Vision SesiTone snare..Like or Launch?

[pearlygates]

I am liking this snare..but I wonder..? Those of you that own one..
are you using it as a primary or secondary..and what type of mods (heads, wires, hoops etc.) have you made to get the most out of this seemingly very well built drum?

[JuanFGonza]

i left the stock reso head on and put a evans power center on it and change the snare wires holder to Nylon Snare Cord straps darn snare sounds great what i got it for


i dont use it now but id use it as both


Juan

[andyplaysdrums]

I'm launching mine, well going to keep it as a spare. I'm going to go back to my last 90's Sensitone, 6-1/2 X 14 (10 lugs and SuperHoops) as my primary snare. The Sensitone that came with my Vision just will not stay in tune, but it'll make a good spare.

[Edgecrusher2199]

I've often also wondered what to do with my Sensitone. I've had for well over a year now and have never played it. Would it sound better if I upgraded to 2.3 Superhoops? Sorry not trying to hi-jack your thread.

[JuanFGonza]

I've often also wondered what to do with my Sensitone. I've had for well over a year now and have never played it. Would it sound better if I upgraded to 2.3 Superhoops? Sorry not trying to hi-jack your thread.

I was to thinking of SH or Diecast myself SH probably make it sound even better tho


Juan

[Genius Switch]

This brings up an interesting point. What if Pearl made a shell pack that didn't include the snare drum? I understand it needs to be included to compete with other kits in the price range, but the simple truth is that a large portion of the potential Vision buyers won't need it because they already have a favorite snare.

Why not offer a snare-less option, and instead offer 2.3 hoops and/or optimounts to supplement?

Better yet, bump the VBX and VMX kits into their separate series with these options already installed. Just like the way Session kits were. Keep the snare as standard on the VSX and VX kits, which are more likely to be purchased by a first time buyer with no snare drum arsenal.

And while they are at it, they should go back to painting the inside of the bass drum hoops on the lacquer kits. I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it. To me it is a real incentive to buy, as I've heavily considered Yamaha Stage Custom and ddrum kits for that very reason. (Crazy isn't it?) But it use to be standard years ago on Pearl ELX sets and it really makes the kit looks top notch. It really can't be THAT much more expensive.

Oh well..wishful thinking.

[pearlygates]

I've often also wondered what to do with my Sensitone. I've had for well over a year now and have never played it. Would it sound better if I upgraded to 2.3 Superhoops? Sorry not trying to hi-jack your thread.

No worries..this is the type of dialogue I was looking to generate with this thread.
I myself, like the drum.. and I am using it in my kit as my primary. What I am trying to do is.. to evaluate whether this drum is worthy of hot rodding..ie; hoop swap, wireset upgrade. And what is working best for folks who are using theirs. I clearanced out alot of gear in the recent past due to some financial woes..and that included a couple of choice snare drums..At this time, I only own just the SensiTone (Vision):(
^^ Good point..and idea GS^^

[pearlygates]

I'm launching mine, well going to keep it as a spare. I'm going to go back to my last 90's Sensitone, 6-1/2 X 14 (10 lugs and SuperHoops) as my primary snare. The Sensitone that came with my Vision just will not stay in tune, but it'll make a good spare.
I wonder if 2.5mm or diecasts would help that..I am noticing a bit of this phenomenon myself.. I hit relatively hard tho.

[JuanFGonza]

i also got Pearl NLW-12B/12 washers for it to get rid of the metal washers i have a set of Die cast on my VMX snare ill take off and try on the snare ill well u know how it sounds then


Juan

[pearlygates]

i also got Pearl NLW-12B/12 washers for it to get rid of the metal washers i have a set of Die cast on my VMX snare ill take off and try on the snare ill well u know how it sounds then


Juan
That would be a good experiment.. check the rim shot/sidestick quality and resonance without moongel or e-rings... stock vs. diecast hoopage.
Let me know what you find Juan..thanks!:cool:

[JuanFGonza]

That would be a good experiment.. check the rim shot/sidestick quality and resonance without moongel or e-rings... stock vs. diecast hoopage.
Let me know what you find Juan..thanks!:cool:

No problem Pearly ill let you what hear man


Juan

[abugazi]

OK, I voted "Use it" because this is a good sounding drum, but I let mine go as I already had a 13x5 brass snare that I love... and I just didn't have a need for it right now. I would probably buy another when finances are a bit more lucrative... but for now, I just couldn't keep it.

I think with some hoop upgrades, you could help the sound get better. Depending on how hard you hit would probably decide SH or DC.

[SabianGirl]

Pearly, i'm using mine as a primary, but at this point in time i haven't done any upgrades. Eventually, i would like to get rid of the snare wires and try some puresounds (these are hard to find in Oz.) I would also like to try out Superhoops eventually.
I find i need to very occasionally tweak the tuning just a touch, but it's nothing overly dramatic, or anything that's causing a major problem.

[pearlygates]

Yeah... y'know.. that is one of my biggest gripes..although not critical.
I find that my SensiTone slips outta tune relatively easy.. I am thinking 2.5mm hoops may be the ticket here and maybe some nylon washers for the tension rods..? I am gonna get a PureSound blaster wire set, throw an Aquarian Hi Performance snare side head and a Hi Energy batter on and see what that does for the sound. The tuning issue will have to wait til I can get some thicker gauge steel hoops installed.:cool:

[SabianGirl]

I forgot to ask you what heads you are using atm?
I'm using a Powerstroke 3 with a Hazy 300. If, and when, you decide to upgrade the washers and hoops, i'd love to hear your thoughts on how much of an improvement it makes.

[pearlygates]

I forgot to ask you what heads you are using atm?
I'm using a Powerstroke 3 with a Hazy 300. If, and when, you decide to upgrade the washers and hoops, i'd love to hear your thoughts on how much of an improvement it makes.
Right now.. I am using a Remo CS reverse dot and the stock snare side head.
I will be scooping up a set of Gibraltar 2.5mm hoops and nylon washers soon.
Stay tuned..:D

[Chad1200]

I haven't even taken mine outta the box. When I ordered my shell pack, I also ordered a 14x6.5 MCX snare so I use that exclusively right now. My plan was to hotrod the VX snare with new heads, 2.3mm hoops, nylon washers, and maybe better snare wires...haven't gotten around to it yet though.

[JaMMin' JaMiN]

I find it sort of funny some who said use it - threw it. But that is because they already found their primary snare before hand. I've had my kit (first generations) a year after the visions came out (I don't even remember when that was) and I have found that if you wrestle with the snare for a bit the sound you can get out of it is quite amazing. I am a rim shot player and very very dynamical and I just love the sensitivity and sound that comes out of this drum. After tunning it for an hour or two I've found that it rarely slips out of tune now though at the beginning thats all it did. Hope this helps.. God Bless

[pearlygates]

I find it sort of funny some who said use it - threw it. But that is because they already found their primary snare before hand. I've had my kit (first generations) a year after the visions came out (I don't even remember when that was) and I have found that if you wrestle with the snare for a bit the sound you can get out of it is quite amazing. I am a rim shot player and very very dynamical and I just love the sensitivity and sound that comes out of this drum. After tunning it for an hour or two I've found that it rarely slips out of tune now though at the beginning thats all it did. Hope this helps.. God Bless

Welcome to the PDF!
I feel the same about this drum in as far as the sound quality! The tuning slips a tad quicker than I would like..but as I said..I think that minor annoyance can be remedied by swapping out the stock hoops for thicker gauge steel and possibly adding some nylon washers to dampen the vibration that could be part of the detuning issue..

[mikey931]

I'm very happy with mine. sounds more like a wood shell than i expected.

[drumtechdad]

I've often also wondered what to do with my Sensitone. I've had for well over a year now and have never played it. Would it sound better if I upgraded to 2.3 Superhoops? Sorry not trying to hi-jack your thread.

I've done this mod to a fair number of drums, and with few exceptions it resulted in better sound.

Most higher-end drums already come with 2.3 hoops, and there's a reason--it sounds better (more focus and fewer overtones) and holds its tune better.

I wouldn't do it to, say, an acrolite because it's already a dry-sounding drum. And I wouldn't do it to classic/vintage drums. But everything else is fair game. Note that aside from Gibraltar you can get 2.3 hoops that are much cheaper than Superhoops (you pay dearly for that engraving) here (http://www.amdrumparts.com/hoops.htm) and here (http://www.drummaker.net/1-800-NEW-DRUM/www.drummaker.com/FMPro?-db=DM_Orders.fp5&-format=look.htm&-error=browse.htm&from=Local&look=2.3 hoop&-new), among other places.

Pearly, i'm using mine as a primary, but at this point in time i haven't done any upgrades. Eventually, i would like to get rid of the snare wires and try some puresounds (these are hard to find in Oz.) I would also like to try out Superhoops eventually.
I find i need to very occasionally tweak the tuning just a touch, but it's nothing overly dramatic, or anything that's causing a major problem.

Since you seem to have a Pearl dealer available, why not try the Pearl UltraSound wires? To my ear they sound very much like the Puresound 20-strand wires, and are also a lot cheaper. They would definitely be an upgrade to the stock snappy wires.

Oh, and Pearly, I'd definitely get rid of the stock reso (those Chinese Remos not only suck they are hard to tune) and put a hazy ambassador or hazy 300 on there.

[pearlygates]

Oh, and Pearly, I'd definitely get rid of the stock reso (those Chinese Remos not only suck they are hard to tune) and put a hazy ambassador or hazy 300 on there.
I have an Aquarian Hi Performance snare side reso..I just haven had an op to put in on yet.

[drumdawg]

Upgrades spent to try to improve the sound of it may be better spent toward a better drum.

I am keeping mine as a back up. It isn't a bad sounding snare and better then the older Pearl steel snare I played for years but always wanted a dryer sound and a deeper tone and found it in the Sensitone 14x6.5 aluminum. Vintage A medium tight, perfection!

[Akahito]

I like mine. I use it on gigs often. It's a nice, sturdy, reliable snare with good allround metal shell sound. Doesn't beat my Steve Ferrone sig though, but I wouldn't expect it to. I've put Remo Diplomat hazy on reso, changed the wires to Pearl Ultrasound C wires and mounted with strings, and put Remo Vintage A on batter. Sensitive, but tough and fat sounding. I might upgrade the batter side hoop some time, but it's nothing necessary, just out of curiosity to see how it might change or improve the characteristics of the drum.

[Misanthropy]

i keep trying to justify keeping mine but honestly its just not my thing. that and the stock hoops are kinda crap, i managed to put a small dent in one in less than a month of playing

[pearlygates]

So far, the votes for "use it" as opposed to "lose it" are overwhelmingly on the use it side.

I think there is some negative bias on this Vision SensiTone because of the fact that it is a stock/included steel snare drum and let's face it..snare drums are very much a personal choice component. In the short time that I have owned my VSX, I am finding alot to like about this snare and scarce little to dislike. Yes, it is a stock kit snare drum and not some custom, off the shelf signature or even Elite model. I find it's tuning range more than acceptable and the sensitivity and overall tone appealing.

I think this drum would fare well as a primary snare due to its somewhat wide tuning range and great tone and projection. I also would be tempted to use this puppy as a side/aux unit..again due to it's decent range and voice. This is NOT the old steel Export snare of days gone by..oh no!
To me (sorry Export players) it blows the doors clean off the poplar shell Export wood drum in build, shell hardware and overall sound. Yeah, I know.. It's a steel drum and I am comparing it to a wood drum with the Export, but the build is worlds better.. from the duo action throw to the shell construction.. It seems that Pearl really put some thought into this drum.
Mine came with my VSX wrap finish kit and is the burnished chrome finish which really mixes beautifully with the #443 champagne sparkle finish of my kit!
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/Drumkits/VSXatHomefullset-sweetride023.jpg

I have yet to add any ups to this drum other than swapping the batter head.
I can only see this drum getting better with a few small upgrades which I will be doing very soon.:cool:

[visiondrummer650]

I decided to just keep it as a spare as i have my joey jordison sig as my main snare. ABSOLUTELY LOVE the crack!

[nova]

I can hardly wait to see and hear this snare. It will probably be my back up. What batter head comes on it? Coated Amb I hope!!:p:cool:

[pearlygates]

I can hardly wait to see and hear this snare. It will probably be my back up. What batter head comes on it? Coated Amb I hope!!:p:cool:
I think you will be pleasantly suprised! Your VBX will come with the polished chrome SensiTone. My VSX (read: wrap finish) kit has the burnished, almost gold chrome model. I love the thing! Tuned up high or down lower, it's a great sounding snare drum! The duo action throw is really sweet as well!

Pearl really put together a nice drum with the vision SensiTone!! Nothing like the steel Export snare drums in days of yore!! Oh, heavens NO! The Vision SensiTone is a really solid drum!
The head is a coated Protone.. You may wanna switch it out with the head of your choice. The Protone is ok, but it seems alittle thick and lifeless to me:confused: I am gonna be hot rodding mine soon!:cool:

[nova]

I think you will be pleasantly suprised! Your VBX will come with the polished chrome SensiTone. My VSX (read: wrap finish) kit has the burnished, almost gold chrome model. I love the thing! Tuned up high or down lower, it's a great sounding snare drum! The duo action throw is really sweet as well!

Pearl really put together a nice drum with the vision SensiTone!! Nothing like the steel Export snare drums in days of yore!! Oh, heavens NO! The Vision SensiTone is a really solid drum!
The head is a coated Protone.. You may wanna switch it out with the head of your choice. The Protone is ok, but it seems alittle thick and lifeless to me:confused: I am gonna be hot rodding mine soon!:cool:

I have a Dry Coated ST 14" snare head that I didn't get around to putting on the EXR Snare. Did you see the upgrades RemoNico did to his EXR Snare?

[pearlygates]

I have a Dry Coated ST 14" snare head that I didn't get around to putting on the EXR Snare. Did you see the upgrades RemoNico did to his EXR Snare?
Yeah..looks pretty cool! It is what it is tho..
I think they are decent sounding snares at best..IMO:cool:

[nova]

Yeah..looks pretty cool! It is what it is tho..
I think they are decent sounding snares at best..IMO:cool:

It's funny; but my 1st EX came with the Tama Big Basket snare; and I allready had the JJ Sig when my EXR's came. So I have never played an Export snare!!:D:cool:

[pearlygates]

It's funny; but my 1st EX came with the Tama Big Basket snare; and I allready had the JJ Sig when my EXR's came. So I have never played an Export snare!!:D:cool:
You honestly aren't missing much there.

[nova]

You honestly aren't missing much there.

Word is they aren't that great; but it's only the word!!:cool: It did sound like a snare when I tapped it. 2.3 hoops and new snares with a good batter and reso; it would surely be a good snare!:D:cool:

[pearlygates]

Word is they aren't that great; but it's only the word!!:cool: It did sound like a snare when I tapped it. 2.3 hoops and new snares with a good batter and reso; it would surely be a good snare!:D:cool:
Eh.. prolly:rolleyes:

[the new guy]

I've never really liked steel snares, I prefer the deeper pop that you get from deep wood snares like the Vinnie Paul sig (when he was still with pearl). It fits in pretty nicely with my vision though. So for the moment, use it.

[nova]

I want to keep it now and I've never seen it!!

[SabianGirl]

I want to keep it now and I've never seen it!!

You'll be more than happy with it. As pearly said, it has a very good/wide tuning range. One thing i can't wait to try on it is a triple flange superhoop and some nylon washers. It will be interesting to hear the results.

[Phantom]

I like mine,I changed the rims and lugs to black crome just to give it some style(I used the vision hardwear to fix up an old export 14x6.5 snare shell).I put a coated top dot remo controlled sound on top and a ambassador hazy on botom.

[pearlygates]

I like mine,I changed the rims and lugs to black crome just to give it some style(I used the vision hardwear to fix up an old export 14x6.5 snare shell).I put a coated top dot remo controlled sound on top and a ambassador hazy on botom.

I have the same batter on mine except its a reverse dot CS!

Great drum!

[nova]

I have a Hazy ST waiting for it!:D:cool:

[pearlygates]

I have a Hazy ST waiting for it!:D:cool:
A hazy Super Tough? I didn't know Evans made an ST in a hazy!?

[Regis Mk. V.]

I still have the stock batter and reso head on my snare drum, and I have had it on for like 6 months, and it is time for a replacement. I like the deep, dark sound of a snare. Like a deep sounding snare. Think Dream Theater, Coheed and Cambria etc. What heads should I buy for the snare to create this dark tone?

I am new to snare head shopping, and I dont mean to hijack this thread.

I voted to keep it, as the sensitone snare sounded a ton better than my ludwig.