Regarding Remo Muff L rings for Drums

[Firebrand]

I bought some of these for my drums because I own a Yamama Beech Custom Drumset (top of the line), but NEVEr have been able to get that good, professional latin-jazz drummer sound (think Ignacio Berroa on Tito Puente's Golden Latin Jazz In Session CD, or Mark Walker in Caribbean Jazz Project: Island Stories).

I heard from someone that perhaps all I needed to do was to get a bass drum front head with a hole (to dissipate the boominess and get a nice deep attack but not a lot of resonance). Right now, I have one of the Evans Bass Drum control system inside.

For the toms, they ring too much, even with Pinstripe or Coated Emperors. Coated Emperors lessened ring, but gave too deep/warm a sound (too cardboardish). I want to get the sound of clear heads, but with nice, fat, quick decay (again, think Mark Walker in Island Stories). Someone recommended Muff L Rings, but I'm afriaid muffling the toms will make them unusable in live settings, were the toms really need to be heard (of course, I should mic them in those settings).

Anyone had any luck with Tom Tom mufflers, to make the sound good?