House of Drumming.com

A modern version of Tama's Tension watch ???

I don't really see how it would help anyone tune, it's just a spectrum meter showing the dominate frequencies and relative pitch association. Which is interesting to see I guess....

Unlike the Tension Watch, this device indicates pitch, not tension. Just because the head tension may be the same at all lugs doesn't necessarily mean the pitch will be. Bearing edges may be off, heads or edges defective, or the shell out of round. In the end we are concerned with a good sounding drum; this device might make tuning faster, and less subject to aural burnout.

Nonetheless, if one lug is way off, you still might be able to get a pitch, but the drum won't be in tune really.

This is as much help as any previous "drum tuner" if you don't know how to manipulate a drum. And it's all about knowing what will happen if you turn one specific rod and how a two-head relation will sound. Anything else is compensating for the lack of a trained ear or going for a level of detail that's pretty much beyond practical.

Matus wrote:This is as much help as any previous "drum tuner" if you don't know how to manipulate a drum. .

... exactly what I meant,

I also noticed a slight "flaw" in that it directly correlates the frequency pitch to a note. This is a fatal misunderstanding in the physics of music and drums. 2 headed drums can not be tuned to a single note. Only single headed drums, hence timpani, concert toms, etc

Frequency defines pitch, but a note is something very different. You can have A440, A430, A450, A380 if you want... the western world tends to go A440 for concert pitch.


But it still would be interesting to see where particular drums like to sit, pretty much for reference and curiosity. It's like whipping out a DB meter for your kit.. interesting knowledge but not practically useful.

moose wrote:http://www.idrumtune.com/

http://www.soundonsound.com/news?NewsID=15176

Haha! I'm guessing cloth ears isn't a good thing. I can see how this can be a useful tool, giving you a more precise way to identify and repeat the sound you're looking for.

BTW, after attending an Ari Hoenig clinic, I can assure you that he doen't need one.

Josiah wrote:I also noticed a slight "flaw" in that it directly correlates the frequency pitch to a note. This is a fatal misunderstanding in the physics of music and drums. 2 headed drums can not be tuned to a single note. Only single headed drums, hence timpani, concert toms, etc

Frequency defines pitch, but a note is something very different. You can have A440, A430, A450, A380 if you want... the western world tends to go A440 for concert pitch.


But it still would be interesting to see where particular drums like to sit, pretty much for reference and curiosity. It's like whipping out a DB meter for your kit.. interesting knowledge but not practically useful.

It could also be an ear training tool, don't you think?