Your Thoughts on Dampening Methods?

[AndrewLoGi]

I've seen quite a bit of these being used lately ("O" rings, Moon Gel, external dampeners, etc., etc.). However, I've noticed that some people are strongly opposed to them.

So what do you guys think about them? Are they detrimental to the overall sound of a kit, or can they be beneficial?

[Retrovertigo]

its whatever you want it to be. i dont like to dampen things much but when i do its moongel. i can add and subtract as needed to get the tone im after. i use felt strips in my kick because i use single ply heads with no muffling on them.
i think the o rings kill too much sustain and a ton of muffling in the kick also kills sustain. but its all what you're after. a tight kick tone, say for metal, requires a shorter sound thus more dampening.

[Biscuit]

Agreed. It's a personal preference thing really. If a little dampening will get you the sound your after then yes i say go for it. For me personally, the only time i dampen anything is when i'm playing at home. My drums just sound better in my basement muffled than open. Playing live? No question about it, no muffling at all except maybe just a little moongel on the snare.

[Mark_S]

I like my drums to sound lively most of the time, so I don't use much in the way of dampening. When I do, it's moongel (usually to tame the snare ring in smaller rooms). My bass drum head usually has some internal muffling (like a PS3 or EMAD), and sometimes a small cushion inside.

I used to use a lot more dampening, but as my tuning skills have improved I find I use less and less. The Bob Gatzen you-tube clips have helped a lot, especially with bass drum tuning.

I guess its down to how you want it to sound, or if you're being paid how the person paying you wants it to sound at the end of the day. If that involves a few tons of gaffer tape then so be it!

[AudioWonderland]

I use a Evans EQ pad in the kick with PS3 heads. Typically thats it for muffling on my kits. I will use a bit of moon gel on the snare if the track needs a tighter sound but thats only on occasion

[MikeM]

If that's the sound you're going for, then my all means. There's that Black Keyes song still in heavy rotation on the radio that had kind of a cool drum part and drum sound. It's retro, though, so it sounds like single-headed toms with tons of duct tape all over them. I think that's the vibe they were going for so it seems to work. I like that sorta thing - not on my own drums, mind you, but if the music calls for it and that's what you're going for, then why not?

However, that's not the sound I'm going for. I'm like the countless sheep on this site that like the wide open nicely tuned drum that sings for days.

[AndrewLoGi]

Originally Posted by AudioWonderland

I use a Evans EQ pad in the kick with PS3 heads. Typically thats it for muffling on my kits. I will use a bit of moon gel on the snare if the track needs a tighter sound but thats only on occasion

I always wanted to try out the Evans EQ pad. Do you find it works well?

[Spectron]

For me, tuning and head selection go a l-o-n-g way towards getting the desired tone out of my drums.

from there it is really more of a "fine tuning" for the situation sort of deal.

I like all my drums to sing with beautiful resonance and tasty musical overtones
but it wasn't until I really got into recording my drums that I learned to love
this quality.

Practicing by yourself in a small room or garage, sitting right above your drums
you drums may sound overly lively, ringy, "out of control" basically...

but put them exact tones in a mix with bass, guitars and vocals and they become
the very thing that lets your drums speak through the mix.

on the other hand..at one point I had my drums sounding SO studio perfect with moongels and the like - low tuning, no overtones etc... which is great for those "alone in your garage practice times"

but in the mix with other instruments they sound dead, boring... lifeless
like that...

so...I guess you could say my ears have been trained to accept and love the uncontrolled mayhem of wide open drums....

I will say however that live sound is different from recording in that you can't get away with the same amount of sustain as you do when recording where you can shape and mold the tones after the fact if they prove to be too unweilding...

for live sound (mic'd with PA) you do need to control the sustain of that kick drum and
control those toms slightly and yes sometimes the ring in the snare is just plain too much:)

for this: moongel, gaffer tape

BTW I have the evans eq pillow and love it - it moves away from the head when the
head is struck only to settle right back into place so you get the full tone for a moment
without too much sustain....it's great! definately worth it in my book

[AudioWonderland]

Originally Posted by AndrewLoGi

I always wanted to try out the Evans EQ pad. Do you find it works well?

I do. Between adjusting how close the flap is to the head and using the brake against it if you like ( I never do) you can get a lot of variation. I just use the small end flap angled about 45 degrees against the batter head. Combined with a PS3 its perfect.

[AndrewLoGi]

I currently use the Remo "O" rings on my toms just because my kit is in the basement, and they sound pretty damn bad with all the resonance. I'm fairly certain they're tuned well, as I've played them in rooms with better acoustics and they sound relatively good.

Like most of you are saying, I like the dampening for personal practice time because I want it to sound good in my basement; it's easier to practice when everything sounds good :P.

I'll definitely have to check out the Evans EQ pad though, it would definitely be easier than stuffing a pillow in there to control the sustain. Thank you everybody for your input!

[DrumEatDrum]

I tend to avoid it when possible.

But some times in certain rooms, or in certain situations, it can't be avoided. And if that's what I need to do to make it work, then I do it.

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

Originally Posted by DrumEatDrum

I tend to avoid it when possible.

But some times in certain rooms, or in certain situations, it can't be avoided. And if that's what I need to do to make it work, then I do it.

It's becoming increasingly obvious to me that I really no longer need to post anything on these forums at all. 9 times out of 10, I'm better off just saying.....refer to DED's post!!

Captures my thoughts exactly (yet again). ;-)