Rogers' Dyna-Sonic Snare -- How Its Unique Design Functions

Rogers' Dyna-Sonic snare drum is a legendary design, though the unique and slightly complex functionality of its snare mechanism might be confusing to some. Here's what you need to know!

[@nathanielnicholson559]

I love that you don't feel the need to showcase your playing in every video. I also love your playing and when you do rip out a few bars it's quite a treat. Such sound and feel.

[@drumdotpizza]

Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words. And thank you for sharing!

[@thomashaley7657]

This is the most informative video I've seen yet on a Dynasonic snare drum! Wish I had both of my Roger's kits back. One was a script badge, the other was a big R. Now I'm going through my mid life crisis and trying to buy back all of my stupid decisions! Thanks for showing me what a dumb ass I was for selling them. Thomas.

[@recordingdotpizza]

Thank you for the kind comments, Thomas! I'm sorry you're missing your drums. I hope you can find a kit that'll meets your needs and wishes!

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Hey , your not the only one brother!!nmy first decent kit was a Ludwig club date with burgundy sparkle. I didn,t like the burgundy but I expanded the base by getting a 22" kick and 13"+ 16" toms and did my Ginger Baker wanna be thing.then I didn,t like the mismatched center lug and dual lug look so I dumped it all and bought a big set of Slingerlands.still have those so not a total disaster.but in my old age I,m playing alot of bop and I,d love to have those old Ludwigs back!

[@TimVoigt-l8q]

Another killer episode! I was always impressed with the Roger’s brand. Their hardware was well ahead of its time…Keep ‘em’ coming Joel!

[@Rockin_Ross]

Thank you for this knowledge. I have a Rogers Power Tone snare and I was curious how this snare carriage worked. Great channel and thank you for helping us learn as well as enjoy.😎

[@StevenSclafani]

Joel, your breadth of knowledge is formidable. Thanks for the snare sample at 6:39. Surprised you're not playing traditional grip.

[@jetyler3400]

I got a Dynasonic in the early 80s. Very crisp. Great snare ! Great video brother.

[@boomerguy9935]

I love your description of "geek out on drums"! Yes, I love drum history on drums, hardware, cymbals and uses of all the above by the different artists in the past. I've been playing since 1965 and I feel I've only learned about 1% of what is available. Thank you!

[@StevesRykerAdventures]

I just purchased my first Dynasonic on sale, although it’s a maple/poplar shell not brass. Thanks for the info! I’m waiting for it to arrive, so no experience with it yet.

[@mnretrogamer7189]

I found one at a thrift store for $10 a few years ago. Love it!

[@kevinafflack]

Love the deep dives like this!

[@brent3760]

I love the look of that drum man! Super sharp!

[@drumdotpizza]

Thanks! Like military olive drab!

[@davidsuprenant893]

Thank you sir for this video.i have one of the reissue dynosonics 6-1/2 ×14wood.i have struggled with it for some time.thank you for shedding some light on this particular drum.cant wait to find my settings and sound.

[@drumdotpizza]

Happy to help! The Dynasonic system is a unique design capable of remarkable clarity and articulation. For this reason I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love the clarity and articulation when I want it, but I'm also, by nature, a fan of the sloppier, slightly rattly backbeat for most pop/rock music, a sound that has to be created deliberately on the Dyna while it is practically innate on most other snare drums.

[@MrRCOTE]

Thank you for that explanation. I have a Dynasonic...the only comparison MIGHT be a Ludwig Supraphonic.

[@MrHambo24]

Love your videos, Joel. I’ve owned a couple of dynasonics, and I currently have a 7-line dyna with the beavertail lugs. First one I had sat on the shelf for about two years because I couldn’t get a decent sound out of it. Once you get the hang of fine-tuning the snare mechanism though, they are untouchable.

[@drumdotpizza]

Dynas are the most crisply responsive snare drums I have ever played. I'm not in need of that vibe too often (I generally do more backbeat type playing), but when I am absolutely nothing else can touch it!

[@rogerwelsh2335]

Great snare drum for sure!

[@stuartbrantley4965]

Great walk thru! Thank you,

[@bobbyddrums1566]

Best video on this drum ever sounds amazing

[@robsenz.]

Great Vid, Great Sound, Just picked up a 14X6.5, super excited to get it going.

[@drumdotpizza]

Congrats! A vintage or one of the new ones? Metal? Wood? I see they have recently introduced lacquered brass versions... beautiful drums!

[@robsenz.]

@@drumdotpizza late 60's COB

[@drumdotpizza]

@@robsenz. Congrats! Those are beautiful drums!!

[@kaybhee6]

proper sound

[@alanpassmore2574]

Very much like the parallel action on my 80's Premier snare drum...

[@mr.145]

The snare tension knob on the clockface strainer is a press fit.which fell of five minutes into me playing a musical...it put me off the drum as i had another 10working snare drums at home.

[@drumdotpizza]

Bummer! I'm sorry you had that experience. I've not heard much of that happening.

[@sandc411]

I won the dynasonic that I play to this day at a high school snare drum solo competition judged by Roy burns. Many years ago. In fact at the ceremony, Roy gave me his dynasonic until mine was shipped.

[@renerivera3801]

Looks like you have nylon washers or spacers installed on each lug screw. Was that for better tone quality or for excessive screw length using Tama lugs? Not familiar with Tama drums. I only own Rogers, 1964 Holiday Kit with a chrome Powertone snare, & 1968 Fullerton Kit with a chrome Dynasonic snare.

[@drumdotpizza]

Thanks for the question! I put nylon washers on most older drums that I acquire as the original metal washers tend to oxidize or get dirty somehow that causes them to 'grind' when being tensioned. I personally find that annoying, and by putting a nylon washer underneath the original metal washer the tuning becomes very smooth. I still use the original metal washers, generally, just put nylon under them between the metal washers and the hoop. I actually saw someone claim, in a video, that nylon washers have a negative impact on the tone of drums, but I have NEVER noticed anything like that in practice. Interesting concept, but even if that was true (and I don't think it's is, at least clearly not dramatically so, as I have never noticed a timbre change when putting them on my drums), it is up to the listener to decide if the affect is detrimental or not (sort of like anything else about drum sound). But I don't think that's terribly substantive, and they do definitely make tuning smoother! ;)

[@Eurodrummer666]

Nice explanation! What can you say about unwanted snare buzz? Does this mechanism prevent it, since snare tension and engaging the snare are separated?

[@drumdotpizza]

Snare buzz isn't prevented by this design, no, but it does seem to be significantly reduced compared to typical designs. I credit this to a couple of factors: 1) the wires are under direct, horizontal pressure rather than being pulled somewhat upward by a typical strainer, against the curvature created by typical (much deeper) snare bed (Dynasonics have extremely mild snare beds, very shallow, almost non-existent). And 2) the wires are shorter on a Dynasonic than on regular 14" snare drum, so they don't 'sag' from gravity, so are flatter, making more consistent contact with the bottom head (less rattle from looser points along the bottom head). What snare buzz there is (because there is still some, though less than most other snare drums) is very short, staccato. It's not a loose, rattlely type of buzz, unless you have the snare wires with very loose tension, and even then the shorter length (and associated lower mass) doesn't appear to have enough inertia to rattle for any substantive length of time.

[@Eurodrummer666]

@@drumdotpizza thanks for the input, it is hard to get to try this snares where I live.

[@buddyblueyes]

Great vid! Do you find a wider tuning range tensioning your resonant head on the Dyna, or is there a sweet spot? Curious how tight you tension your snare heads (top and bottom) for this drum?

[@drumdotpizza]

With snare drums in general I go quite tight on snare side heads. I used to go about as high as I dare go, but lately (in the last year or so) have been backing off the tension a bit, as it seems to have a clearer wire sound, whereas extremely tight sometimes lends a slightly hollow, less responsive wire sound. For the Dyna I find that I can go even looser on the bottom head and get good response. The drum has the shallowest snare beds of any I have seen, so there's not a lot of curvature along the line of the snare wires. The pre-tensioned nature of the snare wire assembly reduces the need for a traditional snare bed, so the bottom head can be flatter overall, and that seems to broaden the range of tuning of the snare side head while remaining musical. With all other drums looser tunings of the bottom head robs the tone of the drum and turns the wire response into a lifeless 'splat' to my ear. The Dyna is the most responsive snare I have ever played, but it lacks the length of rattle of the wires (the 'white noise' effect that one can get with looser wires). It will do it to some extent, but not so much as a traditional design, so it is its own thing. People usually love or hate it. My opinion is both, depending on my mood or the sound I'm looking for. In general I like my Dyna with a batter head tuned no lower than the drum's midrange. Lower tunings on this drum don't float my boat.

[@morrinsville23]

Hey Joel! Can you fit one of those snare cages to another drum? I have a yamaha aluminium drum with those huge openings on the hoop around where the snares go through.. seems do-able, im assuming that snare wire tension string is on the caradge its self (not sure what the snare beds are like)

[@codycornett5516]

I played a Ludwig Super Sensitive for a long time. This seems even more customizable/responsive! How would you compare the two?

[@drumdotpizza]

Hi, Cody! A few notable differences between the two: 1) SS has long wires that extend across the entire bottom head, edge to edge, so much more wire response (more wire touching the head than the much shorter DS snare wires) along with greater 'sag' in the center (from the greater mass/length of the wires). Greater tension on the SS wires will make up for much of the additional sag and give great snare response at all dynamics, 2) the SS has no vertical tension adjustment, only horizontal. True, you can avoid activating the strainer lever the entire length of the throw to result in less contact with the bottom head, but this isn't an adjustment, per se, but just how much you turn the snare wires 'on,' 3) the SS is tricky to find a good case that fits and protects it given how much the strainer/butt stick off the side of the shell, while the DS design will fit most common cases and suffer less damage if the case is bumped on either the strainer or butt side. Both are great drums to use, but the DS probably wins out on the articulation, particularly at higher dynamic levels than the SS (though in truth the full contact with the bottom head snare wire designs like the SS are more a favorite of mine, because I actually prefer a touch of 'sag' in my snare response. The DS feels a little abrupt to me for general use. YMMV, of course). Peace!

[@codycornett5516]

This is amazing info. And re: #3, yes traveling with a SS was annoying with no great case option. Lol.

[@dancalabrese3523]

I've had both drums and much prefer the Ludwig SS (wish I still had it!). I use to keep mine in a square Calzone snare case which kept it perfectly safe.

[@larrymarcus3176]

@@drumdotpizza This is an old post now. I have three dynos one is a Asian made steel version the others one chrome over brass the wood one a new remake. I have a super sensitive too. The biggest difference I hear and feel is the super sensitive is a tighter sounding drum it doesn’t have the same overtones of the rogers so for me it’s a better drum for rock or music that does better with a tight snappy but somewhat muffled sound. The dynos are much more versatile and have a wider tuning range my supers voice is best in higher pitch if you want something in the middle try a Ludwig black beauty with better snare wires it can mimic the dyno very well and has a wider range can sound tight or fat is more like a Swiss Army knife I have a 6.5 inch can’t comment on a thinner style I use pure sound wires and changed the crappy throw off to a trick. As an aside my favorite share is longo walnut 5.5. It’s more organic for lack of a better description

[@DrummerDanVa]

This is a frankenstein dynasonic. 😊

[@drumdotpizza]

Yep! Powdercoated brass shell ("POB"?) with Tama lugs (Tama lugs have the same hole spacing as the Rogers, so that all works).

[@cpu554]

Buddy used one for a agile ,his main complaint was it was very tweaky to maintain ans went to a Fibes as it was much more stable a platform.

[@Ferklaus]

any thoughts on the Rogers COB 8 lugs powertone ?

[@drumdotpizza]

Never played one, though I dig brass and I love 8 lugs!! The Powertone is a conventional snare wire arrangement, is it not? Probably a fabulous sounding drum!!

[@alanduncan1980]

I like them, but I prefer the Powertone. I would like an original wood dyna, but they cost like a gazillion dollars.

[@drumdotpizza]

Yeah, I have a love/hate relationship with the Dyna. Its staccato articulation is a little too abrupt for me in general applications. I like a certain amount of 'slop' in my snare wires (makes for fatter backbeats!).

[@NikkiSexx666]

Really enjoy your content. The more I watch, the more I realize I’m not very good at tuning up a snare. Would you ever do a snare tuning video for us studio guys?

[@drumdotpizza]

Thank you so much! Yes, I can do a snare tuning video. Thank you for the suggestion. I have several vids lined up next, but I'll put that request in the queue! Cheers!

[@noostrings]

Im thinking of buying the rail system and adding it to my Supraphonic

[@bradc32]

my buddy has a Tama snare very similar..anyone know how it compares to a Rogers?

[@drumdotpizza]

The Tama design uses extended snare wires. This video might answer your question (I think it does): kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqWvkmeJZZWrm8k

[@russellesimonetta9071]

My first drum!!! Bought new in 1965 for $150! A fortune back then. It,s a great drum but to get it sounding great is fiddly. Tighten the snare frame too much and it chokes out!

[@drumdotpizza]

yep!!

[@BobSchoepenjr]

Interesting! Recently in Belgium a Ludwig sensitive snare from the 70’ies was sold for more than 700 euro’s. Just saying. Btw you are not Grumpy 😂.’’

[@drumdotpizza]

Ha! Thank you. Believe it or not, I have been known to be a grump now and then. My wife and sons gave me the hat a couple of years back for birthday or Christmas, I don't remember which (and I wear it often!).

[@BobSchoepenjr]

Ha 😁good responsable fathers should be grumpy once in a while

[@sergioalbertoibarra1799]

Hola amigo, soy de Argentina y tengo u dynasonic pero no tiene el snare wires original, podrás indicarme algún lugar en USA dónde conseguirlo , gracias!!

[@nealsausen4651]

What the hell get that crappy finish, and those stupid Tama lugs off that thing! It’s just a shell just a shell and the throw off. That are Rogers and that ugly finish that ugly finish put on there you should strip that and have it re-chrome bring it back to his original glory just saying.