tips for quieting my KD-7 kick trigger?

[skp]

hi, i just bought my roland vcustom kit last month primarily so i can play whenever i want just by popping on a pair of headphones

problem is my neighbors have been complaining b/c they can hear the thumps coming from my kick trigger (KD-7) every time i play

they said they couldn't hear anything else besides a constant thumping so that means that the other pads are quiter (hi hat, snare, toms, cymbals)

so i need to somehow reduce the thump sounds coming from my kick in order to keep playing whenever i want

any suggestions on how i can do this?

one idea i had was to build a 3 sided box that i could put over my kick pedal and trigger, and line this box w/ foam to absorb the thumping sounds

has anyone else had similar problems w/ neighbors? what were your solutions? any recommendations for my solution? is there anything easier to do to muffle the thumping sound?

is the KD-80 V-kick any quieter than my KD-7 since it's also built w/ the mesh heads?

thanks

--> shiv, frustrated in nyc

[matts64]

SKP:

Boingo gave me a whole bunch of relevant links in his response to my topic "Soundproofing." You can probably get what you need from those posts. Check it out under the General topics.

Good Luck.

MattS

[Dimitri]

Reposting for the blind ones...

If any of you here are suffering from floor vibrations/noise created by your PD-6/7/9 and such or a KD-7 kick trigger, here is one more solution. I have just tried it and to my surprise it worked remarkably well.
For the rubber pads:

Wrap the ends of your drumsticks with little moleskin patches (those sticky ones you put on bruises; you can get them from any pharmacy). Before you put it on, each piece should be approximately 4 inches wide. Having them on your sticks noticably reduces the vibration of the rack and everything else that's under it. I was also surprised by the fact that I like the feel of the pads better that way. It seems to give me more control over how fast the sticks bounce off. The whole kit feels tighter. Now, this does not magically dispose of the problem, but it certainly helps to some degree, without compromising the dynamics (and even improving them, it seems to me).

As for the evil brother KD-7:

Moleskin again! Fold a piece of moleskin (a few layers). And put it on top of the KD-7 (I attached it with rubber bands). Now, on the module, raise the sensetivity of the KD-7 to about 150% of its current level. Congats. Now you got yourself a KD-7 that is about 10 times as quiet as the one you used to have. Pretty simple for what it acheives.
(Don't forget that some kind of insulating platform under your set while you are using a KD-7 is still essential.)

Dimitri

[Marc.]

Originally posted by skp:
hi, i just bought my roland vcustom ...

Odd ... the V-Customs come with the KD-80 in all the literature I've seen and in the stores I've been in.

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[This message has been edited by Marc. (edited December 05, 2001).]

[jparsons]

I know your frustration bro! I had this problem too before I bought my house. Although, I have the KD-120, so I imagine that the KD-7 is worse because of its downward strike position... Anyway...

Try using two layers of carpet foam on bottom, then a piece of 1/4 plywood, followed by another layer of carpet foam on top. You'll have to make sure that it's big enough to cover the perimeter of your kit or else you'll be lop-sided. Should work and spread the thumping sound through the floor over the surface area of the plywood and will be muffled significantly by the carpet foam. I know it sounds like a lot, but it beats dealing with those damn neighbors.

Hope that helps...

JP