Odd Sounds from My Tumba... - weird buzzing coming from my drum

[Ben]

I have a tumba that has an odd buzzing sound coming from it.. It only comes when I play open tones or muff tones. At times it is like metal with metal, at other times it is very quiet buzz, almost like sympathetic vibrations from a snare or flies against the window.. (poetic huh?) I can't find where it is coming from! I've tightened every screw and bolt on the drum. Taken the head off and hit the side of the drum trying to hear it. I didn't hear anything with the head off. I put the head back on, and it is still there. I searched all over the drum while playing it, and I can't find it. The odd thing is, the sound changes as the drum is tightened. It isn't there when the drum is loose, but as it gets to a good tone, it comes in. Then, if i take it past a good range for a tumba, it dissapears. Also, if I tilt the drum to the side(opening up the bottom), the sound changes and sometimes dissapears. I have a sinking suspicion that it a problem with the head, but i'd like to see if anybody else has had this problem! I'd like to avoid buying a new head, as I really like the tone i'm getting with these ones, but if i must...
Thanks for any help-
Ben

[otto]

Hi Ben
I was having the same thing happening to my drum, the Tumba it had that high pitched metalic sound. I have a set of LP Performer Series drums they are ok but not great drums. when I tuned the Tumba a little tighter to get a better sound there so far I could go before I got the sound.
I recently did as JC suggested when I ask this forum about tunning the congas and treating the skins.
I took them out in the yard and untuned really loose and then as JC advised I put a thin coat of manteca (lard) and left them out in the sun ( just over 82 degrees) for about 5 hours the results were great I was able to tighten the Tumba really tight and I didn't gat that ringing sound.
It may be worth a try before you try to replace the skins.

Good Luck
Otto

[zaragemca]

The diamater,and bigger size of the tumba,facilitate the expansion of the soundwave comming from the skin,also the skin which have not being treated sustain more vibration,after the treatment the overtone would disappear,or tuning it up to the range were the skin would be tighter consecuently aliminating the overtones.(but would lose in sound).But remember when you playing a gig that stuff have not rammification in the band.(since it is more open space).



Edited By zaragemca on 1090542436

[Ben]

No, the problem is not a overtone, but rather it sounds like a loose part. But i've searched all over for a loose part and it's nowhere on the body of the drum. I often put palm oil on it (I live in Phoenix, AZ.. it's VERY dry), and I tried putting a coat on and leaving it in the sun. It took care of the buzz for a while, but once it dropped down to a normal pitch the sound was back. Does anybody have any ecperience with a problem like this? Overtones are ok, if they're really bad, you can tune them out or they'll get lost in a mix, exactly like you said, but this is like there's a piece of metal vibrating somewhere on the drum.. but it's nowhere on the body of the drum! Any suggestions?
Thanks-
Ben

[zaragemca]

Are you using something to hold the congas,any stand,also how the skin is mounted in the ring?.

[Ben]

No, i'm not using a stand. It's played on the ground, or occasionaly on a wooden round. I'm not sure what you mean by ring.. I use traditional rims. Are you asking about the ring the skins wraps around that you don't see unless you are changing heads?

[Tonio]

Hola congueros!!

Hey Ben or anyone, does LP performer have the metals rods between the staves like the classic model?
Just shooting in the dark here, but I have experienced that abnomaly. I have the Lp classic model, and have heard that. At first I though it was some object in the room, and in some cases it was. I tightened every bolt I could find. But it buzzed at certain tuning? hmmm. :angry:
But Z may have have a good point it may be a loose skin/hoop
mounting. You know LP uses a jig to mount the skin generically. Mass production, what can you expect?

Is the skin really thick? Mine is. Hey Im starting to think it may be the skin/hoop issue.

Opinions anyone?

About time I change the skin anyway, quinto and segun has cowhide, and my tumba has buffalo blah!!


T

[loopi]

Hi Ben

It's a long time ago hope you have solved your buzzzzz but . . . . . . . some of the cheaper brands of congas have a metal band at the top of the shell below the bearing edge under the overlap of the head. Its also slightly recessed so u can't see it till u take the head off. Check it out . . . . a strip of gaffa 1\2 width should keep its' mouth shut

cheers Loopi

[windhorse]

It's probably that you've broken the seal of the head against the bearing edge. Once this happens, all you can do is re-wet the head and re-mount.

I believe a friend of mine once corrected it by laying a wet towel over the head for a day, then re-tuning for a few days in a row after that.

This can happen when you detune and retune your congas with too many turns of the key..

[GuruPimpi]

Hi guys!

I read a lot about overtones and ringing sounds from congas and I always thought: geeez, thanks god i don't have that problem...but.. now...?

I have a brand new Meinl Woodcraft series congas and I have use them on three gigs and played in my room - been satisfied like a baby with a candy bar, but now I have moved the congas to other place and started to play and discovered... that my Quinto has a huge PING, metallic sound. Tumba and conga are ok, but quinto is just pinging. The ping is every time at every stroke (bass, muff, slap, open...) even when skin is loose. I've find out that the ping is there when i hit the tuning rim...

Is it beacause i tightned the skin too hard on a gig, or cause it's new, and i didn't hear it before... Geeez :angry:

Thanks,

Primozz

[GuruPimpi]

Hello guys!

I have thankfully fixed my problem with sceaming overtons from my quinto!

The thing was that i removed skin off and i knocked on a shell and it still was there... So i put in the inside some sponge (6cm * 20 cm) which I fix it with a power tape... Now my Quinto sounds great, warm and crispy!

Yihaaa!

Primozz