DW MFG MCD2 Double Bass Drum Pedal, Anodized Gun Metal

• High-precision universal joint assembly, a bearing at every pivot
• Interlocking Delta hinge on both footboards
• Gun Metal colour, a medium grey with no shine
• Chain cam, adjustment lever on the primary half
• Perforated footboard on both sides
• Soft leatherette case, carried as a backpack

The motion of your left foot travels along a shaft, through two universal joints, then drives the cam of the auxiliary beater. Each joint takes its cut: a little play, a little friction, a little delay. Added together, those losses produce the familiar feeling of a mushy left side.

Putting a bearing at every pivot instead of a plain bushing changes the equation. Friction drops, play closes up, and what comes out at the end of the shaft looks more like what went in. The left half does not become identical to the right, but the gap stops demanding constant compensation.

The spacing between the two footboards is not a matter of taste: it depends on the width of your hips, the height of your throne and the room taken up by the hi-hat stand. Too narrow and your knees turn inward; too wide and your hips tire over a full gig.

You find the position once, seated, in your actual playing position. The useful reference is the line of your knees: they should fall naturally above each footboard, without being pulled in or spread apart. Once you find that point, you lock it and leave it alone.

The shaft of a double pedal runs across the full width of the kit, a few centimetres off the floor. It is the most visible part at the bottom of the kit, and in chrome it is a bright bar across the stage.

Gun Metal neutralizes it. On a black stage floor or a dark rug, the shaft disappears, and the audience's eyes stay on the kit rather than on its hardware.

• Drummers who notice their left side lagging
• Spacing adjustments for a particular body type
• Video shoots where the bottom of the kit stays in frame
• Grey hardware setups with no shiny parts
• Sustained fast playing, where the slightest mechanical play adds up

How other manufacturers drive the left half:

Why does my left side feel mushier?

Because the motion travels through a shaft and two universal joints. The quality of the pivots determines how much is lost along the way.

How far apart should the two footboards be?

Seated in your playing position, your knees should fall naturally above each footboard, without being pulled in or spread apart.

What is a universal joint assembly?

The joint that transmits rotation between two shafts that are not on the same axis. DW specifies a high-precision one, with a bearing at every pivot.

Does Gun Metal really look different from Graphite?

Yes, in the light. Gun Metal is a medium grey, while Graphite leans clearly toward black.