Quiet, analog things that go "boom, crack, chickachicka

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Snarl 12/8
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Quiet, analog things that go "boom, crack, chickachicka

Post by Snarl 12/8 » Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:05 pm

Hey,

I've played drum set for many, many years. I have need of an apartment friendly (very, very quiet), portable, drum kit. A cajon, is, so far, the leading candidate, although I haven't found one I'm in love with and the playing position seems like it will hurt my old-man back after a short while. Plus, it doesn't let me use my feet to make the "boom" noise unless I get into expensive pedals with cables and stuff.

I'm thinking of, basically, making myself a couple cajon type drums out of wood and making one kickable with a normal kick pedal and another one more of a snare sound. But what do I do for "hi hats?" Has anyone seen the solution to my problem? Somebody must have figured this out already. I'd like to proceed straight to the building/acquiring it phase than having to do a whole bunch of trial and error. The smaller, cheaper, easier and better (like a nice drum set?) sounding the better.

The two main uses for this setup would be for jamming with my daughter when she plays acoustic piano (so, that's a volume reference) or the little keyboard at her apartment and for late night practicing/recording. Something that I could really throw down on and get funky but that made almost no noise in the room, but sounded huge when mic'd with contact mics or condensers, would be ideal. It's OK if it is too quiet acoustically to jam with, I'd bring a little keyboard amp or something if needed.

My budget is maybe $400 or less for "kick, snare and hihats". That's kindof arbitrary, but once it starts getting up into the realm of a decent electronic kit, that's probably what I'd do.

Please share you thoughts.

ck
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Post by Gregg Juke » Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:37 pm

Hey Carl,

I think you are talking about an electronic drum set, if you want to play it like a drummer. I love the cajon, but it's really a different animal.

If you were going with a cajon, and wanted a real acoustic/un-plugged vibe, and you wanted to add "chingy-chingy," I'd say why not simply add a little foot tambourine (like this: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drums-pe ... Type%5EPLA) and call it a day?

Or, you could go electronic and see if there's a way to add a kick pedal to something like the Handsonic or the Wavedrum. Or, you could go with a drum machine or drum brain (or computer), and use a Katt controller (which I know you can add a kick pedal to).

But it sounds like you really want a standard "drum set" experience without a drum set. I'm not sure what to do about that in your price range, but I'd suggest looking for a good used electronic kit, or maybe getting a cocktail set and muting the heck out of it...

But, maybe try taking the cajon at face-value and practice "booming" with your hands for awhile, and simulating hi-hat with 8ths and 16ths at the top. It's really a fun instrument to play and explore, and to try to get sounding like a kit, in its own way.
YMMV, of course, but you can get a lot of cajon for four bills...

GJ
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Post by Gregg Juke » Tue Mar 29, 2016 10:07 pm

PS-- There's also stuff like the Meinl Foot Cabasa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEQVZllnosk

OR

One of those acoustic-electric "boom stomp box" pedals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO8TUMitTDU. (This guy is playing two with his hands, but they are usually used by acoustic guitar players that want to add some foot controlled "boom" without bringing a bass drum)...

GJ
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Post by floid » Wed Mar 30, 2016 3:17 am

I've seen nugrass guys use contact mic'd suitcases as pretty effective kicks.
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Post by markjazzbassist » Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:46 am

floid wrote:I've seen nugrass guys use contact mic'd suitcases as pretty effective kicks.
yeah i've seen touring guys use their snare/tom road case (like SKB) with a kick pedal and mic'd up before. very bare bones but works and actually sound halfway decent.

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Post by vvv » Wed Mar 30, 2016 7:27 am

bandcamp;
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Post by Gregg Juke » Wed Mar 30, 2016 8:19 am

Yeah ^^^ I knew there were more than just the Ellis one I referenced, because for awhile, everybody seemed to be making these. So there are definitely a few choices available out there, if that type of device works for you, CK.

GJ
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Post by vvv » Wed Mar 30, 2016 9:42 am

If you look for Chris Whitley (huge fave of mine, BTW) on the U-choob, he uses one extensively.

If you search out Bowie doing "Heroes" (on 12-string, with the great Reeves Gabrels on elec.gtr., and Gail Dorsey on bass and BV) for the Bridge Concerts you can see him with a bottle-cap rubber-banded under the toe of his shoe, and hear it.
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Post by Magnetic Services » Wed Mar 30, 2016 7:43 pm

Thumping a pillow lightly with an open hand often produces a sound much like a tight, thumpy rock kick drum (It's gotta be the right pillow). Lightly tapping a speaker cone of a big woofer yields a similar sound.

Other than that... pencils, pens, notebooks (open pages or plastic cover), table tops, thimbles, kitchen utensils... wherever you are, I'll bet there are at least 3 unique, complimentary sounds you can make. Just see what's around you and mic it up! A pencil condenser or two probably suffices for most things.

I think it's a cool and underused fact that you can often be much more dexterous with your just fingers than using all four limbs on a kit. How else can you do a quadruple or quintuple flam?

On the electronic side of things... I think the Akai Rhythm Wolf is pretty awesome.

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Post by DrummerMan » Thu Mar 31, 2016 7:16 am

I personally have never been able to get the right tone out of an old suitcase for a kick, though others have seemed to be able to (though I also imagine there's some judicious eq on those contact mics)

It's not as long term a solution, but I like a nice big cardboard box for a kick. The softness of it really can get you a nice quiet "thump", especially when played with a soft bd pedal beater. Maybe could even be reinforced with extra cardboard?

Then you can use a brush, or one of those big fireplace brush/broom things on top of the box as a snare. Your hihat can just be a regular hihat with a tshirt wrapped around the top cymbal. Voila! Quiet at-home kit!
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Post by Gregg Juke » Thu Mar 31, 2016 8:39 am

Oh, I forgot another one...

I used to have one of those Remo pad kits, for the very same objective (quiet apartment or teaching studio practice), until I leant it out and never received it back (yet).

I mention that, because years ago, I was in a studio where a guy rigged his own "electronic kit" by basically putting triggers/contact mikes on a Remo practice pad kit, added a drum-machine brain of some kind, and !Vy-Oh-La! an inexpensive electronic drumset.

GJ
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