Best Drum and Cymbal Mutes for Quiet Playing

A new blog post on the best drum mute is sure to be interesting for any drummer. A good drum mute can help protect your drums from unwanted sound and make it easier for you to play while turning the other parts of your kit. What are some of the different types? How do I know which one is right for me? Keep reading!

Best Drum and Cymbal Mutes
Reviewed and Compared

SoundOff by Evans Drum Mute

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Pros
  • It is acoustically transparent. The overtones and vibrations of drums played with a drum muffler do not change in response to the application
  • Players to hear their cymbals clearly without feedback;
  • It is Made of Dry-Wax/Silicone material that's soft and won't damage the finish on drums or cymbals
  • It comes in 6 different sizes
  • It allows you to play as loud as you want
Cons
  • Muffled drum sound
  • Silences most of the sound but not necessarily all or where instruments are susceptible to sounds
  • You may need to tape it down the muffler to not slide around on your drums during play
SoundOff by Evans Drum Mute offers professional-grade sound levels at an accessible price point. Not only does this product allow for all equipment to be heard clearly on stage, but it is also gentle on drums providing a flame retardant barrier between the player's stick tips and your expensive instrumentation.

Vic Firth Vic Firth Mute Prepack

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Pros
  • It dampens the sound of your drums when sound levels are too high, making it a great way to practice and get some more punch
  • It allows for a more manageable volume level
  • It can be plunked over the head to achieve similar effects as a drummer would with their hands
  • It is placed over 4 of the tom drums, whereas the mixer can easily be adjusted without stopping playing or wearing out any muscles
  • You'll save energy whenever your music pushes you through 50 hours straight!
Cons
  • As expected, the sound of the drum mute will be muffled
  • It can tarnish your Cymbals
  • Poor adhesion
The Vic Firth Mute Prepack comes with 10", 12", 14", 16", 22 Hihat, and Cymbals. These drum mutes are ideal for practice or live performances when you want to play along to a recording without the sound of your drums being picked up by microphones surrounding the studio space.

4 Pack Drum Mutes or Drum Silencers

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Pros
  • It works excellent in muting the drum and enhancing volume for drums
  • Choosing a set rather than just one type of mute is very worth your money
  • Drum mutes offer the advantage of not having as much impact on your drums
  • Diversity makes a big difference, and it helps people trying to decide what will suit their needs best
  • It is perfect because it is explicitly designed to reduce the noise level significantly
Cons
  • The mic portion of the head is open to airflow. This means when you play your drums, air passing through the oval-shaped hole in the mic might mildly distort your sound waves
  • The acoustic properties may be less open and defined than rubber or felt mutes
  • Ideal for studio work yet not so great for live playing due to a balance issue (weight distribution)
The 4 Pack of Drum Mutes keeps unwanted noise away during times when you are not playing. These drum mutes can be set next to any 16, 14, 13, or 12-inch drums and hit with a dampener. These provide you with the sound protection that is crucial for your expensive cymbals. These reduce vibration and produce a clear sound without resounding in the room by having low-end frequencies.

FarBoat Drum Damper Mute

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Pros
  • Reusable
  • Washable
  • It is excellent at dampening any unwanted noise produced by drums in practice sessions, performances, or recording sessions
  • Allows you to play without disturbing your neighbors or potential clients when demo-ing material
  • Save time in post-production
Cons
  • It mutes the beater's thwacking
  • It seems to be poorly made and is not long-lasting
  • It is not recommended as a solution for drum tuning needs
Silica Gel Dampener is designed for playing percussion instruments such as drums. These products are high-quality noise reducers that will significantly reduce noise levels produced by percussion instruments such as drums during playing. The products help to make an optimal volume level while ensuring no damage to your doorstep is caused by over-amplification or excessive frequencies when played at their full speed.

NIDONE Drum Mute Pads

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Pros
  • Drum Mute Pads are the perfect tool for all of you percussionists out there
  • It is an easy-to-use accessory, and you'll be able to practice without disturbing your surroundings
  • Drum Mutes also work great if you want a quieter performance, as they reduce volume by 40db
  • Drum Mutes don't just act as sterile barriers
  • Your expensive cymbals won't get cracked up while on stage performing due to the protection it gives
Cons
  • It can block the sound of the drums
  • The pads often have an inferior quality synthetic rubber surface which will wear out over time
  • Cheaper pads will do more harm than good as they are expected to be replaced soon
The NIDONE Drum Mute Pads Five Drums Three Cymbals Jazz Drum Mute pad It is suitable for many different practices, such as desiring softer cymbal sounds, practicing at any time without disturbing others, and more. The thicker foam is perfect for absorbing higher frequencies so that your drums would not cause any great noise to disrupt other musicals.

Meinl Percussion Complete Drum Mute Set

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Pros
  • Adjustable to a variety of frequencies, from medium-low to high-pitched tones
  • Easy installation and removal onto individual drums
  • It has a role on the snare drum with an easy mechanism that enables attaching or removing them without changing head tension
  • It is inconspicuous in the musical instrument arsenal at school or studio
  • Made of unique material that can be placed anywhere on any drum without coloring it or giving off an unpleasant smell
Cons
  • It can muffle the sound of the drums
  • It leaves your drum rims exposed
  • Limited Color Selection
The Meinl percussion 10-piece set is an excellent option for silent solo practice. It's also blue and has a rubber muffling to muffle impact vibration; it also comes with two screws that allow dampening one side of any given drum head for smoother playing or quieter sound when needed.

Professional 14 Pcs Drum Mute Pads

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Pros
  • It allows an easy way to practice without disturbing the neighbors
  • It allows musicians to monitor and use all of their drums and cymbals properly
  • It gives a feeling less inhibited by outdoor noise pollution since it delivers a much quieter and precise sound
  • It offers high-quality construction with exceptional durability that will satisfy even professional-level players
  • The rubber surface material is resistant to tears, scratching, cracks, peeling paint, moisture absorption stains, and atmospheric changes
Cons
  • It can make it very difficult to see the bass drum part covered by a pad
  • It also makes your drums quieter, so microphones may not be able to pick all the sounds up as much
  • It's easy to get caught under the pads or round edges that aren't "seamless" and stay appropriately put
The natural texture of the drum is a staple in the soulful vibrations found in African and Latin American music. The sound of real drums emphasizes time keeping necessary for more intricate rhythms, but the high level of prominence can be distracting to emphasize other instruments. Fourteen pads per pack with pad size to fit bass or tom-tom yet slightly smaller than standard snare/floor tom because they use a thinner foam density which minimizes excess resonance while producing an articulate tone.

Bnineteenteam Drum Silencer Pads

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Pros
  • Mutates natural drum sounds
  • Relaxing sound
  • Smoothing sound especially if the tone is reduce in volume
  • It will not sacrifice any of your sound quality for embellishment; it's designed not to change your sound
  • It adds a new dimension of resonance to each strike while affecting other aspects like sustain (length) volume (loudness)
Cons
  • Removing the pads destroys any antique value or stories on your drum because you will expose more pain and damage from years of wear and tear
  • Reduces the volume and dynamics of a drum kit
  • It may take away many frequencies from the drums, allowing them to ring out much more quietly than other drums
Drum pads are specially designed drum parts that can be clipped onto the edge of a snare drum, tom, or cymbal to muffle the sound. Drum mutes usually feature an opening that allows for normal playing sounds if you want to make use of them for whatever purpose! These two clips are enough to practice silently, choose this black & blue duo set in 7" length (or 9" length) and get practicing!

Have you ever used a drum mute? We hope this article has helped you find the best drum muff for your needs. If not, or if we missed something important, please let us know, and we will update it as soon as possible. Let us know in the comments below!


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