Review » OffWorld Percussion Invader V3 Practice Pad

Manufacturer: OffWorld Percussion
Product: Invader V3 Practice Pad
Website: www.offworldpercussion.com
DD Rating:

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I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to practice pads. I spend a lot of time chopping out in front of the TV or when just sitting around in my rare bits of free time, so I like to have at least one stationed in every room of the house. Just kidding… But I have accumulated a lot of pads over the years. Gum rubber, foam rubber, MoonGel, homemade, etc. This one is my new favorite by far.

In fact, I love this pad. It feels good to play this thing. The rebound is incredible and realistic, unlike most gum rubber pads that feel great but ultimately have scarcely the same feel as an acoustic drum. My experience in drum corps was very short, but I can say that the Invader V3 more closely replicates the feel of a Kevlar® head than anything else I’ve played.

Here’s a quick list of features:

• The most stand-apart feature of the Invader V3 is its “space-age synthetic surface” – OffWorld’s patent-pending Darkmatter™ material. I don’t know what the hell it is, but it accomplishes its goal of mimicking a marching drum. It’s a little bit soft, a little bit tacky, and really shiny (ooooo…)
• Wanna practice rimshots or crazy one-handed rolls away from a drum? This pad has a functional rim made of “high-impact, industrial-strength, abrasion and weather-resistant” black nylon.
• The non-slip base doubles as a “high-definition” rimless playing surface.
• The pad is designed to fit on top of any 14″ snare drum or stand.

Some points that are not necessarily negatives but that are important to consider:

• It is, as you might expect, on the loud side, so don’t expect to do too much in-front-of-the-TV chopping if there are other people in the room.
• One of its features, its size, might be a concern depending on your travel intentions. It is purposely designed large to fit on top of a snare drum, and the “black nylon composite matrix” is dense and heavy. You may quickly tire of lugging it.
• Selling for around $60 through most online retailers, it’s more expensive than standard practice pads.

Just as a really great sounding kit may inspire you to play better, the same may be true of the Invader V3. Or at least it may get you practicing in front of the TV more often!