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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => LAB Lounge => Topic started by: Robert Weston on May 12, 2014, 10:15:16 AM

Title: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Robert Weston on May 12, 2014, 10:15:16 AM
Pardon my ignorance with this... I'm not a drummer, nor have I have encountered this object in the years of doing sound (maybe I've lived a shelter life). 

What is the round "attachment" on the kick drum in the photo?  The mic (and mic stand) is obvious, but to the left of the mic is something that appears to have a bar coming out of a round object.

Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: John Roberts {JR} on May 12, 2014, 10:32:51 AM
I can not see much of anything in your photo.

Yamaha makes a dedicated bass drum mic called "Sub kick".  There is also an add-on port called a "kick port".

Apparently drummers have too much money.

JR
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: DavidTurner on May 12, 2014, 10:35:29 AM
Hard to tell for sure because of the image quality, but it appears to be a damper to control the resonance of the front head. These used to be common. This is the first I've seen in decades.

Pardon my ignorance with this... I'm not a drummer, nor have I have encountered this object in the years of doing sound (maybe I've lived a shelter life). 

What is the round "attachment" on the kick drum in the photo?  The mic (and mic stand) is obvious, but to the left of the mic is something that appears to have a bar coming out of a round object.
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Bob Cap on May 12, 2014, 10:40:17 AM
That's exactly what it is.

I have a few of these I use on older drum kits. Being a drummer I know how some guys are about duct tape and even moon gel on their drum heads.

They also used to have them built into many drums on the inside.

I'll bet this setup in the photo had nothing inside the kick drum to deaden the sound. Resonance city.

Bob Cap
Advanced Audio Inc.
Gilbert, MN
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Glen Kelley on May 12, 2014, 11:48:49 AM
That's exactly what it is.

I have a few of these I use on older drum kits. Being a drummer I know how some guys are about duct tape and even moon gel on their drum heads.

They also used to have them built into many drums on the inside.

I'll bet this setup in the photo had nothing inside the kick drum to deaden the sound. Resonance city.


Hard to tell for sure because of the image quality, but it appears to be a damper to control the resonance of the front head. These used to be common. This is the first I've seen in decades.

Yep. It's an external dampener. Pretty common on older bass drums, when drummers used 26 or 28" drums. That appears to be a rolling bomber kit, or something similar, from the WWII years when drums were made with wooden lugs. Seeing as how I can hear with my eyes, I bet it sounds great.  ;D
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Robert Weston on May 12, 2014, 01:35:17 PM
Thanks for the info.  Good to know what it is, though, now that you have all shared your knowledge, I will probably never see one!  Sorry about the image quality; it's a still taken from a video. 

Yep, thinking it was a some type of kickport as well (customized?), but couldn't figure out what or why a bar would have been attached.

Many thanks.
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Patrick Tracy on May 12, 2014, 01:54:03 PM
There appears to be a cable coming down from the round thing people are calling a damper. To me it looks like a hole in the head with a mic on a clip/gooseneck mount aimed through it.
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Patrick Tracy on May 12, 2014, 01:58:00 PM
There appears to be a cable coming down from the round thing people are calling a damper. To me it looks like a hole in the head with a mic on a clip/gooseneck mount aimed through it.

A little tweaking on the brightness/contrast makes it pretty clear that it's a small speaker used as a mic.
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Jamin Lynch on May 12, 2014, 03:45:16 PM
Looks like a vintage kit. Maybe even with original heads...or real old ones anyway.

Most of the vintage kit players don't like mic holes in their drum heads or internal damping. So an external dampener like the one in the picture was used.
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Tom Roche on May 12, 2014, 05:22:18 PM
A little tweaking on the brightness/contrast makes it pretty clear that it's a small speaker used as a mic.
No sir, it's definitely a bass drum muffler.  Specifically, it's a Slingerland 935 Deluxe Shur-Grip model.  Here's a picture of one:  http://www.olympicdrums.com/SlingerlandModel935BassDrumMuffler.html

This is Jay Bellerose, probably playing with Ray LaMontagne in support of the God Willin & The Creek Don't Rise release.  Glenn has it correct: it's a 1943 or 1944 Slingerland Rolling Bomber kit.  Jay uses calfskin heads top and bottom of all drums.
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Robert Weston on May 12, 2014, 08:00:55 PM
Good find Tom! 

Yes, Jay is playing with Ray (as one of the Pariah Dogs).

Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Bob Leonard on May 12, 2014, 10:08:29 PM
Definately a damper. My drummer in the 60's used one religeously. No holes in his Gretsch kit and the damper worked wonders to tighten/dampen the kick. Haven't seen one in over 25 years.
Title: Re: kick-drum attachment?
Post by: Patrick Tracy on May 12, 2014, 11:31:57 PM
No sir, it's definitely a bass drum muffler.

Whoops, meant to say it's definitely not a hole. Got distracted while typing.