Purpose-driven developments in practice pad design

I've been cleaning out the dark corners of my practice pad collection, selling off doubles and making some space in my studio. Along the way, I've been trying out different pads and deepening my knowledge of pad design in the process.

Tonight I did a little comparison.
Using an excerpt from one of the NARD solos ("Benevolent Bill"), I played the first section on each of four different pads in my collection (disclaimer: all keepers, so don't ask if I'm selling them).

In order of trial and approximate age, here are my videos.

1. 1948-50 Slingerland Radio King pad, 2B sticks. The pad itself is actually no big deal, because it's the same design dozens of companies were selling in the back of their respective drum catalogs. Slingerland's Radio King pad was perhaps a little bit bigger than a lot of what else was out there at the time, but really the only thing that makes it special is the iconic "Radio King" badge. Still, it's fun to play on something so historic and older than I am.
The black rubber surface is still in good shape, and hasn't hardened yet. But it's also not quite as bouncy as gum rubber would be, and I have to pull the strokes out of the pad. This would also be the case with the bigger, deeper drums of this era (marching snare drums measured 15" or 16" in diameter back then), with Mylar heads tuned lower. Drummers of this era had to do some of the work involved in double bounce rolls and paradiddle rudiments, which is why so many worked out on pillows as part of their training.

2. 1972 Patterson design Pad. Another wood box, this one horizontal, with a more pure gum rubber playing surface that's lively and offers a bit more rebound. Still using the 2B sticks out of consideration for the design and the pad's age, I can get a very nice bounce. This is more in line with the marching drums of my youth, which usually measured 14" in diameter and had more lugs, so they could be tuned tighter and higher than the older 15" drums. Combined with a Remo "Pinstripe" head, these drums produced a fat but crisp sound that was tremendous to hear when eight or ten drummers played in perfect unison.

3. Vater Chop Builder pad, black (hard) side, with marching sticks. Switching to marching sticks for this heavier, denser pad made sense; the 2B sticks don't really work as well with the modern marching pads. I chose to utilize the harder black side of this pad to see if there was a real difference between it and the final pad in the comparison. There definitely is a difference.
Several companies produce two-sided pads with a soft and hard side, and in most cases the hard side on these pads is SO hard that you might as well be playing on a Formica countertop. The Vater version pulls back a little from that, with a thick "hard" side that still has a little rebound in it and makes for a more pleasant playing experience.

4. Vic Firth Heavy Hitter Slimpad. One of the most popular marching pads on the market since its introduction in the early 2000's. This predates the Vater pad by a few years but I saved it for last because it comes closest to the feel and rebound of a modern Kevlar marching head. It's 1/8' thick gum rubber on a wood base. Nothing fancy, but they dialed in the feel so it gives modern marching drummers exactly what they need in a practice situation. The gum rubber is lively and offers rebound, but the thin playing surface means there's a lot of hardness coming from the wood underneath. As opposed to "pulling" the strokes out of the drum, as I'd do on a Mylar head, all of the bounce comes from the tightness and hardness of the Kevlar surface. If I tried to "pull" the strokes from as Kevlar head I might end up pulling a wrist muscle and actually hurting myself.

The heavier marching sticks are really the best way to go on this pad, as the heft of the bigger stick balances against the hardness of the pad.

Practice pads from the early days up through the 1970's and very early 80's were not quite as purpose-driven, not as specialized as they are today.
They didn't have to be because concert, jazz and marching drums all utilized Mylar heads, which can only be tightened so far before either the head breaks, or the hardware pulls out from the side of the drum.

With the advent of stronger materials, drum heads could be made from carbon-fiber and Kevlar, and later on, hybrids of the two materials. These heads, capable of being cranked high and tight, became the standard for marching bands and drum corps -- and changed the way marching drummers approached technique. New drum pads specifically designed to meet the demands of marching drummers came onto the market. Some of the earliest models are no longer in production and are highly sought after by drummers of that generation, hoping to replace the pad from their younger marching days that got worn out or lost.

But practice pads for Mylar drummers have also evolved. Very few drummers today would willingly choowe to practice on that Slingerland Radio King, when other, more responsive pads now exist on the market.

That said, how much have technical advances in drum and pad design affected drumming technique? Or vice versa? Or does it have that much of an effect outside of modern marching ensembles? These are questions with complex answers, and I'm just trying out practice pads.

Feel free to respond with your questions and insights here in the comments.

And Happy drumming!

does vintage mean "no longer made"? Or just "old"?

Vic Firth came out with a line of practice pads some 15 years ago called the Heavy Hitter series. They were designed primarily for marching drummers, to be durable and to approximate the feel of a marching snare drum.
The current line of Heavy Hitter pads includes the Stockpad and the Slimpad, both of which I own; the different thicknesses of rubber give the two pads a different sound and feel.
I like switching back and forth depending on my mood, my hands and what I want from the pad

 The Stockpad comes with a 3/16" thick gum rubber playing surface, and is meant to approximate the feel of a drum with a Mylar head.

It's not bad, and I do like to take it with me when I want to chop out at a park or something.
It fits easily in my bag and is portable.

(Second-generation Heavy Hitters had an all-white logo; third/current generation versions come with a white and red logo. I have one from each generation.)




The Slimpad is basically the same design, only with a thinner 1/8" gum rubber playing surface designed to approximate the feel of a drum with a Kevlar head. Sometimes, if my hands are feeling warmed up enough, I actually prefer chopping on this pad. 

 
The earliest version of these pads looked like this, with the rubber covering the entire wooden platform and lettering applied to the rubber.

Other than the visual difference, some players swear that the gum rubber compound on this first generation of pads was different, and better, than what is currently available.

One fellow has gone as far as to offer up his first generation Stockpad in trade for the same vintage in the Slimpad version. He's had no luck so far. I've offered hima s much as $50 for his Stockpad but he is not interested. I'm not willing to pay $100 for a modern-era rubber pad, so I've let it go.

But it got me thinking: How long does something have to be unavailable before we can call it "vintage"?
I have pads in my collection that are older than I am, some dating from the 1940s (when my parents were kids). I have newer pads that are no longer made but which some people call "vintage" simply because they're out of production. Depending on whom you ask -- a antiques/collectibles dealer or a drumming ebthusiast -- both may be right.

I never had a chance to try the first generation of the Stockpad. I'd certainly like to try it, but not at the price that fellow is asking

I've got enough to keep me busy, even in this time of self-isolation. Happy drumming.,\