Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 27

Thread: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    Talking Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    If you're impatient, jump to the conclusion. To be clear, this thread is referring to those devices which adhere to the surface of bass drum batter heads and which contain hard plastic or metal disks.

    The Click Pad

    The purpose of the click pad is simple: To increase attack. Increasing the attack is useful for increasing articulation and definition of the notes you're playing. This allows you to play fast and complex bass drum patterns without losing the clarity of your notes.

    Many people make the mistake of over-dampening their bass drums when they use click pads. This happens because the type of people who are interested in click pads likely already have a lot of muffling in their bass drum because they want that punchy, articulate tone.

    In Application

    This is how you use the click pad, starting with the heads off the drum:

    1. Put new head on drum (put nothing inside for dampening)
    2. Tighten both heads until the wrinkles come out, no more (Bob Gatzen style. Youtube it)
    3. Apply click pad to batter head
    4. Secure in place with clear masking tape. Be VERY conservative with the tape. Use four strips to make a box around the pad. Use a minimal amount.
    5. Let the drum sit overnight
    6. Tune it again in the morning; ensure it is tuned as low as possible
    7. Listen to the drum
    8. Apply muffling / change tuning as needed


    As long as you have quality heads and have tuned your drums properly, you will find that the drum possess a fat, full tone and a distinct hard attack. The end result is a bass drum which is full and fat while still maintaining definition and clarity. Indeed, it can be used to great effect.

    Cutting Holes in the Resonant Head

    cutting a hole in the resonant head has many effects. Essentially what it does is allow air pressure to escape out of the drum rather than remain stuck inside. This will have the effect of shortening the sustain and trading out some deep bass tone for hard attack.

    The position of the hole is of great importance. To maximize attack, punch, and definition, one would position their hole directly in the center of the head. To make more modest changes to the deep bass tone of the head, position the head further toward the outside of the head.

    Larger holes allow air to escape more readily, and so also contribute to the shortening of sustain and the trade of deep bass tone for attack.

    The most attack-heavy bass drum setup possible would include a batter head with a click pad and a resonant head with a large hole in the middle of the head. Minimal dampening. Your audience with experience this bass drum like a strong kick to the stomach.

    Burying the Beater: Uncomfortable Vibrations

    "Burying the beater" refers to the way in which some drummers will play a note on the bass drum and leave the beater in contact with the head after the initial impact.

    Burying the beater has the effect of choking the drum and killing the sustain. In some situations it is useful, however most of the time it produces strange overtones out of the drum.

    When a drummer buries the beater while using click pads, the pads will vibrate against the beaters and cause vibrations. These vibrations are both physically uncomfortable and sonically unappealing.

    Conclusion

    The click pad is capable of providing a fat, full tone while maintaining clarity and articulation.

    The click pad provides considerable dampening by itself, and should be paired with minimal muffling.

    Cutting a hole in the resonant head will increase the effect of the pad.

    Burying the beater causes vibrations which are uncomfortable and sonically unappealing.

  2. #2

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    hey IA nice how to lesson. You're right about it creating more volume. I hadn't used one for years and put one on before we went in to record to get use to it. Man I'm very happy I did. So much more attack. We played last night and sound guy couldn't get over how good the drums sounded.

    I too play my kick with nothing inside. A 24x18 Yamaha Turbo Tour. Love that sucker.

    This is my beef with the click pad I bought. It's a Danmar double click. It stayed in place for about two weeks before the outside edges around the metal discs started tearing. It got so bad the discs finally fell out of the patch sleeve. They are now taped on with duct tape and I hate it. I gotta get a new one, the tape doesn't work for me. Why can't they make one with a gorilla glue backing and something that won't tear. I feel the same thing is going to happen with a new one.
    Last edited by slinky; 05-25-2014 at 10:24 AM.
    RDM/Damage Poets
    UFiP TAMAHA Zildjian
    REGAL TiP
    AQUARIAN

  3. #3

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    clean the location of your click pad with rubbing alcohol before you stick it to the head..i have never had one fall off and alcohol does not burn a hole in your head. I find the heads last about a million times longer with a click pad attached.

  4. #4

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    I've never heard it explained that simply before---I have a 22x14 kick with a black suede Powerstroke 3 and a flame graphic reso with a 6" center port---both heads are tuned JAW, and I have nothing inside. I used the plastic side of the beaters at first, but it was a bit much for my small studio so I switched to the felt side, and I love the sound---I have been thinking about trying a click pad, but after reading this explanation I don't feel it would take me in the right direction?

  5. #5

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    thanks Russ I'll do that next time but I'm starting to think it's jjust a matter of time before it falls apart.

    I'm not the only one that it happens to. They actually get mediocre reviews because a lot of people say the same thing "they fall apart". But with what I'm playing right now I really like the extra attack.

    I remeber taping a quarter to the batter back in the 80's lol it worked until the tape broke and the quarter bent.
    RDM/Damage Poets
    UFiP TAMAHA Zildjian
    REGAL TiP
    AQUARIAN

  6. #6

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Quote Originally Posted by slinky View Post
    hey IA nice how to lesson. You're right about it creating more volume. I hadn't used one for years and put one on before we went in to record to get use to it. Man I'm very happy I did. So much more attack. We played last night and sound guy couldn't get over how good the drums sounded.

    I too play my kick with nothing inside. A 24x18 Yamaha Turbo Tour. Love that sucker.

    This is my beef with the click pad I bought. It's a Danmar double click. It stayed in place for about two weeks before the outside edges around the metal discs started tearing. It got so bad the discs finally fell out of the patch sleeve. They are now taped on with duct tape and I hate it. I gotta get a new one, the tape doesn't work for me. Why can't they make one with a gorilla glue backing and something that won't tear. I feel the same thing is going to happen with a new one.
    Couldn't you have just added the click sound in post? We did that to mine the first time I hit the studio. Gave me a very Pantera-like kick sound. Almost sounds triggered.

    I'm always curious about how various drummer go about getting their sounds.

  7. #7

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Hey Marko I asked Mat about the pad, if he liked them or not and he was glad I had one on. He told me that he normally puts a little click on the kick when mixing starts anyway.

    I honestly didn't even think about adding it later. I don't know how time consuming that would've been. I completed all the drum parts the first day mainly because I had to. I couldn't go back the next day. It would've been fun to mess around with different sounds but we had a budget.

    When they said we gotta put something inside the kick I about flipped out. He reassured me that it would still be beefy. So in went the stuffing. It looked like a comforter. All I was thinking was "You gotta be kidding me" but it worked so it's all good.
    Last edited by slinky; 05-27-2014 at 09:33 AM.
    RDM/Damage Poets
    UFiP TAMAHA Zildjian
    REGAL TiP
    AQUARIAN

  8. #8

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Quote Originally Posted by slinky View Post
    Hey Marko I asked Mat about the pad, if he liked them or not and he was glad I had one on. He told me that he normally puts a little click on the kick when mixing starts anyway.

    I honestly didn't even think about adding it later. I don't know how time consuming that would've been. I completed all the drum parts the first day mainly because I had to. I couldn't go back the next day. It would've been fun to mess around with different sounds but we had a budget.

    When they said we gotta put something inside the kick I about flipped out. He reassured me that it would still be beefy. So in went the stuffing. It looked like a comforter. All I was thinking was "You gotta be kidding me" but it worked so it's all good.
    Ya I have no idea how long it takes either, the engineer just did it in post to mine. I had no idea he was going to do it. But I liked it and we went with it. There are so many studio tricks, aren't there?

  9. #9

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    it's endless. I was getting tired just watching him work the computer above the board. He was clicking the mouse on this and that and over here and over there and all I was thinking was "please don't hit the wrong button or click the wrong thing what if it all gets erased somehow" but he's been in that chair for nine years.
    RDM/Damage Poets
    UFiP TAMAHA Zildjian
    REGAL TiP
    AQUARIAN

  10. #10

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Yeah I've always had problems with adhesion and durability. I use gorilla tape around the outside nowadays, the narrow 1" stuff. I've also considered removing the actual plastic parts and securing them to the head with contact cement, but I don't like how permanent that seems.

    Regardless, I think that they last longer than fabric patches.

    I have tried Gibraltar, Sound Percussion, and Danmar. None seem to last any longer or adhere any better the the others.

  11. #11

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Quote Originally Posted by slinky View Post
    hey IA nice how to lesson. You're right about it creating more volume. I hadn't used one for years and put one on before we went in to record to get use to it. Man I'm very happy I did. So much more attack. We played last night and sound guy couldn't get over how good the drums sounded.

    I too play my kick with nothing inside. A 24x18 Yamaha Turbo Tour. Love that sucker.

    This is my beef with the click pad I bought. It's a Danmar double click. It stayed in place for about two weeks before the outside edges around the metal discs started tearing. It got so bad the discs finally fell out of the patch sleeve. They are now taped on with duct tape and I hate it. I gotta get a new one, the tape doesn't work for me. Why can't they make one with a gorilla glue backing and something that won't tear. I feel the same thing is going to happen with a new one.
    I use to use the same pad with wooden beaters. I also ended up duct taping it to my drum head. I ran the tap over the top, bottom and two sides of the patch making sure that the beater would not hit the tape. It worked out nicely/

  12. #12

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    I still swear by my click pads, just installed one last weekend.

    I've been using the aluminum beaters from my Trick Dominators and I'm getting (not surprisingly) a very metallic, biting "tink" sound. I'm going to try some wooden lollipops.

  13. #13

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    I loved the clicks when I was using them with the metal band. Recorded the second Muckraker disc with them and wood beaters.

    A couple of things I ran into while using them was their ability to play ghost notes and that after awhile they needed to be changed because the casing for the clicks would start to tear.

    beats taping a quarter to the head though... still have that quarter in my parts box lol
    RDM/Damage Poets
    UFiP TAMAHA Zildjian
    REGAL TiP
    AQUARIAN

  14. #14

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Hey yall I'm back for an update. I threw a Danmar product on my bass drum for my hardcore band after my bandmates said they couldn't hear me.

    This Danmar product is an 1/8" thick aluminum plate with adhesive felt backing. I'm currently using wooden lollipop beaters.

    Cost was around $16 so about twice the "envelope" style pads.

    The adhesive felt started failing pretty quickly, however I think I screwed it up a little while I was removing the wax paper covering. I have tried to secure it with tape but it's not working great so far.

    The sound is VERY metallic with the wooden beaters. It is MUCH harsher than the envelope-style pads. I've grown to love it. It sounds almost similar to my snare and euro/traditional blast beats sound WICKED.

    I will have to find a solution to the adhesive. I'm thinking I will scrape off the adhesive and attach it with contact cement. I might try a less permanent glue since the plate will last forever and I could swap it to a new head.

    I'll continue the updates as time goes on.

  15. #15

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Quote Originally Posted by ItalianAvalanche View Post
    Hey yall I'm back for an update. I threw a Danmar product on my bass drum for my hardcore band after my bandmates said they couldn't hear me.

    This Danmar product is an 1/8" thick aluminum plate with adhesive felt backing. I'm currently using wooden lollipop beaters.

    Cost was around $16 so about twice the "envelope" style pads.

    The adhesive felt started failing pretty quickly, however I think I screwed it up a little while I was removing the wax paper covering. I have tried to secure it with tape but it's not working great so far.

    The sound is VERY metallic with the wooden beaters. It is MUCH harsher than the envelope-style pads. I've grown to love it. It sounds almost similar to my snare and euro/traditional blast beats sound WICKED.

    I will have to find a solution to the adhesive. I'm thinking I will scrape off the adhesive and attach it with contact cement. I might try a less permanent glue since the plate will last forever and I could swap it to a new head.

    I'll continue the updates as time goes on.
    This must be it?

    1.jpg

  16. #16

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    I'd like to try that one. Curious on how thick is the metal is.. can't be much.
    RDM/Damage Poets
    UFiP TAMAHA Zildjian
    REGAL TiP
    AQUARIAN

  17. #17

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    I used an impact pad and trick beaters for my 18" bd when I'd play my TAMA Silverstars Bop kit. Everyone was amazed at how loud and powerful it sounded mic'd. Me, too, I'm happy to admit. It worked just as well with my Yamaha 18" Stage Custom, too, that I used after selling the TAMAs.
    Signature here

  18. #18

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Quote Originally Posted by late8 View Post
    This must be it?

    1.jpg
    Yeah that looks like the one. I got the double kick version.

    My felt completely failed and the gorilla tape I was using kept ripping at the edge of the pad. I'm definitely disappointed because I LOVE the sound. I've switched to a different bass drum with my old Gibralar pad and it sounds like a Mylar patch in comparison. I'll try epoxy next.

    I have also noticed that my beaters have somewhat deformed the plate creating slight but noticeable indentations at the point of impact. Keep in mind I drum like a jackhammer.

    The Danmar pad is 1/8" or 3mm thick. It has a noticeable weight to it.

  19. #19

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    I had these on an old setup years ago... probably as old as this thread.
    They had a very unique sound for sure which was awesome in my old metal band.
    But hitting them felt like kicking into a wall.. they are pretty violent for impact IMO

  20. #20

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    So I've been going crazy trying to get this Danmar pad to stick. The felt failed pretty quickly and I've been looking for alternative methods to attach it to the head. Epoxy failed so I decided to get more creative. I cut out a piece of Evan's G1 drum head about 1" larger than the danmar pad. I drilled a bunch of 3/16" holes around the periphery of the pad. I used a big needle and hemp rope to sew the pad onto the bit of drum head. Then I roughed both the G1 drum head bit and my Remo PS3 bass drum head with sand paper and attached the pad/G1 assembly onto the bass drum. This held up for a while but ultimately failed 2 or 3 times through my band's 30 minute set so not great. The G1 mylar that I sewed the pad to ripped starting at the holes from the needlework.

    My next endeavor is to use the same construction method but with 14 gauge steel (0.0747") as the pad and thick leather (7 gauge or approx. 0.100") as the backing and again use contact cement to attach it. I'll report back. I'm thinking that the steel will be lighter and warmer since it's so much thinner than the Danmar aluminum pad. I'll probably supplement it with a bed sheet between the drum head and hoop with about 14" cut out of the center to arrest the sustain and dampen overtones.

    If this doesn't work then I'll go back to the tried-and-true envelope style pads with packing tape to hold them on.

  21. #21

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Quote Originally Posted by ItalianAvalanche View Post
    So I've been going crazy trying to get this Danmar pad to stick. The felt failed pretty quickly and I've been looking for alternative methods to attach it to the head. Epoxy failed so I decided to get more creative. I cut out a piece of Evan's G1 drum head about 1" larger than the danmar pad. I drilled a bunch of 3/16" holes around the periphery of the pad. I used a big needle and hemp rope to sew the pad onto the bit of drum head. Then I roughed both the G1 drum head bit and my Remo PS3 bass drum head with sand paper and attached the pad/G1 assembly onto the bass drum. This held up for a while but ultimately failed 2 or 3 times through my band's 30 minute set so not great. The G1 mylar that I sewed the pad to ripped starting at the holes from the needlework.

    My next endeavor is to use the same construction method but with 14 gauge steel (0.0747") as the pad and thick leather (7 gauge or approx. 0.100") as the backing and again use contact cement to attach it. I'll report back. I'm thinking that the steel will be lighter and warmer since it's so much thinner than the Danmar aluminum pad. I'll probably supplement it with a bed sheet between the drum head and hoop with about 14" cut out of the center to arrest the sustain and dampen overtones.

    If this doesn't work then I'll go back to the tried-and-true envelope style pads with packing tape to hold them on.
    That's definitely some ingenuity for sure. My hat goes off to you for your perseverance.

  22. #22

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Okay I'm back at it. I made a new pad out of a piece of 14ga mild steel but it seems excessively thick which makes it extremely heavy and tingy. So much so that I decided not to use it. Instead I went to Home Depot and bought a sheet of much thinner 22ga mild steel. I cut this into a pill shape 4" long by 2" wide, drilled a ton of 1/16" holes around the perimeter spaced 3/8" apart, and sewed it to a piece of 7ga leather (approx. 1/8" thick) using hemp twine. It looked great. I roughed the surface of the bass drum head with sandpaper where I planned to install it. K applied contact cement to the head and the leather patch, waited the specified time, and slapped it on. I pressed it down nicely until I was happy with the adhesion and then I left it overnight. Long story short: it fell off.

    I resorted to the tried-and-true clear packing tape and it stayed on for quite a while. I have to say it sounded pretty great. The thin steel is warm, the overall product is light weight, and together it gave a really great boomy punch with hard attack.

    Long story short again: The steel didn't hold up. It bent like hell until it pulled the hemp rope apart. It started to crack at the holes. I repaired it and tried again and now it's just absolutely thrashed. I'll try again with 20ga steel. It's 20% thicker and I'll also increase the dimensions a bit to 4-1/2" x 2-1/2".

    I'll report back on my 10 year endeavor to find the perfect impact pad.

  23. #23

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Quote Originally Posted by ItalianAvalanche View Post
    Okay I'm back at it. I made a new pad out of a piece of 14ga mild steel but it seems excessively thick which makes it extremely heavy and tingy. So much so that I decided not to use it. Instead I went to Home Depot and bought a sheet of much thinner 22ga mild steel. I cut this into a pill shape 4" long by 2" wide, drilled a ton of 1/16" holes around the perimeter spaced 3/8" apart, and sewed it to a piece of 7ga leather (approx. 1/8" thick) using hemp twine. It looked great. I roughed the surface of the bass drum head with sandpaper where I planned to install it. K applied contact cement to the head and the leather patch, waited the specified time, and slapped it on. I pressed it down nicely until I was happy with the adhesion and then I left it overnight. Long story short: it fell off.

    I resorted to the tried-and-true clear packing tape and it stayed on for quite a while. I have to say it sounded pretty great. The thin steel is warm, the overall product is light weight, and together it gave a really great boomy punch with hard attack.

    Long story short again: The steel didn't hold up. It bent like hell until it pulled the hemp rope apart. It started to crack at the holes. I repaired it and tried again and now it's just absolutely thrashed. I'll try again with 20ga steel. It's 20% thicker and I'll also increase the dimensions a bit to 4-1/2" x 2-1/2".

    I'll report back on my 10 year endeavor to find the perfect impact pad.
    Just a quick thought. What if you take two dbl. bass pedal head patches and just stick a piece of metal behind it about the size of a quarter? You don't need a large area just focus at the beater. Sandwich the piece of metal between two patches if nothing else.
    Signature here

  24. #24

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    That could work! I personally like the very aggressive attack of the direct contact of pad to beater and this sandwich approach would probably make a warmer sound but I think that would work great and would probably hold up really well. I did also think about using a sandwich method like this with two pieces of leather but cutting openings in the top layer to expose the metal pad. I'll try a few more things. I got a bunch of steel and leather and just recently got a good work shop put together (I recently relocated from Michigan to Kansas City MO). I've also been doing some weird stuff with external bass drum dampening that I'll chronicle on the forum. I love other-thinking things...

  25. #25

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Click / Impact Pads: How to use them

    Okay back with another update:

    I made two new patches with steel and leather both using envelope-style construction described in my last post. The first one was made from a single piece of 18 gauge mild steel cut into a pill shape and sandwiched between two pieces of leather about 1/16" thick. I cut a big opening in the top piece of leather so that the beaters could directly smack the steel. I left about 1/4" of leather overlapping the steel. I used heavy-duty polyester thread for the stitching. This patch has technically held up but the beaters are pretty significantly deforming the steel. The steel will probably start to crack eventually. The leather envelope is holding up great.

    The second patch was made from two separate 16 gauge steel disks 2" in diameter with the same envelope-style leather retainer with openings in front for the beaters to impact the steel directly and 1/4" leather overlap to secure the disks. This one sounded good and so far has been totally invulnerable to the violence of the beaters. However the left and right sides of the patch produce DRASTICALLY different tones! This could be due to the position of this patch on my 20" bass drum. Because of the height of my beaters the ride side beater impacts the head almost dead center (I used to use these pedals on a 22" so they were below center. I don't usually care to hit dead center) and the left one is then left of center. I might try moving them higher to get away from the center. I think having the patch in two separate pieces helps with durability.

    My next move is to make the envelope-style single-piece patch from 16 gauge steel. I think this is going to be the indestructible click pad of my dreams.

    I have still been securing them to the heads with tape. Lately I've been using gorilla tape. It seems to work just fine and allows the patch to be removed and put on a new head. I'd like to get my hands on whatever adhesive gorilla tape uses and put some on the back of the patch but then honestly it wouldn't be as transferrable. I kind of prefer the tape...
    Last edited by ItalianAvalanche; 12-04-2021 at 12:29 PM.

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •