The Secret to More Low-End from Toms

[@DrummerRIP]

I have always appreciated the perspective of no wrong sound from this channel - simply context of use. Well done.

[@woopsredacted9534]

I was looking for this and the video came out 50 min ago. Nuts

[@stayoutoftheswamps]

On the topic of “the room” I had a rack Tom that was buzzing like crazy no matter what I did. I’d take it away from the kit, tune it up til it sounded great, add it back to the kit, and it would still buzz like crazy. After a few days of this I realized it wasn’t actually buzzing. There was actually a fluorescent light with a metal grate cover directly above the rack tom and it was buzzing every time I hit it.

[@rubitsium2939]

Put moongel on the light LOL

[@sanitize808]

Love how educational this is to my drum knowledge. Never knew anything about Tom reso heads vibrating back to the loose batter head. 😮

[@joc8]

Really interesting, guys. I recently dropped the reso tension on my rack toms to reduce pitch bend ( the resos are still higher than the batter, for sustain control) and at present I’m happy with the result. Experimenting with tuning really does help you get to know your kit.

[@kevystead]

Just changed all my heads batter and reso. Haven't really turned them much. I do that proper at the gig this weekend. Also got my new custom built Snare.. Sounds incredible.

[@reeyotch76]

Always such great videos and wisdom on this channel. In a video that has multiple, slightly different sounds like this, a quick A/B/C comparison would really help our ears discern the differences. Please keep up the good work!

[@clayfoster8234]

I would love a video based on the tom sounds of the Corrosion of Conformity album Blind. They’re a super heavy crossover thrash band but the toms were tuned pretty high but sounded awesome! Tons of punch but also resonance and sustain with a perfect decay…. IMO it’s one of the best recorded drum sounds ever.

[@CharlesWillisBonsai]

Low tuned toms sound cool when I hear other people doing it, but for me I find a medium tension seams to work the best. I try tuning low then I hit the tom and there's just no attack. If I tune it up just a bit it comes to life without the jazz bongo (lol) sound of highly tensioned toms.

[@lucasalvarez3313]

I've been doing that in small steps recently. Had to solve some snare buzz as I went up with the 10 in tom. At some point I just focused on the floor tom. I realized I've had it lower than the bass drum and I can only say that it just seemed the way to go for a long time 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Joethedrummer]

Fantastic as usual. On a tangent somewhat pertaining to what you say about space at the end, I'm annoyed by the reflections off the drums that ruin the sound in the vocal mic haha. Doesn't seem to affect you.

[@famitory]

honestly folks looking for deeper sounds should be going for bigger drums. there used to be 20" floor toms and tbh there should be again.

[@johncollins5552]

Thats just another bassdrum. A friend has a vintage rogers with 18 floortom thats hard to tune, you tend to have a big distance between the tuning lugs on floortoms over 16 that don't help a

[@jakobwrate1013]

I disagree, not to say you're incorrect though. Some of the boomiest floor toms I've played have been 14"s.

[@cedarandsound]

My biggest difficulty is finding the balance between the batter/reso head tensions. I still find it incredibly frustrating despite how much your videos have helped. Honestly though, latest thing that's helped is using a mix of a guitar tuner app on my phone (istrobosoft) and a plugin on my DAW (Voxengo Span) to try and get the main modal note of the tuning for accurate balance between lugs. Because if I can balance the lugs together I can equitably tune up the reso head a 3rd note above the batter, but once both heads are on, it just seems impossible to snag a good ear on what the tone is actually doing while I tap it to hear it for tuning. It's like going to a optometrist and they say "A or B?" and they both look exactly the same to you. Using a mic and scientific measuring equipment seems like the best way to do it, but it doesn't always play out that way (apparently).

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Here's something to try- get your batter head in tune with itself while muting the resonant head. Now flip the drum over and try to get the reso to the same pitch as the batter. Practice that until you're comfortable with clearing the heads. Now try raising and lowering the batter head, still independent of the reso. Use VERY small adjustments here and listen for the change in pitch (record a video with your phone if you want a reference point). As you practice this, you'll start to feel more comfortable with the process of altering the overall pitch. Finally, experiment with tuning the reso a bit lower (now longer in unison with the batter) and a bit higher than the batter and test the sound of the drum overall. Listen to how the tone changes depending on the relationship between batter and reso. Repeat this process with your other toms, making notes of your experiences along the way. Practice a bit on a daily basis (literally 5-10 minutes will do just fine) and you'll see dramatic improvements after a couple weeks and certainly months. Cheers! -Ben

[@bjo179]

It would be nice to see how you got to this sound in terms of tuning and what exactly you did to change it...rather than just verbalizing it and them playing them....

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

We just tuned the heads up. No secrets, no special sauce. Just brought the heads up a little bit. The batter is balanced and in tune with itself as is the reso. It’s about as interesting as watching paint dry but takes seconds. We don’t usually show this because it really doesn’t serve a purpose to watch someone turn a drum key but the contextual explanation speaks volumes.

[@pws330tn]

@@SoundsLikeADrumgreat video!

[@supacrispy]

I just want my 12" tom to sound like theirs did at tye end of the video. I've been chasing that sound for weeks

[@jakobwrate1013]

I would start by tuning to "just above a wrinkle" (as referred to in the video). Put a bit of pressure in the center of a completely loose drum head with your fist or a few knuckles. Tune up the lugs (they should all be hand tightened to start) until the wrinkles go away. If it sounds too "flabby" or buzzy, like the second example in the video, experiment with just one variable at a time and see what changes. I have also found tuning the batter up very slightly to fix this issue *most* of the time for a quick non-precise tuning.

[@TsunamiBeefPies]

Thanks, guys, that was fascinating! I'm due for new reso heads on all of my toms very soon. When I put them on, I'll play those ideas. I have to confess that I like my rack toms to sound a bit more lively, which is where they'll probably end up. Also, I think I've been using this technique on my 16x16 floor tom for ages. It does kinda boom. Crappy rebound, though. Again, thanks Ben & Cody for another great video. I love this channel!

[@MichaelGibson5047]

I play the donor bop kit with the select hard wood as the drums say. Nothing wrong with the sound. I use Demo ambassador fibre skins. And really cannot get that true bop tone or tension. I being on a budget. That is what I can afford. Would love my tom toms to sing. I enjoy your channel. And one last question please only bass drum pedal I have been using is a Tama Iron Cobra pedal with a Vater bomber beater. Over kill for that18 inch bass drum ? And might zap a it of low end.

[@Bradwick1]

At some point along the raising of the pitch of the head, the shell will resonate at a certain pitch or harmonic and the overall volume will be noticeably louder.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

A lot of people mistake this for being a magic tension/pitch determined by the drum shell when, often times, it's a combination of the tension for that particular head, the relationship with the opposing head, and (sometimes most importantly) the acoustics of the room. I've watch people experience this, move the drum to a different part of a room, and the sound goes away and they're shocked- "but I didn't even change the tuning!"

[@MichaelGibson5047]

Sonor not Donor. What a name for a kit 🤔

[@guillermo3564]

I would like to know how much the fraction of a turn was. 1/4", less? More? It made a remarkable difference.

[@BeatsAndMeats]

1/8 of a turn

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Easily a 1/4 turn or less but the specifics here aren't really the key, as that information only really applies within our particular context. Your mileage will absolutely vary. Better to listen to the change and recognize the sonic difference so that when you reproduce this with your own drums you'll be able to determine what's necessary. Your ear is your best friend for this stuff.

[@J_THOR]

The secret - tune lower

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

*higher

[@elithepitbulldog2209]

Well if you play jazz, low tuning won’t apply. There are exceptions though, like Steve Gadd, but he can get away with making cardboard boxes sound amazing

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Regardless of the style(s) of music that you play, this is an excellent thing to experiment with and practice. And if you want to tune low for jazz, go for it! "Jazz" represents such a broad genre so let's not completely take certain sounds off the table in such a sweeping fashion.

[@JJ79_]

100% you can't say jazz cant have low tuned toms. You can do what ever you want, be creative.

[@nohandleforme....]

Anything is going to sound good when mic'd up like that. Try recording with only ambient mics, and from across the room. That's what the drum really sounds like.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Anything? Hmmm. And what you hear at the throne isn’t what the drum really sounds like? Interesting.

[@OFLHLGZ28]

💯….I also don’t like or use ported bass drum resos

[@davidperez5089]

I used to be like that. Too many sound guys want to get in there, so...​@@OFLHLGZ28

[@JonieBalonee]

Actually that’s just what that drum really sounds like at that position in the room you’re in.

[@OFLHLGZ28]

@@SoundsLikeADrum not exactly…..it sounds different out in the house. At least that’s how I’ve always heard it. But it certainly still has to sound good at the throne position.