Where would you make a hole?

  • Thread starter Thread starter RezN8
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RezN8

RezN8

Blick-um, blick-um...
I'm replacing the resonant head on a Mapex 18" bass drum. Should I cut the sound hole dead center or in the lower left corner like we do for larger bass drums.

Anyone have any experience or opinions? Are there advantages or disadvantages to either spot? Thanks, Rez
 
I put it in the lower right and I do a small no more than 6' hole. Look at the microphone stand to determine where to put the hole. You are going to put a mic in there right ?
 
yup!

Yes Firby- I'm using an Audio Technica AE-2500 and it sounds awesome with very little or no EQ.

The other advantage I've found to having the hole is that it lets more air flow out improving my bass drum technique and rebound feels more natural to me. I'm just used to playing it that way I guess.
 
If the vent is in the center, you get a very dry sound with a sharp attack. If the vent is off to the side you get a fuller, more resonent sound with more fundamental of the drum. I like mine off to the side and the suggestion for no more than 6" is right on the money. In fact, I'm thinking of mounting my kick mic internal permanently and putting on a closed front head.
 
do NOT put it in the center.. it totally kills the reso of the head. i would put it in the top right, or top left. it is alot easier to get a mini mic stand in there this way. i have never seen a 2" high mic stand...
 
Agreed, no hole in the center. You can get more or less of a stacato sound by pointing the mike at the beater or along the shell. So once you get the hole in the head you still have work to do when you point the mic. Even in an 18 inch BD.
 
PhilGood said:
If the vent is in the center, you get a very dry sound with a sharp attack. If the vent is off to the side you get a fuller, more resonent sound with more fundamental of the drum. I like mine off to the side and the suggestion for no more than 6" is right on the money. In fact, I'm thinking of mounting my kick mic internal permanently and putting on a closed front head.
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I played Pearl heads with the oval port!!!
It absolutely sucked for recording unless the mic was right off the Batterhead!

Now I play the Aquarian Kick pack II
I maybe wrong, but if i can get my D112 inside of a small port then I can control
the sound more then if it was just in the port from the outside? :confused:
 
Bdrum said:
I played Pearl heads with the oval port!!!
It absolutely sucked for recording unless the mic was right off the Batterhead!

Now I play the Aquarian Kick pack II
I maybe wrong, but if i can get my D112 inside of a small port then I can control
the sound more then if it was just in the port from the outside? :confused:
Click to expand...

Maybe you should get a short boom stand so positioning is easier. Tama makes a great sturdy one. This one would work OK.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=rec/search/detail/base_pid/452219/
 
The right boom stand

Yeah!
It takes up three feet in front of the drum unless it's off to the side :)
Maybe one of those flex ones but then it's Always a challenge to get a D112 through a 4" port :D
 
My drummer's sound hole is dead-center and it actually sounds kick-ass. I'm not sure whether this is because it's just a good sounding kick, or it's tuned well, or maybe we're just looking for that dry sound with the quick attack. I might be wrong here, and those more knowledgable can correct me, but in most rock a lot of the presence of the kick is from that quick attack, the resonance being secondary. So maybe you should look at what sound you're going for. If you're going for the dry/attack sound, and you're going to end up filling it with blankets to muffle it to get that sound anyways, you might consider cutting in the middle and getting the sound you're looking for right off the bat. I realize I'm going against what everybody's saying here, so take that with a grain of salt. Any thoughts from others?
 
corban said:
My drummer's sound hole is dead-center and it actually sounds kick-ass. I'm not sure whether this is because it's just a good sounding kick, or it's tuned well, or maybe we're just looking for that dry sound with the quick attack. I might be wrong here, and those more knowledgable can correct me, but in most rock a lot of the presence of the kick is from that quick attack, the resonance being secondary. So maybe you should look at what sound you're going for. If you're going for the dry/attack sound, and you're going to end up filling it with blankets to muffle it to get that sound anyways, you might consider cutting in the middle and getting the sound you're looking for right off the bat. I realize I'm going against what everybody's saying here, so take that with a grain of salt. Any thoughts from others?
Click to expand...
I think your right!
I'm no expert....I still dont know why anybody would wire a speaker up as a sub kick :D
 
Bdrum said:
I think your right!
I'm no expert....I still dont know why anybody would wire a speaker up as a sub kick :D
Click to expand...

Then you need to hear it. You don't mix in in all the way, but on a great sound system it kicks ASS!!
 
tnx

Thanks for the great input! Since this is a relatively new kit, I'm trying to let the drums "speak" for themselves. The smaller sizes make it easy to dial in a good sound with no muffling. The 18" bass drum is pretty focused and the overtones are warm and easily controlled. It also sounds HUGE for a bop kit, especially the kick.

I've decided to put the port on the lower right, about two inches from the rim. The mic I have is designed to capture both the attack from the batter head as well as the resonance from the drum, so I'm going to work toward an open sound rather than the dry thud I get from my other kick. I'll let you know how things work out.

Thanks again. Peace, Rez
 
RezN8 said:
Thanks for the great input! Since this is a relatively new kit, I'm trying to let the drums "speak" for themselves. The smaller sizes make it easy to dial in a good sound with no muffling. The 18" bass drum is pretty focused and the overtones are warm and easily controlled. It also sounds HUGE for a bop kit, especially the kick.

I've decided to put the port on the lower right, about two inches from the rim. The mic I have is designed to capture both the attack from the batter head as well as the resonance from the drum, so I'm going to work toward an open sound rather than the dry thud I get from my other kick. I'll let you know how things work out.

Thanks again. Peace, Rez
Click to expand...
JAZZ KIT'S DONT NEED ANY MUFFLE TO SOUND OLD SCHOOL. :p

My friend(fellow percussionist) who gig's in small Jazz clubs got his Heads
WELL tuned without any muffling.I guess it's all about the heads :)
Anyway, why did you want to port it?
I'm not being mean just curious, I just thought most jazz kit's didn't have porting.?
 
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Hmm, yeah if it's for jazz my previous post doesn't apply at all, and you might want to leave it intact, and just mic it outside. If you need more attack and have the channels, mic the batter side as well.
 
A few reasons

I'm cutting the hole because:

A) I've played both with and without ports and I prefer the feel of a ported head - the air escapes allowing me better control of the batter head.
B) I'm using an Audio Technica AE-2500 (dual mic with both Dynamic and Condenser) and the best placement is usually with the mic 1/2 in and 1/2 out of the bass drum.
C) The kick sounds great in the studio, but in small clubs it sometimes needs a little muffling due to ambience. We usually lay a folded shirt in there and rest a SM58 on it. That would be a real pain without a port.
 
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