ok i realise this might have been posted before but i couldn't find anything...

I replaced the batter head on my Snare (Premier SPK), got a remo pinstripe coated, however i cant seem to tune it in any way that gets rid of these really loud overtones im getting, all i seem to be able to do is change the pitch of the overtones, i tried muffling it a little but it still seems to ring out rather annoyingly!!

anyone got any ideas what i might be doing wrong?

Snare drums are one category on which I strongly disagree with the "crap drummer + crap drums = crap sound, good drummer + crap drums = good sound" thesis.

Crappy snare drums sound like crap, period. The only way to get rid of those overtones is to heavily dampen the snare drum, ie taping tissue to it or using some other form of restrictive muffling.

Overtones are natural. They are inherent to each drum. Unfortunately, they can't really be changed, only eliminated. So if they sound displeasing to you, there's not much you can do except muffle the drum, which will make it sound like shit in a different way than the overtones.

In short, invest a little money in a snare drum that doesn't sound like crap. Go on ebay, you can get some sort of decent maple or non-steel snare drum for around $200.

Steel snares, as a rule, sound pretty bad. They are loud but their overtones are very unpleasant and bland.

ginandtacos.com wrote:Crappy snare drums sound like crap, period. The only way to get rid of those overtones is to heavily dampen the snare drum, ie taping tissue to it or using some other form of restrictive muffling.

Although I agree with G&T on the crap snare = crap sound formula. A cheaper option (and I used to recommend this all the time back at the drum shop) is try out an Evans HD dry snare head. Instead of over-muffling the head there are little holes around the perimeter that provide another exit for the excess air movement. There is also an HDD dry that has a muffling ring AND vent holes.

I can't say for sure that either of these heads will do the trick, but it would be a lot cheaper to try them out instead of dropping serious cash for a serious drum.

If you end up wanting a new snare, I would recommend a wood one as it won't have the high-end overtone response that metal ones do. However, stay away from maple. This is not to say maple is bad. On the contrary, maple snares sound great and are extremely versatile. However, the same full frequency response inherehent in maple drums is a can of overtone worms waiting to happen to a drummer with bad tuning / poor head choice.

Anyways, try out a lot of different drums and try out different heads on those drums at the store (we always let customers put their own heads on the snares they were trying out)

Good luck!


Tim

I just had another quick idea. . .

You might be tuning the heads out of phase with each other and/or the shell. As an experiment, take both heads off of your snare and tap the shell. That is the resonant pitch of your drum. Of course, that gets a little fudged up when you put the heads and snare back on, but at least its somewhere to start. While you have the heads off, it might be a good idea to record that resonant pitch for reference. Put the heads back on and tune it up to where it sounds like its in the ballpark, then listen back to that recorded shell pitch. Adjust as necessary.

For kicks maybe someday I'll catalogue the reference pitches of my entire kit. That will be a thrilling day, indeed.

Steel snares, as a rule, sound pretty bad. They are loud but their overtones are very unpleasant and bland

Hmmmm.....

Personally, I'd give my left teste for a Dunnett stainless steel snare. Sure, some steel snares sound "bad" just like some maple/brass/aluminum snares sound "bad".

Shell composition is only one factor that determines the sound of a drum, and ultimately, depends more on the skill of the player (technique, choice of heads, ability to tune) than on the composition of the shell.

bdp

All steel snares sound bad?

My favorite snare is the Ludwig Supraphonic. It is claimed to be the most recorded snare of all time, and most drummers, I know, recognize it as a good snare. Though I do know a lot of people who prefer other snares, I believe this one is the most widely accepted snare.

About the overtones:
I believe the problem might be unbalanced tension. One way I like to tune the snare is to put my wallet in the center of the head and then cross tension all the lug screws. the reason I put the wallet in the center of the head, is so that when I strike the head near each screw about 1 1/2" from the rim, I can hear the tone without a bunch of ringing. It makes it easier for me to hear if the head is evenly tensioned. I do not know about putting a pin strip on the snare. I personally do not like pin stripes and especially do not like them on a snare. I prefer the Remo coated Ambassadors. You can get the coated Emperors which are thicker, a little less resonant, and more durable. Also. be aware that your bottom head greatly effects the resonation of the drum. Also, on the bottom head, the area of the rim where the snare strands pass through the rim, is usually a little weaker than the rest of the rim. Try putting a tiny bit more tension on the lug screws located next to the snare bed.

Remo changed something in the material to make their heads a few years ago or this is what I was told. I had noticed when I put new Remo heads on my drums I was not immediately getting the sound I wanted. I had to break the head in. A drum guru at the local music store told me that I was not loosing my hearing or tuning skills, but rather Remo had changed their composition. At least this was a better explanation for me.

brad lepik wrote: One way I like to tune the snare is to put my wallet in the center of the head and then cross tension all the lug screws.

i guess this only works if you have a nice, big, fat wallet - t'would be useless for me

ginandtacos.com wrote:

Steel snares, as a rule, sound pretty bad.

..if your ideal snare sound resembles a cardboard box being hit with a carp.

brad lepik wrote:My favorite snare is the Ludwig Supraphonic. It is claimed to be the most recorded snare of all time, and most drummers, I know, recognize it as a good snare.

'tis true -- I have one myself for recording purposes. I don't agree with the generalization that steel snares sound bad. My Supraphonic has proven otherwise.

I do not know about putting a pin strip on the snare. I personally do not like pin stripes and especially do not like them on a snare. I prefer the Remo coated Ambassadors. You can get the coated Emperors which are thicker, a little less resonant, and more durable.

I agree here, too. I've noticed that Remo 2-ply heads are generally inconsistent from head to head. The ambassadors are inconsistent too, but much less so. The Evans version of an ambassador is far more consistent but slightly thicker. I still prefer the ambassador texture though.

Try putting a tiny bit more tension on the lug screws located next to the snare bed.

Here I have to disagree. A trick I learned working at the drum shop was to tune up the bottom head slightly higher than where you would normally have it. Put the snares on, then back up the snare bed tension rods a bit to get the the snares to lay flat on the head. This applies more to snares with a snare bed cut/formed into the shell, but it does work well on uncut snare beds too. When the snares aren't laying flat on the head, they are more susceptible to overtone buzz. Try it out, you'll see what I mean.


Tim

woa that's a lot to consider! I managed to get it sounding ok by going with what Junip said about tapping the snare with no heads on. Although i think maybe i was focusing on the overtones a little too much as it doesnt sound as bad when u play it in the full kit. I noticed now that when im listening to records im hearing a lot of snare overtones i never noticed before Now it's on to the toms! They seem to sound more like timpani drums at the moment.

Anyone recommend a budget non-steel snare?