The graphs represent an FFT (fast Fourier transform) analysis of the initial sound from the drum. This visual representation of the frequency content measures only the sound at its beginning -- the attack. Height indicates intensity and the horizontal indicates the frequency. Once again, this two-dimensional FFT analysis program does not illustrate how these properties change over time. Therefore, this study does not attempt to describe any characteristics regarding resonance and those properties associated with the decay of the tone. Instead one has a "snapshot" of the frequency content of the tone of a particular batter head at the point in time when the drum stick comes in contact with that head. Nonetheless, decay characteristics are important in selecting a drum head. Their omission from this study should not suggest that the authors find little value in these characteristics, but simply a limitation of the FFT program used for this study.

Frequency content defines the timbre of a sound. Moreover, it is the strength or intensity of those frequencies that will give a tone its color. The stronger and more numerous the frequencies in the upper register, the "brighter" the tone. The lack of these higher frequencies in either number or strength produces what we describe as "dark" or "mellow" tones. Also, one must be aware that drumheads vibrate in a variety of modes, all of which have their own related overtones (see Rossing, "Acoustics of Drums" in Physics Today, March 1992). Thus the clusters of frequencies in the spectral analysis of a drum head are indeed more complex, versus a single fundamental with its related harmonic series (such as what one would find in the tone of a flute). But how "dark" and how "bright" is what one can evaluate through the spectral analysis produced for this study.

The following are some observations based on the authors’ interpretation of the data. However, we encourage each individual to make their own subjective interpretations of the objective data we have provided.

For the sake of comparison, the tone of a Calfskin Head was sampled. Calfskin is the "original drum head" and many manufactures try to replicate its tonal characteristics. However, the authors found that each calfskin head produces a different frequency spectrum -- there is no one calfskin sound. Nonetheless, we have included the spectral analysis of a Calfskin Head. It has a fairly high concentration of lower tones which fall off sharply at 1000 Hz and virtually disappear after 1400 Hz (except for one transient around 2600 Hz). When compared to the other synthetic heads in the study, the Calfskin Head is neither the darkest nor the brightest of the sampled heads. It falls in the middle of the sampled sounds we analyzed.

A few generalizations can be made about some of the drum heads. The Evans Genera heads display spectra indicating fairly dark sounds. Even the Coated Geneara, without a tone control ring, describes a spectrum that is darker than the Calfskin Head .

In contrast, most of the Remo heads are generally brighter than the Calfskin. But their line of drum heads are much more diverse and should be considered more closely.

The Remo Coated Ambassador has a fairly dark spectra when compared to the Calfskin head and its two cousins, the Coated Diplomat and Coated Emperor. The latter two have considerably brighter characteristics than the Ambassador, with the Diplomat having the brightest.

The Remo Smooth C.S. Weather King stands alone in its category, but compares somewhat to the Coated Emperor’s spectrum. The Remo Pinstripe has few high frequencies (above 500 Hz). Although they extend to 2000 Hz they are fairly low in intensity, thus producing a fairly dark sound similar some of the Evans Generas.

The four heads in Remo’s Fibreskyn 3 line are quite varied. The darkest appears to be the FA (medium) with the FT (very thin) and FD (thin) being the brightest with amazingly similar spectra.

Remo’s newest line of heads is marketed under the Renaissance name. Our Ambassador model (the two other’s, Diplomat and Emperor, were not available in time for this study), produces the most complex and brightest spectra of the 16 heads tested.

The Attack 1-Ply Medium Coated head was the only head tested from that company. Its spectrum indicates a slightly brighter head than the Remo Coated Ambassador.

Ultimately the central purpose of this study is to provide more information for defining and describing the tone of a snare drum batter head. Understanding the methodology, limitations, and graphic representations of this study will enable each individual reader to draw useful conclusions of their own.

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