From: ddm@wpi.WPI.EDU (David D Marshall)
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: Snare Technology
Date: 9 Nov 1992 16:29:00 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu

In article <1992Nov7.132938.1@d0msu5.fnal.gov> jerger@d0msu5.fnal.gov writes:
> 
>Wow, I didn't know Pearl was a Japanese company. Have they always been, or 
>were they bought out? While we were in Nashville in '88, we got a tour of
>the Pearl factory there - fascinating, and they gave us free run of their 
>discard pile, which had some nice, almost complete stuff which just had some
>minor nicks, etc., making it barely unsellable. Of course, while we were
>spending the day there, the horn line was practicing, which ticked them off
>no end!! :-)
>

In Spirit '88, we got a tour of the Ludwig plant in NC; however, we didn't
get any free things, but the horn line was upset also.

>> 
>>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 think that saying the drum doesn't project well is not a totally acurate
statement.  I do believe that you get a richer sound from a plastic head,
but not sound quality or projection.  Projection comes from the player and
how he plays the drum.  In the times that I've played with Nick Angelas,
we can be using plastic, mylar, or skins and his projection and sound quality
is unbelievable.  The reason is style, not head selection.  That is why
you hear lines with poor sound quality and little projection (even in some 
'top' lines).  Listen to SCV in '88 when they have these exposed flam drags.
The quality of sound is increadable, and I believe they used Falams.  This
phenomena can be heard in recent years also.

>	As far as sound goes, I agree with you, Brad - there is nothing like
>a Silver Dot once it's cranked down & stretched out a bit, with a nice
>meaty yet crisp snare sound. Also, that was a head that felt good when you 
>played it; the mylar/kevlar heads are like playing on concrete when they're 
>cranked. When we used them in '88, when Falams were kind of new, Dilullo 
>was always worried about us getting tendonitis and tried to make sure we
>didn't play for too long a stretch without a break. Don't know if any 
>connection ever developed - anyone have comments on the healthiness of
>Falams over a longer period of time?

We had one or two snares who had wrist problems that they attributed to
the Falams.
 
>	Steve

--David

-- 
 Spirit '88      |"So get off your butt and ride."      |     _,-~o     |
 ?????? '93      |"It's the motor that wins the races." |    _-\_<,     |
                 |               E-mail ddm@wpi.wpi.edu |   (*)/'(*)    |