drum head tuning

[Electricide]

(searched for a previous thread...know of one?)

What do you drummers do for tuning? I've heard that the bottom head of a snare should be a fifth higher than the top, I assume because it's most related frequency other than the octave, and tuned up to vibrate the head faster and rattle the snare tighter.

For three toms, do you tune solely based on the drums most resonant note (based on the length of the shell)? or do you tune the drums in a chord, F, A,C, for example?

[Rodgre]

Best thing I ever did as an engineer is to hire a pro drum tech for a session. I learned so much by watching what he was doing. I will still hire him for all the important sessions, but for the sessions without the budget for him, I am WAY better at tuning and getting drum sounds in general having worked with this guy.

I advise anyone with even a modest studio to seek out the local "drum guy" if there is one, and hire them for a few hours to set up a drum kit and explain what they're doing if they can. The few I've worked with seem to LOVE to talk gear and also seem to love porn, so you can always pay them with obscure videos.

Roger

[Kyle]

cman

http://www.drumweb.com/profsound.shtml

This tutorial has been a very important tool at our little studio. I make copies of it and give it to the drummers before the sessions. I also use it to dial in the drums when they come in.