E-Drum Noise Isolation Platform - Tutorial 

I built a platform like this one a few days ago for my expanded TD-30 kit. The biggest differences are that I'm using one solid piece of MDF, and that my throne is not on the platform to save room space. I ended up using exactly five sylomer pads from R-drums. on an MDF board measuring 182 x 90 cm The platform sits on a thin piece of carpet. I live on the 5th floor of a modern apartment block. I informed my neighbours that I would test my setup tonight at 8 PM, and asked them to listen for any noise coming through the walls/floors while I played a 4 minute metal song with double kick parts in it. The neighbours adjacent to me heard NO low frequency noise. They heard a bit of high frequency noise bleeding through the wall, which is inevitable noise from my sticks hitting the pads/cymbals. The neighbours below us reported a very small amount of low frequency noise, but were very positive on the results and even encouraged me to play whenever I like. In the end, me and the neighbours agreed that I will not play after 9 PM. Other than that, I can now play whenever I like. Thanks Vdrum Tips for the great tutorial!

A very German way of building an isolation platform. Great job!

Hey Vdrum! Just came here to thank you for this video, I built my own isolation platform following your tutorial rigorously and it worked out great. I used only one 104cm x 140cm x 2cm MDF board (it's enough for me and my tiny drumkit, besides my apartment isn't that big) for the platform and eleven Sylomer pads (I'm a skinny boy with a small drumset) underneath, plus another Sylomer pad that serves as a kickpad stopper between the kickpad and the wall (a good tip for those with a sliding kickpad issue I suppose, it stops the kickpad and isolates the vibrations as well). My downstairs neighbour (a woman in her 70s) had already complained twice before I built the platform: once when I had nothing but a folded carpet as an isolation method and then again when I tried using two layers of EVA jigsaw mats underneath the carpet. None of that worked. After I watched your video and was lucky enough to find a company that sells Sylomer pads here in Brazil for a price that's almost the same as in Germany, I immediately decided to try building the platform. It's been two months now since I did so, lots of daily heavy drumming since then and not a single complaint, I met with her this week while leaving the building and asked her about the noise, she said she thought I had given up playing, that's how well it worked. I also moved the kit to another room far from where the bedrooms are in my building, I presume that probably helped as well. Anyways, a big danke schön to you from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I don't know what I would have done without your very helpful video.

Google sheet link does not work anymore

I built this same platform a week or two ago, no complaints from the downstairs neighbour. Now I can basically play whenever I want! Big thanks for the detailed building description!

Great solution! Not sure if this was already commented on, but there is an error in the indicated 'range of working' of this product. On inquiry the 0.11N/mm2 is the maximum (not minimum) static load and 0.16N/mm2 is the maximum dynamic load. This means you can put much more to make the platform stable, without compromising the damping function. This is also demonstrated by the fluid video: the size of the pad is much larger than the weight of bowl and fluid would require to be within 0.11-0.16N/mm2. Happy drumming.

What a fantastic work! This should be spread around the world. Thanks for doing this.

Thank you for the video. Just a small remark: When figuring out, which sylomer pads you put under the podest, keep in mind that the weight is not distributed equally. The spot, where the drummer sits, carries the most weight and thus needs more or different sylomer pads.

It seems like the drummers body weight would keep this system compressed and cancel out any absorbing the foam would provide as opposed to making the platform shorter from wall so you could keep your throne/self off the platform?

I don’t see how using too little would have a negative effect on the damping (other than perhaps less overall stability). What are the physics behind that? 🤔

After a lot of complaints from the downstairs neighbor on account of the key thumping/pedal kicking of my digital piano, I built a platform myself using your video and mathematical guiding. Like "hantesselaar" (see comments) I found out about Regufoam after some googling and it works amazingly well - incredible really. I spent €36 on Regufoam D300 (= 0,055N/mm²) shipping costs included. Thank you very much for your inventiveness and great video!

Actually 0.011 N/mm2 is the maximum static load. For best result mass shouldn't exceed it, but it should be near it to work fine. Also it is better to use 2 layers (2x25mm) for best vibration decoupling. One layer may be not enough depending on vibration frequencies in real application.

Thanks for sharing, buddy! I made my own platform using this fantastic video. I did it simpler: just a single piece 15mm plywood, carpet and Sylomer SR11. Works very good!

Separate from the kick floor vibrations, I have an idea for addressing the room noise in apartment that's created by the sticks hitting the pads... Buy four heavy duty tarps, preferably with hook eyelets built in. Cut to length to the floor if need be. Glue sound-proof foam to the tarps. Maybe even glue more foam on the other side. Install hooks in ceiling (or use some kind of stands if don't want hooks in ceiling), then hang the foam tarps around the kit to make four temporary walls...if foam on one side, then face the foam side towards the kit. If you have enough space, it wouldn't necessarily need to be close in, just to catch the sounds into foam to four walls. Even if you had a real wall behind/in from of the kit, you could still use a foam tarp so you don't have to permanently glue foam to your walls. Maybe even put kit in corner with only two fake walls in front of kid and two temporary (or permanent) foam on the corner walls. You could probably even try a low-budget version with plastic sheeting, like from a roll of plastic drop cloth and egg cartons glued to them (or whatever) as the sound proofing. Perhaps hanging heavy blankets might kill some of the sound as well. This is just an idea at this point, if anyone wants to add their own ideas to this.

much prefer your voice. you're a very good speaker.

Finally built my stage! I am in the middle of making a video response. That Sylomer stuff is quite amazing! Even my neighbour is intrigued to hear it from his place! Thanks again for all the help, advice and encouragement! (:

Amazing!! Wow... very impressed with not only the design, but the quality and exhaustiveness of this video. Well done!! I hope I don't have to go this route anytime soon, but if I ever do I will definitely consult this video to build my own platform

Wow. Very thorough!

Tried your suggestion and used Sylomer for my drum platform and it works! Great job and thanks for sharing this idea!

You are a great speaker please keep it up with your own voice. Love you videos!!!

Can you update the calculation link for the Sylomer foam weight? its broken.

Great tutorial! The level of depth and explanation you did building this is awesome! Keep up the good work!

An engineer/drummer. Thanks for the vid! It's brilliant!

I find your voice very nice to listen to!

Hey, great video! Very detailed and useful! So the neighbors doesn't complain anymore! Congratulations! Only a suggestion: Everybody will want to "feel" the results, so if you show a video before-after, it would be perfect! You will have to ask for permission to your neighbors to enter in their apartment, but its a small price to pay! And with earphones, after you record the audio, we will "feel" the results! I know this is not a technical thing, but it will be a very good practical test! Thank you!

1:43 is it not suposed to have 20kg of weight in each block to work properly?

So, how well did it work? Did it stop all sound from going through the floor? Or was it only partially effective?

So here's my story.... My first plattform was build with cut down foam cylinders, which are normally used for heat isolation of pipes. I also found the idea and the tutorial here on youtube. After 2 years with no complaints my downstairs neighbour finally identified me as the cause for the noise upstairs. I was totally bummed out because I thought it worked all this time. So I decided to make it more professional and followed this instruction. My total weight came to 190 KG, so I just copied the platform seen in this video. Today my downstairs Neighbour came to me and said that it hans't changed at all... now I'm more than a hundred bucks lighter and in the same situation... I can't believe that a random construction and this calculated one with professional material makes no difference... god sometimes I hate being a drummer...

1:14 as of isolation mats for washing machines, technicaly it should absorb the impact noise good enough, but it is complete waste of money if it is thinner then 2cm. Bought some cheap ones on Amazon and noticed some HUGE improvement, but neighbour still can hear kick pedal slightly. As of alternative, Cork Board (from Pin Board) could work as an isolation too, but 1 cm thickness is not enough. 2,5 - 4 cm thick ones cost ALOT, so not tested it yet. Is there anyone who tryed this? I do have a project on my mind to make a platform of rug, washing machines rug (2cm), Cork Board (4cm), MDF board (2,5cm) and Sylomer 11 under, but this would cost me as much as a beginners drum set :D Does anyone know if using washing machines rug with Cork Board works?

I made one of these platforms for my drum kit. I got some sylomer and used the spreadsheet to calculate. Not sure how well it is working until I can get someone to listen in downstairs, but I have high hopes. Thanks man. Great video.

I've made something similar a while ago. Additionally I've made the platform acoustically transparent by drilling it full of holes using a pot drill bit. Otherwise there was a low frequency resonance between the platform and the floor making the sound insulation worse at that particular frequency.

Hey, thanks for the great video! I love the level of detail! Do you think this platform would work if the main noise complaint comes from the neighbors upstairs? Would you recommend putting acoustic foam on the ceiling, or would you say the main problem is vibration noise that travels through walls?

Great work!! I have build my noise eleminator- drumriser with these Isolatortubes underneath instead of this special foam you used. They do the Job also very well. I have an extra layer noiseeleminatorplates for washing machines on top the mdf. And with some LED Stripes underneath it looks gorgeous ☺

Hi and first of all grat job on this! It is awesome! I want to build one on my own exactly as yours and I was wondering: why do you need to make the hole for the nuts at a specific depth if 1) also the other side has to be pierced in order to pass the screw, 2) the nut is already held in place by the metal theet on its head ? Excuse me if I ask but in order to do the best job I can I need to have planty of informations expecially because I don't have any tool so I'll have to ask someone else to do the dirt for me :) Thank you very much in advance! Great video!

awesome stuff !! I need this whole isolation for my sim racing rig :) but 0.11/0.16 is not 1.45 it's 0.6875 ?

Thanks for a fantastic and meticulous video! If I was to build a platform which only was supporting the E-drum kit and not the throne, would it still be effective at noise isolation? If so, how I determine weight accounting for impact on the kick and high hat pedals? I have a very limited area to work with.

INCREDIBLE content and LOVE the voice over

Fantastic video! I have built a tennis ball platform that seems to have worked well for years, however new neighbors/floor seem to be a problem. Do you think adding sylomer pads as a base for the tennis ball riser would work well?

Don't worry about your voice! It sounds fine and the instructions were great. Thanks!

Thank you very much for this tutorial. Could you provide the source of information on the effective load range( 0.11-0.16). I found an article were it says the following "For loads and deformations exceeding the degressive range, the deflection curve is progressive. The material becomes stiffer. As a result, reduced vibration isolation eficiency can be expected in this load range." If I understand correctly, this means that the load should be less than the limit (

Given you can have a 45% increase from the minimum weight, I think it would be wise to reduce the calculated weight by a bit and then continue the measurements. ie. do your calculations at say, 170kg which still gives you a range of 170-246kg. This lets you accommodate for weight loss or replacing components of your kit with lighter ones.

Großartig! Habe ich - mit tollem E-Mail-Support durch Herrn Ess von der Firma Getzner - genauso gemacht und es funktioniert wunderbar!

Thanks for the awesome tutorial! I used it as a template to build a new platform for my E-drum :) The idea of detachable parts is really nice. However I re-used the half tennis balls from my previous platform, but instead I nailed them to the platform (so they would not move around).

Good job. Engineering is your first language? I could do that in a million years. Really excellent!

I just finished my own plattform. Did it with 10 tiles and also bought the sylomer from the company Telle :)

Very good job with all the information and a video which made a lot of work for sure. Nice to see something new.

Incredibly helpful video full of perfect craftsmanship! Do you think the adhesive spray would work as well to fix the sylomer pads on the platform, since they are so much cheaper without the adhesive layer.

Hello V-Drum man, I congratulate for your precision and very nice result. I have one question, would you recommend to use this approach creating just small feet for the legs of the rack and a little platform just for the kick/pedal? I made calculation like yours and for a 18Kg rack with four legs you need to put on each a 3,4 radius circle of Sylomer and a small platform for the kick/pedal. Can I ask your comments? thank you in advance and best compliments again.

Great video. If I only can get SR28 in my country, it still works? They can get to me about 12 pieces and 10cm X 10cm X 12mm thick!! Maybe I wonder if you could help me with this proyect? Thank you very much!!

I’m a little confused, are you an ingenieer or a drummer !!!

Thank you, this will come in handy for my music room project :)

OMG how did I not find this video sooner!!!! project room conversion under way

Thanks a lot for the video! I was looking for solution for my kit and this one looks very solid!

Excellent work, sir.

you're unbelievable!!

I am gonna try this for my simracing rig :) awesome idea. Unfortunately I just ordered a fitnessmat. But Sylomer will be much more efficient I guess.

Thank you! I very much appreciate the details you've gotten into. But 0.11/0.16=0.6875, not 1.45

A great alternative to the tennis balls. Will Rockwool safe and sound work in a similar way?

Thank you very much! I am wondering: if money was no issue, one could make a two-levelled platform, in which the first upper one is made with sylomer-11 and the lower ones with sylomers that are made for higher pressures, so that you have a double decoupling of the vibrations made by playing your e-drums. Right?

Thanks for the video. Do the pads need to be glued on the board or can the wooden board simply rest on top of the pads without any adhesive ? Will the pads work that way ? Also would two pads on top of each other work for extra reduction ?

Ich bin sehr dankbar man. Du bist ein held. Echt ein gewinner.

Been waiting for this for a while! Great video! Thanks!

Yet again coming out with a fantastic video :) That must have taken a long time to plan/film/edit. One question, where do you get the music for theses videos? Do you pay a monthly fee to a music website to get royalty free music? or do you make it yourself?

could you share me the excel sheet, please? the link in description not works

Your info has been a major inspiration for a long time, and now we get to hear the "real deal". You have a fine speaking voice, tho your girlfriend sounds much cuter! LOL! If I find folks that play e-drums, your channel is the one I recommend, no matter what brand they play, Thank You for all the hard work!

Thank you for this great video. Are the Solymer pads 12,5mm or 25mm thick?

What happens when you add new parts to your drumkit? Won't that affect the overall weight and thus also affect the Sylomer's ability to reduce vibration? I am thinking of building something like this but would want some kind of allowance for any future additions to the kit.

great video!, Sylomer seems kind of expensive. are there any other good materials to use that are cheaper? I want to try and build this exact platform only replace the sylomer to decrease price

thank you so much for all the effort and explanations. great work and video!

So its bad to have carpet because it is slippery, but you should use carpet??? Im confused, please someone explain to me

How good is this when you add the Roland noise eaters as well? So you’re using both the platform and the noise eaters.

Great! I live on the 4th floor apartment and just ordered an electronic drum set (Alesis command mesh kit). My question is: Could just a platform under the kick pedal be enough? I've just practiced at a friend on a Alesis Turbo and realised that they don't make much sound the way I play them. Of course the Turbo has only a pedal, and the command has also a bass kicker thus my question about isolating just that? And because of small weight I was thinking of some disks from a fitness foam mat, or other form of foam sandwiched between two boards. Would that work?

Finally! The video comes out! Can't wait to try this! Thanks a lot!

Does it work to isolate the screams of your neighbor?

Hey, could you share this size/weight calculator? Thanks

Great job. Can you tell me which carpet model you used exactly?

Just curious, you stated that a weight distribution under a certain amount would result in the kit would not work, so what is the amount of deviation in weight a player could have? Building one of these so both myself and my partner can use the kit, but I am wondering the weight difference that is allowed between the players themselves

Very good tutorial!! One question: when seeing your Sylomer pads (9:35) they look thicker than 2.5 cm thick. Are they 2.5 cm thick? Cheers mate!

I just wanted to thank you for this video. I made my version of this with mdf, sr11, carpet, whole nine yards. Would have never made it without this video and now my downstairs neighbors won't hear my drums over the TV. Maybe 95% sound reduction for bass and snare. It ended up being 11 pads for my expanded kit, 100lb platform, and me (200lb). Anyway, the one issue I'm having now is that my drum rack has been shaking when I play double bass. I recently made a drum rack out of curved gibraltar pipes (two 40", one 30"). The rack is stable, but starts to wobble when all the drums are on it. I feel like the kick drum (kd-140) is causing the platform to move which in turn makes the rack wobble. I was wondering if you could give me some input on this. Would shortening the rack pipes help? Or do I need an extra front pipe for more support? Just, generally, how can you make a monster drum set on this platform and have it be stable? Thanks so much!

Nice scientific approach

Thanks for making this video and sharing it! I am going to get my hands dirty as well and recreate the design of this platform. One thing I've been missing. What are the dimensions you've used for the central and peripheral connectors? The only data point I was able to catch was that they have a thickness of 19mm. Thanks again, this really looks great!

Great tutorial with a lot of helpful informations! Is this the final solution you now use for your own e-drum? or have you switched back to the tennis ball method? Can you compare both solutions in terms of structure borne noise reduction?

I'm late to the party here- but do you think it's necessary that the drum throne fits on the platform? Would that have an impact on noise? Otherwise I'd just raise the height of the throne to accommodate the added height of the set on the platform. Thanks!

Fantastic video, man!

This is pure awesomeness!!!

Nice one, thanks a lot!

Where can you buy Sylomer I can find it anywhere

hey! Thanks for the video! Really helpful! Did you use SR11 12,5 mm or thicker?

Hey man, thanks for the tutorial! going to try to build this soon, I noticed link to the excel sheet is outdated, do you happen to still have it? :D

thanks for posting... really helpful...

You got my sub bro. What a great video

Thanks for this awesome video, where did you get the sylomer foam ?

thank you so much for this, i just might have to build one of these

wonderful, patentable content :D, thanks for sharing !

Would this work on wooden floors? I noticed that you have carpet below the platform.

If whether the sylomer works is entirely dependent on the weight wouldn't this mean only you could use the drum set with little vibration?

Gut gemacht! Finde es echt hilfsbereit! Besten Dank! :)

What do you think about building a platform, where the drummer doesn't sit on? The platform would be smaller and also cheaper.

Great narration! I much prefer your voice to the woman's. You did a lot of work on this one. Thanks.

Thanks! Cool and informative guide!