REMO SMT Bass Drum Heads – Reviewed

REMO SMT Bass Drum Heads – Reviewed

Here’s the latest video from the Drummer’s Review Live Room featuring a pair of new SMT Bass Drum Heads from REMO

Featuring…

  • 22″ Clear Ambassador
  • 22″ Clear Emperor
  • Both ranges also available as coated
  • Heads available in sizes ranging from 16″ through to 24″

Filmed September 2024 at Paul Caboche Studios, Cornwall, UK. (scroll down for recording & equipment details)

“Overall, and both heads do pretty much what you’d expect and enhance the drums depth while adding projection and cut”

REMO Says…“SMT™ Bass Drumheads are constructed with an externally mounted dampening profile and free-floating acoustic foam. The externally mounted dampening profile enables the bass drumhead and drum shell to maintain full sound characteristics with additional attack and low-end frequencies.

Sub Muff’l Technology® (SMT) allows a broad tonal spectrum of tuning ranges with controlled high and mid frequencies and deep, powerful low tones. SMT is a new industry standard and one of the market’s most musical and versatile pre-muffled bass drumheads.

Ideal for live and recording applications. Available in sizes 16″ through 24 inches.”

“Of the two we much preferred the twin ply Emperor model but can imagine the Ambassador being the better choice of the coated versions.”

REMO SMT Bass Drum Heads – UK RRP: 

22″ Ambassador Clear: £92.50

22″ Emperor Clear: £92.50

Pro’s:

  • Solid sounding with plenty of front end attack coupled with low end punch
  • controlled overtones giving a clean tone

Con’s:

  • Slightly pricey!
“…we’ve seen them readily available online from anywhere between £70 – £85. This does represent quite an investment, but if you’re looking to get a full, beefy bass drum sound we feel it’s one worth making.”

For more details on the REMO SMT Bass Drum Heads covered, head to: www.remo.com

GRAB YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Recording Details:

Filmed at Paul Caboche Studios (Cornwall UK). 

Microphone List:

Kick Rear: Audix D6
Kick Front: Electrovoice RE27ND
Snare Top: Electrovoice PL80
Snare Bottom: Electrovoice PL80
Hi Hat: Oktava MK-012-01 Cardio
Over Head wide: AKG C414B (pair)
Centre Over Heads: AEA R88 MK2 Stereo Ribbon Mic
Front Centre Room : AEA R88 MK2 Stereo Ribbon Mic
Wide Room Mic’s: sE2200T Tube Mic’s (pair)

Recording Process:

Microphone Pre amps: 16x Rupert Neve Designs 5052

Pre amp outs to Avid HD analog to digital converters connected to Avid HDX card

Recorded into Pro Tools Ultimate latest version running HDX cards mounted in an Apple Mac Pro 2019 16core.

Audio Template Details: 

Basic EQ:

Basic EQ setting using the EQ section of the Neve 5052 mic Pre-Amps. No post recoded EQ or processing applied.

A Note From Paul…

“The microphones were set up with the overheads and room mic’s measured to the centre of the snare drum to keep the phase of any stereo pair in phase. The AEA R88 MK2 mic’s being stereo mic’s had no issue with phase but the front centre room mic and centre overhead where aligned with each other to keep the same stereo image. The phase reverse switch on the front kick mic was used to correct the phase between the two bass drum mic’s. The phase reverse switch was engaged on the bottom snare mic to correct the phase between the two snare mic’s. Hi pass filters only used on the hi hat mic, Ride mic and overheads. The live room of the studio has been treated to provide a neutral sound close to the drums & cymbals with the room mic’s then giving a true representation of what the instruments sound like in the room. Using 16 identical Mic Pre amps also helps with electrical phase so there is no difference between tone and phase of the Mic Pre amps. The brief for the recoding was to give as true a representation as possible of what the instruments actually sound like.”


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The post REMO SMT Bass Drum Heads – Reviewed appeared first on Music Instrument News.

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Source: musicinstrumentnews.co.uk