Grrr! Church Just Bought a Drum Shield

[Tupac]

Eh, just get a thicker carpet. Maybe a smaller diameter snare drum would help? Not sure how that would work, but the snare is what kills. And, of course, pillow up the bass drum.

[Art Araya]

they make the soundman's job much easier in that they prevent lots of the drum signal from going into the vocal mics. they allow for a lower overall stage volume from the other instruments (which in turn allows for lower floor monitor levels) as well which also helps the sound person...

and when you do happen to play with a loud drummer, you'll be so happy.

I happen to like drum shields in a church service setting.

[MNAirHead]

I played at a church that figured this one out.....they had electronic drums

Drummer walks in "I hate vdrums"

Worship leader giggles - pulls back a curtain ... In an isolation booth (recessed in the wall) they had an acoustic set

Drummer picked vdrums

[drummer5359]

I've played church rooms as drummer. There are tons of ways to tone down the drums without a shield. Technique is number one, heads with some type of control rings or moon jell and dryer cymbals. Even different sticks can help. I think that they are trying to control the perception of a problem rather than a problem.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by walterw

if everybody (including the drummer) is on IEMs, why would it be an issue?

what you hear in your ears shouldn't change much at all.

Originally Posted by two fingers

In church situations (that I have encountered anyway) it's more about the FOH mix than the other musicians being able to hear on a loud stage.

It's hard to explain but (physics aside) mixing a church is different from mixing a club all dimensions being equal. Many of the PA's are overkill. You're not really trying to create a volume level that's at club levels. With everything lower, it's harder for the sound guy to get a grip if the drums (or anything else on stage) are filling the room up and not allowing him tweeking room.

well yeah, that's my point!

if the players are all on IEMs, then things like drum shields (or rooms) and amp shields (or rooms) shouldn't bother them too much.

[seang15]

Originally Posted by blindeddie

what do you expect? you're playing in church! it's not like you're rocking in a bar somewhere.

I moved to NC from NY four years ago. You wouldn't believe the churches here. I want to get a church gig here, simply because I am sick of being told to turn down everywhere else.

[Samsound]

Originally Posted by eddododo

our worship leader just REFUSES a setlist , so we have to pantomime song titles through the smudged glass.

Grease pencil, and learn to write backwards like the old aircraft carrier days, lol.

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by seang15

I moved to NC from NY four years ago. You wouldn't believe the churches here. I want to get a church gig here, simply because I am sick of being told to turn down everywhere else.

Hey my brother lives in your town! I'm in Greenville an hour or so due east. Let me know if you ever play in the area!

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

[seang15]

Originally Posted by two fingers

Hey my brother lives in your town! I'm in Greenville an hour or so due east. Let me know if you ever play in the area!

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

Will do! I sub'd, but will pm you asap...playing twice this coming weekend. Thanks man! Appreciate the reply.

[JimmyM]

I hate the quest so many people are on to eliminate all traces of bleed. It's silly. A little bleed never hurt anyone.

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I hate the quest so many people are on to eliminate all traces of bleed. It's silly. A little bleed never hurt anyone.

The problem with a lot of churches is that you are dealing with people who (although their hearts are in the right place) aren't 20 year road tested musicians. So when the guitar bleeds into a vocalists mic, he just stops and says "We GOTTA do something about that guitar in my ears!" He doesn't know how to just deal with it and keep on trucking. You and I know it's just bleeding through his vocal mic. But they don't and it freaks them out. They just assume the sound guy (who in many cases never touched a sound board until he volunteered to do it at church to help out) is messing with the wrong knob.

That is not to say that all church musicians are hacks. That's not my point. It's just that many of them haven't played 2,000+ gigs like many of us here. Therefore they don't have a roll with it attitude like may of us. I do my best to calm everybody down in my church group, but they still let little things bother them. They just haven't dealt with many problems (be they big or small) so everything stresses them out. (Much like the OP stressing out over the plastic wall between he and his drummer that started this very thread..... case in point.)

[Scott1]

Originally Posted by drummer5359

I've played church rooms as drummer. There are tons of ways to tone down the drums without a shield. Technique is number one, heads with some type of control rings or moon jell and dryer cymbals. Even different sticks can help. I think that they are trying to control the perception of a problem rather than a problem.

+100

[bassist001]

I'm a firm believer in that drum shields are not needed! It's all dependent on the drummers control. If your put a shield around a drummer. That drummer never learns the art of control. And in reality, a drum shield doesn't even do that much. And yes I come from a background in the church for the last 13 years haha So I feel for you!

[lowfreq33]

The biggest obstacle to getting good sound at church is that the really old people usually sit right up front so they can hear better. They also don't like loud music.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by jaywa

We'll find out I guess. Drum shields are dissed hard by all the good veteran drummers I've worked with and whose opinions I value. But none of those guys play at our church so maybe our drummers will be OK with it.

You need a drum shield. Trust me on this. I have over 28,000 posts.

[Anonymatt]

Drummers are dopes. They get excited and lose control. They want to "get there" at all costs. Drum shield? Pff. How about poisonous darts?

Seriously, find a drummer that's over it. It's the only way. Maybe a woman. Or make the drummer play with those "broom substance" bundles or whatever. Or pay the drummer so they have to respect job parameters.

EDIT: W/ the shield, you can do the scene from the end of Star Trek II, at least.

[grisezd]

I'll agree that drummers are dopes. Cave persons. My wife is a drummer. She's played in all sorts of settings with all sorts of bands, and every show finishes with something broken, something bleeding, and a way-too-long recovery period. Next day she moves like a washed up prize fighter. Trust me, a woman drummer will play as hard as she can as soon as she can.

Me, I've played in a church one time since Catholic school in the 70s. Things have certainly changed. You guys single handedly keep the upper end of the musical instrument and sound reinforcement business afloat. I've never seen such opulance, and like I said I grew up Catholic. I guess Jesus is a bit of a gear snob...

That said, If they put the drummer in a cage, get in there with him. Then get someone else to join you. Eventually they'll have to build an aquarium for the band. That's just how I'd do it.

[invalidprotocol]

Originally Posted by lowfreq33

The biggest obstacle to getting good sound at church is that the really old people usually sit right up front so they can hear better. They also don't like loud music.

Thats it, quarantine the old people.

[invalidprotocol]

Originally Posted by grisezd

That said, If they put the drummer in a cage, get in there with him. Then get someone else to join you. Eventually they'll have to build an aquarium for the band. That's just how I'd do it.

Someone needs to photoshop that scenario. Make sure to include some tetras and the Spongebob scenery as well.

[Jhengsman]

Originally Posted by grisezd

Me, I've played in a church one time since Catholic school in the 70s. Things have certainly changed. You guys single handedly keep the upper end of the musical instrument and sound reinforcement business afloat. I've never seen such opulance, and like I said I grew up Catholic. I guess Jesus is a bit of a gear snob...

That said, If they put the drummer in a cage, get in there with him. Then get someone else to join you. Eventually they'll have to build an aquarium for the band. That's just how I'd do it.

Isn't having the band in an aquarium essentially what putting everybody on in ear monitors is or away in a loft or pit is? Just go the full route and use electronic drums, a keyboard to replace any piano and a solid body "acoustic" guitar.

It is more like using the best technology available.. While most churches depend upon the rigs of their volunteer musicians other churches have invested into a sound system where they once invested in a pipe organ or a Hammond when it was invented.