long story short:

about a year ago, i had a kick drum with a 6" (or so) hole in the front head. it sounded decent and played well. just for the heck of it, i switched it over to a head with no hole in it. it sounded great! a nice low end punch that wasn't there with the other head. but it played sorta funny... bounced back in ways i couldn't really control. so i ended up cutting a hole in the head, which basically brought me back to where i had started. the question is this:

is it possible to get the best of both worlds? a solid head sound with the playability of the other?

thanks!

i doubt it.

i think your best bet is to get an unported resonator head and maybe a better kick pedal.

i don't know what you use, but that dw5000 is very nice.

what are the shell dimensions? is the 6" home cut in the center of the drum or closer to the edge? you might try a smaller hole, like 4" in diameter abut 3 or 4" from the rim.

the smaller you make the hole, and the closer to the edge that it is placed, the better. you'll get closer the full head sound. and since plenty of air will still escape through the 4" hole, you should retain the "feel" you like.

EmpireStateTroopers wrote:I've been playing on others' kits more than my own and I'm starting to get used to a bigger kick drum. My kick is a little 18" guy with no hole in the resonant head. It sounds good and full with a light touch, but if you lay into it and don't let the beater 'bounce off', it sounds shit.FWIW you should strive to let the beater rebound in order not to choke the sound, especially without a port hole.I don't remember but is your beater on the 18" set to hit the center of the head or is it a little off? That can make a difference too. It might be hard getting it on center with that small of a drum.Maybe the bigger drums you're playing were tuned a little looser giving it more forgiveness? Maybe you're just pushing the 18" beyond it's limits? It might just be time to consider a bigger kick.Oh, and the Fiberskyns make a nice 'warm' res head but I've never seen them used as batters. My favorite kick drum head for a long time was the Remo Renaissance Powerstroke (I thought the coating gave it enough dampness not to resort to foam or felt), though these days I'm just using an Emperor with a huge falam pad.

Two ways to approach: dampen a closed head, or excite a ported one. Dampening will tighten and exciting will loosen TWSS. madmanmunt wrote:EmpireStateTroopers wrote:What is the purpose of this fiberskyn thing that everyone seems to use?They are more "sensitive" than regular latex condoms.[clapping.gif][theclap.jpg]

I am gonna be no help here, so I am going to apologize up front.However, someone said "try to get your beater to strike the center of the drum." I agree with this completely. There's a physical reason this is true: When you strike a drum off-center, you send a pulse into the shell as opposed to directly into the resonant head. If you've ever played timpani, you discover rather quickly that hitting the drum in the center goes "bonk" and out by the edge, where the soundwave goes into the copper shell, it goes "BOING".Towards that end, you might try those things that raise a converted floor tom up off the floor:http://www.bassdrumlift.com/This will give the shell less contact with the floor, allowing for more resonance, too. Might be the trick.Sorry I'm not more help. I just don't have that much experience with kick drums under 22".

EmpireStateTroopers wrote:I've been playing on others' kits more than my own and I'm starting to get used to a bigger kick drum. My kick is a little 18 guy with no hole in the resonant head. It sounds good and full with a light touch, but if you lay into it and don't let the beater 'bounce off', it sounds shit. More like a 'bang' than a 'thud'. Playing on bigger kick drums, I'm finding I can kick a bit harder and it's more forgiving when I mash into the head. The batter head almost feels 'softer' or more cushiony and the kick sound is more consistent. Is there anything I can do to make my small kick more forgiving? Cut a port hole? Different batter head? (It currently has a pinstripe) I don't generally stuff pillows inside the kick or anything like that. What is the purpose of this fiberskyn thing that everyone seems to use?Ever try an Aquarian Superkick or an Evans EMAD or GMAD batter head? With the foam dampening ring?

It could help to move those wood boards that you have in front of the kick.

I've been playing on others' kits more than my own and I'm starting to get used to a bigger kick drum. My kick is a little 18 guy with no hole in the resonant head. It sounds good and full with a light touch, but if you lay into it and don't let the beater 'bounce off', it sounds shit. More like a 'bang' than a 'thud'. Playing on bigger kick drums, I'm finding I can kick a bit harder and it's more forgiving when I mash into the head. The batter head almost feels 'softer' or more cushiony and the kick sound is more consistent. Is there anything I can do to make my small kick more forgiving? Cut a port hole? Different batter head? (It currently has a pinstripe) I don't generally stuff pillows inside the kick or anything like that. What is the purpose of this fiberskyn thing that everyone seems to use?

EmpireStateTroopers wrote:What is the purpose of this fiberskyn thing that everyone seems to use?They are more sensitive than regular latex condoms.