What do you do about a ringy metal snare?

[Tadpui]

Hey drum gurus, I've got an issue with my Acrolite snare drum. I've got an Ambassador on the batter side and a hazy head on the snare side, tuned pretty middle-of-the-road and I like how punishingly loud it is. My problem is that this thing rings/resonates at some note (maybe 500-700Hz?). The snare makes a nice "crack" but it also makes this "bonnnng" sound every time I hit it.

It seems to vary in loudness depending on where I strike the batter head (I'm so inaccurate, I'm all over the place where I strike it). If I'm dead-center, the bong sound isn't so bad. But even a half inch off-center and it rings louder and louder towards the rim of the drum.

I don't have the internal muffler thingy for this drum, it wasn't included when I bought it second-hand. But I don't think that would help. I use at least 1 moongel, which helps a bit, but the entire drum seems to be participating in this ringing sound. It kinda sounds like banging on a piece of metal.

Is this just a part of using a metal snare shell instead of wooden? Is my tuning just messed up enough to amplify some resonant frequency of the drum based on its dimensions? Or am I missing something altogether?

As a side note, I recorded drums for the song challenge #3 over the past week, and I'm really loving the drum tones I'm getting (thanks to all of the previous advice you all have provided!). And this Acrolyte is really good sounding in the mix. As Warren Huart would say "it sounds like records!" But that damn ringing is pretty noticeable any time the mix isn't super busy.

[SweetDan]

I'm no guru, but these guys:
[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EIfNMnXA_U[/BBvideo]
often have great stuff.

[Tadpui]

Thanks [mention]SweetDan[/mention] ! From their explanation, it sounds like my reso head might be too tight. I'll try cranking it back a touch and see how that goes.

[liv_rong]

Make sounds appear on internet!

[Greg_L]

Thanks @SweetDan ! From their explanation, it sounds like my reso head might be too tight. I'll try cranking it back a touch and see how that goes.

You've got the right heads for a quick fat snare sound, so yeah I would suggest juggling the tuning relationship between the top and bottom heads. I don't pay too much attention to pitches or intervals most of the time when tuning drums, but a snare drum is different. They can and will ring, usually no matter what they're made of. I keep about a third between the top and bottom heads to start with. I use a Supraphonic for most of my drum recording, which isn't that much different from your Acrolite, so give it a try. I don't get too much "ring" from my snare.

I think a little ring and resonance is good though. A totally fat dead snare is good sometimes, but in a busier mix a snare with some life and tone to it cuts through better and sounds more musical. And for what it's worth, in a live setting, a muffled taped moongelled dead snare sounds like ass. I'll take a peek at other dudes' drums at gigs and when I see a taped up muffled snare drum I know it's gonna sound like shit.

[Tadpui]

You've got the right heads for a quick fat snare sound, so yeah I would suggest juggling the tuning relationship between the top and bottom heads. I don't pay too much attention to pitches or intervals most of the time when tuning drums, but a snare drum is different. They can and will ring, usually no matter what they're made of. I keep about a third between the top and bottom heads to start with. I use a Supraphonic for most of my drum recording, which isn't that much different from your Acrolite, so give it a try. I don't get too much "ring" from my snare.

I think a little ring and resonance is good though. A totally fat dead snare is good sometimes, but in a busier mix a snare with some life and tone to it cuts through better and sounds more musical. And for what it's worth, in a live setting, a muffled taped moongelled dead snare sounds like ass. I'll take a peek at other dudes' drums at gigs and when I see a taped up muffled snare drum I know it's gonna sound like shit.

Very good, thanks Greg! I haven't had a chance to sit behind the kit and tweak stuff this week, so no progress yet. Next week I should actually have some time to breathe and relax by hammering on the drums, so I'll see what I end up with on this snare sound.