Tom Head Comparison by Kai Jokiaho

[@SirHiggalot]

Grooves: Remo Ambassador Coated 0:13 Evans UV1 0:31 Remo Ambassador Vintage 0:49 Evans '56 Calftone 1:06 Aquarian Modern Vintage Medium 1:24 Remo Emperor Clear 1:41 Remo Emperor Smooth White 1:59 Single shots (Floor Tom): Remo Ambassador Coated 2:19 Evans UV1 2:32 Remo Ambassador Vintage 2:44 Evans '56 Calftone 2:56 Aquarian Modern Vintage Medium 3:07 Remo Emperor Clear 3:16 Remo Emperor Smooth White 3:27 Single Shots (High Tom): Remo Ambassador Coated 3:39 Evans UV1 3:48 Remo Ambassador Vintage 3:57 Evans '56 Calftone 4:06 Aquarian Modern Vintage Medium 4:15 Remo Emperor Clear 4:23 Remo Emperor Smooth White 4:32

[@aidan8092]

Girlish Goat o

[@DruGaTecH]

Thank you

[@yuryerr]

top

[@johnkunn2499]

Aside from the slight and not so slight differences they all sound good, because a) you are a good drummer. b) you can tune drums very well. c) you have a nice drum kit. d) you made a very good recording, which leads to e) I still can't make up my mind!

[@markusthedrummer8143]

100%

[@JulianFernandez]

That´s a lot of work... Thanks for sharing!

[@jonathanbormann5077]

The amount of work put into this video man, hats off to you.

[@danlc95]

The attack and growl of those clear Emperors.... So nice. Love the Remo heads.

[@michaelcavazuti3270]

Clear Emperors sound really good!

[@Andrew-wb2zq]

Those Ambassador Vintages had such a nice warm tone. Really brought out the best in that beautiful kit!

[@confusioncircles]

This is how you do a demo video!

[@TommyParkerJr]

I think for me the main conclusion is, you've got some great sound in your hands, and you've got a set of great sounding shells! keep up the good work!

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thanks Tommy!! :))

[@mihaidrums5]

This is the perfect drum head comparizon video! You play the same grooves every time! :) The drums sounds amazing and you're a great player! Thanks for this video!

[@Monsterdrumma]

Ambassador’s for me and Remo period here with all their heads, the evans sound a bit choked in comparison to me and the aquarians a bit flatter then the Remo but this is being uber picky. They all sound similar really but Remo sound the most natural, round, warm and full to me always but they all sound good just different characteristics to each brand. Personally I love the Remo vintage Emperor’s, they sound huge, warm and still have great sustain and they last when you play often!

[@Deagledrumzz]

Finally a man that knows how to tune the drumzz. And that kit does justice to all the skins. Very nice work.

[@mcafalchio]

Remo Emperor Smooth White sounds deep and amazing

[@allrequiredfields]

Yeah, I got excited when I saw them pop up, because I was hoping to hear smooth white ambassadors, which is something I've been contemplating. Hearing these SW emperors has convinced to try out a ambassador-weight set though.

[@chrismeglic7288]

I was surprised at the difference to clear Emperors, a lot of warmth and depth

[@frenchdrums]

@@allrequiredfields how were they?

[@kellymichael86]

Best to my ears were 1. Vintage a 2. Good ole fashion ambassador Honorable mention , the Evans calftone

[@bryanlandry7214]

I am with you.............Vintage A is my go to............ 56 Calftone were similar to my ear..............

[@SceneOfRobots]

I still come back to watch this video a few times a year. How great the kit is tuned, the Brady shells, excellent playing, etc. I have a Brady kit also and for me it's the most challenging of all my 6 kits to tune! When I do spend a bit of time dialing in my kit, the tone is very special.

[@KaitsuDrums]

Steve, what kind of Brady kit do you have?

[@SceneOfRobots]

@@KaitsuDrums I have a jarrah ply, walnut elm burl kit. Sizes are 12x8, 14x14,20x16. I have the 10” too, but forgot depth. Also have a 14x6.5 jarrah ply snare (Maccasar ebony wrap).

[@KaitsuDrums]

@@SceneOfRobots Sounds good!!

[@drumtravelfun]

ANY head will sound amazing on a Brady kit.

[@FrederikMoth]

One of the best heads comparison ever.. Thanks :)

[@chrismeglic7288]

^^This

[@supmet2]

I realize that most drummers kits will be tuned to a low to med tension so it makes perfect sense that that's where this comparison video aims. I have a kit tuned close to this but I also have a "jazz" kit with either an 18" or 20" bass drum. I would really love to see a drum head comparison video where the tuning is high on toms, bass drum, and snare drum. Hearing the Evans J1 and 56'Calftones - Remo Vintage and Fiberskins - Aquarian Jack DeJohnette, Vintage and Modern Vintage would be a great addition. Thanks for taking the time to make the videos. That's quite an undertaking!

[@fabiocacchioli9074]

Mate this is a really good video. Perfect drum head comparison. 🤘🏻

[@HoldenMcG]

Awesome job Kai. I know it took a lot of work to produce this video. Thanks for sharing with the community!

[@carloscastenada1]

excellent. thanks. emperor clear gets my vote. i can immediately hear it is more depth but also with a quick attack and lots of clarity

[@Kyle_Noonan]

I keep coming back to this video for the TOOOOOOOONES. Please make more content!!

[@666jony666]

Great video. Definitely helped me pick what heads I want to get for my first drumhead change.

[@Joesfosterdogs]

I love em all...such a deep warm tone! those drums SING in your playing

[@KaitsuDrums]

Yeah these Brady's are real good :)

[@kevinturvey8213]

thanks very much - thought they all sounded great, and remarkably similar...

[@oblivionwalker8613]

For me, the Modern Vintage wins for swing, Emperor wins for rock, and UV1 wins for jazz / most well rounded sound.

[@Savantjazzcollective]

swing is jazz?

[@TeruTeruBoz]

Very good comparison video ♪

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thank you!!

[@jakebrennan1550]

Best video I’ve watched in a while, thank you

[@gdrums7733]

Nice job for me coated emperors or clear are my preference on toms, BD Evans EMAD, snare coated ambassador.

[@lisaasmus3284]

Great comparison, thank you. To my surprise the Smooth white hits the nail. A little more focussed, darker and louder than the rest. I should give them a try.

[@bryanubaghs406]

Best drum head comparison video out there. Thanks!

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thanks Bryan :)

[@XDrummerSteve]

Couldn't stop looking at the Bradys!

[@jamesbradford1153]

I like anything Remo, but the Remo Emperor Clears have got to be my favorite out of those. Got me a set of UV1's for the whole kit recently and I just can't get into them. Definitely a lot of tone and resonance, but the plastic-like coating makes them feel and sound inorganic to my ears, almost like toy drum-heads.

[@allrequiredfields]

I've never liked Evans heads but this vid has made it clear why - they sound far more choked than the rest. I'm kind of confused by the comments in here praising them.

[@Jean-bl6ml]

For me, the clear emperors sounded the best. Your drums also help a lot, great Brady's. Thanks for the trouble and for sharing.

[@christ2353]

I've watched this video multiple times, and the snare sound always got my attention. Great video. Please share choice of snare batter/snare side heads. Thank you.

[@KaitsuDrums]

Zen, the snare heads are Remo CS on top and Ambassador bottom and it's a Brady Jarrah block snare.

[@Brosenbrose]

Do you use the Tunebot on your snare? If so what are your batter and reso frequencies? Your drums sound amazing!

[@Twotontessie]

That ride tom is money regardless of what heads are on it!

[@giuliocarmassi]

I keep gravitating toward Vintage Ambassadors on my sets as well. They really have struck quite the balance with those.

[@skwark56]

I gotta say, that was a real good video! It's nice to hear how different heads sound with different tensions. I'm really starting to like your vids man, please keep posting!

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thanks very much! I will post new videos from time to time but check out also my Instagram page for some videos: instagram.com/kaijokiaho/

[@Juupke]

I would go with the Evans ev1. nice crisp sound.

[@monkeyxx]

UV1... more bass on that head as well I think

[@maixce]

Very nice Kai. Still going back to coated ambassadors.... the dynamic range and type of "clearness" works great for many styles and tunings. The other heads are nice too :-) I have to try the Aquarians soon

[@Cragiesea]

Wow! Seriously thanks so much for your effort M8! Coated Emperor's all the way for me. Cheers!;

[@jedfearon]

Very helpful demo. Your videos are always on point. You are also a very tasteful and skilled musician!

[@demisemedia]

I've used Remo Smooth white Emperor heads and Remo Clear Emperor heads for my toms. Both sound awesome. Next i want to try Remo clear controlled sound. If you want a drum head with NO resonance at all try the Evans Hydraulic clear heads. They have oil in between the 2 plies!

[@ccdrums1290]

I liked a lot of them, but to my ear, best single shots were the coated ambassadors. Grooving in the beginning I liked the coated ambassadors and Aquarian modern vintage.

[@jjboogie1]

Coated Ambassadors for the win. Great video!

[@deadlydorock]

appreciate your hard work on this vid! Labor of love for the rest of us!!

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thanks very much :)

[@davidcurtis4478]

Great comparison video Kaitsu! Drums so fantastic! DC

[@the6ig6adwolf]

Huge props, respect and thanks for putting out this video, changing that many heads is no small task 🤘

[@SONORSQ2guy]

Great video. My pick is the Remo coated Ambassador. 👍

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thanks Greg! That's what i have been using after doing this demo :)

[@bebopfantan2672]

Agree

[@Hawiianlion67]

Remo vintage emperor is sooooo good, also the calftones are just great.

[@markblanch2905]

Love it, Exact same kit as mine. Not really hearing much of a difference but clears definitely stand out 🥁💜

[@thebeatclinic9000]

Great video and alot of hard work. I think that we all have an unconscious bias towards remo heads as they're probably the most recorded heads in recent history and most of our favourite recordings use them. Just my theory.

[@Iwatchvideos2009]

Thanks for making this video, i know its a lot of work! widely appreciated! Charlie

[@skeetabomb]

HANDS DOWN THE BEST SKIN COMPARISON EVER!Awesome job dude! Thanks. I hear the difference even though this is YT :)

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thanks very much!!!!!!!!!

[@PhilRounds]

Amazing! They all sound the same to me.

[@inkeye1]

I think at the same tuning, the heads have subtle differences except for the clear heads. I think this tuning range is probably a sweet spot for the heads and drums plus good playing. I'd imagine that these heads would perform differently at different tunings. The best is the type that can fit the ranges you need and have some durability. Of course, that will be different for all of us.

[@mchaggis622]

Thank you so much for your work here. It has helped me tremendously!

[@ploomator]

Awesome job! Thank you Kai!

[@U2WB]

This is an excellent demo video ! Thank you for sharing. I see that your rim mounts do the same thing mine do, and it drives me batty - the rack tom moves around a lot. I much prefer the old-style shell mounts and I don’t hear any difference at all with rim mounts.

[@KaitsuDrums]

I have since updated the RIMS mount the original Gauger aluminum RIMS and it doesn't wobble so much compared to this OEM RIMS. I think it definitely helps drum to resonate more but it also depends how high or low you tune your toms. I also have either Pearl ISO feets or Gauger ISO feets on my floor tom legs.

[@Gurkensalat70]

thank you! Nice video! Verry helpfull!

[@johnweyers2685]

I always use Remo coated Ambassadors on my snare drums and Ambassador coated Vintage on toms. Just prefer the sound on my Gretsch kit. 😎

[@Adam-mx2he]

My taste and ears liked the Remo Ambassador Vintage on the rack tom. It was clear and beautiful...Every tom assembled is unique with subtle nuances that OCD/ perfectionist sort of folks can distinguish quickly. Tuning, accuracy of stick to skin strike and a myriad of factors can all contribute to sonic change.

[@TheRealBertMoog]

I could barely tell the difference. Must be the playing and the tuning... great video.

[@del5606]

An excellent demo. I'm going to have to get myself a Tune-Bot. Torn between the Coated Ambassador and the Vintage.

[@MrChlor2]

Awesome drum solo!)

[@jlcannady]

I like the remo emperor clear heads🙌🏽

[@VojtechRozsival]

Frankly I am not sure, why the were in this test. The only clear heads among all coated 9coted emperor would make much more sense. Clear heads play differently and would deserve their own comparison imho.

[@dinospumoni663]

@@VojtechRozsival It's still nice to hear the difference between coated and clear heads. Though yeah it'd be cool to have a more 1:1 comparison.

[@larrytate1657]

You can hear a clear difference.

[@champ8288]

Thank you btw... excellent comparisons and playing!! cheers

[@AshtonWolfwood]

Thumbs up for the effort! Thanks.

[@tyson80]

Awesome! Great job with the tuning!

[@SKragseth]

Really digging this groove and your drums sound fantastic

[@chickenbeforeegg]

Honestly, I'm sold on anything Remo really, favourites are Coated Ambassadors, runner ups are Clear Emperors!

[@theavenger3363]

Mmmmm … All except the Evans heads really .. Great tuning and a beautiful kit - played really well. 👌

[@jackhwthorne]

vintage or uv1 are my favorites. i do like the punch of the emperors though. i'll experiment

[@seanpatrickaustin]

Awesome - I minimized the screen and just listened without watching. The clear Emperors caught my ear for some reason; it seems like I can hear the attack of the stick tip and then the reverberation of the drum more distinctly with those heads.

[@monkeyxx]

very pure tone from the clear emperor

[@christopherdunn317]

The Evans uv1 are amazing, they may have sounded a bit muffled here, but that may be the drums that he has, they have more damping and are a little less bright than the ambassador's

[@michaelcavazuti3270]

Beautiful sounding drums I think any heads on Brady's will sound good!

[@timmyg4295]

Nice groove, when u can play good, and tune good any head sounds goods. ice video!

[@boreto]

Very good video! It's hard to compare drumheads because every model has it's own sweet spot, but the video is very informative and the approach is very nice. I have plenty of experience with Evans, Remo and Aquarian myself. The Modern Vintage start to sing when you crank them up a bit, and the Clear Emperor has nice crack in a medium tuning. Never tried the Vintage ambassadors but the Ambassador Black suede has plenty of attack and wide tuning range but unless the great sound all the Remo heads "die" in less than a month when i play every day. The Aquarian Texture Coated is one of the most balanced and durable single ply head i played and maybe you can put them in a video in the future. The sound and the tuning are great, good work!

[@R_Ultraloud]

Thanks a lot. It really helped me.

[@allrequiredfields]

Fantastic video, man. I really appreciate it - and I know how much must've cost just for the heads themselves. I just wish you'd had some smooth white ambassadors too - I've been seriously thinking about picking up a set for some mid-60s tom sound vibes.

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thanks! Yes, I bought all these heads and that's why I didn't have 20 different heads. I currently have Coated Emperors on this kit and like it very much. Smooth white Ambassadors should have more stick attack, it would nice to compare those also.

[@jorgelopez9620]

Awesome job brother, just got the remo coated vintage, loving them. Been a pinstripe guy forever. Love the vintage and those emperor clear are sounding good looking good

[@marceloBAdARI]

Great drums playing and drums sound. I believe the pitches are in fact 12” A# and 14” D#. Anyway thanks for sharing it. Cheers!

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thanks Marcelo! Yes, you are right, there's a mistake on video but I have corrected those on the video description. Cheers :)

[@Diddle1414]

Not sure what to take away from a comparison video like this because everything is mic'd well so they're all going to sound good.

[@ericfrench5720]

Thanks, this is great!!!

[@kaiserwilhelmii1827]

Gotta say that kick sounds amazing!

[@hairyd61]

thanks so much for this. I found it very helpful and useful.

[@cvtogate]

Incredible comparison!! Consistent tuning....a very expensive comparison!!

[@jarrahdrum]

Sounds fantastic, subscribed 🙏

[@patricprosak8350]

Great Job , after watching this , I hate myself for selling my Brady's , sold them last aug. only kept my 12x7 snare .. Your kit sounds Amazing , great clean chops , Thanks for sharing and Love Those Brady's . . . .

[@vincenzovedovato4484]

Great demo video ! I'd also like to hear a Coated Ambassador X thanks :-)

[@thebarak]

Great job. Thank you very much.

[@alexanderdrumsandguitar3464]

that rack tom is just swinging back and forth as you are playing lol

[@Grit489]

That's because it's rim mounted

[@edplaysdrums8435]

amazing sounding kit!

[@ghostdrums]

Perfectly done! Thank you

[@acidbath3226]

my favorite have always been remo pinstripe. thinking about trying out attack heads next

[@allrequiredfields]

Well, Attack heads are nothing like pinstripes, if you're wanting a similar sound. That being said, Attack heads were far and away my favorite heads - they sounded the most like 60s (not 70s) of any heads I've ever purchased. Too bad they're out of business.

[@Michael-Philip]

I always used Emperors. only because I don't know much about evans. good video.

[@EnricoGarciaDrums]

Remo emperor smooth for me please.. Nice video dude

[@KaitsuDrums]

Thanks Enrico!

[@aidanschram9652]

Remo Ambassador Vintage is my favorite

[@Rustyjamesman]

remo ambassador vintage and evans 56 calftone are my favs

[@Dave286i]

this man knows how to tune

[@ghiblinerd6196]

Those drums sound great