How to Cut a Bass Drum Port Hole | DRUM HACK

[@roccomepose8130]

Love how you do not edit your mistakes out. Very helpful. Thank you.

[@808drumz9]

Metal has a high thermal conductivity. So if you only heat the outside edge with the blowtorch, the heat from the edge will quickly spread out to the rest of the can. That's why it cooled so quickly. On the stove, you gave it enough time to heat the entire can so it stayed hot.

[@KarmaPaym3ntPlan]

This makes a lot of sense. Thanks

[@user-wr6vq8ec9v]

you can't imagine how much time I've spent doing this my (dumb) way....Thanks for this how-to, love your videos!

[@griffinm4224]

could you make a drum out of the soup can?

[@user-ub8vx8zd1d]

+Griffin Drums3 Metallica already did on the entire "St. Anger" album.

[@nicktaylor1902]

shit dude

[@noicegraffti2888]

Griffin M yea a timbales 🥁

[@kreush7329]

@@user-ub8vx8zd1d wrecked

[@connoroneil8677]

1,000 degree can vs drum head

[@snoopersize1975]

Great video, thanks. I found that if you take the head off and put it over a heat resistant surface with the head upwards (rim on the surface), when you press down with the hot can, the head springs back up when it cuts through. This really reduces the chances of it not melting 100% of the hole. Cheers!

[@timsway]

i didn't realize you had a channel until recently. nice to see your stuff (and i understand why you watch my vids now for sure. kindred spirits!) next time you're at the hardware store, get the yellow MAP gas can that was next to the propane can. that'll heat it up no problem. cheers bro.

[@rdavidr]

+tim sway Tim! Glad you enjoy the channel, ill be sure to grab one though.

[@stevenmichael7770]

I truly appreciate the effort, but this was a great demonstration of why to definitely NOT use a hot can, lol. Thank you for leaving in the issues instead of just making it look like it went perfectly.

[@TheMatsterx]

Great video dave, i just used the ´´stove top’´ method and it worked so well. To other people wondering, Inlet the can sit there about 7 minutes to make sure it was piping hot (and turn on your fan ;))

[@traviswoodall6547]

This is how I’ve always done it. Especially if I have a graphic on the head, and need a smaller port than a 4”. Getting ready to do one this week as a matter of fact. I’m glad I’m not the only one that uses this trick. One thing I’ll say, that can has to be hotter than hell to go all the way through. A ceramic top stove is perfect.

[@nathunder1]

THIS WORKS!!!! I used a stove and it worked perfectly; thank you for the info.

[@SippyCup_Official]

I’ve used metal lids for 6” pots and pans in the past. It works okay if you get them very very hot on the stove first but the edges never melt perfectly clean. Amazon has a hole cutter for less than $20 listed that I would probably recommend.

[@juliocontagro]

Perfect! Dude I discovered your channel last week . I subscribed after watch one video. Amazing job! Greetings from Brazil.

[@marshallkummer1078]

Hey David! I have been watching your videos for about a month now and I really enjoy the content as well as the way you put everything together. Nice work. If you were to make a bass drum beater that still looked great like those do, but with felt on it or something that is a little more friendly for quieter music, I would definitely be interested in buying one. Take it easy, Marshall

[@fdl_2518]

Love your videos. Does doing this make the bass drum sound any worse/different than if you were to buy a pre-made port holed drum head?

[@xtrobitzmusic2405]

Cool. Could also use a small piece of wet and dry sandpaper or nail file to remove the raggy edge.

[@JaYGoasT]

i have an idea for a beater. take a pill bottle. use the cap as the beater. and find a way to fill it solid with rubber... should have an interesting sound

[@kingtreble160]

A HOLE lot easier to make a hole. Pun intended

[@Novaking1975]

Make a HOLY donut drum

[@firstnamelastname7698]

I completely forgot about this video until it came up in my recommended. I used this method years ago and still have my kick mic chilling in the porthole.

[@ChefBrownSauce]

I just cut my porthole with a drawing compass, a steak knife and some scissors. No damage to the head and the porthole was clean

[@BramNaus]

Make sure the head is still on the bass drum... It will be a HOLE lot easier... No? Okay.

[@zxcvbnmasdfghjkl9439]

hey

[@zxcvbnmasdfghjkl9439]

thats funny

[@yourdailydoseofnegativity189]

I appreciate you dawg

[@blountyhunter1966]

So I've got this old acoustic guitar. Pretty normal but I was wondering if you knew/could come up with any cool drum modification using an acoustic? It would be really cool!

[@classicalteacher]

Microwave oven.

[@tompowell6723]

What about the holes location? I was thinking of making the hole directly across from where the beater strikes the beater head. What are your thoughts on the holes location? Tom.

[@thepastysmasher5320]

Gibraltar offers a tool you can cut an even hole into a head. Additionally, they sell things to protect the hole from ripping. A lot easier for a little bit more money, as well as less chance of messing your head up. Sure, this works, and it may be the best option for some, but not for me, personally. Nonetheless, an informative video, thanks, David.

[@Scatteredoblivionofficial]

Will you be listing more bass drum beaters for sale on Etsy?

[@mranonymous2001]

The title should have been “1000 degree can vs Drum Skin”

[@1toonhead]

Interesting tip there. I've used a sharp box cutter (Stanley knife) in the past, might try your next.

[@joshuathompsonbev]

Your Videos Are Very Helpful Keep up the good work.

[@xxxddddxxx1]

can you make a diy porthole protector??

[@telverilooming]

Another nice video! And also, could you sometimes upload a video of the tunes that are running in your video? I really like those ambient sounds. Cheers!

[@rdavidr]

+Telver Objärtel I have the majority of them on my soundcloud and bandcamp soundcloud.com/silentdave91 silentdave.bandcamp.com/

[@telverilooming]

+rdavidr Thanks! Keep up the good work!

[@tiagobernal4544]

I have a struck up lug on my bass drum, can you give me an idea to get it out? Your channel its awesome. Cheers from Argentina

[@shishKababGamers666]

omg i was just wondering how to do this and then i saw this lol thanks david :D

[@kosycat1]

nice man theose beaters are awesome!

[@odeu]

with a box of cassoulet, does that work too?

[@timsears5729]

This is a real old idea I did this myself some 25 yrs ago , very effective...

[@youpeopl_music3220]

Helpful tips, my man! Thanks!

[@juanreal3297]

Does the drum head need to be tensioned or as less tension as possible? Thanks!

[@wamuel6506]

Sorry I’m so late, but could you also heat up the bass drum head to cut a porthole in the can? Asking for a friend.

[@Rusli1659LPSoldier]

wait, Does the port hole bass drum can be used for recording with microphones inside?

[@tomkelsey2303]

I had this exact same tip published in Modern Drummer Magazine back in the 90s. I can't tell you how many of you guys have claimed this as your own.

[@JackstandJohnny]

Do you think a heat gun would work? Not a hair dryer, but an actual heat gun? Also, what diameter hole do you recommend for a 20" bass drum?

[@sparrovski]

I put a ring of cable split tube around the edge of the hole to protect it from splitting. ( It is plastic tube with a split that you tuck cable, like car stereo cable, into.)

[@Lia-ut1he]

if you use a can to do this, would a port hole protector fit the hole?, and should i even buy a porthole protector, do they really protect it from wearing-are they worth it??

[@graysongerni]

What about putting a port hole on the suitcase?

[@noahmusicnz]

do you think it would change the sound? I'm building a suitcase kit and wondered if this would be necessary

[@marcosaruca5283]

kick ass shirt man...do you have any moc and would you do any videos on them...i know this channel is about drums but i mean it is a DRUM machine

[@rdavidr]

+Marcos Aruca I came close to buying a 2000xl a couple years ago, but never pulled the trigger. I used to look for them all the time (for a good deal), but now Im so used to making beats with my midi keyboard and logic I kinda lost the drive to buy one. All the music in my vids are beats ive made btw. Oh, and cool prof pic lol

[@marcosaruca5283]

thanks.....i understand iam going through the same thing to but i would love to get one been kinda a dream for me typa thing plust itll be kool to make beats on it kinda an extension of the drum set...btw the beats you make are great love em

[@ericvantellingen8648]

HI, have you tried what effect and sound it will give if you have 1 or maybe more holes in the beater head ? With a closed resonant head, or maybe a small hole. To get more low end toward de drummer maybe ?

[@tdrum21]

Cool tip my man!

[@tjshine8022]

Make sure you sand the hole edge before inserting your arm to install blankets/pillow.... See also "How to make a tourniquet with a shoe string and a drum stick."

[@gustavovargas9230]

Amazing videos bruh... Nice stuff...I'm actually using the golf ball beaters... (y)

[@978barcelona]

Do you think you can try and make a homemade cymbal stand? Like if you don't have money to buy a legit stand probably use wood, scrap metal, or pipes?

[@arthurmorgan6213]

Use welding gloves to apply even pressure.

[@lennydean8090]

does a hole or 2 affect the Sound of the drum?

[@austinchoatedrums]

Yes, it cuts out resonance.

[@saladking2370]

could you please do a video of the kick with the marching head. I would like to see how that sounds.

[@willcochran5555]

It sounds about the same, but it's got a lil shorter sustain

[@wiblesgarage2016]

Can you perform this with just a lighter?

[@PanchoThompson]

How durable is the beater/the rod that holds the beater?

[@MatthewParsonsDrumsAndAudio]

I actually used the can trick, but I take an exacto knife and cut it.

[@nikky_styx]

Do you still have those beaters for sale?

[@cDisturbed.]

On the inside of my bass skin I have a clear bit which is apparently the built-in dampener. But this seems to be around 4” so my hole will be quite central to avoid cutting the clear film… is that okay?

[@invisiblemansband]

you should make a head cutter. like the one sold in stores.

[@stacky_03]

I'm a beginner and my bass sounds awful...What can I do to make it sound good?

[@DuNordavind]

Watch some KZbin videos on bass drum tuning, because there are a lot of good ones out there. You might also want to buy a new bass drum head or two, depending on what you've got on the drum at the moment and what condition it's in. Also consider whether you want a tight, punchy sort of sound (in which case a hole in the resonant head will help, as will a batter head with some dampening in it like an EMAD or Powerstroke, or putting a blanket or cushion inside the drum... or both) or something more boomy and open (in which case a hole will not help, and you might want to use something like an Emperor as a better head as well).

[@felixgabriel2350]

put a pillow in it but make sure that it touches both sides of the bass drum

[@ZeitBald]

Shit on it

[@backspage]

@rdavidr How important is the placement of the hole?

[@santiagomartin4735]

I want to buy one of those beaters but you don't have more on sale, please make more i want one :(

[@rdavidr]

+VS rubio yeah ive been meaning to make some more. Soon!

[@santiagomartin4735]

+rdavidr Wow that was fast jajaja thanks, i will be wainting them and i have to say that y really like your work and the chanel so there is a new sbscriber ;)

[@TheProgGuy]

To anybody watching, the idea of the hole in the kick (bass) drum is to let air escape every time you hit the drum. Now, if you cut a hole directly in the center of the head, this completely defeats the purpose, that's why you see in the video and real life situations, the hole is off center. I can't explain it well enough here, but it's all physics.

[@magnusberger6762]

You should have a song from Canned Heat as background music for this video

[@wetlanderrr]

what if i accidentally mess up real bad? (not that i did i don't even have a set yet, but looking into it)

[@SandyFruitBasket]

what is the pourpose of a porthole?

[@steffenpanning2776]

It's for miking the bass drum. AFAIK there is no need to do this if you don't have to mike the drum.

[@MegaDarklee]

It also changes the sound of the drum since air is able to escape through.

[@Assimilator702]

SandyFruitBasket It cuts down on a bit of boominess. The trick is to cut just large enough to not effect the sound too much while still having access to the inside of the drum and/or mic placement.

[@JackstandJohnny]

Joe Rico So what do you think the sweet spot is as far as port hole diameter? Say, for a really boomy 20" kick drum?

[@Assimilator702]

JackstandJohnny The room is a MAJOR factor in the boominess. If you play out without miking you need SOME boominess. Move the drum around the room and find the least boomy but usable spot. After that find the hole size that gets rid of the majority of the offensive parts while retaining just enough boom to give depth to the sound. Dampen the batter head enough to get max low end and punch with good pedal feel. I like medium sized bath towels. Usually 2 per kick drum. It's really tough to suggest something without hearing it. The best advice I could give is to pick the spot on the head for a 5" hole ...which is 2.5" in from the dampening ring. Start with a 3" hole and stop when you get an overall usable sound. The thing with boominess is you have resonance. You can't make a DEAD bass drum resonant.If you buy a Remo PS3 Ebony with NO HOLE it should come with THREE different sized stick on Dynamo rings to cut your hole and reinforce/dampen after the hole is cut.

[@jddewitt1981]

When you stick the can in the oven make sure to remove the vice grips! 😂

[@PROTEUS_SEER-OF-EONS]

I'd be happy to support you on patreon man. Think about it.

[@richardliles4415]

Thank you.

[@Killenmachine05]

the BIGGEST hack while doing this, place the head face down on a flat stone surface like a floor, its going to make life alot easier instead of having nothing keeping the can still when it melts through.

[@mrcowlick7537]

Do these holes affect the tone too much?

[@mrcowlick7537]

@Pmurt hahahah im embarrassed i ever asked this

[@emilioreyes8249]

I do that and that's a great idea ;)

[@tamtamnz6529]

The power of tin can , I did it like 🍳😊👍🏽

[@christiancoleman5056]

work on a calf skin?

[@Mr713819]

+rdavidr Is that a recycled marching bass head?

[@rdavidr]

+Alfonso Quintanilla Yep, we got new heads at the school I teach at so I used one of the old ones.

[@habelgeever6947]

can u help me my snare drum is vibrating loudly when i hit my toms or floor drums help plz

[@BoboButYouCanCallMeTom]

idk anything about drums but here is a article idk if it helps www.onlinedrummer.com/forum/index.php?/topic/26690-snares-what-causes-snare-buzz-and-how-to-reduce-it/ I'm a beginning sound technician so i just needed to know how to cut a hole for a mic.

[@Themrfiddy]

thanks!!

[@andrejohn8366]

getto prot hole guard?

[@literatetree8394]

THANK YOU

[@bravepart]

Big brainXXL time here

[@erkaltarm2872]

Why double hole?

[@Lucas72928]

Are you going to fix the first attempt? If so, how are you going to fix it?

[@rdavidr]

+LucasFlecoRepe No, its an old marching head actually, butttt I do have another video for what to do with it!

[@dansalisbury5941]

Hell yeah

[@culeroconor9710]

song?

[@rdavidr]

+Culero Conor Just added the link to the description

[@jaylotz5901]

Hey you should look up this guy Kenny Sharretts on youtube, he's a drum tech with a lot of good tips for drum stuff (including a video about putting a port in a head)

[@alexandrosvlachos8839]

👌👌👌

[@MykytaStasevych]

Better to heat up the can far away from edge of the can. So it will heat the edge while you cutting a head

[@SmugSuspenders]

With two holes it looks like Deadmau5

[@rmmiller159]

A can, a toaster, and a pair of pliers walk into a bar...

[@mitchalvarado8531]

Robert Miller George Lucas walks into a bar...

[@tiltedlab]

I like the divider method better

[@rdavidr]

same

[@lucasbrucas9632]

I see the masks from the Batman comics "The Court of Owls".

[@vincecangelosi9205]

This should be called how to NOT cut a bass drum port hole. Pro-tip: If you put the head on a flat surface off the drum, you don't get the dingleberries left hanging there that you need to cut off with a knife.

[@EGROJtheOGRE]

jaja looks like a face, holes are eyes and evans logo as mouth, funny!

[@shredz8857]

Ill just out mine in the microwave to warm it up

[@whophead6837]

I wont ever do this. The head could spontaneously combust and burn down the drum. The whole cutout looks melted and ugly. A steady hand, and a breakaway blade is perfect

[@inklingmedia]

Could you please start each and every sentence using the word "so". I think you missed a few there.

[@rdavidr]

+Keith Connolly ill make sure to do that.

[@athantroquille7605]

My port o is 6 inches good luck finding a 6 inch can... maybe I can use a small trash can

[@walberfelixdrummer7854]

o tempo que gastou aquecendo a lata dava para ter cortado a pele

[@zepp2586]

Walber Felix drummer learn English

[@ronniek7748]

Looks like a recipe for disaster to me!