The Best Low Volume Mesh Drum Heads (2024)
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Some of the best low volume mesh drum heads from Remo Evans and RTOM.
Playing drums is a lifelong passion. I would be at the kit for several hours a day if I could, trying to make progress and be the best drummer I can be. I’m sure that’s the same for you if you’re reading this.
But the age old problem is that drums are darn loud, especially when you’re practicing in full flow. And if you live in an apartment, or have neighbours or housemates who you don’t want to disturb, this holds you back from making that progress.
In my case I have just had a baby, and I also live next door to a couple with a baby. It’s not great for my designs on maximising my drumming time.
In this article we take a look at low volume drum heads, from popular brands such as Remo, Evans and RTOM that I’ve found useful for this problem.
These low volume heads can be used to make a low volume drum kit so you can develop your skills and still feel natural playing an acoustic kit. We take a look at key features for choosing a low volume or mesh drum head: volume, feel and price as well as any additional features.
Let’s go!
In this article
We start with the best heads at a glance, then review each head in depth and summarise the key features of each.
We also take a look at key questions you may have about mesh heads and considerations for purchasing.
For more on choosing drum heads check out these popular articles:
How to choose drum heads: Ultimate guide
At a glance: the best low volume mesh drumheads
Remo Silentstroke | Great basic all round mesh head | Check price on Amazon
Evans dbZero | Great for volume reduction | Check price on Amazon
Evans dbOne | Great for real feel and tone with more volume | Check price on Amazon
Roland PowerPly Mesh Head | Great for triggers | Check price on Amazon
RTOM Black Hole | Easiest to fit and swap, low volume rim shots | Check price on Gear 4 Music
How I tested the low volume drum heads
I’ve needed low volume heads for a while. I’ve just had a baby. And my neighbours also just had a baby. It’s not the best environment for loud drumming practice.
I tested the heads in this review by playing my kit naturally and assessing the feel and volume myself, as well as asking whether my wife could hear from downstairs: after all it’s her who will benefit the most from my choice! I also combined this with listening to how other drummers have experienced using these heads and reviewed the technical features to understand which heads are best in different situations.
Remo Silentstroke
Basic all-round low volume head with good volume reduction
Remo is a major brand in drum head manufacturing so you can expect quality from their Silentstroke range. They are a popular choice among drummers, but is this based on the strength of the Remo brand, or do the heads meet expectations?
Sound and Performance
The Silentstroke drumheads are designed to drastically reduce the volume of acoustic drums without sacrificing the feel and responsiveness that drummers expect. Made from a single ply layer of mesh material, the playing experience is very quiet. I found on the toms some resonance was audible, and the snare had a small amount of snare wire response, making the kit still feel like a complete set.
They can be tuned to various tensions, providing flexibility in feel and responsiveness. However, they may not produce a significant tonal change when tuned differently, which might be a downside for some users.
Volume Reduction
The key test: my wife could not hear me playing from downstairs :). I found I could hear myself and the individual character of each drum. However with headphones on I couldn’t hear a thing. This is impressive noise reduction from the Remo Silentstroke heads.
Feel and Response
Despite the low volume, Silentstroke drumheads aim to maintain a realistic rebound and stick response. This is crucial for practicing techniques and dynamics as it closely mimics the feel of traditional drumheads. I found that the rebound from the Silentstrokes was rather more exaggerated than a traditional drum head, meaning practicing exclusively on these heads might make playing a real drum kit in a gig situation feel slightly less natural.
Other Considerations
Silentstroke drumheads can work with drum triggers, providing a quiet practice solution that can be hooked up with electronic drum modules to trigger sampled drum sounds.
They are available in a full range of sizes so can be fitted onto most standard drum kits.
Silentstroke drumheads are durable and built to withstand wear and tear and frequent use. They handle consistent practice sessions well, retaining their integrity over time. Of course you should take care to avoid excessive force or sharp objects that could puncture the head.
Value for Money
Remo Silentstroke drumheads offer good value for money. They are priced competitively within the practice drumhead market, making them accessible to a wide range of drummers. Some other heads in this review are significantly more expensive due to coming with additional features. However for a simple quiet drum head Remo Silentstrokes are a worthwhile investment.
Evans dbZero
Basic low volume head from Evans with good feel and volume reduction
Alongside Remo, Evans is another dominant brand for drum heads. In my opinion they tend to have slightly more innovative features, or more options, than Remo. In the low volume mesh head area Evans offers heads that reduce volume by different amounts, giving drummers more options for different contexts. How do their quietest heads, the dbZero range (formerly known as Soundoff) stack up?
Sound and Performance
Evans dbZeros are roughly equivalent to Remo’s Silentstrokes. They are designed to reduce volume almost entirely while retaining the feel of playing a traditional drum head. On test the dbZeros do achieve this, perhaps slightly more successfully than the Remo Silentstrokes.
You can hear the character of different drums if you have a traditional resonant head on the bottom, which does help you to feel like you’re playing a real drum kit.
As with the Remo Silentstrokes these are useful for a practice set up, or with sample triggers, but alone are not loud enough for most gigging situations and shouldn’t viewed as useful for that.
Volume Reduction
As with the Remo Silentstrokes these heads could not be heard from downstairs and certainly didn't wake the baby: success criteria number one. I felt these were slightly quiter than the Remo heads and Evans claim these reduce volume by 95%. All in all they definitely reduce volume very well.
Feel and Response
Again I found db zeros to be very similar to Remo Silentstrokes, this time in terms of rebound feel. Again I slightly preferred the response from the Evans heads: they are slightly less bouncy which feels more realistic. However if you are looking for more realistic feel to ensure your practice translates to playing a real kit, I would go for the sister product: Evans db One heads (albeit with these you don’t get quite as much noise reduction).
Other Considerations
dbZero heads are also compatible with drum triggers. This makes them great for silent practice or for using your acoustic kit in an electronic set-up.
Durability should not be a problem for standard practicing due to the quality mesh material, and many sizes are available.
Value for Money
Evans db Zeros are roughly equivalent to Silentstrokes in terms of price. In our opinion they are slightly better value for money due to marginally better feel and volume reduction.
Evans dbOne
Excellent feel and realistic sound for slightly more volume
As the name implies Evans’ dbOne series are slightly louder than their dbZero series, however these heads are designed to be used in low volume situations while retaining more of the feel of playing a real drum kit.
Sound and Performance
The Evans db One heads retain more of the real drum sound and feel than other mesh heads. The snare head uses a special ‘weave’ which enables more attack and buzz, emulating an acoustic snare.
These heads create more of a realistic sound than other mesh heads. However for this you sacrifice some volume reduction. Your practice set up may dictate whether this is important to you: how quiet do you need to be?
Volume Reduction
The volume reduction from Evans db ones is good. However it is not as much as the other heads in this review. This is because these heads trade some of that noise reduction for more realistic drum sounds and feel. Evans claim the sound reduction is 80% which is still impressive.
In my test my family could hear me playing from downstairs with a door shut. However the neighbours couldn’t hear. Would this be quiet enough in a house share or apartment situation? If you want more or less complete silence I would recommend going for a quieter option from this review. However if you want to hear a little more of the drum sounds the db Ones are a great option.
Feel and Response
Evans db Ones are designed to retain more realistic drum feel than other mesh heads. In my test I found this to be the case. While they don’t feel quite like the real thing they are more realistic than their db Zero brothers.
Other Considerations
The different dbOne heads use different tech for different drums. for example the snare is specially designed to mimic snare response and tone. This is a cool feature for increasing realism compared to standard mesh heads.
Can you use triggers with Evans dbOne heads? Yes you can. However remember that what you pay for with dbOnes is partly improved tone: a feature that is not relevant when using triggers. You do get more realistic feel than standard mesh heads, which may be a benefit even when using triggers.
Value for Money
Evans dbOnes come at a higher price point than Silentstrokes or dbZeros. Of course you get more features for your money, in the shape of enhanced feel and response and tone akin to real drum heads. If your priority is volume reduction, go for a more basic option (you can enhance the tone by using a traditional resonant head on the bottom of your drums).
However if you want more realistic feel that helps to translate your practice to a real kit, dbOnes are a worthy investment.
Roland PowerPly Mesh Head
Double ply for less bounce and more accurate triggering
Roland is a brand typically associated with electronic instruments: electronic kits, SPD sample pads and so on. The PowerPly head range (manufactured by Remo) is in their ballpark with mesh head technology that is used on electronic drum kits. The PowerPly range can be used to refurbish their electronic V Drums, or to replace acoustic drum heads for quiet practice on acoustic kits too.
Sound and Performance
PowerPly heads are double ply. Compared to single ply mesh heads the sound is slightly less warm and realistic. However these heads come into their own when used with triggers. They generate better trigger accuracy than singly ply heads due to the more consistent impact when the head is hit.
Volume Reduction
The volume reduction achieved by the Roland PowerPly mesh heads is good. There is slightly more sound produced than the Evans dbZeros and Remo Silentstrokes which come from the dual ply construction. However these are still quiet and could not be heard from downstairs with a door shut.
Feel and Response
Again the dual ply construction plays a role in differentiating the Roland Powerply mesh heads from single ply heads in terms of feel and response. These heads are slightly less bouncy than single ply heads which is more realistic and generates a feel that many drummers prefer around the kit. If you have played an electronic V Drums kit this is the feel you should expect.
Other Considerations
Roland is synonymous with electronic drums. Hence their PowerPly range is not only suitable for refurbishing a worn out V Drums kit, it is also excellent with triggers: expanding the possibilities of your acoustic kit with samples. This comes from the dual ply construction which creates even response across the head and makes triggering more accurate (a problem that can happen with single ply heads).
These heads may also be more durable than singly ply alternatives such as Silentstrokes and dbZeros.
Value for Money
Roland PowerPlys are dual ply for good reason: this provides aspects that other mesh heads don’t such as more reliable triggering potential, durability and feel. However this pushes up the price a little so you will find these heads more expensive than single ply Silentstrokes or dbZeros.
RTOM Black Hole Practice System
Easy to fit and remove, good feel and real drum sound, quiet rim shot practice. But pricier.
RTOM is a drumming brand that creates a range of accessories for drums, including many designed to enhance practice. They have a standard mesh head which is similar to the Evans dbOnes with a patch in the centre to enhance response. However here we take a look at their innovative Black Hole practice system which is designed to fit seamlessly over your acoustic head for easy fitting and removal.
Sound and Performance
The Black Hole Practice System clips over the top of your acoustic heads. As well making fitting and removal much easier this enhances the sound of the heads as you get the response from your original heads. The Black Holes also feature a centre patch and single-point tuning system which gives drummers a realistic sound for each drum and excellent scope to tune to taste.
Volume Reduction
The Black Holes are louder than Silentstrokes or dbZeros. They could be heard by my family while I was playing. However the sound reduction is still excellent and unlikely to annoy neighbours. The louder sound is a compromise for the excellent feel, traditional drum sound and easy fitting.
Feel and Response
The feel of the Black Hole system is excellent. All of the mesh heads in this review feel bouncier than real drum heads. This is to be expected: the material is simply different and unlikely to ever feel completely natural. However the Black Holes get somewhere close. The centre patch and thick mesh enhances this feel.
The Black Holes also feature a rubber rim. This feature is unique to these heads. It allows drummers to play rim shots and clicks at practice volume again contributing to the real feel of these heads.
Other Considerations
Perhaps the most innovative feature of the Black Hole system is the easy fitting/removal approach. These heads simply clip over the top of your existing heads. This means you don’t need to constantly loosen traditional heads to use the Black Holes. This will save you heaps of time, especially if you are a working drummer who takes your kit out to gigs often.
We also really like the rubber rim, another feature not available with other heads. This allows drummers to practice rim shots at a quiet volume. With the other heads in this review the rims would simply be your original hoops which will be loud and therefore you’ll be unlikely to play this while practicing quietly.
Value for Money
The RTOM Black Hole Practice System is excellent. However with all of these features you would expect a higher price. These heads are the priciest in this review. However we believe this is a good investment for a lasting set of practice heads you are likely to be happy with and get a lot of use from for a long time.
Low volume mesh drum heads: Summary
So there you have our comparison of the best low volume mesh drum heads available now. These products are a very welcome addition for drummers who want to be able to practice at a low volume without needing to invest in an electronic drum set.
Here’s a brief summary of the key benefits of each low volume head described here:
Good all round basic mesh head. Relatively cheap, with good volume reduction but more bounce than others in this review which is unrealistic.
Similar to Remo Silentstrokes although we found d the sound and feel to be slightly more realistic, while roughly equivalent in price.
Features special weave on the snare and centre patches that enhance the real feel and sound compared to basic heads. Louder than Silentstrokes and dbZeros and more expensive.
Double ply mesh head which enhances the feel and sound compared to single ply alternatives. As expected with Roland, designed to work well with triggers and also act as a replacement for V-Drums heads.
RTOM Black Hole Practice System
Great real drum sound and feel at reduced volume, albeit not as quiet as Silentstrokes or dbZeros. Additional features including snap-on for easy fitting and removal, rubber rim for quiet rim shot practice, single-point tuning. More expensive than basic options.
What is a low volume mesh drum head?
Mesh drum heads were typically used as the striking surface for electric drum sets. However in recent years these have been adapted as heads that can be fitted to an acoustic drum set. This allows drummers to play quietly for practicing at home, in apartments or with neighbours close by.
Mesh heads can also be used with drum triggers. This is because triggers work best with minimal noise from an acoustic head. Triggers allow you to play an acoustic set but play sample sounds. This can expand your sound palate and achieve a consistent sound.
Manufacturers offer many different innovations to low volume mesh drum heads to achieve the best balance of price, practicality and real feel and sound. This include patches and construction that make the head feel and sound more like a real kit: a feature many drummers look for so their practice transfers easily to a real kit. Some, such as RTOM’s Black Holes are designed to be easy to fit and remove for drummers who often need a practice set up and gig set up.
How to make mesh heads sound like real drums
There are several ways drummers can make their mesh heads sound more like real drums:
Choose heads that focus on real sound such as Evans dbOnes or RTOM Black Holes
Keep your traditional resonant (bottom) head which creates the tone of the drum
Spend time tuning your mesh heads as you would with traditional acoustic heads
Use triggers with an accurate triggering head such as the Roland PowerPly.
Do mesh heads damage bearing edges?
There is some indication that mesh heads can wear down bearing edges (the part of the drum shell that comes into contact with the drum head). This is not something I have experienced personally. However if this is a concern you could protect your bearing edges while the mesh heads are fitted using a non-abrasive barrier such as kitchen paper or cloth. This will of course affect the sound of the drum while fitted.
Alternatively if damaging the bearings edges is a concern you could choose RTOM Black Holes which fit over the top of your acoustic heads rather than on the bearing edge.
What to look for when buying low volume drum heads
How will you use the head? Is this just for practice or do you need to use this in a performance situation? If the latter choose a head that creates a real drum sound with slightly more volume such as the Evans dbOnes.
Will you use triggers? If so go for the heads which are most reliable with triggers: Roland PowerPlys.
Do you need to change between practice and acoustic heads often? If so go for a highly practical solution such as the RTOM Black Hole system.
Do you need the maximum sound reduction? If so go for the quietest heads: Remo Silentstokes, Evans dbZeros or Roland PowerPlys.
Do you want the heads to feel like real drums? Many drummers look for this to make their practice realistic and easier to transfer to real drums. If so go for products which aim to achieve more real feel such as Evans dbOnes or RTOM Black Holes.
Is price a consideration or are you looking for more features? The basic options: Silentstrokes and dbZeros are cheaper but have fewer additional features.
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