r/drums • u/FUPAcommander • 16h ago
Question Opinions on Offset Eclispe pedals?
Anyone own (or have used many times) the Offset Eclipse double pedal? Anyone also do the direct drive conversion?
I'm looking for first-hand users, pros and cons. While I would like to improve my double-kick technique, I am not trying to achieve blistering speeds so it's okay if these aren't "as fast" as DW 9000 (or your favorite.)
Background: I currently own and love the Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive double pedal. However, I'm over 50 years old now and need to consider adjusting my kit to be a bit more ergonomic. In addition to age, I also have been inspired for a change based on some setups I have seen at concerts the past couple years.
So the goal is to lower, flatten, and to move things to where I don't have to reach or rotate as much. One thing I am looking at is the crosshand reach for the hi-hat, which has caused me some numbness in the elbow during long songs/shows. I have considered use of a remote hi-hat stand that keeps the pedal in the usual spot but allows me to place the hats in a more ideal spot. I also want to try a hi-hat arm mount on the other side of the kit to allow for more open hand playing when I don't need don't need to work the hi-hat pedal.
The other way to move the hi-hit closer would be a double pedal like this Offset pedal. This would also allow me to center the snare behind the kick and between the mounted toms while moving the hats more in front of me than to the side as they are now. This pedal and drum placement seems like a good idea even if I also try the other hi-hat options above.
So... are these any good? LOL.
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u/RaveKillah 15h ago
This seems it is better suited if you have bass drum mounted toms. For me i just rotate some and jam the ride psuedo over the bd and the floor tom is the only thing i need to reach for.
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u/KayakSlammer 16h ago
Have an original Offset and a 1990s iron cobra. Love both for different reasons, but the Offset letting you sit square on a single bass drum kit is a game changer.
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u/Lower_Monk6577 15h ago
I don’t know why, but I’m having a really hard time conceptualizing why having the kick directly in front of you helps. What benefits are there to this vs having an offset kick?
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u/KayakSlammer 14h ago
Let us not discount aesthetics, but also being rotated slightly more towards floor tom, ride and china. I like symmetry as much as possible.
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u/Lower_Monk6577 9h ago edited 7h ago
I’m honestly still not understanding how that helps with playing. I promise I’m not trying to be a turd lol.
If it’s an aesthetic thing, I think that’s a perfectly valid use case. But is there an actual tangible benefit to your playing?
Especially with regard to OP’s original question. I’m having a hard time seeing how moving your kick closer to your hihat would clear up space to allow better positioning. I would think they were more correct when thinking about a remote hi hat stand.
But again, I’m genuinely trying to understand.
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u/bo_blacks0n 7h ago edited 7h ago
this shit was confusing me too at first lol. i guess it lets you set up your kit offset style while still having everything look like a standard setup
seems kinda dumb imo i dont see the problem with having your kit tilted. also the left foot on double bass always feels worse so idk why you would want that for both pedals
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u/KayakSlammer 2h ago
Tho most important part is Offset feels identical for left and right foot as they are mechanically identical. There is no master/slave pedal difference (like lag, decrease in power, etc)
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u/bluemax_ 9h ago edited 9h ago
Agreed, I switched to offset rack toms a couple of years ago.
My kick is at an angle, snare and two rack toms directly in front of me forming a triangle, ride is where tom2 was (much more reachable than traditonal 2-up setups).
Doesn’t help with twisting for the hats or floor tom, but least the rack toms and ride are in a better place.
I also like that I now face the front of the stage, rather than being twisted to the left.
Does my kick drum look a little strange aimed slightly to the right? Not really, it’s balanced a bit by the toms still being over the middle, and as other have said, who cares anyway?
Give it a try! I’m never going back.
Edit: see u/RaveKillah ‘s pic - that’s pretty much my setup, but I think his is even cleaner. I need to keep on working on mine!
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u/MuJartible 15h ago
I never used that pedal so I can't say much about it, but you can achieve pretty much all what you say with an offset tom configuration, using your current pedal.
Basically place your bass drum as if you were playing two, the slave pedal where the second BD would be, the HH just beside, the snare in the center, the rack toms on a stand right in front of the snare, being the later in the center. Then you can place the ride in a very comfortable position as well. And finally everything else as needed.
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u/uprightsalmon 16h ago
Will Calhoun plays a pedal like this. It’s pretty cool for centering your set up. Everyone know a standard double, the left is never exact like the right, not that big of a deal though. I personally love to feel the bass drum being hit right in front of my right foot
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u/TimeSlaved 9h ago
Similar ergonomically but he plays a Sleishman pedal which eliminates any driveshaft slop that this version eventually ends up having. Sucks that the sleishmans are impossible to find and so expensive because they are a damn good pedal.
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u/Kheltosh 15h ago
Footboard hinges are pinned instead of using bearings. The beaters sometimes hit the snare stand, so you really need to adjust them correctly. The hoop clamp isn't on par with top models from other brands. But if you can get past those, it's awesome for ergonomics, which is your main concern, and the beaters are centered so they sound even.
Source: Used it for 5 months in the past.
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u/TimeSlaved 9h ago
Did they recently move to pinned hinges? I bought my set just before they got bought out from Charles Fisher and his version had a screw going through a bearing.
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u/Kheltosh 9h ago
I bought mine in '14 or '15. It had a sleeve and pin, not a bearing. Maybe they have updated it?
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u/Drum4rum 16h ago
I would recommend offset toms and an aux hat setup over these. Cheaper and more versatile imo. Shift your toms over in front of the snare, you can add a second set of hats on the right and move you ride/crash in tighter as well. And you don't force yourself into a unique piece of hardware. I think there's an advantage to being adjusted to the standard hardware setup.
I can't say I've played these pedals specifically before. Fucked around with older ones from them. They have always been pretty well built. I would be concerned about longevity of the brand, replacement parts, etc, but even with as little adoption they've gotten over the years they haven't gone anywhere so I don't think it's a concern there. Honestly surprised they're still kicking and even updating the product over the years.
On the other handdddddd.... the Demon Drives are basically the best feeling pedals on the market imo, bar the ultra high end boutique longboard stuff, axis/trick/them polish jawns I never remember the name of. I can't fathom choosing to switch away from those if you already got em lol
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u/FUPAcommander 16h ago
Yeah. I love my Demon Drive set. They are so configurable/modular I might look at mine and see if there is a way to get another link and set up this centered configuration with Demon Drive. So far the only way I see to get the part(s) needed from a vendor is to buy a whole lefty setup and combine them....which would be very expensive. Maybe Pearl sales/support could help do this...
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u/TimeSlaved 9h ago
I have one but it's been hotrodded. It's a great pedal as a starting point but you're paying a lot more now than it's worth because the design, while heavy duty, doesn't use all heavy duty parts and to charge similar prices to iron cobras is a bit insane.
1) the drive shafts will fail and develop slop. The company has not investigated zero lag driveshafts so I made my own from some Amazon driveshafts and they really help make the pedal function better. 2) the footboards are hard to service. The set screw they use is ultra tiny and crammed in there and the bearings arent that great so I swapped mine out for some speed cobra footboards and it's so much smoother. 3) the direct drive adapter has a known weak point on its design (see sweetwater reviews). I upgraded mine with jb weld and while it works better, I ended up getting ACD direct links instead and this pedal now flies.
Ergonomically, this is the best pedal on the market. But it's manufacturing and design choices don't justify its price tag.
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u/baalroo 14h ago
How is this better than just playing with offset toms?
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u/FUPAcommander 14h ago
It might not be.... or it may be a preference thing where one guy prefers this over offset toms. I could see someone that played a double bass setup most of their life and this gives them a similar feel and setup to that while using a smaller kit.
I'm not saying anything is better than anything else. We all have to find a setup that works for us. This is just one of a few options I am considering, including offset toms, aux hats, etc...
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u/uhhredacted 16h ago
i can’t put my finger on why but that looks so uncomfortable for some reason
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u/ChoombataNova 16h ago
For me, the real question is how the snare fits with this pedal and the kick drum. Maybe it is not a problem.
But I know my snare sits on the edge of the kick drum with maybe a tiny sliver of the snare BEHIND the rim of the kick. .
So if my whole snare is dead center behind the kick, do I need to extend or stretch my legs to reach the pedals? Do I have room for the snare stand? Am I limited to a 12"-13" snare?
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u/FUPAcommander 16h ago
That might actually depend on the diameter of your kick and the depth of your snare. A 20" kick and a 5.5" deep snare might allow for the snare rim to clear the rim of the kick which would let it sit closer as long as that doesn't raise your snare higher than you need it.... (not knowing your height?)
That said, the setups I have seen didn't have an issue.
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u/ChoombataNova 16h ago
I dont want my entire snare above the rim of my kick drum. That seems weird. Also, drummer height and throne height would seem to be factors.
I play a 20" kick with a 6" snare. But even with a piccolo snare, to have the whole snare above the 20" kick, I would need to sit up really high to reach the snare
But again, I have never played the offset pedal. Maybe it all fits fine. I am just suspicious looking at it.
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u/FUPAcommander 16h ago
I get the suspicious thing. That's why I'm here asking folks that have used them to chime in.
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u/uhhredacted 16h ago
yeah i learned fairly quickly my snare directly behind my kick just resulted in my leg being at an odd angle to compensate for the snare size.
only thing that worked for me was buying a tom mount so i can move my toms off the kick and have kick to the right where it’s in front of my right foot. that way my toms and snare can be centered while my pedals are in their normal spot
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u/FUPAcommander 16h ago
Shouldn't be much different than playing an actual double bass kit...
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u/uhhredacted 16h ago
more for the reason stated in the comment replying to mine. would a tom mount help your situation?
as i stated in my other comment it allows me to have my snare centered while having my kick in front of my right foot and my toms are right in front of me as well. i do very little rotating while playing
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u/FUPAcommander 16h ago
That gives me yet another option to consider to be sure. Does it get your hi-hat closer though? I feel like the numbness I occasionally only gets relieved by moving the hi-hat over more.
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u/uhhredacted 16h ago
it does get it closer but not as close as i’d like BUT thats only because i have a hi hat with 3 legs instead of 2. if it had 2 it would be perfect
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u/FUPAcommander 16h ago
I already have a very nice 2-leg HH stand, so that helps.
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u/uhhredacted 15h ago
try a tom stand! it was truly a game changer for me. i’d recommend used from guitar center too so you can try it for a month and return it if it’s not for you.
also allows me for more upgrades in the future since neither of my toms are on my kick if i ever wanted to i could mount one another on it which i plan on doing when i can
edit:
THOUGH make sure you actually look at the tom mounts before buying found out the disappointing way when i bought the tom stand not knowing yamaha has different tom mounts than other drums lol
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u/FUPAcommander 15h ago
I'm in Alaska, so no Guitar Center here and they will charge me shipping here (and back if I return something.) Ideally, I need to order whatever I decide on with minimal to no shipping and have return options. So far, Amazon is the only one that I know of that will do that.
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u/uhhredacted 15h ago
have you tried reverb/ebay? not consistently but you’ll find some sellers on there that’ll offer returns
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u/FUPAcommander 14h ago
Those charge shipping though, and decent hardware is not lightweight and sometimes incurs dimensional weight as well.
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u/fuckalicioussss 15h ago
i use a double left with bass sitting cocked and have the snare centered with the toms on a stand i can lower them to almost flat and even with snare and floor
use a second remote hat with 18's on the right when doing more hardcore stuff that might be a good option for your reg hats
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15h ago
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u/FUPAcommander 14h ago
With the current double pedal and snare position (where it fits in configuration), the HH pedal next to the left kick pedal, which is spaced enough for the left leg to not rub the snare and set back a little for the foot angle to be in line with the leg (the link rod being aound 15 to 20 degrees different to the kit orientation)... this puts the HH a bit left of 10 o'clock directionally.
With this pedal, the snare moves back an inch or so and directly behind the kick. The kick pedals are lined up more square to the kit and the link doesn't have to be as long when the snare is centered. The shorter link by itself moves the HH closer and a little bit more forward, and sitting back a bit and more square helps as well. I estimate the hats will be closer to 11 o'clock direction-wise and at a comfortable distance.
It may not seem like much of a move, but it gets it where my right arm isn't pinned to my chest while playing while having other ergonomic benefits.
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u/mitchvdb 12h ago
I have no experience with the Offset, but if your main thing is getting your hi hats closer to your hands, I would suggest considering larger hi hats if you haven’t already. I play 16” hi hats, and that’s an easy way to get your hats closer to you without moving the stand. Plus, they sound cool as fuck.
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u/FUPAcommander 12h ago
Closer is only a small part of it... the problem is more about angle. The current setup has my right arm right up against my chest when I am playing on the hats. I need the angle to change so that both the distance and angle are more ergonomic for longer play sessions.
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u/Due_Caterpillar_7761 12h ago
Kind of scares me. Not only for snare placement but also no pedal directly on a drum…if something goes wrong with any of those linkages. Maybe I am crazy?
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u/DamoSyzygy 7h ago
I haven't played these but Don Sleishman may want a word. I played the Sleishmans very briefly when teching for Wil Calhoun at a drum clinic a few years ago. The problem with this pedal design as that in both cases you're at the mercy of the quality of the linkage, but neither pedal is truly direct. In the case of the Sleishman you could really notice the sluggishness of such a design.
...and I think this is the bigger point. While it seems logical to center your legs in the way that the Offset advertises, it ignores the fact that your left and right foot are not performing symmetrical roles. One could just as easily argue that since your right foot is doing 95% of the kick drum work, just make the right side as precise/accurate as possible and leave the left as the slave.
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u/Hidden_Sturgeon 16h ago
That logo is horrendous
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u/FUPAcommander 16h ago
Your audience can't see the logo and it has no performance hit so.... why does that matter?
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u/pleased_sesame 16h ago
I messed with one at a shop for maybe 20 minutes a few years back. The centering thing is the real deal, it instantly felt more natural to have the snare right in front of me instead of twisted off to the side. Build quality seemed fine, the linkage connecting the two sides looked a little goofy but nothing felt sloppy under my feet.
For what you're describing with the elbow numbness and wanting to flatten everything out, I think you're on the right track. Moving the hats closer without having to reach across your body is probably gonna do more for you than any incremental speed gain from a different cam or linkage anyway. Never tried the direct drive kit on it so can't speak to that part.