Do KickPorts work?

The ONLY reason to port a drum is if your gonna use an internal mic system.


trace a 5" circle with a razor blade, done!!

The thread is about a product called a kickport, not about a crude hole cut into the head. And cutting the way you describe is not a good way, first sound guy to nick the head with a stand, bang there goes your $50 dollar head.
 
I just bought one on eBay from Memphis Drum Shop. It was $39 with free shipping. I have a 22 x 18" PDP CX with EMAD on the batter and resonant sides. The resonant happened to have a mic hole that fit the kickport perfectly. Directions guide you to put the kickport on without removing the head, but after spending 5 minutes and not getting anywhere with it I removed the head and installed the kickport in seconds. Immediately I could not only hear the low end more prominently I could feel it as well. A little too "fat" for my taste actually. I usually JAW tune (Just above wrinkle). I had to tighten it up a bit and I am very impressed with the sound, and it adds a little flare aesthetically out front. It's a sensible purchase. You can remove it at anytime and put it back on in minutes. It uses a compression gasket to stay in place, no tape or glue or anything that causes you to damage your head unless you have to cut a hole in your stock head which I would never do. Save your original head and buy one with a mic hole already in it. It's nice to have that flexibility if you decide you want to change your sound later like we all do.
 
I just bought one at the local music store, $35.00. I didn't want to cut my original Mapex head (old style badge) and I bought a Remo powerstroke 3. Between those two changes it is a world of difference (not miked) and is more punchy and crisp IMO.
 
I love using a KickPort - but most engineers don't mic them correctly. The sound wave is affected by using it so you want to mic what COMES OUT OF IT, NOT what's inside of it.

Micing a few inches back, maybe off axis slightly, is amazing. I feel it behind the kick and it is great on the stage. No affect on the tone of the drum and I can tune without adding extra stuffing in my kick. On my micro- Hip-Gig, I use a SuperKick2 with a KickPort2 and an EMPTY kick drum.
 
I love using a KickPort - but most engineers don't mic them correctly. The sound wave is affected by using it so you want to mic what COMES OUT OF IT, NOT what's inside of it.

Micing a few inches back, maybe off axis slightly, is amazing. I feel it behind the kick and it is great on the stage. No affect on the tone of the drum and I can tune without adding extra stuffing in my kick. On my micro- Hip-Gig, I use a SuperKick2 with a KickPort2 and an EMPTY kick drum.

A great bit of information! Because i was thinking that the mic should be placed inside the port also!!

I bought a small knockoff version of the kickport, and it has still satisfied me! I have a clearn PS3 batter and ebony PS3 reso with no muffling and my 22x18 sounds beautiful! i've got a good attack, and a nice low end tone with a comfortable enough sustain to let my drum still sound alive!

It is about the perfect BD sound for me, however i do want to experiment using a PS4 batter..
 
I bought one and put it on my Pearl Export kick drum. It did in fact make a good noticeable difference in my opinion. I wouldn't get your hopes up for any thing really extraordinary tho. But it's certainly worth the money.
Ohh, and my reson head had an existing port hole, but the KickPort does come with a reinforcement ring if u cut your own hole ( it's basically a thick ring sticker). I recommend if you're cutting your own hole, just find a 5 or 6" piece of stove pipe, heat it up with a light torch, then press it into the head where u want the hole. That way, you'll have a perfect circle.
 
I recently did a YT video of some different bass drum miking setups, also tried a kick port, with a 22 x 18 bass drum. There is a difference in sound, definitely it has more low.
However, I didn't care for the feel and like a bit more punchy sound so I took it out. I can understand that some people will love it.
 
One of the things that I notice about using a Kickport is that I don't need as much stuffing in the drum with it. Once I'm tuned up, it's really just about finding what works for what I'm doing. Right now, I have no stuffing at all and have an SK2 on it. The feel is excellent.

The thing is, no matter what, you have to like it. I love it. I can feel the difference and won't play without it. It's not an 18" sub, but, when air moves and the drum is tuned, it hits me in the chest much more than without it.

The other thing I've noticed is that cutting a fresh head to exactly 5 1/4" works best. No noise, no rattling, better seal and fit. Also, like I said in earlier part of this thread, when you mic it up ---- mic what comes OUT of a Kickport, NOT what's inside it. Adjusting nearer/farther and just listening to find the sweet spot makes everything sound so solid.

For what it's worth, I'm now on my 2nd one. Amazingly durable. The Kickport 2 is what I have now and I love it. Better fit, slightly less mush, less ring-y, I think.
 
I would just buy it. It will give u a noticeable difference. It's worth the money. It's nothing over the top, but I use mine and I love it. The best sound I could get out of my kick before I got the KickPort, when micing, was with the mic inside the drum. I now have a much deeper boom with the mic directly in front of the KickPort outside the drum.
 
They really work well on a 20" bass drum especially live. They give it some real kick! A white one looks really good on black skin by the way.
 
I made my own from a 6"x6" stereo bass port tube. $6 from Parts Express. I affixed it carefully with Plumber's Goop. Just an experiment, but I was actually surprised at the effect. Definite lower end presence. Loss of air in the drum was felt (I'm used to solid reso heads), but the difference was not bothersome and placing the tube in different positions, relative to the position of the beater on the batter head, made a difference in sound, feel, and mic pick-up. I ended up going 12 o'clock for the best sound, feel, and mic placement, which is actually a good 12" from the port.

It sounds different on different heads, including batter heads. Naturally, the heavier the reso head, the deeper the pitch and overall effect. Whether KickPort or bass tube, once installed any lightweight head immediately deadens. Resonance remains but is naturally muted. I went from using an Evans oil head to Black Reso. The oil head gave the drum a deeper pitch to begin with. I went from EQ4s to Attack dble ply for batters and the difference was enormous in all areas - audible to physical feel. I like the Attacks much better. I have nothing inside the drum for muffling, just a couple moon gel pads on the batter heads.

I do question the physical characteristics of sound relative to live playing, though. Even studio recording. When the rest of the instruments are going the effect of the port is pretty much lost to my ears. The idea of using a KickPort with blankets, etc inside the drum seems antithetical to the principle of the thing.
 
The KickPorts might have an effect on the extreme lower frequencies of the bass drum, but it cannot do this without audibly affect other lower frequencies or harmonics of the drum. If you are not able to hear this, then all well and good, but if you can, then you know what I'm talking about.

Dennis
 
I do question the physical characteristics of sound relative to live playing, though. Even studio recording. When the rest of the instruments are going the effect of the port is pretty much lost to my ears. The idea of using a KickPort with blankets, etc inside the drum seems antithetical to the principle of the thing.


Its no secret KICKPORT is tuning the lower 30hz area of the bass drum, blankets or not.

KICKPORT is a tuned port, it emphasizes (as in makes louder) frequencies that are already there, doesn't create any new frequencies.
 
Old thread but hey, I searched before throwing up a new post! Aren't I smart? Anyway, I put one on my kick (24x18 classic maple). I have a clear ps3 batter and an aquarian regulator reso. Holy crap! To say it works was an understatement. First thing I noticed was it felt like more actual tone was discernible. The low end was amplified both behind and in front of the kit. My band members are usually oblivious to anything I do. They were all, what did you do to your kick drum? Now I know the directions say not to use a premuffled reso but its what was on the drum. I wonder what it would sound like with a non muffled reso? It really was a great modification for the money.
 
Is anybody using one on a larger kick, like a 24x18?

My friend put it on 24x18 Maple Custom, PS4 and stock reso, no muffling. Guess it has more boom, but nothing significant, probably due to tuning. I have to hear it more and try it on my 22x17 Tour Custom. I have Emad2 and Emad reso, really interested what will happen.
 
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I use it on a 20x18 and it works really well! It makes the sound more controlled and punchy but also louder so it sounds like a 22 now. Would recommend it to anyone who has a 20 but wants it to be louder and sound bigger without losing all of that 20 goodness
 
It doesn´t work for me.

Just bought and installed one in my 20x14 Classic Maple. It sounded better without it. It muffles too much the resonant head.

I wish I had wasted my money in something else.
 
It doesn´t work for me.

Just bought and installed one in my 20x14 Classic Maple. It sounded better without it. It muffles too much the resonant head.

I wish I had wasted my money in something else.


KICKPORT has some mass, 231.3 grams (new version), 185.9 (old).

So when you cut your hole keep this in mind. Should you have a thin reso head, you're going to want to mount the KICKPORT more towards the center. Also make sure any dampening material you might have inside the drum doesn't obstruct the hole.
 
Thing about stuff like that is everybody like different things and the way everyone playes is a little bit different and everybodys tone is a little bit different so a drumport might work for one person it might not work for the next.

Eventually if you get the money try one out. If you like it great you found part of your tone. If not crap you need a new bass head.
 
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