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Bass Drum Reso Head

Started by Rick, September 28, 2005, 01:26 PM

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Rick

I recently put a pair of Powerstroke 3 bass drum heads on my 22" bass drum. By comparison, it makes my other 22" sound like a toy. The other drum has a Powerstroke 3 batter, but has a powerstroke reso head with a 6" port hole

My problem is that my beater wants to bounce causing unwanted doubles. I'm thinking this is because there is no port hole. I've messed with my pedal spring tension and beater height to try and minimize the bouncing, but I can't. The head is tuned very low. It almost shows wrinkles so I don't think that is the issue.

I'm considering cutting a 6" port hole on the reso side. How much is this going to affect the sound of the drum? I really don't want to lose this sound.

Should I cut the hole or not?


mroberge

I'm pretty limited in my experiences. I know that I had a problem with unwanted rebound on my bass drum (with no port) I'm also type that likes to bury the beater after a kick.

I loosened the pedal spring and that cured the problem for me.

Later, I experimented, and cut a small hole in my reso head--maybe 4 inches... And there was definately a difference in the rebound, now I'm tightening my springs just a little bit more.

Soundwise, it changed the sound, but I made sure to cut a small port because I was afraid to alter things too much. I figured with a small port, if I didn't like it, I could duct tape the hole back up...LOL (not sure the wisdom of my backup plan, but luckilly I didn't need to put it to use because I liked the way my new bass sounded.

It gave my bass a little more Uumph on the attack, and less of a hollow boingy sound.

I would suggest, since you're looking mostly for pedal response, if you have a spare head to experiment with, try that. It won't sound like your powerstroke, but I'm guessing the pedal response should be similiar...yes?

OR.

Start by cutting a very small port--Just enough to affect the response.



Mister Acrolite

I prefer the feel of my bass drum when the front head is ported. But I do like the sound of a double-headed bass drum.

I'm actually thinking of porting my bass drum SHELL on my 14x18, using a 4" circular hole-cutter like I did on my cocktail drum. I'd put the port down low, so it wouldn't be easy to see. But it might improve the feel of the drum.

We'll see if I work up the nerve - if I do, I'll report back on the results.

Louis Russell

Quote from: Mister Acrolite on September 28, 2005, 05:17 PMI'm actually thinking of porting my bass drum SHELL on my 14x18, using a 4" circular hole-cutter like I did on my cocktail drum. I'd put the port down low, so it wouldn't be easy to see. But it might improve the feel of the drum.

Why didn't I think of that?  I have a beater kit that would make the perfect candidate for the test.  That would also make it harder for a soundman to tear your drumhead.  

cragar

I too had "doubling" going on with my 22 kick fittied with Evans G2 heads. I toyed with peddle springs and it did help. However after porting my reso head with a 6 inch hole at 4"oclock, the problem totally dissolved. I think placing a 4-6 inch hole anywhere allows the rebound pressure to escape. Bass drum ports  are also handy for miking.

James Walker

Quote from: Mister Acrolite on September 28, 2005, 05:17 PMI'm actually thinking of porting my bass drum SHELL on my 14x18, using a 4" circular hole-cutter like I did on my cocktail drum. I'd put the port down low, so it wouldn't be easy to see. But it might improve the feel of the drum.

If you haven't done so already, you might want to pick Bermuda Schwartz's brain - I think his Impact BD has at least one vent cut into the shell.

Mister Acrolite

Quote from: James Walker on September 28, 2005, 05:35 PM
If you haven't done so already, you might want to pick Bermuda Schwartz's brain - I think his Impact BD has at least one vent cut into the shell.

Yeah, that's actually where I got the idea. I'd love to play a set of Impacts to see what they're like - his sounded great when I saw him in concert, although I don't think his touring kit is vented.

James Walker

Quote from: Mister Acrolite on September 28, 2005, 05:17 PMI'm actually thinking of porting my bass drum SHELL on my 14x18, using a 4" circular hole-cutter like I did on my cocktail drum.

Keith,

You've already got a Pearl tom mount on top of your BD, correct?  If there are already some holes cut in the top of the shell to accommodate the tom mount, try taking the mount off, and then put the drum back together and see how it sounds/feels with those holes left exposed.  Even if the holes don't total exactly as much as the 4" vent you're thinking about, it might give you an idea of any benefits you might get, but you wouldn't have to cut the shell to find out.

jokerjkny

yea, the port does help w/ the overall feel.

these days, thx to a few PM's w/ Mr. AC, i've been using a SKI on the batter tuned as low as possible, w/ my single ply resonant (fiberskyn) tuned up just high enough for a nice sustainy tone, but still on the low end of the spectrum.  my reso has about a 6" hole, and i get a terrifically fat WHUMP.  not too dead, yet not too boomy.  juuuuuuuust right, and the pedal feel is a nice as i'll ever like it.

btw, i did this w/ my 16x16 bass on my traveling/nesting kit.  course, they dont make an SKI that size, so i've been using a wide 4" felt strip along the bottom of the batter, which works as fine.  my resonant is an ebony single ply w/ about a 4" hole.  and i get a similar feel, w/ a nice deep punch.  funny enough, i've found that using a smaller headed beater like the Tama felt beater works terrific on this smaller bass.  dunno why that is, just sounds more punchie and not as flappy as my usual big ol' cylindrical felt beater.

Mister Acrolite

Quote from: James Walker on September 28, 2005, 05:53 PM
Keith,

You've already got a Pearl tom mount on top of your BD, correct?  If there are already some holes cut in the top of the shell to accommodate the tom mount, try taking the mount off, and then put the drum back together and see how it sounds/feels with those holes left exposed.  Even if the holes don't total exactly as much as the 4" vent you're thinking about, it might give you an idea of any benefits you might get, but you wouldn't have to cut the shell to find out.

Good plan - I'll try that. Thanks!

Louis Russell

Quote from: James Walker on September 28, 2005, 05:53 PM
try taking the mount off, and then put the drum back together and see how it sounds/feels with those holes left exposed.  

Sometimes you guys make me feel so stupid.   ???  Oh well, I should be accustomed to it by now.  

reniegreg

I always shied from cutting the front head, but had the same "double trouble".  I finally got the ambition to pull the set apart and cut two coffee can holes in the front.  Made all the difference in sound and feel, so I say go for it.  Why is it we cut holes in the bass but don't in our other drums.  Is it just the amount of air moving that gets unmanageable?

Rick

Vert interesting. Putting a port hole on the shell sounds like a really good idea. Ya'd only have to do it once... but I guess you can never change your mind. What would you use to protect the wood around the hole?

Mister Acrolite

Quote from: Rick on September 29, 2005, 07:46 AM
What would you use to protect the wood around the hole?


Nothing. I've got a ported cocktail drum, and it hasn't needed any protection or reinforcement. Because the shell was dark green, I simply used black magic marker on the exposed wood, but just for cosmetic purposes.


Rick

I like that cocktail drum of yours. I used it as a template for the drum I put together. I ended up mounting 10" & 12" toms on mine. It's fun to play and a nice conversation piece.

Danno

Since no one has mentioned it, I resolved the same problem (double-bouncing) on my bass drum by cutting a tiny TWO-inch port. I heated up one of those little pineapple juice cans (an empty can) and melted a perfect hole.

You could go smaller, I'm sure, and get a satisfactory result, or cut/burn several really small (cigarette-ember sized) holes around the perimeter, like on those vented DW resonant bass heads.

My tiny 2" hole solved the bounce problem, and I think I lost the least amount of resonance by making the hole so small. The only side-effect is that even though the hole is way off-center, every time I kick the drum a perfect little bullet of air shoots straight out of that hole. You can feel it twenty feet away. Weird.

Paul DAngelo

I did a recording session with a ported reso head and still had the dreaded "doubles" on my kick drum.  It turned out to be the fact that I was using my old Slingerland "Yellow Jacket" pedal.  Once I changed out to my DW5000, the "doubles" were gone.  I've had this problem before and, in my experience, it was never related to the reso head being ported or not.

Bermuda Schwartz

Quote from: Mister Acrolite on September 28, 2005, 05:48 PM
Yeah, that's actually where I got the idea. I'd love to play a set of Impacts to see what they're like - his sounded great when I saw him in concert, although I don't think his touring kit is vented.

Thanks, and yes, the tour kick is vented as are all of my Impact kicks (I think...)

The hole is 4x6", racetrack oval shaped, and allows virtually any mic, an arm, or even a pillow to pass through it:



The result is easy access to the entire interior of the drum without disrupting either head, as well as having a solid front head for sonic, and cosmetic purposes. In fact, that's why I asked Impact to put a port in the shell - so I could have clean artwork on the front, something I renewed for each tour back then. However, it's been a few years since I had anything on there... here's the last thing:



Bermuda

Rick

Nice lookin kit you got there Bermuda...

To those who play with fire:

What do you use to heat up the soup or coffee can? How hot do you get it? Do you burn through the head while it's mounted? Have you burned yourself doing this?

I haven't decided if I'm going to cut, or burn a whole in my head.

Danno

Quote from: Rick on October 01, 2005, 06:16 PM
To those who play with fire:

What do you use to heat up the soup or coffee can? How hot do you get it? Do you burn through the head while it's mounted? Have you burned yourself doing this?

I haven't decided if I'm going to cut, or burn a whole in my head.

Here's how I do it (I've done it twice) --

Make sure you're using a clean, shiny metal unpainted can. Some cans have various coatings on them which will burst into flames when you put the can on the stove.

We have an electric stove, so I just set the can on the stove and let the can get REALLY hot. If it's not hot enough, you'll just make a mess instead of a clean hole. I'm talkin' so hot you need an oven mitt AND a pot holder, because the entire can gets super hot.

I take the head off. If you melted the hole with the head on the drum, I think the circle of hot plastic might flap down and stick on the inside of the head, making a mess. You want the melted plastic to fall straight down, away from the head.

I place the whole head on top of our washing machine, so the part I want to melt is just sticking over the edge. That way you can hold the head down with one hand and melt with the other. Also, the rest of the head lying on the washer gives the head some stability.

Probably the best way to do it would be to remove the batter head and lay the drum batter-side down over some newspapers with the resonant head face-up, so you'd have some tension on the head you're cutting. I'm too lazy to do it that way.

The trick is to get the can really hot, and MAKE SURE you have an oven mitt and, in my case, an extra pot-holder between you and the can, because you have to burn the hole quickly and you don't want to be fumbling around. The whole thing is kind of cumbersome -- practice with the can cold first. When you cut the hole, just plunge the can through the head -- don't try to do it slowly or you'll end up with a mess.

You might have to sand the hole a little when you're done, but basically, a hot can cuts a pretty perfect hole. If you do have to sand, make sure you only sand the edge itself -- drum heads scratch real easily. Hope this helps.