Bass pedal beaters

[Groovemeister]

Hi all,
Just been experimenting lately when recording with different bass pedal beaters. It's amazing how much it affects the recorded sound you hear, not to mention the feel and action of the pedal itself...

I got (and use religiously) the new DW HARDCORE beaters, they sound great and really add punch and dynamic to your playing. Playing sofly yeilds soft and warm results, but the plastic shines through for that click and volume when you lay into it...

Has anyone else tried these out???

What are your thoughts on bass beaters???

MP

[Willy Brown]

Groovemeister: I agree with you. Seems many drummers have forgotten this important accessory. I rarely leave for a gig without at least four different bass drum beaters. If it's a session, it could be nine or ten. With one of those old lambswool big fluffy beaters you can recreate a forties bass drum sound instantly. I think that for me the critical beaters to bring would be the Pearl four-sided beater (particularly in the studio where the nuances are a little more obvious), the DW plastic/felt beater, a cork beater, a Slug beater (really nimble), a Danmar cherry wood beater, a plexi ball beater, and at least three grades of felt. About the latter, I happened upon a cool modification. Vater makes a really, really hard felt beater (they claim it's hardest on the market; forget the name)... almost as hard as wood and it's rounded. I tried a box cutter on it and was able to "sculpt it" flat on one side to improve contact with the bass drum and improve punch. What an amazing sound! And with a sharp knife, these things don't "fur" or shred; they cut very cleanly. Collectible beaters might include the old Rogers Blackjack, predecessor of the DW reversible beater and the Premier two-sided (leather over cork or wood/lambswool). The great thing about beaters is that you can instantly "EQ" your bass drum sound off-the-floor in the studio before they actually apply EQ. Also I love the Yamaha and Sonor beaters with interchangeable beater heads, particularly the Yamaha rubber head beater. If you change your beater and it feels a little weird, you can adjust the feel by applying a little duct tape somewhere on the beater shaft.
Great topic, GM. Anybody tried those superball type beaters?
WB

[Groovemeister]

I haven't tried the Superball beaters, but I have heard good things, especially from players who need more speed and rebound. Being rubber, they bounce right back to you much faster than plastic or felt and the density is also much higher.

Another one I've tried on a mate's kit is the Marell Skull beaters. It was very light and pretty nimble, but I must say, it didn't do much for the sound...

MP

[SingleStrk]

Cool subject. If you don't already own a bunch of different beaters, here's something you might want to try:

I did some samba/bossa stuff for a while and often I was unable to use my own kit or bring a lot of stuff to the gig or rehearsal. So I discovered that a children's glove would do the trick when I needed really soft sound from the bass drum. I just put the tiny glove (made for babies) on the beater and that was it. I experimented a little and found the perfect little furry glove for bossa nova. Really nice and soft "ooomph" that fit in the music perfectly. Now I keep a couple of different ones in my stick bag all the time. They are cheap, light and don't take a lot of space.

[Willy Brown]

To SS: Great idea; would never have thunk it! It's so simple yet so perfect, somewhat like putting carpet remnants or foam under your floor tom leg. Thanks.
WB