Controlling Resonance vs. Sustain And Understanding The Difference | Season Three, Episode 47

Two of the most commonly confused terms in drum sounds are “sustain” and “resonance”. What do they mean? What do they sound like? How do you control these characteristics? These are the topics we’re covering in today’s episode!
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Signal chain:
Mics - Focusrite Clarett 8Pre USB & OctoPre - MacPro w/Pro Tools 12.8
Recorded at 48kHz / 24bit
Focusrite Clarett 8Pre USB
Focusrite Clarett OctoPre
Full kit: AKG C414 XLS (Cardioid) at drummer's perspective
Snare drum & tom tom close mics: AKG C518M
Bass drum: AKG D112 at port
Drums:
Pearl Masters Maple Custom Extra 22x16” kick drum
Ludwig 14x6.5” COB snare drum
GMS Maple 16x16” floor tom
Cymbals:
Vintage 14” Zildjian Hihat top over Masterwork Jazz Master bottom, 22” Jesse Simpson custom modified ride
Drumheads:
Snare: Evans UV1 / Snare Side 300
Main Bass Drum: Evans UV EMAD / EQ3 Coated White reso w/port
Toms: G12 coated / G1 clear
Hosted by: Cody Rahn
Production & Consulting: Ben O'Brien Smith @ Cadence Independent Media
Production Partners: AKG Microphones, Evans Drumheads, Promark Drumsticks
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[@Eurodrummer666]

1. Open video 2. Give thumb up 3. Watch video.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

1. Read comment 2. Get all the feels 3. Love the comment 4. Reply

[@sammbobdylan]

Mate,, the real number of satan is 616.

[@johnnhello4913]

Why cheat yourself and like something that you haven't seen?

[@AdrienTheDrummerGuy]

This video single handedly changed the way I tune and hear drums. It cleared up so much for me.

[@miketavares5800]

The difference between "from the drummer's ear" and "to the audience's ear" is something I've struggled with for a long time. The tip about feeling the note in the shell brought it all home for me. Thanks!

[@drumjedi5301]

The cotton ball trick!! I actually first saw that used by Benny Greb, and loved the sound, so I tried it--and I've been using it ever since. I get a natural and full sound with a little punchiness, but with a sustain that isn't out if control. Love it!

[@drummerdan95]

Now this is a really interesting topic I've never seen discussed before. I continue to learn a lot from you guys!

[@drummerdan95]

This makes me think of a video I'd be interested in seeing sometime (and correct me if it already exists), but directly comparing a hyperdrive tom vs a power tom in the same diameter would be neat.

[@ingemosh5430]

@@drummerdan95 I second that!

[@chrisrowe6835]

This video just accidentally sold me on the Booty Shakers. There's been some rooms where I needed to do the cotton ball trick and 4 was almost always perfect, but in the practice room we use now the floor tom disappears too quick, even with the shell engaged. Plenty of resonance, not as much sustain as I'd like. This channel is the best in the game

[@dalekay9ine]

I love my starclassic floor tom legs and specifically the feet on them because they allow the drum to resonate as long it's tuned to do so.

[@johnreardon4944]

Nice! You mentioned vintage drums. My 1978 Pearl kit is luan wood, which has the rounded edges. The heads on both my 16 and 18 are Emps on top and Ambs on bottom. All coated. Both reso heads are a perfect fourth higher. I put the new Pearl suspension rubber feet on them. Awesome sound and the shells resonate perfectly. They project perfectly. The higher reso tuning naturally helps to shorten the sustain while have full shell activation. The suspension tom feet help to really bring out the resonance. So full natural resonance with naturally controlled shorter sustain. That's my tone. Great dry and warm attack. And articulation is clear at any speed and between the drums. Hope this might help someone reading this. And thank you always, SLAD, for the verbally articulate videos!

[@Prizmatic1658]

This guy is so good at making a drum sound good.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

It's all about practice and experience. There's nothing that either of us do with drums that is magic in any way- we've just put in the time and that's usually all thaat stands between anyone else and being capable techs as well.

[@PennyLarson]

I love all your videos, and the thing I love the most is your constant reminders about different sounds being valid for the right situation. I very much appreciate your open attitude in this regard. So many people want to tell you the "one right way" to do things. Not you; and you're awesome for it!

[@Chris-vr8cd]

Also, have you noticed they use new heads for every video? Now that's quality content 👌

[@TnRProducts]

I’d like to add the word clarity! Great job making those terms and qualities more clear and understandable. Proud to be part of the conversation.

[@jonashellborg8320]

Chuckling at myself for having loved super low tunings, for things like doom metal. In a big rehearsal room, that sound travels about 50cm. :-) I now prefer looking for a higher tuning, as with the fuller resonance that yields the sound is bigger, which was really what I was looking for in the first place! I remember finding it so counterintuitive, that “higher tunings can sound bigger”. In the drum case it’s about tension to connect the head and hoop to the shell like you say, but also how much energy it takes to try to move 60hz across a room. As always, such good contents, and you’re helping a world of drummers, and other musicians, to sound better!

[@dillonjohnlane]

some of the best music related tutorial-type videos I've come across. I've had an old pearl kit I got from Craigslist that I thought was basically junk because it sounded so bad in my moms garage, skins bubbled up but the cymbals sounded awful too, so it seemed to me like a totally lost cause. what a fool I was, looking closer I saw all the hardware was rock solid (if a bit tarnished) and the drums themselves, when I looked at the wood inside, were perfect as well. cleaned out a closet, spent some money and time trying different heads and experimenting with dampening, room tone etc. and now I can for the first time in my life actually play my primary instrument whenever I want. if it wasn't for these videos I'd probably still be turning my wheels in the dark. thank you!

[@ChannelTheHistory]

This is super interesting. I was thinking a lot about resonance versus sustain, but also overtones as I was putting on and testing some new heads today. Basically figured out my favorite floor tom sound and got rid of the cotton balls.

[@DragonCrestPC]

Great video as always, thanks guys!

[@robclaytondrums531]

Brilliant as always! Thanks guys 👊🏼

[@ianisaacs2340]

Thank you greatly for explaining these terms! I also appreciate you throwing out there that right and wrong sounds really comes down to context. I have several tunings for my toms, really comes down to how I feel. One thing that remains consistent is that I always make the shell resonate. I’m gonna crank up my toms in the next day or so and pay some homage to Bonham. As far as sustain problems and fixes I have 2 kits, a Pearl Forum 13, 16, 22, and a Ludwig Club Date 12, 14, 20. I had both kits broken down for transporting and I wanted to practice so I set up the Ludwigs since I had played the Pearls for a few weeks and wanted a change. I tuned everything up nicely but the floor tom had NO sustain. I checked my tuning and it was fine, but I had put the Pearl legs on the Ludwig floor tom and that killed the sustain. Switching the legs restored the sustain I’m used to. By it’s really cool to know I can control the sustain by swapping 1, 2, or all 3 legs depending what I’m trying to do.

[@mitchdavis6442]

Thanks for sharing. I'll probably get some new floor tom legs to experiment with this!

[@markblanch4178]

Great session 👍 Love the Red Rock as a lamp stand

[@thomasgomez4263]

Great content, as always. I think this episode ties into the episode where you tune to the shell

[@warrenk9587]

Good information! "There is no right or wrong way to tune a drum." Excellent advice.

[@warlordzephyr]

Thanks for clarifying an issue I've always had with drums but hadn't quite worked out. I love the resonant qualities that can be present in drums but struggled to separate it from unwanted levels of sustain, for a long time I avoided dealing with the sustain in order to preserve resonance as I didn't quite know how to deal with one without dealing with the other.

[@frankgardner7533]

Thanks for what you do, great information

[@NikkeK]

Love you guys!

[@Loki_FPV666]

Awesome video. Floor toms are the drums that I struggle the most with getting the sound I wand to. I wish there was something like this channel when I started playing drums almost 30 years ago.

[@ryanspeed4671]

There's a guy named Cole Paramore on you tube that has a video on floor toms that's quite helpful.

[@raymondebert8552]

I love your videos. Always educational. As for my floor tom, I tune the bottom head slightly higher than my top. I toss in about 7 large cotton balls and it sounds great.

[@laquerhead024]

You guys have a video on bearing edges? Like how they compare, how they effect resonance, tuning..

[@lm8404]

I have 16”x16” DW performance series, maple shell floor Tom.. Top head (power stroke 4, coated) tuned to 98hz, bottom head (factory), 154 HZ… Love the tone, but I play fast punk…195 bpm 1/8 notes on floor Tom… I tried the cotton ball trick… Pulled head off 4-5 times.. and used different amounts.. didn’t really work for me, but it got me thinking.. So after some experimenting, I now have one paper towel square that hangs out at the bottom, and it sounds awesome… other drummers ask me how I got the floor Tom to sound so good, and the paper towel is a big part of it.. I have a 14” floor Tom as well, all same, but tuned 131 hz on top head, but required 3 paper towels inside to really get a nice full rounded tone…lots of resonance, minimal sustain..

[@jerrymckenzie6205]

Cool channel - I'm learning a lot!

[@Rhythmic1]

Great video. Very helpful info. :)

[@650447]

Great video.

[@drummercarson896]

I learn something new everyday

[@marty9464]

Great video like always, but there is so much more to the issue of resonance & sustain (which I know you're aware of). Shell thickness, shell material, heads, head tension, drum mounting, stick weigh, internal mufflers are just some of the main variables which influence resonance. Additionally, if you play drums that have unfinished surfaces on the inside that will decrease resonance. I treat all my unfinished shells on the inside with 3 or so coats of Tung oil which wicks into the wood and thus increases the density a bit, therefore increasing resonance. Personally I prefer maximum resonance and then worry about controlling sustain if necessary. To my ears, max resonance = max tone (with proper tuning). Thin shells with roundover 45's for bearing edges is a good place to start for max resonance. Obviously heads influence that significantly. Of course there's the resonance vs. projection issue when you consider shell thickness!!! Keep up the good work ..........

[@richardhingle3634]

I cannot thank you enough... My heads Evans, my sustain perfectly controlled, but couldn't quite get the resonance I desire. My only question would be, do you seal the bearing edge also?

[@theBRT1955]

Great episode thanks! When you talked about pressing the cotton balls into a mat, it made me wonder about is a small circle of felt laid in the drum would have a similar effect on sustain.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks! That could work too. Usually when I do this I separate them a bit and allow them to bunch up if they're going to naturally but I don't really intentionally create a mat (though Cody did this time around). -Ben

[@juliovalenzuela4216]

Super interesting topic. Any insight on how resonance and sustain are affected by hanging the larger toms from toms arms rather than being on tom legs?

[@xanderwebb7998]

Could you guys do a video about El Estapario’s weight on the snare? Like what does that do and how does different weight affect the sound?

[@marcogeraci2555]

I have been trying to get tone #3. I am dealing with way too much sustain for the little room that I'm playing in. I will try the cotton ball trick.

[@stevehelland6789]

I'm just happy that the days of using nothing but pinstripes with half a roll of duct tape on them and the reso heads removed are long gone (standard practice in the 70s-80s). Pretty sure I was the only guy in my hometown who tuned both heads on each drum and didn't muffle at all...I remember getting a lot of weird looks from people...even non-musicians. :-)

[@NikkLiberos]

9:09 How about a video on floor tom legs? I have been struggling with that ever since I can remember.

[@ikon8275]

I'm transitioning to electronic, but when I had my acoustic kit I used to nerd out and love experimenting with resonance. If you put them a garage or a basement with a concrete floor..it rips....loud. Also one time, I had the idea, I put the kit in huge empty master bedroom with a hardwood floor. The sound was absolutely enormous like a when the levee breaks vibe.

[@susanmaggiora4800]

I had my Ludwig Maples in a tiny kitchen with concrete floors. My god, It was almost frightening to play. It felt like people could hear me on the other side of the city🤣

[@pawelmorrison]

This subject has been bugging me for years, ever since I ve had my first recording session. Long story short: we all strive to have a high end drum set, that has a lot of resonance and tone, because the cheaper kits rarely offer these qualities. We want nice sounding drums to make nice sounding music, in general. Eventually you end up with a dream drumset, you tune it to perfection, you even buy the bootyshakers to boost the resonance, and then you enter a session and see the sound guy duct tape car washing sponges to the toms "because it all sounds too long". Like WTF man? This video made me realise that sustain is not to be mistaken with resonance, so thank you. I understand that from a sound engineers perspective, the shorter the sound, the more option it gives in post production, but why do we drummers lose our minds and savings for the best sounding drums if it all just doesnt make any sense, or at least seems like it to me now.

[@m6hill983]

Very useful information, and great to actually hear the different impacts they make.. Subscribed!

[@dj_adam_g_uk]

@15:42 sounds like the amen break without the cymbals

[@remygaron8311]

LOVE IT MORE MORE🤟🏼🤟🏼👏🥁🇨🇦

[@Negative_Positron]

Would love to see an episode on this topic, but for crazy high tuning - along the lines of timbales or marching toms. How would the lack of a reso head and the high tensions affect the sustain and resonance?

[@liamfitzgerald7217]

They have a video on that topic already. Look up the Sounds Like A Drum video on concert toms.

[@davidsuprenant893]

Great video guys.Tunning is so very important. It drives me nuts when I go see some great player and his drums sound terrible in the audience.

[@BCSchmerker]

+soundslikeadrum *Booty Shakers™ look something to try out on my TAMA®/Hoshino® poplarbuilts;* the floor toms have their resonance and sustain potential squashed by shell overdamping at the resonant head, especially on the springy-floored riser in the studio.

[@jackpainting7150]

Another great video, these are really handy, thanks! I have to ask, what is that beautiful wooden snare in the background with the bulb sat on it?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks! That’s a Red Rock Drums Fijian Mahogany stave drum from Australia.

[@matthewzagorski9161]

Normally you do the graduated volume samples for each setting then a bar of each at a "normal" playing volume. I get that the point of only doing one hit was to showcase the sustain, but I feel like it was really missing that single bar example.

[@brianerickson6262]

The cotton ball thing is genius!

[@jordanstone982]

What is Cody's most used/preferred tuning interval for floor toms and rack toms? (I know it's about what serves the song and the context and the room and all that; just curious) According to this video, it's a perfect 5th (batter head lower) for floor toms and a half step to whole step (batter head lower) for rack toms. In other videos when he is on Ben's pearl masters kit, he seems to prefer major 2nd's or minor 3rds on the floor toms and minor thirds on the rack toms. I know the masters kit floor tom is shallower than the GMS so I'm guessing that has something to do with the difference..

[@jasper36]

This video really resonance with me.

[@chriscoleman8447]

Would more tension points on the heads lessen the amount of sustain? I have a custom marching bass (pipe band) that I put 12 tension points on, but it is lacking in sustain. I went with rounded 45s on the bearing edges to help with the resonance, but it's a very "dry" sound right now. The shell is free floating (turnbuckle tensioning), so I can remove some of the tension points. Wondering your thoughts on this...

[@BeerZerkeraidean]

Hey Man. What would you do about a maple floor tom that buzzes from vibration, makes the lugs rattle and sounds a bit chokes and basketbally it seems to resonate at a weird frequency.

[@BeyondxB]

If someone positions a pratice tom (i.e 14"x3" single headed) above, but not touching, a 14"x14"shell with a bottom head, how close to a sealed 14x14 tom sound can they achieve? Esentially creating a vented tom with maybe 1/2" gap between top and bottom half of the shells.

[@alexanderjamieson7971]

I had a really dead sound coming out of my floor tom in my basement studio. Swapped the rubber feet on the tom legs with Pearl air suspension feet and it completely opened up the floor tom's sound. I could not believe it.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

I actually did the same on this GMS! We just used the old ones in this video for demo purposes 👍🏻 those feet are amazing! -Cody

[@sherwinramos3306]

Damn ... in 3 years of drumming ( self thought ) I learned to tune my drums in a way finding the sound i want it to hear,, easy right ? But sometimes I’am having frustration to find that sound again ...This lesson about reso and sustain will help me to breakdown the sound oh yeah “Sound like a drums!!!! 😀, theres a point i thought I a had blown eardrums cuz I cant the hear a note its just humming around the room.🤣

[@terrydrums]

I was wondering if you’d do anything with Booty Shakers. I just got a set of them and I think they’re great. They turned my 16” floor tom into a great sounding drum. Before that it’s sustain was really compromised no matter how it was tuned.

[@michaelbruhl4425]

...try also "the little booty shakers" for the snare-stand, I have these, and believe me, this 3 parts are gold worth !!!

[@MeshuggahFan-iy6tb]

BOOTY SHAKERS FOR THE WIN!! I got a set of those for Christmas and my floor Tom has never sounded better!!

[@michaelbruhl4425]

@@MeshuggahFan-iy6tb I have got a set for my 14" and 16" floortoms, never before sounding my floortoms so good. The whole kit sounds now amazing, and a lot better !!!

[@MeshuggahFan-iy6tb]

@@michaelbruhl4425 dude I’m jealous! Lol off topic but have you ever played an 18 inch floor Tom? I found a Tama mahogany 18 inch floor Tom for a really good price and I’m very curious about it

[@michaelbruhl4425]

@@MeshuggahFan-iy6tb Wow, congratulations, that Mahogany 18 inch floortom sounds for sure awesome. Dude, now I am jealous, lol.

[@Zachadiddle]

The coolest trick I’ve discovered so far to increase sustain on my 18” floor tom was to rotate two floor tom legs so that the feet are closer to the center of the drum. PSA this can make the drum a little unstable. That said, so long as the leg set outward from the drum pointed in the direction of however you tilt it, it is plenty stable. It can get wobbly but the drum is so heavy that it’s secure.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Ever tried the Original Booty Shakers from TnR Products for increasing both sustain and resonance? Those things are the jam...

[@Zachadiddle]

@@SoundsLikeADrum I'll have to give them a try sometime!

[@thodoris3790]

hi there!i am one of the unlucky ones,that had to put silentstroke on my drums.great product,but its not the same,just practising.i bought the l80 too. anyway,my question is how can i get more tone?with the silentstrokes you get, this little tone, only from bottom head.so i m thinking to change my 10ml bottom heads with 7mil.will it work?thinner resonance heads give more tone,becouse of sensetivity?thanks

[@allanr1771]

based on your explanation, it sounds like you want a tight punchy sounds when playing double bass for metal etc.

[@matteotontodonati1869]

I love the resonance of the floor tom, but I have a question... in a studio situation, would you aim to have resonance and sustain or a completely dead sound? As a drummer and producer I have this problem where my drummer mind wants all the tone in the world, but my producer mind wants the deadest driest drums as possible. What would you guys do?

[@gianlucafiannaca2335]

try to imagine the enf result. the finished, mixed/mastered track. and then try to serve the song as best as you can. what matters is, how its sounds after mixing. simply play for the song.

[@ramenthenoodle_]

Yeah that’s totally a by song situation. Even within genres, different songs might call for different tones.

[@kevinkendall3122]

Intro to My hero?@13:12?

[@EricT43]

I always feel like my 16" floor tom lacks tone. It has attack and some rumble, but doesn't have a "note", if that makes any sense. Any idea how to fix that? Your floor toms always sound great.

[@xanderwebb7998]

I am of course not the creator of this video, but what I would try is tuning up the floor tom in tiny intervals until you feel it make a note so you can keep that rumble and that low tuning you like, but also have a note. Like Cody said in the video, there’s no wrong or right sound, but if you feel like you want to change it, I would try either what I said, or try putting another head on top of it like a big fat snare. The extra mass brings down the pitch of the drum lower and tends to make it more notey at least on my tom. Does cut down on sustain. Hope that helps!

[@ChannelTheHistory]

I’ve always felt that big floor toms lack the fullness of a smaller tom. I’ve found using a heavier or double ply resonant head gets a fatter “note” for me. And also studying ever video on this channel😂

[@signals34]

what does a concert tom lose with one head?...sustain ? resonance?...also why is hitting a concert tom not the same feel as hitting a 2 sided drum?...sustain or resonance have anything to do with that ?

[@perpetualgrimace]

Yeah, the sound would exit the drum immediately instead of bouncing around inside of it. Less resonance and sustain.

[@gianlucafiannaca2335]

i often tape a napkin at the edge of drums/rims. So that the napkin bounces off of the head once i hit it, then shorten the vibration (or better, the sustain) of my floor tom. any one else who do this? maybe with cymbal felts or somethings? that's quick and easy to undo and A/B against.

[@bacobill]

Large cymbal felts work almost as well as 'booties'.. Sidenote: I am not sure if you have covered this but modern snare stands are a 'choke-hold' to any drum.. the old flat arms allow a bit of a bounce.. it's night and day.. sorry dw lol ;)

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Snare stands are definitely a thing to be aware of when it comes to restricting resonance. We love using the Little Booty Shakers (younger sibling to the ones we used on the floor tom here) on snare baskets to help mitigate the issue.

[@MattMusicianX]

I think I got it. So you can have a long sustain and a penetrating resonance but not vice-versa.

[@remygaron8311]

What is the diff between a evans reso 1000 gauges and a G1 1000 gauges his there something i miss out there 😳😳🤨🙀👏🇨🇦 youre help is awesome thanks

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey Remy! Assuming you’re talking about the Genes Reso vs. G1, they’re just different types of polyester film. Subtle difference but it does exist. Genera Reso is a bit brighter in tone.

[@010aray]

"I do not think that word mean what you think it means" ~Inigo Montoya

[@addisoncarpenter5675]

“Any body want a peanut”

[@Sochi_Mochi]

“INCONCEIVABLE!!”

[@washthomas]

While we’re at it - aren’t we actually talking about “decay” when we say “sustain” in regards to drums?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yep, decay would essentially be the same thing though rate of decay is usually what’s addressed where as sustain is simply the length of the overall tone.

[@sammbobdylan]

Another way to remove the sustain from the flooe toms/s, is to turn the tom leg upside down. One bt one, turn the upside down.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yep! This is a fine one though can sometimes create some rattling and/or creeping floor tom. We're big fans of the sandbag approach.

[@mineralt]

You tune your reso heads a lot higher than I do. I think I get more ring than you are.

[@patdeniston3697]

I'm a low turner but I think I want more resonance and less sustain but I think im confused now Definitely gonna buy some cotton balls and hold my hand on the shell thing

[@RickK1988]

Get some cheesecloth. Found it in my Walmart arts and crafts area. Just cut a minimal piece off. Might take some experimentation and tuning tighter on bottom.

[@RickK1988]

If you checkout any of my videos you'll see that I use it in my toms. Learning the trade of mixing is a longer path than expected. Fun though.

[@patdeniston3697]

@@RickK1988 its never ending

[@RickK1988]

@@patdeniston3697 you ain't kidding bro

[@remygaron8311]

YOURE CARPET IS TO SHORT THAT CHANGE SOUND☺️

[@ryanforresterrenaissancesa4204]

The first and most basic notion that all drummers should eliminate is the tone wood and tone metal concept.

[@diddyhayes]

Lotta hand movements today. You’re serious i see 😂.

[@WMTrackdog]

In other words tune to your environment and needs. Be early aware of your instruments voicings.

[@bojackharkness1971]

Is it just me, or was he playing "Passenger" for a minute?

[@ChristopherRoss.]

You weren't wrong.

[@Gajeman]

at 7:54 Good call!

[@jordonwiersema2807]

first

[@cristianrsepulveda]

Four and a half minutes and I heard no difference between all those sounds... am done.

[@fearfeasog]

"Super low tuned drums...don't often have a lot of resonance because there's so little tension on the heads (etc.)" This might be why my kick sounds fat and meaty when I'm sitting right next to the head tuning it, but when I'm sitting on the throne playing it sounds like a cardboard box. hmmm...

[@liamfitzgerald7217]

You play your drums on the toilet?