Screen in my bass drum?

[drummerrhys]

Hey all

From the start I want to make clear this IS going to happen so all ideas will be thoroughly thought through(just to ensure you I'm not wasting your time and effort) :unsure:

 

I am taking part in a large performance next week (the one my glow in the dark paint thread was about) and I have had the idea of displaying video/images on the front of the three bass drums (of the kits) that us 3 drummers will be using.

 

I would like opinions on:

 

1) Do you think it would be best to cut holes in the front skin an insert a 17 inch LCD into it (If so I will probably need some sort of mounting system)

 

2) Would I be better off projecting an image onto the front of the bass drum skins (there will be a rather complex light show going on too)

 

FYI - The front skins are all old ones of mine so no one minds cutting them up/ We have projectors/ 17 inch screens ready and waiting.

 

Thanks,

Rhys

[dunk_1984]

Where does the mic go when there's a screen in the way?

[drummerrhys]

Where does the mic go when there's a screen in the way?

 

I don't have a port hole on my kit so it is usually mic'd through a hole in the top with a nice mic I got that you can put inside the drum....wireless too..sorta like a lapell mic

[Ynot]

You want to put a large screen INSIDE the drum.......?

You do realise that's going to make the drum sound ruddy awful, yes??

(Even if you do manage to mount it sturdily inside)

[drummerrhys]

You want to put a large screen INSIDE the drum.......?

You do realise that's going to make the drum sound ruddy awful, yes??

(Even if you do manage to mount it sturdily inside)

 

Yeah I did think about this and the way I will probably combat it is to use a trigger/module

[dunk_1984]

Would in front not suffice?

[drummerrhys]

Would in front not suffice?

 

I guess but it would have to look as though it was bang in the middle of the drum (I don't mean the shell just the middle of the circle

[dbuckley]

Project.

 

I dont think an LCD in a bass drum is going to have a happy life.

[tom_the_LD]

I'm also going to have to say project.

 

Surely the vibrations those bass drums give out isn't good for the monitor?

 

What exactly is going to be projected? Live video or a powerpoint presentation from a computer?

[Stuart91]

What exactly is going to be projected? Live video or a powerpoint presentation from a computer?

 

The other thing that will need to be considered is how to get your cabling in and out of the drum neatly. If it's VGA cabling, this will probably mean a sizeable hole somewhere to get the connectors through...

[i_hate_fisicks]

If you project on to the drum though, the image will wobble massively every time the drum is hit!

[Modge]

If you project on to the drum though, the image will wobble massively every time the drum is hit!

Which can look really cool - I very much doubt this is going to be a "This year the company has lost:" style death by power point. Video content, made with this in mind could work really well. (By made with this in mind I simply mean nothing that rippling with ruin to be projected during the songs. Between songs on the other hand anything goes.). The other question is how good of a projection surface is your drum skin? I assume it's not clear?

Don't forget you need to make the projection circular unless you want the rest of the image spilling over the surrounding stage.

[drummerrhys]

Yeah the skins are all black so should be good for projecting onto, and I may well go down that route

And it will be a ombination of video and powerpoint being played

 

Cheers all,

Rhys

[david.elsbury]

Erm, if the skins are "all black" then how are you going to see a screen through it anyway?

[ablett]

Black will be no good, and drum skins are fairly reflective so..

 

My suggestion is to take off the front skin, and replace it with a matt white skin.

Or, take of the front ring stretch some thin white cloth over it. Replace the ring and tigthen the skin. Then trim around the drum.. thus making a round projector friendly surface. (will dampen the sound lots tho!) Then all you need to do is crop the video to a circle. You could do this by either editing all your videos on an editor and overlay a black shape with a circle in the middle, or you could use a VJ program.. Archaos has a free trial you could use, but don't know what its capable of cropping wise... I'm sure theres lots of options but those are two that come to mind.

 

A few things to remember is that you need space to put the projector with out your lead singer kicking it over, and that kick drums can move during a gig. so gaffa tape the legs down or somthing!