On drums...

Cliff, you noted an 88 batter head, 75 reso on your Designer 8 deep snare.

That is, by trial and error, where I am happiest with mine. The batter feels best at about that point, which is the lowest at which stick response is really quick. The reso I've tuned down as far as 69, which renders the batter and reso at the same pitch. The effect is good and I like it, particularly for a deeper rock sound, but very little variation on-center strike to off-center, and a slightly mushy feel to the snare and overall response. I just don't play like that these days.

At 75 the reso head is slightly higher than the batter head, and at that point the sticking, the snare response, and the variation are all about as good as they can be. The higher tunings of reso begin to increase that variation, but I loose the overall tuning that I like as it begins to develop a very concise but too crispy effect. Sounds good, but not like me.

Interestingly, the snare wires require a different tension at each different tuning, in order not to either choke the reso or rattle.

That particular batter to reso differential is analagous to what the Drum Bible calls "pop tuning." I don't know what he means by that, but it seems to be my sweet spot, and the tone melds well with the tuning of the overall kit. Not quite as soft, or deep thump in on-center strike as I'd like, but that's the trade-off.

Suggestions at this point would be welcome.

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Gregory

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

Ah. Soft is a feel, it's true, and also a sound. Perhaps better described as very dry, dark and deep on-center strike, as compared to the ringing and bright off-center strike.

It so happens that the dry-dark-deep sound corresponds to a soft feeling, but is not (thus far) a result of low tension. Guessing it is a point where the heads are working together rather than fighting (which makes a hard center).

I'm still working on Mike's noting that the heads are closer in tension to each other when the deep center was most accentuated. The closer in tension they are, the higher in pitch the reso is compared to the batter. Haven't studied the step difference, but will. I'm also keeping in mind your suggestion, Cliff, that the difference may be more one of perceived difference than actual.

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Gregory

As the reso is tuned higher, the depth of the drum begins to appear again. Batter at 88, reso at 78. The drum now has more body, combined with crisp attack. Testing the tone, the reso is about a perfect third above the batter.

There are getting to be too many pics of me in a row. Somebody writes something!

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Gregory

Gregory,

Just curious as to what type and size snarewires are on that drum?

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Mike

http://www.mikestarcher.com
1974 Champion/1983 Force 1000/1994 Hilite/2001 Delite/2001 Force 3007/2003 S-Class Pro/2008 SQ2

http://www.sonor.com
http://www.sonorusa.com
http://www.kellyshu.com
http://www.beatobags.com

Mike, it's a Puresound wire with sixteen strands.

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Gregory

Gregory,

Puresound makes nice snares. Have you ever considered more wires on that drum? I think it would give you more latitude in the reso tension/pitch without having to sacrifice snare response.

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Mike

http://www.mikestarcher.com
1974 Champion/1983 Force 1000/1994 Hilite/2001 Delite/2001 Force 3007/2003 S-Class Pro/2008 SQ2

http://www.sonor.com
http://www.sonorusa.com
http://www.kellyshu.com
http://www.beatobags.com

Admittedly, this is an area of absolute ignorance. I like the very articulate response of those wires, but what changes as the number of wires are increased?

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Gregory

Greg,

The snare sound becomes richer, with more depth. Also, the reso doesn't have to be cranked as tightly in order to get the same snare response.

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Mike

http://www.mikestarcher.com
1974 Champion/1983 Force 1000/1994 Hilite/2001 Delite/2001 Force 3007/2003 S-Class Pro/2008 SQ2

http://www.sonor.com
http://www.sonorusa.com
http://www.kellyshu.com
http://www.beatobags.com

File this under "Things I never would have known had I not bought a snare second hand."

That's interesting, Mike. Obviously the increase of wires is going to damp the head a bit more at a given tension, and also obviously the number of wires rattling increases. What you say sounds very nice, and I guess I'll have to play ball to find out what that really sounds like.

Thanks!

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Gregory