As
virtuosodrummer.com maintains it’s primary intention to promote the highest technical achievements possible for set drumming, we are compelled to recommend drum hardware that accommodates these goals.
Regarding the development of foot motions conducive to greatest efficiency, power transfer and speed:
- The heel plate is a legacy design that serves no modern purpose as the heel of the foot is active in fully implemented foot motion technique.
- The foot’s heel must be able to contact with the moving surface of the footboard.
- Textured kick board surfaces are a detriment to push-pull and sweep stroke foot motion.
- The foot must be able to slide forward and backward on the board’s surface smoothly.
- A wider pedal surface is preferable to a narrow design.
- The foot’s ability to maintain contact with the pedalboard surface needs to be effortless.
- There are definite technical advantages when the kick and hi-hat pedalboard surfaces possess matching form factors.
- Heavy-duty, robust design construction is far preferable to anything less.
These issues addressed, it is interesting to note that only a few manufacturers offer longboards for kick drum. Only four companies offer a corresponding design for the hi-hat. Of these, only
ACD Unlimited makes kick drum and hi-hat longboards as well as a longboard hi-hat remote product.
Images below show examples of the longboard products from ACD Unlimited (Customized Drum Solutions manufactured in Austria).