Acoustic drums are obviously loud musical instruments. We can’t really change that loudness, and it isn’t feasible to encourage a player to play more gently. Installing a drum shield, also referred to as a cage, around the drum kit is one thing live sound engineers may do. One of the best methods to lower the onstage volume of acoustic sets for a better, more balanced live mix is with a drum shield. Top 5 Drum Shield Options for Your Home Studio.
What Is a Drum Shield?
The majority of shields are made up of a series of substantial acrylic panels that form a semicircle around the kit’s front and sides. On occasion, you might also notice a top panel that resembles a ceiling to create a more enclosed space for a drummer.
Sound coming from the drum kit is reflected by acrylic panels back towards the drummer and away from the other microphones and performers on stage. The theory is that by doing this, the likelihood of drums— one of the loudest instruments in a performance—bleeding into other microphones is significantly decreased.
Significant bleed issues can overwhelm a front-of-house (FOH) engineer’s mix, giving the audience too many drums and not enough of the other instruments. Engineers typically use isolating cages as a method to minimize excessive leakage and to maintain a mixture as hygienic and controlled as feasible.
In addition to sound rerouting, shields offer some volume reduction.
Are Drum Shields Effective?
Mileage varies based on product quality, as is frequently the case. FOH engineers should absolutely think about investing in a high-quality, tried-and-true shield rather than anything flimsy and cheap if they have major bleed issues. For the best isolation, acrylic shields should also be used in conjunction with some kind of acoustic absorption.
It’s better if there’s a means to absorb some of those reflections as well, preventing them from bombarding the unfortunate drummer who is confined to their isolation booth. This is in addition to preventing reflections from entering other microphones on stage.
When Is a Drum Shield Appropriate?
Drum shields are frequently utilized in studios but are originally designed for live sound settings. They are widely used in places of worship when it is crucial that worshippers are not subjected to loud rock concerts. The FOH engineer can mix around a drum kit that has been isolated or attenuated to maintain overall levels that are appropriate for the target audience.
Depending on the type of music, cages may also be used to restrain drums when the level of the other instruments can’t reasonably compete with the drums. Metal band guitarists won’t have an issue with it, but an acoustic guitarist or singer-songwriter definitely doesn’t want to strum and shout over a drum kit.
Top 5 Drum Shield Options
Clearsound Baffles Pack of 4 Acoustic Cymbal Shields
Finally, with Clearsound’s cymbal baffles, we have an entirely new method for drum shielding. This set of four shields, which mounts easily on a cymbal stand, isolates the sound of a drummer’s cymbals so that extremely high frequencies are kept out of vocalists’ microphones and help them stand out in the mix.
Sound Shields VDS-5-K 5.5 Feet Tall, 10 Feet Wide, 5-Section Acrylic Shield System
This five-panel system, which is a whopping 10 feet tall, is ideal for places of worship or other locations with high ceilings. The additional length of the panel by a few feet aids in further containing the mid- and high-frequency content emitted by the cymbals. This system has “mouse holes” for wire runs, just like many high-quality drum shields.
Pennzoni Display DS4 5-Panel Drum Shield
This five-panel system, which is a whopping 10 feet tall, is ideal for places of worship or other locations with high ceilings. The additional length of the panel by a few feet aids in further containing the mid- and high-frequency content emitted by the cymbals. This system has “mouse holes” for wire runs, just like many high-quality drum shields.
ClearSonic IsoPac A Complete Isolation Booth
The IsoPac from ClearSonic offers a comprehensive solution for on-stage drum isolation. This booth includes absorptive acoustic panels in addition to acrylic panels, as well as a confusing “ceiling,” and even a 6″ fan to keep your drummer comfortable behind the kit. One of the best drum cages available would be the IsoPac.
ClearSonic CSP A2466x7 Acrylic Drum Shield, 7-panel
Pieces of acrylic measuring 24 inches wide by 66 inches tall and 1/4 inch thick are included in this ClearSonic seven-panel kit. They can be folded at the hinges and stored or split for storage. There are cable cutouts at the bottom of the panels, allowing FOH to still run the required XLRs to mic up the drum set. Top 5 Drum Shield Options
The Top Audio Interface Options for 2023
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