OK so i just got back from Bethune Cookman University Band Camp. Me and my friend went, and our drums sounded like crap compared to everyone else's (well they sound like poop by them selves) So I asked the leaders if they could tune my drum because i just wasn't having any luck. They told me it wasn't my fault, it was my bottom head, which is a Remo Falams II. They said that i needed a thinner head. I saw another guy there with the EXCACT same set up as me, (Yamaha sfz drum, White Max batter head) the only difference was his bottom head was a Hybrid. I was just wondering what is the best bottom head available, to get that nice crisp snare sound?

this has been discussed various times. but I can tell you. the hybrid bottoms are risky. the early versons (one I have) do not have a "O" ring around the flesh hoop. without that O ring the fiber threads dig into the bearing edge of the drum. Leaving indentations like a waffle pattern. once the bearing edge is damage it is not and easy fix. most times its cheaper to buy a new drum then it is to repair a bearing edge.

for me even with that O ring, its not worth the chance. I would avoid the Hybrid, I have one sitting here that is worthless.

Second note, falam bottom heads are fine. its the tunning thats the problem. I found when you reef them, they sound choked. just because they are kevlar doesn't mean they have to boned up. they do have a sweet spot like most other snare side heads. the second issue could be snares. make sure they are barley just touching the bottom head. just resting against it for maximum response. (plenty of other threads explaining it just search if you need more info)

as far as other heads. I like more of a wet sound, so right now two heads work for me. Evans MX3 just a clear bottom head with a O ring. its durable, cranks well, sounds great. the other head is Remo's ebony bottom. It has characteristics of a kevlar head, but with more snare response.

outside of that if you like fiber bottom heads, try Evan's MX5 very durable heads.

Even though they're not my personal favorite, you can definitely get good sound from a FaLam bottom. It might be the most common head in drum corps. Tune the head lug-to-lug, don't over-crank, and make sure your snare guts are adjusted properly.

Personally, I tend to prefer Mylar heads. They won't give you as high a pitch as a Kevlar/fiber head and they take more frequent tuning attention since Mylar stretches, but they give lots of snare response. Plenty o' "snap". The Ludwig Xtra Thin (C1114) is my personal favorite, but the Evans MX3 and Remo Marching Ambassador are great heads, too.

And just making sure we're not doing something obviously wrong... If you happen to have a FaLam batter (top) head on the bottom of your drum, it's gonna sound like crap. Any batter head on the snare side is too thick and won't give you enough snare response.

Do you mean MS3... i cannot find an MX3 head, but i think you mean MS3

yeah, Sorry about that, its the MS3

MS3

I always thought of that head as kind of a trade secret.

We're currently using falam 2 bottoms, but the xtra thins are the way to go for my mylar money. Not sure where you get yours, but they've always been the cheapest head we buy and seem to last longer than anything else that isn't fiber.

Yeah, I would have to go with Falam 2's. I've tried the hybrids, used the horrible mylar, but nothing is ever as good as the kevlar bottom head for a clean dry sound. I'm not a fan of the wet snare sound or too much vibration...

"Horrible mylar"? To each their own, I guess. Some of us just seem to prefer hearing the snares on our snare drums. Way too many people using Kevlar heads mindlessly crank the @#$% out of the head and the snare adjustment knobs. The "clean dry sound" they achieve is really nothing more than choking all the sound out of their guts.

But like you said, if you're looking for a (higher-pitched) dry sound, Kevlar's the way to go. When tuned well, a FaLam bottom or MX5 can sound pretty darn good without choking all the life out of the drum.

If we run into each other in the Syracuse area one of these days, we can compare snare sounds over a beer or something.

You do have the falam snare side head right? I've seen people that don't know there's a difference and put a falam batter on the bottom.