Creative/minimalist kick drum muffling ideas?

Well if that's the case, use an old feather pillow.

Sorry, that's all I got.

But I found my solution, as mentioned in the first post... I'm just wondering what others have done that are a little out of the ordinary/modifications on other ideas.
 
Realize that when most people say "with the right heads" they mean pre-muffled heads. Something with multiple plys, or rings, or dots, or heavy plies or actual muffling rings or "systems" for removing overtones.

They're still muffling, most of the time. It's far more common to muffle bass drums than not; even most guys who "hate muffling" will still treat their bass drum.

In this case, I was referring to a Powerstroke 3. To keep the bass drum (a PHX 18'') as natural as possible. Tuned both heads quite high, yet loose enough to get a lower note.

Nothing wrong with an open kick sound if used in the right setting.
 
As an add, to explain why someting more pre-muffled isn't interesting, I've never like the sound nor the feel of anything I've ever tried. Simple and easy adjustible is the way for me. After transport I'll maybe have to adjust it once or at the most twice. There'll be a slight change in regards to the room anyway, so to be fully fixed makes little sense.
 
In this case, I was referring to a Powerstroke 3. To keep the bass drum (a PHX 18'') as natural as possible. Tuned both heads quite high, yet loose enough to get a lower note.

Nothing wrong with an open kick sound if used in the right setting.

Yep, if memory serves, that BD head has a ring and a extra layer of material muffling around the outer edge. Maybe more open than some heads, but don't fool yourself into thinking you're not muffling the drum's sound. The head is designed to kill high overtones.
 
Yep, if memory serves, that BD head has a ring and a extra layer of material muffling around the outer edge. Maybe more open than some heads, but don't fool yourself into thinking you're not muffling the drum's sound. The head is designed to kill high overtones.

Thank you, I do know a bit about heads myself.

Its a 1 ply 10 head with a 10 mil ring.

Truly unmuffled would be an Ambassador (which I have also used on the 20'' RC and the 18'' vintage D18 and D20 I had)
 
I've used those noodles like your kids take to the swimming pool. I cut two of them so that they touch both batter and resonant heads. They work fine like that. I've also cut them down and laid them against the head like a towel. Add a little weight to hold it in place and you're ready to go. It's amazing what you find when your kids move out!
 
I have a folded towel, maybe 8 layers thick, 6 inches wide, leaning more on the batter side.
It’s held in place by two pieces of elastic which stretch between the bottom lugs. Never moves during transit or gigs, but I can reach in and adjust it if I need to.

Sound guys like the towel for resting a PZM mic on, although I also have a suspended mic in the middle of each bass drum for my own use.
 
I have a folded towel, maybe 8 layers thick, 6 inches wide, leaning more on the batter side.
It’s held in place by two pieces of elastic which stretch between the bottom lugs. Never moves during transit or gigs, but I can reach in and adjust it if I need to.

Sound guys like the towel for resting a PZM mic on, although I also have a suspended mic in the middle of each bass drum for my own use.

Can you show a picture? I'm not able to visualize the elastic setup. I use a towel too.

Someone bought be one of those Evans bass drum pillows, and it has an interesting design that includes velcro to tack the pillow down to the drum and allow you to tack it closer or further from the head. Usually it seems like too much though, and the towel is always a good option anyway.
 
Re tuning, I've used an Emad and unported front head for years now on various sized bass drums and gotten a lovely round full sound out of all of them unmicd. However the moment a drum mic comes into play then you're playing a different game and muffling becomes an element because a microphone half an inch from a drum picks up sounds that the human ear ten feet away also getting several other instruments thrown at it can't hear. Yes maybe tuning to the room is an option but it's not as quick and easy as my hoodie and it doesn't get better results

Yes, even if I prefer the (almost) unmuffled sound of the my kicks when practicing or playing unmiced rehearsals, most sound engineers prefer shorter tone -- and I will give it to them. The alternative is that they'll apply a gate, which is always worse than adding a towel or small pillow.
 
Back
Top