Product Review: Aquarian Super-Pad

Sometimes I will be introduced for the first time to an item that's been on the market for several years. That's the case with the Super-Pad by Aquarian Drumheads.

I obtained this 14" Super-Pad used on craigslist for ten bucks.

I took it home, and tried it both on and off of a 14" snare drum.

Pros:
-- It's relatively lightweight and therefore portable as a stand-along practice pad.
-- The feel resembles that of a lower-tensioned drum with a Mylar head. This is great if you play a drumkit or a large, old-school marching snare drum. (Kevlar kids -- skip this pad entirely.)
-- There isn't really anything else like it out there in terms of a practice pad/drum muffler combo, except maybe the R-Tom mesh head system, but the sound and feel are different.
-- It does an effective job of muffling the volume of a snare drum while still allowing the snares to be heard.
-- It weighs just enough to avoid bouncing off the drum when hit hard.
-- Works nicely on a drum or a tabletop, eliminating the need for a separate stand.

Cons:
-- Average retail price on this size -- if you can find it in stock -- runs between $57 and 60. Its list price from the manufacturer is around $85, which seems, frankly, rather high for this kind of thing.
-- Aquarian has run out of stock on all sizes except the smallest 8" model, and it appears that an item that's been on the market for several years may soon be discontinued. Which seems strange because as recently as last fall it was still getting rave reviews from kit drummers who liked the feel and versatility.

I guess I'm glad I got to try this put for so little money. At this price, it's interesting enough to be a nice addition to my pad collection.

Video: played with Vater MV-20 marching sticks. In hiondsight, this is probably a much better pad for concert or drumkit sticks, and less idea for marching applications in general. I went back and played it later with some 2B sticks and it felt much better all around. Also, I tried playing the underside and it works, but since it's a non-skid foam surface I wouldn't make that a habit.

Happy drumming!