DW 9002 Double Bass Drum Pedal

• Linkage assembly built to keep the left stroke clean
• Patented single-post base, which brings the pedal closer to the others
• Patented Delta II hinge, two ball bearings and lightweight aluminum
• Cam infinitely adjustable with a drum key, from linear Turbo to Accelerator
• Two-way beaters, felt and heavy-duty plastic
• Nylon carrying bag with shoulder strap

A left-foot stroke starts at the auxiliary footboard, travels through a shaft lying under the hi-hat, passes two joints, rises into a second mechanism and only then reaches the beater. Every connection can add half a millimetre of slack.

Added up, those half millimetres produce the flaw every drummer knows: a left side that responds a hair later and sounds a little hollower. The drummer compensates by playing harder on that side, and the gap becomes even more audible. This pedal's linkage assembly exists to make that compensation unnecessary.

Under each footboard sits the heel hinge. It is the hardest-working part of the whole pedal: it takes every stroke, every heel press, every shift of weight, thousands of times a night.

Two ball bearings replace a pin turning in its bore, and the parts that carry them are made of a quality lightweight aluminum, which the manufacturer protects with a patent. The result is not only a longer life: it is firmer contact under the heel, where you feel the footboard rather than any give.

A folded-up double pedal is an awkward object: two footboards, a shaft, two beaters, adjustment screws sticking out. Thrown into a bin, it loses its settings and scratches everything it touches.

The supplied nylon bag goes over your shoulder, which matters more than it seems when both hands are already carrying a snare and a throne. Every part has its place, and the setup you found at the last gig is still there at the next one.

• Music that keeps both feet busy all the way through
• Drummers who find their left side weaker and duller
• Stage and touring, with setup and teardown every night
• Studio work, where the gap between the two feet is heard right away
• Replacing a double pedal that has gone soft on the auxiliary side

Other manufacturers' high-end double pedals, and how they handle the linkage:

Do I need to move my hi-hat stand back to fit a double pedal?

The single-post base is described as allowing a position closer to the other pedals. Many drummers therefore keep their usual setup.

How do you adjust the cam?

With one turn of a drum key, continuously, between a centred setting with a constant ratio and an offset setting that speeds the beater up at the end of the stroke.

Can the main pedal be used on its own?

It plays on its own without any trouble. The linkage and the left footboard come off when you do not need them.

Is there a left-handed version?

Yes. The manufacturer lists a left-handed double pedal in the same 9000 series. This model is set up with the main pedal on the right.