Practice pads : Size matters !

Out - The 6" Billy Hyde pad

As mentioned before I have a Billy Hyde 6" practice pad. It has a mount underneath to put it on a cymbal stand, but not having a spare cymbals stand I've been using it on a desk (actually quite loud when the little one is asleep - clonk clonk clonk) or my knee (nice and quiet)

In - HQ 12" pad

However, when the small pad is on your knee, it's too close and the practice feels cramped. So either a stand or a bigger pad was required. Somehow I ended up doing both - a chap I know was flogging a snare stand for a tenner, so I popped in to one of the local shops and picked up a nice big 12" HQ 'Real Feel' pad. At £29 it's not cheap (and can be had cheaper online but I am not the most patient man in the world) but it is a nicer surface to play on and mounted in the snare stand it's much more of a 'normal' practice experience