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Drum dampening tools are used by drummers to control the resonance, tone, and volume of their drums.
Crucially, they help eliminate unwanted overtones, control sustain, and generally shape the sound of the drum to suit a particular musical context.
Most drummers find themselves needing to dampen their drums, especially live and in the studio, to alter the tone to suit their taste.
Dampening a drum is a fairly simple concept. You could do it with household items. However, drummers prefer to use specifically designed drum dampeners that make the process easier. Join me as we explore the leading drum dampeners on the market!
What are the Best Drum Dampeners?
| Image | Recommended ProductsProduct | Features | Price |
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Best Snare Dampener
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Best for Overtones
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Best Premium Dampener
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Best for Beginners
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Most Popular Dampeners
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Best for Ease
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How I Tested and Selected the Best Drum Dampeners
Over the years, I’ve used all the top drum dampening options available. I’ve had experience with a huge range of drum dampeners, either on my own kit or on other peoples’ setups.
When testing each dampener, I first look at how it affected the tones of the drums. I wanted to see exactly how much resonance was cut off and how the overtones were muted. I also moved the damper around a few positions to see how that changed the sounds.
After that, I established how easy the dampener was to use. I did this by trying it out on each drum of the kit. Some dampeners could be installed much faster than others, making them easier options.
In-Depth Drum Dampener Reviews
Big Fat Snare Drum Steve’s Donut
Big Fat Snare Drum Steve’s Donut Review
Steve’s Donut from Big Fat Snare Drum is a unique tool that has become very popular within the drumming world, as it is not only designed as a snare damper but also enhances the tone of the drum.
It lowers the pitch of your snare drum so that you get a vintage snare tone. This product is a great accessory for any drummer looking to dramatically change the sound of their snare drum.
While it lowers the pitch of the snare, I also find that it increases the attack, giving you a whopping thud sound. I love how this gave me two distinctly different snare sounds.
It’s the perfect tool to get the classic snare sound that everyone had in the 60s and 70s. That sound is also quite popular in Christian Contemporary worship music.
Simply place it on top of your snare and let it work its magic! It has a finger cutout near the bottom that makes it easy to pick up. So, you can remove it very quickly between songs if you need to.
Pros
- Provides a vintage snare tone with lots of low end
- Enhances the sound of ghost notes
- Easy to pick up from snare drums with the thumb toggle
Cons
- Has very specific uses
- Will not fit smaller snare drums or toms as it is 14" in diameter
Revolution TruTones Drum Dampener 6-pack
Revolution TruTones Drum Dampener 6-pack Review
The Revolution TruTones drum dampening pads are an excellent product for snare drum dampening.
These affordable tacky pads stay firmly put on top of the drumhead, and they are very effective at reducing unwanted resonance and sustain.
The best thing I found about these pads is that they don’t muffle the sound of the snare drum and toms too much – so you still get a good, punchy sound without all the ring.
They seemed very easy to carry to shows and rehearsals with the included carry case, and the various sizes offer good flexibility for muffling adjustment if you need to change up your sound quickly.
Overall, I think the Revolution TruTones drum dampening pads are an excellent choice for anyone looking for a high-quality, effective way to reduce resonance and sustain on their snare drum or toms.
Pros
- Includes various sizes which is useful for achieving the optimal sustain
- Very affordable and effective drum dampening solution
- Includes a convenient carry case for easy transportation
Cons
- Would benefit from including a few more size options
Snareweight M80 Drum Dampener
Snareweight M80 Drum Dampener Review
The Snareweight M80 is one of the more unique snare drum mufflers out there. It’s basically a leather strap that attaches to the rim of the drum with the use of a clamp. It has some epic features that make it a strong contender to consider.
The main feature is that the strap gently bounces off the drum whenever you hit it. This means that none of the attack is lost when the M80 is attached. It just eliminates the overtones.
I’ve always found that other muffling tools kill the attack of my snare drum, whereas this one doesn’t, making it one of my favorite snare drum dampening options.
The other feature of the M80 is that you can adjust how much it dampens the drum by folding the strap. It has magnets to keep the strap secure, allowing you to easily change the dampening mid-song.
It’s a great snare drum damper thanks to the size. It can fit on any size snare drum but you can fit it on all the other drums as well like toms.
At the end of the day, it’s a highly innovative product that works wonderfully for snare drums as a quick dampening solution.
Pros
- Doesn’t eliminate any attack from a drum
- Stays firmly in place thanks to the magnets
- Easy to use and can fit on any size snare drum or toms
Cons
- Expensive if you plan on getting one for each drum
Evans E-Rings Rock Pack
Evans E-Rings Rock Pack Review
The Evans E-Rings are a great muffling option for when you need to dampen your whole drum kit. Getting a pack of these will allow you to put one on each drum to control all the unwanted overtones.
The rings have a clear and transparent color which blends into the drum heads nicely. This is great if you prefer having a cleaner look on your drums.
They’re also incredibly easy to use. Since they’re shaped to perfectly fit each drum across a drum kit, you just have to put them on the drum and they’ll fit like a glove. Just make sure to buy the correct-sized E-rings for your drum set.
This makes these rings the best option for beginner drummers, as cheaper drum sets typically produce more unwanted overtones across the whole kit.
I also love how these can easily give you the short tom sounds that were so popular in the 60s and 70s.
The 14” ring, in particular, gives your snare drum a beefy and round sound which is good to have in studio settings.
The final point to mention is that these drum dampening rings are fairly durable compared to most drum dampening tools. Since they have a simple design, they tend to last longer.
Pros
- Very easy to use as they fit each drum perfectly
- Helps snare get a beefy sound
- Affordable and durable option
Cons
- No control over how much sound they dampen
- Specifically sized so be sure to buy the correct sizing configuration for your kit
RTOM Moongel Damper Pads
RTOM Moongel Damper Pads Review
Moongels are the most popular drum dampening gels. You’ll see these on so many drum kits around the world. They’re inexpensive and highly useful, making them valuable tools for every drummer.
I’ve been using Moongels for decades. They’ve always been an essential tool to have in my stick bag, and they’ve come in handy countless times.
Each pack of Moongels comes with 6 sticky pads. They’re sticky enough to be placed anywhere, even on cymbals. That’s what makes them so versatile. You can also cut them in half if you feel they’re doing too much dampening.
My main gripe with Moongel pads is that they tend to get dirty when left on the drums for too long and pick up lots of dust and wood chippings from your drumsticks.
The manufacturer claims they can easily be cleaned with soap and water, but I find they lose their stickiness whenever I try to do this.
However, they are affordable so it’s worth buying a new box every year or so.
They’re great for gigging as you can keep the Moongel box in your stick or cymbal bag. If you’re looking for something that has multiple uses, Moongels are a good option.
Their ease of use, portability, and the ability to place them anywhere is why most drummers love them.
Pros
- Good for dampening cymbals as well as drums
- Can be split in half for less dampening
- Easily placeable and will stick firmly on your drumheads
Cons
- They tend to get dirty over time
Meinl Cymbals Drum Honey Dampening Gel Pads
Meinl Cymbals Drum Honey Dampening Gel Pads Review
The Meinl Cymbals Drum Honey Pads are essentially the same thing as the Moongels. However, they have a few small differences that may draw drummers to them instead.
Firstly, each pad is quite small and in a circle shape. You typically won’t cut them in half as they’re small enough already. If you want to do more dampening, you can just stick a few more on the drum or cymbal.
I found that their best quality is that they don’t scrunch up like other competitor gels tend to do.
If that’s something that will bother you with the other ones, these are the perfect solution.
They also last quite long thanks to their round shape. They don’t seem to be as sticky as Moongels, which some drummers may prefer.
Pros
- Durable round shape
- Not as sticky as other drum dampening gels
- The gels don’t scrunch up
Cons
- Some drummers won’t like the yellow color
Drum Dampening Devices Buyer's Guide
When looking to invest in some drum dampening tools to improve the sound of your drums, there are various different types of products available.
Here is a rundown of the most commonly used drum dampening tools:
Dampening Pads/Gels:
These are sticky pads made from non-toxic silicone or similar materials that you can stick directly onto the drumhead. They’re easy to move around for different levels of dampening. Moongel is a popular brand in this category.
Muffling Rings:
These are circular rings that sit on the edge of the drumhead. They can be very effective at reducing overtones and controlling sustain. An example of this in this guide is the Evans E-Rings Rock Pack.
Weighted Drum Dampeners:
These are devices that attach to the rim of the drum (typically via a magnet) and press against the head, allowing you to control the amount of pressure and therefore the level of dampening. Snareweight is a well-known brand offering this type of product.
Tape:
It’s fairly common to see drummers use gaffer’s tape as a cost-effective means of dampening their drums. The tape can be stuck directly onto the drumhead and easily moved or removed.
Other DIY Solutions:
Besides from gaffer tape, there are several other DIY options that many drummers use for dampening, such as cotton balls, or placing a leather wallet on the snare drum. This is a classic choice for last-minute drum dampening.
DIY Dampening vs Dampening Products
A popular method of dampening drums is to stick tape on the drum heads. While this typically works fairly well, it often leaves residue on the head once you remove the tape. It’s also quite difficult to remove the tape if you’re in a hurry.
So, brands have designed snare drum dampening tools to make things easier for drummers. Instead of getting toilet paper and a roll of duct tape out every time they want to kill some overtones, they can just put a few Moongels or a ring on a drum.
DIY solutions will be cheaper, but specifically designed products will often make things much easier.
When Should You Dampen Your Drums?
Whether your kit is producing harsh overtones or simply not giving the sound you want, putting something on each drum can alter the tone to suit your taste.
Every drummer has preferences when it comes to sound. Some drummers like their drums to be wide and open while others prefer a tight and controlled sound.
The more controlled you want your drums to sound, the more dampening you’re going to need to apply to the drum heads. Just be careful not to apply too much dampening as that will completely kill the tone of your drums.
Whether you like your drums to sound open or tight, it’s always good to have drum dampeners on hand whenever you need them. All the drum mufflers above are great options to consider.
It’s also worth mentioning that while dampening can help control the sound of your drums, good tuning is the first step to achieving a great drum sound!
