no prob =)
personally i am quite devoted in studying the technical of muffing and acoustics as i cant practice with a conscience as long as i know that i might be disturbing ppl haha.
I tried everything from electronic kit, DIY pads practice kit, plastic cymbals, mesh heads, rubber pads almost everything thing that is available within most ppl's budget, but in the end nothing beats practicing on an acoustic kit. The variety in hard rebound of different cymbals (like hats and ride just rebound so differently) and the different responsiveness of rebound of different heads just cannot be replicated.
just thought that i will do a brief summary of muffing methods for bass drum as it is the most important drum to muffle in a HDB, as bass frequencies travel though solid like floors easily, and the bass drum is closer to the ground that all other drums. note that they are not originated from me but from everyone's contributions:
Methods:
1. elevated platform/carpet. - The most important. thick carpet is a must. an elevated platform can be constructed with various methods.for those with more budget, an artificial platform rise separated by air can be done, as air is a good insulator. A cheaper method which i use is laying planks of soft wood and a very thick carpet under my drumset. They really help absorb a lot of vibrations of the bass frequencies.
2. thick pillows in the drum - 2nd most important, the number of pillows put in a bass drum depends on how much u want to muffle. From what i had experiment, muffling only starts to be obvious when the pillow rest one either/both heads with a certain weight. pillows,can be substitute with many different materials at your own experimentation, like old olds, foam, soft toys etc. Do note that the rebound of the bass pedal beater will be affected to a certain extent depending on your muffing, Too tight muffing will result in a tight skin and thus faster rebound.
Personally i stuff my bass drum very full, but not very tight. Its muffs around 70 percent of the volume and bass frequencies significantly.
3. hole in resonant head - cutting a hole of less than 7" in your resonate head can also reduce volume as it allows air to escape. anything bigger than 7" is almost equivalent to no resonant head.
4. Use a thinner depth/small diameter bass drum - a thinner depth/small diameter bass drum results in less air passing through, will also reduced the volume and bass frequencies.
Note that the all above methods mentioned are not taking account into the tone of the drums, as personally i find not much point in have overly great tone when practicing at home as the acoustics of the apartment is very different from studio, due to noise leaks and wall reflecting the sound waves. Personally i just make sure that each of my drums sound can be recognized. (snare sound like snare, bass sound like bass etc)
