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Muffling
So you went to all the work of tuning your drums, and now you want to kill
that beautiful resonance? Get real! Okay,
so maybe you're recording, or you have a lousy soundman and you really
do need to kill some ring. Following are some common techniques.
Tune it out
Careful tuning can preserve the pitch while decreasing sustain, ring, and
overtones. This usually involves carefully detuning the head at some points,
while raising the pitch at other points. I should point out that some places
on a drum or head can be mo re resonant than others. Depending on the amount
of muffling you want, you can detune these points or use them to retain
the pitch by tuning them higher.
O-rings, zero rings, or donuts
These are small rings cut from an old head which rest on top of the head.
The outside diameter is large enough so it just fits inside the rim. The
inside diameter can be however large you want, depending on the amount
of muffling desired. [A few companies sell these. Don't buy those if you
have old heads lying around. It's just a waste of money, because they aren't
special in any way.]
When used on toms (or other drums that are at an angle), it's
a good idea to apply small pieces of tape between the ring and the rim.
This will hold it on so it doesn't bounce off, and it will allow the ring
to vibrate away from the head naturally.
Flap of cloth
I forget who mentioned this, but here's the scoop: Find a small piece of
cloth. Lay it on the head, next to the rim, and tape it to the rim. The
tape forms a hinge so you can easily "turn it on and off". Try different
thicknesses and weights of fabric for various amounts of control.
Maxi-pads
A big ol' hunk of fabric, paper towel, or Kleenex taped to the head. One
word describes this technique: Yuck!
It kills all sorts of ring and tone and generally turns nice heads into
Hydraulic wanna-be's.
External mufflers
Some drums come with these (my CBS-era Rogers had one for each tom). They
can also be purchased from a few manufacturers. I generally don't like
these because they stick up above the rim and get in the way. But they're
much better than the next type.
Internal mufflers
Like I said in the Snare Tuning section,
remove these. They're just yucky and they impede the natural movement
of the head.
Back to the main Drum Tuning page
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