SNARE OVERTONES

Stick 77 · Little Guppy Joined: 31 Jul 2007 Posts: 34

Just got my new set of PD CX and I put EC2 on all of the heads with a SK2 batter and resonate head on the kickdrum and a Evans DRY on the snare but I am not liking the overtones it has can someone help me?

random white person · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject:

i'll fly out to wherever you are and help you for $500/hour. if thats not a possibility, then the answer would unfortunately be "no." you're pretty vague about what sort of sound you want, and don't even specify what heads you are using (Evans makes a Genera Dry and HD Dry, i believe. this information would help.) have you tried tuning, retuning, and then re-retuning your drum? seriously. don't expect to just slap on new heads and have everything be perfect. make sure both heads are actually in tune with each other, which would help reduce some of the more painful overtones. have you tried any sort of muffling? moon gels, tape, little bits of paper towel, and even sponge around the edge of the drum will kill a heck of a lot of overtones. try some of these things, and then get back to us if you're still having issues.

PS... does this really need its own thread? theres a big sticky thread in The Dog House dedicated to heads and tuning called "THE definitive deads thread." not only would this topic get more views there, but it also has little or nothing to do with DW, Pacific, or Roland drums.
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Stick 77 · Little Guppy Joined: 31 Jul 2007 Posts: 34

I am using Evans STD dry. YES I have tuned bothtop and bottom heads. I was just asking for any advise possible. I want a tight sound when I hit the snare probably just like anyone else. I was trying to reconsile this problem without using any muffling due to the takiness it creates. I know looks arent everything, but I would lie it to look have way decent. I am a new drummer so everyone will just have to bare with me. I am looking for advice,not sarcasm, .If you dont like the Thread have it removed I will go else were for info. Like another room on this site. I am a little anxiuos about the new drums I just got and wont be able to sleep if everything is just right due to an anxiety disorder thanks to the MARINE CORPS. SO I was just looking for maybe some quick advice or fix. SORRY FOR TROUBLE I MIGHT HAVE CAUSED>[/b]

Stick 77 · Little Guppy Joined: 31 Jul 2007 Posts: 34

I forgot to say more about the sound.. I want a nicew crack with little or no overtone if possible.........thanks sorry for makinf this 'It's own thread"

random white person · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:11 pm Post subject:

first off, sorry for coming off as that a total asshat. obviously everyone here has different levels of experience and working knowledge of drums so there are no "stupid questions," but just try to be as specific as you can with your questions/issues so its easier to provide legitimate answers (and less room for sarcastic interpretations and responses.)

maybe try some studio rings. they muffle a litle bit, and go all the way around the drum so they probably won't look too tacky (and theyre usually white or clear, so they dont stand out at all.)

what i meant when i said to "tune, retune and then retune" your drum was to just sit there and see what sort of sound you can get from low, mid, high tension tunings and everything in between. unfortunately this is one of those cases where you really just have to take the time to get familiar with your specific instrument to figure out how to achieve your desired sound.

some random tidbits that might help... i would actually start by tuning the resonant head of the snare drum. get it fairly tight- tight enough so that if you push into it a little with your finger, it feels fairly firm with not too much give. you'll get way better snare response and a tighter pop (not to mention getting rid of any weird snare buzzing). then go to work on the batter... i would get it up to medium tension, then slowly start increasing tension maybe 1/8 turn on each lug until you get it exactly to the pitch you want.

as for overtones, theyre inevitable on all drums. unless they're severely overpowering the fundamental tone of the drum then i wouldn't worry too much. chances are they aren't noticable unless you're sitting right on top of the drum.
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Stick 77 · Little Guppy Joined: 31 Jul 2007 Posts: 34

Thanks, I actually bought some odf those rings and put one on my (which I didnt know was in the package) and put it on there with a little tape to hold it in place and it definitaly took some of the overtones out of it. I am a little happier now but I am going to do what you said and tighten the resonate side first like you said and go from there. I appreciate you input and will let you know how it turns out. Thanks Brad

edgewood_drummer92 · Bear Joined: 16 Feb 2007 Posts: 676

turn up the top head up to a high C. Depending on how tight of a crack you want tune the reso head to the C too, or just go lower. I am talking about the C 1-2 octaves above middle C. My old drum teacher who is an extremely good pro percussionists tunes her top head to a C.
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macktavish · Not So Newbie Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 8

I had great results using the Genera Dry which has the dampening ring under the batter head. That was to kill the overtones on a Yamaha Steel drum.

In the end, I ended up getting a maple DW Collectors series snare 6 X 14 and it is a snare that has a ton of personality. No muflling needed. Hit it in the center for that crack that you want. Hit it off-center for a more ringy sound. For a New Orleans kind of sound, hit the drum more towards the edge. The drum is expensive - $370 - USA, but can be used for Orchestral, Jazz, Rock etc.