(Disclaimer: at the end of my chat with Michael Beauclerc, founder of MadPads, Michael offered to send me one of his regular snare pads free of charge, so that I could test and review it. I did not solicit this offer. It was his idea. I’m grateful for the opportunity to chat with him, and grateful for the chance to test and review his pad.)
Construction of the Mad Pad
The playing surface is roughly 1/4” gum rubber adhered to an MDF base. Bottom surface is a white material that looks and feels like a more dense, closed cell styrofoam sheeting, similar to that used in wrapping fragile items for shipping.
Michael informed me this material is called 2A1, is far more robust than ordinary styrofoam wrapping material, and is used as a material for gaskets.
More info here:
https://www.atlanticgasket.com/ASTM-D-1056-information.html
Feel free to dive in and get your geek on.
Bottom layer was scuffed and peeling right out of the box.
The glue was spread very thinly and the layer peeled up with almost no effort.
It does function as a sort of nonskid surface. Not as nonskid as a mousepad type of rubber might be. I’ll live with it for now, and if it shows signs of rapid deterioration n the future I’ll replace it with mousepad material and super glue gel.
I have yet to come across any detailed specs for the “Deluxe MDF” that Michael referred to in our initial chat, only the generalized explanation I found (and linked in my previous post). But I will keep researching and let you know later if I discover anything more.
The base is painted quite nicely, and looks like a reasonably durable coating. You can get the Mad Pad in White Chocolate, Stiff Key Blue, or the basic black shown here.
The top layer also showed signs of peeling, though only at the edge in a few places, and only a tiny bit. Not sure if a different glue was used here, or simply a greater amount of the same glue.
The accompanying info sheet offers instructions for care:
I am still coming to terms with an instruction sheet that tells me to simply re-glue edges that peel up on a $65 pad. I’m willing to own the possibility that, due to my lifelong history as a maker, recycler and scavenger, my idea of pricing-versus-value needs some adjustment in 2024.
Playing the Mad Pad
My previous experiences with gum rubber practice pads have included a first generation Xymox (with no snare sound, dense — Premium? — MDF base and 1/8” rubber), the first and second generations of the Vic Firth Heavy Hitter pads (in both thicknesses, with what is likely a regular MDF base; and I’m not convinced that the gum rubber playing surface didn’t change between those two generations. I have not yet tried the 2024 update); and the vintage RealFeel tan pad on a regular MDF base.
Of these three, I liked playing the tan RealFeel and the first generation Stockpad the best, and everything else not so much.
The Mad Pad uses a gum rubber surface that is roughly 1/4” thick (the exact measurement, being Canadian, is Metric and also a proprietary secret, but 1/4” is close enough). For reasons I’m not exactly sure of, my hands greatly prefer the feel and response on this pad over that of either previous generation of the VF Stockpad. I suspect this may have something to do with the density of the MDF base. The MDF base on the Mad Pad feels more dense, and is a little heavier by weight as well. The sound has a nice depth, a sense of midrange tone, that I don’t find on the VF pads. It also gives off a liveliness that I never found on the RealFeel pad as well. If I were going to use a gum rubber pad as my primary practice pad**, it just might be the Mad Pad.
(** My primary, daily player pads are all tunable, with mylar heads. They provide a feel that’s closest to an actual drum, and are easier on my arthritic hands. However, they generally don’t travel very well, so when I need to take a pad along with me, it will invariably be some kind of rubber pad.)
The three carve-outs in the sides of the base allow for easy use in a snare stand (remember to lower the stand a little when using this pad, as the smaller 13” diameter will raise the height compared to your waist). Because the overall height of the pad is only an inch at most, you may want to look around for a basket with shorter feet. My go-to snare stand has pretty long feet and if I’m not paying attention, they stick up enough above this pad that I can catch it with a drum stick or the edge of my shirt. (New Mad Pads come with the helpful decal referenced in my previous post; point that decal and away from you and center it between two feet in the basket, so the third foot is facing you directly. This should help you avoid snags or unwanted stick bumps.)
Final thoughts: this is a really nice feeling and sounding practice pad. The pad’s weight puts it between the VF Heavy Hitter pads and the older tan RealFeel, and is not an unreasonable weight to carry in a backpack.
That said, some construction choices and out-of-the-box realities give me pause, and I hope that future editions of the pad will take these into consideration.
As I said before, as a lifelong scavenger, recycler and maker — and someone who’s over forty — I admit to having a slightly warped sense of things when it comes to price-versus-value.
You and your wallet are the best judge of what an acceptable ratio is for you.
$90 CA equals roughly $66 US today.
We are at the beginning of a new school year. If you’re heading back to school, practice smart, pay attention and be kind to the people around you.
Happy chopping!
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