Which double pedal has the most responsive (less play or slack) Slave pedal?

BigDinSD

Gold Member
Drummies,

I'm still researching the 2x pedal thing, so was wondering which pedal has the tightest slave response? I figure, it doesn't have to be "DW9000 smooth", cuz I can make up for any drag by using both feet.

I have to ask this question because even the DW9000 double pedal has some slack in the u joints and another post mentioned problems with them.

Also if you don't mind, would that pedal also be reliable?

Thanks in advance...(again)
 
All the expensive direct drive pedals make an advertising point of having less pedal lag in the slave. Those being Axis, Trick, Pearl Demon Drive et al.
 
Well you can get a set of Axis doubles for under $575.

Like these

Or these Longboards

Personally I really like the Axis because it has a nice smooth action and has zero play in the footboard. You could probably score a used set off Ebay or Craigslist for much cheaper.

Thanks Red Menace,
I've heard great things about these. The only downside some people say is that the impact is not loud enough or it lacks power? I don't have a clue as to what that means, so maybe I can learn here?
 
I currently own the axis longboards, have had the dw 5000 and have played the 9000 and the iron cobra's and all of them have the same feeling in the slave pedal. I don't think there is a way for the pedals to feel exactly the same unless you break them up into two seperate pedals. All this no latency, no backlash, no play in hinges doesn't seem to do anything. My guess is because the slave pedal has more work to do, aka powering the driveshaft, in order to get the beater moving forward. Obviously, unlike the regular pedal.
 
I currently use Pearl demon drive's. I've decided on these after trying all the other brands because they were the best all around for me in terms of feel, accuracy, power, smoothness and speed. (except for Trick, but they are a whole lot more expensive..) I can honestly say that the slave pedal feels very much like the main pedal, very recommended.
 
I currently use Pearl demon drive's. I've decided on these after trying all the other brands because they were the best all around for me in terms of feel, accuracy, power, smoothness and speed. (except for Trick, but they are a whole lot more expensive..) I can honestly say that the slave pedal feels very much like the main pedal, very recommended.

I've briefly tried the Demon's at the shop. Nice pedals. At the end of the day, it does seem to be an individual preference.

I will have to admit one thing: No matter what pedal gear you have, skills are always a more dominant factor. I've seen some crappy pedals played like they where the $850 Bigfoot TRICK Pedals.

My TRICK Dominator Doubles have not made me any faster. They are pretty damn tight and responsive with no slack that I can notice from slave footboard to main axle.
Overall, the knowledge I've gained on this post has been priceless.
 
I've briefly tried the Demon's at the shop. Nice pedals. At the end of the day, it does seem to be an individual preference.

I will have to admit one thing: No matter what pedal gear you have, skills are always a more dominant factor. I've seen some crappy pedals played like they where the $850 Bigfoot TRICK Pedals.

My TRICK Dominator Doubles have not made me any faster. They are pretty damn tight and responsive with no slack that I can notice from slave footboard to main axle.
Overall, the knowledge I've gained on this post has been priceless.

Of course man, it's all about the skills.
Good pedals wont make you a better player. They can only make it easier for you to do the things you want.
 
I definitely agree. Almost zero lag. I didnt like the feel of the Demon Drives but as far as matched response and speed Demon Drives are top notch.

I currently use Pearl demon drive's. I can honestly say that the slave pedal feels very much like the main pedal, very recommended.
 
I've tried a lot of double pedals. I would suggest either an Axis, Tama Iron/Speed cobra or the pearl Eliminators. I'm not sure about the demon drives or other pedals from different companies, but the reason I suggested these pedals is because I'm pretty sure you can add an additional spring assembly to the slave pedal while still keeping the linkage attached to the main pedal. This spring helps counter some of the loss in response you feel with the slave pedals. If you search "Three spring assembly" on the Tama and Pearl forums, you'll find an article or two from a guy who has found success in doing this. Pictures show that this is possible.

With the new tama pedals, you can adjust the cobra coil more on the slave then the main pedal and this should help. The sole purpose of the coil is to help the return on the footboard.
 
+1

Demon drives feel perfectly equal to me.

I definitely agree. Almost zero lag. I didnt like the feel of the Demon Drives but as far as matched response and speed Demon Drives are top notch.
 
Ive played most brands from DW to Sonor to Axis to Trick. The best slave pedal Ive ever played is the Trick Pro V pedal. Their engineering is light years above the competitions.

F
 
I have to ask this question because even the DW9000 double pedal has some slack in the u joints and another post mentioned problems with them.

It is precisely the U-joint quality that is responsible for slave pedal slack or sluggishness. The Axis crossbar has U-joints of sufficient quality, and its slave pedal is as responsive as they get. After a few years of use, it will develop some slack as the U-joints and screws wear out, but out of the box they are rock solid, and will remain so for some time.

Spend $80 or so for a "universal fit" Axis crossbar, fit it to your double pedal of choice, and rest assured that you cannot possibly improve the situation one bit! If you still can't play the thing, it's your own fault at this point!

I have not tried or looked closely at the Trick double pedals, but I'd probably put an Axis crossbar on them. :/
 
It is precisely the U-joint quality that is responsible for slave pedal slack or sluggishness. The Axis crossbar has U-joints of sufficient quality, and its slave pedal is as responsive as they get. After a few years of use, it will develop some slack as the U-joints and screws wear out, but out of the box they are rock solid, and will remain so for some time.Spend $80 or so for a "universal fit" Axis crossbar, fit it to your double pedal of choice, and rest assured that you cannot possibly improve the situation one bit! If you still can't play the thing, it's your own fault at this point!

I have not tried or looked closely at the Trick double pedals, but I'd probably put an Axis crossbar on them. :/

Yeah, but they all are tight right out of the box!

So which pedal out there do you guys think has the longest U-joint life?


Of course that answer depends on so many things, so it's almost a rhetorical question.

I do recall that all of the DW9000 and DW5000 pedals had loose U-joints at every GC I visited. I know for sure we all stomp on those things when we visit...However, most drummers I speak to are satisfied with their DW9000 and 5000 pedals.

I'm on the 9th month of my Trick Dominators so I'll report after the 1 year mark. I am stomping them each day so we'll see.
 
I recently got a Demon Drive, it's slave pedal is highly responsive and there is no lag in it!!
It is so good! The U-joints are very different to other companies so I am hoping they are a lot stronger and last longer than what my Gibraltar did.
 
I've had the dw5000, the axis longboards and then the trick dominators. This slack/play everyone talks about has never made any real difference for me. I've always felt the slaves on these pedals to be less responsive and harder to play then the main pedal either way. I even attached the axis universal driveshaft to the dw5000 and there wasn't a world of difference there.
 
Yeah, but they all are tight right out of the box!

So which pedal out there do you guys think has the longest U-joint life?


Of course that answer depends on so many things, so it's almost a rhetorical question.

It hasn't been my experience that the slave pedals are at all tight out of the box. Sonor, Yamaha, DW (brand spankin' new -- not floor models), they all feel loose, every one of them except Axis. Have you seen/felt the Axis U-joint? The joint is the same old design, yes, but it's built with components that are a considerable step up in terms of quality.

Put one hand tightly around the slave cam, hold it steady, and wiggle the slave beater with your other hand. Closely watch for the "play" in the u-joints. Put the Axis crossbar on, and try again. Unless DW, Yamaha, and Sonor have changed their U-joints in recent years, I'll eat my shoe if you don't notice a difference! :) After 5 years of hard gigging, my Axis universal drive shaft is still better than another brand's new one.

Whether or not this difference is perceptible while playing, or makes a difference in your playing, is another matter.
 
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