Getting enough sound for a parade float

romicsteve

Member
I'm going to playing in a band on a parade float next June. I mostly play jazz, so I have a jazz kit (Mapex Meridian) with 14x18 bass drum, plus my Taye GoKit. I know the GoKit is a non-starter, but I'm wondering if I can use the jazz kit. My main concern is projecting enough to be heard. We'll probably have keyboard & bass, and possibly guitar.

If I mic the bass drum & snare drums - would my jazz kit be sufficient? Do I need to find a larger bass drum?
 
Part of it will depend what kind of music you are playing. If you are playing Dixieland or swing, you might want a bigger bass drum, but really you should be fine.

When I play in parades, it's mostly second line type stuff, so I'd just play snare. The few times that I've played drum set on a float (trad jazz) I've just played a little louder than usual, and didn't need to be microphoned. Again, I think it might depend on the material being played and the style...
 
Your kit should work fine. Use thin undampened drum heads like Evans G1.
Tune them up high, toms go "boing".
Tune snare up high.
Whatever you do, DON'T set your drums up on a carpet or rug.
Play on a large piece of plywood.

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Hmmm - so the plywood provides additional resonance? And the rug would dampen the bass sound? Is that the idea?
 
Hmmm - so the plywood provides additional resonance? And the rug would dampen the bass sound? Is that the idea?

Yes. A rug will dampen every drum and cymbal.
Especially when you are playing outdoors.
The sound of the drums will bounce off the wood much much better than rugs and carpet.
It would be good idea for your float band to practice playing outdoors before the float gig.

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A parade band would be awesome. You could do the gig with only one song :)

It would also be sketchy if the float had to stop suddenly
 
I play about 4 parades a year. I use a mat under my kit. In my case I always on a flat bed truck or a large auto flat bed tow truck. Sometimes these trucks beds are not always the cleanest so be prepared. I try and go as compact as possible. If you mic the kit, at least a bass drum and overhead mic you should be fine.

I also setup with my bacteria to the cab, in other words going backwards. I can see the other players and it helps my balance. Don't forget it's a stop and go ride and if the driver is not experienced balance can be tricky.

Good luck, oh and have a tarp with you. Mother Nature can catch you out in the open too. Or a hat if it's too hot and plenty of water.
 
I believe we'll be on a trailer, being towed behind a truck. We plan to have three songs in the gig list. For my set-up, I'm thinking bass drum with two rack toms, hi-hat, ride cymbal w/stand, and thin crash on an insert between the rack toms. I'll forego the floor tom for a more compact footprint.

Good point on the balance thing - I'm a bit concerned about that - I guess I should favor heavier hardware.
 
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