batter head has to be coated for snare?

[comebakzak]

i dont remember where but i heard that the batter head for a snare drum has to be coated, is that true?????

[SLIPKNOT1]

Definately not. Coated head are used to help clean up a sound by geting rid of some undesired overtones and also to give a better sound with brushes. There are by no means required. Clear heads will just have alot of "Ring" to them on snares and most people dont like that.

[drumwerker]

Coated snares batters are used by a lot of drummers, for the reason that SLIPKNOT pointed out. Plus, for brush work, they are mandatory. Personally, I think a coated snare head gives me more of a warmer, focused sound than a clear head would. Since you are tightening a snare head so much more, there would be a large amount of ring and resonance from a clear head. A snare is not a tom tom, you want a snare to resonant for a very brief amount then decay versus a tom where you want a deep resonant tone with sustain.

Some people (myself included at one time) have used Dry snare heads like the Evans ST Dry, which has not only a collar under the head but vent holes too. That really kills ring and gives a lot of articulation, but the drum sounds very flat and unlively (no ring). I go with a coated Ambassador and find it is just the right balance of liveliness and articulation.

[jokerjkny]

nothing more to add, cause Slip as always nails it.

Dwerk,

good thoughts. i like Aquarian Texture Coated for the classic traditional sound. Evans Power Center w/ Dot for the snappier, drier rockin' tones. how's the ST Dry compare to either of 'em?

[drumwerker]

joker;
I haven't used the one you mentioned but I've used the Genera Dry and the St Dry. Those give a nice fat, dry pop/crack that is perfect for studio sound. It also allows you to tune the batter head at a more medium tension and still not get a lot of resonance, unlike what would happen if you tried that with an Ambassador. It's good for some applications, but after a while I got tired of the "unlively" sound.

Imagine putting a double-ply coated head on your snare and then O-rings on the edge too.

[Gese]

Ciao,

I have discovered a drum head by Aquarian that I am currently using on my Pearl Marvin Smitty Smith Signature Snare drum (I play mainly pop/rock music). It's a "New Orleans". it's a uncoated head featuring a big white plastic dot. I have tuned it quite high and the sound is cutting and focused, but still very sensible, with very very nice ghost notes that blend greatly with hi hat sound.

That's to say that top snare head (according to me) doesn't have necessarily to be coated, even if coating generally produces a sound "more crisp".

But, it's a mater of taste and a matter of use. Some sounds can be achieved more easily with an uncoated head, and some other sounds require coated ones (it's the case of my brass Sensitone Snare, for which I use an Aquarian Modern Vintage - a yellow/brown coated head - producing the best sound on earth).

Gese

[psx00]

Originally posted by drumwerker
joker;
I haven't used the one you mentioned but I've used the Genera Dry and the St Dry. Those give a nice fat, dry pop/crack that is perfect for studio sound. It also allows you to tune the batter head at a more medium tension and still not get a lot of resonance, unlike what would happen if you tried that with an Ambassador. It's good for some applications, but after a while I got tired of the "unlively" sound.

Imagine putting a double-ply coated head on your snare and then O-rings on the edge too.

I think I took it a step further. I used an HD Dry with Moongel. I loved it as my main snare. It's just the pop I need.

:D

[drumwerker]

Another idea for those craving more pop is to replace the spiral wire snares with Grover Club Brights. These are more like wound guitar strings. Soundwise, they are kind of like a cross between a light gauge gut snare and a wire snare. These don't need to be cranked up against the snare head either.