DW MFG MCD2 Double Bass Drum Pedal, Chain Drive

• Single-post cast frame, patented by the manufacturer
• Auxiliary pedal can sit closer to the hi-hat stand
• Less distance to cover between hi-hat and bass drum
• Two identical perforated footboards in solid aluminum
• Lever-operated chain cam on the primary pedal
• Soft leatherette case, carried as a backpack

Most double pedals connect the left half to the main mechanism with a double upright, a fork that straddles the shaft. That fork takes up width, and the width pushes the auxiliary footboard to the left — that is, right into the spot where the hi-hat stand wants to be.

DW gathered that structure onto a single cast post. The left footboard can then move closer to the hi-hat. For the drummer, it means a heel that rocks from one instrument to the other instead of taking a step, and the option of keeping a foot on each during the same passage.

The classic flaw of an inexpensive double pedal is that the two halves do not feel alike: the left one, driven through a universal joint and a long shaft, arrives soft and late. The drummer compensates without realizing it, and their playing becomes lopsided.

The machined assembly reduces play at every joint of the linkage shaft. It does not eliminate it — no drive manages that — but it brings it low enough that the difference between your two feet stops being audible in the dynamics.

A new double pedal is set up in order: first the clamp on the hoop, then the position of the left half relative to the throne, and finally the spring tensions, the left one last.

Setting the springs before locking the floor position means starting over, because moving a footboard changes the angle at which your foot meets it, and therefore the tension that suits it. This order seems trivial and saves half an hour.

• Sustained two-foot playing without losing access to the hi-hat
• Passages where the left foot alternates between hi-hat and bass drum
• Drummers short on space on a riser or stage deck
• Replacing a double pedal whose left half lags
• Studio work, where lopsided feet are audible in the headphones

How other manufacturers connect the left half to the main mechanism:

What is the difference from two single pedals side by side?

Two single pedals require two bass drums. Here, one kit takes two beaters, the left one driven by a shaft.

Does the left side hit as hard as the right?

Very nearly. The remaining gap comes from the shaft drive, which machining reduces but cannot cancel.

Can I still reach the hi-hat stand?

That is the point of the single post: the auxiliary footboard sits closer, which keeps the hi-hat within reach of your heel.

In what order should I set up a new double pedal?

The clamp first, the position of the left half next, the spring tensions last.