All srx owners PLEASE READ!!!!

[toneatlas]

hey everyone Im still having trouble getting my emperor on top ambassador on the bottom head combo to sound good. So now I'm thinking of trying a different type of head.

The reason for this thread is to get the opinion of 'srx' owners that use emperor on the batter and ambassadors on the resonant side, 'clear'. I like the qualities of this head combo. Nice open, resonant sounding drums.
For some reason my drums sound flat. I know I'm pretty good at tuning with a lot of experience so I dont know the problem. Owners of srx's with this head combo please give me your tuning tips that you use.

Also I'm asking owners of srx's with clear ambassodors on the top and bottom to please give me your input on how your drums sound. If you can compare them to my head combo that would be a plus!!

People that use evans and aquarian please comment also.

thanks in advance I know my fellow srx owners will help me out!!!

[Lost At... SRX]

A pretty good all round combo on SRX toms is Evans G2 clear batters and G1 clear resonants. I got my SRX kit at Christmas in 2001, and only in recent months have I really been able to figure my toms out. The above heads tuned fairly low and even in pitch yield remarkable results. Let me know what sizes you are using and I'll try to give you some in depth information to help you get the kind of sound and response you're after.

[fred]

I have an older sessions kit and IMO the pinstripes on top sound better and are a little easier to tune. I used the Emperor once for a snare batter and never had any tuning problems? But that depends on your playing style also so you'll have do to some tweaking to find your sound

[toneatlas]

thanks Lost At... SRX

my sizes are 10, 12, 14. 22in bass

I play rock so I'm looking for the attack and resonance!!

[sirfresh]

I use 2-ply heads on my SRX when I play rock. I tune them low. They sound great, lots of resonance and a nice attack.

I don't have any tuning secrets, just the straightforward stuff. Tap the head next to the lug & make sure they're all in tune with each other. When you change the tuning, go in a criss-cross pattern. Tune the bottom head up or down to match the top head (don't neglect this---it's important to getting a good sound). Et cetera.

[Lost At... SRX]

Originally posted by toneatlas
thanks Lost At... SRX

my sizes are 10, 12, 14. 22in bass

I play rock so I'm looking for the attack and resonance!!

Okay, I should be able to help then. I'd really reccomend making the investment in a set of clear G2 batters at least, and the clear G1s for the resonant sides if you can as well. Remos may work just a well but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't tune as easily.

It took me a long time to get my toms to sound how I wanted them to, and the most important thing of all, and you've probably heard a million times before is TUNING. To get this right, it's important to 'know' your drums, so to speak.

In other words, tune up slowly and evenly (don't worry about matching the pitch at each lug too much at this point, but get it reasonably close if possible) in quarter turn increments at most, starting with the resonant head, playing the head after each time you tune up a little, untill you reach what a pure, sustained resonance with no flap or distortion.

At this point, you can tune up a little further if you desire a higher pitch, although I'd personally reccomend fine tuning at the lugs, and possibly using a DrumDial or Tension Watch if you have one so you can record the settings. Make a note of the pitch that the resonant is at (use a keyboard or guitar for reference again if it helps), then do the same with the batter as the resonant untill you reach that pitch exactly, and again, fine tune the lugs once you reach it.

If this is of any use, in terms of actual pitch in relation to a standard octave/scale, in my experience, an SRX 9"x12" tom with this head combination works best with both heads at around about an A, and a 8"x10" is great at around D. I haven't been using my 14" for a while (having the edges recut :mad: ), but I should imagine about an E or and F would be about right. Obviously though, experiment from the lowest even, undistorted ptich up.

With any luck, you should get a strong, fat attack and nice musical, warm tone with plenty of sustain and the depth and resonance to rival or match that of a drum the next one or two sizes bigger (so a 10" would sound like 12" and a 12" like 13" or 14" and a 14" like a 15" or a 16" and so on.)

Good luck

[Dman]

Toneatlas, I'm posting this for two reasons: first, James (Lost at SRX) is dead on regarding everything in this post, and secondly, hang in there with the tunning, it took me quite awhile to find my Session sweet spot as well.

I can't speak about Evans, but like either Pins/Ambass. or Emp./Ambass. pairings. Now for the (long boring story). Been playing a very old and NOT very nice Export set for over 16 years and was VERY used to tunning that set. Not good shells, had to use Pins and Hydraulics (with dampening added) to keep em in check. When I first got my Sessions I knew I wasn't going to use all the dampending but (out of force of habbit) was trying to tune the same way I'd been used to. Crappo, what gives brand new set, DEAD BASS DRUM, SNARE that sounded like a K Mart kids drum. I was smokin. Well read alot of posts, people like James and some other Session users, and after MUCH trial and ERROR, have now homed in on the absolute sweet spot. For me the hardest was getting the kick/snare right. I mean it they're not on then nothing else matters. I did like James said and got a Drum Dial, NOT for tuning but more for recording the settings of the heads for what I did and didn't like. Helped alot. Long story short, had a long time Yamaha player come over the other week and check out just the kick and snare. This guy preaches aboute Yamies all day and night. Now even though the snare has a hair too much ring, the guy couldn't stop banging on my two piece, he is now a Session convert and is looking to go Powerstrokes and the bass and snare.

Just posting to let you know that I had many trial and error sessions getting there but once you do, LOOK OUT>


Dman
:cool:

[toneatlas]

thanks everyone for your help. I think Im inclined to try out the g2s to see how it goes.

thanks

[Les Hammond]

I use PS4 on 10/12/14/16 & 0n chad snare. I use Evans EQ3 on 22 kick. I find the standard reso heads work just fine, I think they are emporers with pearl stamped on em. But who cares , they work for me ! This combination seems to give plenty of growl as well as retaining some resonance. Just dont screw things down too tight !

[JEFFa.k.a.ANIMAL]

the stock reso heads are more like an ambassador thickness (10 mil) than emperor (2-ply 14 mil?).

[Les Hammond]

Cheers JEFF.

[DaveDrummer]

Originally posted by toneatlas
thanks Lost At... SRX

my sizes are 10, 12, 14. 22in bass

I play rock so I'm looking for the attack and resonance!!

Minor 3rd, Minor 3rd! Think the NAA NANAANANANAAAAAAA tease. thats a minor 3rd have the BOTTOM tuned a minor 3rd higher than the top. THats a rock sound. Now have the toms 4 notes apart, and that a great rock sound!

Dave