Recording - December 2013 - 21

the Fraunhofer Pro-Codec. But whether you're creating and
sending MP3 mixes to clients, rendering low-rez AAC for
Internet broadcast, or just want a controllable, musical alternative to using iTunes or Windows Media Player for creating your

lossy audio files, at just shy of $60 this is a great tool to have
beside your DAW. Honestly, since getting it I have been using it
more than the Fraunhofer Pro-Codec, as it's just so simple and
convenient!-PV

The Drum Wallet (V2) by Old Jersey Music Labs
$29.95; www.thedrumwallet.com

creates a loop that the drummer can put
his stick in, to flip the Drum Wallet on and
off of the drum in a hurry for different
sounds on different songs.
In this new version the Velcro tails are
a few inches shorter and the bean
bag/wallet portion is smaller, but retains
the same density. This is great, as the

Last but not least in our Gift Guide,
here's a cheap and effective tool to deal
with a common recording gremlin!
Excessively ringy snare drums and toms
are the bane of many recording and live
sound engineers' existence. One of the
oldest solutions has been for the drummer
to lay his wallet on top of the drumhead to
damp it and reduce the unwanted resonance. This solution works well because as
the drum head is struck, the wallet rises up
off the drum head for a fraction of a second, and when it comes back down it cuts
off the drum's decay and ring. A big plus
to this technique is that it doesn't completely alter the drum's tone, as happens
with many other solutions such as gel
strips, mylar rings and gaffer's tape... you
can think of the wallet as a natural realtime
"gate", vs. the other solutions acting more
like an EQ or filter.
The original Drum Wallet made its
debut three years ago in our July 2010
issue. I was a fan then, and I still am now!
In that review, mention was made of a
new and improved version coming in the
future, and the future is finally now.
The Drum Wallet is a nylon, slightly
weighted beanbag that mimics the look,
feel and weight of a traditional man's wallet... albeit one stuffed full of cash, so
maybe it's not a completely accurate emulation for most drummers. It's made of
nylon and 80% recycled materials and
made entirely in the USA.
Attached to the beanbag is a 21/2" by
7" woven nylon strap with a 13" Velcro
strip on its end in a T shape. The ends of
the velcro strip wrap around your drum
lugs to secure the wallet onto the drum; it
can accommodate drums with 6, 8 or 10
lugs. The nylon flap continues onto the
wallet's top and attaches to its ends. This

only complaint I've ever received about
the original was that it was too big and
could get in the way of less accurate players. Now that's no longer an issue, and
the damping works just as well as it ever
has. Every studio could stand to have a
few of these at this price; they also work
great on toms!-PV

http://www.thedrumwallet.com http://www.dpamicrophones.com http://www.dpamicrophones.com

Recording - December 2013

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