General
Combining forces with Anika Nilles, Meinl presents the Split Tone Pad: a progressive practice pad with three different playing surfaces, each with a different sound and feel to support improved rhythm development. Hone beats, drill rudiments and perform the whole range of exercises while actually gaining a different response from each surface - a difference you can actually hear. In every rhythm, you can hear a kind of melody and, tapping into that melody can help enormously when it comes to, say, speeding up a double paradiddle. With this pad, you can quickly pinpoint where your rudiments are sounding less tight and realise if one of your hands is a touch weaker than the other. The underside also has much less rebound to it than the upper side, so it can be used to develop speed and power. Meanwhile, the anti-slip finish has a damping effect that reduces vibrational transfer to the table or floor. To complete the pack, the Split Pad pad also comes including a stack of tips and tricks penned by Anika Nilles herself.
The Meinl Anika Nilles Split Tone Pad
The central surface has a regular tone and forms the foundation of this practice pad, while the oval shaped surface serves as your muted pad, so you can practice in near-silence and, since the rebound is lower, you need to hit harder to train your power and speed. The two red circular pads have a higher pitch so they can be used for things like accents. Strike the normal pad with your left hand and one of the red pads with your right hand and things sound completely different. This way, you can get really creative and set yourself up with a new arsenal of techniques that you can take straight to your kit.
