This is the kinda nerdy stuff us Drummers have been needing all these years. Someone who has the knowledge and presentation to just go full geek and really give us the wisdom and guidance. Thanks guys for all your hard work!
YES! I'm blessed to have a great local drum shop and drummer friends to talk shop with, but I've also had terrible experiences with what I'll dub "Jaded workers who have heard enough bad questions so that they just assume every person coming in is an idiot." That's why I love this channel and honestly as a life ethos of fostering a good-natured environment of learning.
Thanks Cody! Absolutely great stuff! Never heard or bought a 5 mil-nice sound. "PS" Would also be nice to compare or work in "hazy' or "orchestral" versions from Evans as well... I really appreciate these videos and put them to use regularly.
The big takeaway for me is that I have probably been going a little too tight with my snare sides in general, so I'm going to drop them all just a bit. Thanks for the suggestion. A good rule of thumb for me (and this goes for the toms as well) is that I change the reso heads every three batter sides. This schedule has served me well for many years. Great video. And Cody, your snare roll is perfection. 🙏
Glad you got some value from this! For what it's worth, we actually take the inverse approach with snare drums since we rarely have to hit that hard and we'll replace the snare reso more frequently than the batter. With heads like the G12 and UV1 batter heads, we can get quite a bit of mileage before needing to replace them.
Omg I watched so many videos on this but now im getting the full picture!!! I always choke out the reso by tensioning the snare side wires to much, because in the loud live show I play, the wires get way out of control. But now I see I just had the wrong thickness snare reso. I will try the 5 mill, than i can leave the snare wires lose enough to not choke out the drum and still have thight wire respsone. Mindblowing!!! I will try this immidiatly. Thanks so much you guys are a true blessing. Such little chnages can make such a great impact on the sound!!!
Thanks for this. I've always been curious about the 5 mil heads but it seems like almost no one uses them. I play nearly exclusively very hard hitting rim shots and I find that the snare response is just too much for my liking and it decays far too long. Also it's always buzzing from kick, toms and amps. I've compensated by buying wires with the smallest wire count possible but it seems like a 5 mil head is the way to get a short snare response that I'm after.
This is so great! Same logic holds true that thinner heads will get you more liveliness and activity, totally crazy how much of a difference 1/1000th of an inch makes 🤯 I’ve been reaching for 5mil options recently when using thicker batter heads, they really help to reign in that extra energy.
I found out something after playing my whole life yesterday, input a 12 strand wire instead of 16 and 20 , I’m So pleased. I wish I knew this years ago. I’m finding that after decades of learning I’m everything is starting to click. Tuning especially. I can be a slow learner but once I get it I got it. I cannot tell you how many snare reso heads I bought in last 35 years. It’s quite embarrassing actually. Not anymore. I tension it to about 400 and I’m a happy guy. Now a 12 strand , really happy. I’ll mention that it’s a 6x13. But not a 14 “ yet. I’m on the right path now. Love your videos. It’s helpful.
Nice haircut Cody,didn't have to cut mine,it just fell out.really surprised with the 2 mil. Head,gonna have to try one out That just moved me one step closer to my sound I'm looking forward to swapping out my 3mil,on my craviotto/ maple.
Wow! This is a huge new concept for me! I've only ever used Ambassador Hazy heads. The biggest improvement I ever got was from your snare side head leveling video. The second biggest improvement was using Canopus Vintage Dry wires. I thought I was done, but I'm also happy now that I have a new reason to hit up the drum shop again! I'll try a Diplomat head next. Thanks guys, for always keeping me curious! Your video topics are the best part of the channel. And you teach so well.
I am a huge fan of the diplomat snare side, but recently changed to the ambassador hazy , there really are some big changes that come along with using different snare side heads, good video, hope yall are well, and keep kickin ass!
@David Perez it creates a sound that's almost impossible to explain, but unmistakable when heard! I am having fun taking a break from that particular combo, but I am pretty sure I will always go back to it!!!
Remo Ambassador Snare Side (3mil) for me. It's the best between sensitivity & tone for my snare sound. And then I combine it with a set of 42 strand snare wires.
I find the 2 mil appeals to me the most. I like to hear as much snare sound as possible. I use Remo heads on my snares, so I’d have to check the thickness of the hazy Ambassador and Diplomat. I used both.
I just realised when I had tried the ambassador on the bottom, it was a 10-mil, and coated, so it was pretty boxy sounding each time with a evans two ply dry on top. So it's maybe not as much the coating but the thickness or both!
Nice! I've only ever used 3 mil snare side heads! Think it's time to try a 500 reso for my Yamaha 6.5“ brass «rock» snare and maybe a 200 for my Supra!
300 is juuuust right! It’s the Goldilocks snare side head. I use the Evans 300 on just about everything, except Ludwig drums which just seem to go well with Ludwig or Remo snare side heads and Remo batters… Idk if it’s just an aesthetic thing or what, I just like those heads on a Ludwig. Great comparison vid.
I personally will always go for a 200 or 300 snare side. I feel like the 500 is too similar to just using a tom reso. It makes the snare response feel less active.
@@SoundsLikeADrum Haha, how did you know!? I exclusively play heavy music and my goal is to swing for the fences at all times. I get lots of compliments on my snare sound which is tightly tuning the thickest heads I can find on a deep metal drum with barely any snare engagement and always rimshotting.
Great content as usual, guys. I've been considering trying a 500 lately, a 300 is my go-to reso head. As you pointed out, the 500 can rein some of that extra noise in. Thank you Cody and Ben, well worth watching, and informative.
Haven't seen Ted in a while--Hi Ted! Fascinating study here. On my SuperSensitive that I always talk about here, I've used a 3 mil for the past several years, as it just feels and sounds like the perfect snare-side head for that drum. I had a 2 on it once, but boyohboy did that sucker ring! Might be interesting to see what a 5 would sound like on it. Thanks again for all the excellent work you guys do!
Absolutely fantastic episode. Very glad you did this! I might switch to a 500 on my 14x8 25-ply snare. I want a tiny bit more control over the overall sound and I think that might be the way. Also, the haircut is a very stark and sudden change but it looks good.
Believe it or not, same EQ settings as used for Cody but I spoke softer and bumped the gain along with doing a tongue-in-cheek voiceover impression. Glad you enjoyed that! 😅
I’ve never considered using a 5mm. That sound is great! I’ve been using a 2 mil since most of my playing is quieter and I like the sensitivity. I’ve been using Evans orchestral reso 200 heads. The sensitivity is still there, but some overtones are controlled ever so slightly. Subtle, but a bit different. Thanks for this comparison!
5 mil snare side seems fantastic in a recording situation, because it is not as prone to react to the kick, and rattle around. Of course that can also be desirable but in my experience I prefere less rattle. Especially if it is a live recording with a loud bass amp in close distance 😅
I really thought I was going to be the poster child for a 5mil head. It's hard to get info on the forums because of the knee jerk (Emperor Snare Side?!!!?! ARE YOU NUTS?" reaction. But I need more wire than it gives. It didn't give me the concussion mortar snare sound I was looking for. That seems to be a fairly tight head, a lot of air, loose wires (be careful they cause fires), and a reverb sound that has a lot of body in the reverb - while the snare itself is fairly crisp.
Very true! Another great approach if you don't want to sacrifice dynamic range is to go with a lesser strand count for snare wires and/or a slightly thicker batter head.
This is exactly why I prefer separate top and bottom lugs on snares. Whenever I change tension on one side, the other side changes too. This happens on every drum I’ve ever tried with single point lugs, regardless of quality.
I nought a used piccolo with an evans reso 7.5 mil on the bottom. It worked great for the small room gig i played lastvwerkend. Hardwood floors...it still had good sensitivity, and sounded like a snare drum..was nice tight, and controlled..i was getting ready to buy a new snareside. I might keep it as is..
I think the 2 was a lil too much and the 5 a lil not enough so i guess im a middle of the road guy here but heck i dont even know the thickness of my snare side head lol. I think reso heads are overlooked a lot.
I use a 5mil on my 14x8 nickel over brass dw snare. With the twisted puresound wires it sounds great for rock and metal. My go to heads are Aquarian Hi-Energy Remo ambassador x14 and Evans heavyweight dry or hybrid.
Love this video, Thanks! It would have been cool if you also explored how these choices affect the sympathetic snare buzz from surrounding toms. How many times have I altered a great snare sound just to appease that friggin high tom? lol
Oh of course! All of the variables involved will impact the sound and performance. We've demonstrated how different snare wire counts affect sound in the past: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Spjvpp1siZQ.html
Great video. Resonant snare head choice does make a difference. For 8x14 heavy wood snare drums, 500 is advantageous because of durability and thick, meaty tone. 300s are ok, 200s will blow out [rip] easily when subjected to heavy hitting. The textured Remo Renaissance snare side heads also offer a very articulate, dry snare response. Excellent subject...
This is a real eye opener! I use steel shell snare for power and outdoor playing. Going to try 5 mil soon. What wires are you using? I use puresound 30 or Pearl 42 strand. Thanks in advance and please keep the videos coming.
Sometimes turning the tightness off the reso by a 1/3 turn of the key. Additionally, I glued a Cymbal felt on the reso side to reduce some excess rattles.seems to work>? your thoughts?
As an old school metal player who aims for a big/fat snare with no much tail, I wonder how would interact each reso head with a 42 snare wires. (Starting from a base that is with a low tuned thicker batter head like a clear Pinstripe or p77 and 2b drumstick).
I still think Evans should do a Dry version of the resonant head. It would be interesting to hear! Might have to be the 500, since it might be able to handle the venting more. Also, HUGE fan of the 500's, as I'm a heavy hitter and usually use deep snares as well. It was cool to hear the difference between the 3!
It’s good when you’re both in the episodes, even if it just happened this time cuz you had to punch in the point about the lugs moving slightly when you tune. It showed me how Cool it is when you’re both (saying things about stuff), as we say here at home, to be funny. Thanks for the video guys! This show is Cody & Ben tastic! So ya know… 😊🪄✨This show just got way better. Oh! Dudes… I bought a cheap snare once that sounded really good the way it came, but I was super surprised when I changed the bottom head down the road and it was really thick! Weird!!! I mean… it was like a 14” Tom reso head kind of thick! Shocking! 😳🤔🤣😂🤣😂
Wow I was honestly surprised by the 200 May I ask you for an opinion? For worship I've always used the 300 with 42 wires and thought about changing the Reso head. Do you think, that for that steretypical deep fat wet snare sound the 200 might be better than the 300? Great video, keep it going 🫶🏽
I've been apprehensive about trying out a 2mil snare head, but I think it'll be the sounds that I really want. Are they particularly fragile you think? I appreciate the awesome content as always guys, keep up the great work 👌
I love 2 mil heads, but I wonder if they tend to stretch out over time. I’ve always defaulted to the standard 3 mil as a result. I believe Weckl prefers the 2 mil reso.
We would have to keep it pretty specific. Producing videos like this take a lot of time on the production and significantly more post production. This takes up time from what allows us to pay our bills and feed mouths. We'd love to do more of these but we need more support from the community to help justify the additional work and time.
@@SoundsLikeADrum I do realize these take like a lot to produce with several people working on it, and I seriously appreciate them. This isn't a demand from my end, just an open question for your consideration :) Keep on keeping on, you guys saved me a snare drum tuning headache just yesterday.
Thanks! Time stamps added. Please consider supporting our us on Patreon to help us justify the extra time spent responding to comments and adding time stamps. This way maybe Ben can afford to get a haircut too 😉
Ben used to work for d'addario and they are, I believe, sponsored by them. I raised this issue before and got the response that if other manufacturers wish to support them they would consider it. I would love to see them at least discuss other vendors. I use Aquarian and while I believe most of the manufacturers produce excellent products they do seem to be an Evans channel. I know that and I take that into consideration. They do provide useful content.
@@texxhexxmm That's an awfully thick head to use on the snare side but I suppose if you're doing nothing but beating the everliving hell out of that drum, it might work...
