Ep. 44 Calfskin vs. Faux Calfskin Drumheads
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- Опубліковано 7 січ 2019
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Since day one of synthetic drumheads, plastic has been used as a substitution for natural animal hide, most commonly calfskin. In recent years, greater attempts have been made at approximating the performance characteristics of calfskin with faux calfskin drumheads featuring laminates and different coatings that wouldn't be as susceptible to shifts in temperature and humidity as calfskin.
In this episode, we put the Evans Calftone faux calfskin drumhead up against a Stern Tanning calfskin drumhead on Cody's Ludwig COB snare drum to demonstrate the differences and discuss the scenarios that factor into our decision to use one of the other.
This is by no means a comprehensive demonstration of everything that calfskin heads are capable of but for the sake of brevity and responding to requests that we've had for a comparison video, this is what we put together.
Hosted by: Cody Rahn
Production: Ben O'Brien Smith @ Cadence Independent Media
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Over a year ago we switched to calfskin heads (Stern Tanning and vintage) on all of our drums and will never go back. Plus it's totally appropriate for our Swing Era big band music. We play in all environments (including sweaty swing dances), and worst case we just have to retune between sets, like any other instrument. Not a big deal!
They are also incomparably better in free jazz, be-bop, fusion, rock, pop, folk, country ,latin, metal ,middle eastern, classical and the like... :)))
hey, i would love to hear from you and your long term experience with these heads. How did they last?
@@adorodrums I'm not OP, but I've been using English tannery leather calfskins for 15 years. I first tried it on my snare, and was so impressed I outfitted the bass and toms with the same skins. I don't remember where I got them, but they're still on there and still performing well. The only one that has gone bad was the bassdrum head, and that was only after I hooked a second pedal to it and really started beating on it. I replaced it with an Evans calftone.
Pros of genuine calfskin: they last forever, at least for my style of playing. Sound is incomparable. I use wood rims, so there's no metallic overtone that you get when the skins begin to stretch with age. To my ear, they sound better today than they did 15 years ago. They're easy to play in the sense that they require less effort to get what sound I want from them.
Cons: they swell with humidity and heat and retuning mid-set is required. They're expensive upfront, but I've actually saved hundreds of dollars in not having to buy synthetics over that timeframe. They're trickier to mount compared to synthetics. If you have a really aggressive style, you'll probably wear through them quickly. If you play with brass or steel rims, then you'll start getting a lot of overtone when the skins age.
I think most people that play with calfheads (myself included) arrive at the same conclusion Ringo did toward the recording of _Let it Be_ when, after years of playing Remo Weatherkings and Ambassadors, he finally got a nice set of genuine calfskins, and decided to never record with synthetics again.
What I like most about this series is how level headed their approach is. No Dogma, just informed opinions. Compassionate, honest. It helps remind me that when I can't stand a tone(s) on my drums, I'm not crazy, just sensitive (ha). You guys provided me with valuable information. Thank you. *This may also explain why it seems some calfskin suppliers are out of stock.
Ah thanks so much man :) yep we’re serious about just providing information, no more and no less. 🤘🏻😎 -Cody
Brushes on real calf >>>>
Nothing like it.
It really is a beautiful sound...
Great job! I use both and you did an excellent job of pointing out the strong points of each. Kudos!
WOW, that calfskin sounds like sweet melted butter baby. What a sound, the brushes could just hypnotize you. If you’re only considering sound (not weather/humidity), there’s nothing like it. Earthtone makes a readily available head for about twice the price of a quality plastic head - say $30,$40,$50 for a 10,14,16” respectively.
That said, I absolutely love Calftones, I just put them on a 12/15/20 kit today, reso 7 on bottoms, Calftone EMAD and EQ4 on bass. Dark, warm, lots of tone with not so much attack so you really hear the drum... it’s a beautiful thing. If you’ve got a drum kit in a wood/earth tone color, they look incredible too. It’s like an instant vintage vibe!
Calf head was buttery smooth
I love this stuff! Keep doing what you're doing.
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Excellent presentation
I use the Evans EQ4 Calftone for the reso on my 24" kick. I love the controlled warm sound I get from it.
Fantastic video. The audio came across real clear. I got fed up playing wire brushes with my coated ambassador snarehead and now think a real calfskin would be better for that.Thanks. I had forgotten what they were like as I only played one when I had my first drummer lessons 20 years ago from a show band player/teacher.
Your channel is top shelf guys.keep on keeping on.
Thanks so much, David! We really appreciate it. Anything you can do to spread the word to your drummer friends would be stellar. Cheers! -Ben
your brush playing is beautiful!
To my ancient ears & hands, Fiberskyn sounds and feels like calf more than anything. Completely subjective of course. However, my addiction to Remo’s Renaissance heads remains unabated.
All that said, you get my Like with every video and I am a huge fan of the series. Thank you so much for the work and education we all get!
Thanks for watching!!! Glad you’re digging it :) -Cody
Played fiberskyns for years on my ancient Ludwigs. Never tried real calf, but I think the faux calf sounds best on an older kit that isn’t nearly as forgiving and versatile as newer drums. Recently got an EMAD Evans 56 and really digging it. Gonna try the 56’s on the toms. Thanks for the videos.
I have always been drawn to the calf skin sound. For me it is warm, fat and buttery. I used the Remo Fiberskyns for years playing classic rock and blues. After watching your calf head video, I got a Kentville and did exactly what you suggested, I made a dedicated brush drum for playing with my jazz trio. It’s a Kentville medium batter with an Evans 200 snare side with a set of 42 strand Sabian phosphorus bronze snare wires on a Grover Pro carbon fiber snare (2.3 mm hoops top and bottom). It is super responsive and the sound is a bit edgy which helps place it nicely in the mix. Thanks for yet another great video.
There's something really primal about Calfskin heads, really just leather products in general, just based on the fact they're made from literally the hide of an animal. With the snares off and playing with sticks seems to have that Tribal Drum sound to it!
Agreed! Thanks for watching. -Ben
I have never used calf, but you've convinced me. Thanks for your videos. Informative as always!
Way cool! Let us know what you think and be sure to follow the instructions in Ep. 4 when you get your first calfskin drumhead: ua-cam.com/video/YSGrmPF8KvM/v-deo.html
Thanks for the video, I've been playing an Evans56 EMAD on my 22"kick for live performances and recordings with the Vater bomber beater and have nothing but compliments and results.
I prefer the faux with the sticks, but the real one with brushes. I'll give it a try when I'm changing heads
Another great video, fellas! I'm really looking forward to trying calf heads on my '65 Rogers kit I've got at home. Looking to save up to get one or two from Kentville to test them out, thanks again for the killer video!
Thanks for watching and that's awesome news about your plans for the Rogers kit. We sure do love those Kentville heads. Enjoy! -Ben
Another wonderful video. Welcome to 2019.
Great videos!
Great video, bro! I'm definitely gonna get a real calf skin head. I've been asked for that snare sound at some recording gigs I've had. Thanks you!
I'm old enough that when I began playing all we had was natural calf.... the sound is differnt but keeping them tuned/tensioned was a real challenge..your story of the door opening is so true.... they could change just that quickly. Nowadays I use Aquarian Modern Vintage, Fiberskyn by Remo or on occasion the CalfTone by Evans...all very good. One other problem the natural heads faced was splitting once they got old and dried out. I still have a natural calf bass drum head but wouldn't use it for that reason alone. I'll keep it as a remembrance of the old days.
Have you tried Remo Diplomat Skyntone? From the videos I've seen, they may be the closest sounding to calfskin.
I forgot I was watching at 2X, and when you started playing, I was like "Damn, that guy can play fast!"
Your videos are always fascinating and very helpful! I've found prefacing drum recordings by looking at these very inspiring and insightful. With regards to that, which preamp & D/A-converters do you guys use with your mics?
Thanks so much! That means a lot to us. Right now we're just using a Focusrite Saffire Pro but are hoping to partner up with a company for a higher end option to improve the transparency of sound. Cheers! -Ben
Great informative video. Have you guys done a video about wood hoops vs metal hoops yet (to include metal bass drum hoops)?
Thanks for your response!
Thanks for watching! We haven't done such a comparison with bass drums but we have a basic hoop comparison on snare drums here with Ep. 33: ua-cam.com/video/MV3oOUCBNWM/v-deo.html Cheers! -Ben
Great video as always! Didn't think there was as big a difference with sticks and snares on. Lovely sound for both though!!!
Right? Surprising how similar they really are. -Ben
Very nice! The softer punchiness of the calf makes it just a little bit more musical. The brushes had the same effect to me. The calf is just a little bit nicer. Anything amplified would make those differences disappear.
Both heads are nice. The calf skin seems to have less overtones. I also take two snares to every gig just in case. Funny story : a few years back, me and some friends hosted a jam night. My buddy gets up to play. I'm sitting at a table feeding my face , when I noticed the snare sound changed. I get up and go to the side of the stage and look. Sure enough my snare cord busted. I had to go home, and grab another snare. From that night on I always carry 2.
3:49 I put Remo Renaissance heads on my 4×14 for exactly this reason. The drums stays articulate, but the darker heads focus the overtones (instead of just killing them like muffling would).
I have had evans 56 calftone on my Ludwig clubdates top and bottom for a bit over 2 years and I am always being complimented on the tone. They really make my drums sound larger than 20"/12"/14"! Besides a round warm tone, as mentioned in the video the rebound is incredible on these heads. I find myself able to pull off faster singles when compared to coated or uncoated.
Since I play with 7A sticks for the most part I just replaced heads for the first time since I threw the calftones on 2 years back. Not bad for 7 mil. heads!
Happy New Year! I have a couple of questions but I wanted to tell you how much I have learned from watching your channel. I have been playing drums for a very, very long time, but I am amazed by the things I have learned. Old dogs and new tricks, I suppose.
I am branching into a jazz/blues gig and it gives me the perfect excuse to buy a small jazz kit with an 18" bass drum; something I have always wanted. This video inspired me to try Fiberskyn heads. I am planning to replace the batter heads on the snare (14x5.5) and the two toms (12x8/14x14). I need a pretty controlled sound; it's a quiet gig. I have read that coated Ambassadors top and bottom is a good set-up for the toms. I am going with the Fiberskyns on top and Ambassadors on the bottom. My first question is for the snare-side head: Clear? Coated? Another Fiberskyn?
My last question is for the kick batter. The reso is a Gretsch logo'd Fiberskyn (so cool looking...). I like (and need) a controlled sounding kick. I am not a huge fan of wide-open bass drums. At the same time I like some resonance. I don't want it to sound like it's full of cement. I am thinking a Fiberskyn batter with a small cushion inside. What do you think.
Again, have a great 2019 and keep up the terrific work!
Hey there! I'd just put a plain old clear Ambassador snare-side on there (they used to make Renaissance snare sides but I think they're discontinued). Regarding kick batter, if you're a Remo guy I'd probably recommend a Fiberskyn Powerstroke batter (more controlled than a regular one), and try that with no muffling before adding stuff inside. If it's too boomy add a felt strip to the reso. Let us know how it goes! - Cody
@@SoundsLikeADrum Will do, thank you!
Kentville Roo vs Stern calf? Looking at getting some sort of hide head for one of my concert snares.
Very nice video as always.
Just curious, is there any calfskin head for snare side? If there is, please close it up on your future video.
Good comparison. It'd be nice if you did Remo Fiberskyn and Aquarian Modern Vintage to cover all options.
Thanks! We may do some expanded version like that in the future, though the Aquarian Modern Vintage is really an apples to oranges comparison, as it's nothing like the Fiberskyn or Calftone and features a coating rather than a laminate. Cheers! -Ben
That's fair. I'm really up in the air with heads, honestly. Everyone has good stuff to offer.
Sounds Like A Drum - If you guys do a comparison the REMO Renaissance and Evans Strata are very “calflike” as well. They’re very underrated heads typically used in orchestral settings.
@@chugg00 Those are fantastoc heads.
True, Renaissance heads are closer to calf than any other synthetic type of head.
Thx for video. Love Your channel.
I didn't notice any different with durability of evans/remo calf/fiber skyn heads. Have I missed some change ? Did they change this "film-layer" on top of a head? Becouse it was always separating
from the plastic layer inside, while played hard:)
Thanks for the kind words! We’re unaware of any recent changes with the Fiberskyn but we do know that changes have been made to the Calftone to minimize the separation of the fibers in the laminate.
@@SoundsLikeADrum You should definitely check "remo skyntone" out
@@superjablko Oh yes, I'm quite familiar with those. -Ben
one thing that unfortunately has happened on over 8 evans calftones I've had is that they "bubble" up on the surface after 1 month of use, making for an irregular surface for brushes. this also happens on remo fyberskins, but IMO to a lesser degree. both look beautiful, though....
Any pics? The sound difference between the genuine and faux is huge.
Always Top Shelf!!!
Since you recommended calf heads and I fitted my gretch Catalina kit with a 50s premier wood snare I haven’t looked back. The whole kit sounds fantastic and it gets nothing but compliments from everyone. I can’t thank you enough. Take the leap folks, you won’t regret it.🥁😘🌻
Oh awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers! -Ben
Cool, man!👍
Thanks for watching! -Ben
+soundslikeadrum *What materials are used for the Stern Tanning flesh hoops?* Waterproofness is an issue, re-tucking the planed hide after a wash and pre-stretch; I'd rather not have the flesh hoop deteriorate over the long term.
I believe Stern uses wood for the flesh hoops. My current preference is for the Kentville kangaroo heads because of their use of aluminum, way sturdier and less prone to twisting. - Cody
How did you learn to play brushes? Any recommended resources or method (I am learning drums online or through books, no teacher for now). Love your channel!
Hey there! I just got a few tips in school and then watched a lot of videos later in life to dial it in. My main technical influence is Ed Soph (via Ari Hoenig and some other North Texas guys), many great clips of him online! - Cody
@@SoundsLikeADrum Thanks!
Hey i wonder if you guys would be willing to look at tuning for speciality snares I.E deep snares (6.5+) and piccolo's etc
We'll likely cover that in some future episodes but our tuning methods don't really change- it's just a different endgame. Cheers! -Ben
Have you had any problems with "bubbling"?
I have an old Gretsch snare from my great uncle with a dampp-chaser inside for the humidity, just wish I had the cord to it.
"yo baby, I got them sheepskins" - Ice Cube
Why is the calfskin so clean? (optical) Is´nt it older? My Heads always have a black grinding marks, when I use brushes!
Believe it or not all that comes off of a calf head with a damp paper towel which I’d used a couple times when the weather was ultra dry to soften it a little. -Cody
Hi, we have been making faux calf heads for many years already, long before evans. Our heads have come so close to calf heads, but minus the downsides: they are more durable than other heads, and have way less attack. Not laminated too, so they do not have any issues like fiberskyn or calftone heads. I‘d love to send you a set for review, how to get in contact?!
What’s your email address? We’re interested in checking out what you’ve got.
@@SoundsLikeADrum now when i post my address, the post gets deleted, dunno if you did it and now have my address or if that is automatically, let me know. i have not yet heard from you.
@@adorodrums If you click on the channel description for us here on UA-cam, you can see my email address there.
Hey man I'd like to come out and see you play sometime! I'm on long island. Do you have a Web site with your gigs listed?
Thanks man! I’m without at the moment but it’s being built right now, will let ya know! -Cody
@@SoundsLikeADrum please do!
Do you recommend these heads for a drum with a very sharp bearing edge? Ex: Dunnett 2n drums
Absolutely! Both options will mellow out the overtones a bit, even with the sharper bearing edge but it really just depends on your sonic taste. Cheers! -Ben
@@SoundsLikeADrum Thank you! You guys have the best drum channel on UA-cam.
is it advicable to use a calfskin as the side or bottom head and a synthetic one on the top? as a student i dont have that much money in order to exchange such expensive heads all the time.
I hear ya, honestly i'm not sure how much difference a calf reso with synthetic batter would make but to be honest real calf heads (or other similar like Kentville kangaroo) are shockingly durable and last a very very long time. One of my calf heads is almost 13 years old and still sounds super. - Cody
@@SoundsLikeADrum thank you! then i should buy some of them - they sound amazing!
They were surprisingly similar. I have ordered a syntheti calf skin head, I can't get real calf skin in Australia.
There is a company in Australia making Kangaroo skin drum heads.
@@waynekruzin1176 that sounds like a great idea. Do you know the company name? I think I will look into it
I have a Remo Fiberskyn 3 head that used to be on my high school's retired marching snare when I changed it for a used mesh head and thinking this head would've been nothing but abused, being on a drum played by only middle schoolers once a year, it's practically brand new.
I enjoy this head for look and feel being on my (sorry, it's a cheapo) Peace DP-101 six lug snare but I don't think it's correct on that drum. Medium tunings have to be really cranked down and it sounds a bit too dark for my taste.
Just before Christmas, I purchased a brand new 5x5.5 Ludwig Supralite that I'm considering putting that head on. My plan was to originally upgrade to a Remo Control Sound coated batter and Ambassador reso or Evans G1 coated and 360 reso but the store had none. When I have some time, I may try to swap the Fiberskyn on but for now, I'm very happy with the sound if the factory coated batter. (But it does need a better reso).
I've had my set for four years now and haven't played it. I really want to but for multiple reasons, I've been unable to. After asking for a set part since 8th grade and next year being my senior year with no set players in my grade nor foreseeable future, I need to crack down on it. I love these videos and use them as a tool to help me help others around me.
I know playing set is almost all feel but I can play two things at once. Once I go add either high hats to snare and bass or bass to snare and high hats, it's as if my arms and legs lock up in physical confusion. I know what I'm supposed to play and am trying to play but it can't come out.
As usual, a very informative and wonderfully demonstrated vid. Perhaps I should change my name to Sycophant instead of Sid. It's hard for an old cynic to not to be impressed by you guys, and I'm really trying. Very. Your playing is impressive and I'd love to see you live but I live over the pond. Could you do a vid. on the best heads for brush work please? I'm trying to learn how to play with brushes but it sounds like a hairy wet fish being dragged down the stairs whilst listenind to a scratched LP.
I've played with Fibreskins and didn't notice any problems but, maybe, other people did.
Thanks for all that you do, it's much appreciated.
Thanks so much for the kind words! Glad to hear that you're enjoying the videos. We will definitely do a video on texture/drumhead choice for brushes- might just have to film that one this week! Cheers -Ben
Hey Sid! It's your lucky day- you requested a topic and today we released an episode that focuses entirely on the topic you requested. Enjoy! -Ben
Thanks Ben. You and Cody are the best!
Where in NY?
We're based in Brooklyn!
I've had the opportunity to play on calf skin heads on other people's kits, and they feel and sound incredible, but for me, the tuning and durability issues make it something I'm going to mess with.
The tuning really isn't that difficult and they're quite durable. Just a different animal (pun most definitely intended). -Ben
More meat on the bone with the calf heads! Must be super nice feel when playing! Still, common sense and budget dictate the plastic! Especially with that Lou Rawls feel! Cheers… Keith
I d like to hear that cravioto on the shelf🇨🇦🇨🇦🥁🥁
Here you go! ua-cam.com/video/tyFPlwM3XmM/v-deo.html&
That snare would make a plastic bag sound good haha! Jokes aside, they both sound really cool. I`m kinda tempted to try fiberskins for toms some day, but then theres the prices of drumheads in europe these days......
Ha! It's funny, we hear that all the time pretty much regardless of the drum we use (ex: "you couldn't get a bad sound out of that drum...") but it really doesn't depend on the tuning and drumhead choice. I've seen a multitude of high-end drums that sounded pretty terrible. Remember, you can always try out a specific series by just purchasing one and seeing if you like it (rather than outfitting the entire kit). Cheers! -Ben
Never seen that kind of headin🇨🇦🇨🇦
What about calf skin on the snare side ?
Any specific questions about it? At this time there aren't really any faux calfskin snare side heads that truly behave like calfskin (just some with an imprinted surface meant to resemble skin).
@@SoundsLikeADrum do they still make real skin snare sides? Wondering what real skin does to the wire sound. Thinking dryer and dark?
@@michaelmoore9726 They're still available depending on who you get them from. Your hypothesis is correct- generally a dryer, darker/warmer tone overall. Going that route tends to require some experimentation with snare wire choice as well.
@@SoundsLikeADrum thanks guys. I love what you do. I learned so much from your videos even though I've been playing for 30 years. Cody, you have a great way of explaining things. Glad to be a Patreon member
Is calf safe for Southern California
Should be, just remember to tune it down when storing it and realize that heat/cold/humidity will change its tuning super fast so you will have to adjust that more than with standard heads :) -Cody
@@SoundsLikeADrum tuning low when storing, very good point. Thank you
Calfskin sounds much better! I need to replace all my fiberskyn one day!
Thanks for watching! How would you describe the difference between the two?
Calf skin is warm whereas the plastic has a high end ping on them. I recently re-skined my kit with kangaroo heads from Kentville, would be interesting to hear a comparison between roo and calf
That tends to be the predominant opinion floating around the net, yet many people can't actually distinguish between them. We put together a fun listening challenge on our Instagram (under the highlights section on our profile) for people to see if they could guess which head was which. Most people either got the answer wrong or the responses were close to 50/50. -Ben
Hi Ben, I'm not a player, I normally sit on the other side of the glass, but I do have a few drums for recording. The big issue I'm having with the rawhide heads is that it hot in Melbourne at the moment, 100 - 110 for days on end, and it's a dry heat, so evaporative cooling works best. This is working great for keeping moisture in the heads, but they all have ripples in them and sound dead. I'm loath to tune them up to pitch knowing once the heat goes they will dry out without the cooling on.
Still awesome video as always, but I would never go for a real calf one for environmental reasons.
Thanks for watching. Out of curiosity, what are the environmental reasons you're referencing?
@UCYTmGAbCD30Mr1z_pgp3ypw Well, I am against using products made from animal killing, so I stopped buying leather, eating meat & fish and so on. That´s why I would not use the calf head.
@@SoundsLikeADrum Well, I am against using products made from animal killing, so I stopped buying leather, eating meat & fish and so on. That´s why I would not use the calf head.
I certainly understand and respect that, though no animal is being killed for making drumheads.
@@SoundsLikeADrum I guess mr Evans does not own a slaughterhouse with baby cows in it, and that the raw product comes from the farming industry, but even so I would not not feel comfortable about it.
Calf was richer and noticeably so.
wish the calftone was 10 mil instead of 7.5 :/
From a durability standpoint?
@@SoundsLikeADrum Yes, very much so. I play jazz but also a lot of classic rock and progressive rock and just absolutely love the tone from the evans calftones. But unfortunately, they are just not durable enough for me. However, the bass drum heads are 12 mil so I use those on the reso side.
The problem we have today is that vast majority of people, including drummers can not hear the dramatic difference in quality between real and artificial. :(((
Kill a beast eat and make shoes to dance to the sound of a drum. Or?
faux ? a french word ?
Yep- as in fake/synthetic.