The Heart Of The Drum Set
Snare drums are probably the most important part of a drum set; they’re “the heart”. Typically, drummers look for a snare drum that will perform in a variety of settings; one that sounds good in different styles of music. My experience has led me to rely on Ludwig models; specifically the Supraphonics LM400/LM402 which are chrome-plated aluminum, and the L-404 Acrolite which are brushed aluminum. Some might feel that the sound of the instrument – in this case, the snare drum – is determined by the way the drummer plays it. There are several factors involved; the drum head, the tuning, the type of drum stick used, the humidity of the the air in the performance area, the wall/floor/ceiling material of performance space, the PA system, the microphone etc…
Photo courtesy of M. Shea
Learning A Bit About Hammond (A100) Organs
I’ve had it for a little over a year and play it as often as I can. There is nothing quite like the sound of a Hammond organ. The digital world is getting closer to approximating its characteristics with every new piece of technology that is offered up to players looking for “that sound”. Although the digital world is getting better, there is nothing like hearing the real thing. In my limited experience, I would say that few instruments – if any – blend like a Hammond organ through a Leslie speaker. They combine so nicely with guitars, horn sections, voices and other keyboard instruments like nothing else.
Photo by B. Humphreys
I don’t know if I have ever heard a PA system that sounded as warm, fat and punchy as the Bose 802 Series II in conjunction with the Bose processor. They make great monitor speakers on most gigs; and a set of four make fine FOH speakers for small engagements. My first experience with them occurred while I was on a restaurant gig; we needed just a bit of volume from my 18″ Ludwig bass drum. My late friend Curtis Lee was putting his guitar and vocal through his Bose system; and he happened to have a Shure SM58 (vocal) microphone handy and decided to place it in my bass drum, through the hole on the resonator head. I’m aware the SM58 and SM57 are essentially the same microphone except for the windscreen, so maybe I shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was with the sound his Bose system produced. The result was a perfect match for the tone and volume level of the electric bass in the trio. From that point forward, I planned to buy a set when one became available. Those speakers seem to be the brunt of most online discussions regarding speaker systems. Everyone has their preferences for speakers. For small gigs and rehearsals; the Bose 802s with the Bose processor are music to my ears.
