Who uses Moongel?

petey

Member
Do you leave it on your drums or take it off after every gig and then re-apply it at the next gig/set up? Seems like when you put in drum bags, it might rub off

I know there is a great debate on the use of mufflers, tape and Moongel, I use it only on certain sessions but was curious what the die hard users of Moongel do
 
I used Moongel for a while... but not anymore!
When I left it (Moongel) on my drum heads, did not like that remaining sticky film of resin at all... Nowadays, I much prefer the drum sound to ring true and natural on my kit.
 
I don't muffle most of my snares but a couple of them need just a little bit of dampening. When I use a Moongel, or more realistically a window cling, I just leave it on the snare and bag the whole thing up. It stays on there fine. If they start to lose their sticky, just rinse them in water and let dry.
 
I don't muffle most of my snares but a couple of them need just a little bit of dampening. When I use a Moongel, or more realistically a window cling, I just leave it on the snare and bag the whole thing up. It stays on there fine. If they start to lose their sticky, just rinse them in water and let dry.

+1, Great Tip.

I need it for some of my metal snare drums
 
Use one on my 22" ride to kill some of the wash and give it a bit more ping. Works fine.

Wow interesting idea! Do you stick it underneath or on top?

That'd a great idea for a low volume gig, to dampen the cymbals a touch
 
Wow interesting idea! Do you stick it underneath or on top?

That'd a great idea for a low volume gig, to dampen the cymbals a touch

On the top, and I leave it on. Tried it on the bottom but It eventually falls off.
 
I use them on the batter heads and leave them on. I do however cut them down to get the dampening I like, usually just reducing the initial "ping" sound. I''ve used as little as a quarter inch square.
 
I keep one on the edge on my snare, so it just gives me a tiny bit of dampening. It got rid of a few unwanted overtones and lets the woodiness take over. That moongel never comes off.
 
One on the floor tom, a real small room I may put one on the snare and rack tom too.
 
Wow interesting idea! Do you stick it underneath or on top?

That'd a great idea for a low volume gig, to dampen the cymbals a touch

You can adjust the amount of damping by how far outward you put it. Right behind the bell just tames things a bit for quiet gigs. Halfway out drys it up quite a bit. Never put it all the way out to the edge, that would be really dead and dry.

May or may not use it on a snare depending on the drum and situation. Rarely on toms unless it's a really quiet gig or some soundman really really insists.

Always on hand though, just in case.
 
I use pieces of the dollar store sticky hands. Same stuff, more material for less money. Bermuda clued me in to this.
 
I try not to use em, but our rehearsal space is level 11 reverb and hard parallel walls. As much as I'd like to let my toms sing freely, it just doesnt work in that room.
 
I use Moongel when the situation dictates and always remove it before packing up.

Great tip on "fixing" it when it stops being sticky. Thanks!

As for whether or not it's a good idea, dampening vs. not dampening is an argument that's been done to death. There's no "right" answer, as the matter is purely subjective. My take is that dampening - whether it's gel, tape, or whatever - is just another tool in our sonic toolbox. It's self-defeating to deny oneself the use of any particular tool.
 
I've always been meaning to try some. This post just inspired me to pick some up. Thanks
 
As for whether or not it's a good idea, dampening vs. not dampening is an argument that's been done to death. There's no "right" answer, as the matter is purely subjective. My take is that dampening - whether it's gel, tape, or whatever - is just another tool in our sonic toolbox. It's self-defeating to deny oneself the use of any particular tool.

Well said. I usually play loud music in a pretty big venue, so I tend to let my drums ring as much as they can. For quieter passages, I might use a moongel at the very edge of a snare drum just to dampen it a tiny bit and make it sound a little more focused. The great thing about them is that they're pretty versatile and re-usable. They're one of those things that are great to have just in case you might need them, even if you don't need them right away. I saw Mike Mangini cut them in halves for a clinic once, and he applied them to different drums and even some cymbals.
 
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