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Author Topic: How loud are drums?  (Read 41880 times)

Scott Deeter

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Re: How loud are drums?
« Reply #20 on: April 02, 2007, 09:07:35 AM »

Caleb Dick wrote on Mon, 02 April 2007 03:26


I'm sure VDrums can sound good, still searching...
I'm planning on getting my hearing checked soon, listening to the drummer's wedge and kit during practice has taken a toll.

Caleb



Hopefully the toll has been taken with a good sounding kit so far. It's still the same old thing for the most part around here (in the Lounge at least) "What's the best kick drum mic","Shit in, Shit out", "the drummer needs to learn how to tune", "what's the best mic for a singing drummer that doesn't pick up the snare". For me, E-drums are are pretty much the fix for the most part of the above or at least help make it better. From my experience the Pro's out weigh the Con's so far.

I must have been living in a different world when I played acoustic drums in little weekend warrior bands as I've never even had the thought of "wanting" a "drum monitor". Now I've needed a monitor to hear vocals, guitar, keys and a little bass, but never needed to hear my kick, and the rest of my kit for that matter in a monitor.

With the spl's given so far with acoustic drums alone and then the need for a drum monitor on top, no wonder drummers are going deaf, including fellow band members.

With Adam's reply of "CHEATER", this may be so, but I see it as cheating for the better of the band's mix and well being of all involved possibly.
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Caleb Dick

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Re: How loud are drums?
« Reply #21 on: April 02, 2007, 01:14:04 PM »

I will admit that there are definite, multiple pros to VDrums (low stage volume, lower hearing loss, etc).  My beef is the sound quality.  Other players I've talked to don't really enjoy the feel of the surfaces, but I don't know first hand.

To me, the samples just sound extremely compressed.  Both in their frequency extension (high and low), and especially their dynamics.  The frequency response also seems 'off' and shallow.  This has been working with, oh, 4 drummers who were all good, one or two playing VDrums exclusively with lots of tuning/tweaking time over the months.  I would like to be proven wrong one of these days, listen to a real and V kit side by side and not know the difference, or even prefer the digital.

Quote:


Now I've needed a monitor to hear vocals, guitar, keys and a little bass, but never needed to hear my kick, and the rest of my kit for that matter in a monitor.


I sat on a friend's kit once after soundcheck (larger venue) and just played the kick for a few hits.  The drumfill would almost blast you off the throne, it was insane.  Hope my hearing never goes that far, or play on stages that loud.  That was competing with a couple Marshal or Mesa half stacks at 11, and an 8x10 Ampeg cab, Vox amps, and various other sound sources depending on band.  

Since this is about drum SPL and not VDrum sound quality, yes real drums can be stinking loud and VDrums can help solve that.  Haven't measured the SPL; as others have said, measuring at the drummer's head vs. the bassist's head is totally different, with different frequencies assaulting you.

Edit:drum fill

Caleb
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Tony "T" Tissot

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Re: How loud are drums?
« Reply #22 on: April 02, 2007, 11:10:09 PM »

Caleb Dick wrote on Mon, 02 April 2007 00:26


I'm sure VDrums can sound good, still searching...

I love my V drums. They can sound as good as any kit live. And there are some great advantages - particularly for the cover band acts out there.

I can't use mine live any more - 'cause it's all "roots and rockabilly" music for me now.
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Mark "Bass Pig" Weiss

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Re: How loud are drums?
« Reply #23 on: April 03, 2007, 02:12:50 AM »

On March 25th, I recorded a pops concert (Danbury Symphony Orchestra) which featured a percussionist (I say that because the man has 25 years of profession Jazz percussion performance behind him) playing a Lugwig kit. Well, this guy knew just how to tune his kick drum to get a nice big, deep bass drum sound, so that, even though the orchestra lacked a large bass drum for this performance, his kit delivered a reasonable facsimile of such a sound. After the performance, I complimented the guy on it, which is something I rarely do.

BTW, the orchestra SPL at edge of stage peaked at 97dBc, or 88dBa. -3dB in the first row, -6dB in the balcony. The theater has fantastic acoustics.
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