Do you like your beater hard or soft?

[hector48]

Bass drum beater, that is. What were you thinking?
This is mainly for the pop and rock drummers.
For years I used a wooden BD beater to get that nice clicking sound.
Recently, I've been noticing a lot more vibration going thru my leg (I'm getting old).
So, I switched to a felt beater, which is easier on the foot, but doesn't sound as nice to me.
However, since I'm usually going to mic the BD, I can just boost the highs in the EQ, I suppose.

So, do you rock drummers use felt or a hard beater (wood/plastic etc.)?

 

[MrYikes]

I'm liking the sound and feel I get using a golf ball on a moleskin patch

 

[JDA]

You need the Big (firm..) Felt...found on old Tama (80s superstar era) Larger than Speed King felt.
ps; there's only 1 in existence and I own it )sorry.( but try and find one anyway; Note Nut on top.
"it's Ungodly. It's a Monster")

 

[Ray Dee Oh King]

Depends what im playing really.

 

[Rotarded]

Felt side of a dual side beater on a moleskin patch for modern bass drum, internal mic.
Round Felt beater on a clear patch for vintage bass drum, external mic.
...I despise the "clicky" sound

 

[hsosdrum]

I prefer the feel and sound of a hard felt beater. Not a felt patch on an otherwise solid plastic beater (like DW's stock beaters), but one that's 100% felt (like DW's accessory beaters). I also prefer how the solid felt sounds through my recording setup. I use a Moleskin patch on the head, although they wear-through pretty quickly.

 

[cashmanbashman]

I like the hard felt side of the double sided Tama Iron Cobra beaters. I play mostly metal so using the plastic side tears up the head twice as fast and the sound difference is minimal.

 

[hector48]

I guess I should have mentioned which patch I'm using.
It's the evans clear plastic sticker type.

Maybe I should just stick with the wooden beater and try a softer patch?

And here's my favorite wooden beater:

Amazon.com

 

[JDA]

I don't like/ never warmed up to them/ wooden beaters I have one/ but geeze kinda brutal isn't it to the head (I have some mercy a liitle.

 

[vintagemore2000]

I use a Gibraltar hard felt beater.

 

[rdumas]

Soft - Creative Percussion Marshmallow.

 

[jb111]

Good ol' Danmar felt beater does the trick well. For more vintage-sounding R&B, jazz, etc. I like the softer stuff (Vater Bomber or the Creative Percussion Marshmallow Bass Drum Beater).

 

[TheMattJones88]

I've been using these for a few years, and I love them. Really well balanced, great sound.

Vic Firth VicKick Bass Drum Beater - Medium-hard Felt Radial Head

Bass Drum Beater with Medium-hard Felt Head

www.sweetwater.com

 

[EvEnStEvEn]

Gibraltar self-aligning reversible is number 1.
Solid wallop.
I can't hear felt beaters well enough in the amplified band context.

I used the old Rogers Blackjack beaters for years. (Essentially, the same thing)

Felt Danmar for softer dynamic situations like acoustic duo or jazz

 

[m_anderson]

I got away from big felt beaters years ago. I like the TAMA Iron Cobra beaters. I've recently been using the TAMA Butadiene rubber Accu-Strike and pretty happy with it.

 

[RogersLudwig]

I have wood beaters, hard felt, and lamb skin. It depends where and what I am playing (audience, venue, music style, etc.)

 

[drummer5359]

I've been using these for a few years, and I love them. Really well balanced, great sound.

Vic Firth VicKick Bass Drum Beater - Medium-hard Felt Radial Head

Bass Drum Beater with Medium-hard Felt Head

www.sweetwater.com

I switched to the Vic Firth Radial Beater last year, I like it a lot.

 

[Phantomlimb777]

For the loud stuff, I use a wooden Lowboy. For everything else, I use one of those fluffy brown Ludwig beaters.

 

[dcrigger]

Generally hard side of a DW beater - no impact pad

 

[NobleCooleyNut]

I use one of two beaters ( both square) - my main beater is a Danmar Zoro square felt beater. It really enhances the low end and just feels great to play.
The other is the Danmar JR Robinson Square Red wood beater. I use this beater for large rooms and outdoor gigs and I prefer to use this beater with my 24" bass drum.