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Hi everybody, I'm still strugling with my Iya enu sound. I made fardela, it made things better, but I still get kind of strange buzz in the sound - I made recordings of it with different mic placement, hope you can hear it there

http://pracovni.vasik.net/iya_1.mp3
http://pracovni.vasik.net/iya_2.mp3
http://pracovni.vasik.net/iya_3.mp3

Any ideas what to do?
Thanks

Here are some photos after removing the head:

http://pracovni.vasik.net/1.jpg
http://pracovni.vasik.net/2.jpg
http://pracovni.vasik.net/3.jpg
http://pracovni.vasik.net/4.jpg
http://pracovni.vasik.net/5.jpg

So, you're replacing the head? Or just taking it off to look for a source of buzz and remounting?
I couldn't hear any buzzing in your mp3s, but I believe you. Usually that's something with the skin, not the wood. But, with the head off, you could tell if it's the wood.

I will be replacing all of my bata heads. He mounted all of mine without pulling the crown rings down away from the bearing edge! I can understand if you live in a wet climate and they pull down with time.
But, I'm in a dry climate, and the heads shrink rather than stretch! So, we actually had to loosen the rings right up into your hand's playing area! Mine are completely unplayable!

Such a waste to get new drums and right away replace the heads..
Seems you have to pay a penance for owning the most beautiful sounding bata.

I'm not going to replace the head, not now at least, I removed the head just to look what's inside? You really cannot hear that strange sound, so you think it sounds like it is supposed to sound?

Sounds like a Iya to me, but it also sounds like your technique is a little off.
It sounds like you are hitting the iya like a conga.

I also think I tune mine a little lower than that.
Someone once said to me "An Iya should be felt more than heard".

windhorse wrote:So, you're replacing the head? Or just taking it off to look for a source of buzz and remounting?
I couldn't hear any buzzing in your mp3s, but I believe you. Usually that's something with the skin, not the wood. But, with the head off, you could tell if it's the wood.

I will be replacing all of my bata heads. He mounted all of mine without pulling the crown rings down away from the bearing edge! I can understand if you live in a wet climate and they pull down with time.
But, I'm in a dry climate, and the heads shrink rather than stretch! So, we actually had to loosen the rings right up into your hand's playing area! Mine are completely unplayable!

Such a waste to get new drums and right away replace the heads..
Seems you have to pay a penance for owning the most beautiful sounding bata.

Hi Dave .
Just an idea , have you not thought about soaking the skins for half hour then turning them to a point playable .as they dry back them off a little . Its just an idea . it may work and save you 6 re laps .

M

bongosnotbombs wrote:Sounds like a Iya to me, but it also sounds like your technique is a little off.
It sounds like you are hitting the iya like a conga.

I also think I tune mine a little lower than that.
Someone once said to me "An Iya should be felt more than heard".

Can you please be more specific about technique? I have a fardela ring on it, and I'm hitting the head with the whole flat hand... If I can remember correctly, when we were by Thomas Altmann, he got similar kind of strangness in the sound... I naturally tried and would like to tune it little lower, but then I don't like the sound at all... Could you record your Iya sound?

vasikgreif wrote:

bongosnotbombs wrote:Sounds like a Iya to me, but it also sounds like your technique is a little off.
It sounds like you are hitting the iya like a conga.

I also think I tune mine a little lower than that.
Someone once said to me "An Iya should be felt more than heard".

Can you please be more specific about technique? I have a fardela ring on it, and I'm hitting the head with the whole flat hand...

That description sounds like the proper technique, so perhaps I was mistaken.

Here is a recording of my Iya. It is tuned lower and I do not have fardela on the enu.

http://rapidshare.com/files/357181656/STE-002.mp3.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357180260/STE-003.mp3.html

Congadelica wrote:Hi Dave .
Just an idea , have you not thought about soaking the skins for half hour then turning them to a point playable .as they dry back them off a little . Its just an idea . it may work and save you 6 re laps .
M

Yeah, you mean stretching the heck out of them while wet.. Then, you have the problem of ripping and thinning thus weakening the skin..

That description sounds like the proper technique, so perhaps I was mistaken.

Here is a recording of my Iya. It is tuned lower and I do not have fardela on the enu.

http://rapidshare.com/files/357181656/STE-002.mp3.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357180260/STE-003.mp3.html

Your Iya is actually tuned little higher than mine, if I can hear correctly, but that doesn't matter for now. The sound has basically the same character, so maybe I just have to play it more and it will break in by the time... Someday I will buy the traditionally tuned bata, as can be seen in Lenguaje del Tambor DVD, because I love both kinds of sounds...

Anyways, I'm glad it helped you out, all the way from San Francisco to Czechoslavakia.

Amazing to think about the technology today....

when I bought a used set of LP batas, i also noticed a buzz and crazy overtones. Of course they had the cheap factory stock skins. Instead replacing the skins and experimenting with other techniques, I simply sold those suckers and got me a set of Isla batas, and wow what a difference! My Islas had the familair sound i was used to hearing in many great recordings.

BNB, i know you have Isla batas too, do you know the exact kind of skin they use. Is it mule?

Jose Marquez wrote:BNB, i know you have Isla batas too, do you know the exact kind of skin they use. Is it mule?

I don't think it is mule. The skin on my bata is not similar to the different kinds of mule I have on my bongos.
The bata skins are more like the skin on my quinto, which was cow.