The Bass Drum is probably the most recognizable drum today. It is the first drum people notice on a set, and in a marching band, only the Sousaphone is more conspicuous. Even those among us devoid of the gift of sight can pick it’s instantly-recognizable “BOOM” out of any orchestra. Second in importance only to the Snare Drum, it is the heartbeat of the percussion section, setting the pulse for the symphonic body.
As every drummer knows, it’s not easy getting a beautiful, musical punch out of one, which explains why some drummers choke their bass drums with pillows until it sounds like a cardboard box. In the past, it has taken many rolls of duct tape and some strategically-placed foam for me to get a pleasingly fat, round tone from new bass batter heads. The goal is to damp them just enough to take away the “clown sound”. I also like to duct tape quarters the the beater contact points for more punch and attack.
Remo’s Powersonic bass drum batter heads actually sound pretty good right out of the box! I have a 20 inch bass drum, which tend to tune higher than the standard 22 inch bass drum on most kits. It is difficult to get a low, subsonic thump out of one without spending a couple of hours tweaking it. But I was very pleasantly surprised by the nice, low, airtight sound this head gave my lowly 20 X 14 inch bass; a sound comparable to a 22 inch drum.
Here’s why: Remo Powersonic bass heads are made with 2 plies of 7mil Mylar for a darker tone, but the “Slow Recovery” foam dampers bonded to the inside surface is what removes the nasty overtones. These two 3/4 inch foam rings do a much better job than duct tape, pillows, or egg foam. They contact the entire surface uniformly for even, balanced damping, and their light, airy composition allows the head to breathe as it resonates. This is something pillows will never accomplish.
The combination of the 2 Mylar plies and the 2 inner foam rings took all the highs out of my small bass drum, leaving enough midrange for me to tune it close to a definite pitch (low “A”). In combination with a ported Evans EMAD head on the front, it sounded every bit as airtight as it felt (nothing sounds worse than a loose, flabby bass drum!) when each lug is exerting equal tension upon it, the Remo Powersonic head thumps like a well-executed punt and bounces like a basketball.
There are three metal snaps set into the bottom arc of the head. These accept the enclosed weighted pillow Remo calls the ESDS, or, the “External Snap-on Dampening System”. According to the video tutorial, it is supposed to counterweight the feel of the head, resulting in more balanced response. I felt no difference in sound or response with the ESDS attached (perhaps because of the small size of the drum), and it kept coming unsnapped in a most annoying way (like after only 12-16 measures of playing). Fortunately, the thing sounded awesome on my drum without the stupid thing!
Another feature Remo has included with the Powersonic bass head is the FalamSlam patch, a hard plastic patch that both protects the contact point from the beaters and giver a hard, clicky attack that gives a very modern metal sound. I love the FalamSlam patch, because it closely mimics an electric drum trigger, without the overbearing, electric thud associated with them. My only beef with it is that they only send you one for a single beater setup.
They should enclose the double FalamSlam instead, because most double-bass drummers aren’t rich, famous, or have huge practice rooms. Therefore, most double-bass drummers use a double-pedal rig on a single bass drum. A double FalamSlam patch would be much more versatile, since it can be used by either/or.
The Remo Powersonic bass drum batter head comes in 18, 20, 22, and 24 inch sizes. At least on my little 20 X 14 inch bass, it more than lives up to its promise of giving a great sound right out of the carton. It has a fat, punchy tone with a hard-hitting bottom end. Its pedal response is incredible, and made my double-bass playing especially lively. From Musician’s Friend, the can be purchased for prices ranging from $38.99 – $43.99, depending on size. Drummers, if you’re tired of forever tweaking your bass drum with duct tape and pillows trying to get the best sound, the Remo Powersonic Bass Drum heads just might be what you’re looking for!
