🥁 The Snare Ring That Haunts Your Mix: Here’s the Fastest Way to Kill It

You know that moment… the drummer hits the snare, and instead of a nice crack, the whole room gets a hollow “booooiiinnnggg.”

👉 That’s snare ring. And if you don’t deal with it, it’ll ruin your mix every single Sunday.

The problem is—it’s not just annoying in the room. It bleeds into the livestream, muddies the vocal mics, and makes the whole mix feel amateur.

Here’s how to tame it fast:

1️⃣ Check the Source FirstIf the snare isn’t tuned properly, no EQ will save you. Moongel, tape, or a wallet on the head can kill excessive ring instantly.

2️⃣ Targeted EQ CutSweep around 400–900 Hz and you’ll usually find the “boing.” A narrow cut of 3–6 dB can clean it up without killing the body.

3️⃣ Gate With CareIf the snare is bleeding everywhere, a gate can help—but set it gentle. You want to clean it, not chop it.

4️⃣ Room Mic AwarenessIf you’re using overheads or choir mics, that snare ring might still sneak in. Sometimes a small EQ dip on overheads helps too.

⚡ Pro tip: Don’t overdo it. A little ring gives character to the each snare, it's part of its tone. Too much kills the mix.

💬 Question for you: How does your church deal with snare ring—fix it at the source, or try to fix it at the board?

— Nate

We tune the snare before making EQ changes

We never tune it lol

I need help on how to tune my snare

3 votes

0 comments

Church Sound Crew

skool.com/church-audio-engineers-2670

Your hub for church sound, livestream mixing, and Sunday audio solutions—practical tips, training, and community for church sound teams by NATE Audio.

Leaderboard (30-day)