the second hand Acrolite but for whom living outside the US. The shipping cost diminished its best budget snare drum. Even local store would sold Acro for double the price of a brand new Supralite.
My pleasure, much appreciated!
Exactly my thought!
Made in China compared to USA
I think this is spot on. Great video.
Thanks, much appreciated!
I guess I was expecting to be stoked to hear the deep shell on the Supra compared to the Acro but it never happened for me. I am sure, as you mentioned, the difference between steel & aluminum is influential. With that being said...I will have to stick with the Vintage Acrolite for all intent purposes. I think it is really just a better snare drum all the way around.
Love my 8x14 Supralite!!!
I have two Acrolites. One from the 80s I gave $110 for. The other from the 70s I picked up for $65. My favorite drums. Now I want a Supralite.
I still come back to this video for the floor tom sound, kinda like how you did for the benny video.
Cole " Do not (ever) say goodbye to your classic Galaxy Acrolite, that drum clearly sounded best in the particular comparison! TY S.R.PURDY 🥁 God Bless 🙏
Cole - That was a nice comparison between the Supralite and the Acrolite. I gotta wonder if, in the future, the Supralite won't be seen and talked about in the same way we talk about the Acrolite today.
...btw, your Blackrolite dates between the mid 90's and the early 2000's, not the 1970's.
Thanks for comparing snares! Supralites are very affordable and great sounding, depending on what sound your looking for. I think they are a well-rounded snare drum for many genres of music.
That floor tom sound is beautiful!
Thanks!
I‘ve got a Supralite in 14x8“ and it‘s really cool. It‘s a special feel to play a deep snare - very punchy and strong. But the Supralite is sensitive too and I‘m sure this will become a modern classic snare drum. If you have the money - buy it! 👍🏻🥁
P.S. I have a new Acrolite (aluminium shell) in 14x6,5“ too. Maybe it‘s a bit more sensitive and got less overtones than the Supra - but I love them both ❤️
I never were a big fan of Ludwig, but they put some magic in their snares. I‘ve owned a Gretsch Solid Aluminium snare which costs 750 € & I don‘t lie when I‘m saying I prefer the two Ludwig models! (I sold the Gretsch - wasn‘t a bad drum, but not as good as the Ls 😉)
This is great! I would personally love to see the black magic snares compared to black beauties
Good call!
Black Magic’s are half the price of Black Beautys..
Great buys..
@@roybeckerman9253 Had one myself for many years, great drums!
I think they have similar vibe like you said but Supra had more ring to it so not apples and oranges but maybe apples and pears.
Great video thanks for posting!
I'm thinking about getting an 8x14 for a backup snare.. my main is an 8x14 ludwig universal.
Have you tried a shallower depth? I love deep snares, but I suggest something like a 5.5x14 or a 6x14 snare for the variance :)
I have the 8” and it’s awesome but I still want a Black Beauty
💰💰💰
Lovely drums! I have older LM300 and LM302 with bowtie lugs. They feel and sound absolutely awesome!
Great vid!
Thanks Andrew!
I have a Supralite and a Supraphonic, both 6.5“, same heads (CS) same snares (PS Custom Pro). All lugs are tuned at appr. 280 Hz.
I guarantee, you wouldn’t hear the difference when the are freshly tuned.
One big difference though: once the Supralite detunes slightly it starts to sound a bit unpleasant whereas when the Supraphonic detunes it starts to sound even better. Might be the steel vs aluminum I don’t know
Great insight! I'd imagine that could have somtehing to do with the difference between the steel and aluminum shell, aluminum being a little more dull and forgiving so when it detunes you get more fatness rather than overtones.
@@ColeParamore Or the Supraphonic is USA compared to roc
I just got the black galaxy acrolite.. wow! not bad for $250
I bought a Black Beauty to replace my Supralite, but I think that the Supralite might be better 😅🔥🔥 It’s really good! Highly Recommended!
I know snares are a matter of taste, but your statement is quite surprising! Could you explain what the supra has the bb doesn't?
@@Eurodrummer666 it’s more wet and has more ring but less snare sensitivity. But I agree, it’s just a matter of taste and hence I probably that’s why I like the Supralite more
@@GolddenWaffles i own the Pearl Ian Paice signature steel snare and it looks pretty similar to the supra. I always wanted to try a brass snare so I was wondering about the bb.
@@GolddenWaffles I personally like the black beauty and the aluminum supraphonic snare drums more.
The 6.5 SL is a fantastic drum.
Nothing in this universe will ever replace my 1990 14X6.5 Black galaxy flake Ludwig acrolite.
You're right they can't be duplicated. I've got a late 60s unfinished aluminum and an 80s black Galaxy and they're both just a joy to play. I've had them for years I think I paid $50 for the aluminum finish and $60 for the black Galaxy and it came with a hard shell case LOL
@@dnews9519 you have no idea how lucky you are, actually yes you do
Thinking I need to get a 14x8 supralite soon
I bought a 13x6 supralite yesterday. Ive had and used an actolite for years and i love it. But i really wanted a high dry drum with a cutting rimshot but also articulate under the lighter touches for ghost notes and rolls. Kind of comparable to a lot of funk and ska but i dont want it too ringy. I was going to get either a piccolo or a side snare at guitar center but this caught my eye. I wanted something smaller in depth for sure i was going to get something a lot smaller. But after playing them all a bit this one seemed to have the sound im looking for especially with a moongel. I bought its and was asked if i wanted the protection plan, i asked back, its ludwig? Its steel? Yes and yes so i said thats insurance enouph. I love it, it cuts like no other.
Nice, congrats on the new drum!
I notice the lugs fall off occasionally on luwdig entry level snares. need to put teflon tape on every one. or might just get a pearl sensitone.
ROC not USA that's why
The Supralite is a very hefty drum and has excellent hardware. I've owned Acros, Black Beauties, Supras, etc., and I'm still blown away by the SL.
I have five 8x14 snare drums. They are all great.
Which one is your favorite?
I've got a 14X8 on order: I'll get back to you in a week.
I would like to hear the Supralite compared to the Black Beauty
I have superlite14x8 and love it. Also the 6.5x14 steel yamaha stage custon is also a great snare drum for around 150.check it out
Yamaha makes some killer stuff!
@@ColeParamore Same. Yamaha steel snare and it’s awesome.
Yamaha steel stage custom by far the best value snare out there.
Thanks for this video. To me, there is no comparison really. Your vintage acro is far superior over the supralites.
The supralite is better than the acrolite or maybe supraphonic. Everytime I get my supraphonic out for a gig I compare it to the supralite, I got to go with the supralite. It just sounds more solid and sensitive. 🤷
Worldmax make a very similar drum that's also excellent. The Yamaha stage custom is good too. No need to spend big money on a steel snare imo.
And i f you're in the UK old Premier 1035/1036 are easy to find for £150-ish, also excellent drums when fitted with the right skins/wires.
Bro, I'm sorry but...your KICK TONE. Please tell me your making a video on kick mic placement and mixing a kick drum cause that kick is BEAUTIFUL!!
Noted!
Audix ?
Beta?
Sub Bass?
Dbx 160?
Mmh
Great video.nice drum for 200.00 and it's ludwig.
Acrolites are ridiculous right now. Can barely touch one for under $200. Aluminum snares in general are super hot rn. Which makes sense because short of bell bronze/brass, nothing comes close to the qualities you get from them. And, I actually prefer the lighter dryer sound of aluminum to bronze by just a tiny margin.
I picked one up on ebay this week for $164 after shipping.
@@DarthCiliatus That's still a bubble price compared two five years ago.
that intro is like a Toe band songs
An American made Ludwig is where I'll spend my money. Not the the others are Bad.
Buy American! Buy Ludwig! Can't go wrong!
I recently purchased a 14× 5.5 Supralite. Yes, the $ is cheaper due to the manufacturing location, but you're splitting hairs when it comes to sound. I look forward to many years of playing.
Are you filming from evolution?
It was formerly an Evolution room, but I've been in there for about 6 months.
Crap, i want one now
I literally don’t own one drum yet, and I’m already like, “Well, clearly, the answer is to get an Acrolite AND a Supralite 🤷🏼♂️” lol/smh Money’s stupid 😝😂🤦🏼♂️
You could get both for less than a Black Beauty if that makes it any easier lol.
Way too much talking at beginning of video and way too much compression on the mix imo. With that mix, any snare would sound good
Hi Markus - thanks for the comment. For your first concern you'll be pleased to know that you can click around the little red/grey bar at the bottom of the video and jump to whichever part of the video you're interested in. For some that's the commentary and for others the demos.
As for compression, this is actually a fairly conservative mix. It's a tough balance to strike because everyone wants to hear the snare in a different way. If I use only room mics people want to hear close mics, if I use only close mics people want to hear the room. If I don't use EQ the drum doesn't sound accurate to how it did in the room. This is why I include a demo of the Acrolite as reference. You can use that as a known quantity to compare against.
Hope that helps!
Make your own video then. And use the fast fwd button. Then go buy some Kleenex 😢
Ya but the Supralite is made in China yes??
Yes. Pretty sad, but we’re in so deep now with Chinese “trade deals”. Thanks Kissinger, lobbyist scum, and our spineless government for that. The deficit we experience must be huge. Actually I just looked it up quickly: America experiences the largest trade deficits of any country, $500 BILLION to China alone. All we can afford are $199 snares!!!! FFS. That 8” sounds great, I love steel drums, most of them sound good, or can be made to sound good.