paradapirate200
Tiger Talk Trainee
Reged: Sep 30 2003
Posts: 4
Loc: Wisconsin
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hey, ive been playing drums seriously for about 4 years now and i am in a pop punk band. I was wondering how do you get a snare to have a really poppy-high pitched sound. i can't seem to figure out how to get the sound I want on my snare. right now i have a 14" aquarian performance II head, and its a double ply. Will a single ply make it sound more poppy? also which brand would you suggest? thanks
-Jim ![[Cool]](/ubbthreads/images/icons/cool.gif)
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James Walker
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Mar 18 2002
Posts: 1283
Loc: Connecticut
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Jim,
It's not just about the drum head(s) - what snare do you own? What kind of counterhoops are on it? How do you have it tuned?
JW
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Popeye
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Mar 18 2002
Posts: 1305
Loc: California
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All I can think of is to tighten the head until you get the sound you want. Different heads will certainly give you different sounds, as will different snares (drums). My 61/2x14 Yamaha Copper snare will definately sound higher pitched than my 51/2x14 Ayotte Maple no matter how I tune them. IMO metal snares simply are higher pitched due to the nature/resonance of the shell. The other great guys and gals who have more experience solving your problem will undoubtedly be able to give you far more info than I can.
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John Olson
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Sep 25 2003
Posts: 37
Loc: Minnesota
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There are many ways to change the sound of a drum. Like putting a different set of snare wires on the drum, getting different heads, tightening the batter head, tightening the snare side head, or even using different sticks. For me personally I have a Ludwig acrolite snare fitted with an evans st dry batter head and a remo ambassador snare side that has a crisp and poppy sound to it. And I have it tuned about medium so it's not too flat or too ringy. One other thing you can try is practice doing rimshots. They will definately add more pop to your snare sound. I hope this helps.
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zorno
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Dec 22 2002
Posts: 162
Loc: west virginia
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Aquarian Hi-Energy, 42 strand snare, 60's Acrolite = snap, crackle, and pop for me. Seriously though, I truly think a single ply will give you a little bit more top end pop but the durability scares me away.
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Ratamatatt
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Jul 02 2003
Posts: 2236
Loc: Arrakis
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quote:
Originally posted by paradapirate200:
hey, ive been playing drums seriously for about 4 years now and i am in a pop punk band. I was wondering how do you get a snare to have a really poppy-high pitched sound. i can't seem to figure out how to get the sound I want on my snare. right now i have a 14" aquarian performance II head, and its a double ply. Will a single ply make it sound more poppy? also which brand would you suggest? thanks
-Jim
I don't understand why anyone would use a double ply head on a snare. JMHO. If durability is an issue, try a dotted head. Anyway, part of the issue is the size of your snare. If it's deeper than 5.5 inches, you're not going to get as much pop as you will with a shallower snare.
That being said, it seems to me that many drummers don't know the importance of tuning the resonant head of their snare. If you want to get a crisp pop out of your snare tighten the top head as you feel comfortable with. It should be very tight, but, you don't want it to to feel like a counter top. Then tighten the bottom head even tighter than the top. After you do that, (assuming you have a 10 lug snare) loosen the 4 lugs directly around the snare wires 1/4 of a turn. (That will take some of the harsh harmonics out of the snare). After loosening these 4 lugs, your bottom head should still be tighter than your top head.
If it still doesn't have the pop you want, keep tightening. Just keep the bottom head tighter than the top.
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James Walker
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Mar 18 2002
Posts: 1283
Loc: Connecticut
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I'm still interested in hearing what you've currently got for a snare drum (and heads, snares, hoops, etc.), but for the moment, here are some things I've found to help get that "pop":
- different counterhoops. I don't have any absolutes on this one, but some snares of mine are improved with the addition of die-cast hoops, and some with wood hoops. If you have triple-flanged hoops, try a die-cast hoop on the batter side.
- heads. DEFINITELY get rid of the double-ply head. If you need the extra strength, try something like an Evans "power center reverse dot" or an Aquarian "New Orleans" head.
- tuning. "High-pitched" is obvious; crank those heads down. Be careful, tho, not to bring it up too high - after a certain point, some drums lose their "body" when tuned too high, and that can cut back on the volume the drum can produce.
- rim shots - use 'em if your not already doing so. That'll add "pop" to any snare drum.
FWIW, my designated "pop" snare ("pop" in terms of the sound, not necessarily the style of music) is a Ludwig Black Galaxy Acrolite ("Blacrolite"), to which I've added a die-cast batterside counterhoop, an Aquarian New Orleans batter head, and 42-strand snares. Killer rim shots, but still a good overall dynamic range.
Another possibility: get a different snare drum. I've got two budget-conscious suggestions for this:
If you want a thinner snare, Musicians Friend is blowing out the Pulse 3.5X14 piccolo steel snare drum, and it's a really good drum, and an excellent drum for the price ($30). Quite useable with the stock snares and heads, so for the same money it might cost to add a couple of heads or a new counterhoop to your current snare, you can just go ahead and get a new snare drum. I've posted a review of it on the TigerBill site:
http://www.tigerbill.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000151#000000
I've also recently picked up a 5.5X14 copper MusicYo Slingerland, and I love it to death. Fantastic tuning range, and plenty of body when tuned high. Similarly, this drum is on sale 'til the end of the month. My review:
http://www.tigerbill.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000150#000000
...both reviews have links to pages where the drums can be purchased.
Additionally, there are other threads on this site suggesting other snare drums, if you want to go that route. Ludwig Acrolites are always a popular choice... ![[Big Grin]](/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif)
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wildrick
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Feb 04 2003
Posts: 813
Loc: USA
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Definitely well rounded and founded advice in all the replies, but to go back to your initial question about trying a different batter head,the answer is "yes".
I've worked a lot with Performance II heads, and they are DESIGNED FOR getting a ,thumpy, deadened sound. Go to a single ply. Even a thicker one like the High Energy will still give you a higher and livelier tuning register than the Perf II.
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Ratamatatt
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Jul 02 2003
Posts: 2236
Loc: Arrakis
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The Evans J1 "Etched" head is a great snare head.
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Thumper
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Mar 30 2002
Posts: 71
Loc: Colorado
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Good advice. One thing that was only touched on is the idea of using a separate, or a different, snare. Any piccolo provides a higher pop plus a smaller diameter drum usually provides a nice sharp snap. I use a 13" Pacific besides my regular 14-incher (snare drum ![[Roll Eyes]](/ubbthreads/images/icons/rolleyes.gif) ) and the difference in sounds is very noticeable.
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