I want to explore and learn more about snare tones, and was curious to hear some favs around here.
Bonus points for describing how to get that sound :) I’m a recording engineer and would like to experiment with any ideas people have!
For me personally I love the super tight and muffled sound of JD Beck’s snares, like in this video. Seems like he usually tunes it super high and mutes it with random objects. Putting things like splashes to mute the sound AND have another percussive voice is really smart too.
I’m also a sucker for super open and crunchy snares, like the one in the beginning of black enuff by redveil. Tuned a little high(?) but letting it ring and compressing it until it distorts. It’s just so ANGRY
This video probably won’t help you at all but is pretty entertaining. Gotta love Zack
Do you consider heads as a factor for altering snare sound? I have my Tama Soundworks Kapur snare and while it’s definitely not a high-end, I’m really happy with the sound and it’s just fine for what I do with it (playing in amateur metal bands). I tried a bunch of different heads. I ended up using Remo Ambassador coated head and it sounds dope in high tuning. I can’t remember what I used before exactly, but I could definitely tell the difference when changing heads.
First video: Yeah, I’m not sure if there’s a lot of tuning technique involved. Sounds like he’s got that head SUPER TIGHT. But to stop the high pitched ringing he’d get, he’s using a wallet (I think that’s what that is) and a small splash cymbal on top of the snare drum. That right there changed the whole dynamic of the tuning of that head. Same with the floor tom. Looks like he’s got a lunch bag on top of that floor tom.
All of this stuff gets rid of the overtones that non dampened heads would have. Making them sound like they’re tightly tuned. They’re probably not. We also don’t know what he’s got on those bottom heads either. Probably nothing on the snare bottom but I’d venture to guess he’s using the same tape on the bottom of that floor tom that he’s got on that cymbal.
Second Video: Hard to tell on the snare. But it almost sounds like he’s got the top head tuned kinda low and the bottom head as tight as he could get it. Hard to tell though. And no muffling at all. I think I hear some digitally added reverb there as well. Not 100% sure on that though.
Me Personally, I like a high pitched snare top and bottom. I like a good crack and I don’t like choking it to death like the first drummer (JD) does. I like that snare to sing a little bit. Tight (high) tuning reduces the ringing from the top head but doesn’t kill it entirely. If I hit the head about an inch from the rim, I get a bit of a ring as opposed to hitting it smack dab in the center. By usual location to hit a snare drum is in between the center and rim. Maybe an inch or so off center. I like some ring but not a lot.