The Tuning of Bassdrums (like 808 but not only) ?

[ugh]

I have a question that has been on mi mind for quite a while, but since I seldom use Bassdrums like an 808 does it wasn't that urgent.

The 808 for example can produce Bassdrums that hearably make a tone like a subbass. I realised that I should maybe check that it is in key with the remix I was working on recently when using an 808 sample. I had not used an 808 sample for quite some years.

GTune and Reatune didn't recognise the bassdrums tuning at first. I pitched it up an octave then and it was realised by Reatune and Gtune.
Sounded like a very simple bass with a strong attack.
I tuned the sample accordingly so that it played in the key of the remix I was doing.

My question however is, if this is something to be considered at all and if so is it to be considered for all bassdrums ? I pitch drumsamples all the time, and I realised the drummer I worked with 20 years ago (only used drumcomputers since then) also tuned his "real" drums. But it wasn't a matter of an exact key, just to make the sound different.
Is the Key important at all for drums, that make no hearable tone ? Would one have to do that also with a 909 Bassdrum that I personally cannot identify to play in a certain "key". ?

I hope my question is understandable, any information by people more involved in such things would be of great help.

[Analogy]

Drums are basically atonal instruments, you're not really tuning them to a musical pitch, you're tuning them more for tone. A drum usually has a lot of weird harmonics that keep the sound from really registering as an actual musical pitch, mostly related to the interaction between the top and bottom heads. When you tune a drum you're mostly doing it to get the right interaction between the top and bottom heads and the depth and composition of the shell to get the tone you want, regardless of the resulting musical pitch.

Exceptions: Timpani, which are designed to only resonate at a single harmonic of the head

Rototoms, which don't have any sort of resonant shell and can be played as pitched instruments in a fashion.

[ugh]

that helped a lot :)
the pure mentioning of "atonal instrument" made me understand it a little bit more regarding those drums that have no musical pitch.
Funny how one can get along many years without even a basic understanding of this :)
I will check out what a timpani and a robotom sound like.

I guess an 808 BD might then also be an exception ?
Yet it's a subbass. I played it here and tuned it while the sequence ran :
http://www.anachronaut.de/daten/808.mp3
This kind of BD sound is a pretty unique 808 thing though. I never used it much because I was unsure how to handle it pitch-wise.

[afantozzi]

Drums are basically atonal instruments, you're not really tuning them to a musical pitch, you're tuning them more for tone. A drum usually has a lot of weird harmonics that keep the sound from really registering as an actual musical pitch, mostly related to the interaction between the top and bottom heads. When you tune a drum you're mostly doing it to get the right interaction between the top and bottom heads and the depth and composition of the shell to get the tone you want, regardless of the resulting musical pitch.

Exceptions: Timpani, which are designed to only resonate at a single harmonic of the head

Rototoms, which don't have any sort of resonant shell and can be played as pitched instruments in a fashion.

What you say is correct but there are also examples of the contrary and that obtain really interesting musical effects... Listen to Genesis' "The Cinema Show" from the album "Seconds Out". In the ending section there is heavy use of a well tuned snare and the note it produces is very clear and fits pefrectly with the harmony.

[pac-man]

i've actually made songs where i used the kick (long 808 type) as bassline. so yes, if it's a long note, tune it however will suit the track. in electronic music, drums are usually not considered atonal.