Emperor Snare Side - how high will it go?

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swarfrat

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Okay - I know this isn't the most popular head around, but I've read some folks saying that it's fine as long as its cranked. But ... what is cranked? I'm putting this on a 15" drum I'm trying to tame a bit of wire harshness on. My thinking is that the bigger drum can probably tolerate a little thicker skin than a smaller drum anyway.

But how do you know when Scotty is going to come on the intercom saying 'Capn she canna take anny moor of this?" I have a tunebot - which doesn't seem to be able to hear quick enough for resos. I have a drum dial. But I have absolutely no context for them or for my own ears for a 500mil snare side head.

Anyone with experience on this head?
 
I won't reference it to a number on a dial, but rather to your ears.

I would tighten it enough to get the tone you want out of your snare drum.
You'll know when you get there.

Stretch
 
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“Good judgement is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgement.”

I killed a DSS head that way.
 
Dont feel comfortable taking it past 85 on the drum dial. And it also does little to mellow the wires. The tone isn't horrible, but there's a noticeable loss of sensitivity. If I got the tonal change i was hoping for out of it, i might could live with the sensitivity change but... i guess its off the the marcher project.
 
swarfrat said:
Dont feel comfortable taking it past 85 on the drum dial. And it also does little to mellow the wires. The tone isn't horrible, but there's a noticeable loss of sensitivity. If I got the tonal change i was hoping for out of it, i might could live with the sensitivity change but... i guess its off the the marcher project.
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I remember reading advice on here about cranking the reso to 90 on the DD. It was only an Ambassador, but that thing exploded before I ever got there.
 
Emperor resonants are pretty tough.
When the snare-side head is completely flush/level with the bottom hoop flange you can be assured that's about as high as it will go. :laughing6:
 
Also, in fairness, that head I killed wasn't actually a Remo, I just meant that it was thinner than 3mil. I was never sure if i just went too high (not likely given my tastes at the time) or the [redacted so the hotheaded executive's doesn't sue me, the forum and everyone reading] were just inferior to Remo/Evans/Aquarian. It turned loose at the crimp.
 
I have never been able to get a sound I liked with an Emperor snare side -- only tried it a couple of times and that was enough to choose thinner heads from then on. Perhaps you would be better off with a thin snare side head and cable snares (Grover).
 
I feel like it's got to take a lot more tension to get the thicker Emperor head to properly seat on/conform to the snare bed. I could be wrong though. Just a guess.
 
This invariably comes up any time this head is mentioned.

Emperor SNARE SIDE is NOT two 7mil plies. It's a single ply 5 mil.

https://remo.com/products/product/emperor-hazy-snare-side/
"Emperor® Hazy Snare Side drumheads feature focused controlled overtones with maximum durability. Constructed with 1-ply of 5-mil film, Emperor® Hazy Snare Side drumheads provide warm tones and are the most durable of Remo's Snare side resonant heads. Available in sizes 10" - 15"."
 
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lossforgain said:
I have never been able to get a sound I liked with an Emperor snare side -- only tried it a couple of times and that was enough to choose thinner heads from then on. Perhaps you would be better off with a thin snare side head and cable snares (Grover).
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That's pretty much where I think this is going. In fact, Dave @ Grover is working me up a 15" set of Club Darks as we speak. But I wanted to try this too, to get a better idea of what was helping and what was not. I'm going ready to give up on the ESS just yet. I'll take it up a bit more perhaps, maybe take a hair dryer to it to make sure I have it bedded down. Try it with the grover that's coming. I still have hope that - even though I'm liking a batter that's pretty high (about 240 batter now - can't believe that I'm liking it up there), if the 5 mil head cranked even higher, plus the cable snares gets me back the sensitivity without the harsness, and some more beef, it could be a real winner.
 
swarfrat said:
This invariably comes up any time this head is mentioned.

Emperor SNARE SIDE is NOT two 7mil plies. It's a single ply 5 mil.
Click to expand...

I had no idea they made an "Emperor snare side". I've only ever seen/heard of Ambassador and Diplomat versions. I thought you were suggesting using a regular clear Emperor on the "snare side" of the drum.
 
Yeah, 90 ain't happening. I actually thought it might go higher than that - since the thicker head would deflect less at any given tension than a 3 mil head would, it should read higher for similar tensions. I wouldn't recommend tuning it any higher than 85 - I got a couple pops at 87 (I think that was Scotty screaming, not sure if he said we damaged the engines or not). If so... oh well, I've blown more money in a single night than one drum head. I guess Stretch was almost right. Perhaps you should've said "You'll know when you've gone too far".
 
Really, the best general use drum sounds are those with standard heads. There is a reason they are standard.
If the drum is too harsh, use fewer wires. You can take some cheapo snappies and just use some clippers.

With a 14" drum I tune an Ambassador hazy to around g, and it will stay there and have a crisp sound for a long time. With a 15" the same tension might end up at an f pitch.
 
My sound.. Medium tight emperor snare side with puresound concert 12 stands or Canopus vintage..a consistently good combo and fattens/dries up my tone.. Dry but fat and so articulate..

Gerry
 
cutaway79 said:
I had no idea they made an "Emperor snare side". I've only ever seen/heard of Ambassador and Diplomat versions. I thought you were suggesting using a regular clear Emperor on the "snare side" of the drum.
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Same as the Evans 500 Snareside for you EVANS cats.
 
xsabers said:
Same as the Evans 500 Snareside for you EVANS cats.
Click to expand...

I use a little of both. Occasionally an Aquarian thrown in there. I've just always been fine with the standard mid-weight snare-side head. Strayed to a Diplomat SS once, and didn't like it. So I've just stayed with the run-of-the-mill stuff since.
 
cutaway79 said:
I use a little of both. Occasionally an Aquarian thrown in there. I've just always been fine with the standard mid-weight snare-side head. Strayed to a Diplomat SS once, and didn't like it. So I've just stayed with the run-of-the-mill stuff since.
Click to expand...
Ok, so you're saying Steve Gadd is WRONG????!?

Kidding, there is no "right" (but if there was, I'd put money on Gadd!). What didn't you like? I've never tried one.
 
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