People were looking over the newest products from NAMM 2019, and Welch Tuning Systems, Inc. stood out as one vendor in particular. Welch has created a new type of head attachment hardware that transforms how drummers tune their kits. They assert that it will just take you 30 seconds to tune your drum.
What Is WTS?
With the turn of a single handle, this novel system’s pulleys and cables allow tensions between both heads to be adjusted; tension rods and drum keys are no longer necessary. The drum’s shell is also liberated from extraneous weight or dampening, allowing the wood to sound natural and incorporating the drum’s natural tones into the musical inventiveness. With just one spinning mechanism, the system balances the tuning of the heads and distributes the stress so that everything is in perfect harmony.
Quick And Easy Tuning With The Welch Drums
#1. Simple
To tune each drum, adjust one point. The drums are tuned collectively using the Welch Tuning System (WTS) tuning knob, producing a crisp, even sound at any pitch. Drum tuning has never been easier!
#2. Innovative
With self-adjusting pulleys, tension can be balanced throughout the entire drum, producing beautifully tuned instruments at any pitch.
The drum shells can breathe and reverberate to their full potential since all pulleys are mounted to the drum hoops, which results in much less drum hardware coming into contact with the shell and up to 90% fewer holes being drilled in the shell.
#3. Elegant
Our precisely manufactured die-cast hardware, artistically created to be minimally intrusive and enhance the shell’s appearance, gives even the most beautiful drums additional vitality.
*** Read more: Learn How To Play Drums To A Click Track: 4 Essential Tips!
Goodbye Tension Rods
Although it may initially seem like a bold statement, it is highly accurate.
Although the WTS appears to be influenced by rope field drums, it uses advanced, functional, and user-friendly technology.
At one point of operation, the batter and resonant heads are tuned simultaneously.
Lugs and tension rods are entirely deleted and replaced with a high-grade steel wire and a pulley system to maintain tension. Each drum has a little T-knob to adjust the tension of both heads.
Better Tone From Shells
The drums from WTS have hand-crafted maple shells from the USA and stunning coatings. Every drum has hardware for the Welch Tuning System.
The drums resonate significantly better since WTS uses shells with fewer holes (no typical lugs are present). This is one of the favorite talking points when discussing this new design.
Additionally, the shell only has one piece of hardware that is physically attached. The tone has substantially improved, and the inside of the drum looks spotless.
A Product For Drummers Who Can’t Tune?
Drummers who are not skilled at tuning can benefit from the Welch Tuning System, but the drums sound lovely, and tuning does not have to be what we have always thought of it as being.
For people who have trouble with pitch or are careful, the WTS eliminates the requirement to use a drum tuner.
Humans always invent new things and adjust to the world around them. It could be time to retire the conventional tension rod and lug setup.
It is fantastic to adjust tunes on the fly because it gives drummers access to a new sonic spectrum when playing live (think of using a timpani foot pedal with pitch changes).
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How Do Welch Tuning System Drums Work?
These easy-to-tune drums have resonant drum hoops and a cable that goes through the batter. The drum may be swiftly tuned up or down in pitch by rotating the built-in key at the only place where the cord is connected.
You will never waste time trying to synchronize the pitch across the drumhead by moving your drum key around each lug. It is an excellent idea that was well received at NAAM.
Currently, they list two different drum kit sizes:
– A full-size kit with 9′′x12′′ and 12′′x14′′ rack toms, a 14′′x16′′ floor tom, and a 14′′ or 16′′ x 22′′ bass drum.
– A “portable” kit with smaller shells, including an 8′′x12′′ rack tom, a 12′′x14′′ floor tom, and a 14′′x18′′ bass drum.
All drums are individually hand-made, with 8-ply maple shells. The drums’ bearing edges are cut at a 45-degree angle, and the hoops are all 2.3mm triple-flanged. Another option is a deep 814-inch 10-ply maple snare drum with die-cast hoops.
The drum shell has almost no hardware fastened, along with easy and precise tuning. The pulley system is instead attached to the drum’s hoops. The only piece of hardware drilled into the shell for tuning is the “worm gear” tuning key, allowing the drums to resonate more freely without being “choked” by the added weight of the hardware.
Wondering About Batter Vs. Resonant Head Tunings With Wts Drums?
One potential problem with these drums is that the batter and resonant head can only ever be tuned to the same tension. Consequently, obtaining extremely specialized tuning styles may be challenging. However, this can be avoided by utilizing drumheads of various thicknesses. Why? Because, when tuned to the same tension, thicker heads will produce a lower pitch than thinner heads.
This may be a problem for drummers who are fussy about the thickness of their drumheads. However, WTS drums do have a terrific overall sound and sound great when you change the tuning tension. In most circumstances, the ease of tuning justifies the purchase of these drums, especially if you frequently need to adjust the tuning of your drums while performing.
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Welch’s Tuning System
#1. WTS Epiphany Series | 3-Piece Shell Pack & Snare
The WTS Epiphany Series, designed specifically for working drummers, establishes a new benchmark for innovation and quality in reasonably priced professional drums. The series has a compact design, high-quality mid-size shells, and a highly flexible configuration suitable for any jazz program on a stage, in a studio, at home, or in a school.
#2. WTS Steve Pruitt’s Signature Snare
One of the most adaptable drummers you will discover is Steve Pruitt, known for his work with artists like Jeff Lorber and Snarky Puppy. The striking qualities of a brass shell are combined with a distinctive 13″ x 7.5″ size to create the WTS Steve Pruitt Signature Snare, which shows this adaptability. The drummer will soon turn to this drum for every musical genre and performance.
#3. WTS Hardware
Anyone building or upgrading drums has everything they need to outfit their shells with the most innovative and user-friendly tension system on the market, thanks to the patented Welch Tuning SystemTM (WTS) hardware.
Three News From WTS Drums
Three musicians, Samuel Welch, Patrick Russell, and John Montana, founded the American company Welch Tuning Systems, Inc. in 2015. The Welch Tuning System, which has received five US patents and has additional ones pending both domestically and overseas, was developed after Samuel had the idea of developing a tension rod system for tuning drums.
The company won Best in Show as a “Company to Watch” award at NAMM 2020. It has since displayed new battery and accessory options, including its tuning system, in the virtual version of that event.
The WTS Epiphany Series, the company’s most cost-effective shell package, the copper WTS Steve Pruitt Signature snare, and an option for drum makers to buy WTS hardware are all new for 2021.
*** Read more: How To Be a Successful Drummer: 6 Steps To Improve
Conclusion
The WTS drums have a new and contemporary design with an older aesthetic. Their drums have a fantastic sound, and tuning has never been more straightforward.
Hope that the WTS team launches with great success. Drums have advanced significantly over the past 100 years, but it is time for a fresh innovation that might completely alter the industry.
