The Best Drum Risers for Acoustic and Electronic Drums

When you’re playing on stage as a drummer, it’s easy to feel underappreciated as all the other musicians are visually blocking you on stage. That’s where drum risers come into play!

The fact that you’re sitting behind the wall of drums and everybody else is standing doesn’t really help in that situation.

The best solution, if you’re not playing stadiums, is to have drum risers. These platforms enable you to essentially sit above the others, keeping you together with the bend and allowing for more visibility when on stage.

We’ve selected the best drum risers there are currently on the market, with different sizes and options to help you if you’re having problems choosing the right one for yourself.

Best Drum Risers – Our Round-Up

1. IntelliStage ISDRUM6424 8'x8' Drum Riser - 24"

We start off with the biggest one on the list.

IntelliStage ISDRUM6424 actually contains all of the crucial information in its name. This is an 8 foot by 8-foot platform (giving you a total of 64 square foot operating space) and 24 inches tall.

The platform is designed to have two main components. The risers are made out of the aluminum, which folds harmonica way. On top of them, you can place the platform itself and easily connect it to the riser. More platforms can be interlocked together, giving you space to essentially make a platform as big as you need, provided you have enough pieces on your hands. In this package, you will get four 48”x48” platforms and four risers, which you can then combine to the shape and surface you need.

ISDRUM 6424 is a high-end product and has a high-end price, but for that amount of money, you will get top-quality, sturdy, and reliable drum riser that’s easy to set up and dismantle and has as much versatility as you can get from these things.

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2. IntelliStage ISDRUM6X6 6'x6' Drum Platform - 6" Tall

ISDRUM6X6 is a slightly different model in that it doesn’t really have that much height as the previous one.

With a total of 6 foot by 6-foot surface area, it has enough space on it to easily mount anything you might need from your drum set. Also, it doesn’t sit on the aluminum risers but has 6” tall plastic legs that are screwed in platforms.

In the package, you will get 36”x36” platforms which are interlinked together easily with a screw key that comes in a package. They are easy to assemble and because there are no risers much easier to carry, which is great if you’re having a gig every night in a different place.

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3. IntelliStage Lightweight 6'x6' Rounded Front Drum Riser

Moving on to the ISDRUM36R, which has a very nice rounded front, allowing for different vibe when looking on to the stage.

In this package, you will get two sets of rounded platforms and risers and two sets of square ones. Same as the previous ones, they can all be interlocked together and form any shape you might want. Because it sits on the risers, it’s 24” tall. For the platforms, you can choose between three different finishes –Industrial, Carpet of TuffFinish.

Also, you should note that there’s a really easy way to attach carpet to these platforms and provide a better look when on stage. You just fit the carpet-velcro holders in place on the side of the platform and voila! You can hang a carpet on there easily.

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4. Mobile Drum Riser System Package - Carpet Deck

This is a similar model to the ISDRUM6424 that was previously mentioned but with a few crucial tweaks. It has the same surface with a total of 64 square feet of space, but it sits on risers that are just 13” tall, which is less than the ISDRUM6424.

But, what makes this model so special is that it has a mobile base. That means it actually has an aluminum base with wheels on it that enables you to quickly push the riser on and off the stage if need be.

This is a great solution for anyone looking to quickly change the setup on the stage, but still have a sturdy, quality drum riser on there for their drums.

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What do Drum Risers Do?

Drum risers are essentially smaller stages or platforms that you can use on a big stage to set up different heights for different parts of the big stage. They are, as the name suggests, used to help drummers rise on the stage, thus making them more visible to the audience. This is a great thing for both the drummer, who can finally see what’s happening out there, but also for the audience, who can actually see the drummer.

They are often used in clubs and for different smaller gigs, when space is already crammed, to help everybody get a good spot on the stage and let the audience get a good look for all members of a band. These risers can also be used for other members of a band if need be.

What is the Benefit of Drum Risers?

The benefits of drum risers are mostly purely visual. There are no big musical improvements you can get from using drum risers as the sound will stay basically the same. But, there are several other benefits you can have.

Firstly, there’s visibility when playing on stage. Too often drummers get left behind since you can’t really see them because they are sitting and they have their drum set and the rest of the bend in front of them. Drum risers enable them to finally be visible, and to feel apricated by the audience. They also allow the audience to clearly see the drummers and get a look at the band as a whole too.

Also, they bring out unity and equality in the band. If all members can look easily to each other the communication is much easier on the stage. Besides, these platforms are a great spot to leave your things when on stage, which, believe me, sometimes can be such a drag with all of the equipment on there.

How Big Should a Drum Riser Be?

Drum riser doesn’t have one uniform size to fit everybody and every band. You should take into consideration the height and the surface area you will need. When you’re buying or making a drum riser, take into account the biggest surface area you might need to fit everything you might take on up there. Secondly, don’t make the riser too high, as you will look stupid sitting way above everybody else (and it’s not that safe either). Risers usually goes from a couple of inches to 24” in height, but there are as many different heights as there are drum rises out there.

Weight is one more factor you should take into consideration – make sure that your riser can hold all the weight you’re planning to sit on it. Even though risers today are usually made out of sturdy materials, still, check the weight of your equipment, and don’t forget to add your own weight to the equation to get the final answer.

Conclusion

We hope that this article has helped you shed some light on drum rises and which one’s are the best on the market today. You should, as always, make sure to pick the one according to your needs.