Off-set, double bass pedals

My question is, why are these so uncommon? I am just getting into drumming and the most logical drum setup to me would be a symmetrical setup, with the snare and bass centered. This is how they are panned in recordings anyways! It is much more natural and comfortable, yet the standard is still the sidewise drummer. Why is this not changing?

Devon8822 said:

My question is, why are these so uncommon? I am just getting into drumming and the most logical drum setup to me would be a symmetrical setup, with the snare and bass centered. This is how they are panned in recordings anyways! It is much more natural and comfortable, yet the standard is still the sidewise drummer. Why is this not changing?

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Most probable reason: Many don't know these pedals, and many don't care or bother to give them a try. (Same applies to innovative stuff in the acoustic and electric guitars - innovations often have a really hard time competing against established stuff). Personally, I tend to like innovations and I'm scratching my head myself why they have a hard time, but frankly those Sleishmans look too futuristic to me. I'm fine with a standard double pedal setup as long as the slave pedal feels about the same as the main one. I think the technical imperfections of standard double bass pedals aren't significant because usually people have a difference in left vs. right hand/foot strength/control and I'm using slightly less spring tension on my slave pedal anyway to compensate for my weaker left foot. There's almost always room for more innovation, depending on your perspective what you're perceiving as a flaw/limitation. I'd say why not using direct drive on off-set double pedals? (I'm still using my 1st pedal - a dw 2002, with some practice I learned it's not the pedal but practice/acquiring the skills to use it so right now I'm not exactly in the market for 'better' double pedals.)

I think it would be a far more significant benefit to center the hihat, thus eliminating cross handed style, than switching to off-set double pedals.

I'd say what it 'most logical' should be everybody's decision and not enforced from above. Isn't communism the 'most logical' thing on earth, making everybody equal? Isn't matched grip the 'most logical' way to go so trad grip can be finally abandoned? Just trying to show that it's hard to determine 'most logical' - put a bunch of scientists together and they might not come up with a common understanding of what is 'most logical'.

As to panning: That's the general way to do it and I'm not aware of recordings with a huge pan spread of those elements, but some people would slightly off center the bass drum and snare against the bass guitar to avoid them to fill exactly the same spot in the stereo field, thus directly competing frequency wise.

Devon8822 said:

My question is, why are these so uncommon? I am just getting into drumming and the most logical drum setup to me would be a symmetrical setup, with the snare and bass centered. This is how they are panned in recordings anyways! It is much more natural and comfortable, yet the standard is still the sidewise drummer. Why is this not changing?

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For one, not everybody is symmetrical, actually very few bodies are conditioned that way.

So when you do mess around with setting up your gear, don't make symmetry the 'law' it most often works as a limitation.

As far as double pedals, how much do you really use both kicks in your playing? If its a lot, you're probably going to favor two bass drums.

The OFFSET pedal means you're continually playing 'slave' pedals with both feet, not the optimum feel for experienced drummers used to the norm.

And realistically, "most" people probably play single pedals, not doubles, and it's certainly harder to justify having to get an offset single pedal instead of a regular single. So you're dealing with an even more niche product.

hmmm I want to try this type of pedal out, I found a used off-set pedal that I can get or I could mod an Iron Cobra, having played neither, i dont know much about the quality of the two. Can anybody comment on which would be better?

Devon8822 said:

hmmm I want to try this type of pedal out, I found a used off-set pedal that I can get or I could mod an Iron Cobra, having played neither, i dont know much about the quality of the two. Can anybody comment on which would be better?

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How do you plan on modding an Iron cobra to be like the offset?

Devon8822 said:

hmmm I want to try this type of pedal out, I found a used off-set pedal that I can get or I could mod an Iron Cobra, having played neither, i dont know much about the quality of the two. Can anybody comment on which would be better?

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Hey all.

I have a little experience with these pedals (well, more than a little). I like them a lot, and recently I made a video explaining how they affect the setup of my kit:


I also wrote a full review of the pedal, which I mention how to get to in the video. I think you'll find it all a little educational!

Happy drumming.