The ONE tuning tip that changed my life
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2022
- Here’s a simple approach to tuning that has worked liked magic every time I’ve used it with these vintage Ludwig shells. It’s made my musical/drumming life so much simpler, which is why I felt compelled to pass it on. This method revealed a side of these drums I didn’t know was possible!
#ludwigdrums #drumtuning #drumtutorial #vintagedrums - เพลง
Sounds like a dead fish being dropped onto a newspaper
It is a bit of a "splat", isn't it..? I get this if it's a studio sitch and it's acting as much as a trigger for samples, but in my world of playing out live (and mic'd), tone and pitch are real things. I've messed around in a studio and literally recorded hitting cardboard boxes and adding effects, and they sounded much like this tuning.
@@spamwagon the more you perfect it, the less you have to do in post
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. To me the floor Tom sounds papery .
It's not just you. Drums are not supposed to sound that way.
Certainly, tuning by ear is the more "organic" approach. It helps you get more intimate with your drums, and develop your ears as well. And that's always a good thing.
I agree with the tuning method, but the drums do not sound good in my opinion. The shell is designed to resonate the note and at a quarter tune, it's not even close yet.
Totally agree. I hear all attack, no tone or resonance, and frankly they do not sound good.
Agreed. I feel like maybe this was an April Fool's thing or something?
What I do is finger tighten all rods.. then in the same pattern, press down firmly on the batter hoop at each rod point and then finger tighten each rod again. That should get you a pretty good even baseline to then use a key to start fine-tuning. I find that at the second finger tightening, you're pretty much almost to the final spot, excluding snare drum tuning. Hope that works for y'all!
Thomas Lang uses that method too he told me in a masterclass
Excellent.
Great looking set of old Ludwig 'Standards'. I use similar simple way of tuning: first make sure heads are evenly tensioned all the way around: tap the head about an inch from the edge at each lug and make sure all the lugs are evenly tensioned, then for a starting point for toms I tune for the drums to be 'in tune with themselves'; e.g. the tone more or less similar to the sound of the shell when tapped with a stick. Then I tune more or less to note values: I generally keep a floor tom at about a G, the rack tom at about a C#, and the snare at about an E# or F using an electronic tuner or piano for comparison. Bass drum I simply tension resonant and batter side for a good punchy deep sound with a bit of resonance..I try to avoid that flat dead 'totally muffled' bass drum sound.
I prefer a medium low tuning for a musical note, but to each his own.
I've experimented with recording drums different ways for a couple years. What I've ultimately landed on is the exact same approach as you. 1/4 - 1/2 turn on the lugs is all thats really needed on pretty much everything! Just make sure all the lugs are tuned evenly, and should be good to go!
Like 228. Subscribed. Great tuning tip. I've been using your approach for a long time and it really works.
Beautiful kit.
I agree that it’s not as hard as many say, and I’ve mainly used extremely low tuned toms just like this. However, the rebound is awful, and that can be problematic, especially if you’re going for quick precision or linear grooves. Doubles are very difficult.
Great video
Since 1989, when I was 13, I tuned by going in the criss cross pattern - and did well with it!
But recently I've been doing the method that Roy Burns shared of going around the drum, tuning has been faster and more accurate!
I finger tighten thetensuon rods, then go counter clockwise around the drum. No fuss no muss. I did start using Aquarian heads recently as well, and have been enjoying them. I'll probably float back and forth between Remo and Aquarian.
I totally agree tuning drums is not rocket science. I can tune each drum in about 30 seconds or less as well using a similar technique. I add one last step to yours. I push down the center of each head with my palm of my hand and then tight each lug until the wrinkles vanish. Then done. I even have a PhD in physics from UCLA and my day job is building rockets. I think your technique us better! 😀
"I even have a PhD in physics from UCLA and my day job is building rockets". Stick to your day job mate. You clearly don't know anything about drums.
@@pigphatnick I learned the tuning method from Rob Beat down Brown a Yamaha and other signed drummer. He uses on all his kits, studio recording sessions, and professional tours.
Yuck. I have never liked the sound....Ludwig drums.
I have Yamaha drums
It takes me 30 seconds to taken my drummer 😢
Been drumming for nearly 30 years now and I learned this exact technique a few years ago and I’ll never go back to anything else.
I must be doing this all wrong. I tune the bottom head tight, and the top head to feel. I check each lug to make sure i get the same tone. I also try to do a 4th between the top and bottom. But dang... I was getting crazy buzz last gig. All night long my snare wires buzzed.
It's all relative! That may work for your kit in one room and sound terrible in another! It may work for one drumkit/head combo and work terrible for another. I like to use this with these drums to get a really good thump that sounds freaking great when it's mic/d up. I would not use this for all styles and rooms. It's just one method to keep in your toolbox!
I found the greatest,I mean the best greatest way to tune drum,s,my ear,s.
3:06 is when he hits it. You're welcome! 🤙
Definitely a less is more approach which is cool if you like that sound. It fits most popular music but there are definitely times where you’ll want more tone. I like experimenting with the pitch relationships between batter and reso to get some cool effects. I also have to get the pitch at each lug the same because if not the overtones are nasty. If I’m going for just attack and thump I can detune a little and use some muffling as needed. That way I still get some tone. It’s all personal and I’ve never been a less is more guy at anything haha.
I have a Ludwig kit from 1956. There is a distinct sound from that era but this isn't it. My kit appeared in the film "That Thing You Do." Look for That Thing You Do 1996 - Best Jazz on TH-cam and you can listen.
Awesome
Am I the only one who thought that sounded craptacular?
69' was the last year for the old keystone badges. I had a 69' Ludwig in black oyster pearl with reinforcement rings aka Ringos drum set. Wish I would have never sold it. It had the steel snare so it wasn't worth thousands, just several hundred for a kit that I got for free, old Co worker had it stored in the attic of their garage. It actually got cleaned up and put on display at a local music store with a Beatles logo head so I could still see it for many years. This was like 15 yrs ago, I needed new cymbals and hardware and needed the money for them. Selling it allowed me to get some really nice new cymbals and a black panther snare drum, essentially got my drumming career back up and off the ground.
I was in a band in the 90's and the bass player told me he had an old Ludwig snare. I asked him to bring it to practice and he did. It was a 1967 Ringo snare. Wooden with a white interior. I put new heads on it and fell in love. It was a beautiful drum and tuned easily. I play mostly Gretsch now and have a Brooklyn standard snare, but i seriously miss that Ringo snare.
Those may be similar to the Ludwig Legacy and I just acquired a 7 piece copper rose kit so I'll give this tip a try as they were virutally untouched since on display at 2019 NAMM in Anaheim. Tho I am curious what you do with the reso head?
However, I'd like to hear a bit of tone so I may attempt to crank them a little.
I typically use a Remo Ambassador for the resonant head.
I’m not sure what the Ludwig Legacy kit is constructed of, and I’ve tried this method on a few other sets with not great results.
This kit in particular was made from 69-72 I believe and is 3 ply. This flat tuning sound works great when it is mic’d up in a studio of a big venue. This is not the method I would use when just setting up for acoustics and tone in a room. It’s all relative.
I've been playing since 1966 and over the years I have created my own tuning style. For the batter heads on ALL the drums including the bass drum, I do what you with the finger tightening (I have a teflon lube on the threads to prevent the metal-to-metal friction from overcoming the head tension. This actually gives a much better feel while tightening the rods.because I use less force.) However the additional step that I do NOT do every time, is to tighten the resonant heads on ALL the drums slightly tighter for better rebound. Once it is set like I want, I leave it. I like the extra rebound for light playing because I'm a jazz drummer who plays a lot of acoustic gigs. Since I play with brushes a lot, this is very important. No, I do not tune to notes or use dials. I tune each one in relation to the next higher or lower pitch and make sure there is no ringing.
Rock drummers who like to slam their sticks down like a bricklayer would probably use a different technique. Also, the types and thickness of heads as well as different sticks you choose are very important for your style. "One size does not fit all."
Great info. We can all learn something from all styles of drumming. Good video.
i do the same method
Great info here. What brand of teflon lube do use on the tension rods?
@@starskystar I got a small tube of good teflon lube from a bicycle shop. It's the stuff for cables - metal-on-metal. It is clean, doesn't run and lasts forever. I apply a tiny bit to the threads with my fingers, just enough to coat them. You only have to do it once because it never goes away.
These sound good! Throw up some room mics and compress and it would be SLAMMING💪
Exactly. That’s the intent. Create a neutral flat sound to create the potential for a thunderous mix.
Tunnig is not just the top drumhead? Overall turning is the Bottom pitch and the bend and the Feel of the drumhead all together in a nut shell and preferred liking of the out come for you? I have a 1963 slingerland gold .The floor tom and the tom tom don't have a air hole in the them and the kick has it and snaredrum has it .over all the tom and floor are different in turning range
I generally make them finger tight and then turn each 3rd rod counter clockwise. Makes a nice crack sound with many overtones.
Man I hope those sound better in person than they do through my TV because they sound like hammered crap to be honest with you
Sweet kit! Thanks for that. But aren’t there two heads on those drums??🤔. I’d like to hear where the reso head sits in relation to the batter.
Here's another huge tip- tune with two keys
Hmmm, do these drums have dampeners, or would this work on clear vs coated heads?? I've tried five different techniques for my sons drums, and I still think they do not sound right.....
Like everything else with drums, it all depends. Things to consider: drum sizes, drum construction, drum shells, the ply of the heads, the room it’s being played in, the musical genre, mic’d vs room sound, etc
The simplest and shortest path is realizing there are no simple and short paths!
I’m not trying to be obtuse, but rather illustrating a point that this stuff requires patience!
I like using this specific method for these drums in a setting where I’m playing rock/pop in a mic’d up situation. I do lots of backbeat gigs and these works well in a general sense for most settings with a sound engineer and a room for 1000+. In a solo drum room, this sounds ok but not my preference.
What about the tuning of the reso heads?
Good question. I approach them in the same way. Finger tight and then about 1/4 to 1:2 turn each lug. Tsp to make sure nothing is way out of whack and it works every time for these drums!
There is room for taste in tuning drums. I tend to prefer my drums tuned lower but a lot of jazz cats will pitch their drums up higher. It seems to me that the way you have them tuned you can hear a lot of the attack of the strike. It seems to me that the drumheads are barely stretched so this way you don't hear as much tone or overtones. Thank you for sharing with us on TH-cam.🤔
I cant hear any tone on those at all… but i guess it could be the recording…
Ok, with al due respect and it's all a matter of taste, but this to me sounds like somebody bought a drumkit and accidently threw away the drums and kept the cardboard boxes they came in. No tone, no sustain whatsoever and no serious tuning of the bottomheads. I'm a professional drummer and studio-owner/producer/engineer and believe me, I wouldn't be happy with this sound, not in the studio and not live. But it's a nice kit, it has potential!
Where's the ring?
Have you tried cotton balls inside the drums , it’s really what made my drums sound amazing
I have and they work great on some drums! I haven’t tried that yet on these drums, as I’ve been just taking the path of least resistance, which has worked out well with all the engineers I’ve had live and in studio.
@@aaronapter in your opinion what has worked best for you when tuning the resonant side ? Do you opt for higher or lower tuning than the top head ?
@@drios1993 in my experience, it all depends… on drum, situation, what you’re going for, etc.
With these drums and method, I try not to overthink It. I tune both sides the same way in ballpark fashion and then I fine tune to taste.
@@drios1993 Typically just a third higher on the Reso head compared to the top head works out pretty good. And this tip from non other Ricky Rocket, he cuts a small 2 - 3 inch center hole on his floor toms reso heads. Says it keeps him from needing to use any moon gel on his floor toms.
75% of the sound of a tom is the reso head. The batter is basically tuned for attack and feel. I prefer a bit of sustain to a thuddy whack... basically, the point where the first resonant tone emerges... about a half- to three-quarters turn past where you ended up. I like the toms to go "poooooommmmmm". It's true tho it doesn't take much cranking beyond loose to get there.
I use a dial, only because I don’t know what I’m doing, and tuning by ear hasn’t gone well (to be honest they sounded like shit). But that’s just me. But I’m more then happy to learn the traditional way, and I hope to try this soon.
No wonder it's easy, the shell isn't even resonating. Sounds like a cardboard box.
No comment...
Exactly. No tone at all. Tighter please. He detune his drums each time he plays!!
@@alancarver2511 One veteran producer I know has his studio set with dead heads too. On the snare he actually has a few tension rods totally loose and there's wrinkles in the batter head. I guess they like it because it give a very manageable thud that they don't have to fuss with. I can't stand the sound. I love a loud, ringy snare drum and singing toms.
@@iRideuWatch honest question: do you think a veteran producer is doing this intentionally to create a specific sound or are they just being lazy and don’t know anything about tuning drums for a recording?
@@aaronapter i'm sure it's an easy way for a producer to control the drum sound. I just have to wonder why they can't deal with a drum that has resonance and just work with it.
How do you tune the reso heads?
that’s a good question. So keep in mind that everything depends on the situation ranging from the room to the drum set to the style to the head choice. With that in mind, I generally tune the Rezo heads, the same way, and maybe just a pinch tighter. this is just for this one method where I’m trying to get more of a thump sound. That really works well when miked up. It just sounds OK in a room by itself but that’s not what I’m aiming for. I’m trying to get a good sound, that will be easy for an engineer to makes sense?
Ok great! Thanks I'll give this a try...@@aaronapter
Do you do the same for the reso head?
More or less yes. I get it finger tight, then about a half a turn and then make sure it’s in tune with itself. This will have the drums sound a bit dead and they won’t resonate as much. However, this allows for engineers to create a huge sound when close mic’ing. When I want to get the drums to sing and rely on the room sound a bit more, I use a different approach.
Hes totally trolling us right?
Definitely trolling me...been tuning drums this way since grade school
These sound dead and thumpy. I like a dead no resonance FT. but the Racks to me have to sing for me personally. But u did mention something. Those luddys might be forgiving, but other shells arent. My tama star racks are not. But sound great when tuned. And my maple premier genista def are not forgiving. But again once done right, and frequently, you develop an ear for it. It gets easy
I do not consider myself an authority on drums but I do have some experience that I have learned from trial and error and listening to others for advice. When I was new to drums and tuning I thought the top head was the most important and the bottom head not as much but I couldn't have been more wrong. I eventually found out that to make a drum sound really good the two heads need to be in complete harmonic balance with equal tension on both heads. Whatever you do to one head you also need to do to the other head. No matter how tight you like your drum heads or what pitch you like them tuned to you need to keep them equal and balanced. If you don't do this the tone will often sound sour. Keeping them equalized will also help eliminate ringing if you do it right. No need for goofy remedies like a piece of duck tape on the head to muffle the ring. If you are going to play jazz style you will need your heads tuned tight to get the most effective rebounds from your heads much like you would with a marching snare drum. If you are going to play rock music the rebounds might be less important so you will tune your heads looser for a lower pitch but you will always want the two heads equal and balanced. This is what has worked best for me. I think this is fairly sound advice even though others may have different opinions.
That's interesting, I've just watched a video where the guy said the resonance side needs to be tight and the batter side tuned to how you like it. Who is right?
How do you tune bottom heads?
If all depends on the drums and the situation. What style, what tone, close mic’d vs room mic’d?
For this method, I generally tune top and bottom the same way. I get things ballparked and then fine tune to make sure it’s all in tune with each other.
Great tip, but as I'm sure you know, the reso head has a lot to do with the sound of the drum. Can you expand on this video and talk about your tuning technique for the reso head?
I agree. I more or less do the same thing on the reso head and then fine tune by ear to make sure it sounds fairly neutral. Again, this is mainly for mic’d setups live and in studio where the sound requires more WHACK, THUMP and less sustain. If I’m doing something that needs less of a fat attack and more sustain and room sound, it’s a completely different approach. The way I’m tuning both reso and batter heads sounds flat in a room, which gives the engineer lots of room to make the drums sound massive. It’s a bit counterintuitive for a drummer, but it helps create and awesome end product.
@@aaronapter That's a sweet kit man! I read once someone said if a drum sounds bad it's usually because the reso head isn't tight enough.... I've found on my old Ludwig kits, I generally like the reso pretty tight and the batters not so much. Anyhow beautiful kit and it's good you use them to gig with!
@@aaronapter Interesting. With my new Ludwig Legacy kit my next stop is the pro audio with a few mics and a nice EQ/mixer system.
@@enewhuis nice! I find that area to be very much like drums… having the gear is nice, while the knowledge of how to set it up and use it is the most important!
The Sound Like paper
Why does every drum sound like a snare?
it sucks - sounds great ??? seriously? nooooooooooooo way
That's the Rob Brown method.
Haha very funny. You had me going there till you hit the floor tom. Lol. Cool kit by the way!
Glad you enjoyed it
My two cents on snare...it should sound like a tone..barely finger tight...then go from.there...or rim.is bad...head is bad...or drum is...
All that for one bang?
Hmmm...the 1970s cardboard box sound is BACK!
A large percentage of drummers tune way too low and the drum doesn't resonate. Too-Low tuned toms do not equal thunder, they equal flat trash
I like more tone
I actually like more tone too when I’m just playing in an open room where the kit isn’t close mic’d. I’ve found that this way works really well when I’m playing in a big venue or in the studio where a punchy sound is required. Engineers seem to really dig this big attach/little sustain sound.
I don't care about the engineers😂 just want to tune the drums the way i like it.
@@Beatwilder I feel ya! Sometimes what sounds great to me behind the kit doesn’t translate when mic’d up in a big venue. It may sound great behind the kit, but gets lost in the out front mix. This method really helps the drums sound huge and thump when playing 2 and 4 in a big room.
I’m not digging the sound of these drums. It could be the recording.
Tuning is an individual thing, all depending on what you’re going for and the drums, heads, style of music, etc., all come into play, so whatever works for the situation at hand is ‘correct’ way to tune.
In this video, I’m hearing a loud “slapping” attack sound with little to no tone or resonance.
IMHO
They sound dreadful look up Rob Brown and you'll see how to tune drums that end up sounding like drums rather than carboard boxes !!!
Nope, just nope! These drums sound terrible! In certain recording contexts, I suppose they would do the job (time = money). There are a thousand better videos on TH-cam on how to properly tune any drum please go watch one of those. I would recommend Sounds Like A Drum here on TH-cam.
Not too impressed. Sounded like someone was shooting-off a Cap-Gun or Something. :T
Who needs a drum kit when you could just stretch some plastic over a cardboard box and beat it with a broom handle to get this sound.
Unfortunately, sound engineers need that. Their lazy asses don't want a lot of work, just 2 minutes typing on soundboard to make a drum kit lifeless.
maybe it is utube, but why do people start selling basics as magic tips. Drums are not hard to tune, when the hardware is in well maintained condition. no gauges needed. as a human u have 3 measures/sensor feedback to tune 1) feel the pressure of drum head close to each lug. 2) hear the sound when u tap a drums tick close to each lug. 3) feel the pressure from the drum key when ur turn each lug. ( last one is unreliable if lug are in bad maintained, but then any torque key won't work either)!. Overall drum tuning is not chicken shit, but it's not rocket science. bit of practise and tools are not needed. Order of lug mattere very little if u sense 1) 2) and 3).
Great like a wet bag. 😎 Abide
Please, no.
Is this a joke I’m not getting?
?
I don't know any drummers who think you need fancy gauges to tune a drum kit, and this video could have been 3:40 shorter ....good advice though, I've been doing it since the 80s
Is this a joke …
too many words.
You should have your ears checked. Doesn't even sound like a TomTom
Bla Bla Bla ….. what running are you talking about?
they sound pretty bad. maybe play them in context next time
I don't know what kind of music this guy plays, but this is not what I think drums are supposed to sound like - not even close! I've been playing 50 years with all kinds of bands and in studios. These sound like crap.
Sounds terrible. This is like a satire video.
They really don’t sound good. No tone at all
This is the worst
I think the tuning sucks..
Uh, no comment