@@GZuraman All in good time. Rather than just giving away the answers, which doesn't challenge anyone, we're looking for viewers to suggest what they believe the order was based on the information provided. We'll include a link to the ordered list shortly.
Demos Timestamps 1/ 0:25 2/ 1:20 3/ 2:20 4/ 4:01 5/ 5:15 6/ 8:43 7/ 9:13 Snares used in randomized order Tama Bell Brass (Bronze) Ludwig Acrolite Pearl Masters Maple Custom Ludwig Supraphonic Which snares were in which demos please like so it gets to the top
@@af7119 I have a 6.5 raw Copperphonic that’s lovely, but it can’t bring the brightness of the Tama. I love it for that, but for pure crack and presence I think the Tama wins. But you know how these things are- quite subjective.
@af7119 it was a blacrolite until I swapped the hoops out for 1.6mm ones...just sounded dead and dry compared to the sound I had in my head that an across should make. A little forum digging and realized the across in the 90s had 2.3 mm hoops...New hoops and an Inde throw off and it's perfect
I love calling BS on hearing with your eyes. We all need a constant reminder to let the ears guide us. I think snare drums are one of the most changeable, malleable percussion instruments we are blessed to use. Change the heads, the hoops, the wires, the tuning, the tension, and you have many different drums out of one drum. I still own about 6 snare drums but I don't think I need to. Better to learn how to get a lot of usage out of a really versatile drum than think another snare has "that sound". I love the experimentation you're doing here!
This is awesome. I set out 4 years ago to build my drum arsenal for experimentation/fun. The more I built, I discovered the irony being showcased here. I'm still glad I did. I'm grateful that I did this along with this & other great YT channels as a guide. Praise & Worship is one of my fav avenues to test out new ideas - freedom. THANK YOU! 10 out of 10! TY
5:46 I KNEW IT!! hahahaha came to comments to post about this specififc thing. Love it! Shows how much people put into thinking that a specific piece will always make a certain type of sound and how wrong they are. Great work. Keep showing us that the only true thing that matters isn't what you spend, or what brand it is, but how you the player interact with it.
Excellent. Point made, and made really well. Thank you for also helping feel a little better about some of my gear buying over the years. I've bought stuff not because I wanted something because X drummer uses it, or because I believed it would make me "play better," or anything like that. I've tended to buy things because I needed certain sounds, either to have in my palette, or for a specific band/setting. Could I have more snares? Oh, HELL, yeah, but I find I get pretty much everything I need out of the ones I have. Also my bass drum & tom shell bank, while not the most expensive drums out there, is made of shells that can do anything I want/need them to. Put some different head on them, tune appropriately, and I have Hair Metal, I have quartet Jazz, I have Classic Rock, I have a studio kit, I have a live beast. The only comment I'll make about buying cheap vs. buying mid-to-expensive is this: while cheaper drums these days have shells that are really well-made and can sound really, REALLY good (light years what was available for beginner drums sets when I was young), more often than not I feel that the extra money paid for mid-to-upper level drums is worth it because the parts and fittings are of better quality, are more stable, and will last longer. There are of course exceptions to every rule, but for the most part I find this to be true. And every once in a while you find a drum that, for whatever reason, just HAS THE MOJO. Grab it if you can. Thanks for all you do!!
True, though great lenses aren't cheap as is (we definitely used way more than $4k worth on this video). That said, the analogy holds up quite well, as one usually makes great consideration as to all of the other factors involved prior to light passing through the lens.
So funny - a little bit into this video I thought "I wonder if they ever could put other snare sounds in this video to see if anyone noticed?" You did it!! I think this was a great idea - great execution. Even if some people feel "tricked", it is a genius idea and a good challenge for all of us. I have been drawn into building up a larger-than-I-likely-need collection of snares (and cymbals), and all of the issues you mentioned were contributors to this (buying based on videos, thinking that a new snare would open up lots of new sonic options for me, etc.). I also have bought some snares due to them being played by people I admire - another trap, since the sounds I hear on those recordings are SOO processed that I may never get them to sound like that!! Mostly I like the snares I have, but there are likely a few I am going to move on from at some point - if they are not getting time on the stand, they are just money sitting on my shelves ... There is a "buying high" that can get me soaring with hope that a new piece of gear will be "it", and in reality, they are not life-changing - they are just good snares/cymbals that are nice to have, but that is it. I could likely cut my gear in half and not really be limited in any significant way. At church (where I do lots of my drumming), the 14x5 Acrolite works for everything we do - a good reminder that lots of sounds and styles can be pulled out of a good-quality snare.
This was excellent. Last video I recall not enjoying the snare that much and concentrating on the content. .. there ya go . I did here the change today and subliminally questioned and moved on .. Great experiment.
Thanks for another awesome video guys! Ans yes. I missed the Tama Bell Brass snare drum the first time around. But I definitely have learned a lot about listening and working with my drums from your excellent and informative lessons. Thanks for all your help. 🥁❤️
I love the experiment!! I definitely didn't recognize it by look or sound. Just went back to try and pick the Bell Brass out.... From what I could catch you did 4 examples at around 1:19 ~ 2:24 ~ 4:00 ~ 5:13. My guess is the Tama Bell Brass was at 2:24? It just had the ring overtone that matches it.
i think this kinda vid is important. we all like to convince ourselves of things because of our enthusiasm or other such biases but when it comes to our sound making stuff a lot of times we need to use a thing before we can know if its right for us.
I’m a Tama guy. Two Star kits, three Starclassic kits, and more high-end snares than I can count. With that said, I’ll take my Off Beat cast bronze over this Tama reissue. Mine comes in for half the price and it can do everything that the Tama can do. It just lacks the provenance of the Tama. Not knocking anyone who prefers the Tama drum; just that I prefer with the less expensive option. No sacrifice on craftsmanship.
Loved it! I always find it interesting when you swap out audio, i didnt hear a single difference, i think this stuff is so important for newer players (like myself) not to go chaseing waterfalls, just stay with the rivers and the lakes that your uses too
I did a session recently and I used a snare they had that I liked the sound of, tuned it a bit, did 3 takes, realized it was a Ludwig accent and was honestly amazed
I just bought a used Eaststar snare. $11.00. These are currently the cheapest snare on Amazon. Out of the box it sounded horrible. I put an Ambassador batter head and 2.3 mm batter hoop and 0:15 some pro quality wires on it. Finally I hand cut snare beds ( there were none to begin with). It is limited in range but it sounds like a real snare drum. The sound passes muster sitting right beside my Black Beauty, my Gretsch 4157 and my Slingerland Hollywood Ace. $11.00 and some used serviceable parts. I was amazed. It’s this week’s drum of choice!!
I really enjoy this kind of stuff. Seems heads, bearing edge and tuning are the most important aspects of drum tone. Saw a similar “blindfold” test between 2 drummers and three snares. They couldn’t identify which one they were endorsing.
This was the perfect video. It proves the point I have always talked about regarding peoples perception of what they deem "the best" or something similar. So many musicians, especially drummers hear with their eyes. I remember believing a certain brand of drum or cymbal was the best. That didn't last long at all. A person realizes that advertising and such play a big part in making your choices for you instead of you actually playing and/or purchasing what sounds good to you. I play what I believe are great drums and cymbals and that includes multiple brands of both drum kits and cymbals. Playing a brand that an artist plays or swears by is ok but, is that really because you like it or because the endorser likes it? And no, you are not going to sound or play like that person just because you go out and purchase the exact same thing. People also never take into the account of all the ways the sound of the drum or cymbal is manipulated in the studio and all of the effects that are applied to recording. A drum or cymbal doesn't just sound that way without doing anything to it. So many factors go into the getting the sound that you are looking for. Try it out for yourself. Get a snare and play it in a room of your house. Take it to another room and try it. It sounds different. Take it outside and it sounds different yet again. And those are just options without altering anything on the snare itself like the heads, tension, wires, muffling devices, etc. But, the beauty of all of this is seeing and hearing all of the great options out there and making your selection of what sounds go to you. Period.
I like this... we all do tend to listen with our eye, especially on the internet and we all need to be aware of that and acknowledge that maybe sometimes we are deceiving ourselves, or are being deceived by retailers.
As a collector, guilty of all things you’ve said. It’s truly like candy land. However, when I’m working or out gigging, it becomes all about the vibe. I’ve played on garbage and had amazing experiences. Nice gear can inspire for sure. But as a lot of bikers will say, it’s all about the ride.
As long as the hardware is decent, the number of lugs appropriate for the size and the bearing edge properly cut and in good condition, I see shells as little more than a holder for the drumheads. Drum sound is 95% heads and tuning.
Such a great video idea! I did a video on this snare drum, and I compared it with 5 or 6 other snares I have… both raw sounds and processed… and the differences were minimal at best. The only place I’ve found where it REALLY sticks out is in a full metal where everything is extremely processed. And I think it’s because the drum is so unbelievably loud, that it sounds really prominent in the overheads and room mics. Which is a really desirable thing to have HOWEVER… do I think it’s NECESSARY to get a great final product? Fuck no. Did I sell all my other snares after getting it? Sure did!
I did notice that all the playing snippets sounded different but assumed it was tuning but also had a sneaking suspicion you would do this. Of course I have no idea which one was the actual bb, if any of them were. They all sounded like a snare drum 🤷🏽♂️ thank you for challenging the online community to be honest. I agree with everything you said.
You tricksy hobbitses! Reminds me of my most recent snare purchase. I knew I wanted a 6(.5...maybe even 8)x14 brass snare, and in my heart felt that I was going to have to sweat that the answer ($$$) was going to be a Black Beauty. After spending a lot of time comparing, tweaking tunings, etc, I walked out with a 5.5" Universal, which I liked better than the deeper drums (and better than the Black Beauty). I was realizing in the store as I was comparing that I _wanted_ to like the BB better, even though my ears were loving the Universal. I was chasing the sounds I was hearing from videos, etc, which was based not only on the mix but the playing styles of the people playing the snares. My style/sticks/ears directed me to the Universal, and I've been happy with it since. Obviously not as big a price difference but paying 1/2 as much for a drum I found that I liked better always feels good. Great video!
I find judging a snare by listen to it on the internet very hard. Even if unprocessed you have a lot of factors that influence the sound like tuning, microphone, microphone placement, the Mixer and so on. If you watch several videos of a specific snare, it will sound very different in each one. That's why you could "fool" me with that experiment everytime. If you have direct comparisons back to back, it's easier to get a better feel for how the recording in general sounds. As a bell bronze fanatic myself, I did alot of blind tests of videos, where alot of snares are compared and fair enough, I sometimes find myself liking snares the most, that I would never choose because I don't like the material. But then again, some tunings/microphones etc. compliment some drums more than others. So it's really tough to do a perfect comparison. I would love to do a blind test in person, to see if i can notice my drums between others. But our local drumshop closed a couple of years ago, so it's not an option anymore. Sorry for the novel! Cheers guys, keep up the fantastic work!
Yes! This is precisely the point here- understanding that the drum doesn't make a sound but rather the player and/or tech set it up to sound a certain way and then the player plays it. One cannot discount the multitude of factors/variables involved. If anything, that realization can be liberating. When judging the sound of a snare drum being demonstrated through a recording, it's best to remember that the drum *can* be made to sound like what you're hearing but that it doesn't inherently sound like that.
Hmm! Sounds surprisingly much like my Sonor AQ2. One of the lugs doesn't keep its tuning very well with rimshots... But I enjoy the tones I get out of it a lot.
I respect what you’re doing there and I appreciate it because $4,000 is a lot of money for only one drum. Also there’s a lot of other brands out there that sound amazing. A choice of drum heads could change the voice of a drum and get a sound that you like and get close to the sound of a bell brass drum .
The irony of just having been messing around with recordings of a Tama BB and the gating. I do appreciate your videos for the higher standard of listening practices. I agree 100% with your perspective, I play and collect. just got to play on a 20s black beauty next to an AK black beauty. and I can say that beauty is in the ears of the listener.
I honestly immediately liked the unique snare-sound in the last episode had an imagine of it and then saw it was a Bell Brass. I then looked at the comments: No one mentioning the Bell Brass so I thought, well I guess it stays our little secret then😂
I purchased a number of 5X14 vintage Ludwig Supraphonics, cleaned them up and got them ready to play or sell. One of them just seemed to sound better than the others - to me. It had a few pits. The others, which were flawless, didn't sound as good - to me. I took the pitted drum out to play at a club. A drummer heard me playing the drum and asked to buy it. My price was not acceptable. Of course, I priced it on sound, I think he priced it on appearance when he finally saw it up close after I finished playing it. I told him it was the best-sounding Supra I had. I've kept it as a primary snare, it sounds better - to me - than my 90's hammered Bronzephonic and my COB Super 400. And it is lighter by far than either. But what do I know? 50 years of playing has my ears screaming at me constantly now! So maybe I can't tell what sounds good anymore!
Love the channel Cody. Perhaps you could talk about drumsticks in detail. I personally have a problem with breaking tips way before the sticks get worn. I've noticed this being more of a problem latley. Do I just have bad stick technique? Cheers
We don't do traditional reviews but if you express your interest in a Snare Spotlight on our channel to Dixon Drums, they're the ones that would make this decision.
Hopefully, between your drum videos and Glenn Fricker's pickup/speaker/tonewood videos, people will spend less time fretting over crap that doesn't matter and more time learning how to write music that doesn't suck.
Non of it matters when it blends with other instruments on the mix.. it all comes to mixing technique and tuning.. well if youre just doing drum solos then yeah its a different story
I own bunch of bell bronze snares. yes they do have a sound of their own but nothing a little tunning, head change, and dampening won't get you close to it. You buy these expensive drums for their exotic materials, exclusivity, and collectability, imho.
The more I listen to this drum ther more the myth is dying...Black Album created big part of that myth, but what we hear in this mix/recording, is much more than just a close mic, and the rooms are playing huge part of the sound in there, plus there's a sample going on as well.Watch the documentary if questioning......I might have a better opinion if I ever get to play with one of those, but it kind of sounding kind of choked to my ears,(die cast help on this one) also saying that from hearing it at Toontrack's libraries....
i found the sound to be quite distinguished, even though also sounding just like any other drum, i could hear it..... what do you guys think about a collectable neil peart frum for 10K? worth it???
Okay this was my honest experience of the episode before discovering the "twist." For the most part I was surprised at how much the snare did not sound like a Bell Brass and was disappointed in the sound they were getting from it. This was vindicated after the reveal. Especially for snare drums (as opposed to toms and bass) which are essentially an effects, drum I agree that they can be deceptive and we can hear with our eyes. However a lot is missed in videos such as these. One being a drum's POTENTIAL is very different to how it may sound in one environment, with one player - even with different tunings. Bell Brass is a good example in that they can be laid into in a way many drums cannot handle. I don't own a Bell Brass but the first time I heard one I could not see it, had never heard of them (long before youtube videos etc) it was being played by a friend who I had always thought lacked a little in the snare sound and there was no mic on it. I was blown away and have chased that sound ever since. Sometimes the hype is real. I also have a recording engineer I work with regularly who 9/10 can tell when I have switched from a steel to a brass or a wood shell snare etc. This is when they are in the control room and can't see me. Agree 100% though with exploring the potential of a drum versus just buying a new one. I've been guilty of this for sure.
I think Keplinger or Honest Abe snares sound more unique than this Tama, but it does sound great but I think you have to really rip on it to bring out all of its charm.
@@SoundsLikeADrum I have not played the Tama, to be fair. I’ve played a Keplinger and I own a few Honest Abe snares that I’ve played on many gigs. I’ve also done many video demos for Honest Abe demonstrating different drums of his that I do not own, yet! Lol Thanks for asking!
@@meekoloco Way cool! Yeah, we'll likely do some experiments with other hoops, heads, etc. and may share those over on our Patreon. We've yet to have an Honest Abe in our hands (we'd be up for a Snare Spotlight if he'd like to make that happen). We sure do love Gregg's work, as we've played quite a few of his drums in addition to the one that Cody owns.
@@SoundsLikeADrum Yes Keplinger does great work! I nearly bought one right as I discovered Honest Abe. I’m forming a plan to get you an Abe snare for review!
You guys tricked me but I don't care... I played a gig last week and played through my snares the rehearsal before and picked my Pioneer... I had played the Supra for a while and sort of got bored... The Vistalite was nice and fat but the Pioneer, though not as thick sounding was holding it's own. What tipped the scale were two songs that feature rim clicks and the brass hoops and resonant shell of the Pioneer made them sound like a bell!! It was all down to feel... Sure I can tune a drum and tweak the mix to make any one sound like the other but there's that intangible thing that only the player knows that goes into it. I still want an Acrolite!!
I was thinking at the beginning this drum doesn't sound that great. I feel the one sample I liked was probably the maple anyway (second last or so). Could it also be no one really mentioned it because it's not really that coveted? I'd rather Tama bring back the bronze dynamic so I can get one, than release some ridiculously expensive unjustifable drum.
I wish they'd have reveled what snare were they playing each time. It would've been much more informative and "transparent" instead of just kind of controversial.
We will be doing that but for the time being we're challenging viewers to practice some critical listening to take a guess based on the information provided.
Oh wow. What a beautiful drum. Agree with you one hundred percent. At some point I'll get some nice drums, but for now my "starter kit" has been getting me through gigs and recording sessions as just "some local drummer."
You really don't have to quantify it. In fact, numbers are probably the most misleading way to assess a nice drum. That's a huge part of what we were getting at in this episode.
Look. We all know I’m going to blow $4k on a bell brass the first time I stumble upon the money. Not you, god, my mother, my wife, my children, my dog, my doctor, my landlord, my electric bill, or my busted car can do anything about it.
I thought throu the hole Video,that that Snare Sound is Not my Cup of Tea …and whished you were playing your supra or Pearl Masters Like Most of the time…. So,Sound is very subjektive…but in my experience a good sounding Instrument mostly have a certain Price to it…good quality comes from somewhere…a lot of cheap components won‘t bring up a high quality result….
Okay, so that's particularly interesting because we WERE using the Pearl Masters or Supra (as well as the Acrolite) for several of the interludes. Opinions on sound are certainly quite subjective but the price of the components rarely has a direct impact on what people like for sound when the sound is judged without any additional information to color the perspective. Simply put, expensive components do not a good drum sound make.
@@norbertrenner9364 Well, yes...but the irony is that when you wished you were hearing the supra or the Pearl, there's a high chance that you actually were hearing one of those drums.
Years ago i drove in my car and 50 ways to leave your lover by Paul Simon comes to mind….so i turned on the Radio to hear some music and the Song played on the Radio was 50 ways to leave your lover….i thougt,what is going on here…told it to a friend soon later,and he Said…well the Waves,the Information was in the air and you just picked it up…that‘s just it.
What's the right amount of covid boosters one should get, in your opinion? Drummers tend to be divided on this topic. Ranging from zero to as many as are made available.
Which of the drum sounds was your favorite?
All of em
I am a sucker for a snare of a higher pitch with a snap and a "ping" so, the one that did that.
The fourth demo. Was it an Acro?
1 and 5. I wish you'd say which are all of them so I could compare them and have a reference.
@@GZuraman All in good time. Rather than just giving away the answers, which doesn't challenge anyone, we're looking for viewers to suggest what they believe the order was based on the information provided. We'll include a link to the ordered list shortly.
Demos Timestamps
1/ 0:25
2/ 1:20
3/ 2:20
4/ 4:01
5/ 5:15
6/ 8:43
7/ 9:13
Snares used in randomized order
Tama Bell Brass (Bronze)
Ludwig Acrolite
Pearl Masters Maple Custom
Ludwig Supraphonic
Which snares were in which demos
please like so it gets to the top
We'd like to see replies to this with their guesses.
My money is on #3 - 2:20
I would guess the BB is at 2:20
My guess is
1/ Acro
2/ Supra
3/ Bell Brass
4/ Acro
5/ Bell Brass
6/ Pearl Masters Custom
7/ Pearl Masters Custom
I like 4 and 9 the most.... is it the tuning, the dampening or the snare ?!?!? I don't know...
I'll just say it about the Tama Bell Brass in the video.
It Sounds Like A Drum.
Just one drum? 🤔
We have been bamboozled
Ah yes, but hopefully to lead to a new level of understanding and awareness.
My used $80 6.5” Swingstar from the 80s may be my best sounding snare.
Honesty used to have a 13x6 swingstar 6 lugger I loved
I have a red badge 5,5" and it's just great.
Wonder what your worst sounding snare is.
@@af7119 I have a 6.5 raw Copperphonic that’s lovely, but it can’t bring the brightness of the Tama. I love it for that, but for pure crack and presence I think the Tama wins. But you know how these things are- quite subjective.
@af7119 it was a blacrolite until I swapped the hoops out for 1.6mm ones...just sounded dead and dry compared to the sound I had in my head that an across should make. A little forum digging and realized the across in the 90s had 2.3 mm hoops...New hoops and an Inde throw off and it's perfect
I love calling BS on hearing with your eyes. We all need a constant reminder to let the ears guide us. I think snare drums are one of the most changeable, malleable percussion instruments we are blessed to use. Change the heads, the hoops, the wires, the tuning, the tension, and you have many different drums out of one drum. I still own about 6 snare drums but I don't think I need to. Better to learn how to get a lot of usage out of a really versatile drum than think another snare has "that sound". I love the experimentation you're doing here!
This is awesome. I set out 4 years ago to build my drum arsenal for experimentation/fun. The more I built, I discovered the irony being showcased here. I'm still glad I did. I'm grateful that I did this along with this & other great YT channels as a guide. Praise & Worship is one of my fav avenues to test out new ideas - freedom. THANK YOU! 10 out of 10! TY
5:46 I KNEW IT!! hahahaha came to comments to post about this specififc thing. Love it! Shows how much people put into thinking that a specific piece will always make a certain type of sound and how wrong they are. Great work. Keep showing us that the only true thing that matters isn't what you spend, or what brand it is, but how you the player interact with it.
Excellent. Point made, and made really well. Thank you for also helping feel a little better about some of my gear buying over the years. I've bought stuff not because I wanted something because X drummer uses it, or because I believed it would make me "play better," or anything like that. I've tended to buy things because I needed certain sounds, either to have in my palette, or for a specific band/setting. Could I have more snares? Oh, HELL, yeah, but I find I get pretty much everything I need out of the ones I have. Also my bass drum & tom shell bank, while not the most expensive drums out there, is made of shells that can do anything I want/need them to. Put some different head on them, tune appropriately, and I have Hair Metal, I have quartet Jazz, I have Classic Rock, I have a studio kit, I have a live beast.
The only comment I'll make about buying cheap vs. buying mid-to-expensive is this: while cheaper drums these days have shells that are really well-made and can sound really, REALLY good (light years what was available for beginner drums sets when I was young), more often than not I feel that the extra money paid for mid-to-upper level drums is worth it because the parts and fittings are of better quality, are more stable, and will last longer. There are of course exceptions to every rule, but for the most part I find this to be true.
And every once in a while you find a drum that, for whatever reason, just HAS THE MOJO. Grab it if you can.
Thanks for all you do!!
"... a lens through which your playing goes out to the audience."
A very, VERY EXPENSIVE lens.
True, though great lenses aren't cheap as is (we definitely used way more than $4k worth on this video). That said, the analogy holds up quite well, as one usually makes great consideration as to all of the other factors involved prior to light passing through the lens.
Great video, love the honesty from you guys!! DNH Drums!!
this is exactly why i follow y’all
So funny - a little bit into this video I thought "I wonder if they ever could put other snare sounds in this video to see if anyone noticed?" You did it!! I think this was a great idea - great execution. Even if some people feel "tricked", it is a genius idea and a good challenge for all of us. I have been drawn into building up a larger-than-I-likely-need collection of snares (and cymbals), and all of the issues you mentioned were contributors to this (buying based on videos, thinking that a new snare would open up lots of new sonic options for me, etc.). I also have bought some snares due to them being played by people I admire - another trap, since the sounds I hear on those recordings are SOO processed that I may never get them to sound like that!! Mostly I like the snares I have, but there are likely a few I am going to move on from at some point - if they are not getting time on the stand, they are just money sitting on my shelves ... There is a "buying high" that can get me soaring with hope that a new piece of gear will be "it", and in reality, they are not life-changing - they are just good snares/cymbals that are nice to have, but that is it. I could likely cut my gear in half and not really be limited in any significant way. At church (where I do lots of my drumming), the 14x5 Acrolite works for everything we do - a good reminder that lots of sounds and styles can be pulled out of a good-quality snare.
You nailed it! 👏
This was excellent. Last video I recall not enjoying the snare that much and concentrating on the content. .. there ya go .
I did here the change today and subliminally questioned and moved on ..
Great experiment.
Thanks for another awesome video guys! Ans yes. I missed the Tama Bell Brass snare drum the first time around. But I definitely have learned a lot about listening and working with my drums from your excellent and informative lessons. Thanks for all your help. 🥁❤️
I love the experiment!! I definitely didn't recognize it by look or sound.
Just went back to try and pick the Bell Brass out....
From what I could catch you did 4 examples at around 1:19 ~ 2:24 ~ 4:00 ~ 5:13. My guess is the Tama Bell Brass was at 2:24? It just had the ring overtone that matches it.
i think this kinda vid is important. we all like to convince ourselves of things because of our enthusiasm or other such biases but when it comes to our sound making stuff a lot of times we need to use a thing before we can know if its right for us.
I’m a Tama guy. Two Star kits, three Starclassic kits, and more high-end snares than I can count. With that said, I’ll take my Off Beat cast bronze over this Tama reissue. Mine comes in for half the price and it can do everything that the Tama can do. It just lacks the provenance of the Tama. Not knocking anyone who prefers the Tama drum; just that I prefer with the less expensive option. No sacrifice on craftsmanship.
Fantastic video😄😄😄
Loved it! I always find it interesting when you swap out audio, i didnt hear a single difference, i think this stuff is so important for newer players (like myself) not to go chaseing waterfalls, just stay with the rivers and the lakes that your uses too
I did a session recently and I used a snare they had that I liked the sound of, tuned it a bit, did 3 takes, realized it was a Ludwig accent and was honestly amazed
I just bought a used Eaststar snare. $11.00. These are currently the cheapest snare on Amazon. Out of the box it sounded horrible. I put an Ambassador batter head and 2.3 mm batter hoop and 0:15 some pro quality wires on it. Finally I hand cut snare beds ( there were none to begin with). It is limited in range but it sounds like a real snare drum. The sound passes muster sitting right beside my Black Beauty, my Gretsch 4157 and my Slingerland Hollywood Ace. $11.00 and some used serviceable parts. I was amazed. It’s this week’s drum of choice!!
I really enjoy this kind of stuff. Seems heads, bearing edge and tuning are the most important aspects of drum tone. Saw a similar “blindfold” test between 2 drummers and three snares. They couldn’t identify which one they were endorsing.
This was the perfect video. It proves the point I have always talked about regarding peoples perception of what they deem "the best" or something similar. So many musicians, especially drummers hear with their eyes. I remember believing a certain brand of drum or cymbal was the best. That didn't last long at all. A person realizes that advertising and such play a big part in making your choices for you instead of you actually playing and/or purchasing what sounds good to you. I play what I believe are great drums and cymbals and that includes multiple brands of both drum kits and cymbals. Playing a brand that an artist plays or swears by is ok but, is that really because you like it or because the endorser likes it? And no, you are not going to sound or play like that person just because you go out and purchase the exact same thing. People also never take into the account of all the ways the sound of the drum or cymbal is manipulated in the studio and all of the effects that are applied to recording. A drum or cymbal doesn't just sound that way without doing anything to it. So many factors go into the getting the sound that you are looking for. Try it out for yourself. Get a snare and play it in a room of your house. Take it to another room and try it. It sounds different. Take it outside and it sounds different yet again. And those are just options without altering anything on the snare itself like the heads, tension, wires, muffling devices, etc. But, the beauty of all of this is seeing and hearing all of the great options out there and making your selection of what sounds go to you. Period.
Wait…99% of us, no more, missed it? Well, that makes it unanimous :) Love the channel, guys!
I like this... we all do tend to listen with our eye, especially on the internet and we all need to be aware of that and acknowledge that maybe sometimes we are deceiving ourselves, or are being deceived by retailers.
As a collector, guilty of all things you’ve said. It’s truly like candy land. However, when I’m working or out gigging, it becomes all about the vibe. I’ve played on garbage and had amazing experiences. Nice gear can inspire for sure. But as a lot of bikers will say, it’s all about the ride.
*stands on desk
Oh, Captain, my Captain.
As long as the hardware is decent, the number of lugs appropriate for the size and the bearing edge properly cut and in good condition, I see shells as little more than a holder for the drumheads. Drum sound is 95% heads and tuning.
Such a great video idea! I did a video on this snare drum, and I compared it with 5 or 6 other snares I have… both raw sounds and processed… and the differences were minimal at best. The only place I’ve found where it REALLY sticks out is in a full metal where everything is extremely processed. And I think it’s because the drum is so unbelievably loud, that it sounds really prominent in the overheads and room mics. Which is a really desirable thing to have HOWEVER… do I think it’s NECESSARY to get a great final product? Fuck no. Did I sell all my other snares after getting it? Sure did!
I did notice that all the playing snippets sounded different but assumed it was tuning but also had a sneaking suspicion you would do this. Of course I have no idea which one was the actual bb, if any of them were. They all sounded like a snare drum 🤷🏽♂️ thank you for challenging the online community to be honest. I agree with everything you said.
You tricksy hobbitses!
Reminds me of my most recent snare purchase. I knew I wanted a 6(.5...maybe even 8)x14 brass snare, and in my heart felt that I was going to have to sweat that the answer ($$$) was going to be a Black Beauty. After spending a lot of time comparing, tweaking tunings, etc, I walked out with a 5.5" Universal, which I liked better than the deeper drums (and better than the Black Beauty). I was realizing in the store as I was comparing that I _wanted_ to like the BB better, even though my ears were loving the Universal. I was chasing the sounds I was hearing from videos, etc, which was based not only on the mix but the playing styles of the people playing the snares. My style/sticks/ears directed me to the Universal, and I've been happy with it since. Obviously not as big a price difference but paying 1/2 as much for a drum I found that I liked better always feels good.
Great video!
I find judging a snare by listen to it on the internet very hard. Even if unprocessed you have a lot of factors that influence the sound like tuning, microphone, microphone placement, the Mixer and so on. If you watch several videos of a specific snare, it will sound very different in each one. That's why you could "fool" me with that experiment everytime. If you have direct comparisons back to back, it's easier to get a better feel for how the recording in general sounds. As a bell bronze fanatic myself, I did alot of blind tests of videos, where alot of snares are compared and fair enough, I sometimes find myself liking snares the most, that I would never choose because I don't like the material. But then again, some tunings/microphones etc. compliment some drums more than others. So it's really tough to do a perfect comparison. I would love to do a blind test in person, to see if i can notice my drums between others. But our local drumshop closed a couple of years ago, so it's not an option anymore. Sorry for the novel! Cheers guys, keep up the fantastic work!
Yes! This is precisely the point here- understanding that the drum doesn't make a sound but rather the player and/or tech set it up to sound a certain way and then the player plays it. One cannot discount the multitude of factors/variables involved. If anything, that realization can be liberating. When judging the sound of a snare drum being demonstrated through a recording, it's best to remember that the drum *can* be made to sound like what you're hearing but that it doesn't inherently sound like that.
Haha this was great! I was surprised at the crispness of the 5:10 snare. What this the Pearl Masters Maple or Acrolyte?
Hmm! Sounds surprisingly much like my Sonor AQ2. One of the lugs doesn't keep its tuning very well with rimshots... But I enjoy the tones I get out of it a lot.
I respect what you’re doing there and I appreciate it because $4,000 is a lot of money for only one drum. Also there’s a lot of other brands out there that sound amazing. A choice of drum heads could change the voice of a drum and get a sound that you like and get close to the sound of a bell brass drum .
Lol at that last point you made. I just remembered either you or Ben asking if any processing was made on the Zildjian 21" K Projection Ride 😂
Ha! I was sincerely curious as to the audio production. Would be great to know. -Ben
The irony of just having been messing around with recordings of a Tama BB and the gating. I do appreciate your videos for the higher standard of listening practices. I agree 100% with your perspective, I play and collect. just got to play on a 20s black beauty next to an AK black beauty. and I can say that beauty is in the ears of the listener.
Quite the coincidence! Which of the drumming breaks in this episode did you think was the Bell Brass?
I honestly immediately liked the unique snare-sound in the last episode had an imagine of it and then saw it was a Bell Brass. I then looked at the comments: No one mentioning the Bell Brass so I thought, well I guess it stays our little secret then😂
I purchased a number of 5X14 vintage Ludwig Supraphonics, cleaned them up and got them ready to play or sell. One of them just seemed to sound better than the others - to me.
It had a few pits. The others, which were flawless, didn't sound as good - to me. I took the pitted drum out to play at a club. A drummer heard me playing the drum and asked to buy it. My price was not acceptable. Of course, I priced it on sound, I think he priced it on appearance when he finally saw it up close after I finished playing it. I told him it was the best-sounding Supra I had.
I've kept it as a primary snare, it sounds better - to me - than my 90's hammered Bronzephonic and my COB Super 400. And it is lighter by far than either.
But what do I know? 50 years of playing has my ears screaming at me constantly now! So maybe I can't tell what sounds good anymore!
😂 👌🙏 you are doing a great job! Thanks!
Love the channel Cody. Perhaps you could talk about drumsticks in detail. I personally have a problem with breaking tips way before the sticks get worn. I've noticed this being more of a problem latley. Do I just have bad stick technique? Cheers
Can you review Gregg Bisonnette's signature Dixon brass snare? It looks real similar but doesnt look like it breaks the bank
We don't do traditional reviews but if you express your interest in a Snare Spotlight on our channel to Dixon Drums, they're the ones that would make this decision.
Hey, Elvin used one for nearly 20 years.
Hopefully, between your drum videos and Glenn Fricker's pickup/speaker/tonewood videos, people will spend less time fretting over crap that doesn't matter and more time learning how to write music that doesn't suck.
What kind of hi hats are those?
15" Zildjian prototypes. All gear is listed in our video descriptions.
@@SoundsLikeADrum awesome
I'll keep my vintage acrolite! 300 dollars and I've made it sound all those ways!
In fact, one or two of those sounds was made with a vintage Acrolite!
Non of it matters when it blends with other instruments on the mix.. it all comes to mixing technique and tuning.. well if youre just doing drum solos then yeah its a different story
I own bunch of bell bronze snares. yes they do have a sound of their own but nothing a little tunning, head change, and dampening won't get you close to it. You buy these expensive drums for their exotic materials, exclusivity, and collectability, imho.
This sounds like a very healthy, realistic perspective.
The more I listen to this drum ther more the myth is dying...Black Album created big part of that myth, but what we hear in this mix/recording, is much more than just a close mic, and the rooms are playing huge part of the sound in there, plus there's a sample going on as well.Watch the documentary if questioning......I might have a better opinion if I ever get to play with one of those, but it kind of sounding kind of choked to my ears,(die cast help on this one) also saying that from hearing it at Toontrack's libraries....
i found the sound to be quite distinguished, even though also sounding just like any other drum, i could hear it..... what do you guys think about a collectable neil peart frum for 10K? worth it???
Which sound did you consider to be quite distinguished?
@@SoundsLikeADrum the first bit of playing.....
Ah! Interesting... Did you happen to watch the entire episode?
@@SoundsLikeADrum of course
Do you think that was the sound of the Bell Brass or a different drum?
This one sounds... Like a drum
Which one? 😉
Sounds like a snare.
Just one?
It's toys) rattle
Funny to see everyone in the comments thinking they realized the difference before you said anything. Hindsight bias at its peak.
Okay this was my honest experience of the episode before discovering the "twist." For the most part I was surprised at how much the snare did not sound like a Bell Brass and was disappointed in the sound they were getting from it. This was vindicated after the reveal. Especially for snare drums (as opposed to toms and bass) which are essentially an effects, drum I agree that they can be deceptive and we can hear with our eyes. However a lot is missed in videos such as these. One being a drum's POTENTIAL is very different to how it may sound in one environment, with one player - even with different tunings.
Bell Brass is a good example in that they can be laid into in a way many drums cannot handle. I don't own a Bell Brass but the first time I heard one I could not see it, had never heard of them (long before youtube videos etc) it was being played by a friend who I had always thought lacked a little in the snare sound and there was no mic on it. I was blown away and have chased that sound ever since. Sometimes the hype is real.
I also have a recording engineer I work with regularly who 9/10 can tell when I have switched from a steel to a brass or a wood shell snare etc. This is when they are in the control room and can't see me.
Agree 100% though with exploring the potential of a drum versus just buying a new one. I've been guilty of this for sure.
I think Keplinger or Honest Abe snares sound more unique than this Tama, but it does sound great but I think you have to really rip on it to bring out all of its charm.
Out of curiosity, have you had those three drums in front of you and played them in person or are you comparing various demonstrations from memory?
@@SoundsLikeADrum I have not played the Tama, to be fair. I’ve played a Keplinger and I own a few Honest Abe snares that I’ve played on many gigs. I’ve also done many video demos for Honest Abe demonstrating different drums of his that I do not own, yet! Lol
Thanks for asking!
I’d love to hear this Tama BB with flanged hoops!
@@meekoloco Way cool! Yeah, we'll likely do some experiments with other hoops, heads, etc. and may share those over on our Patreon. We've yet to have an Honest Abe in our hands (we'd be up for a Snare Spotlight if he'd like to make that happen). We sure do love Gregg's work, as we've played quite a few of his drums in addition to the one that Cody owns.
@@SoundsLikeADrum Yes Keplinger does great work! I nearly bought one right as I discovered Honest Abe. I’m forming a plan to get you an Abe snare for review!
You guys tricked me but I don't care... I played a gig last week and played through my snares the rehearsal before and picked my Pioneer... I had played the Supra for a while and sort of got bored... The Vistalite was nice and fat but the Pioneer, though not as thick sounding was holding it's own. What tipped the scale were two songs that feature rim clicks and the brass hoops and resonant shell of the Pioneer made them sound like a bell!! It was all down to feel... Sure I can tune a drum and tweak the mix to make any one sound like the other but there's that intangible thing that only the player knows that goes into it.
I still want an Acrolite!!
Once i saw the headphones and the same beat over and over, i knew there were overdubs.
Excellent observations! Any guess as to original audio vs. overdub for the interludes?
@SoundsLikeADrum no clue, but preferred the sound of the higher tuned drum.
@@BedPanAlley Massive credit to Cody for his consistent timing on each of these. It made alignment a breeze without concern for potential variation.
I was thinking at the beginning this drum doesn't sound that great. I feel the one sample I liked was probably the maple anyway (second last or so).
Could it also be no one really mentioned it because it's not really that coveted? I'd rather Tama bring back the bronze dynamic so I can get one, than release some ridiculously expensive unjustifable drum.
I wish they'd have reveled what snare were they playing each time. It would've been much more informative and "transparent" instead of just kind of controversial.
We will be doing that but for the time being we're challenging viewers to practice some critical listening to take a guess based on the information provided.
Oh wow. What a beautiful drum.
Agree with you one hundred percent.
At some point I'll get some nice drums, but for now my "starter kit" has been getting me through gigs and recording sessions as just "some local drummer."
The only barrier to entry is you. Just start playing.
How do define a "nice drum"?
@@SoundsLikeADrumHonestly, I don't know if I could quantify it.
I might just play these Soundchecks for the rest of my life 😂
You really don't have to quantify it. In fact, numbers are probably the most misleading way to assess a nice drum. That's a huge part of what we were getting at in this episode.
Look. We all know I’m going to blow $4k on a bell brass the first time I stumble upon the money. Not you, god, my mother, my wife, my children, my dog, my doctor, my landlord, my electric bill, or my busted car can do anything about it.
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I thought throu the hole Video,that that Snare Sound is Not my Cup of Tea …and whished you were playing your supra or Pearl Masters Like Most of the time….
So,Sound is very subjektive…but in my experience a good sounding Instrument mostly have a certain Price to it…good quality comes from somewhere…a lot of cheap components won‘t bring up a high quality result….
Okay, so that's particularly interesting because we WERE using the Pearl Masters or Supra (as well as the Acrolite) for several of the interludes. Opinions on sound are certainly quite subjective but the price of the components rarely has a direct impact on what people like for sound when the sound is judged without any additional information to color the perspective. Simply put, expensive components do not a good drum sound make.
So i Kind of smelled that someting is Not Right !!
@@norbertrenner9364 Well, yes...but the irony is that when you wished you were hearing the supra or the Pearl, there's a high chance that you actually were hearing one of those drums.
Years ago i drove in my car and 50 ways to leave your lover by Paul Simon comes to mind….so i turned on the Radio to hear some music and the Song played on the Radio was 50 ways to leave your lover….i thougt,what is going on here…told it to a friend soon later,and he Said…well the Waves,the Information was in the air and you just picked it up…that‘s just it.
Oh this is an intelligence dig 😂
What's the right amount of covid boosters one should get, in your opinion? Drummers tend to be divided on this topic. Ranging from zero to as many as are made available.
Not sure if you're trolling or going for a rather bizarre analogy but please be mindful of the request in our captions regarding trolling.
@@SoundsLikeADrum No analogy or trolling.
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