Hey everyoneI’m thinking of buying a new single bass drum pedal (never use a double one).I always played a Speed King (WFL), but I feel and see that the pedal is wearing out on me, which I find ashame (because it’s a WFL).I want to keep it at home, and use a more modern pedal for gigs and recording (It makes lots of noise… and it seems that it is becoming worse).What would be better: a DW5000 or a TAMA Iron Cobra?- There is the DW ‘Turbo’ or ‘Accelerator’.- There is the TAMA ‘Rolling Glide’ or ‘Power Glide’.I play a 26” x 14” bass drum (Ludwig Legacy maple). I don’t bury the beater. What do you guys prefer?It’s hard to find a shop, here in Belgium, that has these four pedals and a 26” bass drum in stock so I can try them all out… I hate the rubber pads that the stores use for ‘pedal testing’.
I'm assuming you're looking at the dual chained Tama 900 and DW AD4, both of these pedals are very similar design wise, each having a few subtle differences (which I'm sure you've looked at exhaustively).
Looks like the biggest question you have is surrounding the cam options that both companies offer. It boils down to the different cam profiles, either concentric or eccentric. In the simplest of terms the discs are either centered or off-centered from the rotating axis. A concentric drum pedal cam therefore offers a very linear response of the beater action in relation to the footboard. Conversely, an eccentric drum pedal cam offers a non-linear response of the beater action in relation to the footboard, which can affect power/speed. An eccentric cam provides additional torque to the "throw" of the beater to facilitate additional speed/power over a more circular or concentric cam.
Both companies offer 2 cam profiles, but I'm not sure how easy it is to change a given cam out... looks like it may be bothersome/complicated (not sure if either company offers those parts as an accessory purchase either???). I don't know if you've looked a Pearl, but they do offer a system with cams that are fairly easy to change out (my Pearl HH stand came with a couple of extra cams).
My preference between the manufacturers that you listed would lean towards TAMA. I don't like the heel plate in the DW, it looks a bit janky in design compared to the more aesthetically pleasing Tama design. I also don't care for the studs on the DW heel plate as I play barefoot (or socks) and not in shoes... so I want a uniform footboard.
I have both an a-kit and e-kit; I use a pair of ASBA Caroline on the a-kit (26" double bass), and a Trick Bigfoot Pro 1V double-pedal on the e-kit. Both of these pedals are long board design which is my preference. I also like direct drive and haven't really ever been a fan of chain drive (I also own SK and Ghost pedals). Coming from the SK, have you considered direct drive pedals?
You mentioned that your local stores don't carry all the pedals you're looking for, so something else very important to consider is the store's return policy. Do they have a strong/liberal return policy? Are there re-stocking fees? Because, as you mentioned earlier, there's nothing like getting the pedals on to your personal kit and seeing what is best for you.
For example, SoundPure has a "Try Before You Buy" program: https://www.soundpure.com/trybeforebuy/
