How do you mantain the right drums tuning for the whole session?

[::XeS::]

As title says, when you start a recording session with the drums tuned how you like...how do you mantain the same tuning everytime you control/change the skins?
Do you all use Drum Dials to check this thing or do you have other methods?
For example, if I record 2 or 3 songs with the same heads and every song I check and fix if something is a little out of tune, how can I know if it will be different than before?
Drum dial is very cool in this case but it means that everytime you have to unmount all the toms (because if they are angled you have to hold the Drum dial with the hand and it's not very good with somethins so sensible) and the kick.

Do you have some cool trick?

 

[Fredrik-Ablaze]

drum dials; but I also make samples at the very beginning before I start recording the first song so I can reference the toms against the samples before every song and first thing in the morning on every new day.

 

[-Noodles-]

drum dials; but I also make samples at the very beginning before I start recording the first song so I can reference the toms against the samples before every song and first thing in the morning on every new day.

What this man said.

 

[crillemannen]

^
+ 1

Sample the snare to because that is most likely getting out of tune especially when the skins are brand new

 

[::XeS::]

Ok but how do you deal with the sample? I mean...I record samples too before I start recording but, when I check the skins I'm in the live room and I fix the various lugs...how can I compare the 2 sounds in real time?

 

[Toseben]

1) Record new sample and listen how much the latter is detuned. GO FIX IT
2) Play the sample through headphones constantly while tuning.

Shouldn't be that difficult...

 

[El_Gato]

Ok but how do you deal with the sample? I mean...I record samples too before I start recording but, when I check the skins I'm in the live room and I fix the various lugs...how can I compare the 2 sounds in real time?

Not sure I get it but drum dials don't lie. Write down your tensions and done?

The problem for me is that my snare head will detune after 30-45 seconds when hitting properly hard so yeah, sample replacing is a must here

 

[::XeS::]

I know they don't lie, but how can you check the tension of angled toms or kick? If you hold them with your hand you don't have a precise measurement because a little movement could change the value. And I don't want to unmount the drums every song to check with drum dials

 

[El_Gato]

I know they don't lie, but how can you check the tension of angled toms or kick? If you hold them with your hand you don't have a precise measurement because a little movement could change the value. And I don't want to unmount the drums every song to check with drum dials

Mine is a Tama watch tension and it's pretty solid when moving it across the head. You can move it on angled toms a few centimetres near the hoop in one bolt area and it wouldn't change its values a lot. No need to unmount the toms as, if there would be any error by angle, it would be the same value for every bolt, I guess.

They say tama ones are quite useless but it works wonders here. Truth is that I never tried others but it works and it's precise and capable of more fine-tunings than I'd need.

Try one at the store and see if it works for you. You have to calibrate it first, though.

 

[guitarguru1969]

Our drummer puts a nut on his lug bolt and when tension is reached he tightens the nut down. Kind of like a lock nut for a guitar, keeps it in tune. Of course you have to beat the heads a bit to stretch the thing out but it does stabilize after a bit. Not perfect but it sure does help.

 

[tenebre]

Trigger (sorry had to)

Never had this problem... are you using an old or low quality kit? I mean we check tuning daily but never had a problem within a days sessions.

 

[::XeS::]

Black Panther snare with brand new hardware and Mapex Orion

 

[vespiz]

Sometimes you just have to accept and deal with it. But yeah, I try and get samples and then compare the sound as we go on. Remember to listen to the snare in solo so the toms won't ring along and confuse things!

 

[::XeS::]

Anyway I have a little difference in pitch in 1 or 2 songs but i can deal with it using a little bit of pitch shift and with samples.
Thanks for the advices guys...I have to improve my handmade Drum Dial

 

[elsenator]

1 trick. First of all, I sample all the drumkit before I start recording. Cymbals, snare, toms, everything! Then, throughout the recording sessions, I load up these samples up and compare it to the drums as they sound this particular day, and make the needed adjustments.

I don't change the skins throughout, but if you absolutely have to, you should be able to use the same approach, as long as you started off with fresh skins.

EDIT: Also, having the samples helps if, at the end of the project, you realize that something got fucked up in the process. Then drum replacement is your friend, and the sampled kit is really, really, nice to have.

 

[J-Mac]

I know they don't lie, but how can you check the tension of angled toms or kick? If you hold them with your hand you don't have a precise measurement because a little movement could change the value. And I don't want to unmount the drums every song to check with drum dials

For angled toms build a small jig (I used cardboard shaped like a L held on with elastics) that will ensure that the drum dial stays at least 10mm from the rim(IIRC that's what Tama wants for a measurement with the tension watch). Place the jig against the rim and you will always have a tension reading for the same aread of the head around the head regardless of the angle. Saved me a bunch of time.

 

[AEL89]

Re-tune if the drum sounds shit. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it too much - its not the end of the world if the pitch of the drums is very slightly different.

Drum dials are really useful though.

 

[colonel_claypoo]

from your experience, which head goes out of tune more easily? I assume the batter head?

 

[blacK.eXe]

I don´t really remember where I have seen this, but some people heat the edges of the heads with a hot air blower after tuning. I think you can see this in the making of videos from toontracks superior drummer (or was it metal foundry? not quite sure...)

Edit: Found it! At around 3:25