Hello Jay, thanks for your service. My question deals with what we hear behind the kit vs. what is heard out front. Weekend hackers like myself think we have a good idea of what our kits sound like, but unless another drummer is around to sit behind the kit, we'll never know how it sounds out front - even then, that other drummer might not hit like we do. For example, that nice low-tuned floor tom that really rumbles behind the kit, completely dies at the front of the stage. So, for a drummer like me (whose only mic is on the kick), who plays at the corner bar, do you have any sort of guidelines to tuning? Thanks for your time and consideration. Bill Hamm

Hey Bill!

I think this is a common situation- there's so many venues we get to play in where the bass drum is the only thing mic'd.  Personally, in any live situation I tune the toms higher than I would in studio.  This is especially true with thin shelled drums like DW, Starclassics, Pearl Masters etc.  These drums sound great close mic'd but as soon as you need them to project- all those lush lower frequencies get lost under the bass amp, guitar/keyboard amps and singer's tambourine!!!

When we don't have the luxury of mic'd toms and an awesome sound engineer- we kind of have to think like one!  The same way that an engineer uses equalizers to carve in and out individual frequencies to ensure that instruments don't step on each other sonically, we have to do that with our drums.

We need our toms to sing above the din of the lower frequencies- hence why they mic just the kick drum- if you didn't it would be completely lost in the melee!!!  Start by tuning just the bottom tom heads up- by like 1/8 to 1/4 turn each lug and see what happens- then do the same with the top head.  Don't be afraid of going too far and then backtracking... we're looking for the perfect projecting note. It's going to sound a little weird and bongo-ey from your throne but out front underneath all the other instruments- they'll sound great.

Your question reminds me of a similar gig I did in a pub as a sub (pub sub? haha) where I didn't know the band- just that it was classic rock.  I show up and there's the little tiny corner stage- WITH A FULL MARSHALL STACK ON IT.   I knew I was in for a long night!  You should have seen how the guitar player was dressed to rock as well....

Thanks for the question!
JAY