Help! Bearing Edges on Maple Custom Absolutes

[cjbdrm]

To make your MC's "sing", I would suggest single ply clear heads (preferably Aquarian) tuned to the same pitch. I have gotten good results with my cherry red MC's that way. I don't normally tune that way, but it seems to work for these Yammies...cutting edges would be a placebo effect at best...I wouldn't do it...

[DSOP]

Im currently using G1'S and Genera res. on the toms.

If that resonant head is really thin, you'll be losing some low end, and with it, some warmth. Try using the same head top and bottom.

If it still isn't doing it for you, bring one of your lousiest sounding toms to a drum store and A/B it with other similarly sized toms and see how it compares.

[circh bustom]

Sell them If you want Yamaha go birch absolute with the vintage finish. If you want maple find an older MC set or buy another brand.

[Matus]

If it's about the warmth, then MCAs are definitely warmer drums than old MCs. Now it's up to your head selection and tuning skills. I, for one, use clear Emperors on top and clear Ambassadors as resonants and they sing forever with a beaufitul warm, mid sound. Used Evans for a few years and they definitely sound warmer with Remo heads.
What sizes are we talking, anyway? Diameter and depth, that's a factor as well.

[jem]

Had to redo my 12" MCA, it was just over a year old, never been out in humidity or anything like that. I never got it to sound the way I wanted, didn't sing, flat. 12" is to me like the most important drum after the snare and the kick so it really made the kit weak. When I finally checked the edges against something flat it was warped, the shell was round but warped, not flat on either side. Tried to get help from Yamaha but it was too late. Sucker. So check your edges.

What bothers me the most now is the kick, it sounds weak, too thin, dry, doesn't carry the energy. Like it cant hold up the tension from the skin and pedal, it sort of collapses. With a microphone it sounds great but it's very dry without. b52 + subkick, wow.

I use it mostly for soft things so it doesn't matter that much but I'm a bit disappointed to me honest.

Will try triple flanged hoops on the 12" and see where it takes me, good idea.

[YamahaPlayer]

Aside from a drum being out of round - even out of flat isn't that bad if it's minor.

This entirely sounds like tuning issue + knowing the drum itself.

[jem]

Aside from a drum being out of round - even out of flat isn't that bad if it's minor.
This entirely sounds like tuning issue + knowing the drum itself.

I could have done with the resonant side as it was, that was minor, but the batter side would simply not tune up properly. I know how to tune.

[Old Pit Guy]

What bothers me the most now is the kick, it sounds weak, too thin, dry, doesn't carry the energy. Like it cant hold up the tension from the skin and pedal, it sort of collapses.

Try plugging some of the vent holes and make sure the front head is at least a tad above wrinkled.

[YamahaPlayer]

Aside from a drum being out of round - even out of flat isn't that bad if it's minor.
This entirely sounds like tuning issue + knowing the drum itself.

I could have done with the resonant side as it was, that was minor, but the batter side would simply not tune up properly. I know how to tune.

My comment was in regards to the OP's complaints, not your post.

[jem]

My comment was in regards to the OP's complaints, not your post.

OK. Should add that I find the MCAs a bit more difficult to tune than other kits I've had. They really sing if you hit that sweet spot, often if you tune top/bottom very close or to the same pitch. If you just go away from that spot just a little you can loose it completely. I've also often found that you think you have nailed it, that the batter head is even (you can't really hear that the lugs are out of tune but "something" is missing from the overall sound). But if you press a bit harder in the middle of the head you will see wrinkles close to some lug, tune those lugs up to remove the wrinkles, fine tune again and you realize that it got much better.

Also, the kick sounds much better in front than from behind the kit and that's what counts I guess. It seems like some kits are like this (had Sonor Designers once, the kick sounded plastic from behind but oh so sweet out in front)...