Drum Tuners

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M Havlen

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I was thinking about buying a drum tuner...I'v tryed the drumkey / torque type device. ( not impressed ) Anyone have any advice on the " Dial " type tuners that are available? Their more expensive but are they worth it? Plus, do you actually tune to a specific key, or just till it sounds good to the player? I think my kit sounds pretty good, but I'd like to see if i could tweek it up a bit, and try some different tunings.
 
DrumDials are great for getting even tension around the drum. I find that it's easy for me to tune with one after I find a great setting. Just get every side to a certain measurement and go around 3 or 4 times until it's perfect.

It's worth it if you have problems tuning by ear and can't seem to get any good drum sounds. It's not worth it unless you hear your drums are out.
 
I am not sure if a conventional tunner will pick up the fundamental pitch of the drum. But, get your bass player to play and tune to him. Its easier to hear because his tones are close to yours. Tune your toms in intervals of fifths or fourths.
 
I've used a Drum Dial for several years. It does help to get even tension at each lug, which is important to achieve the best tone and resonance from a drum.

I agree with jblount that tuning toms to a specific interval (4th is the most common with 3rd and/or 5th used as well) Naturally, a drum dial won't help to tune the drums to a specific note. But, once you know what the note is (by tuning to a guitar etc) and the tension needed the dial can get you there faster and easier.

Much like a guitar, I think it is best to learn how to tune by ear (to develop the skill) and then use a tuner (dial) to make the job easier.

With drums you must fist get a drum in tune with itself (even tension, same tone at each lug) which the dial can help to achieve. Then you can try to tweak the tuning of each shell to achieve a harmonic relationship for the entire kit (4ths, etc) - as long as you never try to tune a given drum out of it's ideal tone.

By this I mean, if you try to tune a given drum shell higher or lower than the point where that shell achieves it's maximum resonace, you sacrifice the tone of that shell - trying to achieve a harmonic match with some other shell.
 
Jblount said:
I am not sure if a conventional tunner will pick up the fundamental pitch of the drum. But, get your bass player to play and tune to him. Its easier to hear because his tones are close to yours. Tune your toms in intervals of fifths or fourths.
Click to expand...

A chromatic tuner that "hears" a note and displays it will work. Can also work for getting the same note at all lugs. I used one when I played DW's to tune the shells to their "timbre matching" system which totally didn't work as the drums sounded like crap when tuned to the specific notes stamped on the shell. On my 14" tom the head was either so slack it was flappy or an octave up it was way to high. Go figure....
 
Yup,the drumdial is good for checkng that you have equal tension on all of your lugs.

I use an electric keyboard that I keep next to my kit to tune my drums, to get the same note all the way around at each lug.
 
DNT MAKE IT SO COMPLICATED

theletterq said:
A chromatic tuner that "hears" a note and displays it will work. Can also work for getting the same note at all lugs. I used one when I played DW's to tune the shells to their "timbre matching" system which totally didn't work as the drums sounded like crap when tuned to the specific notes stamped on the shell. On my 14" tom the head was either so slack it was flappy or an octave up it was way to high. Go figure....
Click to expand...

Dont make it so complicated take them to your music store and have them tunned. Beware that skin's batter and resonant are a factor in sound ply's are also it's better to experiment with or
find a setup you like and copy it with the drumdial it's good for that as far as the note or key i have never heard of having to do
that????
 
Re: DNT MAKE IT SO COMPLICATED

LOPEZRECORDS said:
Dont make it so complicated take them to your music store and have them tunned. Beware that skin's batter and resonant are a factor in sound ply's are also it's better to experiment with or
find a setup you like and copy it with the drumdial it's good for that as far as the note or key i have never heard of having to do
that????
Click to expand...

Thank you for the intention of your post Lopezrecords. I realize that you are trying to be helpful, but stop and read a little bit before you come to your above conclusions, you may learn something. Drum tuning becomes easier after a lot of experience but until then, it is complicated if you are trying to achieve optimum sound. The problem is that you not only have to seat the heads properly on the shells then get equal tension all around; you must also find the proper resonance for the particular drum, and then many of us try to tune our drums so that there is a sensible progression and relationship between actual notes on the chromatic scale without sacrificing the importance of the first steps.
As for taking your drum kit to a music store to have it tuned
you don't just tune your drums once, thy are constantly in need of tweeking and although I may really like the people that work in my local music store, they are usually music students (sometimes mine) and are not and should not be more qualified to tune my instruments. This process is one of the important skills that a musician must learn and continue to improve. Tuning your own instruments so that you can get
the sound you want to get.
That's why we exchange hints and advice for each other here. It's that important.
 
I have to agree with you R. S. I doubt very seriously that I'd be bustin down my kit to take it to someone else to tune for me. Like you said, if its like most other tunable instruments you'd want to tune it as needed. Thanks everyone, I'll keep after it. I'm sure as I gain more experience, the tuning thing will get easier.
 
M Havlen said:
I'm sure as I gain more experience, the tuning thing will get easier.
Click to expand...

Yep! A great trick is to take a Saturday or whatever and spend most of the day tuning and tweaking and just overall experimenting with your drums and their sounds to see what they are capable of. You WILL learn alot and it all comes directly from your love of the instrument. Good luck!
 
Here are my tuning tips.

Use a Neary (chk spelling) Drum Torque - a very simple torque dial.

Get some new heads. I find thicker, coated heads are easier to tune and stay in tune longer. If you can't afford tops and bottoms get just the tops and put the best of the old heads on the bottoms.

When you have removed the old heads do the following. Check the bearing edges for any flaws (dips, nicks, splits, protrusions). LIGHTLY sand the bearing edges and wipe clean. Clean the rods especialy the threads (if they are rusty-replace). Clean the rims looking for any problems (bent, debris, rust, bumps). WD40 cleans rims well just make sure you wipe it off.

Get some Radio Shack teflon lubricant (small needle nosed tube) and a small hard wax candle (any). As you assemble the heads FIRST run the candle oround the bearing edge (this will make a smoother surface). Seat the head, then put on the rim. As you put in each rod put a drop of the lubricant on the end of the threads and a little over and under the rod washer. Put on all rods just finger tight.

Now you use the drum torque. Using an alternating patern (as usual) tighten the rods slowly to a setting of 4-5. Then go around again increasing to 6-8. Now, depending on what sound you want you can continue in small steps up to 10, 12 or whatever (you may have to experiment on one drum to get the tension or tone you want ie:stick response or note tuning). You can tune them all the same setting or different, you can even de-tune one rod. Remember you must allow for stretch and retune about a week later-WRITE DOWN THE SETTINGS WHEN YOU GET IT RIGHT!

The drum torque is a very low tech product but by using the wax on the bearing edges and the lube (which is great for your whole kit as it does not drip-one tube should last like a year) you lessen the friction of the rods and make the readings as consistant as possible. The wax fills in the bearing egde making it a smoother fit to the head. If you need to retune just undo the rods and work your way back up to your settings (you did write them down).

My sets stay in tune for months. I used to tune them to major thirds (like chords) but I've found a tension of 10-12 for all drums gives a natural relationship between drums that I like.

Bob
 
Actually, lubricating the rods sounds like a pretty good idea. I haven't ever done that. I have used a torque/Key before, but noticed the rods didn't all tighted the same. The lubrication makes sense. Thanks
 
RIMSHOT!!!!

Look the torque thing does not work!!!! some lug's are not as well threaded as other's screw angle even as simple as a bur on the thread.... lubing them is worse they will detune!!!!!! Use the DIAL i suggested the music store cause you sounded like an out right amateur.... now what the hell are you playing in that you need such precise sound and an ELECTRIC KEYBOARD is the worst thing to do no wonder !!! Are you guy's even drummer's???
If you are please explain...Yes the seating thing is true also the bearing edge style type of wood number of ply's c'mon guy's begginer-begginer.....laquer,covered,isulated shell so on and so on Another thing to they might be tuned right to you they might sound like shit but out in the audience they sound different that's why alot of drummer's are monitored im sorry well hope someone understand's.........
 
LISTEN TO THIS GUY REAL DRUMMER!!!

PLEASE EXEMPT STICK MAN FROM MY THREAD ABOVE THIS IS A REAL DRUMMER!!!!!SERIOUSLY.....
 
Lopezrecords,
WOW. So hostile! Forgive us amateurs(:D) for burdening your professional day with talk of chromatic tuning. It is obvious that you are a drumming god and in no need of any advice or hints from anyone. Thank you for talking the time to step down from your Mount Olympus to favor we poor mortals with the sublime wisdom of your infinite experience.
Uh..what was that? I think that was your mommy calling. She has milk and cookies for you if you've finished your homework and cleaned your room.

(don't bother pm'ing me anymore. You are on my ignore list)
 
The day that Rimshot sounds like an amateur is the day that I..................I don't know, something.

Mikeh and Rimshot are the resident "experts" in this forum and I'm sure that even one of them has more experience than LOPEZ has years on this earth. This is simple to observe as "professionals" and those that have gained "maturity" have learned a little concept called "tact".

:)
 
I've not reaad any of the responses so bear with me if I've repeated anyone. To me, the only tuner you should use is the tning key! My opinion is that too many drummers already don't know how to tune their drums correctly in the first place. Relying on a machanical tuner doesn't teach you anything. Besides, it doesn't tell you HOW THE DRUMS SOUNDS! A good thing to do is to take a a couple of drums with broken in (not broken!!) heads and be sure the drums are different from one another. take all the heads of the drums and start from scracth. install the heads and experiment with tuning it. After a while, you'll start to understand what's happening when you turn the lugs and you'll have total control of your sound. THAT is what it's all about... the sound! Not the tension.

Have fun and remember that this is only my opinion, if you don't follow it , then fuck off!! :D :D :D
 
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