cheddatom Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 I've got to play a gig on drums in a few weeks and they don't want a full kit as it'll be too big. I have a cajon, which is fine, but it gives a totally different feel to the whole sound of the band. I think the main chunk of space taken up by a kit is the kick drum. Especially with me being fairly tall, from the back of my stool to the back of the kick drum is probably 6 feet, then there might be a mic stand as well. So, I thought about one of those wooden "stomp box" things that acoustic guitarists have to keep a beat going. I reckon I could get a decent sound if I plug it straight into the desk with some EQ. That, plus a snare and some hats would be small enough Are there any other devices which already exist? I don't want to get a separate drum module, trigger pad, and kick pedal, I'm after a cheap and easy solution. I did think a little trigger pad to stick on the bottom of your shoe, and a tiny one sound module to output a kick sample to the PA, would be a great product Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 The smallest proper kick drum I have ever seen belongs to an ex-Terrortone drummer. The whole kit is tiny and the kick drum is a cut-down 16" floor tom shell fitted with kick-drum hardware. He used it once at a multi-band gig in a venue with a very small stage where he was supplying the kit. It was most amusing to watch the drummer from a metal band earlier on the bill struggle to use his double bass drum pedal with it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 The drummer in the 'Spoons also has that floor tom conversion hardware, has used it at gigs where space is a premium or for more stripped back outings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 that sounds way bigger than a stomp-box type solution, and I don't fancy cutting one of my floor toms in half! Thanks for the suggestion though, I've not heard that before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 If its going to be through a pa you could use a Roland kick and brain but with a full kit around it? I know a busy dep drummer near me that does it and it saves a lot of room in your typical Irish bar sort of gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 With a bit of EQ you can use you cajon as a kick drum. Velcro the pedal and base of the cajon to a piece of carpet so it won't slip. My drummer does a lot of acoustic gigs doing this, it sounds impressively good. Just remember to add a bit of foam to your pedal to get rid of some of the "click" when it hits the cajon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 [quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1454415714' post='2969464'] If its going to be through a pa you could use a Roland kick and brain but with a full kit around it? I know a busy dep drummer near me that does it and it saves a lot of room in your typical Irish bar sort of gig. [/quote] Yes, that's an option. I don't currently own any electronic drums, so to buy a kick and a brain (I assume I could use my normal pedal with these) is a bit much for a one off gig. I was hoping for a cheapo all-on-one solution but I can't find anything on google One year for christmas someone gave me a pad, about the same size as a mouse mat, and it had several pads, each of the triggering a drum sound. Most of the sounds were rubbish, but the kick drum would have been usable. If I could take the electronics out of this, wire the output to a jack and stick the kick drum trigger to my shoe or a wood block, that'd be perfect. However, I lost the damn thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 [quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1454415906' post='2969467'] With a bit of EQ you can use you cajon as a kick drum. Velcro the pedal and base of the cajon to a piece of carpet so it won't slip. My drummer does a lot of acoustic gigs doing this, it sounds impressively good. Just remember to add a bit of foam to your pedal to get rid of some of the "click" when it hits the cajon. [/quote] I tried the backwards kick pedal and I really couldn't work it. I'd need days of practise to do this. You can get special pedals with a reverse linkage to use with a cajon, but again it's a bit more than I want to spent for one gig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1454416108' post='2969473'] I tried the backwards kick pedal and I really couldn't work it. I'd need days of practise to do this. You can get special pedals with a reverse linkage to use with a cajon, but again it's a bit more than I want to spent for one gig [/quote] He uses a normal pedal, like the one in his drum kit. He covers the "head" of the pedal with some heavy duty foam and gaffa tape! Here's a video of him using it: https://youtu.be/t7ygkY0LyDY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 [quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1454416474' post='2969481'] He uses a normal pedal, like the one in his drum kit. He covers the "head" of the pedal with some heavy duty foam and gaffa tape! Here's a video of him using it: [url="https://youtu.be/t7ygkY0LyDY"]https://youtu.be/t7ygkY0LyDY[/url] [/quote] Ahh, sorry, I see what you mean now. I suppose that would work. If I did that I don't think it'd be much smaller than a kick drum, in terms of how much else you can fit on stage, but I guess if I leave my ride and floor tom at home it'd be a damn small kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zenitram Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Beatbox the kick through a mic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1454412966' post='2969427']...I'm after a cheap and easy solution... [/quote] Here you go ... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX6S6D657g8[/media] Long ago, I split the batter head with no spare, and had to play with a square foot of plywood nailed to each side of the split head. It was the first time I'd ever played with a mic on the bass drum. Suitably eq'd it was fine for the whole night, although it sounded better for the more disco-type numbers. I've also had a very convincing reggae bass drum using a giant ladybird toy/pillow stuffed into a plastic bucket, beat with a wooden spoon. Think 'out of the box' and the sky's the limit. Eq is your saviour, here. Hope this helps. Edited February 2, 2016 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushbo Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 There's a guy on EBay selling the shells of a Flats drum kit for £60...search for "Flats Lite Arbiter Drums". He's based in Derby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 couple of great suggestions there but I think Dad is the winner - I'm definitely going to try that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Doesn't get much smaller than Aerodrums! http://youtu.be/dXyohgT8oD8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 I did see them in the for sale section and they look like loads of fun. I wonder how well they'd cope in a dark room with stage lighting effects etc as it seems to be driven via a webcam watching you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpherMako4 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 You want a Ludwig questlove. Look em up. Awesome little kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Poor Ringo only has a little one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elephantgrey Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Something like [url="http://www.trapsdrums.co.uk/"]this[/url]? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 A drummer friend of mine bought a special stand thing to enable him to use a floor Tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 For a 'one off' gig, I doubt that any expense more than 'scrap box' would be worth it. It's fun, too (for some folks, anyway...) to mess around with a few odd experiments, and one can come up with all sorts of surprising results that way. I'd gig a mic in a marge tub with no qualms, and smile to myself when breaking down the kit afterwards. I doubt anyone would even notice, if the tub was 'gaffered' black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 These definitely work, but pricy for a one-off gig: https://www.drumshack.co.uk/1/lp-cajon-pedal-lp1500-8238?gclid=CPSu1vrb2coCFdZAGwodF1EKvg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 There's these, too, of course ... [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/McCabe-Stompbox-Stomp-Box-Foot-Drum-Stomper-Walnut-/252272830024?hash=item3abca1e648:g:xNAAAOSw-zxWo9u-"]Wooden Stomp Box ...[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elephantgrey Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1454438835' post='2969781'] There's these, too, of course ... [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/McCabe-Stompbox-Stomp-Box-Foot-Drum-Stomper-Walnut-/252272830024?hash=item3abca1e648:g:xNAAAOSw-zxWo9u-"]Wooden Stomp Box ...[/url] [/quote] Is that a wooden box with a pickup in it? Thats actually quite cleaver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Another vote for the Arbiter Flat Lites kit, our drummer uses one for practice and small gigs, he swears by the quality of the kit and the sound it produces for the money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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