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The Great Debate .... Mylar vs. Kevlar


JohnD

The Great Debate .... Mylar vs. Kevlar  

39 members have voted

  1. 1. Which is your preference?

    • Mylar
      16
    • Kevlar
      23


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I grew up in the early to mid 80's playing snare for 4 years on the silver dot heads (ahh yes...the joys of a new silver dot head on your drum....) at a then very competitive high school in the S.E. US that had heavy percussion ties to JSU (where Spirit is based these days). However, before that we learned to play on drum pads that had absolutely very little rebound in the late 70's.

I consider that adjustment akin to the adjustment I faced when I played snare with the CorpsVets during the 2004 season after taking many years off from drumming. The first time I touched the drum it almost felt "electronic" the way my stick jumped off the kevlar head...the rebound was surprising and new to me. I literally spent minutes pondering the hardness of the surface. I mean, I used to play on desk tops and other wooden surfaces but to think that drumming would be like that one day was amazing. Clearly, it took some adjusting to get used to as well as some reconsideration regarding when to rebound and when to not. Playing softly under control is a bigger challenge on the Kevlar. Kevlar forces the conditioning of a new set of muscles and associated muscle memory.

Now, on my personal drum I play a black max head on my Pearl that allows for more feel than kevlar in my humble opinion. I think it's the perfect compromise. Regarding the sound and the differences of the kevlar vs mylar heads, I find myself in the minority with old heads because I do like the sound of the kevlar heads because they give a better illusion of unison than the mylar. Cleaning on the mylar heads vs the kevlar isn't a fair comparision because ears that are used to hearing the thin, high, crisp kevlar will be biased against the fatter and lower sound of mylar. Furthermore, clearly the transition from Mylar to Kevlar is easier than vice-versa. The kevlar-only player would be forced to definitely stroke individual notes and I'm uncertain if the kevlar-only player are used to such. For example, I hear much more three stroke rolls in "sixes" whereas these used to be straight sticked with synopated accents throughout the patterns. Kids now get 6's for the price of 2 where they USED to cost fair market value! Even when straight sticked on kevlar, rebound technique comes into play due to the surface so they'd cost 3 strokes rather than 6.

Frankly, I think playing snare on the kevlar is somewhat damaging to someone musically...the feel...touch...is not quite there. The sense of muscianship is replaced by a sense of mechanics. Doesn't feel like a musical intrument...more like a machine. But before the old heads declare victory, the kevlar players of today are cranking out some insane notes and doing so obviously due to their equipment.

This is one of the best articles that I've read regarding this subject. Hats off to the author for touching upon something so drastic that drum practice pads have changed in response to this issue. In all honesty, the difference is so large that I consider them being two distinct instruments that require a different skill-set to really master.

Bernard Green

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We made a double bass in BAC Sr. but never used it even though we were playing almost the whole 67 routine. I like the 69 show myself with the first playing of Conquest and the those marching bells and tymps.

the 69 show had it all Conquest as the opener

the Henry Mancini Jazz version. the first tymp line

and bells. Gerry's charts were amazing

almost forty years ago

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Our drumline, (Pacific Alliance, Seattle, WA), got new 13 inch Pearls in 2005. That year we used the Black Max, which is IMO the best Kevlar head around. It gave a good sound and made playing alot easier. However, while looking at a tape of us, when one person played, it sounded like a GAK GAK GAK. We decided before the summer of 2006 to try Mylar. (Actually we were kind of split.) The Mylar had a great snare sound, but a few players with less chops found it very challenging. We ended up using the new Ludwig Silverdots. We were able to crank them, and they sounded GREAT. A wonderful snare sound. We want the kids, and audience in general to hear a snare drum, that SOUNDED like a snare drum. True, the note is "fatter" and lower, but that's what a true snare drum is.

That being said, one of the reasons for the "leaner" note besides the Kevlar heads, is the fact that the BOTTOM head is TAPED in some places, to give LESS of a snare sound. I remember in 2004 seeing the Blue Devils and Vanguard warm up, and looking at the drums sitting on their sides, being suprised at the tape holding the snares in place on the bottom head. The Vanguard sprayed something (I think acrylic) on the bottom head after tightening. (On a side note, while I was talking to the Vanguard, they were very friendly, especially Freddy. They answered questions, and even let me diddle on one of their snares. Very classy.) So, if the bottom snares aren't taped, you may have more of a snare sound. But we found with the Kevlar, it's more of a "choked" sound. For a drum corps, they can afford to use a concert snare in the pit when they need a true snare sound, but for us, our snares are it. The Mylar may be more work, but in the long run, IMO, it's truly worth it.

If you want to check us out, go to YouTube, and type in "Pacific Alliance Drumline". There will be two features. The sound quality could be better, but you get the idea.

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Part of your GAK GAK sound may be because you only have 13" drums. The HS I teach just switched from 13s to 14s, and the sound difference is amazing.

The tape on the bottom heads is because when you have 8 snares, the snare response can just be obnoxious--the individual drums sound dry, but when the whole line plays together, you get the right sound. Without the tape, it would just sound dirty and overpowering.

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the 69 show had it all Conquest as the opener

the Henry Mancini Jazz version. the first tymp line

and bells. Gerry's charts were amazing

almost forty years ago

How about the drum solo "Unsquare Dance" or the 1970 "Ballad for Giraffes". I don't know many drumlines that named there solos previous to this.

I though the Jazzy Conquest version was in 1970 with Jimmy Centerino playing solo?

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  • 2 weeks later...
Part of your GAK GAK sound may be because you only have 13" drums. The HS I teach just switched from 13s to 14s, and the sound difference is amazing.

The tape on the bottom heads is because when you have 8 snares, the snare response can just be obnoxious--the individual drums sound dry, but when the whole line plays together, you get the right sound. Without the tape, it would just sound dirty and overpowering.

I agree with saying the line sounds better when all are playing, but I have to disagree that a big snare sound is dirty. Yes, the note is bigger, longer, but it is a SNARE drum. As for our drums, yes they are 13 inchers, but they still pack a punch. A little brighter than the 14 inchers, but I think they are the best sounding drums around right now. Because of the mylar, and the snares. But thats IMO. I just think a snare should sound like a snare. When I saw finals one year, and saw a concert snare in the pit, I just shook my head in disbelief.

The nice thing regarding this forum is that we can agree to disagree.

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I just think a snare should sound like a snare. When I saw finals one year, and saw a concert snare in the pit, I just shook my head in disbelief.

I don't think a concert snare is anything to get worked up about. Even back in the 60's and 70's drum corps snare lines weren't tuned to sound like a concert snare. It's just a different colour in the snare drum family that arrangers are choosing to utilize. There are sounds that a concert snare or piccolo snare can produce that are impossible to get out of a marching snare, whether it be a 13" or 14", mylar or kevlar.

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I agree with saying the line sounds better when all are playing, but I have to disagree that a big snare sound is dirty. Yes, the note is bigger, longer, but it is a SNARE drum. As for our drums, yes they are 13 inchers, but they still pack a punch. A little brighter than the 14 inchers, but I think they are the best sounding drums around right now. Because of the mylar, and the snares. But thats IMO. I just think a snare should sound like a snare. When I saw finals one year, and saw a concert snare in the pit, I just shook my head in disbelief.

The nice thing regarding this forum is that we can agree to disagree.

I never said a big snare sound is categorically dirty, just that it has the potential to have that quality. If the book is especially note-heavy, a long, wet snare response can overpower the more intricate parts and cover up the notes themselves. All I was saying about the 13" snares is that kevlar makes it easy to tune them up to a pitch reserved for dog whistles. I've heard white max heads on a 14" sound just as good and feel just like a mylar head, with better durability.

I'm not a huge fan of the kevlar snare-side head though. It has too dry a sound IMO.

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