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Thread: What am I doing wrong( Double Bass )

  1. #1

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    Default What am I doing wrong( Double Bass )

    Ok- heres the deal ( a bit long winded )

    If I set up my double pedal ( Pearl Eliminator ) on my practice pad and sit in front of the TV at night, I can really cook and get my rythym going nice and fast, I get a lot of bounce back from the practice pad - I can manage 16ths up to around 150 bpm for a while etc. The pedal feels really smooth like you would expect this quality of pedal to be.

    I sit at my teachers electric kit- same deal ( he has a crappy pedal BTW )

    I put my dble pedal onto my acoustic kit and I cant get anywhere near that, I am lucky to maintain 16ths at about 120bpm! And the 'feel' certainly doesnt feel as 'natural' as the harder pads. Most beats feel like an 'effort' and a lot of concentration is taken up just wondering if I am hitting each beater equally and evenly as opposed to just having my feet 'flowing' while I do hand stuff.

    I CANNOT get the same bounce/ feedback from my acoustic batter head as I do from harder surfaces

    Most of you would know I am now on my 2nd kit and it has been the same on both. I have also tried 3 different batter heads AND have a Remo Falam Slam stuck on the heads as well.

    To me it is as though the beaters hit the practice pad and electric pad earlier ( in a more upright position ) , therefore they come back quicker, yet on the acoustic drum it has to push forward another inch or so to hit the batter head and land on it with the beater at a forward angle as opposed to upright then they have to come back that same distance meaning a longer stroke.
    The beater feels like it just slops into the head and wants to stay there. I have tightened the batter head but HATE the tone of a higher pitched bass drum, so it is loose but nowhere near what you would class as sloppy.

    I have tried light spring, heavy spring and a lot of adjustments.

    Any clues how I can make this better? Am I missing some TOTALLY OBVIOUS pedal adjustment?

    Cheers

    Wotto
    ' Up the Irons '

  2. #2

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    yes possibly. I have the same problem, the practice pad feels so good and the pedals feel good hooked up to it. Although I know I need new pedals. Its like i lose it on the bass drum. I can understand your frustration!

  3. #3

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    Maybe the bass drum head is not tight enough.

  4. #4

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    I dont really know the problem, i cant figure it out in my tiny primitive brain. I do have a suggestion though, play more on the acoustic then you do on the practice pad, that way you get used to it and will become faster, then if its a problem with the pedal of your head or the way the pedal is adjusted you will be used to having to go that little extra length and you will be faster. Just a thought.

  5. #5

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    is the front of your kick drum raised up a little or does it sit flat on the ground? it will bring the head closer to the beater if you lengthen your kick drum legs and lift the front of the frum about 2 inches off the ground.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by funkymcstain
    is the front of your kick drum raised up a little or does it sit flat on the ground? it will bring the head closer to the beater if you lengthen your kick drum legs and lift the front of the frum about 2 inches off the ground.
    Now THAT could be a grand idea - will try that

    Cheers

    Wotto
    ' Up the Irons '

  7. #7

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    thnk you mr. dave weckl. a little trick i learned from the back to basics video....my first instructional vid from like 1987.

  8. #8

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    A BIG thankyou to you Mr McStain, lifted it about an inch and it now feels a LOT better, still not perfect, but a WHOLE lot better than what it was.

    Many Thanks

    Wotto
    ' Up the Irons '

  9. #9

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    Didn't have much to say here, because I don't even have a double bass pedal, so didn't even want to come off as knowing anything on this subject. Having said that, I have been reading this thread to see if there is anything that is said that I can store away in the back of my brain - and there it was.

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  10. #10

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    The other thing is just the difference between pads and accoustic heads. Pads (usually) are a very hard, rebounding surface. You don't have to hit as hard for the rebound. In addition to that, on an acoustic kit, you need power behind it in order to get the sound out there, whereas with a pad/electric kit you don't. You can just "tap" it and that's enough., Hence why people often bag drummers on youtube for going superfast on an electric kit, or consider triggers cheating. If you don't need the power, you can get more speed. Anyway, as Funky pointed out the issue with the angle of your drum, I though I would just add that. Also, usually you can adjust the action on the pedal to bring the beaters further forward - just another idea, but you would probably lose some rebound
    "What consumes your mind, controls your life" - So, what consumes your mind?

  11. #11

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    Excellent advice funky!

    I have had both electronic and acoustic kits and the one thing that I found that helped a lot was to use a hard surface beater on the acoustic and felt beaters on the electronic pads. This way, when you practice, the beater rebound will be close to the same on both kits and it will feel more natural to go back and forth between both kits.
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  12. #12

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    Hi, I'm new here and was just reading through.

    I recently tried a pair of the Axis longboards and one of the features of the Sonic Hammer beater is that you can adjust the length of the cross piece attatched to the beater rod. I do believe you could make it long enough that the beater rod would stop in a straight up position when the hammer hits the head. Or pretty close anyway...


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  13. #13

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    Good call, Funky. Agree with the assessment and the cure!

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  14. #14

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    yer, it worked for me too! was great funky

  15. #15

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    Yeah your pad is so small and tight yet a 20. 22. 24 inch drum. you could prolly never tighten it enough to get the same tension.
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  16. #16

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    try tighting the bass drum head, or get it even...thats wat happened to me, id practice for hours and hours and not get anywere because of the head, i went crazy trying to adjust the pedals when it was actually the bass drum head, so hope it helps, good luck
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