BASS DRUM FLO-RING

Too much ring on your bass drum? Are bad harmonics and overtones making your bass drum clash with the bass guitar and other low frequency instruments? Palisso Percussion Company has a solution!

For decades, since drums moved away from calf skin heads and toward more modern materials like Mylar, drummers have been trying to tame the sound of the bass drum while still retaining tone and dynamics. Solutions like cotton blankets, down pillows, sponges, and felt strips have all been used. Most either didn't work well because they negatively affected the tonal quality of the drum, or they required constant attention to keep them from shifting in the drum while the drum is in use.

The bass drum FLO-RING is an affordable and effective solution. It allows you to take advantage of the full dynamic range of the bass drum, while eliminating virtually all of the unwanted ring and overtone. It can be used on single or double-ply drum heads, and it can easily be transferred to new heads and different drums. If desired, The bass FLO-RING can also be used on the resonant head to provide additional dampening. The bass FLO-RING can be can be mounted on any type of bass drum head, but it works best on drum heads with a built in dampening ring on the inner edge of the head. When the bass FLO-RING is inserted between the dampening ring and the head, its soft surface absorbs the high and harmonic vibrations, allowing the pure tone of the head to cut through and resonate within the bass drum shell. The bass drum signal sounds lower, with a relatively short attack. Live sound becomes much like what you hear in recordings where the tonal signal of the bass drum is trimmed and compressed to remove unwanted harmonics and increase attack.

Bass FLO-RINGS are sold in pairs so YOU can decide if you want to dampen one of both heads. For jazz, you may prefer to install the FLO-RING on just the batter head to allow your bass drum more sustain. Rock drummers will probably prefer to dampen both heads to achieve that cannon-like explosive bass drum signal. Bass FLO-RINGS work especially well with vented bass drums.

Bass FLO-RING Installation Guide for heads WITH Dampening Rings:

1. Start by putting a mark on the bass drum head at the top. This is only important if you want the head to be in the same orientation after it is reinstalled. Remove the head from the bass drum, clean the interior of the drum and check the bearing edges for rough spots or damage. Smooth rough spots if any are found.

2. Place the drum head on a flat surface with the inner side facing up. Use a damp cloth or paper towel to clean the drum head surface.

3. Place a few pieces of cardboard or other soft material between the drumhead and the dampening ring to make the process of installing the bass FLO-RING easier.

4. Slide the FLO-RING into the space between the head and the dampening ring. Be sure the soft cotton side is facing DOWN, against the head away from the dampening ring. When the FLO-RING is properly and evenly positioned under the dampening ring, the next step is to attach the FLO-RING to the dampening ring using the double sided adhesive dots.  

5. Remove the protective foil from one adhesive dot, and stick it to the very tip of a knife blade or similar tool. Using a finger or a piece of cardboard, gently lift the dampening ring at the spot you marked, slide the blade with the adhesive into the gap, and gently press the dampening ring onto the adhesive dot. Once the adhesive dot is firmly attached to both the FLO-RING and the dampening ring, gently remove the tool without removing the adhesive dot.

 

 

(Note: you should adhere the FLO-RING to the drumhead starting from the highest point you previously marked. Using that mark as 12:00, we suggest placing the adhesive dots at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00. At least three fixing points (9.30, 12, 2.30) are necessary. Five fixing points (e.g.: 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 1:30, and 3:00) will also work, but remember, it is not necessary to attach the bass FLO-RING to the lower half of the drum head).

 

 

Bass FLO-RING Installation Guide for heads WITHOUT Dampening Rings:

1. Start by putting a mark on the bass drum head at the top. This is only important if you want the head to be in the same orientation after it is reinstalled. Remove the head from the bass drum, clean the interior of the drum and check the bearing edges for rough spots or damage. Smooth rough spots if any are found.

2. Place the drum head on a flat surface with the inner side facing up. Use a damp cloth or paper towel to clean the drum head surface.

3. Place the bass FLO-RING on the inner side of the head with the soft cotton side facing down, against the inside of the head. Shift the bass FLO-RING until it is centered on the head and is evenly spaced on all sides.

4. Remove the foil from both sides of one adhesive dot and use the dot to attach the FLO-RING to the head at the 12:00 point you marked before you removed the head from the drum. Using additional adhesive dots, attach the bass FLO-RING at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00; it is not necessary to attach the bass FLO-RING to the lower half of the drum head.