Drum shields question

[Mr. D]

I play in a classic/modern rock cover band. We are limited to a smaller size rehearsal space, so volume and feedback are major issues. We try to treat it as a blessing in disguise that forces us to control our volume, but have nonetheless been considering a drum shield to help cut the drum volume.

 

Any experience with these? Searching old threads turned up very little.

 

Thanks in advance.

[axe2 2001]

 

I play in a classic/modern rock cover band. We are limited to a smaller size rehearsal space, so volume and feedback are major issues. We try to treat it as a blessing in disguise that forces us to control our volume, but have nonetheless been considering a drum shield to help cut the drum volume. Any experience with these? Searching old threads turned up very little. Thanks in advance.

 

 

I was involved in a recording project that had a female singer and she sang like a little bird. Good singer, just very quiet. I couldn't get her loud enough thru the practice PA without feedback. And it was rock music so the drums needed to be rehearsed as they were gonna be recorded. He pulled back some and we obviously turned our amps down but she still was too quiet. I couldn't see spending big bucks on shields so I hung clear plastic around the upper half of the drums. It's kindof like shower curtain material but totally clear. It helped alot. It knocked the cymbals down alot, which was the major offender on volume at that close proximity. Sure I could have bought shields and built iso walls but for what it was, the plasic did it's job for about $30.00. Got it at Wal-mart!! As the project evolved we moved to a headphone setup for rehearsal, problem totally solved.

[crossways]

In our bare-block room we used a bunch of scrap cardboard and foam around the front of the drums. That work pretty well.

 

I eventually bought a four panel drum shield for the front of the drums -- about the same result. I think those need to be a full enclosure to really cut volume down. Although both to the edge off.

 

Now in smaller venues we would take the shield and that really helped to cut feed back issues in live situations.

 

Good luck.

 

FWIW - you might be just as well to use brushes, or power rods. I make my own rods for practicing. Just get some small diameter dowel rods. Cut several pieces to size and duct tape. Losser is generally softer and vice versa.

 

I also understand, but don't have experience with, that they make practice pads for a drum kit. You just lay the pads right on the drum heads.

 

These might be cheaper alternatives as the shields are really high dollar.