Turn your toms into concert toms (Or maybe don't)
The TLDR: I tried to temporarily convert my double-headed toms into concert toms. But it didn't sound good to my ears. Using different heads and tuning even higher probably would have improved the results.
The longer story...
Back in the '70s and early '80s, I wanted a drum set with concert toms. It seemed like lots of famous drummers I liked used them: Peter Criss, Keith Moon (in the '70s anyway), Gilson Lavis (Squeeze), Neil Peart (for his higher toms), and of course Phil Collins. Even drummers who might have normally been double-headed tom users seemed to use single-headed toms to facilitate greater isolation for mic'ing live or in the studio.
Of course, as a young player, I also probably wanted concert toms because they were slightly less expensive than their double-headed cousins.
But alas, I never got them. I went from RotoToms (a close facsimile) to Tama Granstar set with double-headed toms.
A few years ago, I thought, "Why don't I see how my current DW toms would sound with just single heads?" The answer: Not great, in my opinion!
If you decide to go through a similar exercise, here are a few tips:
1. You need a way to stop the rattling of the part of the lug that receives the rods for the bottom heads. I remember reading that stuffing cotton in there would be a good solution, but unless you tape the cotton in there, the cotton balls will just fall out when you play. Using some masking tape (or any tape that's easily removed) is a better bet.
2. Tune your top heads up a bit. When you tune the top heads to the same pitch or tension as usual, they'll be flabbier when you remove the bottom head since the air is now leaving the shell, not bouncing back against the batter head. I tuned my heads up a little (a whole step), but I should have tuned them up even more, because they were still flabby.
3. Consider thicker heads. The single-ply, un-dotted heads I tried were particularly flabby and thin sounding without the bottom head. The Black Dot heads I tried were better. But I might have even preferred Pinstripes.
4. Maybe DON'T mic within the drum. I tried that, though I didn't include the video here because I actually got a decent amount of distortion, even using an SM57! ....Also I didn't have a stand short enough to put a mic inside the lowest tom. I preferred just mic'ing as usual, from the top of the tom. In the final part of the video, I even omitted tom mics and just used overheads. I kind of like that best, if you have a decent room.
5. If you DO mic within the drum, consider flipping the phase on those mics since they'll be pointing back at you, in the opposite direction of, and out of phase with, the overheads. You can flip the phase when recording (on your A/D converter) or do it later in your DAW with a plug-in.
Equipment:
-DW drums
-Zildjian cymbals (K Constantinople Medium Thin High Ride)
-DW single-ply heads (for first 2/3 of video)
-Remo CS Black Dot heads (for last 1/3)
-AKG D112 mic on kick; SM57s on toms (for first 2/3); Blue Hummingbird mics for overheads
-Apogee Element 88 A/D converter
-Logic Pro X
-Fujifilm X100T and X100V cameras
-Final Cut Pro
Пікірлер: 24
I recently converted my six piece Yamaha Stage Custom Birch kit into concert toms, but my secret sauce is using mesh heads as resos. This keeps the drum mounted hardware tightened down to prevent rattling, retains the reso hoops and proper weight of each drum, protects the reso bearing edges, provides extra protection for internally mounted mics (which I have installed) and still retains that classic concert tom sound! I'm an Evans guy, so I use a combination of UV1 and UV2 batters with dB Zero mesh heads as resos. I don't use overhead mics because they aren't necessary at the venues where I play gigs. My sound guy uses a little bit of gated reverb on all my tom mics and it sounds phenomenal. I get many compliments on the sound of my kit. And my band mates tell me it's the best sounding version of my kit they've ever heard. I love the massive attack and little to no sustain that concert toms provide. Coming up with my own hybrid version using mesh resos has made all the difference. I highly doubt I'll ever switch back.
@schmargle
5 ай бұрын
What a great idea! Very cool.
I think they sound amazing as concert toms, great job.! PS: Love the Phil Collis fill at the end, I couldn't have resisted either :)
This is some good playing, and the drums sound great, but I just have to point out how high your heel is off the ground on the bass drum pedal, it looks unnatural. Also, you have a slack grip of the sticks with the pinkies out, but hey if it works for you that's fine too!
They sounded great either way man! Although with reso heads it did sound a bit better. but with no reso head, that high tom had a beautiful downward tune effect
@schmargle
5 ай бұрын
Thanks!
Excelente o seu video ! Poderia dizer qual a finalidade do uso do algodão? Obrigado.
@schmargle
4 ай бұрын
The idea was to keep the hardware from rattling. But taping them worked better. (A ideia era evitar que o hardware chacoalhasse. Mas gravá-los funcionou melhor.)
Nice that you have a water bowl available for the drums.
@schmargle
5 ай бұрын
🤣They get thirsty!
Nice "Phil's" on that kit
@schmargle
5 ай бұрын
😂
I think concert toms work best when tuned up a little higher
@schmargle
5 ай бұрын
100%
plz upload version into Mic Tom Inside! and Mic Placement Comparison
Have you thought about replacing the reso heads with mesh heads to make a 2 in 1 silent practice kit and concert tom kit?
@schmargle
18 күн бұрын
I hadn't thought of that-that's a cool idea.
@RainMakeR_Workshop
18 күн бұрын
@@schmargle Yeah, I keep suggesting it to KZreadrs in hopes one will give it a shot.
In fact, they sound great ! It may be better with bigger size toms, lots of drummer in the 70's/80's had very big drums, it should sounds fuller.
@schmargle
5 ай бұрын
I guess with bigger drums you could tune them higher, too. On the other hand, I did like the way Neil Peart’s small-ish concert toms sounded. 🤷🏻♂️
For the time spent taping up the lugs so they dont rattle, you might as well just remove em.
Sorry concert toms suck in comparison.
Don't
@schmargle
5 ай бұрын
Agreed.