Ludwig Supraphonic and Supralite Comparison

One of the videos I wanted to make after getting the new supra was comparing it to the Supralite that i've been using for the past years since a few people have asked about the Supralite; particularly asking about how it's tuned and its similarity to a Supraphonic's sound. This isn't an exact scientific comparison as I don't really have the resources to make a video like that but you should definitely be able to hear the differences between the two snares even if they aren't tuned EXACTLY the same and have different drum heads, you still get a good idea of the sound quality of both of these drums.
For me, the Supralite definitely holds its own against the Supraphonic when it's in its perfect tuning which for me is around medium high, whilst the Supraphonic sounds just as good at more or less any tuning. I'd like to know what you think of the two though. Hope you enjoy and thanks for watching.
Instagram: / alexwasatakenusername

[@arthurcezariooliveira2921]

You nailed these bonham grooves and fills, and also his tone! Awsome playing and feeling Great comparison also

[@pawelmorrison]

So happy for you for achieving that Supra Alex. Damn well deserved! Have fun 😊

[@DP-wi6hm]

Nice drumming ! Love the nod to Bonzo !!! I love Luddies & i think the Supralite is a steal for the money, !! Great video, thx,

[@kafkaebrasileiro8475]

on the right hands, everything sounds awesome.

[@Spagz]

Great playing!! I have a Supraphonic 6.5 and it just does anything. Not familiar with the Supralite but it sounds good to me.

[@RichmondDrumLessonsBC]

dope groove and tones! obviously thinking about 'When the levee breaks'

[@simonbroke-smith7783]

To me the difference is that steel and aluminium show their different properties by the steel being more focused and the aluminium more full. The advantages of the Supra are it’s versatility and fuller sound with some of the properties of wood. However the price is definitely a factor and the Supralite is great value for money! 🤘😁🥁👍

[@boinknook]

Both sound great!!

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

Thank you mate! I agree!

[@jimbrey1138]

Good video - thanks as always

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

Thank you, Jim!

[@jimbrey1138]

@@AlexSlavenDrums Alex, do you have a preference between the Evans and the Remo heads?

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

Not in particular, the hd dry works very well on the supralite, but mainly because it really tames the snare overtones but in terms of sound the difference is negligible. I have however found recently Evans production quality is a lot better

[@alvarollanos3303]

Hey, I'm a huge Bonham fan but unfortunately my budget was too tight to get a supraphonic, so I got a supralite but I cannot get it even close to the sound you got, is it posible for you to make a video showing how do you tuned it or tutorial to get the sound close the that supra?

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

I've got a full Bonham tuning video including the snare - it's only a few videos back you can't miss it. With the right heads you'll 100% be able to get it. Thanks for watching

[@Ds_Drums]

Great drumming. To me, the supraphonic sounds a little better in this comparison. They both would work in certain situations. The supralite sounds a bit thinner especially when played softer, like ghost notes. It is not as sensitive. Great comparison.

[@billegan]

So this has nothing to do with the snares, but I built a drum room about the size you have. I usually use ear plugs but I thought about adding mics and using headphones. Is that what you are using? Or are the mics just for recording? Also, I have a supraphonic and I love it!

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

Yes that's what I'll use when recording videos or tracks, I have a pair of Shure in ear monitors, I think they were £90, and run that through an interface and listen back to the raw audio from the mics. I find it really helps to also wear ear defenders to both protect your ears, especially in small rooms, and so you block some of the drum noise to hear both the audio from the mics and from whatever you might be playing along to clearer.

[@billegan]

@@AlexSlavenDrums awesome thank you! I'm gonna have to order some mics

[@bereangirl7118]

Hello Alex, could you show us how to begin to learn that nice Bonham roll that you do at the beginning of this vid 0:07 thanks and great work as always Alex"😁

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

I'll try and get round to it some point soon, it's a cool lick, there are a few other videos I'm working on first though - thank you!

[@bereangirl7118]

@@AlexSlavenDrums Thanks Alex. keep up the good work😁

[@titorivera9010]

The supraphonic hands down !!!!

[@tmpardi77]

Its hard to verbalize it but to me the Supralite is very similar yet has a slightly "cheaper" sound for lack of a better word. Best way I can articulate, the Supraphonic just seems to be more beefier or fuller sounding to me. But, at such a huge price difference with the Supralite being so much lower cost its amazing how close it gets.

[@tmpardi77]

By the way, I think the best way to compare them in this video is skipping back and forth between the two times you play Poor Tom. Around at 1:50 and then 6:30.

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

100% agree, they both have very similar characteristics especially when tuned like they are, the supraphonic is definitely the better of the two, but I'd suggest getting the supralite in any scenario bar actually having the money to actually afford a supraphonic because amongst a mix they'll both sound very similar

[@tmpardi77]

@@AlexSlavenDrums Hey Alex, yeah I recently finally bought a Supraphonic LM402 and if I had to be honest I don't think its worth the extra $500 or so over the Supralite. Sure, its the better drum overall but hard to justify that much of a cost premium. I'd say to anyone on the fence trying to decide between the two, to just save the money and get the Supralite unless you have the money to burn.

[@rocketsauce5067]

I wonder the difference between a lot of say 1968 supraphonics and a supralight .

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

The price would be a start!

[@thizzyglider555]

It doesn’t really matter the drum. It’s how it’s played

[@bryanbahantka6969]

Did you put a single ply head on the resonant side of the Supralite, with 42 strand snare? Getting one next month

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

I use a remo hazy ambassador for the supralite, use a Evans on the supraphonic, any drum head of that kind will do very nicely! Careful with the Gibraltar 42s if that's what you're going for, they start falling apart after about six months of use, I need to get new ones - might get the Tama ones

[@bryanbahantka6969]

@AlexSlavenDrums I'm getting the Tama snares lol Your drumming of Bonham is really impressive btw I got into him because of his kick pedal prowess

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

Yeah I think that's definitely the right choice. And thank you it's much appreciated - it's definitely one of the coolest parts of his whole mojo - that and the groove are my favourite aspects of his drumming

[@extrabrutrockextrabrutrock7798]

Muy bueno , el redoblante que afinacion tiene ?

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

Medium on the top and high on the bottom. Though I've recently changed that to a lower tuning on both and I think it sounds better

[@extrabrutrockextrabrutrock7798]

@@AlexSlavenDrums muchas gracias 👏👏

[@extrabrutrockextrabrutrock7798]

Podrias hacer un video afinando el redoblante , ese sonido es el que busco y me encanta , y no lo puedo lograr , yo tengo el mismo redoblante

[@tonymorra7678]

Do you have a pitch note on your toms trying to get that sound

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

Not any specific note, I tend to listen more for the 'tone' I want, rather than a specific note. However my toms would probably technically be more intune if I got a proper tune bot and adjusted to get the right notes I may want but I don't go that deep into tuning

[@joeystinks]

U got some groove kid!😁

[@AlexSlavenDrums]

Thank you, mate!