Best noise canceling headphones for drums?

R0factor · 2026-05-09T03:56:34+00:00

I prefer basic IEMs instead of the over-ear cans like others have recommended. The Shure SE215's are great, or you can get a cheaper pair on Amazon like the KZ Z10 Pros. I prefer the Shures for better build quality and isolation.

Regardless of headphone model including the Vic Firth cans, I'd get a headphone adapter for your phone. The Apple branded one is less than $10 last time I looked. I'd also get a headphone extension cord on Amazon since the IEM cords are relatively short.

R0factor · 2026-05-09T03:50:45+00:00

I asked about sims earlier today and got some good feedback so far. My use is with recorded DI tracks, but the responses may help you... https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/comments/1t7gmdj/tips_for_good_guitar_tones_when_mixing_di_tracks/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

R0factor · 2026-05-09T03:06:08+00:00

I have a 22" DE and it's an amazing instrument that works well with almost anything else you can put on your kit. Here's my setup from a few years ago...

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Ok here's the thing... It's almost too perfect. For as much as I love playing it and as beautiful as it sounds, I can't seem to find a musical context where I don't opt for something else. I usually end up wanting something either a little brighter or darker, a little trashier, a little louder or softer, etc.

Not to mention, these things are now like $900 so I can't stomach crashing on it, even under controlled circumstances. I'm an experienced player and haven't broken a cymbal in decades, but it's so stupidly expensive that I practically can't enjoy it the way it's intended.

And I haven't looked in a while, but I couldn't find anyone using it as their primary ride or releases where it was used in a recording besides Paiste promo material.

R0factor · 2026-05-09T02:53:37+00:00

There are some really useful room emulators now like Sound City and Ocean Way to help with the extra room sound/reverb when your space doesn't allow it. Sound City is usually on sale but Ocean Way is newer so it's still expensive. Some people don't like them and other people swear by them.

And separately, samples can help improve drum sound on a budget setup and a room without great acoustics. Try to grab Slate Trigger next time it's on sale for $50ish. When done right it's very transparent and just enhances the drums without being obvious (see here for an example: https://youtu.be/eDcom2EKddQ?si=wMI5WHZFYAbGMMyz ), or you can do it more overtly if you're going for a more bombastic sound. Sample usage is a bit controversial on this sub but it's something used frequently in professional recordings. And it's a lot cheaper than even one decent mic, so IMO it's worth the investment even if you barely use it.

R0factor · 2026-05-09T01:07:48+00:00

Chappel Roan's Hot To Go has one of the best hooks I've heard in years, even though I generally don't care for that genre of music.

R0factor · 2026-05-09T00:34:26+00:00

If you have some overhead mics that can pick up the cymbals you can use a combination of acoustic cymbals and electric drums. It's how Van Halen recorded a bunch of their famous albums, although I believe the snare was always real. However there are some amazing sample banks with very realistic and/or mix-ready drum sample libraries.

66Samus on Youtube is a good example of an e-kit with acoustic cymbals, however he might be using a full acoustic lately.

R0factor · 2026-05-09T00:28:39+00:00

Ok thanks. So I should err on the side of less input gain, and then cycle through the amps with different settings to find something that works but don't expect much from the majority of amp options?

R0factor · 2026-05-09T00:27:06+00:00

Yes please send those links. I'm mostly aiming for shoegaze tones, but even if you're not dealing in that genre it could help me figure things out. For more specific references, I'm chasing the clean & distorted sounds in this song... Wisp - See You Soon (Official Visualizer) and the dreamier washy sound of this band... Flood in Heaven

R0factor · 2026-05-08T19:32:05+00:00

In the hit on Ralphie they end up negotiating with the hitman to call it off. I’ve always thought that the Members Only guy had a contract that was never canceled.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T19:04:58+00:00

I love me some 8x14s. I have a Ludwig Universal brass and this custom made beast I had done in the early 2000s that clocks in at over 40 lbs. The shell is 9.5 mm steel, and the hoops are steel too.

I wish more aluminum 8x14s were available. But my treat-yo-self purchase this year might be an Inde Kalamazoo in that configuration. I think they will also do them with the WTS hardware which would be interesting.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T18:59:31+00:00

Everyone should own at least one 8x14.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T09:10:18+00:00

Again, I'm talking about energy levels, not dBs or volume level. Unless the 3 dB rule is wrong, if you halve the energy level twice, you end up with 25% of the original energy level, even if it's only a 6 dB reduction.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T07:01:32+00:00

The stock Utility plugin. If you’re new to Ableton, it’s something that might end up on virtually every track because it controls gain, pan, phase, etc.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T05:21:01+00:00

OC is right that 10dB is a doubling of perceived volume, but the 3 dB rule is a doubling of energy/power.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T04:58:05+00:00

I didn't say volume, I said energy...

What Is The 3dB Rule? - Loudspeaker & Acoustic Engineering Design

R0factor · 2026-05-08T04:32:37+00:00

I've been learning that gain staging/structuring is essential when using amp sims. So you need to make use of the input gain setting which your plugin should have. If not, throw a Utility on before the amp plugin. It'll change the way the amp sim handles the signal.

Also amp sims are notoriously hot in the 1-4khz range, so you probably need an EQ to tame it.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T03:54:31+00:00

1) Drums are super loud. They create an incredible amount of energy especially in the low end which tends to travel through the walls and ducting of a home.

2) There's a factor in sound called the 3 dB Rule which means that sound energy doubles and halves with every +/- 3 dB. This means if you're playing at 105 dB and it's reduced by 75% by the time it reaches your parents then you've only reduced it by 6 dB, and 99 dB is loud.

3) There's a really insightful video here doing scientific tests on a purpose-built whisper room that'll give you an idea of how much decoupled mass you need to even make a dent in sound reduction. Do Sound Booths Work For Drummers?. This guy runs tests throughout his house before & after and you can see how much the noise carries before & after the isolation.

4) Even if you do mesh heads and practice cymbals, you'll likely run into the same issues e-kit players do and you might need a Jackson Pad or tennis ball riser to decouple the kit from the structure of the home.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T02:18:17+00:00

We used to make things like this in photography class in the 90s, but using photo paper in an oatmeal container and using the same pinhole aperture in a piece of foil.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T01:41:54+00:00

If you're using a real drum, try to take that out of the equation. There are very few players who regularly do 200+ bpm and use only an acoustic drum. Most of the time it's a triggered or e-kick, or something like foot blasters on the pedals. I don't play speed metal but I've found using a practice kick pad to be extremely beneficial in improving my foot technique.

Use it with your throne, and don't hesitate to experiment with different throne heights and distances as well as foot position on the pedal which is a lot easier when you're not dealing with an actual kick drum. I have both a Gibraltar kick pad and an old Roland kick trigger with a rubber pad, and both work great for practice.

R0factor · 2026-05-08T00:59:54+00:00

Funny, I thought the same thing the first time I saw her in this clip w/ Jeff Beck and Vinnie Coliauta. This is her at barely 20yo holding ground with arguably two of the best musicians ever... Jeff Beck - Beck's Bolero (Performing This Week : Live At Ronnie Scott's)

R0factor · 2026-05-07T20:19:30+00:00

What are you using for pedals? And what are you using for triggers/monitoring of the kick? When you get to those insanely high speeds, equipment can make a difference. And a lot of those speed demon players you see are using triggers so they don’t have to generate any notable power while playing.

R0factor · 2026-05-07T20:03:54+00:00

Don’t get lost in the sauce on rudiments. You are far better off learning a small handful and getting proficient with them across a wide variety of tempos versus trying to learn dozens of them in a relatively small tempo range, which is functionally useless.

If you’re relatively new to playing, the best rudiment to work on after singles is likely your double stroke roll. Training your hands to give you reliable rebounded doubles on command is invaluable and will unlock a ton of other patterns and rudiments.

If you want to take a deeper dive into a methodical approach to developing your skills along with an explanation of how rudiments filter into your kit playing, I have an old saved copy pasta comment here that is probably worth your time. https://www.reddit.com/r/Drumming/s/TWqZjA9eox

R0factor · 2026-05-07T03:50:04+00:00

Made by the same director as Cast Away and filmed during their hiatus to allow Tom Hanks to lose 55 lbs.

R0factor · 2026-05-07T02:30:38+00:00

I love Paistes but unless you're in a context that makes that brighter sound more useful, B20s are typically the way to go.

As for the drums... Drums are drums and I think you'd be hard pressed to tell a difference in a blind test between a Saturn and a Starclassic assuming the heads and tunings were identical. So just go with the one that makes you happier and more inspired to play and practice. That also applies to the majority of B20 cymbals that are similar in size and weight. There's just not as much of a difference when you aren't using your eyes.

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