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Drum Sounds that you can't stand

Started by xdrummer2000, January 09, 2006, 01:55 PM

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xdrummer2000

For me, it would be the following:

Snare Drums: I, for one, can't stand "fat" or low pitched snare drums. I just am in love with that high pitched, poppy, dry sound. I like to crank my snare up (both heads) very high, and I love the snares pretty tight, so that I can get a sensitive response by tapping the drum with my finger, but still not have any after ring from them. I also, as sort of stated above, hate snares that have continuous ring to them. It just needs to be a quick sound, almost like a sforzando piano, where it is just one loud sound and then it goes down.

Bass Drums: I also can't stand it when bass drums sound dead, flappy, poppy, or my favorite (sarcasm), clicky. It's not a "bass" drum if it clicks, flaps, or is as dead as a dog (ala Lars Ulrich on Ride the Lightning, that bass drum is too quiet). I like a big boomy sound, and I like it to be low and punchy, but still be audible through loud soundwalls. If it clicks, it isn't even a kick or bass drum to me anymore. It's a clicker or a sound effect if you ask me. I also hate it when you can hear the bass drum itself but not the initial attack. I kind of like it like my snare, but with a slight amount of after ring.

Toms: I hate high sounding toms. The only ones I favor are Terry Bozzio's, for some reason. Also, I don't like it when toms pull a snare drum sound on me. I can't stand tight toms. I like them to ring for about a half a second to a second after the initial attack.

Those are basically my pet-peeves in drum sounds. What are your's?

Dave Heim

Quote from: xdrummer2000 on January 09, 2006, 01:55 PM
I like a big boomy sound, and I like it to be low and punchy, but still be audible through loud soundwalls.

What?  What are loud soundwalls?

DougB

I don't like the fake drum sound samplings in rap and most pop recordings.  The only song I can think of in that genre that sounds decent is in Wild Thing.

Joe

Quote from: DougB on January 09, 2006, 03:49 PM
I don't like the fake drum sound samplings in rap and most pop recordings.

If I may borrow that and put it this way:  If the sound can be produced acoustically, I love it.  The context, now, is what really influences whether I like a certain sound.

Dave Heim

That dead sound a timp makes when hit dead center.

AdamBlevins

"St. Anger" by:  Metallica...


The drums on that entire album...it's like nails on a chalk board.

agogobil

single-headed toms - 70's style  ... yech!

Dead Trooper

Adam, agreed on the snare drum on that record.

Is it actually a snare drum if there's no snare sound? Ahh, the dilemma.

DWdrmr

choked snare drums (yip,yip)
tonally dead toms ala tape,etc
bass drums with absolutely no beater attack coming thru(altho I don't care for "clicking")
All of the above I may change my mind on, depending on a given recording.. ;)
EDIT: sitting here listening to Inner Mounting Flame...can hear no beater attack on BD....sounds pretty good :-X

PJSdrum

99% of all "House" drumsets. Usually some junk that has duct tape 3 inches thick on all the toms and enough bedding to outfit a Holiday Inn stuck inside the bass drum.

moxman

I just detest canned electronic drum sounds period!

I used to like UB40 until I listened closely one day to their greatest hits CD and much to my surprize noticed that most of the drum sounds were identical every time.. in fact they remind me of the old Alesis HR-16 I had in the 90's.. yuuck!!

Chip Donaho

Quote from: xdrummer2000 on January 09, 2006, 01:55 PM
For me, it would be the following:
Snare Drums: I, for one, can't stand "fat" or low pitched snare drums. I just am in love with that high pitched, poppy, dry sound.
I'm just the opposite....I tune my snares medium to fat sounding. I don't mind snares with a nice ring....Just don't like that pop like hitting cardboard or choked snares like I hear from so many marching snares now days. I don't like that clicky sound from a bass drum....Good boom for me. A drum should sound like a drum and not something synthetic sounding. That's why I don't own an electronic set. I want to hear the sound of real wood drums. But, on the flip side, to each his own.....
Someone mentioned the "house drums" at 99% of the bars. I guess I'm in the other 1%.... If you come out to our Thurday night open jam you'll play on my Mapex Deep Forest set with a Craviotto snare. Why do I do that? Because I want other players to know what drums should sound like....Must work good, they keep coming back and haven't damaged anything. They're showing respect and giving me good comments for doing that. I give them the choice of 3 snares to pick their sound. But let someone start "tuning" my drums and they'll be off the stage faster than they came up.   ;)

Danno

The drum sound that immediately came to my mind was the 'funky' drumming in that Suzuki Vitara ad on TV where the guy kisses his wife good-bye and then parachutes off a cliff to get to his SUV.

Seems to me a lot of TV ads lately are using this kind of 'upbeat' music that's supposed to sound hip and multi-cultural but ends up just being annoying.

I guess it's still true that when you try to please everyone, you don't really please anyone.

Ranman

When I am setting up and they clink together!

DougB

Quote from: Ranman on January 10, 2006, 06:31 AM
When I am setting up and they clink together!

You aren't kidding.  I did that last night and I got real mad at myself.   :o

Louis Russell

Quote from: Ranman on January 10, 2006, 06:31 AM
When I am setting up and they clink together!

That is not even close to the sound made by a 24 inch bass drum rolling off the riser and across the stage.  

felix

Anything too dry or choked.

I hate the old time jazz sound of the real high pitched drum head on a dead sounding melodic tom. BLECHHH!

Dry or "boomy" bass drums.

Floor toms that sound basketbally or with really loose bottom heads.

Really tight poppy snares (those things give me an ear ache)

Clicky bass drums ala "speed and death" metal.

Anything overly compressed and small sounding.

I like everything rich, wet, open and natural- lots of dynamics/headroom and ambience- plenty of space and air.


Louis Russell

Quote from: felix on January 11, 2006, 08:29 AMI like everything rich, wet, open and natural- lots of dynamics/headroom and ambience- plenty of space and air.



Me too Felix, me too!  

lilblakdak

I guess Im old school, but I like a big snare sound. Nice deep toms, and a good solid kick without alot of boom. When I record or play live (we use a fully miked PA) I use the Back In Black ACDC sound. I cant stand over processed sounding drums, and high ringy toms. But that being said your drum sound is a very personal thing. If you like it thats all that really matters.

TamaDrummer

I hate a snare with a good crack, but no body at all.  Some ring is good, but not too much.  Same thing the other way around.  A HUGE snare sound, but no cut at all, like hitting a cardboard box.  Clicky bass drums kill me (ala most speed or death metal).  A punchy, low, warm bass is for me.

I was listening to Dream Theater's "Images and Words" cd, and I can't stand the snare sound they used.  Sounded like a synthesized snare. I couldn't bring myself to picture that sound coming from a real, acoustic drum.  Just hated it.