When it comes to playing at home, quiet is the new loud for many of us. Just this year we’ve seen quiet practice kits such as the Natal DNA Stealth and Tama’s True Touch training kit.
But now, Evans has re-joined the near-silent disco with its dB Zero (a re-brand of its SoundOff mesh heads), but even bigger news is the dB One heads and low-volume cymbals, which Evans says reduces the volume of our kit by 80% compared to traditional acoustic drum heads.
Evans dB One heads are available for toms, bass drums and snare drums, and make use of a single ply of Evans’ ShockWeave Mesh, bolstered by Kinetic Transfer Foam (KTF) and an Impact Patch to take the volume down without losing attack, while also maintaining an authentic fell, and most importantly, tone and pitch from our drums.
As well as this, Evans has developed a wire-free Snare Sim technology, which “transfers impact energy into sonic vibrations which mimic the crack and buzz of snare wire, while still maintaining a low volume.”
Meanwhile, the dB One Cymbals - a first for Evans - are made of nano-plated stainless steel, and are designed to partner with the dB One heads for reduced volume as a complete system. While we’ve seen low-volume cymbals before, Evans’ feature its patented dBalance technology - which it’s calling a precision-perforated volume-reduction system, resulting in the spiral pattern to achieve the lower volumes while boasting resonance “as articulate as many full-volume sets but at 20% of the volume.”
"The dB One heads are an incredible practice tool, especially if you have volume restraints wherever you drum," says Whitechapel and Light the Torch drummer Alex Rüdinger. "The first time I really laid into them was at 2:30 in the morning, with other people asleep in the house, two stories up. No one woke up or even heard a peep!"
Finally, there’s the dB Zero, which as mentioned is a re-branding of Evans’ popular SoundOff mesh heads - ideal for use when almost-silent practice is required, or with triggers and sensors.
- Evans dB One Tom Heads: 10”, 12”, 14”, 15”, 16”, 18”
- Evans dB One Snare Heads: 13”, 14”
- Evans dB One Bass Drum Heads: 18”, 20”, 22”, 24”
- Evans dB One Cymbals: 20” Ride, 18” Crash, 16” Crash, 14” Crash
For more information, or to order dB One Heads, visit the Evans website.
