At times, drum overtones can become a nightmare not only for the drummer but the whole band, sound engineer to the extent of the listening crowd as well. Although, overtones and sustain seem to go hand in hand, it can be annoying when there is too much but also makes your drum sound dull when totally killed. So, where to we draw the line?

Drums and drumming most times is subject to preference so it is hard to pinpoint what is really right or wrong because thereˊs almost none.  Instead, drums can be judged by whatever sounds good or bad, but then again, subject to preference.

Usually, it is wise to dampen or lessen overtones as much as possible because the notes from these overtones actually messes with the whole mix to the point that a song being played could sound out of tune. There are three basic ways to dampen drum overtones: first is by using the drum key, second is by placing a ring damper and third is by using masking tape and tissue paper. Although one can also tackle experimenting with room acoustics which does work, for now we discuss what would be the basic and immediate ways a drummer can use.

With the drum key, you need to adjust the bottom sides first or opposite the skins that you hit, called resonant skins or snare side skin for the snare. It should be adjusted just tight enough so that it can still have flexibility to move or resonate. After that, you go on to the batter side and adjust it according to your preferred note. Now, when you hear and think that itˊs got an intrusive overtone, try tightening or loosening the resonant side until you hear the overtone become weaker without losing your desired note. After that, adjust only one lug on the batter side while hitting the drum. Slowly loosen that lug until you the overtone is gone or at least minimal. It is important that you adjust only one lug.

For the second option, you can buy a ring damper which is actually the same material as the drum skins cut like a donut. Dampers are available in different sizes and usually it can solve drum overtone problems easily just by placing them on top of a drum. Although for some instances using dampers can become too much that it ruins the drumˊs natural sound, most times it works fine which is why as a drummer, I always bring dampers for the snare, tom 1, tom 2 and floor tom and use them depending on how the room acoustics affect the drum sound. This is a rule of thumb for drums or any music source for that matter: Same equipment and same players, set up at different rooms or venues equates to different sound each time.

Now letˊs go to what seems to be a more barbaric solution by using adhesive tapes and tissue paper. As crude as this may sound, this works on the same principle as the ring dampers that you can buy but actually more efficient. Yes, efficient because you actually have control of just how much damping you need to apply to achieve minimal overtone nuisance but enough sustain. Just make sure that your are using soft tissue and adhesive or masking tape that really sticks.

Although most times, our concern is to kill overtones, there are actually instances that we need them and some artists that want them.

I, in particular, love overtones as long as they are in tune. Of course this would depend on the Key scale of a particular song you are performing so using overtones is best used inside the controlled environment of a recording studio but not recorded when playing multiple songs of different keys in a live performance. I actually started using overtones for recorded work by accident. I was on a studio session run and my drum track had this terrible overtone on the toms which was colliding with the other instruments. I was struggling to lessen the overtones without sacrificing natural sustain since the song seems to ask for it. Our sound engineer recommended that I tune the whole kit to a scale within the key of the song and I did so with reference to a keyboard. It was a tedious task since unlike a guitar where you only turn one knob to tune, a snare or tom would has 12 to 16 lugs. After more than an hour of tinkering and tuning the kit, we were ready so we did another take, but this time, we did not dampen the drums to kill the overtones and instead highlighted it. It was amazing! The drumkit produced loud powerful notes with overtones which blended well with the mix. I was blown away and my perception of drum overtones totally changed after that.

Summary tip of the day: Drum overtones can be a nightmare which you may want to kill but it can also be your friend; the key is knowing the difference.

The Mighty Shure SM58 Microphone

Without doubt, the classic Shure SM58 is the most popular vocal microphone in the planet. From beginners and small acts to rockstars, Shureˊs SM58 is a famous choice and even if artists have upgraded their gear to more expensive and hi end mics, chances are they have cone across the SM58.

Although it is the most used and abused microphone, many argue that it is not the best and the answer is, yes it is not. It may not have the frequency and dynamic range of other expensive mics, but at a price tag of USD100 on the average, the SM58 is a steal and a must have for anyone engaged in music performances. Yes there might be tons of mics out there with features that would simply outshine the SM58, but the reality is, musicians, the music industry and the whole listening world has been so accustomed to its sound and use. A lot of performers are most comfortable using it in terms of dynamics and handling.

Another thing that the SM58 is known for is its durability - literally built like a tank! Over the years of performing live and being part of a sound rental company, countless times Iˊve witnessed the SM58 torture test in live performance scenarios. Iˊve seen it fall from 10 feet down to solid concrete and still function continuosly with just a dent on the screen cover; an upcoming rockstar with attitude using the SM58 to hit cymbals and toms; a singer swinging the mic cable like a lasso sending it to towards crowd before falling to the ground 15 feet away.... it just doesnˊt stop working. Itˊs almost impossible to destroy its body and the cover is replaceable and cheap so the dents are not a big issue. Built to last, the SM58 can literally be handed over to your grandchildren in working condition without you even taking good care of it.

Aside from being an industry standard sounding microphone for vocals, the SM58 can also be a great instrument microphone. Its low impedance functions well with loud and sudden sound sources such as drums, even the bass drum. Aside from it having the capacity to mic almost anything, the SM58 is also easy to mix on your board.

One might wonder about its use inside the studio and youˊll be surprised at just how many professional and famous recordings used the SM58 for its tracks.

From personal experience, there was a time when I quickly needed to record and mix a song. We were taking the main vocal track and under time pressure. On session, I used a large diaphragm Audio Technica Studio Mic and a Shure SM58 at the same time on separate tracks. My reason for doing so was because that time my line for the Audio Technica were having problems and I did not want to ruin a take so I had the SM58 track as back-up. The signal lines worked well so both tracks were clean. Upon mixing, after some efforts trying to tweak the Audio Technica line, it seemed it will take more time. I took a break and when I got back I tried the track recorded by the SM58. To my surprise, without mich processing, it was almost close to the sound we wanted and in no time, we had a quality sounding vocal track using a hundred dollar microphone. After that incident, there were numerous times Iˊve used the SM58 for professional recordings and still do to date.This is not to say that it can fully replace the big league Rolls Royce mics in recording, but given due circumstances and knowing what you want and how to tweak it right, the SM58 can definitely function as a competent recording studio microphone.

Having used a wide variety of types and brands of microphones, I must say the Shure SM58 is my favorite. Itˊs cheap, durable, friendly to use for vocalists, easy to.mix on the board and can be used for about almost anything you need a mic on. I strongly recommend it as part of oneˊs arsenal for live performances and studio applications.

Summary tip of the day: When in doubt as to what microphone to use, consider the Shure SM58. Although not the best for some situations, it can handle most very well.