The 5 Best Drum Shields

Editor’s Choice

Drum Shields

  • Strong and sturdy
  • Reduces drum volume well
  • Living hinges allow panels to fold flat

Best Overall

Drum Shields

  • Works well for audio boards
  • Crystal clear, angled panels
  • Sturdy and durable

Budget-Friendly

Drum Shields

  • High-quality plexiglass and acrylic design
  • Foldable living hinges
  • Easy to set up

If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best drum shield is, then I’d recommend DS7DL 7×12 ft with Deflectors and Flexible Hinges Drum Shield as the best one.

Drums are essential instruments in church worship music. Like guitars, they form a core sound mix for contemporary worship songs. If you listen to Hillsong United or Kutless songs, you hear quite a significant bit of percussion instrumentals. Drumming engages the congregation’s spirits. Playing the drum also helps the flock listen well to hymns and Bible readings. 

But you need to be careful when playing drums on stage. The common problem musicians suffer from is acoustic disharmony. Drums are quite loud. And their sound can interfere with the vocals and other instruments of the band.

To avoid this issue, get a drum shield. A drum shield is a clear barrier around the drummer. It isolates the drum sound to the drummer and backstage. This shield reduces the drum sound. And it’s also great for churches because it adds a nice reverb effect.

Here are the best Drum Shields we will be reviewing:

What is a Drum Shield?

A drum shield is a clear barrier to trap the drum sound within the drummer’s area. It sends the sound back to the drummer. This unique mechanism decreases the drum volume. So it works well for seamless live performances. 

Drum shields improve onstage sounds by making them cleaner and more manageable. They are also great when you are recording music.  

Why is a Drum Shield Important?

Drum shields offer a beneficial, efficient sound mixing system for live performances and recording. Their benefits include good noise isolation, reduced volumes, and provide noise isolation, volume reduction, and booming, reverb echoes.

Good Isolation for Drummer

A drum shield protects your band members and congregation from flying drum sticks. And yes, this occurrence can happen quite often if you’re not careful. Also, in case of rowdiness or unrest in the audience, the shield protects the drummer from flying objects.

With its transparent design, a drum shield allows the drummer to monitor their band and the congregation throughout the performance. 

Above all, the drum shield limits the drum sound to the drummer’s place.

Volume Control

The main purpose of a drum shield is to do volume control and induce clean live sound mixes. It avoids the phenomenon of “instrument bleed”. Drum sounds, when unchecked, can overpower other vocals and instruments. They cause disruptions in sound feedback. Using a drum shield, sound engineers control the drum sound and separate it from the mics, other instruments, and stage monitors.

Great for churches for reverb effects

Church and permanent music venues love using drum shields. This transparent barrier produces a unique reverb that echoes tremendously around the church. It blends well with pianos, organs, keyboards, and other church worship instruments.

When Should You Use a Drum Shield?

An essential tool for drummers is a drum shield. It cleans up the drum sounds and makes them match the harmony of the rest of the vocals and instrumentals.

Here are the areas when people use drum shields:

Worship Music

Contrary to popular belief, drum shields don’t reduce drum sounds dramatically. Rather, the drum sound bounces back towards the drummer and some towards the walls of churches. Drum shields with lids work efficiently on acoustic absorption. So the congregation hears the beautiful worship music, with all its instruments in harmony, and appreciates the Word of God within the music.

Recording Studios

The volume control of drum shields also helps a lot when you are recording music. It helps you capture all the sounds in the performance without the drum overpowering the others. Also, a big plus of using this is somewhat soundproofing your recording studio. Whether you are recording from a professional studio or inside your room, you can be sure that your playing won’t disturb the other people in the venue. This prevents unnecessary drama. And gives you more time to hone your music. 

Live Bands

Drum shields are also highly useful for bands performing live on tours. It helps the drummer support the vocalists, especially those using in-ear monitors. They also improve the musical tempo balance on stage.

Pros and Cons of a Drum Shield

Drummers love using drum shields because it helps them improve their performance. And reduces any negative impact of the drum sound on the live performance. But it also has considerable drawbacks which include discomfort for the drummer, time-consuming assembly, and lack of dynamic drumming.

Here are the pros and cons of using a drum shield:

Pros

Lower on-stage volume

Drum sounds are usually the loudest of all musical instruments. With a drum shield, you can control the drum sound. Then reduce the overall volume on the stage. 

Cleaner live mixing

Secondary to the lower on-stage volume is the cleaner sound mixing in the live performance. Drum shields help you prevent any sound distortions. They ensure that the drum sound mixes well with the vocals and the other band instruments.

Happier singers

Drums that are too loud can also cause problems for the singers. They may get distracted and lose track of the song beats. So when you use drum shields, singers with and without in-ear mics feel more comfortable. As they hear their voices well, they also find their vocals in sync with the rest of the band.

Cons

Higher volume for drummers playing

Unfortunately, for the drummer. they will bear the brunt of the drum sounds. The drum sound amplifies as it bounces across the shield panels. You risk migraines. So if you do use a drum shield, wear earmuffs or in-ear monitors. 

Difficult lighting

Lighting conditions are difficult for drummers inside the drum shield. 

Hard to set up and load

Drum shields are a pain when it’s time for assembly and load them up for transport. It takes from forty-five minutes to hours on end to assemble a drum shield. And you typically need two or more people to do this. So that could take quite a bit of time that you would spend otherwise in-band preparation.

Doesn’t work for dynamic drumming

If you are still learning to drum, you need to learn how to control your play while keeping in tune with the rest of the band. This necessary skill is dynamic control, understanding how much force to hit the drums. First, you need to learn how to read the room, and its acoustics, and adapt your play style to it.

Another issue is the barrier itself. The drum shield is a barrier that isolates the drummer from the rest of his bandmates and the congregation. It can disconnect the drummer from the audience. And the audience might feel disengaged from the drums and not catch the vibe of the music.

Types of Drum Shields

Drum shields differ in structure. Drum shields come in three types that differ in their design:

Full-coverage type 

The most expensive drum shield is the one that covers the drummer fully. Full coverage drum shields surround the drum set, including the drummer, in such a way that the drum sound cannot escape from any angle. They reduce up to seventy percent of drum sounds. This type is what musicians call “drum cages”.

Full-front type

The most common drum shield is full-front. It provides less noise reduction than full coverage because it only has front panels. You put these panels in front of the drums.

Partial-front

The drum shield type to offers the lowest noise reduction levels is the partial-front. Designed similarly to the full-front, they have lower front panels. This design enables the drummer to see the scene above him. And feel connected to his band and congregation. 

Factors in Choosing the Best Drum Shields

Material

When considering drum accessories, check the material. What the drum shield is made of affects its functionality and durability. Plastic and rubber are poor materials because they are flimsy and delicate. Best look for acrylics. These drum shields last long and reduce sound well.

Size

When getting drum shields, their size should fit your drum set. Measure your drum set first before searching for a shield. It should offer enough room for the drummer to move while playing. 

Sound Absorption

You should also consider the acoustic absorbing power of the drum shield. You should choose shields made with sound-deadening materials. This feature helps a lot in reducing vibrations and reflective sounds.

Durability

When it comes to buying drum shields, choose quality based on the sturdy design. Especially since drum shields run from two hundred to over a thousand bucks, you need to ensure that you buy for long-term use. 

Ease of Setup

Given that drum shields already take time for installation, you need to find shields with adequate guides. These should include chrome hinges or living hinges to cover the panels’ full length. You also need an easy-to-understand manual. With this, you will know how to assemble, disassemble and maintain your drum shield with precision. 

Budget

Above all things, think of your budget. Consult your church leaders and other stakeholders on your band needs. The best tool fits your needs without breaking the bank. 

Pennzonni is a premier brand of drum enclosures and custom noise control devices. With over 15 years of experience in custom fabrication, their drum accessory line is top-notch. So our top reviewed shields all come from their brand.

Here are the best drum shields for church worship services.

DS7DL 7×12 ft with Deflectors and Flexible Hinges Drum Shield

Drum Shields

Are you looking for a drum shield for touring or regular worship services? Then the DS7DL 7×12 ft with Deflectors and Flexible Hinges would be an excellent choice. With a sturdy frame and clear drum screen panels, you can use this shield for everything from engaging in worship music events to country-wide band tours.

One of my favorite features of this drum shield is its crystal acrylic construction. It comes with six full acrylic panels measuring one-fourth inches by twenty-four inches by seventy-two inches. And it also comes with six clear acrylic deflector panels at twelve inches by twenty-four inches. Acrylics are the best sound-deadening materials. So you can modulate the drum sounds that bleed in mics, on all types of stages.

Another impressive feature of this shield is its foldable and portable design. It has five full plastic living hinges to help connect, fold and grip the drum shield panels firmly. I especially like it as a gift to my friend who is an indie band member. They tour around the country so they face serious challenges in onstage volume control. They heave this seven feet tall panel enclosure for their drums. The setup was pretty tricky at first, but they eventually love using this shield to protect the vocal quality of their performances.

Pennzonni’s fast shipping and excellent customer service are also bonuses.

Pros:

  • Works well for audio boards
  • Crystal clear, angled panels
  • Sturdy and durable
  • Tall enough to fully trap cymbal crashes
  • Foldable and portable
  • Fast shipment
  • Excellent customer service

Cons:

  • Tricky assembly
  • Heavy and bulky
  • Lacks manual

DS6 Living 6 2×6 ft Drum Screen Drum Shield

Drum Shields

Need a drum screen that could function as a virus barrier? Get the Pennzonni DS6L. This shield offers great value for the money.

You get six sturdy, transparent acrylic panels measuring six feet by two feet and five full-length living hinges. This design ensures consistent stability in all venues. 

It provides efficient noise control, even without deflector panels, unlike the DS7DL. This shield also takes less time to set up than the aforementioned shield. Once you set it up, the drum shield holds very strong with ultra-tight hinges.

Pros:

  • Strong and sturdy
  • Reduces drum volume well
  • Great as a COVID barrier
  • Living hinges allow panels to fold flat
  • Easy to transport or for storage

Cons:

  • Requires two persons to assemble
  • Assembly takes more than one hour

DS4 L 5 Section Flexible Hinges Drum Shield

Drum Shields

This Pennzonni drum shield works well for church worship services. It comes fully equipped with everything you need to have a comfortable drumming experience with live performances. 

My favorite part of the DS4L is its acrylic material. Its acrylic sheets are very clear and comfortable for the eyes. With five flexible panels and four hinges, you can assemble this drum shield right from the box itself. 

Another feature I love is Pennzonni’s fast and careful shipping and responsive customer service team. They make quality tools and provide adequate support for their customers. As I communicated with them over my purchase, I understood the expertise behind their durable craftsmanship.

Pros:

  • Blocks sound well
  • Improves sound quality of overall church worship service
  • Shipped fast
  • Excellent customer service

Cons:

  • Heavy and bulky
  • Flimsy plastic and rubber hinges
  • Unclear manual
  • Difficult to assemble

DS4 Living Acrylic 10×5 ft with Flexible Hinges Drum Shield

Drum Shields

Need an easy assemble drum shield? The Pennzonni DS4L would be a solid investment. They work well for concerts and outdoor music events.

Assembly is effortless with this drum shield because you get four acrylic plexiglass panels. And six chrome-plated living hinges fold and hold the panels well. This design makes the DS4L lightweight and easy to transport. My friend likes this because it doesn’t take a lot of space in his car while he goes to concerts.

Pros:

  • High-quality plexiglass and acrylic design
  • Foldable living hinges
  • Easy to set up
  • The acrylic shield absorbs noise
  • Overall size: 5 feet tall and 10 feet long
  • 5 Crystal Clear Acrylic Plexiglass Panels – 2 feet wide and 5 feet tall

Cons:

  • Expensive

DS4 5 Panels 2×5 ft Chrome Hinges Drum Shield

Drum Shields

Basic tools are popular. And this phenomenon rings true for the Pennzonni DS4. 

This drum shield has no deflector panels. Regular acrylic panels offer consistent protection from noise. It lowers the drum volume just enough to offer good, live performance with your worship band and audio engineer.

One thing to love about this drum shield is that it offers great value for an affordable price. The transparent, acrylic panels are spacious enough to trap the drum sound. Its thick full-front cover reduces the sound of acoustic drums and other drums used in churches.

You can set this drum shield with full-length living hinges that are flexible and keep the whole thing stable. So this shield would make a fine addition to permanent music venues.

Pros:

  • Thick shield
  • Reduces drum volume well
  • Great for permanent installation
  • Topnotch customer service
  • Fast shipment

Cons:

  • Small metal hinges that need to screw on
  • Hinges are not foldable
  • No manual

Conclusion

When you play worship music, a drum is an essential instrument. It provides the tempo and engaging beat for the Word of God to the congregation. But too much drum sound is not good. You need to control the drum with a sound-dampening device so the vocals and other instruments can sing in harmony.

Such acoustic absorbing tools are drum shields. These are clear enclosures to reduce noise and modulate the drum performance. They also work well for churches because they produce nice reverbs during the drumming.

The best drum shield for church worship music is the DS7DL 7×12 ft with Deflectors and Flexible Hinges Drum Shield. This shield offers consistent drum noise control with its sturdy construction and crystal clear acrylic screen panels. It is made with acrylics both for the screen panels and deflector panels. They dampen the sound and prevent sound bleeding wherever, whenever. It is also very easy to assemble and transport with its foldable and portable structure. Best of all, Pennzonni offers fast shipping and full customer support.

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Alex Shute
EDITOR
Alex Shute, MBA
Alex is a family man and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. His passion is to serve the global Church and bring people of diverse backgrounds together to learn & grow.


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