Remo Practice Pad

The Remo practice Pad is the practice pad that my first drum teacher used, so I saw it a couple times a week for almost 2 years.  It is definitely the pad with the most realistic feel out of all the pads i ave tried out.  The white plastic interior has amazing rebound that responds just like that of a real snare.  Every roll is easy to maintain and control, and different dynamic levels are a breeze.  It doesn't have a real coating, but considering its size and purpose this doesn't matter.  The black plastic rims also do a lot to increase its realistic feel.  When pads don't have rims, it is a real challenge to simulate rimshots.  I always find myself slapping the shoulder of the stick parallel to the pad (on normal pads), which produces a louder sound.  It doesn't feel normal, however, and the Remo pad takes care of this.  The rims on the Remo pad are just about as high as a snare, so the style of playing doesn't have to be changed.

Apart from its realistic feel and ease to play, the Remo practice pad has a fatal flaw.  It is LOUD.  It is nowhere as loud a a real snare, but at the same time a practice pad is supposed to be mostly quiet.  When I played this in the drum practice room my teacher had, the individual strokes could be heard on the opposite end of the house.  The rimshots were even louder.  To some people, who don't have to worry about noise, this may be a good option because it is nice to hear your strokes as if it was a real drum.  It certainly never gets so loud that earplugs are needed like a normal drum (thankfully).  If you are living in an apartment with thin walls, the neighbors might get very agitated very quickly.  I often play rudiments and things on quieter pads while watching tv.  This would not be possible with this practice pad, because of its volume.  Apart from the sound, it is a great practice pad.