Dampen snare drum

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

Hi,
At the moment m4 piece rock covers band are playing in some smaller pubs at the moment, where its just a vocal pa job. Most pubs have a low roof, and we have a very heavy drummer! even with brushes, the snare is too loud. The toms are not as bad. I seen these drum silencer pads, but they seem to kill a too much sound! any ideas?

Frank

krd

He could make his own damper.

People do. They just put something on the snare skin - from something like a cigarette box - to some of that jelly stuff.

DamagedTrax

that jelly stuff (moon gel) isnt gonna help if the snare is too loud even with brushes. have you tried a cloth over the skin? anything heavier is really gonna kill the snare altogether.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

yea you are right the jelly isnt really helping! we havent covered the snare actually. will try covering the snare with something light, if our drummer allows it

madtheory

Drumming lessons.

i57dwun4yb1pt8

LOL ^^^^^^^
hes not wrong though
i have been guilty of this , and learning to play well at low volume is essential .

if hes any good he should be able to play with intensity at low volume .
its not a gym workout .

if not - i suggest

1/ the drum should ideally be a 6 inch or deeper wooden drum
do not use a metal snare .

2/ emporer x coated head on snare tuned medium to medium low
its a heavy head that keeps volume down and is fat and rich .

3/ tune bottom head medium as close as you can - loose is good .

4/ use maple sticks , thinner is better - maple 5a would be a good choice.

DamagedTrax

drum machine. thats my advice. drummers are nothing but hassle

i57dwun4yb1pt8

whats it Father Jack used to call them - ' a shower of bastards '

PaulBrewer

I've found a deep wooden snare reduces the problem. However, if brushes are still too loud ....
The problem may not be volume per se - but balance .

We've all heard the pub band with only a vocal PA that sounds 'too loud' - but the next band with the full range rig, that's actually louder, isn't a problem.

The drums is the drums, as a rule - so, perhaps the rest of the band ought turn up to match ?

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

PaulBrewer wrote: »

The drums is the drums, as a rule - so, perhaps the rest of the band ought turn up to match ?

I wish that was the problem.
What usually happens, we set up and sound check, everything is pretty much perfect. nobody says anything to us during the sound check, ever. Then 2 songs in, "lads its way too loud". so we lower everying but the drums are still at the same volume

DamagedTrax

you may want to find a new venue..

or get a few acoustics and some percussion and try things a different way

i57dwun4yb1pt8

buy him a cajon - thatll learn him :pac:

PaulBrewer

Gwendolyn Jealous Ship wrote: »

I wish that was the problem.
What usually happens, we set up and sound check, everything is pretty much perfect. nobody says anything to us during the sound check, ever. Then 2 songs in, "lads its way too loud". so we lower everying but the drums are still at the same volume

There's an old trick that never failed with my old pub band.

'Excuse me Barkeep ? My beat combo will now do a sound check. We want to make sure there'll be no feedback so our sound check will be very loud.

As soon as we're done we'll turn down to a working level.

Thank you for your co-operation in this Mr.Barman , Sir '

You do your sound check, change nothing and play.

I couldn't believe it worked first time we tried it but it does - yer band needs not to be shyt for this to work , though :rolleyes:

PMI

Ask the drummer to change his technique in those venues for the sake of his job, and to maintain the bands gigs.... if hes young he probably still playing to impress therefore your knocking your head against a wall until he grows up

Other option is mesh head and trigger it which gives you full control in any size of venue

2nd option is the option we run

TelePaul

Put the drummer's wallet on the snare head. As he's the drummer, it'll proably empty too.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

@Paul: loled at "My beat combo"! We do that in some pubs where we need to mic up the backline, and we keep our volume as we sound check when the pub is empty and play when its near full.

@PMI: he has an electric kit now, just got it recently. might force him to use it!

Robin Ball

tea towels or play quieter!

TelePaul

Robin Ball wrote: »

tea towels or play quieter!

Tea towels made 'Harvest' the album it was!

PMI

Gwendolyn Jealous Ship wrote: »

@Paul: loled at "My beat combo"! We do that in some pubs where we need to mic up the backline, and we keep our volume as we sound check when the pub is empty and play when its near full.

@PMI: he has an electric kit now, just got it recently. might force him to use it!

Electric kit will look awful and often sound crappy if using the standard drum brain....

He just has to hold back and adjust his playing to suit, I know drummers that have had to do this over the years and it works, let the PA do the work, keep stage levels down including guitars if your gonna be doing this for years.