One thing that bugs me incredibly while experimenting with live recording is that my sense of rhythm, while not horrible, isn’t quite where it needs to be. To remedy this I decided that I needed some basic rhythm practice, and what better (and more fun) way to get that than with a drum practice pad. Those little things are incredibly cheap (it’s basically just a piece of rubber) but they have a very satisfactory feel and sound.

My dad used to be a drummer (he still is in heart and mind) for many years, doing both pop, traditional dance music and marching bands so I always had the sound of drums and rhythms in the background as I grew up. I especially remember all the weekends he used to spend in the basement of our house tapping out marches on a practice pad. I think that’s why the sound of this thing has such a nostalgic feel to it for me.

Anyways, I picked up a Vater Percussion pad and a cymbal stand, both of which you can get at the following links from amazon (also, don’t forget the sticks :):

-> Vater Chop Builder Practice Pad 12 inch Soft Single Side (Red color is no longer listed.)
-> Sound Percussion SP880BS Double-Braced Boom Stand

The stand is very sturdy and nice, and the pad feels heavy and robust. Now off for some practice!