Drum Dial Tunings

[bloodsuga]

Hey Everyone,
I recently purchased a Drum Dial to help tune my new drums. Since the sizes are relativily big ( 14,16,18 toms), I was having a little difficulty tuning them. I used the drum dial and have had very good results. I'll admit it's not perfect, but it has made tuning a lot faster. Anyways what i really wanted to ask was for people to post the measurements they used on their drums, and how it made them sound. I currently have them tuned up to the numbers suggested in the box, but there are a lot of different sounds i'd like to experiment with. Thanks!

[ramjet]

hi

i have a drum dial as well and i use it to get a very rough ball park and then go with ears from there. it will certainly help you but do not forget your ears.

in saying that can you post what those numbers that you use are as i have lost those numbers and i will see if it is similiar to what i use

[bloodsuga]

Sure man. I'm using double ply coated heads.

14 Tom 80
16 Tom 80
18 Tom 80

and 85 on the bottoms. It recommends tuning them around the same as the top, but I prefer to have my bottom heads tuned higher. Yes I agree, it isn't perfect and you do have to trust your ears, but i'm pretty new at tuning drums well so it is helping my ear hear when things are in tune. Thanks man!

[toolskid]

Originally Posted by bloodsuga

Hey Everyone,
I recently purchased a Drum Dial to help tune my new drums. Since the sizes are relativily big ( 14,16,18 toms), I was having a little difficulty tuning them. I used the drum dial and have had very good results. I'll admit it's not perfect, but it has made tuning a lot faster. Anyways what i really wanted to ask was for people to post the measurements they used on their drums, and how it made them sound. I currently have them tuned up to the numbers suggested in the box, but there are a lot of different sounds i'd like to experiment with. Thanks!

it just doesnt work like that - too many factors!

!

[ramjet]

are you using the tama tension whatch or some other brand

cause if it is the tama then that is tuned way high

and like tool skid said it dosn't really work like that. it will work OK but as you get better the short comings in doing it like that become quite apparent

[Matt_Weston]

I've found their suggested numbers to be a little on the low side for toms and a little on the high side for my snare. But that's just me.

[joeq]

Originally Posted by Matt_Weston

I've found their suggested numbers to be a little on the low side for toms and a little on the high side for my snare. But that's just me.

Yeah, I suspect that if you went to a store and bought 10 drum dials and put them on the same drum you would get 10 different readings.

There is a calibration procedure you are supposed to do where you set it up on a hard surface, mirror, etc and 'zero' it in. Even then, I bet the springs vary from unit to unit.

Hell you can pick it up and put it right back down in the same place and get a different reading.

I try to tap it gently to get it to 'settle'.

no, no - gently!

Head choice, bearing edges, hoop style will all probably have an effect, so getting suggested 'settings' from others is never going to be precise enough to be useful.

Even with your own unit on your own drum, the dial is only going to get you close to where you had it before. You always have to go the rest of the way by ear.