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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."

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 ¼-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.

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.

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