cold weather and heads

[IndustrialDrummer]

This is probably a dumb question, but I just jumped on my kit a few minutes ago and found that it sounded a lot tighter than it has. I like to keep my kit with a big resonant open sound but everything sounded really tight, especially the kick. Does the cold weather we've had lately affect the heads?

[davatar]

Temperature and Humidity affects every thing If you tune your drums up at one temperature and humidity, and then the temperature changes they will change pitch and go out of tune (out of tune depending on the quality of the drums). If you like to tune tight, watch out if you every play outside in the cold.. *snap* goes the head.

[Cyberjam]

Tuned a snare at room temperature and took it into a skating rink (school band many years ago) and man was it ever snappy. I was thinking it would give but I was lucky that night.

[dr. kildrum]

Next year, look for the high schoolers playing oddly (lighter) on their snares in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Broke heads every one. Occasionally you will see one get a stick caught in a resulting split. (Hey its on to early to be drinking beer yet.)

[fartnokker]

...And fiberglass marching drums w/kevlar heads are a beautiful thing! Less weather-sensitive, and the kevlar heads (while not doing much for your wrists) are, pardon the pun, virtually bullet-proof! Not sure, but I'd figure offhand that the wood-shell marching drums (if there still ARE any) would experience more size/shape change as a result of temperature changes, and the mylar heads would probably (I'm no scientist here) become more brittle than the kevlar heads in cold conditions. Wish they woulda had those lightweight fiberglass drums back in my marching days, instead of the ol' chrome-covered wood Ludwig monsters I used to tote in Mardi Gras parades every year... (sigh)


Side note:
Tried some Remo K-Falams on various snare drums in the past few years, and hit on a great combination: 14 X 3 steel piccolo w/K Falams head. Incredible crack, and very dry. It always comes to acoustic recording sessions with me now, just in case. Recorded properly, it has sounded "bigger" than my 6.5 X 14 Ludwig Super Classic. Depends on lots of factors (mic, placement, recording system, engineer, type of music, etc.) but very interesting.

-Danny