Head options and tuning techniques by Gene Okamoto

[gene okamoto]

I've been monitoring the issues on the Forum surrounding choices of heads and tuning techniques for Reference and I thought we could make this thread the "go to" spot for these issues.

I’ve been also monitoring the tuning issues with 12" Reference toms that some of you have experienced. We have never encountered tuning difficulties with any Reference toms and we've tuned a lot of them at NAMM, Messe, and PASIC! HOWEVER, since Reference was introduced, there were a couple of factory modifications applied to the OPTN "new-style" one-piece OptiMounts that provide better cushioning between the OptiMount and the shell, especially on 12” Reference toms.

Please kindly see the attached PDF.

There are two versions of the OPTN OptiMounts: I have them labeled "Type A" and "Type B". Type A OptiMounts have the flange facing downward on both the top and bottom OptiMounts. On Type B OptiMounts the flange on the top and bottom OptiMounts face toward each other.

Regardless of which type you have, the orientation of the rubber washers is important.

If you have Type A OptiMounts and the rubber washers are oriented as shown in the grey diagram (upper left-hand corner), please contact me and I’ll get you the new-style NP-419 rubber washers that give better cushioning. When you receive them, install them per the diagram at the upper right with the rubber washers oriented as shown in RED.

If you have Type B OptiMounts and the rubber washers are oriented as shown in the grey diagram (bottom left-hand corner), please contact me and I’ll get you the new style NP-419 rubber washers that give better cushioning. When you receive them, install them per the diagram at the bottom right with the rubber washers oriented as shown in RED.

If you need the new-style NP-419 rubber washers, please contact me at geneokamoto@pearldrums.com. Please note, this upgrade is applicable only of US customers. European customers should contact Jeroen Breider at Jeroen.Breider@pearleurope.com.

Here's a photo showing the "flange" and the recommended orientation of the rubber washer.

[gene okamoto]

Speaking of OptiMounts

Speaking of OptiMounts, when we do trade shows, we set them up differently than the factory.

Instead of sandwiching the top and bottom lugs--like they’re installed at the factory--we let the top hoop rest on the top rubber washers and set the bottom rubber washers between the lugs and the bottom hoop to allow the drums to “float.” We feel this method allows the toms to resonate better.

The photos below show the "old-style" OptiMounts but the idea is the same.

[jpcdrummer]

Hmm. Watch out when changing heads with the "float" method because the mount will NOT hold up the tom.

[gene okamoto]

Good point...thank you!

[DEAD HEAD]

Gene , will you be able to rest the top hoop on the rubber washer , it seem's that the larger side of the rubber will be on the under side of the new mount ?

[jpcdrummer]

Good point...thank you!

Gene, I was referring to the old opti picture with my comment. With the swivel lugs, there is NO WAY the mount could ever hold up the tom once the t-rods are removed from the top hoop.

With the old style lugs, and the bushings pushed against the receivers, one can take the top head off and the drum will remain steady while mounted. With the new swivel lugs and with your "float" method and the old style lugs, fugedaboutit!

[gene okamoto]

Dead Head,

That is correct and it will look like this...

[drk-]

that is such a discotheque finish i love it! excuse me for bumping into the thread like this i just had to reply :P

[gene okamoto]

That finish is on a kit that will be featured in the next Masterworks catalog. It was developed by Carl Peterson.

[jbrandt]

Speaking of OptiMounts, when we do trade shows, we set them up differently than the factory.

Instead of sandwiching the top and bottom lugs--like they’re installed at the factory--we let the top hoop rest on the top rubber washers and set the bottom rubber washers between the lugs and the bottom hoop to allow the drums to “float.” We feel this method allows the toms to resonate better.

The photos below show the "old-style" OptiMounts but the idea is the same.

Hi Gene,

Could you comment a little further on this?

By allowing the top bushings to contact the hoop, the drum is not floating, it is resting on the hoop. I would think that the two areas you don't want to apply mount forces to are the tension rods away from the strength of the lug and the hoop itself. These are the areas that can most easily affect tuning.

I have always thought that the most intelligent way to adjust the Optimounts is to collapse the mount tightly up against the lugs. The weight of the drum then rests on the lower bushings through the lower lugs. The upper bushings are close to the lug where the strength of the lug is and where they can cause the least amount of deflection in the tension rods.

Since the hoop floats on the head and the head floats on the shell, all the mount forces ultimately get transferred into the shell through the lug attachment screws anyway. Doesn't it make more sense to get the Optimount forces as close to the lug and as far from the hoops as possible?

I appreciate your many valuable contributions to this forum. If you have any access to to Pearl engineers, I would be interested to hear their views on this subject.

Thanks,
Jeff Brandt

[Genius Switch]

you bring up very good points...I want to know as well.

[grypmatthias]

Well, least thing I can say is that this is very thoughtful of you, Gene. This is a very good example of what people mean when they're saying that Pearl has an incredible customer service.

I happen to be one of the people complaining that my 12" tom is not really perfect sounding IMO (while the others are stunning, btw ). I feel this is really cool that the Pearl people carefully monitor this forum to help people with occuring problems.

I will certainly check if my optimounts are used in the way you mentioned, Gene, and I indeed believe that the optimounts on my 12" tom are quite, maybe too solid, so I'll certainly check your "floating" method.

Let's hope it'll help, though, because it's killing me that not all of my drums are as perfect as the others

Thanks!

[grypmatthias]

Gene, one more question:

Do I always need these NP-419 washers; are they different from the standard ones? Because I have a certain feeling that getting them through Pearl Europe will be quite hard...

[nils]

Well,

the first suspension mount that was offered was RIMS. There the force rests on the hoop resting on rubber washers. Never heard complaints about RIMS. The Gibraltar SC-GTS is almost the same design.

Starcast mounts have extra holes in the hoop to connect the mount.

All of those apply the force to the hoop.

Nils

[jbrandt]

Well,

the first suspension mount that was offered was RIMS. There the force rests on the hoop resting on rubber washers. Never heard complaints about RIMS. The Gibraltar SC-GTS is almost the same design.

Starcast mounts have extra holes in the hoop to connect the mount.

All of those apply the force to the hoop.

Nils

Hi Nils,

I never argued that other suspension systems don't sound good, and I realize that many of them let the drum rest on the hoop. I just don't see how, from an engineering point of view, resting on the top hoop for an Optimount is a better idea than resting on the lower lugs.

As argued, all suspension mounts ultimately transfer the mounting and striking forces back into the shell through the lug screws. The hoop is not solidly connected to the shell - all hoop forces either get transferred into the tension rods or into distortion of the hoop.

An angled drum has a downward component and a radial component of force at each attachment. With the Optimount, the downward component can be transferred either into the bottom lugs or into the top hoop (or both I guess).

The radial component, outward at the top lugs and inward at the lower lugs, wants to bend the tension rods toward or away from the shell. They are stronger near the lug, and less force will get transferred into the hoop if the attachments are near the lug.

That's one of the things I like most about Optimounts, they can be adjusted to minimize distortion in the hoop and the tension rods. I can't understand why anyone would want the mounting and striking forces to be transferred directly into the hoops, the most tuning sensitive part of the drum.

DW just gets it over with by grabbing only the lugs. I think this is a great idea, but because they grab only the top lugs in a line, they are less stable than the Optimounts. The Premier mounts I've seen look like the best engineered idea to me - grabbing the lugs like DW and getting some top and bottom like the Opti's.

The Optimounts are functionally, in my opinion, the second best engineered mount available behind the Premiers. But because they don't require a specifically shaped lug to be used, they are the most practical of the suspension mounts - again my opinion.

I still would like to hear from Gene (or from Pearl engineering) concerning the two different Optimount adjustment schemes. Maybe it doesn't make much difference, but keeping the mounting forces out of the hoops and the tension rods near the hoop just seems like the right thing to do.

Jeff