Alesis tom bottoming out sound ?

[boneill]

Hi,

Does the mesh need to be tightened over time ?

When I hit one of my toms hard I hear a loud whack sound (like stick on wood) that is louder than the sound produced by my amp ! It feels like the mesh is bottoming out with the hit, but feels tight to the touch.

I have no idea how tight they should be.....suggestions ?

Boneill

[Chaser]

Hi,

Does the mesh need to be tightened over time ?

When I hit one of my toms hard I hear a loud whack sound (like stick on wood) that is louder than the sound produced by my amp ! It feels like the mesh is bottoming out with the hit, but feels tight to the touch.

I have no idea how tight they should be.....suggestions ?

Boneill

Mesh Heads need to  be tight...especially Alesis as they don't have a Cone over the Piezo.. instead are mounted to a Refelection Plate with Foam Columns surrounding it so if too loose you can actually hit the Plate , especially in the shallower pads..I use a drum dial set at around 76/77

Alesis recommends you "Tune" them every other month at a minimum..

Alesis Drums | Do my mesh heads need to be tuned ?

Modified on: Thu, 21 Dec, 2023 at 3:44 PM

It is a surprisingly common misconception that mesh drum heads do not need to be tuned. While they do not necessarily affect the pitch of the sound you are playing; mesh drum heads ultimately serve an equally important purpose on e-drum kits, and should be tuned from the moment you unbox them and every other month afterwards at minimum.

On every drum the mesh head protects the trigger, and depending on how long it's been sitting on the shelf the head may have loosened; which means that the force of your hits doesn't dissipate across the head right if the head has too much give and essentially the extra force is absorbed by the electronics. This will damage the electronics inside your drum.

This is very common with Snares, Floor Toms and Kicks for double pedal users due to the repetition of hits for those particular drum pads.

In addition, all of our special edition kits that employ white heads have 2-ply mesh, and if the head is too loose it will have dampened hits as the mesh rubs together, and can even manifest as a buzzing sound on larger bass drum pads(Make sure to tune the resonant side!)

Tuning a mesh drum head is done in the same cross shaped motion as a a regular drum head, until the head is tight enough that you can't press into the center with your thumb with moderate pressure and create an impression.

EDIT:
Added Link

[boneill]

Thanks Chaser....I do have the tightening key. I'll try it in the "cross pattern" until "the head is tight enough that you can't press into the center with your thumb with moderate pressure and create an impression".

Boneill