Sometimes a big pillow is good.

[michaelg]

I usually use minimal bass drum muffling and allow the beater to come off the head BUT for some gigs it just suits the music to have a good sized pillow shoved up against both bass drum heads and to bury the beater. Can feel great too in the right circumstances.
Do you change your muffling for different gigs ?

 

[AtlantaDrumGuy]

Basically, I’ve come to the conclusion that I prefer a heavily muffled bass drum unless I’m playing jazz. I’m not sure that I’ve ever found the exact and perfect muffling method, but a pillow is my usual thing. For most all I do, I can basically prep my bass drums the same way. Even though I have some vintage kits with a full front, I like having the port and even no front head. No front head with a pillow is really my favorite. I bury the beater.

 

[bigbonzo]

No muffling for me, ever.

 

[michaelg]

No muffling for me, ever.

Even on a pop gig ?

 

[Tornado]

I love my KickPro weighted pillows. Not the same as a big fluffy feather pillow, but I wouldn't hesitate to use one if I needed to.

 

[DamnSingerAlsoDrums]

I've done the big goose down pillow for a while. It's a punchy and very short sound... But nowadays I make do with a rolled up towel. It's a bit less radical and it is much more versatile. With a towel you can muffle one head or the other, or both, a little or a lot.

 

[JimmyM]

If the big pillow works, then rock it. I’m a fan of fairly heavy muffled kicks, too. I find a blanket easier to work with usually, but do whatever it takes to get what you want.

 

[RyanLovesDrums]

I’ve seen pics of Vinnie Colaiuta playing with either a big blanket or pillow in his kick. I guess you have to when you’re playing a deep kick (18”) and playing double bass etc

 

[Ryneaux]

Large center hole and a wool tartan stadium blanket does the trick for me for my pop gigs.

 

[hsosdrum]

My bass drums wear Fiberskyn PS3 batter heads with their muffling rings intact, and Fiberskyn PS3 reso heads with the muffling rings cut to half their original width. No other muffling, no laundry and no ports.* I almost always play off the head but occasionally bury the beater if I want that sound as a contrast.

*Ever. (I don't play drums for money and I don't play pop music.)

 

[Pat A Flafla]

I don't change muffling, but I change kicks, which happen to have differing muffling.

 

[bigbonzo]

Even on a pop gig ?

I don't play pop gigs.

 

[Lamontsdad]

Seven loads of dirty laundry with a bath towel for me.

 

[frankmott]

I don't change muffling, but I change kicks, which happen to have differing muffling.

Same here.
12x26 full front head for the Zydeco band
14x24 (x2) with a 6" port for the (mostly) original Blues/rock band
14x24 (different drum) with the same port and a rolled up towel for Classic rock
14x20 no port for pick up Jazz gigs
There are others, but those are the ones I use the most.

 

[BennyK]

deleted

 

[paul]

I don't like laundry in my bass drums. My batter heads are Evans EQ4, with a muffle ring built in, and resos are single ply with a piece of Moon Gel or two to tone it down some. I like a little boom in my bass drums, whatever music I'm playing. If the boom is too much, THEN I'll insert a hand towel I keep in the drum bag and lay it against the resonant head, but I only do so a couple of times a year.

 

[Lamontsdad]

Now for the serious answer: 99/100, on conventional sized bass drums, little to no baffling with a heavier sized resonant head; maybe a felt strip or not. Deeper drums, I have found that small pillows do the job for me, though I can see where bigger ones fit certain things better.

 

[Rock Salad]

I want a Huge but very short sound, but I'm not very good at consistently burying the beater yet. This is my current solution. A pillow and a ported but re-sealed resonant head. It's adjustable easier and quicker than taking off the head and if there are mics, I just open the port

 

[Seb77]

I want a Huge but very short sound, but I'm not very good at consistently burying the beater yet. This is my current solution. A pillow and a ported but re-sealed resonant head. It's adjustable easier and quicker than taking off the head and if there are mics, I just open the port

How did you go about closing the port? Piece of an old drumhead? How is it held in place? Cool idea.

 

[DanRH]

I love my KickPro weighted pillows. Not the same as a big fluffy feather pillow, but I wouldn't hesitate to use one if I needed to.

Same.