Tuning Several Snares...?

[miroslav]

I'm not a drummer, but I have a studio kit and know generally how to set it up and tune the drums. Recently I picked up a few more snares, so I'm wondering how best to approach tuning them all?

Not sure if I'm going to make sense with this question...
If you have several snares, how do you drummers like to tune them...for their individual/specific differences as a "group", or do you tune each snare as though it's your only one...meaning, do you just go for a specific sound for each snare rather than letting the snare dictate that by way of it's "sweet spot", based on its size and material?

I wanted to tune them all up ahead, so when my drummer comes over he only needs to touch them up...but I found myself tuning a couple of them almost toward the same sound...and then realized they are totally different snares and I should maybe find each of their sweet spots and let the snares decide how they should be tuned.

 

[RAMI]

I would say that, unless you're planning on doing a track where your playing all the snares together and need them to blend with each other, just tune each one so that it sounds the best that it can.

 

[Greg_L]

I have 4 snares, all tuned differently - 14x7 Maple, 14x5.5 Brass, 14x6 Steel, and a 14x6.5 Ludalloy Supraphonic. Honestly, I don't think you'll be able to realistically determine which snare is best for what until you've spent a lot of time with them and gone through a bunch of heads. So, I'd suggest tuning each snare to just sound as good as it can on it's own without forcing it to be something else. To my ears, metal snares have a wider tuning range than wood, so you'll have more flexibility with them. With wood, you might wanna try and pinpoint which heads suits the snare the best.

 

[miroslav]

Yeah I noticed that...with wood, you really have to find the narrow sweet spot.
I was just messing with them, and got a little overwhelmed with trying to tune them all up, one after the other.
I was like..."WTF am I doing?"

With a bunch of toms, it's easier to tune them in succession, 'cuz like RAMI suggests, snares really don't need to work together...toms do.

I picked up a couple of nice "Studio Maple" Taye snares....they are all-maple, one is a 13x5 and the other a 14x6, lacquered, transparent finish, really sweet. I read that Taye has been making drums for a lot of brand-names, and is now doing their own line. The build is quite decent, including the hardware.

I already had 4 Pearl snares, 14x5.5 chrome steel, 13x3 steel piccolo, 14x5.5 wood, and a 12x5 wood Firecracker snare...
...so now I'm waiting for my drummer buddy to come over so's I can watch him drool!
He still hasn't even seen the double kick drum setup I added couple of months ago. We've been planning some tracking for awhile now, but just haven't gotten together with all the shit snow storms this winter messing everyone's schedules up.