If you're looking for a modern version of that classic calf skin sound there is (in my opinion) no better sound to cost benefit out there on the market today.

These heads give a very warm and dark sound, reminiscent of old jazz recordings. They lack a bit of a focused attack, but feel extremely nice under the stick and give a nice response. When played with brushes these heads give a particularly nice response, one that I think is superior to coated drum heads, as it is warmer and more mellow.

These heads work well as resonant as well as batter heads- I have a fiberskyn on my 16 inch jazz bass drum as a resonant head and it really gives it a lot of body and depth. The warmth of these heads is really unbeatable and can really give a nice aura to a jazz piano trio gig.

As a batter head the fiberskyns lack a bit of a sharp attack but make up for it with a nice fat spread an quick decay. I play them on my 14 inch snare and 10 and 14 inch toms and they give a great sound that can't be beat when going for an authentic acoustic jazz sound.

These heads also work well in orchestral work and I have seen some guys play them on R&B and Motown gigs and they fit quite nicely. I've never seen them in a loud rock and roll or metal situation, but I highly doubt these heads would give the desired sound (but if you can make it sound good then thats all that matters!).

If you like these heads, try the Evans J1 etched heads- they're similar but don't last as long (and they're more expensive!), although they do get a better sound.

These are very nice drum heads that the Remo corporation developed to sound more like the calf skin heads of long ago (well it wasn't really that far ago, but it definitely feels like it!).

At the time they were developed these heads were definitely the closest thing, but there have been more recent developments in head making (some by the Remo corporation themselves) that have not necessarily made the Renaissance heads obsolete, but have given them a place all their own.

First off, these heads sound UNBELEIVABLE on tympani and I personally don't think there is any better head out there. They really do give the feel and sound of calf skin on tympani better than any head I've ever tried.

As a tom head however, the Renaissance heads leave a bit to be desired. They do give a warm and focused sound, and if you want a good attack to balance the two, then this is the head for you. But for my tastes they are a little bright and while they give a warmer, darker sound than regular coated heads (and definitely more so than clear heads) there are better products (in my opinion) currently on the market for achieving that warm dark sound characteristic of calf skin.

The most notable is the Remo fiberskyn heads, and secondly are the Evans J1 etched heads.

One thing to try is using these as resonant heads on your toms- I've done so and like (but don't necessarily love) the results.

These heads are great for orchestral use and for playing in acoustic jazz situations, but I don't see them as being very applicable in genres outside of the two aforementioned- absolutely not rock and roll and absolutely not metal, but could possibly fit into an R&B band and probably wouldn't fit into a funk situation (but feel free to experiment and surprise me!).