It’s no secret that luxury drum kits can produce high quality sounds, but what if that’s not in your budget? Fortunately you’re not out of luck, as there are many drumming hacks you can use to make any budget drum kit sound simply amazing. Some of the top hacks include:
1. Use Percussion Instruments
If you want to use percussion instruments, then attach a percussion bracket to your bass pedal. This will take your music to the next level and let you experiment with many different instruments.
2. Invest in Drum Mics
Drum mics are cheap and can help you alter the sound of your kit much more easily.
3. Tune Your Drums
Your budget drum kit needs to be tuned regularly, even though there might be a learning curve to this. However, if you stick with it and use accessories like closed-back headphones to hear better, you’ll get used to the process.
4. Swap Equipment
You can swap different parts of your drum set for parts that other people don’t want, all for a low price or even no money at all.
5. Use Tape to Improve Drum Tones
Gaffer tape and tissue paper can help improve drum tone when they are taped down to the drum.
6. Maintain Equipment
Your equipment can last longer if you maintain it regularly. Start by regularly wiping down the hardware with white vinegar and a soft cloth, but also make sure to regularly grease with WD-40. In addition to this, you should always replace tension rods, washers and even lugs that are worn down.
Tip: Don’t forget to treat your bearing edges with beeswax to fill in pores in the wood. This can make for an easier tuning experience, which any drummer can appreciate.
7. Re-Purpose Socks
Attach and pitch of your drums can be changed by different sizes and even shapes of beaters. To save money on the price of a new beater, simply wrap a sock around it and you’ll end up with a softer sound.
8. Use Broken Cymbals
Cymbals can easily crack, but they can still be used to play music. Stack them with new cymbals to see if you like the noise they end up making.
Tip: There are companies that repair cymbals for affordable prices.
9. Learn New Techniques
No drum kit will sound good if you’re not using it properly. Take lessons so you can learn drumming techniques that improve your sound.
10. Replace Drum Heads
By replacing your drum heads you may be able to improve the sound that your drums make. There are many choices available, however, you should choose thick heads for rock and thin heads for softer music, like jazz. Try different combinations of top and bottom heads to find which makes the sound that you like.