Let's face it, drums are loud. And that's a good thing if you're a drummer for a rock and roll band in a concert. But it's not a good thing if you are a reserved parishioner in a small church. Drummers take a lot of heat for being loud, and are constantly being asked to play softer. And while they can reduce their volume to some extent, playing softer causes the instrument to lose its dynamics, its impact, and even lose some of the emotions of the music. Therefore, a better solution is to control the perceived loudness of the instrument.

"A good set of drum shields can be compared to the cry room in a church—the noise level is not lessened but it is contained and directed away from the congregation," says Kevin Kaspszak of Drum Perfect in Phoenix, Arizona. Jeff Kusmierz of Active Plastics in Caledonia, Michigan says, "In every case of wanting to control percussion sound, a drum shield is the first expense that should be considered and will return the greatest benefit." Chris Maneri of ClearSonic in Hudson, Ohio adds that "even drummers are helped by the shields because the sound is reflected back at them which allows them to hear themselves better."

Features
Drum shields are all similar in construction, size, and options. Generally, a set of shields consists of five or six hinged panels, each panel two feet wide. The set of panels is set in front of the drums. If needed, additional shields can be used to completely enclose the drummer. The panels are made out of 1¼4-inch thick acrylic, and come in a variety of heights from four feet to five-and-a-half feet.

Optional panel extensions increase the height to six or seven feet to further contain sound. The shields should be higher than the cymbals, which is where a lot of the drum "noise" comes from.

Shield panels are joined with hinges. Some hinges are metal, while others are "living," or dual-durometer hinges. The living hinge is preferred for shields that are going to be moved, as it allows the shields to fold 180 degrees for easy storage. This is important because the hinge needs to withstand repeated opening and closing. Because living hinges run the entire length of the shield, they also prevent sound from escaping.

A good shield should also have rounded or beveled edges and include cable cut-outs at the bottom to accommodate microphone and monitor cables. Make sure the shields are modular so they can easily be expanded.

Set-up and Care
Almost all drum shield sets come assembled and can be set up in a matter of minutes by simply unfolding them and attaching the rubber feet. For those that do not come assembled, the set up is easy by just putting the hinges on one of the shields and either sliding the other shield down inside the "living" hinge or by screwing the aluminum hinges in place and then attaching the feet. The shields all come with a protective mask to prevent scratching that should be removed, but only after the shield is in place. Removing the plastic before the shield is assembled and in place is taking a great risk on scratching the new shields.

To keep the acrylic panels clean, use only cleaners approved for use on acrylic. Ammonia-based glass cleaners will damage acrylic panels, causing them to become cloudy. And to add protection against scratches, use protective gel. The gel simply wipes on and creates a scratch-resistant coating. This is especially important if your shields are going to be moved frequently.

Clearsonic now offers drum shields made with abrasion-resistant acrylic, which they claim has 40 times greater resistance to marring, scratching, and chemical attack.

Part of a Complete Solution
The benefits to having a drum shield system are impressive, with the most obvious benefit being the controlled sound level. Another benefit is improved performance sound between the other musicians because they can hear each other better. Just as important is the lack of percussion "bleed over" into the vocal microphones, making for a cleaner sound to the house. The sound to the stage area is also improved because monitor levels are usually lowered when performers can hear better.

But be aware that when it comes to controlling drum sound, shields may be only part of the solution. For example, if the drums are placed in a corner or near a back wall (which they often are), you may need to place acoustic sound-absorbing panels behind the drums to control the "boom" caused by reflected sound bouncing back into the room. In addition, smaller sound-absorbing panels might be needed inside the drum shields, at the bottom, to further reduce the sound.

These smaller panels are usually one- or two-foot squares that come in a variety of colors. They are attached using small Velcro patches for easy installation. They are most often needed in churches with high ceilings made of hard material. Kaspszak of Drum Perfect advises that in most cases this extra boom or "roomy" sound can be improved by simply moving the drums a few feet in one direction or another.

But for very difficult situations, or for the really loud drummer, some shield manufacturers offer a lid to cover the entire drum set. These are especially helpful for sanctuaries with very high ceilings where the sound escapes upward and literally just rolls around.

Your sound technician should be aware that with drum shields covering so much of the sound, he may need an overhead microphone at the drum set for the drums to be heard in the back of larger churches. Also, he may need to make adjustments to the drummer's monitor. Monitor sound may reflect within the drum shield, making voices and instruments hard to understand, and when loud enough, completely indistinguishable. The fix for this is to move the monitor to another angle, reduce the output, or both. But another solution is to add sound-absorbing material on the inside of the shields.

Sound Endorsements
I talked to four drummers, each one playing a different style of music. None use drum shields regularly because they all play on large stages in large venues where there is no problem of overpowering the vocals or other instruments. However, they all conceded that when they had used drum shields in the past, they liked the effect the shields had on the other stage performers. They also liked the fact that they could hear themselves so well. One drummer commented that he actually heard his own volume well for the first time in years, and since then he has learned to play softer, especially at indoor venues.

Shields are available for more than just drums. Drum shield manufacturers also make smaller shields for things like guitar or bass amps, made from the same materials and with just about the same acoustic characteristics. Shields are a great help and a good investment for churches dealing with loud instruments.

The average drum shield set consists of five two-foot wide panels and has a nice wrap-around look. The average price for a set of shields this size is approximately $450, which makes it a remarkably cost-effective solution for drum sound problems. As with everything else, options increase the price. For example, to completely enclose the drummer with a lid and sound absorbing panels, expect to pay in the neighborhood of $2000.

Scott Stephens (st7sc@aol.com) has spent the better part of 20 years running sound for major and minor artists across the world and has recently moved his talents into Blacksmith Recording Studio in St. Clairsville, Ohio, where he is chief engineer.