Rubber heads vs Mesh heads

[wiseoldman]

Hi All,

 

I am moving and am looking at buying a medium quality electronic drum kit for recording (only play a little myself but going to create a small studio).

 

A quick question, how loud are mesh heads? Are they equivalent to an acoustic drum set or significantly lower in dB's?

 

If so i will have to get rubber heads to not annoy the neighbors, and will just have to annoy the drummers instead.

 

Thanks for any replies!

 

CHeers

 

JK

 

 

[Phil O'Keefe]

Mesh heads are actually really quiet compared to regular drum heads. The main concern I'd have is if you're in an apartment above someone else - they might hear your bass drum pedal through the roof, but that will be an issue with mesh or rubber heads. Outside of that, given half-way decent walls, I doubt you'll have too much problems with annoying the neighbors.

 

This clip gives you a really good idea of how loud mesh heads are in the room, without amplification:

 

[video=youtube;oTcoqec1qzk]

 

 

This one does the same thing, except with rubber pads:

 

[video=youtube;IH5mSI1LLMA]

 

 

Both videos first give you the amplified sound (what you'd hear in headphones) and then in the second half, they show the actual sound of the sticks hitting the heads. Hopefully they'll give you a better idea of what to expect from each. Good luck with your new studio, and make sure you drop by the Studio Trenches forum here on HC if you have any recording related questions.

 

 

[Mikeo]

I have the Yamaha combination. ONly the snare has the mesh head, the rest is rubber.

 

I initially set out to buy the Roland kit, but I liked the Yamaha kit better. My budget was a grand.

 

Yamaha DTX522K Electronic Drum Set

[nice keetee]

I prefer mesh fake drum heads, YMMV

[Drummer44]

Of the one's I've worked with, rubber are louder than mesh. And harder on my wrists.

 

-D44

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

I find mesh gives you the best response, stay silent, and have less mis-triggers than rubber.

D

[Voltan]

if i have to play with electronic toys i prefer mesh heads... no offense but my preference remains acoustic drums.