increasing kick projection

H

hardcore guy

New member
Right now I've got an evans eq3 clear on batter and a remo one ply clear on resonant (I'm still not familiar with the remo head names). I think it sounds great and I'm really happy with the tone but projection seems to be lacking. During a jam session today, someone noted how they could hardly hear the kick. Once I actually listened more to how it sounded with the music and asked others, they agreed that the kick wasn't very present. I drum in a loud instrumental band that plays entirely un-miked. It's basically a juno60, two bass full stacks and me on drums.
So it looks as though I'm going to have to sacrifice some tone and resonance for projection. Can anyone vouch for any particular line of heads? Everyone's got emads it seems. I always disliked the emads for their lack of resonance but it seems as though this might be the way I'll need to go. I was thinking perhaps an emad batter and some one ply resonant with a 4" hole or something.
Miking the kick isn't really much of an option for the types of practices (no pa) and shows (diy house shows) we play.
Any suggestions?
 
Raise the tension of the drum before you go cutting any holes in the heads, or buying new heads.

Put some decent tension on it - both on the batter and the resonant side. It's a big drum, it will still have a lower pitch. If you guys saw how tight I always kept my kick drum's batter heads, you'd freak out.


Tim
 
hardcore guy said:
(I'm still not familiar with the remo head names).
Click to expand...

remo drum head names:

diplomat: thin one ply

ambassador: one ply, the basic all purpose drumhead

emperor - two diplomat plies

pinstripe - two ply with muffling material around edges

fiberskyn - fake calfskin

that's all you really need to know about remo.
 
What size kick is it? My first (tounge-in-cheek) response would be to hit it harder. I have a 20x16 kick, and with the "wrong" heads on, it was extremely quiet. I recently put an emad on the batter and an eq3 on the resonant side and it sounds killer. Very punchy, loud as heck, great tone. The tone is very responsive to dynamics, and batter material (felt or plastic, or wood).
 
Tell those other guys to turn down. Your ears will thank you in the future.
Use the P.A to get the big sound up front. Then you can here the vocal monitors better and won't have feedback problems.
 
Try using a hard beater, like wood. Also, if the new beater doesn't get it done try adding a kick pad. Danmar makes one as well as some other companies. It's a litte fiber disk the the beater strikes and adds some 'click' to it. It sharpens the attack. That's most likely what isn't being heard.
 
Maybe I need to clarify more. I don't play in a conventional band. My band consists of a guy playing a juno60 synth connected to two full stack bass amps and me on drums. We play very loud, using volume as a device to make up for the obvious lack of musical layers. And there is a ton of thumping bass coming through on the amps so I really need the kick to come through. I am also a pretty heavy and pretty busy drummer (and I'm already using a plastic beater, btw). If you've ever heard the band Lightning Bolt, our music is kinda comparable I suppose. Check out the following link to listen to Lightning Bolt:


Right now I'm considering putting the extra ring on the inside of my eq3 batter, putting a eq1 (with a hole) resonant on and sticking one of those beater pads on the batter side. If that doesn't do it, then I'll spend some dough on an emad.
 
you still might need to go bigger if the previous suggestions don't help. maybe a wooden beater would be a good first step.
 
with a pretty tight batter head and a BIG hole in the resonant head witn no muffeling usually makes the drum pretty loud.. ;)
 
what kind of pedal you use?
you should have a powerful pedal like DW 5000 or the new 7000 series, (double chained with sprocket, not a cam), with a HEAVY wooden beater would be the best.
and a vent hole at lease 4" dia in the front head.
and last....kick it harder!!

if it still cant cut through, you need to mic / trigger it!!

my band play mostly speed / melodic death metal things, I have a keller 8ply maple 18x22 kick, I need to cut through the music with 2 4x12 guitar cab and a 8x8 bass cab every time.........but with above setting and a pair of powerful legs, it never be a problem.
 
I have a dw 4000 pedal. I'm not crazy about it but it's alright. I'm using plastic beaters but I'll probably try a wooden one, I've got one laying around. Also, how does one go about cutting a nice, clean hole in a bass head? I've never done this.
 
you can try removing the front head first, see how it sounds......
if you like that sound, you can cut a 7"big hole at the centre then put it on again.

you can use a rubbish bin lid (or a splash cymbal??) and a marker to lay out the circle for cutting.
a good pair of scissors and a cutter should do it cleanly. try practice on some used drumhead first.

about DW4000.........it should be fairly weak for the power, try some heavier beater (plastic/ wooden) to see if it can help.......



I think you can also try to use a trigger and a midi-trigger interface, connect to the keyboard he have, and use the kick sound out from his keyboard.
 
Use a hole saw!!! just kidding. Get yourself one of the plastc hole reinforcement rings available at any drum shop. Cut the hole with a good sharp blade. The plastic ring clicks together on both sides of the head. Works like a charm.
 
edyer said:
Tell those other guys to turn down. Your ears will thank you in the future.
Use the P.A to get the big sound up front. Then you can here the vocal monitors better and won't have feedback problems.
Click to expand...

yea just tell the sound guy over in the kitchen you need to raise the vocals in the monitors by the dining room table
 
Two heavy heads, no hole, no muffling. A falam slam and a wooden beater. Works like a charm if you're not miking it, but if you wind up in a place with a sound guy he probably will ask "so where do you want me to cut the hole" and think he's being funny.
 
Powerstrokes. I have them on my 20" kick, and it works great for no mic set ups. Doesn't sound like a jazz kick at all. In fact, it sounds like a kick drum going thru a big PA.
 
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