How To Tune Your Guitar

Electric, acoustic, and classical guitars need tuning. This video lesson demonstrates how to tune a guitar using either the fifth-fret method or an electronic tuner.

2010
04/30
CATEGORY
Uncategorized
Write comment

Drum Set Tuning

The act of tuning a drumset is a mechanical process directed toward an audible outcome determined by a drummer’s personal and musical requirement.

Drumset tuning differs from tuning a guitar or other pitched instrument. This is because a struck drum head will produce a fundamental and harmonics that are hard to perceive as a particular pitch.

The human ear however, can usually detect a fundamental frequency – the lowest note audible. Using this fundamental tone, a drummer can proceed to tune drums’ pitches relative to each other to generate combinations that are harmonically pleasing.

Tom Toms

Tuning toms is the act of ensuring that:

  • the tensions on the individual batter and resonant heads on each drum are consistent and deliver a clear tone;
  • the tensions on the heads deliver the desired fundamental pitch when struck;
  • the relationships between the batter head and resonant head provide a sound character suitable for your intended use; and
  • that the relationships between individual drums and the overall drumset provide a logical and pleasant sounding combination.

When tuning a drum, know that the top (batter) head controls attack and ring, while the bottom head controls resonance, sustain, overtones, and timbre.

Snare drum and bass drum

Snare drum

  • The thin, sensitive bottom (resonant) head is generally tuned looser than the batter head;
  • the resonant head tensioning is adjusted to allow the snares to sit into the snare beds; and
  • treatment or muffling may be applied to the drum head to control overtones.

Bass or Kick drum

  • The batter head is tensioned to deliver the desired pedal rebound, although it will also affect the tone of the drum;
  • The resonant (front) head is usually looser than the batter head and is mainly responsible for the fundamental, audible tone of the drum;
  • The resonant head can have a small (approx 6″) offset hole to allow for air pressure escape and for the insertion of a microphone;
  • Some drummers use some kind of treatment inside the drum (such as a pillow, towel, etc.) or one of the many head variations and appliqués to control overtones, this could be that a drummer fills up his kick drum with materials to absorb the sound, or that the batter head has a ring of foam on it or perhaps a kick pad placed on the batter head.

The Process

  • Checking that the physical condition of the drum, drum head and hardware that is to be used are in appropriate condition;
  • seating the head – this shapes the generic factory-shaped head to match the specific drum that you will be using;
  • tuning the batter head to pitch;
  • tuning the Resonant head to pitch relative to the batter head; and finally
  • relating each drum’s pitch and sustain to the other drums in the drumset to make the drumset a pleasant-sounding unit in accordance with the drummer’s requirements

When tensioning a head,start by tightening the tension rod closest to you; don’t tighten it all the way, just a couple of turns. (This is because you want keep an even tension across the drum head, which you can’t do if one lug is super-tight and the others are super-loose.) Now move to the tension rod opposite the first lug and give that tension rod the same number of turns; do the same with the remaining lugs, in order, moving from one side of the head to the other.

When you return to the first tension rod, tighten this rod a little tighter, and then move around the lugs again, applying a little extra tension each time around. Keep this up until the head is free of wrinkles and a very low tone is produced when you hit the head.

Continue tightening the rods (in order), a little bit at a time—no more than a quarter turn each time. From time to time, you should tap the head next to each tension rod and tighten or loosen each rod so that the tones are all the same all around the drum. (When drummers say that a drum “is in tune with itself,” they mean that the head is equally tensioned all the way around.)

Repeat this procedure until the head has the desired pitch. Give the head another set of taps around the edges to make sure the tuning is even, and then you’re done—with that head. If you use double- headed drums, you’ll need to repeat this procedure with the bottom head. [1]

Muffling

Many drummers prefer a dryer sound with less ring. There are many different techniques you can use to reduce ring.

One approach is to loosen the batter head a quarter to a half turn. Another way is to either increase or decrease the pitch of the bottom head so that it’s different from the pitch of the top head. Either of these approaches produces a slightly dryer, funkier sound.

If you still have unwanted ring—or don’t like the tone of these types of heads—then you can turn to any of the following external muffling techniques:

  • Use a commercial muffling device, like those that look like Mylar “O” rings. (You can also make your own muffling rings by cutting up an old drumhead.) Some of these come with multiple rings of different sizes; you can layer multiple rings on top of each other to increase or decrease the muffling effect.
  • Put a strip of duct tape on your batter head. Experiment with different lengths of tape, and with different positions for the tape on your head. You can even layer multiple strips for a heavier muffle.
  • Tape an tissue or napkin to the rim of your drum, and let it lay loose on your batter head. Again, experiment with different thicknesses and positions.
  • For toms and snares, try putting a hunk of moongel on the head. The bigger the piece of gel, the more the sound is muffled.
  • An “old school” muffling technique is to cut a long strip of felt and mount it underneath the batter head on a tom or snare, or across the front bass drum head. Know, however, that many of today’s drummers dismiss felt muffling as dated, and feel that the felt strip interferes with the seating of the head to the drum’s bearing edge, making the drum slightly more difficult to tune.
  • For bass drums, put a pillow inside the drum. You can control the amount of muffling by adjusting how much of the pillow touches the front or rear heads; the less contact, the less muffling. (Some companies produce dedicated bass drum mufflers that look like odd-shaped pillows; these work in the same fashion.)
  • Also for bass drums: Cut a hole in the front head. The hole eliminates the drum’s natural resonance and creates a punchier sound with a more defined attack. And the bigger the hole, the less resonance you’ll hear.

References

  1. ^ Miller, Michael. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing Drums, 2nd Edition. (2004) Alpha Books.

Article Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_set_tuning

2010
04/30
CATEGORY
Uncategorized
Write comment

In Ear Monitors

In-ear monitors (IEMs) are devices used by musicians, sound engineers and audiophiles to listen to music or to hear a custom crafted mix of vocals and stage instrumentation for live performance or studio mixing. They are often custom fitted for an individual’s ears and provide a high level of noise reduction from ambient surroundings.

Monitoring System

A monitoring system is any system that provides a mix of audio sources to a performer on stage. Traditionally, monitors were loudspeakers placed on stage directed toward the performer (often called floor monitors or wedges). Depending on the sophistication of the audio system, there may be any number of monitor speakers on the stage, and any number of different mixes sent to the different monitors (for separate performers). While these monitors are still used today as the default in most venues for artists without their own in-ear monitor system, there are disadvantages to this system. Loud instruments, such as drums, require the floor monitors to be even louder than the other stage monitors to be heard. These competing stage monitors can decrease the clarity of the audio and affect the performer’s hearing. A performer must also remain in front of their own monitor(s) in order to hear their performance. If they move to the location typically occupied by other performers, they will be hearing that person’s mix, which may not be ideal. Moving away from monitors entirely leaves the performer monitorless. Too few monitors or monitor channels may require performers to share and neither may achieve an ideal mix.

In-ear monitors are professional grade earphones which fit into the ear and are commonly optimized to suit the needs of performers and serious audiophiles. For live performers, IEMs are connected to a receiver which receives the monitor signal from a wireless transmitter that is typically hardwired to the monitor mixer. These receivers are usually wireless via radio-frequency, but can also be wired for stationary performers (such as a drummer or keyboardist). More recent models are designed to function with popular digital players and computers for more casual use.

In-ear monitor mixes are usually mixed from one of two locations: the front of house mixer (FOH) or a separate mixer just for in-ear monitors. In-ear monitors are typically only mixed from front of house when the main sound system is small enough that the sound engineer can handle both the tasks of mixing the in-ear monitors and the house sound (more on this process in the article live sound mixing). The alternative is to mix the in-ear monitors through a separate mixer, which is usually set up in one of the wings of the stage. Wherever the mix is done, the engineer manages a (typically) separate mix of the performer’s sound inputs to the in-ear monitors. This mix is customized to allow the performer to hear the elements they require to perform best. For example, a performer’s own instrument and vocals are usually mixed at a high level; a lead singer might not have a high mix of a lead guitar or keyboard that might be more distracting than helpful to their singing. Since performers wear an IEM in each ear, they can also hear a stereo mix if a particular monitor system allows it. This can allow additional definition of the audio by panning different elements to each ear. Recent advances in this technology also allows the user to incorporate an ambient feature, allowing them to adjust the amount of ambient noise filtered by the IEM..

Transmitter and Receiver

The most common professional stage in-ear monitor system employs the use of a wireless system to send the mix to the IEMs. This system contains a transmitter and a receiver pack that is worn by the performer. There is generally a transmitter for each monitor mix and there is always a receiver for each IEM. The transmitters usually output either one stereo mix or two mono mixes. When the transmitters are set up for two mono mixes, one transmitter can be used for two different mixes. Any number of receivers can receive a single mix. The output from a receiver is generally too weak to power two monitors at the same time.

The Transmitters and Receivers transfer audio wirelessly via a VHF or UHF radio frequency. Generally speaking, UHF systems sound much better than VHF systems and are therefore more expensive to purchase. UHF systems usually are less susceptible to frequency interference which adds to their level of quality.

Earpieces

The in-ear monitors themselves are the last stage of the signal path in the system. The IEMs are often custom molded by an audiologist (as shown in the picture to the left) and therefore are more comfortable to wear and allow the sound to be sent directly into the user’s ear canal. They also provide a better seal, and thus a lower level of ambient noise. Depending on the quality of the fit and length of the canal portion of the earpiece, a custom fit in-ear monitor will generally provide somewhere between 25 and 34 Decibels of noise reduction. Custom in-ear monitors come in a variety of colors but usually are clear or a color that closely matches the skin color of the performer. Some manufacturers can also place custom artwork directly on to the custom in-ear monitors. The IEM cable plugs into the receiver pack via a 3.5 mm stereo jack clipped onto the belt or clothing of the performer, or placed in a pocket. Non-custom IEMs are also available and include a variety of universal foam and silicone tips that will fit into most people’s ears.

Article Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-ear_monitor

2010
04/30
CATEGORY
Uncategorized
Write comment

Vintage and Used Gear

Are you searching for vintage and great used items that come through our store? Check out our ebay store:

http://stores.ebay.com/BIG-DUDES-MUSIC-CITY

Big Dude’s Music City has been selling professional music gear for over 30 years. We carry Guitars, Bass, Drums, Amplifiers, PA, Recording, DJ, Lighting, Keyboards and much more. We are an authorized dealer for everything we sell. So you recieve the manufactuers full factory warranty.


2010
04/30
CATEGORY
INFO
Write comment

How To: String Your Guitar

Regular string changes keep the tone of your guitar to the most optimum level.

Big Dude’s can replace your strings for you for only $12, plus the cost of the strings you want.

How To String A Guitar – A Few Tips

A few quick tips before you begin on your process of changing your guitar strings:

  • Type of Guitar String: What kind of guitar do you have?  Replacing the wrong strings on your guitar can have the potential to cause permanent damage to the neck and the wood of your guitar.  Classical guitars have a combination of wound nylon guitar strings and nylon guitar strings (3 each).  Acoustic guitars have a combination of 4 metal sound guitar strings and 2 metal guitar strings (may be steel strings, nickel strings or some alloy, depending on your preference).
  • Gauge and Tension of Guitar String: For beginners, try stringing your guitar with a lower gauge guitar string (that has lower tension) so that is easier for you to play.  You can always work your way up when you get better and your fingers get stronger.
  • Change 1 Guitar String at a Time: In order for the guitar neck not to experience a great change in tension when you are stringing a guitar, we do not recommend that you change all the strings at once, but rather 1 string at a time.  Occasionally we break this rule when we want to clean up the frets and the fingerboard but generally speaking, it is not recommended to change all the strings at once.

Stringing an electric guitar is a straightforward task as the hardware of the electric guitar is designed for easy restringing.  See below for a video on how to restring an electric guitar.

2010
04/29
CATEGORY
Uncategorized
Write comment

Cakewalk Rep In-Store May 4th

Whether you are a current CAKEWALK software user, or want to know more about equipping your digital studio with the best gear and devices, stop by our store on Tuesday, May 4th.

Mike Trujillo is our CAKEWALK Representative, and he will be hanging out here at Big Dude’s Music City from NOON to 5pm. He will be answering questions, as well as showing off some of the latest gear from CAKEWALK, such as:

If you have any questions or need more info, give us a call: 816-931-4638.

2010
04/29
CATEGORY
EVENTS
Write comment

Big Dude’s Music City: How It All Began

Big Dude’s Music City began in 1976 with Keith Dodd. While living in Chanute Kansas, Keith had a unique opportunity to purchase a music store in Kansas City Missouri. Keith’s friends called him, “Big Dude,” and he didn’t mind that at all, so the store became “Big Dude’s Music City”. Soon after he took over the store it began to grow. In the early years they channeled their efforts into building discotheque audio systems, selling guitars, and renting large sound systems.

In 1979, Keith suffered a stroke, which left him incapable of running the store. He persuaded a cousin to run operations from 1979-1986. During this time another Big Dude’s Music City was opened in Overland Park Kansas, yet business was faltering. Then in 1986, Keith’s son Mark Dodd stepped in to run the business. He was fresh out of college, eager, yet nervous about running a large store. Mark remembers feeling like his father took him to the pool with no swimming lessons, threw him into the deep end, and said, “Good luck,” as he walked away.

After dog paddling for a while, Mark figured out what needed to be done to save Big Dude’s from drowning in debt. The Overland Park store was shut down and condensed into the current Big Dude’s Music City at 3817 Broadway. Persistence paid off and business exploded. Marketing was improved, a repair center was implemented, and long standing employees continued to help make business thrive. Recently, Advanced Sound and Communication was added to serve the audio/video needs of commercial institutions such as churches, schools, and restaurants.

Big Dude’s has gone through many changes, but our philosophy has always been the same. Make sure we have outstanding employees who live and breath music, are educated about our products inside and out, and guide our customers with integrity and honesty. That’s the difference… that’s why we are still here!

2010
04/29
CATEGORY
INFO
Write comment

Gary Hoey Rocks Big Dude’s Music City

On Wednesday, April 28th, we had an in-store meet & greet/performance from guitar great, GARY HOEY. Gary is currently touring with Jeff Beck, and was able to pop into the store in the day-time before their concert that night at Starlight.

To start the day, we had 5 great young bands from The Rock Band Academy: Hat Triq, No Reason, Sound Check, H3O, and Burning Poster. They all sounded great. Chris, you’re doing a great job down there at the Academy!

You can see videos from the day’s event on our YouTube Channel, and we’re posting pics on our facebook page, as well.

We will be having more events this Summer here at the store, so keep your eyes open…We’ll see you soon.

‘The Dudes’

BONUS VIDEO: Gary Hoey – Purple Haze (LIVE)

2010
04/29
CATEGORY
EVENTS
Write comment
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.