Fat sounds thanks to Drum Dampeners

The first thing that comes to mind in getting a thicker, more consistent drum sound while at the same time controlled and free of annoying resonances, is the use of mutes and attenuators for drums. These accessories minimize the mid-range frequencies and reverberation of beaten skin, essential for both on stage and in the studio. There are two ways to mitigate your snare drum or tom: modern Damper Pads (see Moongel ) or more classical Damping rings.

There are several reasons why a dampener such as Moongel is much better than duct tape in muffling the reverberation of the skin. Firstly Moongel and damping rings can be removed and reused without leftover residue. Additionally, Moongel is colourful and is easily identifiable during setup. The main reason we believe Moongel is truly greater is because of the possibility in determining the degree of dampening: the closer it is positioned to the center of the drum head, the greater the dampening effect.

Here is a brief overview of the products mentioned in the article. Obviously, the explanation here is very simplified. If you have further questions or technical questions, please contact our drum department.

Damper Pads (gel material)

The Moongel supports by RTOM are classics. The pads are in gel material and are self-adhesive, able to adhere to the surface of drums, cymbals and most percussion instruments. They eliminate unwanted harmonics and excessive reverberations according to their placement. Furthermore they are washable and reusable.

Here are a few alternatives for a smaller budget: Millenium Drum Mute Pads Black Mamba or the transparent SlapKlatz Gel Pads 10-piece box(also available in green fluorescent). SlapKlatz are also popular because of the variety in available pads found here

Damping rings

For those who prefer to work with Damping rings, we propose the following examples: the Millenium 14″ Sound Control Ring Snare or the Evans E-Ring 14″ Clear Snare 1“ to be placed on top of the drum head for a thicker and rounder sound.

An alternative to the good old blanket tucked in the bass drum is an EQ-Pad Bass Drum Mute by Evans. This bass drum damper is used by professionals in controlling attack and sustain.

Drum Effects 

If you’re a drummer who loves effects, then we still have some alternatives in getting the most out of your drum kit:

The Fat Snare Drum The Original 14″  is designed to turn any snare drum into a beefy, 70’s vintage inspired snare. It is applied directly on the skin of medium high tuned snares for an authentic, deep, warm sound.

For a vintage jingle sound, we recommend the Big Fat Snare Drum Josh’s Snare-Bourine . Thanks to the four bells (equal to those on a tambourine) affixed to the sides of the pad, you can turn an ordinary song into a joyous pagan celebration.

Hear the difference between damped – undamped in our 30-second 😉

For more information on this topic, check out our PA-Workshop video.

What are your experiences with Drum Dampening?

Lawrence started playing the electric guitar because of his passion for rock music. Back in the day he played in a metal band, but now plays more for himself.

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