Changing Heads & Tuning a Snare! Remo P77 vs. Controlled Sound

I replaced the head on my snare drum recently, and thought it would be a good chance to document the process! I had the Remo P77 on my Tama Starphonic Brass snare, and changed it out to a Remo Controlled Sound.

I tend to lean toward a medium-high tuning on my snare, since I like the stick response and "crack" in that range, and have been experimenting with different heads to bring out the best in the brass snare shell. After seeing the Remo P77 being used by a lot of drummers that I follow, I wanted to give it a try, and really liked the durability and focus it has. However, I'm looking for something just a little brighter and with more sustain, so I'm giving the Controlled Sound head a try.

Let me know what you think about the snare sounds and tunings in the comments, and share your snare tips and preferences as well! If you would like to learn more, check out my blog at http://www.alexmaydrums.com, where I'm publishing weekly tips on drums, recording, and music production.


*All clips except for the outro only have light subtractive EQ, no compression, and are a blend of SM57s on snare top and bottom, AKG 214's as overheads, and a Shure Beta 91 on kick.


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I play Tama Superstar drums with a 22” kick, 12”,14”, and 16” toms, and a Tama Starphonic Brass 14"x6.5" snare. For cymbals, I use Zildjian 14” K Hats, 18” & 20” Medium Thin Crashes, a Sabian 21” AA Raw Bell Dry Ride, and an 18” Agazarian China cymbal.

Microphones Used:
Shure SM57s and SM58s: Snare top and bottom, 16” Floor tom
Sennheiser MD421: 12" Tom
Shure Beta 91A: Kick In
Shure Beta 52a: Kick Out
AKG C214’s: Overheads
*All running into a Focusrite Clarett 8pre and Saffire Pro 40 interface