Acoustic Drums for Metal: A Guide

[silverwulf]

Wow you got balls man thats a lil extreme but hey if it works

Definitely...if someone did that to the rhythm player in my former band, the session would have been over because in a fit of anger, he probably would have either A) Knocked the producer over the head with his Les Paul, or B) Taken the same the same pair of plyers and cut through all the cords in the back of the producer/engineer's rack. I wouldn't try to stop him either...he was a big guy, bench pressing 560 lbs by the time he was 21 back then!

 

[Razorjack]

Wow you got balls man thats a lil extreme but hey if it works

It caused a rather nasty stand-off but this guy was a shit hot guitarist who thought he knew it all and he needed to be put in his place.

Definitely...if someone did that to the rhythm player in my former band, the session would have been over because in a fit of anger, he probably would have either A) Knocked the producer over the head with his Les Paul, or B) Taken the same the same pair of plyers and cut through all the cords in the back of the producer/engineer's rack. I wouldn't try to stop him either...he was a big guy, bench pressing 560 lbs by the time he was 21 back then!

As big as he may have been if he was thick enough to not tune before a take, AFTER being asked to, then I'd still have done it. Anyway, the bigger guys are usually not as agressive as they have no need to try and 'prove' themselves.

 

[silverwulf]

As big as he may have been if he was thick enough to not tune before a take, AFTER being asked to, then I'd still have done it. Anyway, the bigger guys are usually not as agressive as they have no need to try and 'prove' themselves.

I'm with you there...he would have been tuned flawlessly, because he was meticulous like that. But, he was definitely an aggressive guy though. I recall one gig in particular...we were playing in a mid-sized bar, were in the middle of a song, and some guy moshing (while drunk) rams into the mic stand in front of Brian (guitarist), which causes it to fall and bash him in the mouth. In the middle of a song, he stopped playing, walks over and kicks the guy down, falling into a table and onto the ground with drinks flying...then puts his guitar back on and continues playing like nothing ever happened...

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Tuning is far too important to leave up to musicians. I usually tune the guitars....EVERY take. What a pain in the ass.

-0z-

 

[Glenn Fricker]

OzNimbus, what tuning do you use for toms? I mean top and bottom? I managed to tune some drums with the DW technique lately... With my ears... That wasn't very good. But finding the shell resonance frequency seems to make sense.

I go by tension watch numbers. My kit is 12X10 14X12 (big motherfucker) and 16X14.
12" 65 top, 60 bottom
14" 57 top, 50 bottom
16" 57-55 top, 50 bottom.

You can try switching the numbers around, top vs bottom, as well.

One thing to remember, however.... Just because these numbers work on my kit doesn't mean they'll work on yours. The key is to experiment..... but if you don't have a tension watch, and you're just beginning to learn, you'll be flying blind.

--Glenn

 

[Nitronium Blood]

OzNimbus, this is some good shit man. Thank you very much for taking the time to share this information with us.

This thread should be stickied.

 

[kaomao]

Great stuff OzNimbus!!! Thanks so much, very helpful!
Can't wait to read something about mics and mics placement!

Maurizio

 

[Lord Lurion]

Can't we make stikys? This thread definately deserves to be one.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Thanks guys..... your replies make it worth it. Like I said, this is payback for all the help I got with guitars from the lot of ya


-0z-

 

[The ORIGINAL South Of Heaven]

http://home.earthlink.net/~prof.sound/

That site has a lot of really good drum information as well. Nothing about recording I don't believe, but there is a shitload of tuning information.

 

[--TiMmY--]

great reading Oz! Thanks.

 

[Ermz]

I have to say that the healthy dose of cynicism and prejudice towards musicians makes this all that much easier to read. Thanks man, I'm learning already!

 

[AmirH]

Good stuff! Man, plywood on the floor... wouldn't have even guessed. I always assumed it was best to have as little reflection as possible. Can't wait for the next installment!

 

[Fabbio]

I want the third part!!!! This is very interesting.

 

[martyfireball]

Oz has very kindly allowed me to host his Drum guides on Noise101, so visit www.ilovemetal.co.uk, go to Pro Tips and you'll see the link under Drums.
Enjoy

 

[Matt Crooks]

I go by tension watch numbers. My kit is 12X10 14X12 (big motherfucker) and 16X14.
12" 65 top, 60 bottom
14" 57 top, 50 bottom
16" 57-55 top, 50 bottom.

You can try switching the numbers around, top vs bottom, as well.

One thing to remember, however.... Just because these numbers work on my kit doesn't mean they'll work on yours. The key is to experiment..... but if you don't have a tension watch, and you're just beginning to learn, you'll be flying blind.

--Glenn

I have a question about the tension watch. My set (Noble & Cooley CD maple) has inserts in the lugs so that they don't slip, will the tension watch still work with it?

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Yes, I think so, cause you put the watch on the skin.

 

[Asmus_Thomsen]

Damn good thread, man - keep it up!!! Best of all - it's genuine advice based on experience, not on hear-say....brilliant - and well-written too

 

[Matt Crooks]

Yes, I think so, cause you put the watch on the skin.

Cool thanks. I got a tuning key that is supposed to measure resistance but it didn't work on my set. I haven't had any troubles tuning by ear (a good set does really help), but I'm sure it could be better.

 

[Barth]

OzNimbus,

How do you build those Hemholtz resonators?
If remember well it was quite complicated in the early days.
We recorded in a big studio. Two songs for an album. The studio had chipwood on the non parallel walls and carpet on the floor. We just read an article about Cozy Powell recording the "Tilt" album. He removed the carpet from the floor, concrete! We did the same and.....our drumsound was the best compared to the other bands! Plywood or concrete, it's reflective. That's what its about I think

Very cool tread OzNimbus!
Real drums!
(You don't hear them anymore these days)