[cwailes]

I've been told that I should cut a hole in my base drum to allow it to breath and I have also been told that unless I am miccing the kit I shouldn't do that. So should I or shouldn't I?

[JBoom]

cwailes, on 01 November 2011 - 05:50 AM, said:

I've been told that I should cut a hole in my base drum to allow it to breath and I have also been told that unless I am miccing the kit I shouldn't do that. So should I or shouldn't I?

It depends on the sound and feel you want. I don't put a hole in my head and I only use felt strips for muffling. I love the sound and feel that produces.

If you have the chance, you should try both to see which you prefer, even if that means playing someone else's kit with a different configuration.

[SpamBot]

I think if you aren't sure you should try a drum with the hole in the head before cutting yours, because you can have a sound that is very similar to the one obtained with the cutted head without cutting it, and the opposite is almost impossible

This post has been edited by SpamBot: 07 November 2011 - 11:51 AM

[FourPieceMetal]

I have an Aquarian SKII and a standard (stock) Pearl reso with a large hole in the middle. LOVE the sound it makes. Absolutely no muffling needed, which is another nice, big surprise, butas for what I'm saying on an ON topic note, cut a hole if you want a less resonant sound from your bass drum. Adjust the muffling needed, and if you still feel it's too resonant, then tune your reso head higher. If you have already done that enough times that you don't want to do it again, then just take out the reso head. However, I would really only recommend cutting a hole into a head that's standard. Don't do it to a well known reso head, cuz you might kill off a really good sound that you might've like more. If you like a hole in your BD reso head, buy one with a hole pre-cut.

This post has been edited by FourPieceMetal: 07 November 2011 - 04:18 PM

[Poco Askew]

I would only cut a hole if you are going to mic' it.

[DustySpears]

Cutting a port hole in the drum lets air escape the drum quicker, giving it a more pronounced thud. When I played Metal I cut two large port holes in the drum. Of course it also helps for putting a mic on your bass drum. The choice is really yours.

[JBoom]

I don't fully understand the concept that a hole has anything to do with a mic. I've never had a hole, and my set has been recorded a lot and I've never been asked to put a hole in my head. I'm no studio expert or professional musician, so can someone please explain this to me?

[realscotch]

JBoom, on 09 November 2011 - 09:14 PM, said:

I don't fully understand the concept that a hole has anything to do with a mic. I've never had a hole, and my set has been recorded a lot and I've never been asked to put a hole in my head. I'm no studio expert or professional musician, so can someone please explain this to me?

Probably not. I'm on your side with this.

I have heard or read every reason for cutting holes in the BD head, and, like putting pillows or whatever in the drum, all I see is a inability to tune a BD.

With the equipment available today, they can make a BD sound like a roto tom if they want. So I fail to see the need for a hole for a mic.

I've recorded demos, played small clubs, big clubs, auditoriums, and outdoors. The thought of cutting a hole in my BD was never brought up (I would have said no if it had) and for over 40 years I played with a 24" BD, using just felt strips for muffling.

[abacacus]

It changes the feel as well. It gives it a more solid feel, because the air leaves the drum instead of staying in. I defy you to do that without wreaking the sound with just tuning

The biggest thing it does sound wise is cut the sustain short (more so then felt strips, less so then stuffing pillows in the kick). It also makes it a bit louder, and it makes sound guys happier to have somewhere to put the mic.

[realscotch]

I didn't buy that 10-15 years ago, and I don't buy it now.

[JBoom]

abacacus, on 09 November 2011 - 11:02 PM, said:

It changes the feel as well. It gives it a more solid feel, because the air leaves the drum instead of staying in. I defy you to do that without wreaking the sound with just tuning

The biggest thing it does sound wise is cut the sustain short (more so then felt strips, less so then stuffing pillows in the kick). It also makes it a bit louder, and it makes sound guys happier to have somewhere to put the mic.

I understand personal preference. I prefer no hole but certainly respect anyone who prefers a hole. But I love the sound and feel of a bass tuned only with felt strips. I'm just not a thud guy.

Which is why I ask the mic question. I honestly want to know if there is some advantage I'm missing out on?

[realscotch]

JBoom, on 10 November 2011 - 06:57 AM, said:

I understand personal preference. I prefer no hole but certainly respect anyone who prefers a hole. But I love the sound and feel of a bass tuned only with felt strips. I'm just not a thud guy.

Which is why I ask the mic question. I honestly want to know if there is some advantage I'm missing out on?

No. Some people only think there is.

[osirus211]

abacacus, on 09 November 2011 - 11:02 PM, said:

I defy you to do that...

You say that a lot...

[abacacus]

realscotch, on 10 November 2011 - 12:12 AM, said:

I didn't buy that 10-15 years ago, and I don't buy it now.

It's not anyone elses problem if you deny the laws of physics...

JBoom, on 10 November 2011 - 06:57 AM, said:

I understand personal preference. I prefer no hole but certainly respect anyone who prefers a hole. But I love the sound and feel of a bass tuned only with felt strips. I'm just not a thud guy.

Which is why I ask the mic question. I honestly want to know if there is some advantage I'm missing out on?

If you play a lot of shows with mic'd drums, it speeds up the process of setting up the kick mic (mic goes in the same spot, the hole, every time. No messing around trying to get the best sound). If the sound guy isn't the best, he'll find it easier to get a decent sound (cutting the hole removes the front heads tone from the equation somewhat, or completely depending on the size of the hole). If you're playing unmic'd, the sound will cut through a loud band a bit more.

edit:
Yes, I do defy people to do things a lot... mainly when I know they can't do it

This post has been edited by abacacus: 10 November 2011 - 12:31 PM

[JBoom]

abacacus, on 10 November 2011 - 12:30 PM, said:

If you play a lot of shows with mic'd drums, it speeds up the process of setting up the kick mic (mic goes in the same spot, the hole, every time. No messing around trying to get the best sound). If the sound guy isn't the best, he'll find it easier to get a decent sound (cutting the hole removes the front heads tone from the equation somewhat, or completely depending on the size of the hole). If you're playing unmic'd, the sound will cut through a loud band a bit more.

Thanks for the info. I appreciated it.

[realscotch]

This is probably the same type thing as the "experts" who said that having a mounted tom on the BD ruins some of the sound of the tom or BD.

A lot of people bought into that, right up to where the guy on u-tube conducted a experiment where he had 3 sets of drums. One with the tom mounted to the BD, one where the tom was mounted with a isolation mount, and one where the tom was mounted either on a rack or a separate stand.

When the "experts" couldn't see the drums, they couldn't tell the difference, and I'm sure that physics came into play on that one too.


"The current reality is that your average drummer is lazy and doesn't know how to tune, and doesn't replace his heads enough."


That's a quote from Sean Lang, who, I would say, has a rough idea of what he's talking about being as he deals with this stuff every day.

I would bet, that in the real world, if you had 2 identical BD's, with the same heads, same pedal, set up in the same room, one with a hole, and one without, and put the "experts" behind them without letting them see the front head, they probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I've been around so many different drummers in my 55 years of playing, some with top of the line kits that sounded like crap (Gatzens is one) to a guy that played in a band that we passed on more than a few occassions, who played on a set of US Mercury drums that sounded great.

What sound men like is a drummer who can tune his drums so that the sound guy doesn't have to bust his butt trying to get a good sound from a set with lousy tuning.

[abacacus]

Sorry scotch, but you WOULD be able to hear the difference. It's not a subtle thing. It's easily distinguished. Try it and find out and you'll see what I mean.

And yes, that is what a *good* sound man always wants. But not all sound men are that great.

[realscotch]

"Sorry scotch, but you WOULD be able to hear the difference. It's not a subtle thing. It's easily distinguished. Try it and find out and you'll see what I mean."

I'm not going to cut a hole in my BD head to prove a meaningless point.


I've got about 10 different beaters laying around. From the old soft felt to the new hard plastic ones with various thickness' of felt or rubber on them. I can get different sounds, soft or loud, resonant or dead just from changing the beaters and the amount of force I use on the pedal and not touching my BD.

[abacacus]

I'm not going to argue this one scotch. You're wrong, end of story. Beaters will change the sound as well, but not to the same extent.

[FourPieceMetal]

I can solve this hole-makes-no-diff dilemma, and help the OP at the same time.

No reso head/no muffling: You only hear the batter head. Is quite resonant. Before anyone types 'What about the SKII?' Remember, I said NO muffling, and that includes built in.

No reso/Muffled: Resonance is virtually non-existent. You don't hear the boom of the head, so much as the 'slap'.

Reso Head/No porthole/No muffling: Heavily resonant, and, depending on the head or head combo, can also be filled with overtones, as well.

Reso Head/WITH Porthole/No muffling: Meets in the middle. Not with as little resonance as a BD WITHOUT a reso, but not as resonant as a BD WITH a porthole-less reso. Also, keep in mind, the closer to the middle the porthole is, the less resonant the head will be.

Reso Head/WITH Porthole/Muffled: Resonance is not gone, but is heavily cut off. Again, the porthole positioning makes a difference on the resonance.

Reso Head/NO Porthole/Muffled: More resonant then a BD with a porthole that's muffled, but not heavily resonant.


THESE are the sound possibilities that you get with un-triggered Bass Drum experimentation. Look through the list, think of which sound you think you'd like most, and try it out.