Aquarian Studio Rings

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Updated - 12/21/21

By Joseph "Stix" Davis - 12/19/18

If you’re looking to achieve that focused, studio sound for your drums, check out the Aquarian Studio Rings.

Despite the name, they can be used in a live setting, not just in the studio.

The rings are 1” wide, and are available in 8”, 10”, 12”, 13”, 14”, 15”, 16”, and 18”.

For the most part, the rings are all or nothing. They’re either on, or they’re off. If you really wanted to, you could cut them to the desired size, and take some tape to anchor them, but if I wanted to do that, I’d rather just get something else to dampen the drums.

From my experience, with 10”, 12”, 13”, 14”, and 16” toms, and 14” snare drums, they work very well for reducing the sustain and the overtones of the drums. However, all rings are 1” wide. Individual results may vary, due to factors such as tuning and personal taste, but the 1” wide may be too much for an 8” tom, and not enough for an 18” tom. Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t use the Studio Ring plus something else on the bigger toms, and not using anything on the smaller toms. Just something to keep in mind if you’re looking for consistency across your drums.

The other concern is the wind. I hope no one has wind blowing through their studio. However, If you ever go outside, wind can be very problematic. There is nothing that anchors these Studio Rings down. They’re non-adhesive, so if the wind hits them just right, they can get blown away. That has happened to me on more than one occasion. A small piece or two of gaff tape can prevent them from blowing away without affecting the level of dampening.

Demonstration

For this demonstration, I used two Audix F9 overhead, an Audix F5 snare, Audix F2 tom, and an Audix F6 kick drum microphones. I used no EQ or compression. I wanted the drum to sound as authentic as possible to give you an idea of what it sounds like.

Snare Drum - 14" x 6.5"

YouTube -  https://youtu.be/tzwjY85tBRQ

Toms - 8", 10", 12", 14", 16", 18"

YouTube - https://youtu.be/cBsQVkM8oWU

Toms - 10", 12", 14", 16"

YouTube - https://youtu.be/bL1PVAEtfuY

Final Thoughts

I’ve used the Aquarian Studio Rings on multiple kits, both live and in the studio. They are great for reducing the sustain and overtones, and are very easy to use. You put them on, and take them off. No adhesives. That can be a pro or con, depending on the environment you’re performing in. They can be purchased individually, or in a pack. I was able to outfit my studio kit and rehearsal kit for about $16. A pack which included 10”, 12”, 14”, 16” rings for my toms, and a separately purchased 14” ring for my snare drum.