Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Wow, thanks -- I apreciate the offer -- but I am glad to say not only 
that it won't be necessary, but also that I have a different (& 
cheaper & easier) idea for you (& others) to try before you start 
building anything.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am lucky in that my neighbor 
has been surprisingly good about trying to "work together to find a 
solution" to the noise situation.  So, last night, when I went to 
tell her that I was looking into the tennis ball deal and/or the Iso-
Floor thing, she said she'd hate for me to go to all that trouble & 
expense, & suggested that we try the following idea...

First, let me say that I followed up on OGD's suggestion that I check 
on whether it was the whole kit or just the pedals that was bothering 
her, & she verified that it was really just the kick drum.

So, she gave me an old closed-cell foam sleeping pad (the kind used 
for camping -- but this one was particularly dense & 15 mm thick), 
and I just cut a piece that were slightly larger than my kick pedal & 
placed it underneath.  To keep my feet level, I did the same thing 
for the HH pedal.  Then I started playing at normal volume and... 
voila!  She said it made a HUGE difference (no more dish rattling), 
and that she could definitely live with that amount of noise.

I was a little worried that the foam would make the pedals 
feel "squishy" -- and it did take a little getting used to at first --
 but it really wasn't too big of a difference in feel, so that was 
good -- and my problem was solved!!!

Later in the evening, I took it one step further by cutting 4 small 
squares (about 4" x 4") and putting one under each foot of the DTX 
rack -- this had the double bonus of bringing the whole kit an equal 
distance off the ground and further reducing vibrations for my 
neighbor below -- and did not seem to make the DTX feel shaky or 
unstable at all.

The best part of all of this (beside being cheap & easy) is that it 
takes up NO addidtional space, like a riser platform or Iso-Floor 
squares would have.

SO, I heartily encourage folks to try this first before investing in 
other methods.  if anyone wants mor info about the particular brand 
foam pad I used, I'll be happy to share it -- but I think any dense 
closed-cell foam sleeping pad should work.  Hell, I've actually got a 
bunch left over, so if you're interested in getting some, maybe we 
can work something out as well..

Anyway -- good luck & happy (vibration-reduced) drumming!

Scott



--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "gollywillickers" 
<gollywillickers@y...> wrote:
> hi Scott.
> 
> i am in the NY area and i'm in a similar situation. 
> 
> i will be building a shock absorbing floor riser for myself and one 
for a friend 
> who owns a DTXpress - for whom i've been doing some recording. 
> 
> i've been working on several different designs. the design i'm 
leaning toward 
> for the current riser is based on essentially the same principals 
as the Tennis 
> ball platform but is implemented a bit differently.
> 
> if you'd be interested in having me build one for you while i'm 
doing these 
> others - maybe we could work something out. 
> 
> i've designed and built many things over the years, professionally. 
this will be 
> done right. and i do have the design directive in mind of 
affordability and 
> portability that my own city apartment demands.
> 
> anyway, i just thought i'd mention it.
> 
> :)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "sjr41" <sjr41@c...> wrote:
> > Hi Ed,
> > 
> > Thanks for the tip on the Clearsonic IsoFloor 
> > (http://www.clearsonic.com/) -- I checked out the website, and it 
> > looks like a really good (tho not exactly cheap) alternative to 
> > building the tennis ball platform discussed below, which I am 
really 
> > not so inclined to build...
> > 
> > I live in a small apartment in NYC, and have had problems with 
the 
> > vibrations from my kick pedal rattling the dishes & the picture 
> > frames on the walls of the apartment below me & bothering the 
> > neighbors down there.
> > 
> > So, my question is -- has anybody out there actually tried the 
> > IsoFloor, & if so, how effective is it in cutting vibrations?  
Any 
> > input on this product, pro or con, would be very much appreciated.
> > 
> > Also, given my space & monetary limitations, I am wondering 
whether 
> > it might be effective to just get two of the 1' x 1' IsoFloor 
squares 
> > (one for the kick pedal & one for the HH, so both feet are 
level), 
> > instead of buying enough to make a full platform for the entire 
kit & 
> > throne...  Any thoughts on this approach?
> > 
> > Finally, besides the tennis-ball thing, has anyone else come up 
with 
> > good (& cheap) ways to minimize the vibrations of the kick pedal?
> > 
> > My neighbor is being very understanding, overall, but I'd love to 
> > take care of this ASAP, so anything the group can do to advise me 
on 
> > this would be great.
> > 
> > Thanks!
> > Scott
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> 
wrote:
> > > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Chris" <proguk@h...> wrote:
> > > > I'm considering building one of the tennis ball isolation 
> > platforms 
> > > > ( http://www.dtxpressions.com/platform/ ) but space is an 
issue 
> > for 
> > > > me.  In order to move freely around the room where my kit is 
I 
> > move 
> > > > the throne away when not playing.  If I had a platform that 
was 
> > big 
> > > > enough to accommodate both kit and throne I'd be falling over 
it 
> > > all 
> > > > the time! :-)
> > > > 
> > > > Therefore, I wondered if it is really necessary to have the 
stool 
> > > > isolated from the floor.  It's certainly got enough height 
> > > > adjustment to be able to rise up a tennis ball's worth.  Any 
> > > > thoughts?
> > > > 
> > > > Also, has anyone actually built such a platform (stool on or 
> > off!)?
> > > 
> > > Chris,
> > > 
> > > Check out post 6505 for someone in the UK who built it and 
seems to 
> > > have had success.  Maybe you can contact him privately. Another 
> > > option is located at  http://www.clearsonic.com/--especially 
the 
> > > Isofloor section--though I don't know if it would be of any 
help to 
> > > you IN THE UK.
> > > 
> > > Ed