Bass Drum Resonance Enabling Device with Adjustable Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bass drum designs, such as the 'pancake' or 'woofer' arrangements, struggle to effectively excite the resonant drum at proper volume without the need for microphoning, making them less useful for performance venues with sound reinforcement.
Innovation Solution
A resonance enabling device with an adjustable stop that holds a dampening pillow against the batter head while preventing it from contacting the resonant head, allowing both dry and resonant sounds to be produced simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a dampening pillow is placed in the bass drum to control ring and overtones, then the dry sound is improved, but the resonant head cannot freely vibrate and produce resonant sound
Solution Approach 1:
The dampening pillow is segmented into two distinct zones: a first zone that contacts the batter head for dampening, and a second zone that is prevented from contacting the resonant head by a stop. This segmentation allows the pillow to provide dampening control while leaving the resonant head free to vibrate and produce resonant sound.
Solution Approach 2:
A stop is introduced as an intermediary element between the dampening pillow and the resonant head. This stop prevents the pillow from contacting the resonant head, thereby mediating the interaction between the dampening mechanism and the resonant surface, allowing both dampening and resonance to coexist.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a pancake bass drum is placed in front of the primary bass drum to produce resonant sound, then the resonant sound is improved, but the configuration is not useful for performance venues with sound reinforcement due to insufficient energy excitation
Solution Approach 1:
The resonant head is extracted from the dampened zone and protected by a stop, allowing it to function independently. This extraction enables the resonant head to be excited by the bass drum beater directly, generating sufficient power and excitation energy for sound-reinforced performance venues without requiring an additional pancake drum.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device enables a bass drum to produce both dry and resonant sounds simultaneously, enhancing its performance in sound-reinforced environments without the need for additional microphoning.
Implementation Method 1
a stop and dampening pillow are provided inside a bass drum with the dampening pillow engaging the batter head
Implementation Method 2
the pancake being wide open and resonant. One could say that the shorter throw (shallower depth) pancake drum was placed in series with the primary bass drum so that the pancake bass drum would sympathetically resonate with the playing of the primary bass drum
Data Source
AI summary
A stop and dampening pillow are provided inside a bass drum with the dampening pillow engaging the batter head (player's side) but prevented from touching or engaging the resonant head (audience side) by the stop. The stop may be a single piece device, such as a wooden circular segment, or an adjustable device for multiple drum diameter sizes.