Thank YOU for the kind words and for being a part of this channel!!

I couldn't agree more

Eu penso exatamente a mesma coisa. Por quê esse canal não tem mais de 200 mil inscritos? - I think the same thing. Why this channel doesn’t have 200k subscribers?

I agree - these are extremely good, lots of useful information, and I really enjoy your speaking style. Great job!

THE most practical and versatile set up!

Excellent addition! Thank you for sharing!

Correct!!! Many clear 2-ply heads produce that visual effect, but Evans Hydraulics actually do NOT! Just a few bubbles in a Hydraulic head ;)

@@drumdotpizza Thanks. I write about drums in a Dutch Musicmagazine for over 16 years now and about twelve years ago I did 4 pages on different drumheads and their specific characteristics. I included Remo, Evans, Aquarian and Attack heads. It was fun to do and I clearly pointed out about Pinstripes not being oilfilled. However, the editors then received lots of emails about my "mistake". In the next issue of the magazine I asked all these drummers to actually cut a Pinstripe open and find out for themselves... 😂 Another weird thing is that, while I was working in a music store years ago, quite often drummers came to buy a new drumhead and they didn't care what kind of head it was. Especially for the snare (usually 14", but often they didn't even know about sizes) so there was a lot of information for me to share. But then, there wasn't as much information available as there is today. Still.... 🤔 By the way, you made a nice video!! 👍 Regards, Coos

​@@UCS0608- When I got a used Slingerland drum set when I was 14, it came with PinStripes. I had thought they were oil filled too (I was 14, and it was 1990) but the head on my floor tom had a split in the top ply. The newton's rings were still there, and there was no oil coming out of that thing, whatsoever. When the 12" head was replaced, I cut the top ply off of it, there was absolutely no oil. When I went on to teach and work in a shop it was one of the most common myths I'd debunk.

I actually have a 22" Muffls that I got with a bass drum of a used kit I purchased a few years back. It's still sitting on a shelf in my garage, actually. I never used it... something about the idea of it sitting one the bearing edge just never sat quite right with me (and my son's high school jazz band used one on the VERY nice Yamaha Recording Custom drum kit, and it sounded horrible (the whole kit, given how it was tuned, not so much the bass drum). The kick actually sounded quite nice for a. pop/recording kick drum sound, as I recall. TOTALLY inappropriate for big band jazz, however :( Maybe I'll pull that thing out and play give it a proper whirl?!

Thanks! Will do!

Well, Tom, I do have suggestions, but the first would mean a detour from Remo heads. Aquarian makes a head for which Remo and Evans have no cross-reference... Coated Studio-X. Studio-X is their 10-mil, single ply head with a thin ring of their 'dot material' (not mylar, but some kind of thin, woven looking material) applied near the outside edge of the underside of the head. This ring DOES NOT touch the bearing edge (it's just inside the bearing edge, and it's adhere to the bottom of the head directly, not a second layer tucked into the flesh hoop, so it's not a Powerstroke/Genera type of thing). It effectively controls excessive over ring/overtones without making the head dull or muffled sounding. Because it is applied symmetrically around the head it doesn't stifle resonance/sustain, it's just a slightly more controlled tone. Powerstrokes/Genera bug me, because they're too heavy handed... I love lively drums, and those just stifle the life too much. The Studio-X approach still exudes life, but the nature of the overtones is more controlled. The standard Studio-X is a clear head and has a black silkscreened ring on the top side with the logo (I'm not particularly a fan of the aesthetics of the black printing, but its more visual than auditory... it's just screened on there. The coated version (my favorite) has no screened top ring, just the applied underside ring. Based on what you are describing I really think you will dig these big time! As for your 7ft ceilings... yes, those are definitely having an impact in any overhead or room mics. A surprisingly good fix for that is quality dynamic mics as overheads, cardioids, pointing down at the kit (away from the ceiling). The lower sensitivity of dynamic microphone reduces the ambient information leaking into the mics compared to condensers. Also, avoid figure 8 mics (no ribbons!) as they will hear the ceiling as much as the cymbals/kit. Dynamic mics are a different vibe, but there are some really musical models. Try Heil PR30 for this... great mic! Very directional, so you'll need to point them deliberately, but they have great rejection and smooth, extended response, so they work quite well for this type of environment. Room mics could be anything. I'd try pointing directional mics at the wall or floor (away from the drums) to get a more reflective, more distant sound that feels bigger, and along with some judicious, subtractive EQ (to reduce any small room boxiness) as well as some creative dynamics processing you should be able to get some nice results. And, FWIW, I wouldn't get caught up trying to create a legit 'large room' sound in your space, but rather experiment and discover what sounds great. You're likely to come up with something extremely cool and maybe even novel, and people are just gonna have to come to you to get that sound! Until the advent of digital reverb people selected studios for their unique ambient signatures (and unique chambers and modified analogue reverb devices, etc.) . That's been lost in the plug-in era where everyone is using the same plug-ins. Find/create something unique that no one else can duplicate! I hope some of that is helpful. Cheers!

@@drumdotpizza Thanks for the recommendations. I'm pretty sure my drum recording space isn't quite ideal and probably doesn't sound all that great but a little experimenting with room mic placement and how it's aimed is certainly worth a try. I've tried experimenting with using the UA Ocean Way Studios plugin to create a "Fake Room" but the initial testing didn't quite get me what I expected. There's more experimenting with that one and I'm sure I have a few other plugins that I can try to create a reasonably believable fake room sound. One final comment, I've noticed that I'm not quite getting the low end out of my kick and wondering if the low ceiling could be the reason. Why do drums have to be so complicated... lol... Thanks again for your help!!! 😎🎶

​@@drumdotpizza- The Studio X is probably my new favorite head. I had some from the late 80's when they used to put a little Aquarian sticker on the silkscreened ring. That one had something like cardboard for a muffling ring. The one I got in 1992 was almost like really thick Bounty - but still sort of tag board material. The ones since 1999 that I've used use just regular film, not the Power Dot material. I love the Texture Coated Studio X as well. But the clear have that "bite" that I like. Aquarian overall seem to deliver a focus on stick attack than the others. It could be that the characteristics of the materials and manufacturing eliminate the inconsistencies that cause more "noise" from their competitors.

That is my EXACT favorite set up when I use Remo. I've gone back to that for YEARS!

I'm on it! Thank you for reaching out!

Thank you so much for the kind words! I do hope this helps people reach their desired results quickly (and improve their confidence when selecting heads). Cheers!

I used to do that with Nobel & Cooley ZerOrings. Basically created a PowerStroke! Then I got PinStripes and it was over. That was also in 80's.

Yes, that's true! I actually looked into mylar film for a product I have considered making, and learned that it comes in different colors produced by different chemical variations (not just a dye as one might think), so the white is, indeed, a different material, though I can't honestly say I have any real experience comparing them. In fact, I have one of the Pearl reissue phenolic-shell President snare drums that came with a coated 'smooth white' Ambassador head. It's coated, but it's the white film with a coating instead of the regular clear film with coating. I took the head off the drum for an Aquarian (which are my favorite), but I should probably put it on one of my drums I am more familiar with and do some comparisons of regular coated Ambassadors (I still have a few of those around). Do you know much about the promoted difference in performance between clear and white films? I've not heard. Things that make you go hmmmm...

There was a random Thomas Lang tour kit years ago where he talked about those heads and why he liked em, but that's as far as I remember (I vaguely recall him having a stick bag on the snare at that point too). Aside from that I have not, seems like Remo has never really pushed the white heads on the masses much. Definitely a hmmm moment for sure. Dude if you ever get around to doing that Ambassador comparison I'd love to see it. Maybe a youtube short eh? Aquarian rules. Remo has been weird for me lately. I just ordered a set of Renaissance Emperors bc they look boss as hell but if they're wonky I'll probably be done with the brand.

Interesting! The only thing I really knew about Ron was he was one of the first (if not THE first) user of clear/acrylic drums, playing a clear Zickos kit in 1969 (followed by Keith Moon and then all the Fibes and Ludwig players afterwards).

Thank you so much! Yeah, I think there's a definitely overkill in the drumhead (and cymbal) market these days... seems like everyone's trying to find SOMETHING different they can do to be unique. None of the models are particularly bad, but it just seems the more unique the head the more specialized its use (and, therefore, the LESS useful it is overall). I stick with the basics by far (with a couple of exceptions for snare drum). Far easier to make a 'normal' head do what I want with muffling and tuning than to find the perfect oddball head to provide a given sound.

I'm for it! ;)

Fantastic info and recommendations, thanks for sharing!!

I like the heigth of the Remo, but that pre formed collar works against them. It makes tuning more difficult by comparison. If I could change one thing about Aquarian is to make their collar a little deeper. They way it is now causes the hoops to sit too high on the drum. Fortunately for Aquarian, the sound they produce negates all that...

I always wondered- if you use the Evans Dry series (w/ holes) but put a ring on top, is that doubling up on what those things do or do they cancel each other a bit and you end up in between? Hahaha.

@@TwoandaHater I would think a ring would cover the holes and diminish their effectiveness. Haven't tried, but that seems likely. Still, air would push its way through (perhaps visibly lifting the ring in some areas), but the mass of the ring, it seems to me, would have at least some effect on the holes' mojo. Have you ever tried this? What happens? And yes, the ring itself would certainly provide greater muffling effect, sounding quite different than the head alone. Thanks for the comments!

Yep! To muddy the water even further there is always the fact that microphones hear drums differently than our ears do... they are pretty much always fuller and rounder (and duller with dynamic mics) than we hear in the room, so our ears may prefer thicker heads, but the mics may make thinner/lighter heads sound more full when recorded. It's a process...

@drumdotpizza oh yeah! Proximaty effect! For sure, I have a crown pzm that picks up crazy transients! It's amazing the differences mics and mic technique can make

Good choice! I'm a fan of Aquarian's variant on those heads, the Texture Coated. The film Aquarian uses seems a bit stiffer than either Remo or Evans, and it gives a more focused sound somehow, without losing the life. Hard to explain. Just more complex, more organic, but not muffled or dark at all. I used to use Aquarians TC on just about everything 20 years ago before I opened a commercial studio, and then I started going through so many snare drum heads (all the drummers coming through using my kits) that I started buying Evans' Coated Reverse Power Dot as Guitar Center would stock them by the case and the price was great when purchased that way. I also got a deal around then with Taye drums, who had their own drum head brand, Dynaton, and I liked those heads too, believe it or not, and could get them at cost. Eventually all of that passed (Ray Ayotte, my connection, left the company), and I just kept using Evans and Remo as GC didn't have many Aquarians in stock ever. Then one day a couple of years back I get some Aquarians again and remembered how much I had liked them years before. Been a convert ever since (and easier to purchase online now, so I can always have stock on what I need). But yes, hard to go wrong with 10mil, single ply coated heads!! Truly versatile!

Interesting... I've been thinking drum design up to now, but yes, the sticks being used (and the force behind the sticks) definitely impacts the tone... Hmm....

Thank you SO much for your encouraging comments! I really appreciate it. It makes me feel good that people are getting (I hope) good, actionable information from my videos. The shirt is one my wife gave me for Christmas of the patent artwork for a practice pad drum set from the 1950s. I don't know who applied for the patent (I haven't actually looked into it), but she saw it and thought it was cool, so she got it for me (she had no idea what it was, but it looked drummy, to her so she thought I'd like it). I do!

​@@drumdotpizza The name of F. Ippolito on the patent has to be Frank Ippolito, who in the 60s and 70s had a drum shop in NYC with Papa Jo Jones. I believe it was also in this shop that a chain was fashioned to Elvin Jones' Camco pedal, after he complained of leather straps breaking, thus the first chain pedal was created, the Camco pedal with a chain and a sprocket. (I am not a historian, nor was I there! I've just read snippets about this stuff over the years.) Here's some footage of the store: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bqyZirKnv5qxYo0.html

I am unaware of the Encore line of heads, but my understanding of crimped vs. glued is that crimped were generally better for higher tension -- the film doesn't pull out as easier. Ludwig crimped their heads for years (back when they made their own heads... now Remo makes Ludwig heads). I never did any kind of purposeful comparison between them. Perhaps that would be a good comparison to do if Remo makes crimped and glued versions of the same thing. My guess is that at lower tunings (normal drum set range of tunings) there wouldn't be much difference in the performance, but maybe I'm wrong. I have used the Remo-made DW heads with crimped collars, and I don't personally care for those heads, though the collars may not be the reason I don't care for them. Interesting questions -- I don't know that I'm qualified for a solid answer, unfortunately. You have given me food for thought however, and I thank you for that!

I use the HD Dry on my two Snares : DW Nickel over Brass 14 X 6.5 & a PDP Maple 14 X 5.5 Snare. My only problem is getting to my "sweetspot" on each drum with Tuning them. I'm looking for the GoldieLocks - Just Right !! If I tune too tight, they emit too much of a sharp Crack. I've Tried UV 1 and UV2 on the DW with not much satisfaction with the sound. I'm now trying an Evans Power Control Center batter head on the Maple Snare... Not too great. Tuning is an Art that I am learning!! I'm 71 yo, retired, a Resurrected "Drummer" after 50 Years [1969] who plays at home for enjoyment about 1 hour a day to My Music.

Okay, first my recommendations: Coated 2-ply head on snare batter (two THIN films -- 7 or 7.5 mil) for the Bonham sound (your HD Dry is NOT in the ballpark of that). If you like mellower tom sounds then go with similar double ply batter, single 10mil clear for bottom heads. If you want a bit more life go with 10mil coated batters instead. I'm not a fan of the EC2 as 'plastic' is a great word to describe them. G2/Emperor or Aquarian Response 2 are much warmer. Oh, and if you haven't checked out Aquarian's 'Super 2' head you should, coated or clear. It's a 2-ply but rather than the typical 7mil films it uses one 7mil and one 5mil for a total of 12mil. Warm, but livelier than the Response 2 (2x 7mil). My preference for 2-ply batters on snare and toms.

Single ply coated batters, single ply clear bottom. Perhaps a controlled (Aquarian Response 1/Remo Powerstroke) or double ply batter on the kick with single ply resonant. You can easily adjust tone to the room with muffling as needed, though the harmonics of the thinner heads are quickly absorbed and diffused by the air between the drums and the listeners, so go easier on the muffling than you might think, especially if the drums are heavy and therefore have a stronger fundamental note anyway (thinner/lighter shells are better for purely acoustic performances as even the dissipation of the harmonics because of distance yields a better balance when the fundamental is kept in check by the thinner, livelier shells). Hope that helps. Thanks so much for being here!

I LOVE the question, and to be honest, I'm not totally sure about the right answer as I have used the same sticks for nearly 30 years now and have only been messing with a couple of newer models lately... not sure where I'll land. But my thoughts are this: I believe the real factor about the performance of sticks is the balance (distribution?) of weight in the stick coupled with the technique of the player. For instance, I was practicing with a local band I play with tonight, and our sound guy noticed I played a lot of the songs with my left stick backward (I was playing with the butt end on the snare... I'm right handed). He asked if I did that often, and I answered that I did, because it gave me better leverage... it puts the weight of the stick at the front, so I can relax in the pocket more and still get a strong/solid back beat without so much effort. It helps me play comfortably. This is a weight distribution issue -- by changing the stick around I change the weight distribution and the amount of leverage I have with each stroke. Some sticks are back heavy, some front heavy, and some more balanced. All of this changes depending on where/how the player holds the stick, so different grips will provide different experiences with a given stick. Regarding tips, I'm not honestly sure how much size and shape matter given than with most any stick the amount of surface area of the tip coming into proper (actual) contact with the cymbal's bow or bell isn't likely significantly different between models. Different, yes, but SIGNIFICANTLY different?? I would be willing to bet not. What DOES matter, however, is the amount of leverage the stick provides the player, and how the player is striking the cymbals (or heads). If there is mass and inertia behind it, it will be strong and loud. If there isn't, it won't. It makes sense that tip size makes a bigger difference with drum heads rather than cymbals, because mylar is much more flexible, and likely makes more/less contact with a tip depending on its size (compared to bronze which doesn't 'give' much). I would think the tip affects durability more than sound when it comes to playing a cymbal's bow or bell with the tip of a stick. If the tip is small (and the neck is too) it likely won't stand up to heavier playing... more likely to break than a larger tip/neck. Just some of my initial thoughts. I'm sure I'll be thinking more about this. Thank you for asking the questions and for being here!! -J

Justice, great point about the sticks!! i have found that yes the type of stick you use Does Affect the sound. Do this simple experiment.....Flip the sticks you use , hitting the drum with the handle part ! I alternate when I play to certain tunes ( I don't Gig only play for enjoyment hobby at Home, retired atv 71 yo), using a Nylon tiped 2A or 2B stick, and sometimes Flip them. The thicker handle striking the drum does change the sound delivered.

That sounds like a practical, useful setup! I actually used coated Emperors on toms for many years with clear Ambassadors underneath. Worked well for lots of styles -- versatile and decent durability. Then I discovered Aquarian's Texture Coated heads which has an almost 2-ply-ish tonality with some blended single-ply-ish overtones. A lively, but toneful head, and the film seems stiffer than the mylar Remo uses. The heads have some tension on them, it seems, right out of the box -- don't know if it's the film or the coating, but I really dig the way they record. Oh, and the coating.. super durable and won't come off, ever! I used to buy Evans coated reverse power dots by the case when I had my commercial studio (they sounded good while being more durable for the various drummers that came through the door and used the 'house' kit). The coating came off all the time though, sometimes even stuck to the boxes the heads came in when pulling them out for the first time... just weird and annoying. Those were good sounding snare heads though.

@@drumdotpizza Thanks so much for the suggestion! I just checked the Aquarian variety and I think I will totally try the aquarian equivalent of my setup! Is the texture coating similar to the evans UVs/ remo white suedes? I was so sad, that controlled sound / power Center heads weren't available as UVs or white suedes. So if the texture coating is as durable as the UVs or suedes, that aquarian power dot will totally become my new favorite!!

@@ckdrums3408 I don't have much experience with the suede or UV, so I can't directly compare. I do have a suede bass drum head that I got with a stack of random stuff I bought off someone, but I haven't used it yet. From the feel of it, however, I can say the Aquarian coating isn't the same... it's course, more so than Remo or Evans standard coating (Ambassadors/G1, etc.) I would say. Perhaps that is why it seems to have a greater impact on the tone. I'd be willing to think that it adds more mass than the other two makes, and probably why I love their Texture Coated heads so much. It retains the life and vibrant presentation of a single-ply head, but definitely has a deeper tonality than the coated single ply heads of other makes. Incredibly versatile.

@@drumdotpizza I will give it a try and hope the coating / head will survive a good 2B Metal beating! Thanks for the advice!

@@ckdrums3408 If you're a heavy-ish hitter you might just snag the Texture Coated w/Power Dot. Lovely stuff!!

Example for thought...tensioned rubber band... (1)Pluck it and observe when it stops moving. (2)Tie a washer in the middle of the rubber band, pull back (pluck) and observe how long the washer oscillates...longer than the band with no center-weight. Wouldn't center-mass on a drum head provide the same result?

I love how you're thinking, but I think the answer lies with your own comment, "Once moving...." The primary issue as I see it is the absolute mass of the head, dot included. With a dot in the middle the mass is substantively increased, meaning the same energy transferred from the drumstick won't excite the head into as much motion as it would a head of lower mass (same head with no dot, for example). A body at rest tends to stay at rest (requires more energy to excite into motion), so more energy required to get it moving, AND less sustained vibration from a head with greater mass results in a sound that is a greater percentage attack vs.sustain than a lower mass head. At least that's how I think of it. Thanks so much for chiming in!!

i agree and i find that the remo has a thicker coating than the evens, and more durable, thats just my experience

I've become a huge fan of Aquarian heads. You're right, they're a little more stout than the Remo and Evans alternatives... almost low tensioned right out of the box (though can be 'loosened' more, if desired, by tightening them up on a drum and then backing the tension all the way back down). Still really lively tone, but mellower without being dull -- like the perfect cross between a Remo Ambassador and an Emperor (leaning more toward Ambassador). I've become so sensitive to muffling in recent years... the slightest piece of gaff tape in a single accordion fold is usually enough for me in general applications. Pre-muffled heads are just too much for my taste, but the Aquarian Texture Coated are just about perfect right out of the box. Can't find that balance with anything else. And for the rare occasion when I do want a little more control their Studio-X version (has a thin 'donut' made from 'dot' material adhered to the bottom of the head about and inch in from the edge) has just a touch more control without being as dramatic as a Powerstroke 3 or G1 Genera. Aquarian has their version of the PS3 and Genera, of course, but I love the Studio-X, which has no Remo/Evans equivalent.

Aquarian TC are terrific heads. They are a bit darker, and less ‘plasticky’ than Ambs or G1. (Jazz guys often use TC, dig the natural sound)The ONLY downside is they are on the small side and sometimes don’t fit well on certain drums. If you like the TC, you may love Modern Vintage heads. Slightly darker, even more like a skin, and the color looks great if you’ve got a wood or earth tone finish. (American Vintage are the same, but oversized)

Well a few thoughts.. firstly 'bop' kits are ideal for 'bop' tunings (which are pretty high, well above midrange). Are you tuning the kit with this approach overall? High tunings for the rack tom will likely result in a perceived shorter sound (at least at a distance), but if you're tuning to midrange or below the sound is likely to get lengthy sympathetic snare buzz. Usually changing the pitch of the offending drum can reduce this buzz. As for the snare itself, I'd recommend 300 weight snare side head with tight tension. I like lighter 'snappy' type snare wires, but the heavier Puresound wires can further reduce sympathetic buzz, though I prefer the lighter, brighter tone of thinner wires. One thing you could do for the snare would be to coat the interior of the drum (paint/lacquer/tung oil/etc.) to seal the (probably) raw wood. This will brighten the tone in a positive way, creating a bit more balance tonality (snare can be dull sounding with unfinished interior -- unfinished interiors are common on lesser expensive drums. Not sure if Yamaha SC fall into this category, but I think it may). I hope that helps! Thanks so much for being here!

​@drumdotpizza happy anniversary 😮

I actually do not know! I would think that Remo came up with the idea and Ludwig copied it using silver color to differentiate theirs from Remo, but that's really just a guess. I've got a few Ludwig books. I'll have to look and see if there's any info in there...

That is something I can't speak knowledgable about as I don't buy crimped heads (at least not since Ludwig quit making their own heads.... they were crimped, as I recall). I don't like the crimped heads that Remo makes for DW, but I don't know if that is because of the crimping or if the film or processing is somehow different. I just find them to sound stiff somehow, not very relaxed and organic. As I understand it crimping helps hold the film in place under higher tension, so it's used for marching heads, etc. With the exception of my snare side heads I don't really ever use what I would consider high tension (and the Aquarian Classic Clear snare side heads haven't pulled out on me yet, so I think I'm good there). For drum set playing I tend to think of crimped heads the same way I do all the 'high tension' lugs (Yamaha Recording Custom, Tama Artstar, etc. double ended lugs): not needed (though the lugs do look cool). My opinion isn't strong, since I lack experience with crimped heads (other than the DWs, but not sure those are exemplary of most crimped heads). Perhaps I should give some a try. Do you have crimped heads that you like, and what differences have you noticed between crimped and epoxied?

@@drumdotpizza Thank you for the reply. I tend to stick with American-made Remo for the moment, so glued. Remo has a whole bunch denominators to indicate some sub brands. I think most Remo headed kits use the UT or (worse) UK labelling. IIRC UT is crimped but same mylar as standard United States-made Remo (which I take also to be "Encore") and UK which is crimped/local Chinese Mylar). I imagine the Remo/DW ones you mention are probably UT. I have had a US-made Remo pop out recently (Powerstroke 3) and the supplier sent me a replacement, as it was barely used. I've glued the old one back in with superglue but not tried to see if I can get any life out of it yet.

@@drumdotpizza From the internet... Hello Ritter, The Remo UT heads are made in our factory in China. They are made using the same Dupont Mylar film as is used on the Remo USA WeatherKing head. The difference is in the construction of the head. Whereas the US head is made using a poured channel technique, the China heads are crimped. The aluminum hoop is folded over a steel ring that is inserted in the U-channel to hold the film in place. In terms of sound quality, the UT head is excellent due to the high quality film that we use. Remo UK heads are also made in the same factory in China. These heads are designed for the entry-level kit and use a Korean film that still has good sound and durability features. Though not as good as Dupont Mylar film, it is far better than any of the cheap, local supply of film in China. Many drum companies will utilize both models across various levels of quality in their production. For the a good entry-level kit, most companies opt for UK heads. For their mid-range kits, they will opt for the better UT heads. I am delighted to hear that you are happy with the sound of these heads. We started OEM drumhead production in China for the very reason of bringing an excellent level of sound and quality to the OEM kits being made there. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions. Best Regards, Robert Shen Robert Shen Vice President - Remo Asia Remo, Inc.

For many years I used Fiberskyn 2 on batter of my snares. It's a great head!

I'm pleased that I have not yet had that experience. I'm quite a fan having rediscovered them a couple of years ago. I used Aquarian Texture Coated heads as batters for all my drum in the early 2000s, but they got harder to get locally, so I switched to other options. Honestly forgot about Aquarian during my busiest years recording and producing. Then I started buying and selling drums for fun and got a beautiful Tama Atwood snare a couple years back that had a brand new Aquarian Studio-X batter with a dot. It looked silly to me (black and white stripes, basically), but sounded amazing! I started trying them again (buying online this time) and haven't looked back. Their texture coating is the best - incredibly durable (will NOT come off --- hello, Evans???) and it's more course than the other two, which has a better impact, sonically. I'm not a heavy hitter really, so I haven't typically experienced heads wearing out very easily from any brand, but I do appreciate the heads up on that. Will pay a bit more attention to how they wear. Thanks for being here!

I've never personally used recent kevlar heads, but we did try them ("Duraline" brand, IIRC) for snare line back in high school drumline. Absolutely NO ring (and I think kevlar heads were responsible for the redesign of marching snares using a metal batter bearing edge assembly as the kevlar under tension doesn't give like polyester film, and it destroyed wooden edges). Would be interesting to try one after all these years, though I expect it's definitely a specific 'sound' and wouldn't be broadly applicable. Probably only on a metal drum too ;)

Yep, that sense of attack can be surprising on a double ply head, particularly at lower tunings!

Absolutely! But the physics of how two heads work together (one batter, one resonant) wasn't really the focus of this video, though yours is a great topic for a future video. In this one I was only intending to discuss the differences in drum heads and break it down in an understandable way to help people navigate the rather intimidating number of choices we have in the market today. But you are absolutely spot on... the choice of the resonant head as well its the tuning plays a tremendous role in the sustain and tone of a drum. That was simply outside the scope of this (already rather long) video. Thank you for your comment!

I haven't used the Renaissance heads, but do have a Skyntone that I used occasionally on some snares. The Skyntone didn't seem to produce as much tone from the drum, but a drier, snare-ier overall sound. Cool for some things, but in general I prefer stronger fundamental than the Skyntone produced. I have never actually used calfskin on a snare drum (I really should try that someday), so I can't tell how accurate Remo's Skyntone is from a comparison perspective, but I generally prefer more tone/body from the drum. If I need more 'snare' in the sound I'll use more of the bottom mic. Vintage 3-ply Slingerlands are great! Rounded edges, really punchy. Not as much sustain as sharper edges would produce, but killer for midrange tunings when you want power!

@@drumdotpizza thank you. I'm actually looking for a warmer, rounder sound overall.. jazz and r&b being my thing. I'm going to try Renaissance heads on the set, and I've redone the bearing edges preserving the round over but with a distinct apex. I'll let you know what I think!

@@rickviehdorfer4755 I look forward to hearing your thoughts! FWIW, I do enjoy (and use on several of my snare drums) the Modern American Vintage heads (Aquarian). They are similar to the Texture Coated but have a bit more earthy vibe going on... they don't sound so 'plastic-y'. I'm not personally familar with calfskin on snare drums, but sometimes the mylar vibe of drum heads isn't flattering to my ear. The American Vintage seems to remedy that characteristic. The regular American Vintage is slightly oversized to fit vintage drums like Radio Kings, etc., that run slightly large compared to modern drums. The "Modern" variant are same heads for modern size drums.

@@drumdotpizza I have a similar problem: I prefer medium to high tunings but dislike the absence of any warmth in the tone. I've also considered the Remo Vintage Ambassadors but have experienced inconsistencies in their quality with other drummers and sets. Work in progress...

@@drumdotpizza 1) Renaissance heads sound and feel great with brushes! 2) I, too, would love to hear your take on calfskin heads, should you ever take that dive.

Absolutely... single ply batter head with little bits of muffling (small pieces of gaff tape fully flat against the batter head) in multiple places around the diameter of the drum, perhaps an inch in from the hoops, equally spaced around the perimeter of the head and equidistant from the center of the drum. The symmetry of this arrangement and the fact that the tape is completely against the head will mellow the highs/overtones without reducing the sustain too much. Unequal placement of muffling and/or heavier/softer muffling (gels or accordion folds in tape) will absorb more sustain, so avoid those if you want sustain. Hope that helps. Thanks so much for the question!

I like pizza. Even 'bad' pizza is still pretty good ;)

Ya but ya throw the pizza box out!!! Hydraulics gota be the muddiest drum head ever!!!

​@@johnbarnes3914 just depends on the sound you're looking for, in the genre I'm playing it involves very tom focus playing where I want a deep, phat, thuddy and short attack and hydraulics gives me exactly that.

I'm not planning a video on sticks.... wow... makes my head hurt just to think about it (not to mention that until just recently I'd been using the same stick model for nearly 30 years, so I'm not hip to the latest offerings. I did recently just happen upon a model that I like and have been using them lately. Still not certain I'll stick with them (no pun intended! :) but have been enjoying the change.

My next video in this series actually covers wood used to make drum shells (covering many types). It'll likely be a 2-parter with the second covering metal, acrylic, fiberglass.... I intended to do that discussion before drum heads, but it's just REALLY involved. Trying to figure out how to make it interesting as well as informative... wish me luck!! ;)

@@drumdotpizza I like your videos and I do wish you luck. I was speaking tongue in cheek about how you can drive yourself crazy with all of the options out there and how drum manufacturers love to market all the subtle nuances of drums to keep people buying.

@@davidd5213 For sure... manufacturers, it seems, will offer a lesser known tone wood claiming ground breaking performance, when in reality the construction of the drum (dimensions, edges, etc.) has a greater impact, in my experience, on a drum's performance than which species of wood was used in its construction (other than the very obvious performance differences between reasonably hard wood like maple/birch/beech and significantly softer woods like poplar or basswood. The performance characteristics differ significantly between hard and soft wood varieties, but woods in an average range of hardness, modulus of elasticity (don't I sound smart? ;), etc. will all have pretty common performance characteristics). Plus, each peace of wood is unique, so even identical drum models made from the same species will experience some variance in performance. As one can see an intentional discussion of the topic of tone woods gets REALLY involved quickly, and there is SO much hooey in the marketing, but I'm hoping to be able to dumb it down to what really matters. With respect to Albert Einstein (who is popularly credited for a similar quote) I prefer to explain things as simply as possible, but. no simpler ;)