Which bass drum head do you think gives the punchiest and most defined thud.

Something that would give the sound like the bass drums from....

Dream Theater: Images and Words, Awake
Metallica: Metallica (Black Album), ...And Justice For All

well...i hope you understand what im trying to get at lol

(My shells arent anything special, just phillipine mahogany Tama shells if that helps)

You have to understand that what you are hearing on those albums is the result of a combination of heads, tuning, drum selection, mic selection, and engineering. You're not going to get that sound, unless you get ahold of those exact conditions, equipment, and settings.

That said, if you are looking for a punchy sound, go for a clear 2-ply head, like the Attack 2-Ply with Tone Ring, Evans Emad, or Remo's new PowerSonic, or the Aquarian Regulator. Experiment with different muffling/ring reducing techniques, and find what works best for you.

Remember, every room that you play will sound different. Every time the weather changes, your drums will sound different. Always keep an open mind to tuning and experimenting with different ideas to find "your" sound.








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Also if I may add to that, I don't know about Mike Portnoy, but I'm almost positive that on ...And Justice For All and The Black Album, Lars Ulrich had click plates on his bass drum heads, as well as hard beaters, wooden being the most preferred. It's like going a step farther with the whole Danmar bass drum patch idea.

Basically all you have to do is get some very thin sheet metal or aluminum, cut out a round or square piece, and duct tape it to the bass drum head, but only around the edges of the plate. You really need the face of the metal bare so that the beater makes contact. Be careful not to cut yourself on the edges of the metal. I made these and achieved the exact same clicky sound that Lars had in those days on his kicks.

It's kinda funny. It's really simple, but people that heard my drums were like, "how the hell do you get that sound??". They were mystified, which I thought was hillarious. I'm pretty sure a lot of drummers know about it and do it. In the studio you can just add high end for more beater attack, but to get it without mikes, this is probably the easiest and most effective way to go, not to mention the cheapest.








_________________
Tama Rockstar Custom 10-Pc
Paiste and Sabian cymbals
Tama "RoadPro" Hardware
Axis "X" Longboard Pedals
Regal Tip "Jazz E" and Promark "Elvin Jones" and "747" Drumsticks
Regal Tip "Ed Thigpen" Brushes
Remo and Evans Drumheads

Johnny Cat wrote:

Basically all you have to do is get some very thin sheet metal or aluminum, cut out a round or square piece, and duct tape it to the bass drum head, but only around the edges of the plate. You really need the face of the metal bare so that the beater makes contact. Be careful not to cut yourself on the edges of the metal. I made these and achieved the exact same clicky sound that Lars had in those days on his kicks.

You can also use large metal washers or coins. Combine that with a wood or plastic beater and you'll have all the click you can handle.

scrubs wrote:

Johnny Cat wrote:

Basically all you have to do is get some very thin sheet metal or aluminum, cut out a round or square piece, and duct tape it to the bass drum head, but only around the edges of the plate. You really need the face of the metal bare so that the beater makes contact. Be careful not to cut yourself on the edges of the metal. I made these and achieved the exact same clicky sound that Lars had in those days on his kicks.

You can also use large metal washers or coins. Combine that with a wood or plastic beater and you'll have all the click you can handle.

Yeah that's true. I tried the coin thing for a while but found I would bust my bass heads faster. Thanks for adding that though.








_________________
Tama Rockstar Custom 10-Pc
Paiste and Sabian cymbals
Tama "RoadPro" Hardware
Axis "X" Longboard Pedals
Regal Tip "Jazz E" and Promark "Elvin Jones" and "747" Drumsticks
Regal Tip "Ed Thigpen" Brushes
Remo and Evans Drumheads