There are many mysteries (probably too serious of a word in this context) surrounding electric drumkits. At least that’s the impression one could get by browsing various drumming forums. Anyway, here’s one question that you’ll wanna know the answer to. How tight should my electric drum heads be?
If we were somehow right, and you do actually want to know the answer to that one – you’re at the right address! In the article that you’re about to skim through (hopefully: read), you’ll find everything there’s to know about the subject of electric drum heads. Including, of course, the question of how tight should electric drum heads be?
Your electric drum heads shouldn’t be too loose. If they’re too loose, that will result in you hearing plies of the drum head gently rattling against each other. Also, never let your tension strings reach a situation in which they can be easily tightened or loosened. To conclude, you’ll want your drum head pretty tight.
Now, we’re only getting started. Feel free to see what we’ve worked on just so this text doesn’t end up looking all half-empty and nonsensical!
Table of Contents
What is the point of electric drums?
We’ll kick-start this one with an answer to the question beginner drummers like to pose: exactly what’s the point of buying electric drums? Here’s the thing: they provide you with absolute freedom to play with the sound that’s coming out of your kit. All that, using just the simplest touch of a button. With electric drums, you’re able to simulate the sound of:
- a huge stadium/arena rock drum kit. You’ll feel the drummer of Journey. Just don’t stop believin’.
- a funky hip-hop producer drum kit. You’ll feel like the old-school underground beatmaker.
- a studio-quality acoustic drum kit. You’ll feel like you’re recording a platinum rock-n-roll album.
Sorry if we went a bit over the corny edge with these examples. Anyway, electric drums give you more freedom to play with the sounds you’ll be making than a regular acoustic drum set (and here’s where you’ll find some tips on the subject). That’s the whole point!
How big is an electric drum kit?
Of course, not all electronic drum kits share the same size. That would be downright absurd! However, you’ll wanna know that a standard, most- commonly-found-on-the-market e-drum kit footprint’s about 152×122 cm (60×46 inches).
Are electronic drums better for beginners?
Most drummers would agree that e-drums are the ideal choice for folks that just starting out their adventure in drumming. Here’s why that’s so: not only are e-drums quiet, but they also sound absolutely amazing. Oh, and let’s talk about finances, beginner e-drum models are pretty affordable and less costly than most acoustic kits (and here’s how you’ll give the latter a fresh paint job). Okay, so let’s see those numbers.
How much do electric drums cost?
Needless to say, many folks will want to know this info. For a solid-quality e-drum set, an individual will have to cough up about $400-600. However, you’ll also probably need some accessories which will cost you an additional sum of $100-200. Lastly, e-drums designed for intermediate users and professionals are priced higher, going anywhere from $1000 to $8000.
Is an electronic drum set worth it?
Most folks that bought an electric dum set would tell you the same: it’s definitely worth it! And here’s the reason behind the answer: it’s tons of fun! Beginners seem to appreciate e-drums the most because of the electronic drum kit’s ability to help them through some difficult learning stages. The thing is: playing solely to the music with an ordinary (acoustic) drum kit can be a bit hard since it’s pretty difficult to hear the background music over the sound of your acoustic drums. Unless, of course, you’re planning to wake up the whole neighborhood, which brings us to the next topic!
Are electronic drum sets loud?
You’ll want to know that e-drum sets tend to be quieter than their acoustic siblings. However, it all depends on the kit you’ve obtained for your drumming practice. For instance, certain kits you’ll stumble upon on the market use pads that have the so-called drum heads (which we’ll talk about more below). Drum heads represent the thin layers of rubber over an e-drum plate. They’re quite infamous for being a bit louder (acoustically).
Can neighbors hear electric drums?
It all depends on how well your room’s insulated. Even though e-drums cause less noise than acoustic drum sets, your neighbors might be able to hear them. If you’re wondering how to soundproof a room without having to spend a fortune, here are a couple of suggestions you’ll find useful.
Are electronic drums harder to play?
Most drummers would tell you that e-drums are a bit easier to play than acoustic drums. They’d also add that you might have a hard time switching between the two. In other words: you’ll have a difficult time going back to playing regular acoustic drums once you’ve been spoiled by playing e-drums.
Okay, so that should’ve done it for the introductory questions list! Now it’s time to tackle the question that’s on everyone’s mind: how tight should your electric drum heads be?
How tight should my electric drum heads be?
The thing is: having your electric drums too loose will result in you basically hearing each ply of the drum head rattling gently against each other. Needless to say, that’s not a very good experience to endure. Also, you don’t want your drum heads loose enough so that you can easily tighten or loosen tension strings; make sure they’re really tight so you can’t easily move the screw! It’s pretty simple if you think about it!
That’s about it when it comes to the how-tight-should-your-electric-drum-heads-be issue! Let’s see if we’ve missed anything else that’s absolutely worth mentioning!
How to make your e-drum set sound way better?
Here’s a fun fact: your e-drums will never go out of tune. Now, ain’t that great? However, the confusing (to an extent) nature of the device might turn some folks away. That’s why we’ve selected a list of tips that will help you get the best sound out of your electric drum kit. Additionally, you’ll learn some of the key features most e-drums possess. Anyway, here’s how you’ll make it happen!
Speaking of tuning, here’s an article on whether or not you can tune your drums using a guitar tuner.
Shape your sound using the equalizer
You’re probably aware of this, but EQ will enable you to alter and shape the frequencies of each piece of your e-drum kit. For instance, let’s assume you’ve stumbled upon a drum sample you’ve found absolutely lovely. However, there’s little punch to it that’s missing. Luckily, all is doable with a minor boost of the low-end.
Consider different mic positioning
One of the best things about virtual mic positioning is that the device will replicate the difference in tone that would happen if the mics were closer or further away from the sound source (a snare drum, for instance). Also, it’s realizable to dial in the top and bottom mics or even room mics.
Adding various effects
There are many e-drum kit presets that will utilize various cool effects out of the box. However, doing a little tweaking here and there might have a pretty interesting influence on the way your drums sound in general. In other words: you’ll want to experiment with different effects such as reverb, delay, distortion, etc.
User kits
Usually, modules will possess a good number of pre-programmed kits. That number might vary from ten to fifty. Also, you’ll want to know that the separate instruments that form these kits can be easily switched out. Needless to say, that makes things a lot easier and straightforward (replacing a snare sound, for instance).
Add user samples
Of course, you’ll find hundreds, if not thousands of built-in sounds on your module. Still, don’t forget you’re also able to import various sounds via an SD card or USB memory stick. Basically, the only limit is your imagination since you can’t really point the finger anywhere else, can you? In other words: with an e-drum kit, you’ll be able to enjoy virtually limitless possibilities, which is a thing you can’t really say about regular acoustic drums.
Keep in mind that it’s not that we’ve got anything against standard drum kits, but it would be unfair to avoid mentioning all the advantages an e-drum kit possesses. There’s a good chance you’ll still opt for a standard, acoustic drum kit.
Parting thoughts
That’s that on the subject of e-drum heads tightness, dear music-loving folks! Now you’ve got an idea about what’s so special about e-drums and why many folks are talking about them with awe. Also, you’re well aware your drum head shouldn’t be too loose, right? Right.
For tips related to the amazing human activity simply known as drumming, you’ll want to visit this section of our blog.