Common ways to Treat
drums.
Tape
It's not pretty, but if you're playing
a gig and the sound person says your rack tom is booming out too much, duct tape
(or electrical tape, or gaffer tape) can be your best friend. In general, it is
best to use more than one small piece of tape rather than one large one.
This
way you can gradually adjust the sound of each drum, rather than a hit-or-miss
approach. The objective is to tape the drum so that the playing surface is
unaffected by the tape. For a snare or tom with a diameter of 14" or less, often
two small strips of tape (say, 3" long) are often all that is needed. Try
placing them directly opposite each other, but out of the way of the playing
surface. Their distance from the rim of the drum affects the tonality and decay
of the drum, and is therefore a very personal choice, but about 1" from the rim
is a good starting point. It is also possible to tape the resonant head of a
drum, but less tape is usually used, unless you just want a "thud"(which you
may). Experiment. With experimentation in mind, here is a good tip when using
tape: Say you want a 3" piece of tape on the drum head. Cut a 7" piece of tape,
and fold it in the following manner:
_/\_/\_ (forgive the
art)
so that each section is 1" long. When it's folded and applied to the
drum, you should have a 3" section of tape with two flat "handles" sticking up,
like this:
_|_|_
Now if you
change your mind about the tape placement, it's easy to grasp by the "handles"
and move it around, without having to pry the edge of the tape off the drum
head.
O Rings
Next,
let's look at O Rings (also called Zero rings, etc.). These are doughnut-shaped
rings of mylar that come in various sizes to fit a wide variety of drums, and
are available from many manufacturers. They can be very effective in reducing
the ring from drums, and can give a snare an often desirable "dry" sound, with
more pronounced low end. The only real difference is thickness and width, each
of which affects the drum differently. They are quite inexpensive, so you can
try a few to see which (if any) work for you. Most salespeople will be glad to
show you different ones in the store. You can also make your own out of old
drumheads. Just cut out the center and the outside hoop of a used head and there
you go. A little experimentation with width is all you
need.
Felt
This is an old standby, which is most commonly
used on bass drums and, to a lesser extent, floor toms. Treatment with felt
differs from other methods in that you apply the felt before you put on the drum
head. With a bass drum, typically you would lay the drum down so that the side
you are Treating is facing up. Lay two felt strips (thickness and width are up
to you, but thin and narrow should suffice) across the opening, evenly spaced
out, say running from 10 o'clock to 8 o'clock and from 2 o'clock to 4 o'clock.
Now, while keeping the felts evenly tensioned (rather tight) across the opening,
put the head and hoop on the bass drum, and tighten the lugs until they are all
finger-tight. You may need to ask a friend to help you. Among those who advocate
drum Treatment, there are two schools of thought on felts. Many feel that, while
it works, there are better and easier ways to Treat a bass drum. Others feel
that with the right head, this is the best way to go. As felt is inexpensive,
give it a shot. You very well may love it.
Adjustable
Pads
I used this term to differentiate between these adjustable mutes
(typically felt) and the pads often used in bass drums (such as those made by
DW and Evans). Adjustable pads are often found on older drum kits, and have
their advocates today. These are devices where a mechanism on the outside of the
drum adjusts a felt mute on the inside of the drum, often touching the bottom of
the batter head by various adjustable amounts. These are also found on bass
drums, typically on the resonant head. These pads offer ease of adjustment, even
while playing, and can work wonderfully. You should be aware, however, that
older adjustable pads that have not been well-maintained may rattle and ring
sympathetically. As always, care and diligence can prevent this.
Pillows and
Pads
This can be the custom pads mentioned above or an old pillow
stuffed in the bass drum. Foam rubber and towels are often used, too. This
approach deadens the bass drum and changes the perceived pitch of the drum as
well. The amount and effect depend on the method and application, of course. To
dangerously generalize, it is often advisable to only lightly touch the batter
and resonant head, just to control the decay of the bass drum, unless you are
after a very dead sounding bass drum (which you may be). Also very broadly, the
area of the batter head where the Treatment contacts the head can vary the
amount of low end and attack of a bass drum. It is a good idea to try a towel
or a pillow to see if you like this sound (which depends of course on drum size
and material, head choice and tuning, beater choice, and, sadly, the drummer).
If you find that this sound appeals to you, then look into the products made for
this purpose. But you may prefer the sound of an old pillow. A word of caution:
don't decide on Treatment based on what you hear while playing. Have a friend
play your kit while you listen from various distances. This is always good
advice while weighing Treatment options, but is especially important when it
comes to bass drum Treatment.
Control Drum
Heads
This includes double ply heads, "control ring" heads,
"hydraulic" heads, and good old Pinstripes. While this is addressed in the Drum
Head section of the FAQ, please bear in mind that these are Drum Treatments,
albeit in disguise. If you like a slight bit of muffling as Treatment in your
bass drum, a "control ring" head may give you the desired result without
additional treatment. So if you go from a single ply coated batter head with a
pillow to a clear "control ring" batter head, you may no longer need the pillow.
Experiment as much as you can, and trust your ears, not an advertisement. While
bass drums are the most common recipients of "control" drum heads, they are also
available for toms and snares.
A Hole in Your Bass Drum
Head
Openings (or ports) in a bass drum resonant head are also forms
of Treatment. Even if they are intended only for convenience in mic'ing, they do
have a decided effect on the sound of the bass drum. A closed bass drum (no
opening in the head) tends to have more resonance and sustain. It can have more
low end, and particularly a low of low midrange frequencies, which can be an
obstacle on stage or in the studio, as the bass drum can fight with the electric
bass for room in he mix, even though it may sound phenomenal by itself. For that
reason (as well as mic'ing convenience), very often a bass drum will have an
opening of some sort. This is less common with smaller bass drums, such as an
18" diameter drum as is commonly used in Jazz. The closed bass drum sound is
part of this style, and the smaller drums typically don't fight with the bass
instrument as much.
In general, the smaller the
opening, the more resonance the drum will have. An opening in the center of the
drum may commonly have less low end and more beater attack than an off-center
opening. This is a matter of personal choice, and you should listen to both
before choosing. The trend in recent years among manufacturers is to put a small
(typically 4"-6") off-center opening in their resonant heads. Ten years ago,
pre-cut openings were typically larger and more centered. Today there is also a
resurgence in closed heads. Again, a matter of personal preference. Be aware
that most drum stores will cut a head to your choice of size and placement. You
can also do this yourself.
Tip: get a coffee can or
other metal can of an appropriate size, and heat it up over a stove (please
take all necessary precautions so as not to burn yourself). When the can is hot,
you can press it against the drum head and a hole the size of the can will
quickly be seared into the head. Remove the can quickly and the hole should be
smooth. You can purchase reinforcement rings to prevent the edge of the opening
from being damaged if you choose, though this is often unnecessary.
Other Approaches
There are many other valid ways to Treat your drums, often with whatever you
have handy. Without attempting to list them all, here are two well-known sounds
and how they were achieved:
Ringo Starr's distinctive
late '60s sound with The Beatles, on recordings Sgt.
Pepper and Strawberry
Fields Forever, was achieved (in part) by draping tea-towels on the snare and
toms. For those that don't know, a tea-towel is about the same size and
thickness as
a dishtowel.
Al Jackson Jr's snare sound on all the
classic Stax and Al Green records was often achieved by placing his wallet on
the snare.
Tip: if you drop a few
cotton balls in toms, they can cut the ring just the right amount without
affecting the visual or playability of the toms. When the batter head is struck,
the cotton balls lift off the resonant head briefly, then softly and naturally
fall back and prevent the resonant head from ringing.
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