Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: Snare Technology
From: <MHUGHES@MIAMIU.BITNET>
Date: Tuesday, 10 Nov 1992 16:03:52 EST
Organization: Miami University - Academic Computer Service

In article <1992Nov7.052931.9167@vela.acs.oakland.edu>,
bfhalls@vela.acs.oakland.edu (HALLS BRADLEY F) says:
>
> (regarding Kevlar snare batter heads):
>The down side of all this is that snare drums now have a completely different
>sound, and not nearly as good a sound (IMHO). The top heads are so hard now
>that the air in the drum is barely deflected enough to snap the bottom head
>at all. This results in a very high pitched, short, shallow sound that
>sounds great from 10 feet away, but doesn't project well at all. So in a
>nutshell, the drums are easier and cheaper to maintain, but you pay a price
>in performance. I know many might argue with this as most lines that never
>knew how to tune before all of a sudden sound great now. But for those lines
>who could afford to go through hundreds of silver dots a season, nothing will
>sound that good again.
 
I tend to disagree that the Kevlar heads do not project well.  When they are
well-tuned and sound projectors are used, I think they cut through better
than plastic heads.  I do agree that the players must play with awesome
precision when using these heads because of their ability to expose
individual execution problems or weaknesses.
 
I think a more important issue is the musicality of the heads.  With certain
styles of music, I think that plastic heads give a more appropriate, warmer,
less-edgy sound.  Swing jazz or big-band jazz charts mandate plastic heads on
field snares, IMHO.
 
Any drum instructor will tell you that a major issue is also head longevity.
Traditionally, plastic heads have notoriously short lifespans on field
snares.  For the past three years, I have used Remo Falams with the HS line
I teach.  However, this year, I went with Premier Marathon plastic batters
(the ones with the black ring) and Remo Falam snareside heads (on Pearl
Championships Series drums with scoops).   This is the same head configuration
used by Star of Indiana.  I must say that the sound quality was awesome....
you get the warmth of a plastic head, but a brighter, cripser snare sound
when using the Falam snareside.
 
The most amazing thing to me, however, was how these plastic Premier heads
held up.  I've used Silver Dots in the past, and I'd say the average head
life was approx 2-3 weeks (in HS marching band application).  Also, I can't
begin to tell you how many times I had the dots pull out while tuning up for
a show, only to have to do a quick furious head change, get it torqued up
good and tight, and then listen to it drop like a rock in pitch as the show
progressed, ruining the whole sound of the snare line.  These Premier heads
are something else.  I had four snares in my line this year.  We put these
heads on in July, and by October 31, 2 of them were still on!  The two I
had to replace were because of cuts on the batter surface.  I never had one
pull out.
 
Any instructor out there should consider using these heads.  As far as I'm
concerned, worries about plastic head life on snare batters is a thing of
the past with these Premier heads.
 
Just my cheap plug for Premier :), Mike Hughes