DT X Verta (ft Pantheon): Ep 6 Cheap Vs Expensive Drums
In this last episode in this series, we have George from Pantheon Percussion with us, and we experiment with the difference between a cheap and an expensive snare drum. Achieving the drum sound that you don't always come with an expensive price tag. Using the proper techniques and drum heads, you can achieve a similar drum sound that you want, even with a cheap snare drum.
Content
The Comparison
In the comparison video above, we played on a cheap vs. an expensive snare drum. The difference in tonality is minute, especially when you play the drums in a recording setting. We will let the comparison speak for itself.
We recommend doing a blind test. Listen to the recording without looking at the video and see if you could tell which snare is the more expensive one or which is the one that you prefer in your recordings (could be both).
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Factors that affect drum price
Several factors affect the pricing of the drum itself, and it is not always the sound itself. Some of the factors that affect drum pricing are
Branding
Like any product in the market, many of these prices have to do with the brand-name. The amount that companies spent on marketing very often reflects on the products themselves. Needless to say, the more established the brand is, it can charge more for its product.
Hardware
Apart from branding, there are good reasons why some snares are priced higher than others. The high-end drums often use more sturdy hardware; this affects the durability of the product.
Consistency
Most big manufacturers have a stringent quality control process; this process ensures that each of these drums is of quality standard before releasing it out to the market.
Workmanship
More expensive drums often also have a higher standard of workmanship. In this sense, the workmanship refers to the exterior look and more important things like the bearing edge. The bearing edge is the side of the drum that the drum head rests on. Having a well-crafted bearing edge will often help with the ease of tuning the drums.
Achieving great sound with cheap snares
As shown above, cheap snares can also sound good in recordings. Several factors, which we have covered in great detail over the past episodes, affect the drum sounds, which includes
Drum heads
Choosing the right drum heads can affect the sound significantly. Different drum heads help achieve different sounds and choosing the right drum heads to get the job half done.
Size and material
Regardless of the drums' price, different drum sizes and materials affect the projection and the tonality of the drums significantly. Make sure you have a specific sound in mind before you research and decide which snare to buy.
Tuning
The most crucial factor, an excellent tuning technique is required with all drums. You can make a cheap snare sounds excellent if you know how to tune it properly.
Summary
A great drum sound, either during recordings or live shows, is not all about having an expensive drum. Many other factors affect it as well; the mic placements, the type of mics used, or even the room acoustics play a significant difference. We are not advocating that you use a cheap snare drum for the rest of your life, but what we advocate is to understand the sound you want better to know the different ways to achieve them.
