Evans ARF-7GM RealFeel - Drum Practice Pad - Drum Pad - Drummer Practice Pad - Gum Rubber, Single Sided, Mountable, 7 inch

I’ve been a drummer for 40 years but this is my first practice pad. I’ve been using it for about six weeks now and I can’t overstate how useful this has been in improving my sticking technique. I’ve been doing 20 minutes or so every couple of days, mainly just single and double stroke rolls. The pad has an excellent natural feel and bounce, very like a real snare drum. I’ve been placing it on a cushion or folded towel to reduce noise which works well. Definitely a highly recommended product.

I bought this (12") version as it had been recommended by someone who has been drumming for over 50 years. Having previously been practicing on anything around the house (tables, opened Amazon parcel boxes, the sofa etc) I felt the time had come to buy something 'proper' upon which to practice.It's very well constructed with a wooden frame, non slip base and very bouncy gum / foam practice surface. Within minutes of unboxing, my son who is already a pretty good drummer, was using it to hammer out rudiments. It actually seems good enough to have got him to drop the controls to fortnite and spend time practicing rather than running around flossing for hours on end!Seemingly well made and the teacher who had recommended it had one that has been in use 'for years' so hopefully this will last as long. Feedback off the surface is excellent and you get much more rebound than you can normally find off other household implements. It's not the cheapest but as I said it came highly recommended and I'm very happy with it.

perfect size if you need to practise stick technique; the smaller diameter will force you to play on spot in the center. One side is the normal dense rubber pad surface with a medium rebound, the other, darker side has a slightly coarser rubber surface with a harder rebound. I like both. The weight is great to put down on one knee, couch, table, floor - whatever you like to practise on, the double-sided pad might be a bit heavy to take on travels as I tend to travel light (0,5kg). I use a rubber mat without the wood for travels (weighing only a few grammes). Must have for drummers - beginners or pros.

On first impressions, this item doesn't look like much. However, it does offer you a brilliant alternative to having to play on a drum kit - With it's gum rubber surface it offers a realistic response (similar to a snare drum) whilst heavily reducing the amount of sound produced in comparison to a drum kit. This is definitely a brilliant little item to get your hands on if you want to practice your control and speed (Sticking technique). PLUS, it fits in a regular snare stand OR it can sit on your lap wherever you are!There are only a few downsides to this item, these are:- The looks - This items looks aren't the best and it's not helped by the slap dash workmanship from the use of glue on the wood to make the rubber stick to it. This is mainly noticeable around the corners of the product as there are clear dark spots where the item has been stuck down. However, this will not affect the items performance, but from EVANS we would expect to see a higher quality finish to this...- The wood - The wood is a little rough to handle and makes the pad feel a little heavy. However, if you're going to place this onto a snare stand, this will make no difference BUT if you wish to have it on your lap it can feel a bit weighty after a while.In the future I hope the wood gets an update so future purchases will have a higher quality feel to them!OVERALLOverall, I would recommend this item to any drummer who wishes to practice their rudiments, speed and control anywhere without the restriction of the kit. This item is a very good alternative to get that similar response to a snare drum.I would recommend with this item that you practice with this in a snare stand as this will delivery the most realistic feeling in comparison to practicing sat in bed, etc.HOWEVER, if you wish to have a portable pad (to practice at work, etc.), we would recommend the 6" OR 7" version (Known as the "Apprentice") of this item as this is a more desirable size to fit in your backpack. PLUS, it has an alternative system to have on a stand. This version has a screw bottom so it can fit onto any regular cymbal stand as it won't fit in a snare stand.I hope this review is helpful to you all!

This was a great pad obviously good quality and sturdy materials/build, but it was a little small for a beginner tbh, especially a clumsy one like me! so was returned. I suspect it'd be fab for practice on the move as it's small enough for luggage/work bags etc.Probably come back to this one when my skills improve :)

Very responsive with a good feel, handy,not loud when practicing rudiments, ideal for me.

Great product

The evans pad is a great practice pad, i had a remo pad before this and was very dissapointed by the noise of it as i wanted to practice at night when my son was asleep upstairs, but there was no chance of this. I have had the evans pad for a few months now and am very pleased with it, it is quiet and you get a good rebound off both sides, one being made of gum rubber and the other a harder plastic rubber (which is louder but fine for the day time). I use it mainly for practicing rudiments and so far i cannot fault it. Money well spent.