Been rollin' the coated G14's on my Catalina Club toms for a few years now, and I LOVE them for those drums. I'm by no means a heavy hitter, but I like the more subdued and almost vintage tone it gives them when I tune them a little higher. On my Saturns, I've been going coated Ambassador on the 10" and coated Controlled Sound on the 14" which I think works pretty well. Always coated Amb's on my snares with the exception of a Fiberskyn on my 60's Acrolite. Something about that head on that drum just warms my heart. Great videos, guys, keep them coming!
This video is a must listen to anyone looking to find the missing link to there sound. I love the non biased approach that you guys bring in picking the right drum head for your drums. It's refreshing to know that someone is out there encouraging drummer to not just go for something that looks good but in the end creates the desired sound and they're wanting in their drums!
Thanks so much! That's really what we're going for. We may offer specific recommendations from time to time based on our experiences but that will always be something that's clarified as an opinion. Cheers!
Apparently, my bass drum head needs to be two 20mil heads. I keep putting holes in it every couple of weeks (ppaying once or twice a week for maybe an hour each)
Also I have found the drum heads that work well for my sound. Remo - ambassador, ambassador x and emperor Evans- UV1...really want to try there calf tone head Aquarian - studio x. It's a great had for attack yet you can detune it and get a meaty sound
For me a big thing is cost. G1 and G2's are sold in the tom packs which saves a fair bit of cash compared to buying individual heads. If only all models were sold in packs!
I found a full compromise between those three aspects with the Evans Onyx drumheads: I prefer double ply coated drumheads for toms and bassdrum. They are quite durable, I change them around twice a year and their black surface looks awesome. I paired them with EC Reso or Black Reso (also Evans') for better results. Another option I like is Evans EC2S Frosted, with similar results and looking equally beautiful. My snare uses Aquarian Jack Dejohnnette drumheads, also because of the beautiful black color with the coating, but more adequate in tone for my needs than a 2ply head.
I've recently revisited this topic. I've been using Calftone heads for some time now, they sound/feel/look great but i'm finding them a bit too quiet for the 9+ piece band I have to drive (even when mic'ed) plus the durability on my snare just isn't working for me (not as much the bubbling but the fact that they are 7mil heads... I dont hit that hard but use ball tips so they dent in a few hours). I also use them on my bass drum and think the 12mil thickness is a bit too much. I'm considering the uv1 line, I know they are a completely different head but have enough similarities that I want to try them. Currently I run: Snare- calftone batter, 300 snare side. Bass- calftone eq4 batter, calftone eq4 reso w/ port. Thinking of running: Snare- uv1 batter, 300 reso. Bass- uv eq4 batter, eq3 (single ply reso, not 2 ply batter) coated reso w/ port. Any comments?
I'm a fan of all the drum head brands. The heads were of particular interest to me in my youth. The first professional heads I played on were Remo. It was a clear C.S. black dot on a 5×14 chrome over brass snare that's sitting next to me right now. I've been through many models of heads and find that my natural companion is a 10 Mil coated snare batter, 3 mil reso side, a clear or coated twin ply 7 Mil tom batter, and 10 Mil resonant, and a single or double ply pre-muffled bass batter, and a corresponding single ply pre-muffled resonant head. I played Slingerlands through my teens in the 90's. I used to use Evans Genera or Uno 58 1000 coated on the snare batter, Reso 300 on the bottom, Rock Glass on the tom batters, Resonant Glass on the bottom, EQ2, or Rock Glass bass batter, and Resonant Black on the front. In 1995, Beals sold Evans to D'addario, and I moved back to Remo after that. Before Evans I enjoyed both the Emperor, and PinStripes on toms and bass drums (it was before the P3 was introduced), and Coated Ambassador or C.S. on the snare. Through teaching at a large retailer in Metro Detroit I was able to try Aquarian, Evans, Attack, Ludwig, and Remo. I concluded that they all made a fine product, but the one that possessed the sound options I wanted was Remo, followed by Evans. Today, I tend to prefer the same types of heads I used as a kid - Emperors and PinStripes, Coated Ambassadors, and Coated C.S. and the PowerStroke 4, and PowerStroke Pro bass heads. These days (since 2004) I play dw drums. They were the closest thing I could find sonically to my old 1972 Slingerland chrome over wood drums, whose hardware wasn't reliable in heavy gigging situations. Stick selection remained pretty constant too throughout the years. In 1992 Regal Tip 5B nylon was the first I used extensively. I switched to their "Groovers", 5B, and Jazz wood tip in 1999. Been with those ever since. Cymbals have been Paiste since I was 14, in 1990. Medium weight crashes, heavier hi hats and rides of various series, like the 2000, 3000, and 2002. Through my mid/late teens I switched to RUDEs. Today I prefer Signature cymbals in corresponding weights, as well as thinner/darker models. I will say that when Remo modified the PinStripe around 1999/2000 I stared using them a lot more. Since their inception in the late 70's, they featured a layer of adhesive that went up over the collar onto the playing surface to reduce overtones and overall sustain. When they changed them, Remo applied a "dry layer" of material to the top of the bottom ply, and let the top ply float over it. This gave the PinStripe a "sweeter", more "open" tonality, as well as an increased dynamic range. They sound like a more controlled Emperor, than heavily muffled tom head.
The different polyester film types being used between the brands definitely contributes to that. Generally, Remo heads have a longer break-in period as they need adjusting to mold the collar to most bearing edges whereas Evans heads sit flush with the surface of the drumhead (rather than the collar) sitting on the bearing edge. With regards to the Fiberskyn vs. Calftone, they're such similar products with the laminated material over the film. They wear in very similar ways, though I've spoken with the team at Evans and they've made some headway (no pun intended) with the durability of the material which should help to prevent the bubbling shown in the cover image here. At the end of the day, this is all about personal preference and comfort. It's great that there are options to choose from. Cheers!
Drum heads are like sticks man I’m always searching! On my Sonorlites, it’s clear ambassadors on bottom and clear emperors on top!. Not the final word in durability let me tell you! On my vintage jasper maple Canwoods drum kit, it’s the new Evans 360 coated! Fucking awesome, super easy to tune, they stay in tune and they’re extremely durable! On the bottoms yup, clear ambassadors! Ha ha ha ha ha ha
Have been using Evans for about ten years now - Power Center Reverse Dot on the snares, EQ4 on the bass drum. I just went from G2s to G14s on my toms and I'm loving them. Haven't tried the UV1s yet but all I hear is good things.
Tone always first! I'm a remo guy but their coating is awful. Recently I've been trying some attack drumheads on my snares and they sound great! On my tons i'm in love with the uv1. Unfortunately i dont like their feel and sound on snares
Really? I love Remo's coating. It never flakes on me, and just wears down over a long period of time, but still gives great textures. Plus Remo just has a more organic sound. The UV1 is a great idea, but it sounds too plasticky and I've even had one flake on me. And I'm an avid brush player. It's gotta be Remo.
I really like the way you went for a much more high-resolution meaning of the terms used to describe sounds we look for in drum tones. Specifically, figuring what tonal ranges are available for you to occupy withing your group is a much more interesting way to consider the sounds you're going for.
Tone is absolutely key! I own Predator Percussion, a Stave constructed shell. So my shells are thicker than ply shells. Typically my shells are 3/8” thick. And the bearing edges are 1/2”- 9/16” thick. My personal Stave kit is 15x24, 8x13, 16x16, 16x18. And I’m using G14 coated on them. I like the warm but I’m wanting more punch out of my toms. Maybe a clear head? Suggestions? Thanks....
Hey Mike! A few questions- what's your general tuning scheme for the toms? What are you using for reso heads? Having you tried a 2-ply batter head such as the G2 on your toms? Are you also asking about getting more punch from your kick drum? If that's the case, let us know about the current head configuration and your tuning scheme.
Sounds Like A Drum I’m just talking about toms. The kick Drum is where I want it with a clear Emad wide open. The toms is where I’m needing “wanting” more punch. And the 13” has to much attack. But I’m believing it’s the bearing edge on that issue. Running scheme is an open tuning. On the low side. With Genera reso heads that are a bit higher than the batter G14’s I have on them.
Mike- I'd probably start out with G2 batters and see how things are sounding. The G14's have always sounded great to me at higher tunings (thing fusion instead of rock drum sounds) and on the lower toms in particular. If you're looking for more punch, a two-ply batter is an excellent place to start. -Ben
Devon- that will definitely warm up the sound a bit, though the added mass of a G12 reso will require you to be hitting a bit harder to get the heads moving (generally less dynamic range as a result). I can't say I'd necessarily recommend going with coated resos without hearing the current sound in person.
Great content! I think you should have mentioned that asthetics also affect tone. I mean, a coated head won't sound as a clear one, even both being the same thickness, right?
Hanks for watching! We don’t necessarily think of that as the aesthetics affecting the tone. That’s a design feature that creates a given appearance as a result of application for a functional purpose.
This video was great! I was really glad you brought up frequencies. I found this out the hard way recording guitars, and then realized I can do the same with my drums. I am a Remo guy as far as heads. Typically ambassadors or the vintage ambassadors that are half way between an ambassador and an emperor. Snares: CS reverse dot coated on all snares 1960 and newer. I have a Classic fit Ambassador on a 40s RK I rebuilt since my go-to wouldn't fit. Its marking up far quicker that the CS, so durability-wise I am thinking it may be an issue, but it sounds sooooo good. Also, I am glad you brought up the round tip sticks. I used to use pro mark 747s with round tips. They would dent any snare head I threw them on.
Thanks so much! Glad to hear that this made for some good food for thought. That Radio King must be quite the drum! Best of luck and thanks for watching!
Great video series! Thanks for doing this. I’m using the Evans UV1 on most of my snares now, great versatility and durability. I have the onyx series on bass drum and toms which have a really warm rounded tone, perfect for a church setting. Keep up the great work guys.
Thanks for watching! Great choices on drumheads- those Onyx heads are uniquely special because of the softer film that's used. Sounds like an excellent fit for your church drumming. Cheers!
Question: once you get your desired drum sound, how often should you tune your drums for that sound? I'm lazy when it comes to tuning but I know many drummers that over do tuning in my opinion. In my opinion, if you're happy with the sound, go for it. What are your thoughts? Should I be tuning every time I sit at the drum kit?
If they don't sound how you want them to sound, it's time to tune them. That can vary if you're moving your drums around, if there's a shift in temperature/humidity, and if you're playing in different contexts. It's always worth checking how your drums sound when you sit down at the kit.
Nr one snare head for worship is the Evans genera dry. For toms I really love the tone of the Evans UV1's. Both are actually durable as a Toyota. In terms of esthetics I really love my Red Blue and Onyx Evans heads. Where the red is really punchy and the blue is really good for phat snare sounds. I believe all Evans Level 360 heads are quite easy to tune and I never use gels or other muffling on them. On the other side I sometimes think you can get more character out of a Remo head. But it cost a bit more effort. In church we use pinstripes on all toms and when properly tuned you really get something special. My two cents. Again great video guys!
Excellent! Sounds like you've found some great options for your different applications. It's always a fun challenge to describe these sounds too. How do you define "character" when it comes to the extra element that you sometimes find from Remo heads?
Sounds Like A Drum i really expected that question whahh. Still struggling how to put that hearing experience in words. I think when I am hearing more character I am hearing more things going on at the same time. The cracking of the material, the sticks rubbing the surface. The way it resonates. It almost seems less perfect and clean out of the box. But to be honenst I never tried G1's clear and coated. Maybe the Evans heads I use are typically dry, perfect etc. And on the same time there maybe are Remo heads even more clean/dry etc. I will think a bit more about how to put it. i will play a bit more on both brands and maybe I will come back with some other wordings. Regards
There's definitely a difference there, though it can be difficult to hear, as a result of the different design elements and materials. Some of these differences have more to do with the experience involved with tuning up a drumhead whereas others can be detected within the sound of the head. Always good to experiment!
I knew you'd eventually succumb and say the words "cool" and "awesome, " the 2 most over used words in the language today. I urge and challenge you to make a video without either word.
I knew someone would eventually troll these videos. The most overdone posts are those that add no value to the subject at hand. I urge you to post in a constructive manner next time.
It's inevitable. We appreciate constructive feedback about the content and presentation. Going forward, posts that don't add value/are clearly just trolling will be removed in order to maintain a pleasant atmosphere on this channel.
