Bass Drum

[Hal E. Lujah]

Hi All,

I recently saw LC at Waterbury, and will see hm again at Radio City. I saw something I could not quite ascertain and I wonder if anyone knows the answer. The drummer's bass drum seemed, from where I was perched in the mezz, to have an odd something right in front of the bass drum. It looked like a smaller bass drum, but could not have been. Does anyone know what that might be? He played well, by the way, in keeping unnoticed, which is what was wanted, I am sure. I wanted more until I realized that he was consciously staying out of the way, holding time. I look forward to the great LC at the world's largest indoor theatre.

Hal E.

[Womanfromaroom]

It might have been Fred the monkey... No, seriously, I don't know, sorry!

[hershey]

What Raphael has on the front of his bass drum is a 'woofer' It enhances the sympathetic frequencies, roundness, and low - end 'punch.'
Non drummers might think 'what's the point?' but drummers know it makes a difference - and if that is what they think will improve things all around - then great.
Nigel Olsen uses one too (Elton John Band) Both drummers use DW drums.

[Hal E. Lujah]

Thanks Hershey>

I am a drummer, but an out-of-touch one obviously. I never saw such a thing. They used to use a mike and then mix it from there, I think. I am used to seeing a mike. Do you know how this works differently, as both amplify the sound. A woofer is a speaker, no? So his bass drum would be amplified (certain frequencies) right there and then sent out that speaker, that woofer right there? That would be the difference between that and a micophone. Do I have that right?

When I saw LC at Joe's the drummer was using a cajon, I think. He was sitting on it and played it; it looked like a box. He used it instead of a kit, since there was no room on the stage. Shows how out of it I am I guess.

Thanks, again for the the intelligent response. I like knowing what I am seeing.

Hal E.

[hershey]

I have seen The Webb Sisters brother (Bradley Webb) use a cajon sometimes too. But he doesn't seem to use a 'woofer' on his DW kit.
He is drumming with Jamie Cullum at Carnegie Hall NY next month!
One still 'mikes' the bass drum with a 'woofer' - and anyone who has seen the LC band notices what a brilliant sound team Leonard has to get the perfect sound and balance.

[Hal E. Lujah]

I checked out the woofer thing. It seems that the woofer is always the same diameter or even larger than the kick drum. Drummers sometimes cut their bassdrum in order to create the woofer, which is about 8 inches in width. This drummer has a much different thing; his woofer is much smaller, looks like a tomtom lying sidewise, which is something I have not encountered even on this drumsite about woofers. And they have two mikes, indeed, one inside the kick and the other in the woofer. that's a lot of attention to a boom sound, isn't it? I found his snare to be too flat for my taste, boxy. but, again, I know that he is giving what LC wants.
Hal

[burningviolin]

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=14413&start=45&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Here is an up close picture of the drum kit from the Monkey and the Plywood violin thread! I don't know much about woofers etc (though I do like dogs! sorry bad pun) but isn't there something to do with Leonard's voice being so low that frequencies have to be tweaked in order to hear it 'properly' or for it not to be in competition with the other instruments? Again, I haven't a clue but thats my guess!

[Florian]

Hello everyone,

the item used by R. Gayol is called "Subkick", manufracted by Yamaha.
It has the same purpose as the Woofer by DW but works little different:
basicly it's a snaredrum shell (10 x 5 inches) with a speaker(!) inside. that speaker is revese-wired and works as a microphone as result of that.
The DW woofer is a schorter bassdrum in front of the real bassdrum with a (real)mic inside.

Florian