Our Brownie Drum Recipe

At its core, you want drum shells to breathe.

For almost two decades Cameron Brown has studied and analyzed the results of hundreds of his custom drum builds and vintage restorations. After years of experimentation, data collection and rigorous testing, Cameron has acquired a keen understanding of drum shell sound dynamics; helping answer critical questions like:

• How does shell material and thickness impact sound?
• Which sound dynamics are altered when installing a reinforcing ring?
• How do slight variations in bearing edge contours effect drum head reactivity and oscillation?
• Does hardware design and mass affect tonal characteristics?
• What are the tonal differences among different wood species?

Questions like these are essential to answer when striving to build the greatest sounding drums imaginable. The library of information gathered in the Brownie Shop, along with feedback from countless clients, has given us the ultimate Brownie build formula. 

Our formula began to take shape after reflecting on the countless vintage drum restorations performed over the years. Many vintage drums do have a certain iconic 'vintage sound' that players commonly refer.

What exactly is producing that 'vintage sound'? Primarily, drum shell resonance appears to be the answer.

The significance of drum shell resonance became increasingly more important when attempting to maximize shell tonal qualities. The majority of vintage drum shells were constructed with thin ply shells primarily made of poplar, maple and/or mahogany. To help maintain the integrity and roundness of these shells, reinforcing rings were installed and can be found in most vintage drums until the 1970s. With this type of shell construction in mind, and the addition of proprietary techniques and a modern shell construction, the Brownie build formula was born. Extremely resonant and thin low-mass shells complimented with specifically installed reinforcing rings has proven to be the answer for optimal drum tone and dynamics, time-and-time again. 

We begin with highly resonant drum shells and install reinforcing rings to soften the resonance and dial in the shell's decay, sustain, pitch and fundamental note.

The entire process is initiated sourcing premium selected wood from Nordic Shells that are formed with a 6ply to 8ply thickness (approx. 5mm total thickness). An abundance of resonance is produced from shells being this thin and low mass. Using our proprietary technique of reinforcing ring installation, we literally EQ overly resonant drum shells to form a perfectly balanced instrument.

During the reinforcing ring process, each unmodified drum shell endures a series of tests to determine all of its natural characteristics. Next, each ring is installed at very specific pressures to manipulate the shell's vibration capability. Rings may be easily pushed in by hand or more extreme hammering into place. Our spectrum of ring installation pressures is determined by many factors such as: the shell's natural tonal characteristics, wood species, dimensions and any particular shell features we wish to highlight and manipulate. 

 

At its core, you want drum shells to breathe. Beginning with thick and rigid shells leaves little room for variety. The thicker the shell, the more narrow the shell's sound dynamic potentiality. The Brownie recipe is quite the opposite. We begin with highly resonant drum shells and install reinforcing rings to soften the resonance and dial in the shell's decay, sustain, pitch and fundamental note.

The second most important ingredient in the Brownie build formula are our perfectly crafted bearing edges. Each edge is precisely cut and tailored to EQ shell dynamics even further. Bearing edges are the location where drum shells communicate with drum heads. This interaction is imperative in transmitting the shell's sound characteristics to our ears. Flawlessly contoured edges are essential for optimal sound dynamics, playability and drastically simplifies drum tuning. With our method of creating incredibly precise edges, you can kiss difficulties tuning drums goodbye! Just like our reinforcing ring installation process, bearing edge contours are specifically crafted to suit each individual drum shell. 

Brownie bearing edges are formed using a very hands-on approach. Like most processes in our shop, we take a more traditional approach to drum building. You wont find much machinery in our bakery, and for good reason. We feel the only way to produce the absolute best sounding drums is to be highly hands-on. We do not even use machinery to cut our shells and reinforcing rings. All cuts are performed by hand using Japanese pull-saws, requiring time and attention, but resulting with incredible precision. Contouring bearing edges is performed with just as much care and dedication. We do use a router to make initial cuts, but the majority of our edge work is rigorously performed by hand. Our process involves a highly specific method of chalking (marking the edge), flattening and contouring. These steps are repeated over-and-over again until the most perfect edges are formed, guaranteeing a flawless point of interaction between drum shell and drum head. 

 

Hardware design is also very important to drum tone and can play a significant role in certain sound characteristics we are hearing. Coinciding with thick and heavy drum shells, hardware with a large mass can negatively affect shell resonance and constrict vibration. At Brownie, we strive to select hardware that is reliable, low-mass and not over-engineered. Lugs on our drum sets and snare drums are primarily machined from aluminum, which weigh next to nothing. Selecting low-mass hardware keeps our shells free to vibrate and produce beautiful tones without restriction.

Likewise, rarely will you ever find a Brownie drum with die-cast hoops. The drastic increase in hoop weight dampens shell resonance and can actually diminish shell volume. We do use die-cast hoops on the batter side of some Brownie snare models, but we never use die-cast hoops on the resonant side. Resonant side snare heads are manufactured to be thin and lively - designed to reflect as much snare wire vibration as possible. Place a die-cast hoop on a resonant snare head, and suddenly the head and snare wires become muffled, muted and choked. 

With an optimally EQ'd shell, perfectly formed bearing edges and strategic hardware selection, even further fine adjustments in overall tonal qualities and characteristics are achieved with drum head selection and tuning preferences.

Following our recipe of 20 years in the making, we have ultimately crafted the most palate pleasing Brownie drums imaginable. What are you waiting for? Treat Yourself to a Brownie.