Problem: snare vibrates when tom is hit

[Beansprouts]

You can use a normal chromatic tuner. Although, if your drums are tuned low, it may not pick it up.

Alternatively, this is better training is to pick up a metronome (same as Bob's) that throws out notes. Hum to it (just like Bob) and then tune your drums to it. More tedious, yes - but in no time, you will be a walking tuner

Haha, I hummed out the A note for the snare drum.

And true, I am like a walking A-note-only tuner. LOL.

 

[lummer]

Just to share what i have done...

Last night i spend about 40mins tuning all my toms and snare again... I did not tune it to a particular note as some have mentioned. What i did was to tune the snare to what i would like it to sound and respond (I did tighten the snare wires a little too but still get very responsive buzz when i play the ghost notes). I also made some adjustments to the snare wires to ensure it sits evenly on the reso and with equal tensions on both ends.

Then i start adjusting the tone of my 10" tom (Which is the main tom that causes the massive buzz) until it doesn't buzz my snare that much. Once i establish the tone for the 10" tom, i then tune the rest of the toms to match the 10" tom. Like i said, the rest of my 8", 12", 14" and 16" toms doesn't buzz the snare except for the 8" that buzz a little bit (Perhaps is the close proximity thingy) when i hit but its negligible.

The snare buzzing has since reduce greatly and almost to an acceptable range. Not sure whether i have already reached the optimum but will continue to experiment with the tuning... Next i will probably try tuning it to a note... Or perhaps find out what is the existing note that my drums are tune to now...

In summary, if you have the snare buzzing problem, you have no two ways getting around it. You have to spend some time tuning the toms to reduce or eliminate the buzzing. I am not a believer of using the "tissue method" though...

I hope this will help you guys on this buzzing issue...
Cheers...

 

[zild_firth]

throw the drum away

 

[lummer]

throw the drum away

Throw u away more like it!!! hahaha!

 

[Beansprouts]

LOL. I was kinda desperate that's why the tissue came in.
Hehe.

 

[lummer]

LOL. I was kinda desperate that's why the tissue came in.
Hehe.

Desperation brings forth desperate action!! haha! Well, if it works for you then its ok... Otherwise u gotta spend some time to tune your toms... Confirm it will work... Just finish my practice and my kit sound good with minimum snare buzz when i hit the 10" tom... I am a happy now!

 

[Beansprouts]

Desperation brings forth desperate action!! haha! Well, if it works for you then its ok... Otherwise u gotta spend some time to tune your toms... Confirm it will work... Just finish my practice and my kit sound good with minimum snare buzz when i hit the 10" tom... I am a happy now!

Aw man, that's great for you.

Alright, I shall sit down or maybe stand up and re-tune my toms for the whole day.

 

[lummer]

Aiyo... no need the whole day lar... Identify the tom that causes the snare to buzz and start with that...

 

[Beansprouts]

But hor, it's practically all of the drums would make the snare buzz one leh. LOL.

 

[lummer]

But hor, it's practically all of the drums would make the snare buzz one leh. LOL.

Not true Taogay... But you have to be realistic lar... those toms that create a very very short and quick buzz is acceptable lar... you must identify the one that makes the most irritating long buzzing ones... Tune that tom first after that tune the rest to match that tom. FOr my case its the 10" tom... Once i got that sorted the rest is fine!

 

[Girlpants]

Not true Taogay...

hahahahahahaha.
Ok, he's right. Correct the most obvious ones first, which is usually the high tom.
Do it slowly, no rush. Half a tune at a time.

And don't worry, I took the whole day to tune my whole set the first time. hahaha. Multi-tasking; tuning, youtube, google, soft and meals. haha

 

[Beansprouts]

Not true Taogay... But you have to be realistic lar... those toms that create a very very short and quick buzz is acceptable lar... you must identify the one that makes the most irritating long buzzing ones... Tune that tom first after that tune the rest to match that tom. FOr my case its the 10" tom... Once i got that sorted the rest is fine!

The 10" Tom most irritating one lah. LOL.


Does putting a carpet underneath the set help?

 

[lummer]

Nope... Carpet will not help at all... Its the tone of the toms that causes the buzz... carpet is on the ground and will not absorb much of the acoustics... the carpet is more like reducing the bassdrum vibration to the ground... and also make it nice looking and your hardwares will not scratch your flooring and move away from you when you are drumming... hehe!

 

[Softwaremaker]

Let me put this in another way. Move the snare a few feet away from your most "irritating tom" and hit the tom. The buzz will also follow.

It is not about proximity and a reasonable distance. It is about physics and sound frequencies. The same note will emit frequencies that the surrounding objects will vibrate to if they are of the same note (its complex) - thats why this is called sympathetic buzz.

Actually, in my opinion, a little bit of buzz is good. Sounds good recorded. And even if after you have tuned it nicely and properly, it will detune again because of the number of times we hit it. In fact, this is how I tell myself my kit needs tuning. Once an unacceptable amount of buzz creeps in, its tuning time.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[Beansprouts]

Aw man, even if I make both heads on the most irritating tom loose, the buzz is still there leh!

Maybe because it's a Sensitone. Super sensitive. LOL.