need help tuning the kick drums (double bass) - inconstant tones

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diabolicintent

diabolicintent

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need help tuning the kick drums (double bass) - inconstant tones. no matter how many times we have tried to get them to sound the same, we just cant seem to dial in the same pitch/tuning for each kick. we have used the tuning drum key (whatever the official name is), and we have tried to just finger tighten and guess... the shells are 22 inches with old heads and new heads (both sets have been tried). the brand is pearl master customs. does anyone have other ideas for getting these kicks in tune with each other? recording is at a stand still until we have the right tone from both kicks.
 
diabolicintent said:
inconstant tones. .
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Could that be from inconsistent playing?
Do you have toms mounted to one kick and not the other?
Have you tried them with no reso head?

There are so many variables that can make two kicks sound different. And while I haven't been around many double kick setups, I've never heard two that sound identical. You should be able to get them close with simple tuning techniques unless there's a problem with a shell or bearing edge. If it bothers you that bad, try sample replacement or use one kick with a double pedal.
 
do the kicks sound the same when you use your dominant foot? do the kicks sound different when you use the other foot? same tension on the pedals? same type of drum head and padding if any? is one kick facing a wall and the other not? have you tried swapping the mics? are the same type of mics being used? sound sample??
 
Greg_L said:
There are so many variables that can make two kicks sound different.
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This. As both replies above point out.

My guess would be inconsistent playing. My suggestion would be sample replacement.
 
crankz1 said:
Use the best sounding one, and a double pedal.
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That. My understanding is double pedals were developed more to get a consistent double-bass sound than to allow the drummer to save space.
 
Knock on the shells with your hand, like you were knocking on a door. Do the shells sound different? If they do, that is your problem. Wood is very inconsistent in weight and density from one piece to the next, so the shells will most likely resonate at different pitches. There is only so much you can do with tuning the heads, you will never make up for the resonance of the shell.

Take the kick that sounds deeper and use that as the primary kick. Tune them so the attack sounds as close as you can make it and get on with your life.

Remember to also listen to what the mic is picking up, it can be completely different sounding from what you hear in the room. What the mic picks up is what is important, not what it sounds like in the room.
 
the kit is a 2007 pearl master customs. the shells are good and the drummer is good. thinking it might be from manufacturing of the kick? we havent mic'ed these drums yet til now... used triggers last time... so this issues wasnt noticed.. but i am not a drummer... and my drummer doesnt have a clue about tuning... we have tried to get them as close as possible, but i am a perfectionist and we wont settle for less. plus so far, the difference is very noticeable. double pedal is not an option, we are a death metal band... live he uses triggers too... but i really dont want them on the album... every band has triggers for the kick... the beaters are hitting the same location on each head. we are ordering more heads and reso's to see if we just got some bad ones... lets hope so. if all else fails, i know i can just sample the best one and drop it in... but that loses the raw "human" feel to the recording... so come on drummers, whats your trick to getting them as close as possible to being in tune? im not expecting perfect tune... but atleast close enough not to be noticed by the novice, everyday listener. do they make an acoustic drum tuner, like a guitar tuner? we got one of the cheesy torque ones already.
 
also... no toms mounted on either... has a rack. matching mics used... swapped mics... it is def the heads or shells... everything else has been checked.
 
now that looks like a need item, thanx crankz1. see, like mentioned, im not a drummer... and my drummer knows how to play very well, but tuning... no. and all the times we had been in the studio before, we used the already tuned studio kit... or triggered his kicks for the last album... again thanks, hopefully one of those will help us get this right.

:)
 
I think that you are trying to achieve the impossible (or maybe I mean to say the unnecessary). When you are using a double kick drum, most drummers that do (like myself on occasion) , don't want to get an identical sound from each drum. I usually use two different size kick drums (an 18" on the left and a 20" on the right). I like the subtle change and I think that it adds more to the music. If I want a double or triple of the same note then I do it with one foot (forced myself to learn that when Bonham came onto the scene). If you really need both drums to sound as alike as possible then a previous suggestion is best and get a double pedal and set up your beaters so that they strike the drum in an exact mirror way on either side of center. That will give you the closest sound possible.
 
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