djarrett Posted April 7, 2001 Share Posted April 7, 2001 It is that ever bothersome and controversial snare buzz issue! Seems there are as many ideas on curing this annoying problem as there are drummers. What is your cure? DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted April 7, 2001 Author Share Posted April 7, 2001 OK ... I'll start. Check my thoughts on drum tuning under the drum tuning thread. Once you have the snare drum tuned, turn the drum over. On the bottom head only, back off the tension on one of the tension rods on one side of the snare bed. Back off until you start to see a wrinkle in the head. Now, go to the opposite side and target the opposite lug. (To clarify, if you back off the tension on the left side lug on one side of the snare bed, ... back off the tension on the right side lug on the opposite side.) Understand? This imbalance of tension applies an uneven tension to the snares and helps absorb the sympathetic vibrations caused by other instruments in the kit and the band. It works pretty well for me. Hope it helps you. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenton Trott Posted April 9, 2001 Share Posted April 9, 2001 Yes, I do the same. Brenton Cheers Brenton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted May 11, 2003 Author Share Posted May 11, 2003 Thought I would float this back to the top for you newbies .. and oldies that never responded. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeq Posted May 11, 2003 Share Posted May 11, 2003 Sounds like a good trick, I will try it next time my snare buzz bothers me. I was never so scientific. I usually just jerk the tuning of the snare drum around until it stops. Or make the bass player move his amp to the other side of the stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedly Nightshade Posted May 11, 2003 Share Posted May 11, 2003 Individually adjustable real gut snares. Visceral, literally. A WOP BOP A LU BOP, A LOP BAM BOOM! "There is nothing I regret so much as my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?" -Henry David Thoreau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super 8 Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 I use duct tape strips on the top head, around the edges to dampen it some. I used those RemO's mylar things -which work great for toms- but it killed too much of the snare 'ring' for my tastes. A bit of dampening seems to help with snare buzz. It's always a trade off, I've found. You CAN eliminate snare buzz all together, but you'll find your drum loses all of it's 'crispness' which is why we put snares on them in the first place. Snares buzz because the drumheads resonate. We WANT our drums to resonate -that's why we spend big bucks for nice drums... We want them 'true', with consistant bearing edges, and good woods, so that they resonate and produce the sound we want. So getting rid of snare buzz means lessening your drums ability to resonate to a certain degree. Like I said, it's a trade-off. Go too far, and you've got a 'dead drum'. Don't go far enough and you've got a live drum with snare buzz. Super 8 Hear my stuff here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emo_joe Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 has anyone ever tried these? Rtom Moon Gel http://www.giggear.co.uk/images/large/rtom_moongel.jpg As far as I know they're different to the Mylar things, but i'm not sure - i've never seen them used (the moon gel i mean - our drummer wasn't impressed with Mylar) - i'm not a drummer, but as a bassist this is a topic close to my heart Joe Dreams are made winding through my head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super 8 Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 I haven't tried them, but they look very similar to the way I place duct tape on my snare head. My guess is that they're expensive -I'm sure they work great, but probably no better than duct tape. Speaking of mylar rings. I play on Remo Ambassador heads -which are a single ply head with no black dots, or oil filling or anything to dampen them-, so these heads REALLY ring when you strike them. If you played on black dots or Pinstripes -which are 2 ply with a layer of oil in between to dampen them- I could understand why many drummers wouldn't want additional mylar O's to dampen them. Ambassadors sound great, and are very popular for recording drums. But, they aren't known for their durability, which is why a lot of drummers fo with thicker heads. I don't think I'm a very heavy hitter -although, many of the people I play with might disagree. So the Ambassadors seem to hold up alright for me. Super 8 Hear my stuff here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted May 14, 2003 Author Share Posted May 14, 2003 Hey, Guys: What this is actually referring to is sympathetic snare buzz, ... you know ... when something other than you plays your snare! I am going to take the drum head thing and start another thead. Thanks, DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 I just flip the snare tensioner to the off position. I don't play my drums out anywhere, so this isn't really an issue for me. I do have one of my guitar amps sitting right next to the drum set though. I noticed that on "Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" by AC/DC, you can hear the snares rattle when Malcolm is playing the opening riff. I think it's kind of a cool effect on that song, and lets you know everything was recorded in the same room. It really gives that track a live feel. BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelance Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 I think the tension rod trick that djarrett mentioned is the most tried and true method. It has worked for me on almost every snare drum I've owned over the years. Regarding Moon Gel - I think it is one of the best inventions since the tuning key!! You can use one or two, or cut them in half and use 1 1/2. You can adjust the placement much easier than tape. You can re-use them and you can wash them. Since I first discovered Moon Gel (about 4 years ago) I've become a huge fan. By the way guys, if you feel you must use tape - use masking tape instead of duct tape, it is much more user friendly (although I do realize duct tape is also called "rock & roll tape" for a very good reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 One way I deal with "snare buzz" is to first make sure that all the drums, especially the snare drum, are in tune with themselves. Once I have the snare drum tuned, I turn the drum over so I can work on the snare head ... which means the bottom or resonant head. On the snare head, I back off the tension slightly on the tension rods which lay to each side of the snare wires. The area where the snare wires lay is called the snare bed. By doing this I'm loosening the tension around the snare bed only ... no where else. Some people find the best results when they loosen the tension to the point that you see wrinkles in the head just under the snares on the snare bed. So when I'm done, I've only loosened four tension rods; one on each side of the snare wires. This imbalance of tension to the snare head (at the snare bed) applies an uneven tension to the snare wires ... and thus helps to absorb the sympathetic vibrations caused by other instruments in the drumkit and the band. Sometimes retuning the entire drumkit helps ... by trying to tune the drums so that their pitch and harmonics don't encourage the sympathetic vibrations. Getting to really know your drums will greatly assist you if this is a problem ... but keep in mind, every venue or room is going to change how your drums react to one another. Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 Patterson snares.... Donnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazystix Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 I 100% cured my snare buzz on my Pearl Prestige Session Selects. How? I sold them and purchased a brand new Hart Dynamics 6.4 Pro electric set and a Roland TD-8. I love these things! I don't miss the acoustics at all. The best part is that my hearing may now have a chance. Now my band practices through use of headphones and we each can set our own mix and volume control. I liked my Pearls, but I like my Hart set better. Good luck with your snare buzz. ON THE HUNT Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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