The Drumeo P4 multi-surface practice pad is pretty neat and it stands out due to having four different playing surfaces all on the same side. I was a little skeptical of this one before playing it, but after using it for a while it’s one of my favorite practice pads.
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Feel and Playability
This is a very playable practice pad and it offers four different feeling playing surfaces that you can use to train your hands for the various playing surfaces around a drum kit. That is a big advantage over many other single or double sided practice pads out there.
The blue pad is your typical gum-rubber style of pad that simulates the response of a snare drum. I find that I use this pad the most for general practice when I’m not as worried about volume. It just feels the most familiar with it’s response.
The black pad is a little bit harder and has increased stick definition. It’s meant to feel more like a high tom with a high tension head, and I’d agree with that after playing it.
The red pad is the hardest pad, and it feels more like a ride cymbal in terms of response and stick definition, which is what it’s meant to simulate.
The gray pad is the softest by far and in my opinion there is more of a drastic difference in feel between the gray pad and the others. It is meant to simulate a larger tom with a loose head tension and I’d agree with that as well. Due to it’s softer nature, it also is the most quiet pad of the four.
The different pads give you the opportunity to switch quickly between different types of surfaces while practicing, which is more in line what what you’ll experience while you play on a drum kit. This can help you prepare more for the changes in response, stick definition and rebound when you get in front of a drum kit and start moving between the snare, toms and cymbals with all of their unique response differences.
Having four different zones and targets to hit also helps you get used to moving between different areas while playing, as well as mixing and matching difference surfaces between your left and right hands.
All of these options combine to help prepare your technique for the variations you’ll run into once you switch back to a drum kit, which is great and is something that not many other pads can offer.
How Loud Is The Drumeo P4 Pad?
Due to the different playing surfaces, volume can change depending on which section of the pad you are playing. The blue, black and red sections are louder and produce the most noise. The gray section is actually quite a bit more quiet than the others, that that’s the section of the pad you’ll want to use if you’re trying to keep the noise down.
Portability and Design
This pad is 12 inched in diameter and weighs a little under 4 pounds. I find this pad to be a little bulky and less portable than other 12 inch pads. This is mostly due to the increased depth and weight. The increased weight comes from the extra layers or levels between the pad sections, which adds more thickness to the wood base. You’ll feel the increased weight in your backpack compared to thinner 12 inch pads.
The pad design is pretty slick. Each section from the front to back of the pad is slightly elevated as you work your way from front to back, which gives you a little bit of vertical movement to think about while playing around the pad.
The base is heavy wood and painted black. it’s not overly smooth but not really rough either. The bottom of the pad is a soft protective layer to provide a little bit of protection and vibration isolation when you place this pad on other surfaces.
Durability
Overall, this pad feels very well built, and should hold up well to playing and abuse. I don’t see it falling apart any time soon. It feels like the type of pad that will last a lifetime.
Pros
- Multiple playing surfaces at different heights
- Simulates different playing surfaces around a drum kit
- Durable and quality build
- Both loud and more quiet playing surface options
Cons
- Bulkier thickness and weight
The Verdict
I was a little skeptical of the Drumeo P4 practice pad at first because I thought maybe it was trying to too hard to be unique and it was more expensive. After using it, it’s one of my favorite pads due to it’s playability and flexibility in terms of training your hands.
Sure, this pad is a little more expensive than others, but if you want more options for playing surfaces it’s well worth the price. It can also be a good option for those who practice in apartments or shared living spaces since it contains a quiet pad as well. It’s only drawback is the added bulk and weight, which might take a little bit away from portability.
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