|
When choosing
a set of snare wires for your snare drum, it is important
to consider the design of your drum as well as the type
of sound you want to get from it. One of the most overlooked
considerations in selecting the right set of snare wires
is a drum’s snare beds. The snare bed is essential in
creating a bow in the center of bottom head that increases
the amount of contact between the drumhead and the snare
wires themselves.
Keep in mind
that not all snare beds are created equal. Some are as
wide as 8 inches and as deep as a quarter inch, where
others are as narrow as an inch and a half or as shallow
as 4/1000ths of an inch. A deep, wide snare bed will produce
a bow in the head which is fairly consistent over much
of the surface. A narrow, shallow bed will create a bow
and a snare sound that are less pronounced. However, both
types of beds can be very effective in producing attractive
snare sounds in a wide variety of applications.
To determine
the type of snare bed your drum has, take the bottom head
off the drum and place the drum on a flat surface. Put
a light source inside the shell so that you can easily
see the gap between the shell and the surface. This will
allow you to more accurately gauge the width and depth
of the snare bed. Once you’ve gotten a measurement of
the bed, you can determine what type of snares will give
you the sound and action you want.
Start with the
basic premise of choosing a set of snares that will best
complement the snare beds on your drum. Remember the old
adage, "Less is more". There are few places
where this saying applies more accurately than in choosing
a set of snare wires.
• To get
the brightest, most resonant sound from the drum and the
most activity out of the wires, select a set of snares
that are about 1/2 the width of your snare bed, generally
12-16 strands. That way, the part of the head that is
most active (the center of the bed) will have the most
impact on the sound and provide you with the most snare
action (sensitivity and response).
• If you
are playing in an environment where you want a lot of
snare action, but would prefer a bit shorter decay, choose
a set of snares that are slightly wider—approximately
3/4ths of the width of the snare bed— usually 16 to 20
strands.
• In a
close-miked studio environment, where you might want to
get the maximum snare sound but decreased response and
decay, try a snare unit that is wide enough to cover the
entire snare bed—20 to 24 strands.
• To further
dampen the drum, use the widest set of snares available
(assuming the snare bed is wide enough to accommodate
them). This will focus the drum’s tone and reduce the
length of decay as much as is possible without muffling
or choking the drum. However, as the bow of the head decreases
towards the edges of the snare bed, the amount of tension
on the snares may have to be increased to keep the outer
strands from buzzing excessively.
Generally, this tends to lessen the impact of using
wider snares in the first place, but because Puresound
snares are designed to be more active than others, the
24-strand model is wide enough to accomplish this effect
while avoiding snare wire tension problems.
• In situations
where an even drier, tighter, yet still musical sound
is required, the off-set wires of an Equalizer model may
be the ideal choice.
|
