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Thoughts on acrylic drum screens?
- Thread starter HairPig
- Start date
People have used the clear panels for years under the misguided assumption that they will make drums quieter. They are not really designed to make drums quieter; they are designed to keep other loud things out of the drum mics. Yes, the reflective properties of the panels will lessen some of the high frequencies, but that makes the drums sound unnatural, not quiet.
Now, if you put absorptive material on the panels you can change the directional characteristics of the sound across a broader spectrum of frequencies and reduce the volume to some extent, but that won't necessarily guarantee better sound or more control for the engineer or a better experience for the musicians.
There is also an unintended consequence when using panels for drums: the overhead mics pick up the reflections off the panels. This means the overhead mics must be treated more like "cymbal mics" with a tight polar pattern and HPF. It's manageable for normal FOH applications but it becomes much more apparent when doing live recordings.
Now, if you put absorptive material on the panels you can change the directional characteristics of the sound across a broader spectrum of frequencies and reduce the volume to some extent, but that won't necessarily guarantee better sound or more control for the engineer or a better experience for the musicians.
There is also an unintended consequence when using panels for drums: the overhead mics pick up the reflections off the panels. This means the overhead mics must be treated more like "cymbal mics" with a tight polar pattern and HPF. It's manageable for normal FOH applications but it becomes much more apparent when doing live recordings.
- Apr 1, 2000
- 17,410
- 9,868
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Roscoe Guitars, DR Strings, Aguilar Amplification
I've toured with them for years, and they do an enormous amount of good. The thing they do the best is keep drums out of the vocal mics - which is HUGE with most bands.
I've noticed this, that's why I'm dying for some hypercardiod mics for the toms and cymbals.
I played in a band that used one. The drummer didn't mind it at all as long as we pumped the mix into his monitor so he could hear everything.
If I were the drummer, I would buy a metronome, and a sound-level meter. I would practice playing a steady feel at a low volume.
As an aside, not that it matters to everyone, but I've noticed that drummers who can play a great feel quietly always seem to make tons of money- so if I were a professional drummer, I would practice that, and only that!!!
As an aside, not that it matters to everyone, but I've noticed that drummers who can play a great feel quietly always seem to make tons of money- so if I were a professional drummer, I would practice that, and only that!!!
Two suggestions to deal with the situation, this first is to set up a drum kit to eliminate alot of "extra" sound. There are many kits that have a more "opened" sound and others that are direct. The thinner plied shells are gonna offer more low end and be louder than heavy thickier shells. Addressing a drum problem by looking at the drums first is the right way to do this. Also size of the drums denotes the volumn throw. In a small club setting a thicker ply and smaller sized kit will eliminate alot of the
"over production" of sound. Cymbals can get a little quieter by lowering the height of the stands and ofcourse smaller sizes and perfectly placed thin felt on the far away (to the player)edges to reduce after shock but this has to be done carefully so the character of the cymbals isn't lost. The use of that goob crap (blue gell) is the best stuff because the amount used is drastic to reduction and you don't wind up squashing the tone or eliminating it like everyone did in the late 70 thru the eighties. The days of dead heads and no over tone (color) was ridiculous.
Now the second and much harder technique is that you tell the drummer "YOUR To Damn Loud!!! Learn some DYNAMICS and think about how you'd sound being recorded!..................HA! good luck with that!!! Most bangers can't play using "touch" its a totally different approach but if they start rehearsing using it they can learn how to play using it. Eventually he'll have to learn it anyways they ALL do. I know, I'm a drummer first a bass player second been doing both for 50 years this Sept. Doc
"over production" of sound. Cymbals can get a little quieter by lowering the height of the stands and ofcourse smaller sizes and perfectly placed thin felt on the far away (to the player)edges to reduce after shock but this has to be done carefully so the character of the cymbals isn't lost. The use of that goob crap (blue gell) is the best stuff because the amount used is drastic to reduction and you don't wind up squashing the tone or eliminating it like everyone did in the late 70 thru the eighties. The days of dead heads and no over tone (color) was ridiculous.
Now the second and much harder technique is that you tell the drummer "YOUR To Damn Loud!!! Learn some DYNAMICS and think about how you'd sound being recorded!..................HA! good luck with that!!! Most bangers can't play using "touch" its a totally different approach but if they start rehearsing using it they can learn how to play using it. Eventually he'll have to learn it anyways they ALL do. I know, I'm a drummer first a bass player second been doing both for 50 years this Sept. Doc
I can sympathize with your plight. The last drummer I played with had a giant Pearl kit, wood beaters on his pedals, the biggest sticks he could buy. When I asked him to play quieter, he looked at me like I was crazy. His response was "it's like a light switch, its either on or off, dude." Had the band not fallen apart, I would have fired him.
honest abe
Supporting Member
100% agreed. I couldnt do without them at my my church and only found them irrelevant in outdoor situations. I dont use them in our current tour because the aesthetics are very important but I wish I could.
Ive been a live engineer for about 20 years and never had the need to use them to keep other instruments from bleeding into the drums. I also dispute the efficiency of hypercardoid mics on overheads. They are too directional to be effective unless u used one per cymbal. My 2 cents..
You know, somehow we all managed for decades to have good FOH sound without drum boxes. This clinical obsession with eliminating bleed is way overkill IMHO. We've already ruined the recording process with eliminating bleed as much as possible...why ruin live shows, too? Why not just listen to music on an iPod instead?
I'll repeat myself:
When a drummer just won't quit pounding the drums, NOTHING the soundman can do will change squat diddly.
If drummers could all control their volume, things like drum boxes wouldn't be necessary.
I've played many gigs with insanely loud drummers and quite a few live mics, and we always managed to work it out. I actually like loud drummers. I think if you hit the drums too softly, it doesn't sound as good for some types of music.
Yeah, but in order to make the rest of the band audible, you may need to boost them to uncomfortably loud levels just to be heard over the drums.
I still believe what I believe.
Yeah. They work really well when filled right up to the top with water. Don't forget you need an aqualung as well if you go that route. And some fish.
Drums are to loud at a show?
Most drummers dont hit loud enough and have junky old heads that dont make much sound anyways.
A pro " Jazz Drummer" will use a different Kit and different size cymbals to soften and overcome the fact that acoustic drums being hit lightly are still rather loud.
Otherwise rock and roll, you mean Led Zepp or The Who, Cream AC/DC...my gosh people they were loud...i mean loud.
Drums are loud...Mmm'kay, Amps are heavy M'kay, their is going to be stairs to get up to that stage....M'kay. yours ears are going to ring ok, your going to be tired mmm humm...you have to practice....blah blah blah...this is rock n roll people...get over it or find a new hobby.....
Most drummers dont hit loud enough and have junky old heads that dont make much sound anyways.
A pro " Jazz Drummer" will use a different Kit and different size cymbals to soften and overcome the fact that acoustic drums being hit lightly are still rather loud.
Otherwise rock and roll, you mean Led Zepp or The Who, Cream AC/DC...my gosh people they were loud...i mean loud.
Drums are loud...Mmm'kay, Amps are heavy M'kay, their is going to be stairs to get up to that stage....M'kay. yours ears are going to ring ok, your going to be tired mmm humm...you have to practice....blah blah blah...this is rock n roll people...get over it or find a new hobby.....
BogeyBass said:
Tell that to the next club owner asking you to turn down and see how long you last.......
Listen to this guy.
If you are installing structures in order to sound decent on stage it might be time to consider the possibility that your band isn't very good. Maybe work on that.
projectMalamute said:
Wow, we've got a lot of professional musicians to call......so we can tell them they aren't very good.
