RTOM Black Hole Mesh Practice Pads Review

[@BuildYourOwnBass]

absolutely​ brilliant. the concept should have been realized 30 years ago. kudos to the inventor!

[@RoeShamBoe]

BuildYourOwnBass aquairan already has a similar product for a while now... the concept isnt new

[@gabrielazaceta580]

Roe Sham Boe these are actually totally different from the Aquarians. These are an actual mesh head you can tune, aquarian is just a rubber pad.

[@e8tballz]

Roland lost their mesh pad patent after 20 years, so that’s basically what you have here. Great that others can use mesh.

[@Jamminn555]

Nick D'Virgilio (NDV!!) is not only an incredible drummer - also an incredibly clear and engaging presenter. Thank you Nick! Getting a set of these RTOM Black Holes after watching this.

[@65Drums]

Dang that's a good product

[@deesnuggets730]

65 Drums I'm subsriber to u

[@kevinmeli]

Levi Helmick, I’m a subscriber to you*

[@Stardust_Lei978]

Hi Justin

[@faaizali1]

Philip Snegirov my drumkit was cheaper than that lol

[@ciri151]

why the hell are drum products so damn expensive? i'm a guitarist and I thought the guitar industry was bad.. but drums are on a whole other level..

[@holgerhahn8615]

If you want to have good stuff, it costs. It´s the same in the guitar world.

[@user-wh6sp6st8s]

It used to not be so crazy. When I started playing drums in 1998 you could buy the highest end cymbals for 300..now a ride is like 800 dollars.

[@LTDLimiTeD1995]

@@user-wh6sp6st8s I think because Copper is so expensive.

[@user-wh6sp6st8s]

@@LTDLimiTeD1995 they dont use copper for cymbals. They use bronze or alloy

[@LTDLimiTeD1995]

@@user-wh6sp6st8s bronze is a copper alloy...

[@henrypuga7833]

you know that its a good product when nick smiles....

[@AntiBOtix]

Wow this is incredible!! With the small price of $3000 I can own all this equipment and I’ll be practicing in no time!

[@2ndAveScents]

It’s not 3k, definitely wasn’t back then and still isn’t. You can have a full kit with these heads and everything you need for less than 1500 including hardware, low volume cymbals, drum throne, sticks, kick pedal, hats literally everything. Or you could just buy a full 5 piece budget kit with hardware and add these heads and low volume cymbals and be rocking for 1200 bucks and have a good quality drum set.

[@CaptainTi]

I WISH@@2ndAveScents

[@MarkArness]

Quick comparison of loud and quiet: 00:01 Loud 10:29 Muted

[@Gjallarhorn84]

Thanks! Saved me time, all that blabla for ten minutes is useless

[@Stardust_Lei978]

You talk like i haven't all ready moved to a cabin in the woods after being sued by my neighbors.

[@mbernier59]

🤣

[@Jouz_326]

Oh God this kit sounds so amazing game me the chills hearing those toms.... nick I wish you could tune my drum set 😁

[@tammywestin2854]

Jose Feliciano I use Reno silent strokes on the bottom side of my toms and it sounds pretty similar in my ears

[@RossLambert801]

Yamahas always sound good. Very underrated brand. I have four sets and my cheap yamaha holds up to my expensive kits.

[@johnbensinger4931]

7:26 E A S Y P E E Z Y L E M O N S Q U E E Z Y

[@theblackknight870]

As they say

[@RoeShamBoe]

this is a good alternative to the silent strokes because you don't actually have to swap out the heads. i finally broke down and just bought a 2nd kit (stage custom) specifically to outfit with (triggered) mesh heads and (triggered) L80s.

[@alexbreyer6921]

I am interested to learn what triggered mesh heads you buy. Is it pre-set with the trigger or are you installing that?

[@RoeShamBoe]

It's just a triggered silent stroke. If you search youtube for "ULTIMATE ELECTRIC DRUM SET! (DonutDrums)" that video explains how to do everything including triggering L80s. Disclaimer - I have nothing to do with that (DonutDrums) channel, we don't know each other, I just found that video while trying to research different practice/volume solutions.

[@alexbreyer6921]

Thanks for the info. I will look into it. I have never used triggers, but that sounds like an ideal way to get a quieter kit, while still being able to record if the mood strikes you. What sort of sample set do you use? Just interested.

[@RoeShamBoe]

Alex Breyer i just use the stock samples its purely a practice kit so i dont care too much about dialing in perfect sound or recording etc

[@maxmikkelsen166]

Just two quick questions: Is it a problem for you to only have a one zone ride or is that just not noticed? Also, how do you trigger cross sticks/rim clicks?

[@milescornell968]

The snare tuning in the beginning is probably one of the best sounding snares I have ever heard.

[@alphax101-gaming2]

Aluminum is god

[@davidmcaninch4714]

NDV is awesome!!! I met him when we went on vacation. It was my first time at Sweetwater as well. He even gave me a vinyl record copy of his new album, Invisible!!!!!!!! He signed it, too!!!!!!

[@MyTony40]

Only Nick can make practice pads sound so good .

[@j.vincentdrums4812]

Is it just my new phone, or is that the best sounding snare ever?

[@Jojo03145]

J. Vincent Drums best tom sound ever

[@manuelvillapudua460]

Thank you so much for this demo! I can finally start my drumming journey 🥲🥲🥲🥲

[@ChurroWaffles]

After 12 years of practicing drums using airdrums I might finally be able to use my kit to practice on.

[@Mike-oz5pp]

I could see the pure joy on Nick's face while playin these, great guy, great product, as always thanks Nick D 👍

[@Galahad-hk4bb]

GAME CHANGER !!! No more head swapping !!!! Thanks Nick and RTOM !!!

[@Rockin_Ross]

Great review. I have a set of these and they’re night & day above those rubber pads I used to use. Good rebound with awesome tonal quality & they’re VERY durable. The mesh is thick and can take a beating. I use the Sabian Quiet Tone cymbals, but it’s the same deal as these.

[@neinschlomo]

Just installed these with a set of Zildjian L80's and best product available. Holy crap they are expensive as hell, I think these with the cymbals cost as much as a brand new Pearl Export kit at least in Canada but.......... Holy crap they are worth it. You still get the sounds of the drums. In my case having my 12 year old blast on his Sonor's daily it was making my eye twitch, he hated drum mutes and wanted the BEST solution to make me happy and him happy since I'm trying to nurture his love of music so cost wasn't an issue. If you have the money and want the BEST solution to quiet your drums down this is the ONLY solution. (at least most convenient) as he can pull everything off and go back to his noise machine in under 3 minutes. Now he can play a drumless track on youtube at a lower level and beat away, and from upstairs everything just sounds like a real drum kit muffled like he was inside a sound proof room..

[@scottlowell493]

Black hole mesh Won't you come And wash away the pain Black hole mesh Won't you come Won't you come (won't you come)

[@Daniel-wp8fq]

Scott Lowell oh Christ lol, I was thinking the same

[@davidmcaninch4714]

Huh?

[@howiethedrummer]

Always look forward to seeing a video hosted by Nick. Any chance of some drum instruction videos for the site Nick my man????😬

[@drummattk]

Very cool product! Price is a little crazy though, can buy a whole new kit for it

[@tommyfarnsworth5034]

Liked cause "easy peazy, lemon squeezey as they say"

[@skylukewalker1210]

a very nice product.... but... a little pricey for a practice tool. Probably wait until the prices drop for it.

[@danielp4355]

I'm afraid it won't... :(

[@LanceCampeau]

That snare tone is money.

[@buhlir]

I want to know about the midi triggers! That’s what I’m so excited about! It’s incredible!

[@reutvaknin9841]

.What about the attack of the sticks? for instance, I've tried the Remo silent pads, and I didn't like the stick rebound at all. btw the cymbals are greate.

[@garvinmcphail7590]

Nick easily has one of the best jobs on earth.

[@congerscott6064]

I like that yamaha drum kit, sounds great 👍

[@markusthedrummer8143]

I can’t believe I’m just now discovering these, and this video is six years old! That’s crazy to me. Here’s a question I have, and would love anyone’s feedback- the Roland TD 07KVX is now around $1100. If I were to buy these mesh heads and electronic cymbals and a decent drum module, I would easily be at that price if not higher. So now I’m kind of torn between the two ideas. seems to me because that Roland gives you so much value for 1100 bucks. That’s the way to go but yes I realize it’s still not playing on your traditional acoustic kit which gives you a few benefits the electronic kits don’t. Now I have a tough decision to make.

[@hellgrinder2941]

my god that snare at the intro...

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

jellyfish with a bazooka what the am i gonna do Yamaha snares, man. It reminds me of Jimmy Chamberlin..

[@SeaDrive300]

It would have been more useful if you'd compared the noise level of the acoustic drums with these practice pads to that of a Yamaha DTX electronic kit with the silicone heads, as that is often the crux of an apartment-dweller's buying decision.

[@jbird845]

Best review..sold me on them..❤

[@deathcheatersguild4266]

The RTOM Black Hole Practice System 🥁 is an excellent concept 🤘🏻 and I don't know why anyone has thought of this before. BUT the Bass Drum Mesh Head needs to be redesigned. Having it go inside the Bass Drum Hoop would cause it to function better and be more secure and the bonus would be that you wouldn't have to take your Bass Drum Pedal off the hoop, which is totally stupid 🙅🏻‍♂️. Also there is no 26" Bass Drum size 👎🏻. I would also like to see for the Snare and Floor Tom have larger Sound Patch proportional to the drums larger diameter sizes. From a Creative Director and Drummer :) ✌🏻

[@blkjakk]

Nick, in your opinion, how do these compare in feel and volume reduction to the Aquarian Super Pad low volume pads? I have the Super Pads on my set and I've been happy with their feel/sound reduction. Thanks!

[@jerseycliff]

Blkjakk much better feel.

[@josephineclifford8480]

What a superb video. Subscribed! Thanks.

[@IFBSal]

great product and great Yamaha kit 👍

[@PaulRevellCilla]

Great video - thanks for posting!

[@leonelrojas1516]

Hey Sweetwater and Nick how are you?? Im writting this comment cause i a have a little issue. I live in a rental apartment, so i wont make the soundproof room or a practice room for my kit, cause its a rental space, any time they could ask me to leave and would have to do it. So i found this pads and the Remo Silentstrokes and im debating which one its better for this situation. For my own good i looke for an apartment that was in the 1st floor, so they are not angry neighbors complaining about the noise that my feet make when playing, and doesnt have the low freq also bothering them; so thats a plus for me, but as said before, i have no "home studio" or "soundproof room" so i wanted to know, without all the mics and stuff you record your videos, how do they sound to your ears, and which one its better?? Remo o RTOM?? Thanks for your time and help!!!

[@andys3035]

7 months later......

[@gonzorudeboy]

Great demo

[@bobweber4140]

This is awesome thankyou brother nice job

[@suhasbv2975]

1:21 did he just say "rectangular squares"?

[@walkboys0]

According to geometry a square is in fact a special kind of rectangle with sides all the same size. Just letting my inner nerd out there for a while. I will tuck it back away again.

[@the6ig6adwolf]

what kind of sorcery is this?

[@mrjorgevb24]

Chris L jajaja is funny because is sarcastic !

[@mitchellw2141]

He said you need a clip if you have diecast hoops but his snare has die cast hoops and no clip? That I can see.

[@misanthrope3]

Thanks!!! I need them

[@elrein9]

Wow ! really cool stuff.

[@scottthompson-ez1hz]

jon levitz had a kid and there he is.

[@gconyers]

scott thompson lol yep, but he’s a hell of a drummer

[@AL-ru3nk]

They move when you hit them is that normal? My new mesh heads sound like im hitting tin...do you think they are too tight?

[@guillaumejeanetiopathe2285]

Is it compatible with agean low noise cymbals in terms of volume? Does it sounds good for an acoustic concert? With an acoustic guitar?

[@yanxi02]

Hi, im staying in a cheap flat, is it RTOM mesh practice is good enought for mute the drum sound?

[@steeltruedrum]

Is it too bouncy like Remo Silent Stroke head on the Bassdrum? Is rebound feel natural? Both mesh heads, I worry about it.

[@larrytate1657]

Wish there was a way to make it more like 50 percent quieter only instead of 80.

[@larrytate1657]

Still cool though, at least you get some drum sound.

[@DreamhopMusic]

interesting thx fr sharing :)

[@iliaskroupis928]

Nick, thank you very much for this presentation. Now the big question is if this particular set up could be combined with the YAMAHA EAD-10 electronic drum Module. Is it working? Could you please try to fix this particular combination in a new presentation? I think that would be the final solution for us drummers living in appartments.

[@userplayeraccount]

Ilias Kroupis good idea!

[@andys3035]

Great question. I have the EAD-10

[@bensam2319]

I saw someone online triggering the black hole pads so I believe it is possible!

[@theneverwas2835]

These are great

[@tumiantumi4726]

If these Mesh Pads were available 40 year ago, i would be a Profi by now....but it´s never too late to start, right...🤣🤣

[@tumiantumi4726]

Right....Never too late...

[@luciosilva9742]

Hi! I'm from Brasil and I'd like to know if there is a 10, 12, 14, 14, 20 pack. A friend of mine is going to the U.S.A. next month, and I intend to ask her to bring me the Rtom Black Hole. Thank you!

[@sogent56]

Nick, can you demo the ead10 and triggers on the drums with these??

[@yetkangwong1077]

How do u record such a good sound ?What mic do I use in this video?I can't see the mics?

[@sweetwater]

Hi, Kang DrummerW! All of the microphones and recording gear used in this video are listed below in the description. Thanks for watching!

[@57too]

Nick's GOOD man!

[@titoanglelnuneng1169]

What is that snare??? Im inloved !

[@matteovecchio5337]

hi, I would like to buy the rtom black hole set. how can I do and where to buy this set .. I live in Italy

[@quirinniedermeier7967]

1:22 those litte RECTANGULAR (?!?!?!?!?!SQUARES)

[@userplayeraccount]

quirin niedermeier lol I didn't notice

[@adrianmorales922]

I love this!

[@weeschwee]

Can you use these by themselves as a practice pad or will they not produce enough sound?

[@sweetwater]

Hey, weeschwee. Thanks for reaching out. You can use them for practice, but there won’t be much sound at all. It would be very quiet. I hope this helps. Jason Thiele, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1391, [e-mail]

[@weeschwee]

@@sweetwater thank you! That does help.

[@gavvvvvinrocks]

Snare is still fairly loud so dont think you will be practicing late into the night if you live in an apartment...also my bass drum already has a hole forming after about an hours use :/

[@pete5668]

cymbals still scream too

[@Azzthedrummer]

Still better then a e kit

[@markusthedrummer8143]

They are just ok. They don't fit snug on my Tama Starclassics. Kind of disappointed.

[@NathanielHoobler]

Is it quieter than the sound off pads ?

[@halimdrummer777]

Nice product

[@UpcomingJedi]

You would drive mimes nuts with all the noise!!

[@jna3341]

I just put a hoodie or a t-shirt on my drums

[@usernametaken9538]

sam hyde fanbasee what about the cymbals?

[@macdrummer4984]

I love this guy, whatever he tries to sell me :D

[@johnca45]

All that seems great but... What about rim clicks on the snare drum?

[@Psymon1471]

1year late but.. RTOM has a rubber rim that fits over top of regular rim so it also allows quiet rimshots, unlike mesh head that replace the batter heads

[@tobytoxd]

omg SPOCK'S BEARD !!!

[@Ben-ic1ve]

Does it have a 16’’ kick option?

[@smallbigperson]

How durable is this mesh?

[@TruckerJoe]

Remarkable 👍

[@erikfaune]

Can I use the black hole 14" tom heads on a 14" bass drum?

[@sweetwater]

Thanks so much for your interest. Unfortunately there is no good way to mount that head to a bass drum. I hope this helps. Jason Thiele, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1391, [e-mail]

[@santyormeno1012]

Could be use in a live situation ?

[@sweetwater]

Hey, Santy. Thanks for your interest. No, I would not use this live. These are meant to cut down drastically on volume and the sonic characteristics it produces aren’t suitable for live situations. I hope this helps. Jason Thiele, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1391, [e-mail]

[@matteovecchio5337]

hi, are the black holes compatible with the star cast series tom support system such as the tama starclassic battery?

[@sweetwater]

Hello, Matteo! Yes! These are compatible with any standard size drum, as they simply snap on to the rim. Thanks for the interest! Cody Kraus, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1766, [e-mail]

[@asanmartinjr07]

Do they make silencers / pads for cymbals?

[@sweetwater]

Hello! RTOM does not make any cymbal mutes, but there are a few brands that do. You can check them all out here: www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=cymbal+mutes Thanks for you interest! Mike Wuchter, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone]

[@HayterTater01]

Does anyone when hitting the Rtoms that they give the same feel as playing on a regular drum set like the silent strokes do, or do they feel like hitting on like snare practice pads or like an electric drum set. I'd rather prefer they didn't feel so different

[@gavvvvvinrocks]

Has anyone tried putting triggers on these? I have a set but you can still here them from two houses away...

[@MiNiMeMiniatureDrumCovers]

Does anyone know if a EAD10 will attach to this exact Rtom (bass head)

[@mikefay4323]

I'm at about 4:30 into this video and I still haven't heard these drum heads. It's always a headshot of him talking way too much, when it should be a voice over and close ups of the product. Why wouldn't he play the muted heads in the intro? NAMM videos are always 85% headshots of him talking, when it should be close ups of the product with a voice over.

[@dasui9694]

Can i use it as an electric kit for my church?

[@sweetwater]

Hey, dasui9694. Unfortunately, no. These are only meant to reduce volume on an acoustic kit. I hope this helps. Jason Thiele, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1391, [e-mail]

[@dasui9694]

@@sweetwater oh ok i thought i might buy it with the triggers to send the sounds trough the soundsystem so to make it a hybrid kit. Our acustic kit sounds horrendous thanks for the reply❤️

[@woutertrieling4182]

Blue *rectangular squares*, so not round squares?

[@richardwilliams1310]

Add built in trigger sensors with midi via bluetooth LE or wifi would be awesome ... pair it with your favourite drum software on pc/mac/ios/android ftw ... come on, someone can make this setup plz

[@neilhampson]

Nice. But these things are alarmingly expensive. You can buy a budget kit for the price. And those L80s are about as hard wearing as egg shell.

[@zackmagruder2320]

Please. Review the Sabina quite tone drums

[@brucevilla7490]

Doesn't the metal hoop on metal hoop cause damage?

[@martinooo29]

no because there is a rubber seal between the metal hoop of your pad and your drum.

[@TaperMedal42]

$300 for the pack? Don't get me wrong, these things sound fantastic, but I'd personally rather go with Remo Silentstroke's and save the money.

[@jerseycliff]

TaperMedal42 time is money....remember tgat

[@Dnowak101]

does anyone know how realistic the rebound is?

[@tumainbuye5364]

is how much sh dram set?

[@kool1dence162]

I would still have my dad complaining that’s it’s too loud

[@xennotheory3521]

Rectangular squares????

[@mercyfaten01]

Great video too bad no one has them in stock.

[@phillipsnell7188]

I just ordered some from Sweetwater. They have them in stock.

[@mercyfaten01]

Well I would need a lot of sizes from 8-16. I’ll check it out thx