There are many ways drum muffling is called and done. Some call it dampening, or silencing, among many other names.
One thing that remains the same is that there’s an overwhelming number of choices in controlling your drum sounds.
Drum muffle rings are among the most common dampening products. And the best part is, you can make your own rings at home, so you have to spend money buying any.
Is drum muffling necessary?
The best question would be whether you want to practice at home without disturbing your neighbors. Drum muffling is one of the best ways to get things done.
Here are some benefits of drum muffling:
- Practice silently. It would be better to get electronic drum kits or practice pads for home practice. But since they don’t sound good, and don’t offer the same experience, most people prefer using acoustic drums. Unfortunately, they sound really loud and could be a high nuisance to your neighbors. The last thing you want is to get into such troubles. Drum muffling can be a great choice.
- For beginners. Beginners need a lot of practice time. With acoustic drums, you can always have the right experience and feeling. Drum muffling is the right way to do this.
In simple terms, drum muffling has become very common today because it is the most effective way to get the best out of your drums. This means investing in the right muffling products is crucial.
What is a drum muffling?
Drum muffling happens when something is added on the drumhead, which changes its sound. It can also be called ‘drum dampening,’ ‘drum choking’ or ‘controlling the sound.’
Drum muffling is like turning your drum into a wet cardboard box. This sounds too much, but it is a great way of defining what happens to the muffled sound.
Muffling means can cause less ringing, fewer overtones, reduced sustain, reduced high-pitch frequencies, less tone, or reduced volume.
Basically, the term less is used throughout dampening, which is what happens to the drum sound. Hence, it is known as ‘control.’ In this case, you are controlling the overtones, sustain, volume, or sustain frequencies of the sound.
What you are looking for is a quieter and specific sound. You suppress the drumheads so that they don’t vibrate fully.
What are drum muffle rings?
Different muffling methods will produce different results. It can be anything from a small change to extreme muffling. The most important thing is understanding different muffling methods.
Muffle rings (or drum rings, e-rings, drum control rings) are plastic rings placed on top of the drumhead. They are one of the most common methods of altering drums’ sound.
All the names mean the same thing. This is because the ring cut out overtones that ring round the drumhead edge. By doing this, muffle rings reduce the sustain, producing a more focused sound from the drum.
Still, wondering what it means? The muggle ring lets you get rid of your drum kit’s ringing, giving you a cool deep thud.
Higher tuning creates a lot of ringing and overtones. Or you can tune very low for a deeper fat sound.
What are the best drum muffle rings?
Muffle rings are not a new thing on the market. It is, however, surprising that there are not very many great options.
This is why you will not even get much information on how to choose the right drum muffle. But the rule of the thumb is, the thicker drum muffle ring is, the stronger the dampening effect you get. This means you will need to get thicker rings if you want deeper sounds or light ones for a livelier sound.
Also, you can easily make your own muffle rings. You only need your old drumheads. This is the easiest way to have your drums muffled.
Remo and Evans Drum rings
As stated above, and there are not very many good brands for drum muffle rings. It could be because many users prefer to create their own solutions.
Nevertheless, there are some great quality retail drum muffle rings. Not everyone has old drumheads, and this could be a good way to get your hands one some.
Remo and Evans E-Rings feature on the top of the list. They come cut in different sizes to meet your drum needs. They are even better because of affordability.
Chances are they are more consistent cut than your DIY options. They are manufactured specifically for the purpose, which makes them functional.
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Though both Remo and Evan drum muffle rings do the same thing, a few differences set them apart. Majorly, the Evans ones are slightly thinner. This means they give slightly less muffling. You need to keep this in mind if you are choosing between the two.
Both are top quality. They will, therefore, last for a long time if you treat them well. Besides, they are from top manufacturers for drums and accessories.
From Remo option is the Remo Muff’ control rings. These are rings that provide a stronger dampening effect than the other two options. They feature foam rings mounted on their underside, making them more effective.
Another good reason to use these drum muffle rings is that they will cut overtones and sustain more. Your drums will give out a warmer tone, ensuring you feel warmer even during the performance.
If all you want is this warm sound, Remo’s Muff’ I drum rings will give you the best performance. If your drums are hard to tune, they will also give you better performance.
Big Fat Drum Muffle Rings
Apart from Remo and Evans, Big Fat Drum Muffle Rings are also a great option. These rings are designed to meet different needs.
They are designed for different drums, from snares to bass drums. You need to be careful when choosing them to get the right size.
There are various techniques used by drummers to reduce sound while practising. They include:
Bass Drum – Pillow Trick
In this technique, put the pillow or blanket or something the same that can cover the bass drum’s whole drum head. This method muffles sound and significantly makes the drum quieter. The pillow prevents a large amount of air that would usually move through the bass drum and produce a louder noise.
Muffling using a pillow can make your drums sound much better.
O-Rings and Moon Gels
You can use plastic O-rings to manage excessive sounds in snares and toms. But, they do not significantly minimize the noise volume. The rings and moon gels absorb some of the head’s resonance, leading to a reduced sound for sure. Place the gel on toms and snares to mute the drums and get a relatively decent sound.
Moon gels are used for both recording sessions and live performances as well. Professionals can, therefore, apply this technique at their homes.
Cloth Strips and Duct Tape
Drummers can easily use this method. The noisiest component of a drum kit is the snare drum. Cover the drum head with a cloth so that the cloth can take away some sound. But the cloth takes away the feeling of the snare drum.
What do drum rings do?
Drum rings have become far too common among all skill levels. They are used by both beginners and professionals to get the best effects from their drum sounds.
If you are struggling to tune your drum, you are not alone. Many others, especially beginners, are going through the same issues.
Or perhaps your drum is just in a bad state and refuses to tune well. You will need an easy solution.
You can use drum muffle rings to get them in the right position. And the best part is, rings are designed to hold tightly on the rims of your drums for better effects.
Also, you can use the drum muffle rings to get a specific sound. It offers a great solution for live and studio recording situations.
Drum muffle rings work by dampening the edge of your drumhead. Try playing the drums without them, and you will feel a strange ringing. This is called the overtones, and they occur around the edge of your head.
When overtone starts sounding bad, it is because of varying tensions between each lug. In other words, the drumhead is tighter in some places than the others.
You can fix this by getting the lugs as even as possible. But this may not be easy if you have some of those hard-to-tune drums. In this case, a drum ring will not be very helpful.
Drum muffle rings are also used in performing or studio recording. Drummers want to change drum sounds to suit their tracks. And there are different categories of drum muffle rings for every situation.
The sound that comes out depends on the type of ring you are using. But they keep you away from having to buy a whole new drum kit.
Note also, that the drum rings are easy to remove. They don’t have sticky residue. It therefore advisable that you don’t use duct tape for the drumheads.
They just sit on top of your drums. Hence, you can install or remove it within a second, altering the sound from your drums.
For light muffling, place one or more business cards at the drum’s lower edge. Or use tape for faster action.
Temporary muffling using cymbal felt split in half, and gluing a half-dollar at the center is another great idea.
But using muffle rings is the most convenient way. You can install and remove it as fast as you wish.
How do you muffle a snare drum?
There are many ways of muffling your snare drum, or any other drum. It all depends on how deep you want to dampen the sound.
How do you make drum rings?
Making drum muffle rings is very easy. You will need your old drum heads.
Cut the drumheads into rings. Remember that thinner ones are for open sound, while thick is for more dampening.
What are the best drumheads for recording?
Drumheads sound great, depending on the material they are made from. Today, there are several companies producing these products.
Some of the best materials include:
- Skinz. Like what Remo used in fiber skinhead.
- White coats
- Modern love, as those from Evan.
Conclusion
Drum muffle rings have become a common factor for changing drum sounds. Whether you buy one or make your own, it is essential to consider how far you need dampening.
