My son's percussion band director recommended this practice pad for my son to use at home. My husband and I just gave it to our son for a birthday gift, and our son loves it. He has played video games less and practiced his snare part more. He took it to practice in the band room during a break before competition departure, and his snare section wants to know where he got it.
Fantastic pad! Realistic feel with "safe" rim for practicing shots. Louder than a standard gum rubber pad but much softer than an actual marching drum!
High quality pad. Good sound. Used it when took lessons. Good price and service. Came home on time.
This pad, and all others like it are "Fine", but my god... the cost is ridiculous. Unless you can get it at a serious discount, save your money and go with a Vic Stock or Slim Pad. Rims started being added to pads a few years ago. In over 25 years teaching high school, drum corps, and national WGI programs, I have yet to see a single bit of difference or improvement in what these pads claim to do. Students STILL need tons of work on rim shots in general. So the rim is a moot point. While this pad does have a good feel, its a lot louder than a gum rubber pad. this leads to mom and dad yelling and shutting down the practice, or just playing softer on it which defeats the purpose. Finally, after paying double the price of a regular gum rubber pad, students who really do practice are costing themselves more $ because they are now breaking sticks on the rims at home. At 10-11 bucks a pair, thats nuts! Trust me guys, you do NOT need a rim to practice. You will get all of the practice you need for that when you get on a drum. The notes that take place on the drum head, and natural building of chops and endurance are what you need and this $70 pad does not help you do that any better than a $33 pad. Save your money! Don't buy into the "Flash" pads like Xymox or fall for gimmicks. Worry about the DRUMMING!
I love the pad it has a great sound and a great feel that comes with a great price . I broke my 110 dollar xymox pad and I needed a new one but I couldn't spend that much money again so I went with this off world pad and I'll never buy a different drum pad.
This pad is worth the money! It's so durable and solid. My son loves it.
This practice pad is fantastic!!
I bought this for my son so he can use it over the summer to practice for Marching Band. He LOVES IT! Not only does he love it, but his fellow percussionist love it as well. He takes it with him everywhere because he says there is always time to practice. Was looking at other practice pads and this one was the best reviewed. So glad I found it for him.
This is what he would get! Seriously, this thing is amazing! I don't know what exactly that coating is (they call it dark matter) but it's awesome. Has a great feel an bounce to it. Also, the coating keeps the noise down as well, which helps not drive everyone around you crazy when you practice. I read the instructions, and it looks like you do have to make sure you clean and maintain the pad, so it's not like the cheapo remo pads that I just leave around the car and house. Also, I received a free pair of VF snare sticks (I picked the Johnny Lee Lane) which sweetened the deal.
I just got my pad today, and had problems with the shipping. The pad is amazing dont get me wrong but it was supposed to come with the turtle wax and I didn't recieve any. I was a little disappointed in that
This is one amazing drum pad. I love the way it feels, looks, & it's durability. This is a must get drum pad.
This is a great pad. The "dark matter" feels so good when you play on it. The rim is great for shots and other rim notes. At first i was kinda nervous about the price, $70 for a pad? But a group of my drumming friends and me all got them and we love them. The only con if it can be considered that is it's heavy other than that its great. Granted, I have only had it for a couple of weeks.
My son got this for Christmas and he loves it! He said it's the best drum pad he has ever had. He owns about 5 pads. Also, he plays it about 2 hours a day. He takes it everywhere we go so he can practice.
My son was very pleased and order was processed and delivered in time for Christmas on short notice. Ordering was simple and easy. Very pleased, had ordered quad practice pad the year before, good experience which made me a return customer.
Great training device.
I just ordered this pad and I can't wait for it to get here. I think this will be a great pad and when I receive it I will post a actual review up. But really can't wait until this pad comes!!!!
The rebound is realistic -- the rimshot could have more 'shot' in it...but maybe you can't do anything about that. The rim 'hits' sound almost exactly like shots, which makes distinguishing between ticks and shots a bit difficult, but I'll deal with it.
This is hands-down the best practice pad in existence! Bought the same pad (except in red) for one son back in the summer and his brother loved it so much he asked for one for his birthday in October. Now we have 2 of these practice pads in our household, and the two drummers who use them, swear by them. And as the mother of these two drummers, who has to live in the same home with them, I can tell you that these pads are recommended by me from a noise standpoint. I even allow them to use them inside the car because they do such a great job of concealing the sound of drumming. This pad gets a thumbs up from both the drummers using it and the rest of the family, trying NOT to listen to drum practice!
Pad is absolutely wonderful. I bought it as a birthday gift for my son. One question is where to purchase replacement wax for the pad?
This is the best pad out there. I was between the Slimpad and the Invader, but after trying them both out thanks to friends, there was no doubt which one to buy. Made with very durable material, you won't have to worry about it falling apart like a pad set on wood. Worth the extra money because it will probably be the last pad you ever have to buy.
I was at a big college band day for high school kids at UVA and I saw a kid who had this. Even after the very first time I hit it, I could tell that it was no ordinary pad. I had just purchased a Vic Firth Slimpad that I used nonstop for about 2 months. But the V3 made the Slimpad obselete, and I immediatley began to work to buy it. I've had it for about 5 months now, and I can tell you it was worth every single penny. Not only have my chops increased tenfold, but I have been able to bring it almost everywhere I go. Its so durable, too. All I can say is, if you're thinking about buying this pad, do NOT second guess yorself. BUY IT
Perfect
Perfect
This pad is by far the best pad I have ever owned! Very close to the feel of a real drum, including the rim! The underneath has an excellent non slip surface and it really doesn't slip on any surface, including your knee!! It comes with turtle wax polish to preserve it brilliant durability and keeps it very clean and shiny too! Overall, I rate it 15 out of 10, an outstanding pad with outstanding service!
If the house was on fire, I'd grab this First !! I'm 56 years old, grew up through Drum Corps and competitive rudimental drumming, and am a touring Jazz musician. I regularly sit for 4 to 8 hours a day on this pad, and would do more if the wife didn't intervene. Drums are all about chops of steel, "ALL" the rudiments, (the 26, plus all the Hybrids), and Time. If you don't have these....take up Clarinet! The rebound, the beauty of having a rim on this pad, and the way it nests perfectly on top of a standard 14" snare is addicting. You'll find yourself practicing HOURS longer than you ever have, with the added benefit of endurance and relaxed technique. Before you buy your 800th cymbal, or 50th tom, do yourself a solid.... GET THIS PAD!
My boyfriend has been drumming for years and he says this is the best drum pad he has ever owned. It was a great present and he has not stopped drumming since I gave it to him. :)
After searching around for many pads I finally decided to give this one a try and i can say you will not be dissapointed at all. Anyone who marches snare drum should really invest in the product. It feels amazing to play on and it sturdy and replicates a snare almost identically. After playing on this I played on my gum rubber pad again and it just felt bad like the gumrubber was foamy and absorbant it didn't feel good compared to this. So if you're debating whether you should get this just buy it, it's well worth it. I march snare and all my friends who also march love the pad and say it's no comparison to gum rubber.
My 15 year old son is thrilled with his new Invader V3 Practice Pad! He plays in the percussion section of his High School Band and the V3 ensures he has quality practice while I have serenity:) He specifically wanted this pad over all others and his fellow band members seem to have the same opinion--it is not sold locally, therefore, I am thankful for on-line availability. Puchase and delivery through Steve Weiss Music was seamless, something I value and guarantees my patronage to this company. Thank you!
This was purchased for my son for Christmas. A friend of his had one and my son fell in love with it. My son was glad to get this drum pad and he absolutely loves it.
This is a great practice pad! Quiet but firm and durable. You can feel every stroke and is a great practice tool! Can't stop playing it!
Good.
Strong suction pad (avoid sticking on glass when new!), great feel with minimal noise allows this practice pad to be used alost anywhere.
This is a great product- it has a good bounce and a nice tone. And Steve Weiss delivered it in two days-great service. I would recommend this to any drummer.
I have been playing drums for the past 39 years....yep I started young. I have played in Drum Corps, the heavy metal band circuit, bar bands etc... This is by far the best pracice pad I have come across. I wish this had existed when I first started to learn on the old wedge block practice pads of the past. This truly gives you more of a real drum feel with the added bonus of being able to practice rim work. Many may find this pad usefull only in the Marching band snare application, In my opinion nothing could be further from the truth. This is a a fantastic all around pad. Is it a little expensive? Sure, but you can expect to get Ferrari performance at a Ford Escort price.
If you like marching band or drum corps there is no other pad to use. Feels great and sounds great. DEFINATELY BUY IT
I recently purchased this pad to practice and I noticed a difference right away between other pads. The Invader V3's signature Dark Matter is excellent to practice on. Not only does the dark matter feel more realistic and similar to marching snare heads, It also includes a rim which allow the player to practice good technique. My only complaint about the Invader V3 back side sticks to things and it is hard to pick it up. But at the same time that is also very good because it feels like your playing on a marching snare cause the pad can't move around. This pad is very expensive for a pad but worth the $60-70 you will spend purchasing it. A must have for any high school percussionist interested in doing high school drumline, competitive drumline, or a drum corps.
This is a great pad. I haven't stopped using it since I bought it. The rim gives so much more of a real drum and the pad rebound is amazing. I recommend this pad to all drummers.
This pad is by far the best pad i've ever played on. It feels great on the hands and also looks awesome because of the dark matter. The only downside to this pad is that it is not very durable because it is a bit more heavier than most other pads but not a huge deal.
This is a great pad on so many levels. It has great response/rebound, clear sound and is portable. The rim is a great feature, and has been pretty durable so far. The backside surface sticks to many other surfaces, so the pad does not move, does not bounce around, etc. Flams have a welcome clarity. You may not like this pad if you need to play while others are sleeping, but it's a welcome practice tool for those who are listening for technical details in their playing.
Well made.. Great feel...Good for rim shots...cleans up well..
I have a friend that has this pad, so I let him take my Xymox Corps pad home, and I took his... and what I found, was that they both have their pros and cons... the pros for the invader, are of course the rim, it's double sided, the rebound, and the articulation... the cons, are that it's pretty heavy, and it kind of feels like it sinks in when you hit it, compare to the tightness of a snare head... the pro's for the xymox are that it has a nice articulant sound, you can get it with BB's (which I have) to make it sound like a snare, and it has a harder surface than the invader so if you have your snare heads super tight, it feels the same. The cons, are that it doesn't have a rim, it's white, so you have to be careful not to get anything on it, and it too is kind of heavy... but besides all of that, I'd say that they are about equal... it just depends on the player.. if you like big quiet pads, get the invader.. if you like small, loud pads, get the Xymox... $40 + shipping for the snare unit... $30 +shipping for double gum... hope you enjoy the pad that you buy.
I just have to say this is an amazing pad.
I love the feel of this pad, it feels almost exactly like a snare, I say almost because the rebound can be a bit slow, but other than that, amazing. I brought it to drum camp once, during our break, I broke it out and started chopping away at it, almost the whole drumline crowded around to get a chance to play on it, and they all loved it. The rim is great because right when I got it, I could tell that my stick angle was off from practicing on my other pad because I kept pulling these accidental rim-shots, now I only rim-shot when I want to. In conclusion, I say, buy this pad!
The best pad on the market. great feel, articulate at every dynamic level, and it has a rim! It also looks really cool! Get it! You won't regret it. Feels just like a snare drum!
This pad is the best pad on the market. This pad is the closest you will ever get to the feel of a marching drum. When you get this pad, you will trash your other pads. This pad is definately worth the money, every penny of your money. GREAT PAD!!!!!!
This is THE best pad ever. The closest pad to a actual marching drum. A MUST HAVE!!!!!!
