about muflling the bass

[blackdragon2o1]

hi i was wondering about the bass drum is it better to muffle with a lanket or a pillow, or a muffler u buy at a shop?

[srch4sat]

It's all a matter or experimentation. Here's a few ideas:

1. If you decide to go with pillows or a blanket , lay it in in the drum so that it touches the head, but don't put a lot of pressure on either head or you'll muffle the sound in to non-existance.

2. Many of the muffles available for puchase offer a lot of help if all else fails. This is mainly a matter of how much you want to spend.

3. I have personally used weatherstripping (1 1/2" wide, 1/4" thick, dense foam) on my setup (16X22" Export). I have 2 4" strips at 3:00 and 9:00.

4. I have also tried using a strip of felt about 3" wide under the bass drum head between 25% and 40% across the drum head (put on the felt and then set the head on top of it). This is espceially good on thinner bass haeds.

5. Some head manufacturers have combination head packs (I know that Evans does for dure) that cut down on the need for muffling altoghether.

Hope that helps some. It's tough to say that one thing is better than another, because there are so many different tastes and styles.

[Hoody]

I use a Remo Poerstroke 3 batter, no resonant head on my 80's Tama Imperialstar, engineers love the sound. The muffle I use is a tiny square of Gaff with folded tissue on snare drum batter head.

[Peepdrmr]

I muffle nothing except for what the Aquarian superkick/regulator head combo provides. Drums are supposed to resonate, if you want a dead sound get some thick cardboard boxes.

[AntiConformist]

I use an Evans EMAD bass head... IMO it sounds amazing. The only muffling system I use...

[Dex]

I put several large towel peices duct taped to both heads. It gives more of the pillow muffled sound (a thump) with a touch of sustain (a few milli-seconds) but the feel of playing a drum with nothing in it (I have the feel of a drum with a pillow in it. It doesn't give any, kinda like thumping a pillow).

[drumwerker]

I have an Aquarian 22" Super-Kick I batter and the black Pearl logo resonant. I use no muffling other than what is on the Aquarian and I will dent your chest if you stand too close to the front of the bass drum :D

[doc_on_drums]

I use 2" X 2" Foam airconditioner insulation with homemade mounting clamps inside the drum to hold the foam lightly against both heads and run it about 1/2 way around each head. Leave the air space within the drum open (don't stuff the drum), this takes the heavy overtones out of the head yet still allows the drum to boom. You can cut the foam to the length that gets as much or as little resonance as you like. My bass drum will also punch you in the chest across the room, but without the lingering resonance that sometimes is hard to control when micing.

[fatboy46]

the old bass drum mufflers that clamp to the hoop are cool.. look good.. I use mine on the front head.. to take out a little of the rumble.. SuperkickII batter.. and a 4-1/4 hole in the front head

[jc8906]

I tried to use a pillow and it did not help and I went to wal-mart and bought a foam pillow and placed it in the bass drum. I have a 22x18 BRx bass drum and it has a powerstroke 3 head and now it really kicks.