Drum Kit Setup and Tuning

Transcription

1 Renaissance Music Drum Kit Setup and Tuning This document is designed to provide a basic overview of drum setup and tuning information. If you require any further help please do not hesitate to contact us. Renaissance Music 1057 Midland Avenue Kingston, Ontario K7P 2X8 Canada Phone: (613) Fax: (613) renmusic@bellnet.ca

2 Quick Reference Guide Getting Started Follow the instructions carefully to set up your drum set. First, make sure you have a large open area where you can spread the parts out before you begin. The assembly can take between 30 and 90 minutes. Just take your time. Assembling The Toms 1. Place the top drum head onto the drum shell so that the logo on the drum shell is facing upright. The head will fit snugly around the outside of the shell. 2

3 2. Fit the rim on top of the drum head - placing it so it is evenly seated around all sides of the drum head. Then line up the holes in the rim with the lugs on the drum shell. 3. Place the washers on the tension rods, and then insert the rods into the holes of the rim. The tension rods will screw into the lugs. Hand tighten the tension rods, making sure the rim is even around all sides of the drum shell. 4. Now you may use a drum key to tune the drum head. Keep the head evenly seated on the drum shell. When tuning, press down on the center of the drum head with the palm of your hand. This will help to stretch the head so it will not go out of tune as easily. Repeat this process on the top and bottom of each tom. Assembling The Bass Drum The bass drum is assembled in much the same way as the toms. 1. Place the batter head on the side of the bass drum that will face the drummer and bass drum pedal -the side that is furthest away from the leg mounts. 3

4 2. Place the hoop on top of the drum head making sure it is evenly seated around all sides. 3. The bass tension rods are longer than the tom tension rods. Place the washers on the tension rods, and then the claw hooks. Position the tension rod in line with the lug and rest the claw hook in the hoop. Hand tighten the tension rod. Repeat this step for the remaining tension rods. 4. Tune the drum head in the same way you tuned the toms. 5. Turn the drum over. Insert the drum spurs (legs) into the leg mounts and then repeat the same process and place the front bass drum head (with the logo) on the bass drum and tune. Mounting The Toms 1. Insert the long tube into the tom mount of the bass drum and tighten the screw. Use this to adjust the height of each tom. 2. Tighten the screw on the tom mount of the drum. 3. Using the joint of the tom arm, you can adjust the angle of the tom. 4. Tighten the locks and repeat the process for the other tom. 4

5 Assembling The Floor Tom Drum Kit Setup and Tuning The floor tom is the largest of the toms. It sits on the floor as opposed to being mounted onto the bass drum. 1. After placing the heads and rims onto the floor tom in the same way as you have attached the other heads, insert the long floor tom rods that raise it off the floor along the sides of the floor tom. Assembling The Hi-Hat Stand Take the two hi-hat cymbals and refer to the diagrams below to assemble the hi-hat stand and clutch and to mount the cymbals. The hi-hat cymbals are 14 in diameter. Assembling The Snare Putting the snare together is a snap. Just follow the steps on the next diagram. 5

6 You re done! Well, sort of. Playing a drum set is all about personal preference. You may find yourself adjusting and re-adjusting all the drums a hundred times before you are finally satisfied. Tuning the Drums Drum tuning can be complex and can take a while to really get the hang of. It can take time before you are able hear all the tonal differences and overtones, so just go slowly and don t be afraid to experiment. The Environment You cannot underestimate the role the acoustic properties of the space or room have on the sound your drums produce. It will affect the overtones and can dramatically enhance (or detract) from the timbre of the drums. While the drummer focuses on the sound coming from the batter side, an audience hears something completely different and often this is a direct result of the acoustic properties of the space. If using microphones, this problem can be lessened if you employ so-called close microphone technique. This is where a microphone is placed in very close proximity to the drumhead and as a result, the reflections of the space are not as readily picked up. In these instances, the microphone is usually placed on the top. Even in these cases, nearby drum heads can pick up sympathetic vibrations from the head being hit and this can affect the sound being captured by microphones on other drums. Without mics, or in the case of overheard microphones, the reflection of what the resonant head produces (or that of the space) is now a major component of the 6

7 sound. If the space is highly absorbent, then the drum may also lose life. If highly reflective, you may not hear much in the way of warmth due to the effects of the acoustic space. Overtones are an essential component to making the drum sound carry through other instruments and to the audience. The drummer should focus on the sound they create, as the audience (or microphones) would hear it rather than how they hear it in an otherwise quiet and stale environment. High-pitched overtones are essential to making a dull drum come to life in the audience. The Batter Head The batter head controls the feel of the hit, initial pitch, the sound of the stick slap and the initial element of the drum sound or overtones. When the drum is hit, the ear hears mostly the attack and the fundamental pitch of the drum. Overtones emitted by the batter head are washed out at a distance, but aid in the overall projection. The Resonant Head Often underestimated for its contribution to the tone, it is mostly responsible for the pitch and lingering tone created as a result of striking the batter head. The resonant head produces resonance because of the vibration of the shell, aids in sustain, has a major effect on the overtones and enhances the timbre of the drum. Generally single ply heads are used on the bottom, but there are exceptions. Notes on Tuning and What To Expect As you tune the drum with one of either the batter head or resonant head higher or lower in tension and pitch, you go through zones producing one of clear pitch, phase cancellation (no life) or a Doppler sort of effect where the drum descends in pitch, also referred to as pitch bend. This becomes more pronounced when the resonant head is of a higher pitch than the batter. A drum placed upon a soft surface, such as carpet, and tapped very lightly allows you to hear the overtones in an easier fashion than simply hitting the drum in free space. The inherent sound created from the head will be heard by placing a head of identical specifications on the resonance side. This is due to the ability for polymers of equal thickness (specification) to vibrate reasonably equal to each other, thus 7

8 eliminating phase cancellations, which can cause a tight head to sound dead or lifeless. Seating Things are changing in the manufacturing of heads. When the head is first mounted, the objective is to get the head to seat itself. Seating the head is where you create that all-important bond between the bearing edge of the drum and the film and cause the head collar to become tight to the hoop. Seating often means putting more than normal tension on the head. This seating process, whereby you put the head under heavy tension to form it to the bearing edge is not required to get a good tuning. However, the pre-stretch that occurs during the high tension event can aid in minimizing the need to tune back up to pitch more often. Moreover, if your bearing edges are good and sharp, less tension may be required. If the head is pulled tight on side it may fail to be centered on the drum and its ability to produce an even harmonic tone may be inhibited. Uneven tensioning can limit the ability to tune a head to its lowest potential note and also create premature buzzing, or a distorted tone. Notes on Fine Tuning Here s where you dial the drum in. One of the first concepts you must grasp is the whole idea that all of what you hear is dramatically affected by acoustics and placement. It is highly possible that your drum sound will be enhanced or made worse (to varied degrees) if the acoustic space you are tuning in is full of inherent problems. Note: If you have the time, let the drum sit for a few hours overnight to stabilize the head. This is not a requirement by any means, but will help in some cases and can make the tuning process easier. 1. Working with the resonant side facing you, place the drum up on its stand or hold by the rim. Hit it once and see if you still have a low, resonant and clear tone. If so, go to Step 2 below. If not, begin tightening evenly and successively on each lug in extremely small increments of no more than 1/16 th of a turn per lug. Going slow is the key here. Go around once and even out the tone by 8

9 tapping and then striking once in the center. You want to tune just until you get a low and clear tone. Stop at this point. 2. Turn the drum over, batter side towards you. Hit once and see if you still have a low, resonant and clear tone. If so go to Step 3 below. If not, like above, tighten evenly and successively on each lug in extremely small increments of no more than 1/16 th of a turn per lug. Go around once, even out by tapping and then strike once in the center. You want to again tune just until you get a low and clear tone. Stop at this point. 3. Like it or not, this is the lowest pitch this drum will ever go. Note: If you ve gone around several times moving up in pitch but the tone is distorted, you may have a bad head, bearing edge problem, shell problem, lug casing issue or head that didn t seat properly. Before replacement, I suggest leaving the head under tension for 24 hours and try again. I have found that the problem goes away many times overnight. I don t know why. If you can t wait, try another head or try taking the pitch way up. 4. Now it s time to proceed up through the tuning zones to get the most out of the drum. Focusing on the batter or top head, proceed and tune, never go in larger increments than 1/16 th of a full turn on the way up. Again, slow small movements of the lug are important until you grasp the concept. Always hit the drum between each twist of a lug. With every few full rounds of lug tightening, stop and make sure the head is in tune with itself. What to Expect - You will go through phases where the drum sounds good, then sounds bad for a couple of turns, and then suddenly the sound opens up again. You can usually do this for two zones and then the top head will go dead and have a high overtone/ring. While pitch may continue to change, the drum continues to have no real life to it. At this point you've gone too far with the top head, back off 1/4 to 1/2 turn or go back to the point where the drum sounds even, focused and open (sounds good). 5. If you want a pitch higher than this pitch you achieved, go to the bottom head and tighten each lug 1/8 to 1/4 of a full turn on each lug. Again, always hit the drum between each twist of a lug and with every few full rounds of lug tightening, stop and make sure the head is in tune with itself. Once you reach that point where the drum again has no life, after this you can increase the pitch of the top head again for another 1-2 steps. What to Expect - When tuning in this manner, you'll experience certain phases in the tuning where when struck the drum will have a descending pitch. Some like this sound and 9

10 stop here. As you move up out of that phase of the zone, you'll reach a point where the drum evens out, the Doppler is gone and the drum becomes open and even in sound. This is the point where both heads are or are close to being identical in pitch. 6. Beyond this point, the drum will go dead again and you have to repeat with the 1/16, 1/8 or 1/4 turns on the opposite head to effectively raise the pitch of the drum and move up again to another zone and repeat the procedure. This is the end of the drum setup and tuning instructions booklet. If you have any other questions or are having particular trouble with any of the steps, please feel free to contact us at Renaissance Music by phone, or drop by to see us at 1057 Midland Avenue! Thanks for reading! Happy drumming! Sincerely, The Staff of Renaissance Music 10