Can't play in apartment what can I do?

[BangItHawd]

I am told I can't play in my apartment, like my other apartment...so I am not sure what I can do to level out the noise because aparently I have to be quiet as a mouse I suppose :-\ And it sucks. My landlady tells me drums really aren't allowed unless my neighbors can tolerate it, but I've been out of practice for over 2 months now and am still a beginner. I don't want to be a nuisance neighbor because of my "talents".

I miss playing! Can anyone suggest how I can play here or outside? I am so unsure what to do I could just scream because this is a part of a future I am seeking to be successful in, and now it's on "halt".

Please, if you can dig out some good advice for this situation, I'd appreciate it before I decide I want to go insane from drumming withdrawals LOL!

[pinkfloyd]

either buy a practice kit or and electronic kit ??

[Metal-head]

you can sound proof a room in your apartment but it would probably take a while

[BangItHawd]

either buy a practice kit or and electronic kit ??

I saw the electric kit....expensive, but I guess it's like you are almost banging on drums

Practice kit...is that the same thing or different? Link please

I suppose you can adjust the noise level on the electric kit, if I'm correct...and that the heads on it are plastic with some kind of mesh, I think it's rubber mesh? I don't know about these well.

[BangItHawd]

you can sound proof a room in your apartment but it would probably take a while

I can bet....my mother said to make one room into a sanitarium lol, and that should keep the noise out Yay her, lol.

[Heaven Placid D costa]

put some clothes on snare...toms..bass. Rap the stick's nip with tape..cloth ..

[BangItHawd]

put some clothes on snare...toms..bass. Rap the stick's nip with tape..cloth ..

Damn you must be psychic....I had that crazy idea of doing that....even with underwear! Just because I'm weird too of course :P

But what about the ride cymbal and high hat? Or do those not make too much noise so long as I control my hit?

Well I guess that's ONE way to avoid being a nuisance to my neighbors...but until I get my own place I suppose that will have to do. Despite it being lame...but at least I can still display my pieces (minus clothes of course!)

[Utopia]

their are pads made specifically to put over heads and cymbals to quiet them for practicing...they are very cheep....search around for them at www.musiciansfriend.com....or wutever most major drum stores have them or know a great place to get them....

[james]

how about take your drums to a near-by park and drum there or somthing

but then again.............. you could get the whole city angry at you.
sorry joking

[BangItHawd]

Still, I giggled a bit at that thought...or taking them out to the country. Though, I'm rather angst of the thought of poisonous snakes here (that might also get mad at me) :D hehehehe

[BangItHawd]

their are pads made specifically to put over heads and cymbals to quiet them for practicing...they are very cheep....search around for them at www.musiciansfriend.com....or wutever most major drum stores have them or know a great place to get them....

I guess my next question is: how quiet will the sound deaden? It can't bounce off the walls too much, but if given it's a deadener and they do hear it, then I can just say it's general noise...if that would pass under some noses LOL.

[Utopia]

honestly i'm not real sure....i've never used them myself, i've just heard that they do a good job, but i really don't know...but i thnk that they are cheep enough that it's worth a shot

[bongobro]

Hey, BangItHawd--the pads are generally called "Gladstone Pads" (I think they were named for the inventor)--and, depending on how many drums you've got and how big they are, they run $20-25 each. I don't know how much you have to spend, however...

Might also try pillows in the bass (or scrounge up some old towels to muffle the heads in the toms and snare). You may not be able to muffle it completely, but it should bring it down to a dull roar.

And this may sound a bit naive, but how many apartments are in your unit? Try talking with your neighbors across the hall, or the ones that share the walls of your apartment. They could be cool about letting you play if you show that you don't want to be a nuisance neighbor.

If they do, by the way, you may have to "bang it soft" for a while until they get used to it--that makes like a Hoover, I know, but you won't suffer withdrawals...good luck, dude!

[Boo]

either buy a practice kit or and electronic kit ??

Or a house in the country.

[Chiko]

yea.. my kit cost more then my trailer...lol...i live in the boonies

[LucidDrummer212]

well...buy a bullet..rent a gun...play in heaven?

or you could just set up a practice pad set -lil cheaper then electric kits
just a sugestion

[Utopia]

just make sure u bring back the gun when your through with it...

[JAG]

(A long post...not for everyone ;-))

'G Day BangItHawd,

Without a doubt, I'm going to take some "heat" for this post, however, if you really want to solve your "noise" problem and keep your practice sessions and "Long-Term" kit available for multi-purpose applications/gigging, then here is my two cents.

Please Note: This WILL take some extra cash and some research work on your part. It's not a cheap easy fix! But the rewards are long-term over the years to come.

First off, before I get my *** nailed to a cross, I have been a long time "acoustic drummer" for many, many years. However a few years ago I decided to mix my old Ludwig up with a Roland TD-12 V-Stage kit. Sounds strange, but with some hardcore research + layout work and a few (quite a few) add on clamps on a new wrap-around frame, I was able to take my straight forward acoustic kit and add additional depth and versatility that is mind blowing with the TD-12 module, mesh heads and my old Fender mixer.

With the proper setup; setup meaning a mid-range Roland sound module, good drum mics, decent mixer, good throw speakers (when you want to drive your neighbors nuts) + Roland mesh heads, etc., you will find your practice sessions can be done with headphones on using the mesh heads, but your basic positioning behind the acoustic kit remains pretty much unaltered. The outcome of my "mixed" kit allows me to keep my positioning and posture the same with little or no additional "reach" required between the acoustic heads and the Roland mesh heads. When I want to practice silently or run some new material with other band members, I can plug in additional headsets.

As many drummers use two different snares on their kits anyway, I find that having the mesh head snare to the left of my acoustic snare presents no problems. The only "small" problem I have encountered is having the extra bass pedal for the Roland to the right of the Ludwig bass drum...that took some time adjusting to. Transitioning back and forth presents some timing issues. But all-in-all...no big deal. Because I use dual bass pedals on the acoustic, open "Real-Estate" is becoming an issue.

The dual hi-hat cymbals (one electronic, the other acoustic) have also been a bit hard to locate close to each other, but again, after adjusting them I found the spacing to be no problem for switching between the two pedals. I have considered getting a "Remote" cable type hi-hat stand, but so far I have not investigated these. This would allow me to place either hi-hat below the toms and a bit to the right. Maybe in the future.

In so far as pedals go, I have three for the left foot (one for double bass) and two bass pedals for the right. When I want to practice in "silent mode" my positioning is not more then 10 inches left or right of the acoustic pedal setup to the Roland pedals.

Regarding the toms and floor toms, I have the Roland toms located right of center "over" each acoustic tom. This allows for good rolls and transitioning between fills. The Roland toms are a bit smaller in diameter then the Ludwig's, thus your strike has to be a bit more precise. In addition, the heads of the Roland have dual triggers that can be programmed to whatever you like, so you have to be a bit careful with accidental rim shots.

The cymbal placement is straight forward. I keep two rides to the right with the Roland on the outside. My K crash stays to the far left with the Roland crash to the right/forward of that. The rest of my cymbals; China, Bronze 18 / 12 / & 20 remain staggered all over the place...depends what mood I'm in I guess ;-))

Getting all this mic'd out is a pain in the ***! But once you've gone through the trial and error, with the help of someone twenty feet away, the overall effect is bloody awesome. The "mix" between the acoustic and Roland seems to blend together nicely. Birch to Maple, steel to carbon steel....and everything in-between....the bass beats are absolutely breathtaking! I can't describe the unlimited range available or nuisances that can be reached with these two kits combined.

My acoustic kit is black and so are the Roland shells...which makes a good appearance and remains a "one-off" in the eyes of "those-in-the-know".

BangItHawd, I hope the above advice may help you out. I fully understand that for most people, a few grand $$ is not readily available. But maybe through some creative searching on eBay or through contacts in this forum, you may find a good used Roland kit for sale. I know there are allot of "hardcore" drummers out there that believe electronic kits are "crap" or have no place in serious drumming. But I can assure you, E-Drums do have their place and are finding more and more acceptance in the "Die-Hard" circles. It will just take time....(and sound engineers who know how to balance the two technologies.)

-------------

For those of you out there that made it this far reading, it means one or two of you may consider this kind of mixed setup for your acoustic kit. If you do, my short advice down below may save you a hell of allot of money and frustration with your setup and design.

One warning over selecting "E-Drum" heads or pads: During my research phase, I made about twenty trips to Sam Ash and Guitar Center testing various brands of E-Drums and drum modules. (I think I drove the sales guys ape-**** during that time ;-))...What I found during this R&D stint was this; The Yamaha rubber pads/heads suck! They will destroy your wrists in no time. They are way too hard with little or no rebound and after an hour of playing, your wrists feel like you went twelve rounds with a concrete wall. I do not recommend them for anyone who wants to transition to electronic drums or mix their kits. Particularly if you intend to gig with this setup.

In addition I do not recommend any Roland "rubber pads". Although they play better then the Yamaha, they are still rubber and as such, do not give a natural feel during usage. Spend a bit more cash and invest in the mesh heads!

An important aspect to consider is the sound module itself. Easy to use "Faders" are your number one priority. They have to be accessible during play and well defined so you are not fumbling around with the sliders on a dark set. Most of the time you will have your faders preset before a performance, but in some cases your sound man or other band members will "play" with the front end and your left hanging on your monitors. In that case the only choice you have is to readjust your faders yourself and hope for the best. Good communications with other band members and your sound guy/gal will go along ways towards keeping your front-end sounding the way it should. E-Drums are a learning process for everyone.

I have played just about every E-brand out there. From Hart Dynamics to Pintech to Roland...and even a few off-brands. The Roland has won hands down in just about every aspect. From the sound modules with separate (easy to manage) fader controls to the tunable aspects of the mesh heads...it "just works" and feels natural. I know other E-Drums get allot of promos from various artists, however Roland mesh heads are still the benchmark for others to emulate.

Everyone is different. What works for me may be ludicrous to you. Combining electronic kits with acoustic may seem a bit redundant if you are only looking at the "comparative" sound modeling. However, with the thousands of alternative structures available at the touch of a button, and a deep well of emotional impact that can be "thrown" at the audience...the limits of E-Drumming know no bounds.

When properly combined with acoustic kits, the best of both worlds opens up.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

JAG