DW 9000 Single Bass Drum Pedal

• Bearings housed inside the cam, where the loss happens
• Rocker-mounted spring, free to pivot through the entire stroke
• Cam adjustable with a drum key, anywhere from linear Turbo to Accelerator
• Toe clamp with three self-aligning rubber pads
• Two-way beater, felt and heavy-duty plastic
• Single pedal bag included

Between footboard and head, the motion passes through a hinge, a chain, a cam shaft and a spring. Each step takes its share: a dry or misaligned pedal returns a noticeably softer stroke than the one you played, and you cannot tell where it went.

The manufacturer puts bearings inside the cam assembly itself, not just around it. The mechanism then follows the path of least resistance, and the small, unavoidable irregularities of any assembly stop turning into catches under your foot.

On a rigid mount, the spring is held at both ends: as the cam turns, its angle changes but its anchor points do not move. It works at an angle for part of the motion, which adds friction and fatigues the coils.

Here, the anchor pivots at both the cam and the post. The spring stays aligned with its own pull from start to finish. Two results: the resistance you feel stays even, and the spring wears more slowly than one that is constantly twisted.

A bass drum hoop never has the thickness or angle the catalogue promises: a solid wood hoop, a thin wrapped hoop and a moulded hoop are all different. A clamp with a single flat pad ends up biting on an edge, and the pedal starts to creep.

The three rubber pads each pivot on their own and settle onto whatever thickness and angle they meet. The pedal stays where you put it, even on a drum that is not yours.

• Daily professional playing, on stage and in the studio
• Drummers who want to tune their response instead of changing pedals
• Backline bass drums, whose hoops change from one venue to the next
• Replacing a pedal that has grown rough over the years
• Recording, where the slightest catch is audible in the headphones

Other manufacturers' professional single pedals, and how they deal with friction:

What is the difference between a Turbo and an Accelerator setting?

The manufacturer describes a centred setting, which keeps the same ratio between foot and beater from start to finish, and an offset setting, which increases leverage and acceleration as the beater approaches the head. One turn of a drum key moves the cam from one to the other, or stops it anywhere in between.

Does a pedal with bearings need oiling?

No. Dusting it off and checking that the screws are tight is enough. Thin oil attracts stage dust and eventually gums up the mechanism.

Is there a matching double pedal?

Yes. The manufacturer offers the 9002, a complete double pedal from the same series, as well as a left-handed version. The single pedal can be used as is.

Is the included beater good enough?

It gives you two sounds, felt and plastic, by flipping it on its shaft. Many drummers never replace it.