bass drum skin

R

rightbrainnow

New member
When recording your kick, do you guys usually take the kick drum skin off? Whenever its off, i always think it sounds better, but im not sure how that would translate to recording. I would try it, but im at work right now..planning on what to try out tonight....

oh yea, and is there anything to keep the snare from cracking whenever you hit one of your toms or kick. When the snare is off, the toms and kick sound so resonant and nice, but once the snare is on...i get that crack with everything i hit. Ive tried tightening it as hard as it would go..still no good results.
 
The tighter the snare, the more sensitive it will be. So tightening it will probably make the rattle worse. However, I would not worry very much about snare rattle. Once in a mix it is not heard and honestly, part of the the sound of a drum kit is snare rattle. Nothing screms phoney MIDI drums louder than no snare rattle IMO.

As for the kick drum, I can do it both ways. For more low end thud, keep the head on. For more punch and thwack, take the front head off.
 
I usually go with the front head on, unless I want a more defined sound as required by the other drums (I.e. when I record bass with Timbales and other ethnic percussion elements, I usually have the front head off).
 
To me all drums sound better with two heads. The kick is no different. It has a warmer, punchier sound with the front head on. You can dry it out a bit depending on where you vent the front head. I like mine to have a 4" hole off to the right side, near the edge.

Tuning is so important in keeping the snare buzz down. Not just the snare, but the whole kit. Any sympathetic frequencies between drums cause snare rattle. Learn to tune the toms well and find a pitch for the snare that is a pitch all it's own. The next thing is to make sure the bottom head is tighter than the top head. I crank mine pretty tight. The snare bed on the bearing edge should be well cut. You don't want a flat bottom bearing edge, you want a nice dip at the bed ends so that you get a nice curve along the bottom that the snares can rest against. Then you want to check your snare tension to make sure it's even, not too loose or too tight.

I use no muffling on my kit and never have a problem with snare buzz.
 
thanks for replying,...

yea the tuning of the heads is a harsh reality ive been trying to avoid. They are my brothers drums, and my dad.."the ole pro!" tuned them, but he's one of those guys that can play every instruement, so he doesnt REALLY know how to tune them. I hit them and then make adjustments by ear, but me, nor my brother, have played drums for very long.
 
I leave the front head on the kick, but I have a hole. Without the hole, it's really hard to get the sound that I'm looking for.
 
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