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Hd Dry and control sound can't go wrong. I usually don't like ambassador's that much, but for some reason on this snare I actually really dug it! Great video guys! Would've liked some aquarian representation though.
I would be curious to see your tuning method for this video. There was such a drastic difference in pitch from the heads that I'm wondering how much of it came down to tuning vs head choice. Either way, HD Dry is my favorite. Short with lots of crack and minimal overtones, but still great for snare response.
Great video. I always go back the the HD dry, but I don’t want to get stuck. I’m going to try the controlled sound, but odds would suggest I’ll go back to the dry.
in order I liked the HD Dry then the Heavyweight, and then the Hydraulic. I recently put an onyx on my 14" snare and like it a lot. Was wanting to try the hydraulic next, but maybe I will go for the HD Dry instead. I was in GC and found a collector's choice DW 6.5x14 that had an HD Dry on it. It sounded amazing in person. I Really wish this video could have had an Onyx in the mix as well. Great video and consistency between the different heads. Really seems to give a great representation of the differences between the heads. Invaluable!!
I’m a bit surprised that - even though I use a Remo Controlled Sound - I preferred both of the clear Evans heads the most. I don’t like the look of them, but, to me, they sound the best on that snare.
Thank you so much for this video! I listened without watching, marked No. 1, 6 and 8 as my favorite ones in my memory and looked them up in your description. Turns out (again) that two of them are the ones I always buy - so maybe I should try the Emperor again to have a third option. :D
I like the G1, HD Dry and Power Center Reverse Dot the best. I also like the Ambassador and Controlled Sound. I generally prefer the feel. tuning ease and durability of Evans heads but could never really understand the sound difference, cool to see how it sounds now!!
I’ve been using the Calftones for a while. I like them, they’re very lively drum heads. Though, they wear out pretty quickly and I not a heavy hitter. Plus, they look cool :)
I have to say the UV1 is a close comparison to the Ambassador and may wear better long term due to the UV coating. They also both single-ply and same thickness but the UV1 sounds a little brighter and more resonant.
I switched from Remo to Evans around 15 or 20 years ago due to consistent QC issues - mylar tearing out of the rim, splitting at the bearing edge, etc. But I was never entirely happy with how Evans heads sounded on my main snare. Now I'm using coated G1 over snare Ambassador, and it's the best the snare has sounded. A big factor in the decision to stick with the G1 was the longevity of the coating. A smaller consideration is how much longer Remo heads seem to take to break in and settle, and no longer need constant retuning. However, to my ears, the coated Ambassador sounds vastly superior in this video, and it has me considering giving it another try. Surprisingly, the UV1 also sounds better than the G1 in this video, and I've never found that to be the case. In fact, I've always found the UV heads to sound a little dull/dead compared to their non-UV counterparts, but here it sounds almost as good as the coated Ambassador (it's definitely more powerful, but the rimshots just seem to lack some overtones or something, that make the coated Ambassador stand out for me.) So maybe there's something about that particuar head that makes it sound so bad to me, and it's not characteristic of all coated G1s (I sure hope so).
Evans HD Dry or the Heavyweight are more the flavour I look for. Interesting as I usually go for the reverse dot. May be trying something new next time.
Those evans hd dry and heavy weight get no ring when hitting towards the rim. Remo ambassador and or coated emperor gets the middle no ring but gets rings the more you hit toward the rim. Remo hands down
Great comparo! My usual favourites did well: Ambassador & CS. HD Dry could be cool one to try if going without muffling, tho it lacked some of the crack of CS. That controlled sound did pretty much like I hear it - needing the smallest Slapklatz-gel to get it where I like 'em. Cheers!
I've run REMO powerstrokes on my snares for years. Really enjoyed this comparison. That Evans HD Dry sounded great to my ear. I may have to give those a try.
Evans HD dry, seem to be popular in the comments, an I thought that too. The Evans Hydraulic sounds good too. I'm trying to get the ring out, and Remos have quite a ring to them. All of them do, so I believe it is the way Remo makes their heads. Looking for new options.
I got a clear Controlled Sound head for my aluminum snare because I thought it looked cool, and I think it sounds awesome. I prefer it to the Evans G1 it had before. You can't beat a regular coated Ambassador though.
Man ive always thought of the coated ambassadors and the coated g1's to be pretty much the same drum head but there is considerable difference in sound between the 2. I still like the coated ambassadors.
As someone who uses the coated G1 because of the coating's longevity compared to Remo's, it was depressing to hear how much better the coated Ambassador sounded.
No. Heavyweight is terrible. Have you ever tried it? I actually bet it would be good for blast beats though but for general use and ghost notes it sucks
That HD Dry would be so easy to record and place into a mix. I have watched a bunch of videos on that head and regardless of tuning skill it just always sounds good. Lots of character in the others but that HD Dry sounds like it is eq'd and professionally produced every time.
I´m using Evans HD Dry since a year ago, now I buy a Remo CS coated, tomorrow I'll change it in the SnareDrum and will compare the sound. I have a Mapex Copper snare 14x5
I remember a long long time ago .. when pearl came out with the free floating snare .. they introduced an aluminum shell for it … and man … I’ll never forget that crack … here we are 30 years later … and I notice in a lot of vids … aluminum shell snare
Ambassador, Controlled Sound for me. I do really like the sound of that HD Dry, too. But can always achieve that with muffling, and have the option to remove.
Funny how much the actual drum and tuning has to do with how the drumhead sound. I hate the HD dry in this video, but I love it when Jared Falk from Drumeo uses it.
It’s funny, of you go to their web sites and check out the specs, a lot of the heads and their counterparts seems to be exactly the same? Like Ambassador and G1’s. Both 10 mil film but sound completely different! Even if you hold them in your hand and tap them, you can hear the difference! I think it may also have to do with Evans 360° technology? I don’t know why other drum head companies don’t get on board with that, or drum makers get on board with something like Mapex’s Soniclear bearing edges? Just makes sense to me that no matter what approach you take, we all want our drum heads to seat properly? I’ve been leaning a lot more towards Evans lately, but still have undying love for Remo!
@@itwasbetterwithhats820 I like both companies as well. It’s just seemed to me in more recent years, Remos quality has gone downhill? I’ve had many of the CS, CSX, and Emperor X heads, have the black dots start cracking and chipping off under the drum, or in some instances, I’ve had the black dot come off completely!!! I’ve always liked the Emperor heads, but again, even though they’re two ply, have found in recent years they dent easier than a G2! My final thought between the two, is Evans is always trying to come out with something new and that no one has done before. Remos big news in the past few years….. we’ve got colored drum heads! I’ve switched most of my kits over to Evans. Still keeping Remos on my Ludwig’s. Something about those two that just go together? 🤣🤣
It’s hard to go wrong with the Ambassador, the UV1 was nice as was the controlled sound power centre. I have the HD drys on a couple of my snare drums and they sound a bit too dry from the front of the kit. Oh well back to Ambassadors since they usually come with the Emperor packs.
I think the remo reverse black dot is the best. I tried the evans heavyweight and tbh i hated it. It sounds pretty good but its just way too loud and sensitive
You've made a great point about tuning. The experiment was to showcase the differences, but real-world application definitely requires consistency. And yes, the Remo Reverse Black Dot has its unique appeal! Thanks for sharing your preferences. 🔊
To record my first Metallica Enter Sandman parody, the Remo Coated Controlled Sound is going to be perfect, but for live performances, I am using an Emperor X or an Evans Heavyweight Dry on my snare drum because they are more durable and can withstand heavy metal music a lot better
@@drumdog ....i noticed it with the Snare un-engaged- on a vintage Ludwig '68 Standard 3 ply- African Mahogany/Poplar/Maple - the harmonics are truly glorious- now I understand why a lot of drummers incorporate multiple snares into their Kit- since they can double as power tom- ... for my engaged snare- I use Ambassador for the classic dry sound on a Standard 102 aluminum shell Snare
Depends on how loud you have to play. A snare may sound great on it's own, but needs to cut through when all instruments come in. I personally like my snare not too dry. You may find a ringing sound annoying when played alone. As soon as bass or guitar joins in, it disappears and keeps the sound little bit longer.
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Got to love that HD Dry. Such a unique sound. The Ambassador is a good "all around" snare sound though
Yeap. I'm just scrolling here to see who else singled out the HD dry as the most distinct. My top pick.
If you like that check out EVANS genera dry
Emperor and Controlled Sound are best to my ears. The 2 heads I purchase most besides Coated Ambassador.
Seriously? Lol I thought that one sounded terrible
0:27 Remo Ambassador
0:47 Evans G1 Coated
1:07 Evans G1 Clear
1:27 Evans UV1
1:46 Evans Calftone
2:06 Remo Emperor
2:26 Evans HD Dry
2:46 Remo Controlled Sound
3:06 Evans Power Centre Reverse Dot
3:25 Remo Emperor X
3:45 Evans Heavyweight
4:05 Evans Hydraulic
ambassador blows the competition away
I think your tuning was balls on! thank you. This is the right way to do a comparison. You guys are real drummers!
Hd Dry and control sound can't go wrong. I usually don't like ambassador's that much, but for some reason on this snare I actually really dug it! Great video guys! Would've liked some aquarian representation though.
Yea tbh kinda ridiculous to not include aquarian
The empor coated and the g1 clear sounded great!
They all sounded great on that snare also looks and sounds like all rimshots which always sound great recorded
The hydraulic drum head sounds the best to me.
That's what I use
Evans Coated Hydraulic heads always sounded great on all of my snare drums.
Especially on my Ludwig 6.5 Supraphonic in both studio and live situations
@@calzaondrums true I need to get some.
Yeah.It's so muffled you really hear the tone of the shell.
@@ArrowThrills go for it!
I'm liking the Coated Control Sound
Been using Genera Drys and HD Drys for more than 2 decades. I recently bought a Vintage Ambassador. Can't wait to go back to Drys!
Fantastic video. Subbed! My favorite was the Controlled Sound reverse dot.
The Remo Control Sound Coated stood out to me. Coated White Dots on the underside for me.
UV1 and HD Dry sound incredible. Ambassador is a great all around sounding head though
G1 and UV1 😌 the UV1 has been my favorite head for a while now, I have them on toms too.
I would be curious to see your tuning method for this video. There was such a drastic difference in pitch from the heads that I'm wondering how much of it came down to tuning vs head choice.
Either way, HD Dry is my favorite. Short with lots of crack and minimal overtones, but still great for snare response.
I agree, Personally, I've always been a fan of EVANS
I second wanting to know the tuning method technique they used.
HD Dry is always and has always been my favorite go - to. But that Emperor by Remo raises an eyebrow.
I have an HD Dry on a Supraphonic. Thinking maybe switching to the Power Center Reverse Dot. Thanks for doing the leg work.
Great video. I always go back the the HD dry, but I don’t want to get stuck. I’m going to try the controlled sound, but odds would suggest I’ll go back to the dry.
Controlled sound and emperor was the best
in order I liked the HD Dry then the Heavyweight, and then the Hydraulic. I recently put an onyx on my 14" snare and like it a lot. Was wanting to try the hydraulic next, but maybe I will go for the HD Dry instead. I was in GC and found a collector's choice DW 6.5x14 that had an HD Dry on it. It sounded amazing in person. I Really wish this video could have had an Onyx in the mix as well. Great video and consistency between the different heads. Really seems to give a great representation of the differences between the heads. Invaluable!!
I’m a bit surprised that - even though I use a Remo Controlled Sound - I preferred both of the clear Evans heads the most. I don’t like the look of them, but, to me, they sound the best on that snare.
Exactly my thoughts
Yeah, we had a few surprising results. Maybe we should try it again with a wood shell🤔
Thanks for the demo. Think the Evans HD Dry is what I'm looking for.
Thank you so much for this video! I listened without watching, marked No. 1, 6 and 8 as my favorite ones in my memory and looked them up in your description. Turns out (again) that two of them are the ones I always buy - so maybe I should try the Emperor again to have a third option. :D
I like the G1, HD Dry and Power Center Reverse Dot the best. I also like the Ambassador and Controlled Sound. I generally prefer the feel. tuning ease and durability of Evans heads but could never really understand the sound difference, cool to see how it sounds now!!
Thanks for watching, glad you liked it 👍
I’ve been using the Calftones for a while. I like them, they’re very lively drum heads. Though, they wear out pretty quickly and I not a heavy hitter. Plus, they look cool :)
HD Dry and Hydraulic were my favourites!
Nice choice 👍
Ambassador and UV1 the best ...very similar sound.
Great vid! Wish I could find one of these done for the brass pearl piccolo I have coming!
I like the G1 coated and the heavyweight
hd dry sounds ace
Can never go wrong with the gold standard Ambassador.
Like Benny Greb.
Agreed
Vintage Ambassador are even better IMO! More versatile
I agree, unless the snare drum is too "wild". Then you will have to use an Emperor
I have to say the UV1 is a close comparison to the Ambassador and may wear better long term due to the UV coating. They also both single-ply and same thickness but the UV1 sounds a little brighter and more resonant.
I switched from Remo to Evans around 15 or 20 years ago due to consistent QC issues - mylar tearing out of the rim, splitting at the bearing edge, etc. But I was never entirely happy with how Evans heads sounded on my main snare. Now I'm using coated G1 over snare Ambassador, and it's the best the snare has sounded. A big factor in the decision to stick with the G1 was the longevity of the coating. A smaller consideration is how much longer Remo heads seem to take to break in and settle, and no longer need constant retuning. However, to my ears, the coated Ambassador sounds vastly superior in this video, and it has me considering giving it another try.
Surprisingly, the UV1 also sounds better than the G1 in this video, and I've never found that to be the case. In fact, I've always found the UV heads to sound a little dull/dead compared to their non-UV counterparts, but here it sounds almost as good as the coated Ambassador (it's definitely more powerful, but the rimshots just seem to lack some overtones or something, that make the coated Ambassador stand out for me.) So maybe there's something about that particuar head that makes it sound so bad to me, and it's not characteristic of all coated G1s (I sure hope so).
Evans HD Dry or the Heavyweight are more the flavour I look for. Interesting as I usually go for the reverse dot. May be trying something new next time.
Jaxonix Audio funny cuz today I just switched to the reverse dot from being with the Dry for several years.
Those evans hd dry and heavy weight get no ring when hitting towards the rim. Remo ambassador and or coated emperor gets the middle no ring but gets rings the more you hit toward the rim. Remo hands down
I enjoyed the emporer x
Great work!! I really liked the uv1 and hd dry!
Contolled sound and Ambassador
hd dry sounds excellent on metal snares. i like using ec1 reverse dot on my tama wooden snare
Good choice!
Gonna go with the clear Evans and the CS Black Dot.
Great comparo! My usual favourites did well: Ambassador & CS. HD Dry could be cool one to try if going without muffling, tho it lacked some of the crack of CS. That controlled sound did pretty much like I hear it - needing the smallest Slapklatz-gel to get it where I like 'em. Cheers!
Been rollin with HD Dry for a while now. Bangin' snare. Wanna check out Remo Emperor. Just feels good for me.
That heavyweight sounded sick so me. Guess I’ll have to try tuning it better myself haha
Yeah it sounds great, as specially on the aluminium shell. 👍
I've run REMO powerstrokes on my snares for years. Really enjoyed this comparison. That Evans HD Dry sounded great to my ear. I may have to give those a try.
That G1 Clear sounded pretty good to me...
HD Dry sounds very tight 👍🏼
Evans HD dry, seem to be popular in the comments, an I thought that too. The Evans Hydraulic sounds good too.
I'm trying to get the ring out, and Remos have quite a ring to them.
All of them do, so I believe it is the way Remo makes their heads. Looking for new options.
I like the controlled sound and the hydraulic at the end.
The controlled sound and the hydraulic approach do wonders, @dinoarellano. Glad you liked it!
Thank you so much for the demo
I got a clear Controlled Sound head for my aluminum snare because I thought it looked cool, and I think it sounds awesome. I prefer it to the Evans G1 it had before. You can't beat a regular coated Ambassador though.
Terrific comparison..!
Evans G2 is their top selling head. I wonder why it didn't make the list.
Evans reverse dot, and hydraulic the dry had no ring and I like my snare RAAAAAAAANGGGGYYYYY!
Man ive always thought of the coated ambassadors and the coated g1's to be pretty much the same drum head but there is considerable difference in sound between the 2. I still like the coated ambassadors.
As someone who uses the coated G1 because of the coating's longevity compared to Remo's, it was depressing to hear how much better the coated Ambassador sounded.
REMO is a no brainer. All the REMO's sounded correct.
Evans HD Dry for me every time or even the Genera HD Dry
I’ve been an Evans dry man for a long time
Yeah both of us here love the HD dry
emperor x and heavyweight are beast!
No. Heavyweight is terrible. Have you ever tried it?
I actually bet it would be good for blast beats though but for general use and ghost notes it sucks
I think i will try the Emperor X
That HD Dry would be so easy to record and place into a mix. I have watched a bunch of videos on that head and regardless of tuning skill it just always sounds good. Lots of character in the others but that HD Dry sounds like it is eq'd and professionally produced every time.
HD dry, Heavyweight, and Hydraulic for me!
I´m using Evans HD Dry since a year ago, now I buy a Remo CS coated, tomorrow I'll change it in the SnareDrum and will compare the sound. I have a Mapex Copper snare 14x5
Great video! It drives me up the wall when people do head comparisons and hit the snare with their damn purse... thank you for not doing that
Why was the G1 tuned significantly lower than the Ambassador? That didn't seem like a fair comparison.
Ambassador is standard, Evans UV1 sounded good too. I prefer Aquarian Texture coated to ambassador, for sound and durability.
remo controlled sound for the win
Remo Control Sound Coated with white dot on the underside for me
The hd dry is nice
I remember a long long time ago .. when pearl came out with the free floating snare .. they introduced an aluminum shell for it … and man … I’ll never forget that crack … here we are 30 years later … and I notice in a lot of vids … aluminum shell snare
Ambassador, Controlled Sound for me. I do really like the sound of that HD Dry, too. But can always achieve that with muffling, and have the option to remove.
Ambassador, Emperor, UV1, Heavyweight
Use Evans hydraulics myself and I still think they sound the best. That said I'm gonna have to get me a metal snare!
Funny how much the actual drum and tuning has to do with how the drumhead sound. I hate the HD dry in this video, but I love it when Jared Falk from Drumeo uses it.
Thanks, for this!
Emperor!!!!
HD dry or they hydraulic. Love them both but which ones better?
is it just me or does the emperor x seemed like it's tuned lower than the others? or is that just the sound of the head?
It’s funny, of you go to their web sites and check out the specs, a lot of the heads and their counterparts seems to be exactly the same? Like Ambassador and G1’s. Both 10 mil film but sound completely different! Even if you hold them in your hand and tap them, you can hear the difference! I think it may also have to do with Evans 360° technology? I don’t know why other drum head companies don’t get on board with that, or drum makers get on board with something like Mapex’s Soniclear bearing edges? Just makes sense to me that no matter what approach you take, we all want our drum heads to seat properly? I’ve been leaning a lot more towards Evans lately, but still have undying love for Remo!
@@itwasbetterwithhats820 I like both companies as well. It’s just seemed to me in more recent years, Remos quality has gone downhill? I’ve had many of the CS, CSX, and Emperor X heads, have the black dots start cracking and chipping off under the drum, or in some instances, I’ve had the black dot come off completely!!! I’ve always liked the Emperor heads, but again, even though they’re two ply, have found in recent years they dent easier than a G2! My final thought between the two, is Evans is always trying to come out with something new and that no one has done before. Remos big news in the past few years….. we’ve got colored drum heads! I’ve switched most of my kits over to Evans. Still keeping Remos on my Ludwig’s. Something about those two that just go together? 🤣🤣
It’s hard to go wrong with the Ambassador, the UV1 was nice as was the controlled sound power centre. I have the HD drys on a couple of my snare drums and they sound a bit too dry from the front of the kit. Oh well back to Ambassadors since they usually come with the Emperor packs.
Overall the REMO Emperor X was my fave... all REMO models seemed to have best sound...great video...THANKS.
Remo coated ambassador,
G1 coated, Cafetone,
Remo control sound
I'd go for Evans HD Dry.
I think the remo reverse black dot is the best. I tried the evans heavyweight and tbh i hated it. It sounds pretty good but its just way too loud and sensitive
You've made a great point about tuning. The experiment was to showcase the differences, but real-world application definitely requires consistency. And yes, the Remo Reverse Black Dot has its unique appeal! Thanks for sharing your preferences. 🔊
HD Dry 💥
Welcome to drum Doug
UV1
HD Dry
Hydraulic
My best 3
Can you do a snare head comparison without all the rim shots for us non-shoters?
The HD dry really works as advertised no harmonics at all
Either the Evans Dry or Ambassador if you’re looking for a church sounding snare 🙌🏾
I’m interested in the evens heavy weight
Remo Ambassador and Emperor sounded best to me.
I always use the Emperor coted. I feel like trying something new. Now i can't make up my mind. Probably just stick with what is tried & true. 😅
To record my first Metallica Enter Sandman parody, the Remo Coated Controlled Sound is going to be perfect, but for live performances, I am using an Emperor X or an Evans Heavyweight Dry on my snare drum because they are more durable and can withstand heavy metal music a lot better
the Power Center Reverse Dot seems to pick up the natural harmonics the best
Interesting observation about the Power Center Reverse Dot, @MysteryZenSide2. It's all about capturing those harmonics!
@@drumdog ....i noticed it with the Snare un-engaged- on a vintage Ludwig '68 Standard 3 ply- African Mahogany/Poplar/Maple - the harmonics are truly glorious- now I understand why a lot of drummers incorporate multiple snares into their Kit- since they can double as power tom- ... for my engaged snare- I use Ambassador for the classic dry sound on a Standard 102 aluminum shell Snare
Depends on how loud you have to play. A snare may sound great on it's own, but needs to cut through when all instruments come in.
I personally like my snare not too dry. You may find a ringing sound annoying when played alone. As soon as bass or guitar joins in, it disappears and keeps the sound little bit longer.
Hydraulic all the way
Remo emperor for me followed by control sound
Cool!!!👍
Emperor vintage coated. Believe me.
For my taste :
* EVANS G1 Coated
* Evans HD Dry
* Evans Power Centre Reverse Dot
i use the ambassador, and ion think i’m changing any time soon