If you're looking for a Piccolo Snare Drum but not sure which series is right for you, you've come to the right place. In this blog post, we'll break down the benefits and features of each Piccolo snare offered by Black Swamp Percussion and point you in the right direction for the best option for your needs.
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What is a Piccolo Snare Drum?
A piccolo snare drum is a type of snare drum characterized by its smaller size and higher pitch compared to a standard snare drum. Typically, a piccolo snare drum has a shallower shell, often around 3 to 4 inches in depth, and a diameter that usually ranges from 13 to 14 inches. This compact size contributes to its distinct sound qualities.
Key features of a piccolo snare drum include:
1. Higher Pitch: Due to its shallow depth, the piccolo snare drum produces a higher-pitched and brighter sound, which is ideal for certain musical styles and performances requiring sharp, articulate snare hits.
2. Crisp Articulation: The smaller shell size allows for quick, precise responses, making it a popular choice for intricate playing techniques and fast passages.
3. Versatility: Despite its smaller size, the piccolo snare drum is versatile and can be used in various musical settings, including orchestral, band, jazz, and contemporary music.
4. Portability: The compact size makes it easier to transport and set up, which is beneficial for musicians who frequently move their equipment.
Overall, the piccolo snare drum is valued for its unique tonal characteristics and its ability to add a distinctive, high-pitched element to a percussionists setup.
Comparing The Options
When comparing different piccolo snare drums, there are a few key points that are worth your consideration: the size of the drum, the material of the drum shell, and the snare unit. These three points are defining factors for the sound quality of the instrument and what you can expect when operating and performing with the snare drum. We'll take a look at every piccolo snare drum option Black Swamp Percussion has to offer and then help you narrow down which option is the best choice for you or your program.
Concert Maple Piccolo
Overview:
The Concert Maple Piccolo Snare Drum is the newest addition to the Black Swamp snare drum catalog and brings high quality sounds at low price to the Concert Maple Lineup. These drums favor crisp, clear articulation in a compact size. The drums come in satin Concert Black and Cherry Rosewood finishes and feature 2.3mm Steel hoops, Die-cast strainer, custom snare beds and snare units, and Remo heads.
Size options:
3.5" x 13"
The Concert Maple Piccolo Snare Drum comes in only one size configuration: 3.5" x 13". This is the smallest snare drum size offered by Black Swamp Percussion and keeps the instrument lightweight and compact.
Shell Options:
7-Ply Maple
The Concert Maple Piccolo Snare Drum uses a 7-ply Maple Shell and does not offer any other shell material options. The maple is a universal shell type that is highly versatile and has a balanced sound. The Concert Maple Piccolo also comes with the exclusive Concert Maple snare bed. A narrow and deep bed that provides excellent horizontal and vertical tension to keep your snare unit sounding crisp and clear.
Snare Unit:
Custom 16 strand Guitar Wire/Uncoated Stainless combination unit
The custom snare unit on the Concert Maple Piccolo Snare Drum is one of the stand out features of this instrument. The combination 8 strand Guitar Wire and 6 strand Uncoated Stainless cable gives the drum a voice that is subtle yet lively and dynamic. The combination of materials and textures gives this custom unit a balanced and iconic piccolo sound, perfectly suitable for the stage and the studio.
Mercury SoundArt
Overview:
The Mercury SoundArt series builds upon the Concert Maple Piccolo snare system and upgrades it to a mini Trio System. The easy to operate strainer system is also a benefit for dialing in your ideal sound for a "set it and forget it" performance. This snare drum can come in a variety of sizes and shell options and even allows you to customize the snare units if you so wish. The Mercury SoundArt features die-cast hoops, die-cast tube lugs and Remo heads.
Black Swamp Artist, Eric Renick, has been the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Principal Percussionist for the past 12 years. He knows a thing or two about drums, cymbals, xylophones, gongs, bells, and rattles. New Zealand retailer, KBB Music, let him loose on the 3.5" x 13" Ply-Maple Mercury SoundArt Snare Drum for a performance of Carl Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto. This particular work features interplay between the snare drum and clarinet that requires the percussionist to not overpower the smaller ensemble while still interpreting the vast dynamic ranges appropriately.
Size Options
3.5" x 13"
4" x 14"
The Mercury SoundArt snare drum offers the most size options of the bunch. The smallest option being 3.5" x 13" and the largest being 4" x 14".
Shell Options
7-Ply Maple
Titanium
The Mercury SoundArt series offers both ply-maple and Titanium shell options. Ply-maple remains the most balanced and universal shell type whereas Titanium opens up the possibility for a brighter attack while still maintaining a lightweight design.
Black Swamp Artist, Trevor Barroero, demonstrates the dynamic qualities of the Titanium shell in his performance of "The Marriage of Figaro" from Norm Weinberg's book, TOUCH.
Snare Unit:
Mini Trio Strainer System
8 Strand Uncoated Stainless Cable
5 Strand Wire Wound Cable
8 Strand Blue Coated Cable
The SoundArt series snare drums by Black Swamp Percussion feature 3 contrasting cable types in one single action strainer system. Each cable can be individually tensioned to the performers liking and are engaged simultaneously. The Mini Trio Strainer system builds off of the die-cast system used on the Concert Maple Piccolo and adds a trio adjustment system at the bottom of the system. The strainer remains compact, allowing it to fit on both sizes of drums without any issue.
Mercury Multisonic
Overview:
If you're looking for the best of the best with the most options for dialing in your ideal snare drum sound, the Mercury Multisonic will far exceed your expectations. The Multisonic snare system is Black Swamp's flagship system with 5 separate cable snare units that can be individually adjusted and engaged. The Mercury Multisonic features die-cast hoops, die-cast tube lugs and Remo heads.
Size Options:
4" x 14"
Due to the Multisonic strainer system being a larger unit than the mini trio or die-cast system on the other piccolo options, the Mercury Multisonic snare drum only comes in a 4" x 14" size. Which is still a small and compact instrument but not the tiniest of the options available.
Shell Options:
7-Ply Maple
Unibody Maple
Titanium
Similar to the Mercury SoundArt snare drum, the Mercury Multisonic comes in ply-maple and titanium shell options. However, the Mercury Multisonic snare drum can also come with a Unibody Maple shell. Unibody shells are a single ply of wood that is steam bent into a drum shell. These shells provide the highest quality craftsmanship and sound, showcasing a pure tone and stunning beauty. We took a deep dive into Unibody shells in a previous post that details all the benefits and features of this shell type.
Snare Unit:
Multisonic Strainer System
6 Strand Gold Coated Cable
8 Strand Blue Coated Cable
6 Strand Uncoated Stainless Cable
8 Strand Uncoated Stainless Cable
5 Strand Wire Wound Cable
The Multisonic snare system celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. The original design has withstood the test of time with only minor adjustments to the cable configurations. The versatility of the Multisonic snare system is its greatest strength, offering unparalled fine tuning and customization.
Which Piccolo Snare Drum Is The Right Choice For You?
Now that you are familiar with the landscape of Piccolo snare drums offered by Black Swamp Percussion, let's take a look at which drum is the right choice for you.
All three of the piccolo snare drums share similar sound qualities and timbres due to the nature of a smaller sized snare drums. The construction and materials used for each instrument is of the highest quality and maintains the standard of excellence that Black Swamp Percussion is known for.
There are several points of comparison that will aid you in selecting the snare drum for your needs.
Snare System:
The snare system is the biggest choice you'll need to consider when select the best piccolo snare drum for your needs. If simplicity is key–a single throw off system with minimal adjustments needed–the Concert Maple Piccolo is the best option.
If you'd like to step up the customization and adjustability, consider the Mercury SoundArt. This snare system builds upon the die-cast system on the concert maple piccolo but offers 3 separate cables that can be individually tensioned to your liking. Once tensioned, all 3 cables engage and disengage with one single throw off.
Finally, if you're looking for all the bells and whistles, and the most advanced and customizable system, the Mercury Multisonic is the right choice for you. There's a reason why the Multisonic snare system remains the top choice for professional percussionists around the world. It's design offers players control over all 5 contrasting cable types with the option to engage and tension each one at will.
Ease of Maintenance
Similar to selecting a snare system, the ease of maintenance goes hand in hand with whatever system you chose. The Concert Maple Piccolo and Mercury SoundArt snare drums have a single throw off that will engage and disengage all cable snares at the same time. This is a good choice for students or band programs where multiple players will be using the same drum.
Because the Concert Maple Piccolo only uses one single snare unit, this makes it the easiest to maintain and service. The cable snare unit installs just like a standard curly wire unit found on a drum set snare drum.
The Mercury SoundArt snare drum uses 3 separate cable snare units. The mounting of these cables is straight forward but may be tricky for younger players or those who are unfamiliar with multi timbral snare systems. Once mounted, these cables remain easy to adjust and operate. While not as simple as the Concert Maple Piccolo, the Mercury SoundArt is a close second when considering maintenance of the instrument.
The Mercury Multisonic offers the most versatility of the three drums but can be intimidating for students or players who have not used a system like this before. The Multisonic system can be dialed in to suit any musical situation but might not be the best choice for a drum that is shared among multiple players. Most percussionist have their own personal preferences when it comes to snare drum tone and timbre. As one person makes and adjustment to their liking, another may find it unsuitable for their musical context. If all players are informed on how to operate the Multisonic system, there are no issues and the drum will conform to the requirements of the performer. However, this amount of customization can potentially lead a performer to an overwhelming amount of options that distract from the intent of the instrument–making music! With that said, the Mercury Multisonic requires the most knowledge and attention to maintain.
Intended Use:
If you're shopping for a piccolo snare drum, you've likely gotten this far because of your preference to the crisp and articulate nature of the small drum. When discussing the intended use of such an instrument it's best to consider who will be using it and where.
If you are looking for a piccolo snare drum for your school percussion or band program, the Concert Maple Piccolo and Mercury SoundArt snare drums are great choices. The ease of use and maintenance for these snare drums are preferable when multiple people will be using the same drum and transporting it from different locations. The compact size of these piccolo snare drums makes them a great choice for traveling from rehearsal to the performance hall.
If you are a student or professional who is looking for a drum for personal use, the Mercury SoundArt and Multisonic snare drums are where you should look. Both Mercury drums offer more advanced snare systems that can allow a student to grown into or a professional to dig deep into. The SoundArt system will place simplicity above customization. Whereas the Multisonic system favors customization and versatility above all else.
Price Point:
Finally, the price point of each of these instruments is the biggest factor of consideration when making a purchasing decision. When comparing all three models with the same shell type (7-ply maple) the most affordable option is the Concert Maple Piccolo. Moving up from there, the Mercury SoundArt lands in the middle of these options and the Mercury Multisonic is the most expensive option of the three.
Selecting a titanium or Unibody shell will make things a little more complex when pricing out your instrument. Titanium shells will be more expensive than ply-maple options but with their own sonic benefits. A Unibody shell is a premium upgrade that will be the most expensive and is only available on the Mercury Multisonic.
Wrap Up
Choosing the right piccolo snare drum from Black Swamp Percussion ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences. The Concert Maple Piccolo offers an excellent balance of high-quality sound, affordability, and ease of maintenance, making it a fantastic option for schools and band programs. Its simplicity and reliability ensure it will stand up to frequent use and transportation. The Mercury SoundArt steps up the customization options with its mini trio strainer system, providing greater control over snare tension and sound, ideal for more advanced students and professionals seeking a versatile and adjustable drum. Lastly, the Mercury Multisonic stands out as the pinnacle of customization and professional performance, with its five separate snare units offering unparalleled control and versatility, perfect for those who demand the highest level of precision and adaptability. Whether you're a student, a band director, or a professional musician, Black Swamp Percussion's range of piccolo snare drums has something to suit your needs and help you achieve the perfect sound.
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