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My Ears vs. Drum Dial Last viewed: 1 second ago

Posts: 9005 Threads: 266

I have never owned a drum dial. I bought one figuring that it will make tuning drums go quicker and be way more accurate than my ears.

Not so!

The Drum Dial arrived today. The first thing I did was to check my own tuning just to see how accurate it is. I was shocked to find that I had nailed the tuning on my drums (relying on just my ears,) to within 1 or two ticks of the drum dial recommended settings! Example: My Radio King snare drum. Six of the eight tension rods on the batter head were a dead-on 82! One rod was at 80 and another at 83. I barely had to tweak the two rods into reading 82. I couldn't believe that I had achieved that level of accuracy using just my own ears.

It was the same for the rack and floor tom. I was off, according to the drum dial, by only one or two ticks on just a couple of rods. It blew my mind. It turns out...

I don't need no stinking Drum Dial! LOL

My ears are good enough! Does anybody else use a drum dial, and how far off is your own tuning/how much trouble is it, when you rely solely on your own ears?

I'm happy to find out that I'm a pretty good drum tuner, but bummed that I spent $50 on a drum dial that it turns out I really don't even need. I'll keep it and use it to check myself, but I don't need it to put drums in tune.

Any drum dial users out there?

John

Too many great drums to list here!

http://www.walbergandauge.com/VintageVenue.htm
Posted on 11 years ago
#1
Posts: 2148 Threads: 177

Haha...

Maybe that's what I should do as well....

Retune my babies and take the shell PAC to our local drum shop

And check with the tuner...mmmmmmm...

Bop iT / Til U Drop iT.

ROGER's
1964 Cleveland,.18/14/12 in WMP
1966 Cleveland, 20/14/12 O'natural.
Fullerton,...20/16/13/12 Silver Glass

WFL
1957 B/R Super Classics In WMP

Snares..
Wood & COB Powertones,
Wood & COB Dynasonics,
57 Jazz Festival

Zildjian avedis cymbals.
40s/60s era.
Posted on 11 years ago
#2
Posts: 10714 Threads: 579

I use the tama tension watch. Kevin has been at my house many a times and I will tell him the values of the heads that I am tuning, then he will take the tension watch and check what I just stated to him and I am dead on the money just as your finds have shown, but we have both been at this a long time. I find my tension watch is most useful when playing live to tune check the heads. It is still a very good tuning system, it has it's place, But it isn't the end to all means.

Your drummers not much good is he!? What you need is someone that's as good as me. ! John Henry Bonham !!
Posted on 11 years ago
#3
Posts: 9005 Threads: 266

I figure it'll be a time saver by helping to put me in the ballpark quickly when swapping out heads. I'll trust my ears to tell me when it sounds right. They're good time saving devices, but nothing can replace a trained ear as it turns out. I was just very surprised is all. I expected my own tuning to be all over the map. It wasn't!

The 'lesson' is, I guess; learn to trust your own ears!

... and thank you for the -civil- and informative comment, Mark. It is appreciated.

John

Too many great drums to list here!

http://www.walbergandauge.com/VintageVenue.htm
Posted on 11 years ago
#4
Posts: 1461 Threads: 75

I`ve never used a drum tuner as i trust my ears. And all who have posted to this thread so far are veteran players with those wonderfully seasoned ears after all these years.I`m amazed i`ve got any hearing left at all after what i`ve subjected them to over the past 50 years.No drum tuner for me but i know they do have there purpose and place for sure.

Wayne

1967 Rogers Cleveland Champagne Sparkle
20,16,13,13.
1967/68 Rogers Dayton Champagne Sparkle
20,16,13,13.
1966 Rogers cob 7 Line Dynasonic Snare.
1967 Rogers "Humberto Morales" Timbales.
1980 Ludwig B/O badge 14x 6.5 Black Beauty Snare.
1980 Ludwig B/O badge Red Cortex
22,22,18,16,15,14,13.
1988 Sonor "Horst Link" HLD 590 14x8 Bronze Snare
Posted on 11 years ago
#5
Posts: 417 Threads: 22

I use a DD to get plastic heads in tune with themselves quickly. After that I adjust and fine "tune" by ear. I like my DD a lot.

I never felt the need to use the DD on calf heads. I am not even sure it would work properly on them.

/Magnus

Posted on 11 years ago
#6
Posts: 207 Threads: 26

It's like grabbing for the oil dipstick to verify that you already knew what was drained with or without the filter,and trusting adding the same ammount of quarts you always have.She'll purr like a kitten. :rolleyes::cool:Walking

Posted on 11 years ago
#7
Posts: 1142 Threads: 134

Not being a veteran player, the Drum Dial has helped me develop my tuning skills. I'm still learning, but now it helps me get in the ball park and then I go from there. Most recently, I've been using a 6.5x14 Supra as a benchmark for the tuning I want to achieve. Match the tone of the batter and resonant heads and fine tune according to the difference in the shell.

-Tim

Posted on 11 years ago
#8
Posts: 9005 Threads: 266

I grabbed one of my kits off the rack and used the DD exclusively, then I checked them to see how the toms sounded together. The DD did an amazing job on the toms! I set the floor tom at 70 top and bottom, the rack tom at 75 top and bottom and the snare at 82. The kit sounds killer altogether and there is a really good spread on the toms. I am impressed with what it can do on it's own. For guys who are still learning to tune drums, this thing can be a valuable tool. I just feel good knowing I can do a respectable job of tuning drums using just my ears. Great tool though.

John

Too many great drums to list here!

http://www.walbergandauge.com/VintageVenue.htm
Posted on 11 years ago
#9
Posts: 2251 Threads: 381

Jeez! "Drum Dial"? What next? Some type of electronic device for tuning guitars? I can't believe these modern innovations! My Drum Dial is called a "key". Seems to work just fine!

Brian

Just a drummer who loves all things about vintage drums! Nothing more, nothing less.
Posted on 11 years ago
#10
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