Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Moongel workout pad review

  1. #1
    scottyp is offline Senior Member (Respected Chatter)

    User Info Menu

    Default Moongel workout pad review

    I made a review of the Moongel workout pad and compared it to my 4 other pads in this video. This thing is a great way to get your fingers cooperating with the stick better. If you want your forearms to burn I highly suggest one.


  2. #2

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Moongel workout pad review

    I love your "pinkies out test" haha

  3. #3
    scottyp is offline Senior Member (Respected Chatter)

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Moongel workout pad review

    Quote Originally Posted by SpazApproved View Post
    I love your "pinkies out test" haha

    It's a good way for FORCE people to have good technique. If you have this habit this pad will make you change how you play.

    It's a very common thing too. I used to be guilty of it myself. I catch it here and there in my videos when I'm pushing too fast still but it's way less frequent.

  4. #4

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Moongel workout pad review

    Never having owned a pad, I started with pillows and stayed with them.

    I have found that brunettes and redheads give you more attack but are louder.

    Blondes, on the other hand, have less attack but won't wake the neighbors.

    None of the above ever required the use of a click track.

    Just an observation made over many years.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  5. #5
    scottyp is offline Senior Member (Respected Chatter)

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Moongel workout pad review

    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    Never having owned a pad, I started with pillows and stayed with them.

    I have found that brunettes and redheads give you more attack but are louder.

    Blondes, on the other hand, have less attack but won't wake the neighbors.

    None of the above ever required the use of a click track.

    Just an observation made over many years.

    I think you've made this same comment before on one of my posts, maybe time for new material or did you just copy paste?
    Pillows work, but not as well. I prefer a consistent surface, and the moon gel pad is quieter than something like a couch cousin. The music I play requires me to warm up for gigs, this fits in a backpack easier than a pillow too.

    By shutting out practice pads, tuning devices, metronomes, and other devices designed to help you, it just hinders your ability to improve faster. Sure, you can still improve, but I like faster and better results myself.

  6. #6

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Moongel workout pad review

    I probably used the blonde, brunettes, and redheads, but in a different context.

    Pillows, Chambers and Caplette have both talked about them and I don't think anybody can dispute their playing ability.

    "By shutting out practice pads, tuning devices, metronomes, and other devices designed to help you, it just hinders your ability to improve faster."

    Scotty, you're a good guy, but I have to disagree with you on this.

    1) Practice pads. I would never tell anybody not to get 1, but in days past when I was asked how I got fast, I would say pillows.

    2) Tuning gizmos. With tuning being a personal preference and knowing that drums are at the mercy of acoustics at different venues, to me, they are a waste of my time. I've watched demos on you tube of various toys and not 1 of them finished with a sound that I would want my drums to sound like. It's like Gatzen and Goode, I wouldn't let them within 50' of my drums.

    3) Metronomes. I'll refer to this:

    "A metronome only provides a fixed, rigid, relentless pulse. Therefore, metronome markings on sheet music provide a reference, but cannot accurately communicate the pulse, swing, or groove of music. The pulse is often irregular,[33] e.g., in accelerando, rallentando, or in musical expression as in phrasing (rubato, etc.).
    Some argue that a metronomic performance stands in conflict with an expressive culturally-aware performance of music, so that a metronome is in this respect a very limited tool. Even such highly rhythmical musical forms as Samba, if performed in correct cultural style, cannot be captured with the beats of a metronome.[34][35] A style of performance that is unfailingly regular rhythmically might be criticized as being "metronomic."
    Many notable composers, including Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi and Johannes Brahms, criticized use of the metronome.[36]"

    Quite simply, you either have a sense of time or you don't. If 1 doesn't, play the radio.

    I'm not sure what other "device's" you are talking about, so I'll let that go.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  7. #7
    scottyp is offline Senior Member (Respected Chatter)

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Moongel workout pad review

    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    I probably used the blonde, brunettes, and redheads, but in a different context.

    Pillows, Chambers and Caplette have both talked about them and I don't think anybody can dispute their playing ability.

    "By shutting out practice pads, tuning devices, metronomes, and other devices designed to help you, it just hinders your ability to improve faster."

    Scotty, you're a good guy, but I have to disagree with you on this.

    1) Practice pads. I would never tell anybody not to get 1, but in days past when I was asked how I got fast, I would say pillows.

    2) Tuning gizmos. With tuning being a personal preference and knowing that drums are at the mercy of acoustics at different venues, to me, they are a waste of my time. I've watched demos on you tube of various toys and not 1 of them finished with a sound that I would want my drums to sound like. It's like Gatzen and Goode, I wouldn't let them within 50' of my drums.

    3) Metronomes. I'll refer to this:

    "A metronome only provides a fixed, rigid, relentless pulse. Therefore, metronome markings on sheet music provide a reference, but cannot accurately communicate the pulse, swing, or groove of music. The pulse is often irregular,[33] e.g., in accelerando, rallentando, or in musical expression as in phrasing (rubato, etc.).
    Some argue that a metronomic performance stands in conflict with an expressive culturally-aware performance of music, so that a metronome is in this respect a very limited tool. Even such highly rhythmical musical forms as Samba, if performed in correct cultural style, cannot be captured with the beats of a metronome.[34][35] A style of performance that is unfailingly regular rhythmically might be criticized as being "metronomic."
    Many notable composers, including Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi and Johannes Brahms, criticized use of the metronome.[36]"

    Quite simply, you either have a sense of time or you don't. If 1 doesn't, play the radio.

    I'm not sure what other "device's" you are talking about, so I'll let that go.
    That's a pretty reasonable response.

    In regards to the tuners. Even if you could tune to where you prefer by ear, something like a tunebot could record those settings, then when you swap heads take you seconds to get it back in tune to the same pitch though. To each their own. I have shown others on their kits what can be done and they all were quite happy I did. The tension tuners don't work nearly as well. Even the tunebot requires ears to get things sounding how I prefer.

    Pillows do work, I don't disagree, but I prefer a pad. I can take a pad anywhere as they take up less space. I do think the moongel is quieter. It depends on the pillow I suppose. Maybe not for yourself, but for someone just starting I would recommend they have SOME rebound to learn as well. Even a floor tom has rebound. so playing on something with NO rebound isn't the same as a really dead feeling pad.

    The metronome one I would disagree 99% I'd say. I don't play to a click live, but i use it in the studio and for practice. We play very different styles of music. I need to push my limits and get the most out of my practice when working on speed. I can log my speeds and push limits. It's the same as bodybuilders in the gym. They know their weights and were to start off for how many reps. I know my speeds and how long. As far as groove, I feel you need to know how to play in time to play and let it breath. When you list Latin and Jazz those are 2 that you can have more freedom with and maybe get some inconsistency, but you can still swing in tempo.

    Playing rock, metal, punk etc and recording the studio playing to a click is pretty important. Another thing is when I am playing at 210+ BPM sliding 5-10 bpm in a song is easy to do. If I was playing a slow rock song or some funk I can be locked in for a long time without wavering.

    To each their own, I don't think any of the OTHER gizmos are really worth while. I am curious to see if the "dialtune" snare drum works as good as they say though.

  8. #8

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Moongel workout pad review

    Scott, 1 thing to keep in mind is that I started playing in 1956 when I was 10. All of the "gizmos" that are available today didn't exist back then. You had a set of drums and a drum key.

    There were metronomes back then, that's about it. By the time that different companies started making heads and different "toys" hit the market, I had been playing for at least 30 years.

    You had computers in school, I had a #2 pencil, a loose-leaf. and a Bic. Different worlds Scott, different worlds.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  9. #9
    scottyp is offline Senior Member (Respected Chatter)

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: Moongel workout pad review

    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    Scott, 1 thing to keep in mind is that I started playing in 1956 when I was 10. All of the "gizmos" that are available today didn't exist back then. You had a set of drums and a drum key.

    There were metronomes back then, that's about it. By the time that different companies started making heads and different "toys" hit the market, I had been playing for at least 30 years.

    You had computers in school, I had a #2 pencil, a loose-leaf. and a Bic. Different worlds Scott, different worlds.

    I'm older than I look. I have been playing probibly about 24 years myself but I totally understand. I will say in most recordings I do prefer the older stuff where bands recorded live off the floor and DIDN'T use a metronome more and more these days. Most modern stuff is quantized, triggered, and edited so heavy it could be programmed. That goes for bass, guitar, vocals. They quantize, and edit all of those, then auto tune the vocals. It's gross.

    Regardless, all the surfaces on your kit are different, A snare, rack tom, and floor tom are not all going to feel like "a pillow" so I'd suggest trying one.

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
  •