I have two drumsets.A Pearl masters studio(birch) and a Gabriel(handmade in greece-maple).I will tell you about my maple kit since i am still exploring the possibilities with the birch one(it is quite new).
Toms:
On top clear emperors
Bottom clear ambassadors.sometimes diplomats,they add resonance but tend to take away fatness.i tune the bottom head a tad higher than the top.in unmiked(but loud)situations i raise the overall pitch in order to project than blend,you know?
On snare drum
80 percent of the time ambassador coated on top ambassador snare side on bottom.For loud and rockier situations sometimes i'll use either a coated emperor or a c.s. (reverse dot) on top.both of these models are drier(they cut unwanted ring ) and also last longer(they can take more punishement).the tension of the snares also plays a big part.i generally avoid extremes,unless it is a studio situation where for one particular tune
wacky things will work.
Bass drum
Beater side Aquarian superkick II.you can do no wrong with this head.
Resonant side.Aquarian resonant side(premuffled).Usually an Evans EQ pad slightly touching the beater head.Sometimes even more stuffing(towel).I tune the beater side loose(not TOO loose) and the resonant side to a medium tension.Mind you,the tension of both heads affects beater response and feel as well as the sound.
the quality of the drumshells is everything, you know?there is no way a drum can be tuned right if for example the bearing edges aren't perfect.same thing goes for the hoops.also ply number(4-ply,6-ply,9-ply etc.),
for more ,check out bob gatzen's video on drum tuning and be sure to visit this link.
http://home.earthlink.net/~prof.sound/index.htmlthis guy is nuts!!!everything you need to know and more,is here.
