Goodness comes to those who vibrate
Famous for steam-bent single-ply snare drums. Watch this. Here is true craftsmanship. “The copper-finished die-cast hoop / oak whiskey barrel staved / steam bent maple outer band is by far the best sounding drum; it is shockingly good sounding. It has the Right Amount of meat, the Right Amount of tang and sass — it … Read more
He mentions it from 1:59 to 2:35 – Find the Natural resonance of the shell, and tune the top and bottom heads to that pitch – for a straight cannon tom sound. NOTE: Tune the bottom head a minor third lower, for the classic ‘drop tone’ tom sound. (LPT: to find the natural resonance, take … Read more
Snare Wire shootout / soundoff. BUY FROM AMAZONhttps://amzn.to/4p3ELvW When it’s the right pick Common tradeoff Will the C1412 work on a piccolo snare? Sound/feel: what it tends to do on a piccolo Piccolos are typically quick, articulate, and sensitive because of the reduced depth. (Pearl Drums)The Concert Series design goal is subtle response that doesn’t … Read more
Internal concentric circles / rings carved in. “The sound does not fade as it [is expected]; it gathers somehow beneath the dome.” — “We tune them not for the ear but for the air.” Tuned to 112 Hertz. Electrical cables connecting bells to domes. [[So the bells were the oscillators and the domes the emanators? … Read more
A tribute. A demo. A solo. I’m not sure, but the recording and tone are incredible. Then I noticed it’s similar to my favorite Ludwig kit dating from the late 1970s. Also it gives credence to a loose almost flabby kick! Bonus for icebells / crotales tree, resonant tone and style! See also
Hand-made Turkish glory I love this series. You bring to us places few of us know about and help to tell their stories. I’ve tried to purchase something from many of the places you share with us. Keep it up. Chuck Levine’s Washington Music store used to do “cymbal clinics” and “drum clinics” 40-50 years … Read more
How to Get a Drum in Tune with Itself Long-time drum tech of DRUMEO channel. Smooth note. Loud projection. Bearing Edge Lubricant Drum bearing edges should not typically be lubricated in the traditional sense (e.g., oil or grease), as this can dampen the sound, attract dust and grime, and interfere with head seating and tuning … Read more
Paul Reed Smith’s Vintage STRAT Shootout Goes OFF THE RAILS Paul Reed Smith’s Vintage Strat Shootout Goes OFF THE RAILS Expert Analysis: Tone Factors Explored Here’s a refined breakdown of how pickups, magnetics, winding techniques, and guitar bodies influence the tone—paired with insights from the shootout video and broader research: 1. Pickup Construction: Coils & … Read more
Still Sounds Great – Don’t Mess With It I know a lot of musicians are like that. “If it ain’t broke, don’t touch it at all or I will kill you”. Gear is so often inconsistent, that we gravitate towards anything that doesn’t effing change or shift on us. it’s true. and drums shift literally … Read more
An examination of how power supply design affects audio circuitry and ultimately sound quality Great. I’ll conduct an in-depth investigation into how power supply design affects audio circuitry and ultimately sound quality, considering both objective performance and subjective perception. This will include foundational and recent research, and apply to all categories of audio equipment, from … Read more
Healing with Cymatics Sound Medicine – a deep dive Life vibrates. An exploration of cymatics and vibrational healing through three distinct lenses — ancient history and mysticism (e.g., Saqqara and the Voice of God), modern fringe research (e.g., military projects, Emoto, Eileen McKusick), and biophysical mechanisms (e.g., protein formation, vibrational synthesis of life). Each will … Read more
Michael’s Drums 19 Sep 2024 Update I have A Lot of different drumsticks, weights, cuts, woods…been playing over the years with sanding/roughing body, shoulder, tip…same, differing, etc. Same for the tips. I recently came across Claus Hessler via his technique of ‘crushed rudiments’ which mimicks a similar idea I’ve been exploring. Then I found he … Read more
Michael’s Drums 18 18 Jul 2024 Update Below is (still) my #1 snare, “steam-bent single-ply maple”. It’s so unusual because it is so unlike all my other drums. 1-ply steam-bent maple. Hardware unspecial except for its vintageness (which isn’t that much more ‘vintage’ compared my main kit’s hardware!). The rims are die-cast, not triple-flange. Heads … Read more
Michael’s Drums 17 Oct 2023 Update So I long ago gave up on finding, in one shot, ‘the other half’ of my main kit, a 6-ply maple Ludwig Rockers II kit covered in black cortex. My original half is 12 and 13 mounted on 22 with 16 floor. The absent half is 14 and 15 … Read more
Michael’s Drums 16 June 2023 Update On a fluke of boredom one night I switched in the 1-ply maple Slingerland. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better than the phosphor-bronze…OMG. This old-school character has pop, crack and just as much if not more sensual and infinitely-coaxable timbre as any drum I’ve ever played. … Read more
Michael’s Drums 15 2023 Update Above – Steel floating shell Pearl piccolo FTSS1435 – die-cast hoops, Ambassador batter Above – TreeHouse Custom 4″ x 14″ Solid 1ply Steambent Maple Snare Drum – THICC 1-plt maple shell, PHATT maple reinforcement rings, black die-cast hoops – this thing has attitude. Above – 2002 DW Blue sparkle maple … Read more
Michael’s Drums 14 2022 Update Been watching years for a piccolo snare with free-floating hammered red brass shell; just bought one from a drummer thinning his collection via ebay…what one drummer may be ‘tired of’ may delight another… This will be my first snare (and maybe any drum) with die-cast rims. I’m hoping it’s bright, … Read more
Michael’s Drums 13 2021 Update Acquired a bunch of fun new toys over the past few months — “cymbal stack” extender/risers for mounting cymbals coaxially…several new Meinl cymbals. Somehowhere acquired a Sabian cymbal — I keep hearing the same general conclusion: The Meinl (even Byzance) and especially Sabian are somehow missing that upper-end shimmering sparkle, … Read more
