Hole / No hole?

killdrum1983

killdrum1983

New member
Hey guys i was just wondering if you all have a hole in your bass drum head. Cause i bought a new pearl export (a black one with black hardware and stuff :D ) just before ou last show on saturday. When the sound guy saw my drum head he was like "hey guy don't you wanna cut a hole in there? "I was like you're dreaming man" cause i don't wanna cut it.

I like it like that, full without a hole...

What do you guys think?
 
sarcasmsetyourhouseonfire

sarcasmsetyourhouseonfire

New member
i think kicks sound a lot better with holes cut in them.

way punchier...

plus...

as you've already experience, you're going to get lots of shit from sound guys for having a head with no hole in it.

just an fyi.
 
killdrum1983

killdrum1983

New member
as you've already experience, you're going to get lots of shit from sound guys for having a head with no hole in it.

what do you mean by lots of shit?
 
D

disrupt13

New member
sound guys are always assholes ,but its easier to mic, and its a pet peeve for them to do it like that, it just makes it easier on both sides to have a resonant hole, and plus you can buy one instead of using your head you have now.
 
drumsforlife

drumsforlife

New member
It's not harder, just preferred by most sound technicians. True, it gets a better sound, and a lot of sound engineers are used to having the "vent" in the resonant head; but it's not harder to mic it up. A lot of the time, you'll get asshole sound guys that expect every band at every show they work to be the same. But every once in a while, you'll run across a sound tech that's also a musician; or even better, one that is also a drummer. Those types of sound guys are a diamond in the rough, though. It basically boils down to your own personal preference. If you like the sound of your kick without the vent, more power to you. And it's not really the sound technician's responsibility to tell you what sound YOU like. I've been a sound engineer going on 12 years now and I can tell you that shows run a whole lot smoother when the production team just does what the band asks. Next time, just tell the guy to put the mic dead center of your reso head, about an inch away, roughly about where the beater on the batter head will hit. That way you get a good punch and resonant tone. Oh, the sound guy should also know that a unidirectional mic is optimal for the kick rather than omnidirectional. Omni's are best suited for overhead mics.

The vents provide more attack than anything else so that's why it sounds better. Personal preference man. That's all it is.

Oh, I don't have a vent in my reso head either, and I'm quite happy with it.
 
killdrum1983

killdrum1983

New member
i think i'm going to tune it right first to try to find the best sound i can. and then if i want more attack i'll cut it...

I had already done that on my previous drumset (which had two holes in the middle) and i had used a simple cutter and a cd to get the shape. Do you think it's good or maybe you have a better to do it? If i cut it i'd like to find a plastic circle to put in front so that it protects where i cut...
 
stump

stump

New member
I prefer to port my bass drum res head. It helps with the mic and gives it a nice punch. Don't worry about the fact that you are cutting the head. If you want you can buy a bass head that is already ported for around $35.
 
sarcasmsetyourhouseonfire

sarcasmsetyourhouseonfire

New member
i've done it the way you describe (using a cd as a template) but if the hole's not perfectly cut, it can cause the head to tear.

you can buy a tool meant for cutting circles for a few bucks.

i like the holes in the front head because it really makes my kick sound better.

most sound guys are jaded assholes. they'll complain about pretty much anything... but i've found from experience that if you're sound guy's happy, you'll be happy. both with how well he runs sound for you and with your ability to get back in to a club.

not saying a club won't book you because you didn't have a hole cut in your front head, but i've watched sound guys sabotage bands by talking tons of shit about them to the booker.
 
trstn

trstn

New member
Well I think it's every drummers own descision. As a sound guy I do prefere a hole in the reso to get the kick mic close to the beater, which provides a better attack and some high freqencies, as already stated above. I have a hole in my reso, because I like to have a nice kick sound.
I'm thinking about a different approach, I'll buy a boundary mic and place it in the kick with some foam and velcro, think about the wire outlet, and put a (w)hole reso on.
Oh btw .. additionally I really like this Low Frequency Capture Device a lot. If you have the possibility to get your hands on this for a recording, give it a try.

BTW .. A good sound guy would ask you if you could make a vent in your reso, but would never try to talk you into it if you don't want to. hehe there are a few tricks .. an egg in front and a clamp with a SM57 on close to the beater .. :)


"gehtnich? gibtsnich!" (there is no such thing as "It does not work")
rock
trstn
 
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