Full Review: Aquarian Balance Pad - now you see it, now you don’t

Someone posted photos of this pad on the Drum Practice Pad History group on FB, and I was intrigued. 

I had a couple of pre-2020 Aquarian Super pads and liked them. I tried a couple of their Super Pads after a redesign that had been brought about by pandemic supply issues, and didn’t like those at all.

I was hesitant to consider buying one of these, until I read that the pad was not being brought to the retail market and that Aquarian was selling off the limited number left in their warehouse. So I went to their web site, saw that they still had a “limited” number available at a discounted price, and ordered one. It arrived in just a few days.

It’s made with an eleven-inch baseplate of MDF that’s been finished with smooth, rounded edges and sealed with a clear coat. If a company insists on using MDF for their pads then I think they should seal the MDF like this, it adds durability and a cleaner, more polished look than bare MDF does.

One one side, there are two layers of very fine, close-cell foam; the layer next to the base is a bit firmer than the layer that lies at the surface, and the surface is finished with a semi-gloss appearance. The very thin layer between the two foam layers is difficult to identify, but doesn’t seem to add much substance to that side of the pad. There is a center dot which appears to be a decal, made of black woven material similar to the white woven material on the pre-2020 version of the Super Pad. This softer side is for warming up and working on hand and wrist muscles. The center spot offers slightly more volume than the rubber around it. and both surfaces are quiet. 

The other side is made from two thinner layers of fine, closed-cell foam and the line between those layers is even harder to see, but it’s there. This side is then covered with a thin, soft plastic and topped with the same material found on the playing surface of the post-2020 Super Pad. It makes for a firmer and louder surface, and is more ideal for working out technical material.

I think putting the Aquarian foam layers on top of a thick MDF layer helps to give the pad more stability and a better response. (Aquarian Super Pads used a thin layer of MDF entirely encase in foam rubber, which may have inspired their thinking in this design.)

NOTE: this pad offers the best response and feel with concert or jazz sticks. I wouldn’t use heavy marching sticks on it at all.

The pad originally retailed for $89.00 plus postage. I bought mine at a discount for $59.00 plus postage. At the time, the web store indicated that there we a “limited” number of pads left. When I checked just now, the item had disappeared from their web site, meaning they are now sold out. 

I’m glad I managed to obtain one at the discounted price. With other “warmup” pads already on the market (Revolution, Meinl’s Marshmallow pad, Zildjian/Reflexx and others — none of which I liked as much as this), I wouldn’t have paid ninety bucks for this. However, I do like this pad better than those others I’ve mentioned because the firmer side offers more definition, and because the MDF has been sealed with a clearcoat. 

I’d be curious to learn why Aquarian chose to bring this pad out for a short test period and then not bring it to market. 

Curiously, the Super Pads are not currently listed at all at Aquarian’s web site, which makes me wonder if those might be discontinued as well.