OK, I've searched and there are just TOO many threads - What drum heads for tracking?
- Thread starter nwright
- Start date
monolithsound
Member
I like Evans Genera Dry and Hazy 300 on snare, EQ2 or EQ3 clear on kick batter side and EC2 clear and G1 on toms. Good tuning is a more important factor than head choice, though.
joeymusicguy
Member
BLUElightCory
Member
My usual go-to head setup for metal/hard rock:
Top Snare
- Remo Controlled Sound (more attack, open sound - my go-to)
- Remo Powerstroke 3 (more "thunk," less ring and sustain)
Bottom Snare
- Remo Ambassador SS or Evans Hazy 300
Toms
- Evans EC2 clear (for more attack/body, less sustain/ring)
- Evans G2 clear (for more of a singing "note" in the sound)
Kick
- Remo Powerstroke 3 clear (for more punch/less low end "boom")
- Evans EMAD clear single-ply (for more low end "boom" and less attack)
Top Snare
- Remo Controlled Sound (more attack, open sound - my go-to)
- Remo Powerstroke 3 (more "thunk," less ring and sustain)
Bottom Snare
- Remo Ambassador SS or Evans Hazy 300
Toms
- Evans EC2 clear (for more attack/body, less sustain/ring)
- Evans G2 clear (for more of a singing "note" in the sound)
Kick
- Remo Powerstroke 3 clear (for more punch/less low end "boom")
- Evans EMAD clear single-ply (for more low end "boom" and less attack)
MetalJonesy
more metal, more booze!!!
snare: some sort of evans power centre reverse dot, toms evans G2s with oil, kick remo powerstroke 3 is my all time fave!
digitaldeath
Member
Evans G2s for the batter heads and G1s for the reso heads. Tuned well, they sing beautifully. Great sustain with a natural ring I love from my drums.
Snare heads really depends on the snare you have, different heads for different snares. Personally, I use the same as MetalJonesy for my snare. What way are you micing the kick as this would help you choose suitable heads. Eg. Are you using a subkick etc. Also, I find that different beaters on my Axis pedals drastically change the sound, response and feel of my bass drum. What size is your kick? There are many things to consider but a lot of this is learned through trial and error. The biggest pain is that yes, drum heads can be pretty expensive!
Snare heads really depends on the snare you have, different heads for different snares. Personally, I use the same as MetalJonesy for my snare. What way are you micing the kick as this would help you choose suitable heads. Eg. Are you using a subkick etc. Also, I find that different beaters on my Axis pedals drastically change the sound, response and feel of my bass drum. What size is your kick? There are many things to consider but a lot of this is learned through trial and error. The biggest pain is that yes, drum heads can be pretty expensive!
kick is a Pearl, 22", not sure of the model name. It sounds killer as is, but we are looking at new heads. Double kick pedal is a Trick Pro-1V (our drummer is an endorsed artist) with the stock alloy beaters (felt side for beater). We plan on using a subkick and D6 for the kick, E604's or 421's on toms, 57's on the snare.
I've never got too involved with drums to this point, and our drummer is NOT gear savvy...He just plays, haha. Whatever I recommend is what he'll get I suppose, so I wanna make sure I get some decent heads.
I've never got too involved with drums to this point, and our drummer is NOT gear savvy...He just plays, haha. Whatever I recommend is what he'll get I suppose, so I wanna make sure I get some decent heads.
BLUElightCory
Member
If you're playing metal, you need to ditch the felt beaters NOW and get some hard plastic or wood.
digitaldeath
Member
Yeah, for example my Axis beaters while being light, are completely rubbish! I'd recommend wooden beaters or some good Tama plastic ones.
I have a 22" kick too and I really like Evans EMAD single ply for the batter head. I can't remember what the reso head is though, but it's Evans again with a precut sound hole for micing. I use very little padding inside the kick, just enough to kill the crazy sustain and achieve nice attack. Bass drum has a nice natural "boom" to it too, which works great both live and in the studio. Eg. Live I mic and trigger my kick, the trigger is used for the high end, while the mic really brings out the sound of a well tuned bass drum. I don't use any fancy fast kick techniques (heel, toe etc.) - I can just play 'em very fast using good, powerful strokes/technique. How your drummer achieves speed etc. will affect how you treat your kick. For example, I know that BrianHood around here uses his own version of the heel, toe technique, and stuffs his bass drum quite a bit as he triggers it (sometimes a more open kick can lead to triggering issues). Just some thoughts to take into consideration.
KeithRT99
BOOSH.
Remo Controlled sound on snare no doubt. Toms could either be coated or clear emperors on top. For kick I like Aquarian superkicks, but I recently used a powerstroke 3 kick with some proper muffling it it sounded good.
Not really felt per se, they are alloy with a felt face, at most about 1/8" of felt.
Looks like this:
lolzgreg
Cereal Shipping Sneapster
digitaldeath
Member
Kinda like the Axis design - shite! Lol!
Get some proper beaters as I've found that these beaters only encourage the fairy, tap dancing drummers. When recording I always want a nice, solid thump per stroke! Get it sounding great at the source and you won't need to replace 100%.
Trevoire520
Member
Morgan C
MAX LOUD PRESETS¯\(°_o)/¯
It really depends what kinda sounds you're after. I'd recommend an Ambassador for the snare (you really can't go wrong with this), or a Genera Dry is really good if you want little or zero ring.
Toms.. I know a guy who swore by Aquarian Studio heads or something.. I don't think they make those anymore. Either the Pinstripes (remo) or the Ec2's (I think this is the Evans version of Pinstripes). Be aware.. the general consensus is that Evans' heads completely lose their tone after a few weeks. So if this is a one-off recording, they may be the better choice.. if its a long-term thing, stick with Remo.
Kick = Powerstroke 3 (again, really can't go wrong with this) or Aquarian Superkick 2.
Toms.. I know a guy who swore by Aquarian Studio heads or something.. I don't think they make those anymore. Either the Pinstripes (remo) or the Ec2's (I think this is the Evans version of Pinstripes). Be aware.. the general consensus is that Evans' heads completely lose their tone after a few weeks. So if this is a one-off recording, they may be the better choice.. if its a long-term thing, stick with Remo.
Kick = Powerstroke 3 (again, really can't go wrong with this) or Aquarian Superkick 2.
Haha, guess it depends whether you're even gonna attempt the natural kick thing, or just go straight for the triggers
IIRC, the head design and weight on the Trick doesn't matter too much because you can set the beaters to have more "swing weight" (for lack of a better term) so it feels like the beater is heavier on the shaft for more striking power. On the surface these resemble Axis, but IMO they have a LOT more going on. Back when he first got the deal and the pedal, I told him I thought the beaters should be more robust for more striking power. He said he asked the company the same thing, he actually wanted it to ship with different beaters, but they said you can mimic heavier beaters by setting certain tensions. And if that isn't enough, he has weight sets they designed that attach to the shaft of the beater.
Thanks for the recommendations, fellas.
