[Vikingatheart]

Where on the spectrum would a snare drum hit be? I was listening to some music though my Grados, and the snare sounded perfect! I have been playing the drums since the age of eight, and I love the way the snare sounds. So I was wondering what frequency is the sound a snare drum hit makes?

 

[barleyguy]

Just going from experience, the "thwack", or the transient of a snare is generally in the 1.5K - 2.5K region.  The "thump" is somewhere around 200-300hz.  The "sizzle" is somewhere around 7K-10K, with harmonics going up to 15K or higher.

 

[jasonb]

this link may help you:
 
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm
 
i also am a huge fan of the snare drum. it's probably my favorite instrument. nothing beats getting smacked in the face by the snare on a good rock or metal recording. older Dream Theater and Metallica's Black album come to mind.

 

[Vikingatheart]

Quote:

this link may help you:
 
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm
 
i also am a huge fan of the snare drum. it's probably my favorite instrument. nothing beats getting smacked in the face by the snare on a good rock or metal recording. older Dream Theater and Metallica's Black album come to mind.

This. Dream Theater is a prime example!
 

 

[jasonb]

did the link help?
 
Quote:

This. Dream Theater is a prime example!
 

 

[Vikingatheart]

Quote:

did the link help?
 
Quote:

This. Dream Theater is a prime example!
 

 

Very much so. Thanks for that! I saved the link for further questions I might have.
 

 

[EthanWiner]

Quote:

Just going from experience, the "thwack", or the transient of a snare is generally in the 1.5K - 2.5K region.  The "thump" is somewhere around 200-300hz.  The "sizzle" is somewhere around 7K-10K, with harmonics going up to 15K or higher.

Exactly. A snare drum is a broadband sound source, so there's no one frequency or even one range of frequencies. The quality that make a particular snare sound seem pleasing is dependent on the relative levels of each range. Which is why recording engineers use parametric equalizers to tailor the sound.
 
--Ethan

 

[Vikingatheart]

^ Thanks for the info!

 

[barleyguy]

Quote:

Exactly. A snare drum is a broadband sound source, so there's no one frequency or even one range of frequencies. The quality that make a particular snare sound seem pleasing is dependent on the relative levels of each range. Which is why recording engineers use parametric equalizers to tailor the sound.
 
--Ethan

Agreed.  Just in case someone reads this who is interesting in recording:  I want to mention that one of the best equalizers is microphone placement.  The "thwack" is near the middle of the drum where the stick hits, the "sizzle" is out near the edge, and the "thump" is somewhere in between.  Taking time to place the mics properly can often correct the frequency balance without having to turn knobs.

 

[InnerSpace]

Quote:

Taking time to place the mics properly can often correct the frequency balance without having to turn knobs.

So true.  I wish more people remembered old school ways.
 
I also read some research from Japan that claimed cymbals have overtones up to 100khz - inaudible to humans, obviously, but apparently the overtones intermodulate and produce apparently unrelated phantom tones lower in frequency, which we can hear.  All part of a cymbal's sound signature, I suppose.

 

[EthanWiner]

Quote:

The "thwack" is near the middle of the drum where the stick hits, the "sizzle" is out near the edge, and the "thump" is somewhere in between.

Not to go to far OT, but the same applies to where a drum is hit. If you watch an amateur play a timpani drum they often hit it in the middle of the head. But all the tone is near the edges.
 
--Ethan

 

[Confispect]

Interesting thread..

 

[Majestic]

Quote:

Quote:

Taking time to place the mics properly can often correct the frequency balance without having to turn knobs.

So true.  I wish more people remembered old school ways.
 
I also read some research from Japan that claimed cymbals have overtones up to 100khz - inaudible to humans, obviously, but apparently the overtones intermodulate and produce apparently unrelated phantom tones lower in frequency, which we can hear.  All part of a cymbal's sound signature, I suppose.

 
 
Old school way's = Live sound.
 
I can appreciate well played percussions.  One of the hardest things to get in todays tech is accurate drum recordings where you feel them. Oh and I wish I had the opportunity to play them. Non the less I have always drawn to them. I crave the beat. 
 

 

[Confispect]

You know there was a band that did such..-mic-wise- I found out about them from 88/24 I think -goes to search-

 

[Vikingatheart]

Quote:

You know there was a band that did such..-mic-wise- I found out about them from 88/24 I think -goes to search-

Band name?