Carlock's bass drum sound

[percusski]

Has anyone heard Carlock on Rudder's Matorning album - check it out on Spotify especially the track 3h Club
Can we talk about how to achieve that bass drum sound, I'm hearing probably an 18 wide open...but what heads?
Also what micing techniques would one use?
I think I read that Carlock tunes his bass drum really tight.

[willyz]

I'm pretty sure in his Modern Drummer cover story it lists a clear Powerstroke 3 and he's always got a stock reso head going on. I'm not sure that its tuned too tight, I think the kick without anything inside it is going to be the trick (and the plastic side of the beater).

Personally, I use coated Ambassadors on both sides of the kick with a towel rolled up tightly with duct tape resting against the batter head and I really dig it- and it's no secret that I reeeeally dig his kick sound.

[Rodge]

Almost always 22" with Carlock, and it sounds great !!!

[jem]

I think that's a 20", he often uses a 20x14.

[gretsch-o-rama]

It was a 20" at the MD Festival and I've seen him play 18" 's with krantz....

[dccollins]

So, with his sound in mind, does anyone know if buries the beater consistently?

[littlegrooves]

Here you go:

http://www.keithcarlock.com/discus/mess ... 1179091595

As for burying the beater-- there's no way he gets that sound from burying the beater. I'd bet the farm on it. In fact, on some recordings you can hear the beater "dribbling" or fluttering on the head, which comes from him playing loose with it.

I had an 18" Ayotte bass drum that I stuck some Ambassador Suede heads on. When that is wide open with no muffling, if you even think of burying the beater, then it sounds like you're kicking a garbage can (another reason to never bury the beater...). However, keeping it off the head can make it sound like a mini-version of Keith's bass drum.

[jonesdrums]

What a trip to click on your link and see that it was me who asked that question on his forum in so many years ago....surreal coincidence even.

[YamahaPlayer]

Just to add, that Yamaha logo head is either a smooth white or ebony ambassador head.

He tunes very open, so probably considerably higher in tuning then the average "rock" kick tuning. Play around and see what you get, might even find a sound that is different that you like more!

[nomsgmusic]

I just saw Keith last month (w/ Lukather, Will, Bill Evans, and Weingart) and sat 3 feet from Keith's bass drum. (Off topic, they did mostly old Los Lobotomy's tunes!) Bass drum was a 20" Maple Custom (it sounded like a 20 x 14, but I don't think they even still make that size,) batter head PS3 with the inside strip cut out (a mutual friend told me about that.) Resonant Black Logo Ambassador (no holes.) Mic was a Beta 52 (I think) about 4" in front of the head. Felt beater (I think.) Acoustically there wasn't much (but some was semi present) pitch bend on the tuning decay, so the heads must have been pretty similarly tuned. And the front one looked pretty tight. I don't remember seeing any felt strips. And he was hitting them HARD!

From my angle I could also see his right foot. He doesn't bury the beater much, unless it was "for effect." He has great "control" of his sound with his touch, both hands and feet. It's a wacky sound, but man does he make it work!!!!! I give him all the credit in the world for going against the norm (soundwise,) and carving out an approach to "his sound" (within the genre.)

He COMPLETELY killed that gig!!!!!

We are still trying to coordinate our schedules for an interview for future publication.

Mark