My KickPort On-Site Evaluation

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Okay, I installed the KickPort and tried it on the gig. For those who's not familiar with my BD size, it's an 18" Tama birtch, as the picture indicates.

Let's get this settled first:
First, there is something about sound people and I just don't seem to get along. And I'm a nice person just don't know why they seem so unaware of what's happening with sound and drums. As you can see, he literally dropped the mick into the base drum, knowing there was no interior dampening (ex. pillows, fabric etc.). Likened to tossing an object into a garbage can! The mic just layed, on the shell causing a vibration at every stroke of the BD. It was utterly disturbing! Anyways, again, the man was not paying attention but rather playing a hand shaker! I finally got his attention and quickened him to take the mic out and place it outside, center on the KickPort's opening. So he did.

Anyway, I need to be somewhere in the next 5 minutes but will return on what I was supposed to comment on and that's my first KickPort experience. Please bear with me and thank you.

Rac

Don't leave us in suspense, Glenn!!!

Yeah' don't leave us in suspense, Glenn!!!

Why you wanna leave us hangin, main?!

Alright people It's 11:45 pm Pacific time. Had a rush project to do at the shop and when I finally got home I found my new RTF video in the mail box!!!!!!!! Sorry guys, I just had to watch it. It is an incredible video of RTF's last concert at Montreux, 08'. I'll be posting on that soon. Great Great concert making history recorded for home video - At the end, there is a special segment of all four musical masters doing solos. Man, Lenny's performance is so rich in mastery and innovation at this stage of his musical career!!! I've always honored Lenny's musicianship. Thanks Ted for informing me about it!!!!!!!


Okay, having said that it's back to the KickPort on the job site evaluation. Installing the KP was a breeze - 5 hours, no just joking it was only around 5 minutes.
Well, outside of the sound man not mic it correctly, the playing environment was not suitable for the test. There was concrete with a high ceiling and no walls except the side wall of the building. There was an occasional wind factor that scattered the sound randomly.

What I thought was a major factor that would've helped, in my little testing, was the need for a monitor system which was not available. Basically all I could hear most was the top drums and cymbals with the BD faintly cutting through. Now when I asked people that was in the front, they said they could hear the bass drum coming through clear. Whatever that would've meant I'm not sure. But those people were musicians so I'm assuming their observation would hold weight. They said overall, except for the environmental conditions working against me, the drums were fairly well heard...."on their side, not mine."

I did hear some definition due to the KickPort, along with a bit of fullness but not as prominent as I was expecting. Im thinking, the KP (KickPort) may have been choking the drum from necessary air movement inside of it. But again, variables in this particular open-air environment may have been doing the KickPort injustice. It may sound better inside than outdoors. I'll be finding that out soon - my intention is to keep the KP installed and play with it in various environments, making sure a monitor system of some kind will be available and a sound person working on miking the drums knows what he/she is doing.

So for now that's about it but i will continue to use the KP in various places and using it with different response heads. I'll keep you posted till then.....Aloha!

Oh, one more thought; If I had the rights in pricing it, I would store-tag it at $20-$25 american smacks but not at what it's being sold now ($40).

my take,
Rac

Thanks, rac... also maybe it's not as effective on smaller drums. 18's don't carry a lot of punch to begin with. It's an area that gets a little dicey when you use a kick smaller than a 20". Keep us posted.

D.

I may be coming into that conclution though I did'nt mention it earlier. I'm hopeing and praying that I'm allowed into my account to purchase at a 20" but 22" would be prefered.

But never know until I start changing heads on my 18" along with what was mentioned, and that is a monitor to hear it more.

Rac