Controlling "Ringing" on Lug-Tuned Remo Hand Drums

[bongolation]

A while ago, I got some hand drums to use for rhythm work and doinking around. Among these, I got a couple of the Remo djembes in 12" & 14" as they are more trouble-free than the traditional wood/Mali-weave ones, which I just don't have the patience to maintain.

The problem is that these things ring like unmuted kit drums. There are supposedly ways to control this problem and get them to sound reasonably like traditional drums, but the method I saw on one site was just jive.

Any thoughts on this? I'm thinking that something like a wad of that removable blue adhesive stuff in the right place might do it.

 

[RezN8]

You probably know this but...

.. these drums are MEANT to ring! The only way I know to control it is with your playing - like proper 'slap' and 'choking' techniques, or even resting your other hand on the drum while you play the rim.

Tuning might help, and the moon gel you mentioned 'might' work a bit, but your tone and feel will suffer.

 

[bongolation]

.. these drums are MEANT to ring!

No, it's a definite bug, not a feature.

It's the one legitimate gripe the hand drumming "community" has against these things, and they are generally pretty thoroughly reviled.

Remo fixed the problem with the later and more expensive NuSkin rope-tuned jobs, but the lug tuned ones still have it.

Personally, I think it's an artifact of all-around bad design, including shape of the drum...but it is treatable somehow -- I just don't know the details.

 

[scrubs]

Moongels are cheap ($5-6 for a 4-pack). Try them. They work well for eliminating overtones on toms, so they would probably at least offer some muffling for your djembe.

 

[MadAudio]

If you do try the MoonGel I suggest putting it on the inside. That way you won't smack it accidentaly.

 

[bongolation]

Dang! I looked them MoonGel things up. They're about $2 each. I sure hope they're special.

I was thinking about that sticky blue crap they sell at OfficeMax.

Probably amounts to about the same thing.

Yes, I will stick it on the underside, whatever I wind up with.