Evans RealFeel - Drum Practice Pad - Drum Pad - Drummer Practice Pad - Gum Rubber & Neoprene, 2 Sided, 6 Inch,Grey

Had a realfeel pad for years and lived it. It got damaged in a move last year. I tried another brand and did not like it at all. Just bought this one and am so happy with it! Highly recommend

So far, great for my high school percussionist.

Amazing pad with a nice quiet sound that is portable and strong.

The first thing you need to consider when choosing a drum practice pad, is the actual material that the pad is being made of. Not all practice pads are created equal. Traditionally, the better-quality pads are made from natural, or "gum" rubber, whereas the cheaper pads are synthetic. Furthermore, since many, if not most, of the pads are being manufactured overseas, you may encounter pads that are currently being marketed as "natural", which are in fact, "synthetic".The natural gum rubber pads provide more rebound, or "bounce", than the synthetic pads do, but they are not as quiet as the synthetic pads. The synthetic pads provide a noticeable reduction in tone, but do not provide anywhere near the rebound properties of a natural gum rubber pad.There are synthetic pads available on Amazon which provide 95% noise reduction! That is about as quiet of a pad as you are going to get. The natural gum rubber pad, such as the Evans line of products we are reviewing today, sacrifices some of the noise reduction for rebound, but it is still within the acceptable range, perhaps somewhere around 85% cancellation of the principal tone.Traditionally, natural gum rubber pads were easy to spot, since they always came in the same, pale amber color.Now, before you get your bowels in an uproar, please be aware that the only drummers who actually require a natural gum rubber pad, are those in marching band and drum corps, who play short rolls and rudiments. This type of drumming calls for as much rebound as you can possibly get. Yes, you may play short rolls and rudiments on a synthetic rubber pad, but you are going to have to press down harder on the sticks, in order to achieve the desired effect. And you can only press harder for so long before your hands are simply going to give out.We tried a dozen or so of the most popular makes, models and sizes of drum practice pads available, and we feel that, dollar for dollar, this particular model, provides overall, the best value for the money.That being said, if you are planning on mounting this unit to a standard 8mm threaded cymbal stand, make sure that the Masonite pad base comes equipped with a female, threaded 8mm tee nut fastener. Also, you may discover that when mounting a practice pad on a cymbal stand, the upper tubes of the stand might rattle with the vibrations, which can be a little annoying.When using a pad on a conventional snare drum stand with a basket, the pad is being supported underneath on all three sides, hence the eight-sided design of the pad base. However, be sure to check your snare drum stand basket beforehand, to determine if the basket will actually accommodate a six- or seven-inch pad. Most baskets will accept a 12" diameter pad, but not all snare baskets will accept the smaller diameter pads.We sincerely hope that the drummer will continue to make music for a lifetime.

Well built, surprisingly heavy. Wood finish came with a noticeable blemish, but nothing that affects its use or else would have been a 5 star rating.

Every drummer need one

If you don't have one already...buy it.I had a small pad for a long time, but this one is just better (not cramped, smoother feel).

Just starting to learn the drums and my teacher told me this is a great pad to practice on. Coupled with the Vic Firth SDS1 General drumsticks and you can get started. Octagon shape to remind beginners to come in at angles to ensure proper grip (match grip) on the sticks.