Our little practice space is out of control. The sound of the drums makes us turn up and we need to quiet the drums. Most comments I read are that drummers should play quieter. That would be great but this is surf and we like it lively. I am thinking about buying an acrylic drum screen for the front of the kit and sound proof the back walls and ceiling over the kit. anyone have any experience with this.

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Thanks for the feedback! I've done some muting of the kit but it only barely helps. I doubt we would ever use one for a gig but for practice it would be great if we could all turn down and hear each other easier at a lower volume.

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Thanks Murph! Great advice. I'll pass on the info on the Hot Rods. I saw those mentioned in a few posts but didn't know what they were. Like a bunch of chopsticks bundled together. When our drummer came to us I was the one that initiated him playing with more power. He was a bit apprehensive about his playing but I insisted he play loud and hard. He plays better when he isn't holding back. Yesterday I had my Showman on 2 the other guitarist was using my Bandmaster on 2 1/2 and the bass player was pretty low. Things went well at first but the cymbal ringing caused some ear ringing by the end.

This is the drum shield I want to buy. It's almost 300 shipped.

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stratdancer wrote:

Thanks Murph! Great advice. I'll pass on the info on the Hot Rods. I saw those mentioned in a few posts but didn't know what they were. Like a bunch of chopsticks bundled together. When our drummer came to us I was the one that initiated him playing with more power. He was a bit apprehensive about his playing but I insisted he play loud and hard. He plays better when he isn't holding back. Yesterday I had my Showman on 2 the other guitarist was using my Bandmaster on 2 1/2 and the bass player was pretty low. Things went well at first but the cymbal ringing caused some ear ringing by the end.

This is the drum shield I want to buy. It's almost 300 shipped.

What you really should do is treat your room acoustics properly. Build some broadband sound absorbers and bass traps, and hang them around your room and in the corners. Very easy and cheap to build, and 100% more effective than that expensive auralex crap.
The idea is to kill all the standing waves, high end ice pickiness, and bass accumultion. Get some Owens corning 703 rigid insulation panels or Roxul safe n sound (cheaper but less effective than the 703), build a frame around the panels and cover with light fabric. You'll want them to be about 2" thick and leave a 2" airspace behind them when hung on the wall. Place them floor to ceiling in the corners for super effective bass traps. You'll have to experiment with placement and how many to hang - you dont want to deaden the room completely.
I guarantee this will make your room sound a million times better, and will eliminate all the obnoxious reflections that cause all the ear ringing and excessive loudness. Everything will sound more pleasant and clearer. Guaranteed.

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Last edited: Dec 11, 2017 19:01:34

bamboozer wrote:

Or there's the famed make your own approach if it's just for practice. You can get plexi glass in a variety of thicknesses, cut it to size and lightly frame in up making several panels to suit what you need. I've seen it done for vocal booths and to shield the studio from cranked guitar amps. And remember, the sound is still going somewhere, just not out front.

I had looked into that approach and building the frame and it would save some money but getting everything cut, packaged with hardware all in one box is worth the extra dollars. I like the deflectors so I can direct some of the high frequencies of the cymbals down to the carpet where they can be neutralized a bit.

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murph wrote:

Along those lines, I always play with custom-fit hearing protectors, but no way I would subject my ears to all those high-freqs with nowhere to go. Much better for all band members to take proactive steps to keep the volume in check. This can be achieved by focusing on dynamics and being willing to err on the side of "playing too softly". It's always easy to turn up if needed.

It's been my experience that turning down the volume and really tuning in to what each other is playing yields great results. Not only does it highlight the interplay between the instruments, but it also reveals any warts that might be lurking behind the wall of sound you're generating.

-murph

I've always said that when we play quieter we are a better band. The first couple of songs can take some getting used to sound wise. I tend to get a bit flustered when I can't hear myself well.

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That must be crazy loud Ted! Three guitars and a bass player playing through Showmans.

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stratdancer wrote:

That must be crazy loud Ted! Three guitars and a bass player playing through Showmans.

In fact it is. It's probably good that we don't practice twice a week and play every weekend and tour like we used to.

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spskins wrote:

stratdancer wrote:

That must be crazy loud Ted! Three guitars and a bass player playing through Showmans.

In fact it is. It's probably good that we don't practice twice a week and play every weekend and tour like we used to.

I bet! I just bought a Blackface Showman a couple of weeks ago and texted a pic of it to the rest of the band. The first response back was a less than enthusiastic response from the drummer. It's pointed straight at him in practice. Just like Ivan's picture.

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drumsdick wrote:

"The Aquatudes" rehearsal setup is exactly like we set up live on stage. Guitar and bass cabs in-line to either side of my drums, facing forward. We also play in tight formation, not spread out to extreme sides of the stage. I use the lightest sticks possible for tunes. Floor tom-heavy tunes, like Squad Car, Surf Beat, Surfin Bird, take a heavier (5B) stick for me to put enough energy into the drum. We seem to have no problem playing at lower volumes. Also, I keep my cymbal height just above my toms, below ear level, to spare the guitarists' ears. Maybe worth a try.
- Dick

I wish we could all line up like we do on stage. It would be so much better!

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