How to Build a Drum Riser for E-Drums (Tennis Ball Riser and Alternatives)

If your downstairs neighbor hears a steady thump every time you practice, the drums aren’t the problem. Your kick pedal and hi-hat pedal are pushing energy straight into the floor, and the building carries it down. A floating riser is the most reliable way to stop that, and you can build one in an afternoon with lumber, two or three sheets of MDF and a bag of tennis balls.

This guide walks through the classic tennis ball riser with a full materials list and dimensions, then covers three alternatives: an inner-tube platform, an MDF-on-foam platform and a small pedal-only board. I put these together from published builds (including one in Sound On Sound), builder write-ups, forum threads from apartment drummers and basic vibration isolation principles.

Read this first: I haven’t built or load-tested these exact designs. The sizes, ball counts and screw lengths below are common DIY practice plus my own arithmetic, not an engineering rating. Check the riser yourself before you trust it with your weight, and stop if anything cracks, sags or rocks.

Why a riser works

Impact noise from drumming is mostly mechanical. The kick beater hits the pad, the pedal base slaps the floor, the hi-hat pedal chicks, and the throne rocks with your body. All of that energy goes into the floor and travels through the building. I explain the different noise paths in more detail in can neighbors hear electronic drums.

A floating riser breaks that path. It works like a mass on springs:

• The mass is the heavy board plus everything on it.
• The springs are the soft supports underneath: tennis balls, inner tubes or foam.

When you hit the kick, the energy goes into the heavy board first. The board barely moves because it’s heavy, and the soft supports pass much less of the remaining energy into the floor. Two rules follow from that, and they drive every design choice below:

1. Heavier is better. A heavy board resists being moved by each kick stroke. That’s why MDF beats light plywood and why two layers beat one.
2. Softer supports isolate better, up to a point. The supports need to compress under the load, but not bottom out. Too few tennis balls and they flatten completely, turning into hard spacers. Too many and the platform gets stiff and passes more vibration.

The other key rule is simple. Everything that touches the kit must be on the riser, including the throne. If the throne sits on the floor and the pedals sit on the riser, your body becomes a bridge and the riser rocks against it. Owners who skip this point often report that the riser “didn’t work.”

Before you build: measure your kit

Set the kit up the way you play it, including the throne, then measure the outside edges of everything that touches the floor: rack feet, kick tower or pad, hi-hat stand and throne legs. Add at least 2 in, ideally 4 in, on each side so feet don’t sit near an edge.

Typical results:

These are rough guides, so measure your own setup. My explainer on how much space electronic drums need lists real dimensions for popular kits.

The rest of this guide uses the 60 x 72 in size, which covers most home e-kits.

The tennis ball riser

This is the design most apartment drummers build first. It’s cheap, needs only basic tools and is easy to tune.

Materials list (60 x 72 in riser)

Tools: circular saw or a store that cuts sheet goods, drill and driver, utility knife or fine handsaw for the balls, tape measure, straightedge, clamps if you laminate.

Choosing the deck: one layer or two

One layer of 3/4 in MDF at 60 x 72 in weighs roughly 80 to 95 lb, depending on the density of the board. That’s enough for many compact kits. Two layers glued and screwed together double the mass and make the deck much stiffer, which helps with heavier players and kick-heavy styles. Two layers also make the riser heavy to move, so build it where it will live.

If you can’t handle full sheets, have the store cut them. Most home centers will make a few straight cuts for you.

Plywood works too, but it’s lighter for the same thickness. If you use plywood, go with two layers, or plywood on top of MDF.

Choosing the support layout

The runners carry the deck and hold the ball halves. For a 60 x 72 in deck, run four 2×4 runners the long way, laid flat (the 3-1/2 in face down). With the outer runners set in about 2 in from the edges, that puts them about 17-1/2 in apart center to center.

Each runner gets six to seven ball halves, about 11 to 12 in apart, starting about 4 in from each end. That gives you 24 to 28 halves. Then add 4 to 6 more under the throne on one or two short offcut runners (about 24 in long) set between the main runners, for a total of roughly 28 to 34.

Why this many? Here is the arithmetic, and it’s an estimate, not a tested rating. One 60 x 72 in layer of 3/4 in MDF weighs roughly 85 to 95 lb, the runners add about 30 lb, a mid-size e-kit and throne add maybe 60 to 80 lb, and an adult adds 150 to 220 lb. That’s roughly 330 to 430 lb on a single deck and 420 to 520 lb with a second MDF layer. Spread over 28 to 34 halves, the average is somewhere around 10 to 19 lb per half, but the halves under the throne carry much more than the average, because most of your weight sits there. That’s why the extras go under the throne and not spread evenly.

For reference, one tennis ball riser design shared on Toontrack’s forum called for 28 balls, and the thread doesn’t say whether they were whole or halved, so some builders go well above this count. More supports make a stiffer riser. Treat the numbers as a starting point and tune by feel:

• Halves flatten completely when you sit down: add more, especially under the throne.
• The riser feels hard and still passes a lot of thump: try removing a few halves away from the throne and pedals.
• You weigh more than about 220 lb or play double kick: build the double deck and use the top of the range.

Step 1: Cut the deck

A 4 x 8 ft sheet is 48 in wide, so each 60 x 72 in layer is made of two pieces:

• Piece A: 48 x 72 in
• Piece B: 12 x 72 in

For one layer, cut piece A from sheet 1 and piece B from sheet 2. For two layers, cut a piece A from each of sheets 1 and 2, and rip both 12 in strips from sheet 3. The 24 in offcuts are too short for a strip, but the leftover from sheet 2 or 3 is enough for the pedal board described later.

For a double deck, offset the seam on the second layer: put the 12 x 72 in strip on one side of the bottom layer and on the opposite side of the top layer. That way the seams don’t line up and the deck stays stiff.

Sand the edges lightly. MDF edges can chip and snag cables.

Step 2: Laminate the layers (double deck only)

Lay the bottom layer on the floor or sawhorses. Spread wood glue in a zigzag across it, keeping about 3 in from the edges. Set the top layer on it with seams offset. Drive 1-1/4 in screws every 12 in or so in a grid, with the heads countersunk flush. Don’t use longer screws here: two 3/4 in layers are only 1-1/2 in thick, so a 1-5/8 in screw pokes out the bottom. Let it cure overnight before you flip it.

Some builders use a damping compound like Green Glue between the layers instead of wood glue, which adds damping inside the deck. In a January 2014 Sound On Sound build for an electronic kit, Ronny Watson used two layers of 18 mm MDF bonded with Green Glue and reported that the remaining vibration dropped further as the compound cured over 14 to 30 days. It’s optional.

Step 3: Cut the runners

Cut four 2x4s to 72 in. Mark the ball positions on the face that will point down: start 4 in from each end, then every 11 to 12 in. Mark the center of the board width so each ball half sits in the middle.

Step 4: Cut the tennis balls

Cut each ball in half along its seam with a utility knife or a fine-tooth saw. Clamp the ball in a vise or hold it in a small box, and go slowly. Tennis ball rubber is tough and the knife can skip. A fine handsaw or a band saw, if you have one, is safer.

You want two domes per ball. Try to keep the cut edges flat so each half sits evenly.

Step 5: Attach the ball halves

Set a half on each mark with the top of the dome against the 2×4 and the open, cut rim facing you. Put a 1-1/4 in screw through a fender washer, drop it inside the cup, and drive it through the top of the dome into the runner. Snug it until the washer just starts to dimple the rubber. Don’t crush the dome. When the riser is flipped, the open rims rest on the floor and the screw heads stay inside the cups, so no metal ever touches the floor.

An alternative used by many builders: drill a shallow 2-1/2 in hole with a hole saw (about 1/2 in deep) at each mark, and press the domes into the holes with a dab of construction adhesive, open rims facing out. No screw goes through the rubber, so nothing metal can ever reach the floor.

Step 6: Attach the runners to the deck

Flip the deck so its bottom faces up. Lay the runners on it, ball halves pointing up, at the spacing above, plus the short throne runners where the throne will sit. Screw through the runners into the deck every 12 in or so, staggered and between the ball halves. Screw length matters because the runner is 1-1/2 in thick. On a single 3/4 in layer, use 2 in screws: they reach 1/2 in into the deck and stop 1/4 in short of the top. On a double deck (1-1/2 in), use 2-1/2 in screws for about 1 in of bite. Check that no screw tip comes through the top surface.

Step 7: Flip and place

With a helper, flip the riser onto its balls and set it where it will live. Leave at least 1/2 in of clear space between the riser and any wall, baseboard or furniture. If the riser touches a wall, vibration goes around the isolation. A strip of foam weatherstrip on the edge stops accidental contact.

Step 8: Add carpet or a drum rug

Lay carpet or a drum rug over the deck so spurs and feet grip, and staple or tape the edges underneath. A rug sized for e-kits also stops the kit creeping. My drum rug guide lists sizes that fit common risers.

Step 9: Set up and test

Set up the kit and throne fully on the riser. Before you sit, press down hard on each corner and on the spot where the throne goes. Then sit down slowly and check that it feels stable. A slight give is normal. If it rocks toward one corner, add halves under that corner. If you hear cracking or see the deck dip between runners, stop and add a runner or a second layer.

Then test. Have someone stand in the room below while you play a steady beat, first with the kit on the floor if you can, then on the riser. Ask them to describe what they hear rather than give a number. Owners commonly report that a well-built riser turns a clear thump into a faint knock or makes it inaudible, but results depend a lot on the building.

Fine-tuning a tennis ball riser

If it feels too bouncy: add halves or use a stiffer ball. Once a ball is cut, the air inside no longer matters, so stiffness comes from the rubber. Pressureless practice balls have thicker walls and make firmer halves.

If neighbors still hear thumps: add mass. A second MDF layer is the most effective upgrade. Also check that nothing on the riser touches the floor or a wall, including cables. A cable running from the module to a wall outlet can carry vibration, so leave it slack.

If the throne slides: add a carpet or drum rug and check that the throne’s feet have rubber tips.

If the kick pedal creeps: use a rug with a Velcro-friendly surface, or add a small strip of hook-and-loop under the pedal.

If the balls wear out: the rubber hardens and can crack after a few years, and halves under the throne can take a permanent set. Check them once a year and swap any that look flattened or split.

Alternative 1: Inner-tube platform

Some apartment drummers prefer a design often called the Jackson Pad: a heavy lumber platform that rests on a few inflated inner tubes. One builder who writes about his on a personal blog says he has used it for four years across three homes. He describes a platform about 4 x 4.7 ft, built from four trusses and fourteen 2x4s, sitting on four inflated inner tubes and carrying 200 to 300 lb. He reports zero noise complaints in that time.

The advantage is that air is a very soft spring, so the isolation can be excellent if the platform is heavy enough. The downsides:

• The platform is heavy and tall.
• It needs a bit of air pressure tuning to avoid feeling wobbly.
• Tubes can leak slowly, so you’ll need a pump nearby.

If you try this, use the same rules: everything on the platform, heavy deck, nothing touching walls.

Alternative 2: MDF on high-density foam

This version swaps tennis balls for a continuous layer of dense foam. It’s the design Ronny Watson used for his electronic kit in Sound On Sound in January 2014: two stacked 25 mm (about 1 in) sheets of a load-rated high-density PU foam (Regufoam 150) on the floor, with a double layer of 18 mm MDF bonded with Green Glue on top. The finished platform was 1676 x 1524 mm, about 66 x 60 in, and he describes it as a two-person lift. From listening tests around the house, he reported no detectable kick vibration in the floor. In a later Sound On Sound Q&A, Paul White suggests the same idea with slabs of high-density mineral wool, 30 to 50 mm thick, under 18 mm boards.

Foam has some advantages over tennis balls:

• The load spreads evenly, so there are no hard spots.
• It sits lower, so the riser is less of a step up.
• It doesn’t roll or shift.

The catch is choosing the right foam. Soft foam squashes flat under a kit and player and stops isolating. You need a high-density product rated for the load, which can be expensive. Ask the supplier which grade suits your total weight and area. Rubber-based isolation products, like Sylomer pads, follow the same rule: the grade, thickness and loaded area must match the weight.

Alternative 3: A small pedal board

If you don’t have the space for a full riser, or you rent and want something you can pack away, build a pedal-only board. This takes care of the two biggest noise sources: the kick and the hi-hat.

Materials

Build it like a mini version of the full riser: two layers of board glued and screwed with 1-1/4 in screws, three runners underneath, three halves per runner (one near each end and one in the middle). Set the kick tower or pad and hi-hat stand on the board.

Why fewer halves than you might expect? A pedal board carries far less weight than a full riser. Two layers of 24 x 36 in MDF weigh roughly 35 lb, and the pedals and kick pad add maybe 10 to 20 lb, so nine halves carry only about 5 lb each. With more halves than that, they barely compress and the board acts almost like it sits on hard feet. Again, that’s arithmetic and common practice, not a test. If the board tips under your heel, add a half under that corner.

A pedal board helps, but it has a limitation. Your throne is still on the floor, so your body connects the board to the floor. Owners report it cuts a lot of the thump, but not as much as a full riser. If you want a ready-made version, Roland’s NE-10 Noise Eater and small pedal platforms do the same job. I compare them in my list of drum risers and noise platforms.

Mistakes that ruin a riser

Most “my riser doesn’t work” stories come down to one of these:

1. The throne isn’t on the riser. Put it on.
2. The riser touches a wall or furniture. Leave a gap.
3. The deck is too light. One layer of thin plywood on tennis balls is a trampoline. Add mass.
4. Too few supports. Balls that flatten fully stop isolating.
5. Hard contact somewhere. A screw head, a cable or a rack foot hanging off the edge can short the isolation.
6. Expecting it to fix airborne noise. A riser deals with the floor. Stick tapping through walls needs other fixes, like mesh pads and moving the kit. My guide on making electronic drums quieter covers those.

Safety

None of this is a certified load rating. These are the common-sense checks I’d make on any homemade platform:

• Step height: a tennis ball riser adds about 3-1/2 in with one MDF layer and 2×4 runners laid flat (about 1-1/4 in of ball, 1-1/2 in of runner, 3/4 in of deck). Mark the edge with tape if anyone in the house might trip.
• Edges: sand MDF edges and keep every throne leg at least 4 in in from the edge (more at the back, where you lean), so leaning back can’t put a leg off the deck.
• Sag: MDF slowly sags under a constant load. A single 3/4 in layer spanning 17-1/2 in between runners is fine for stand feet, but the throne should sit over the extra short runners. If you see a dip, add a runner or a second layer.
• Heavier players: above about 220 lb, or with two people on the riser, build the double deck and use the full ball count.
• Weight: a double-deck 60 x 72 in riser weighs somewhere around 200 lb or more. Plan for two people to flip and move it.
• Moisture: MDF swells if it gets wet. Don’t build this for a damp basement floor without a vapor barrier under it.
• MDF dust: cut MDF outdoors or with dust collection and a mask.
• Kids: a riser is a good stage for kids, which also means they’ll jump on it. Check the balls after a few weeks.

Should you build or buy?

Building wins on cost and size. A DIY riser covers the whole kit and throne for much less than commercial full-size platforms, and you can make it any size you need.

Buying wins on convenience. A commercial pedal board is ready in minutes, looks tidy and takes up no space when packed. If you rent, move often or only need to isolate the pedals, buy. If you own your space or plan to stay a few years, build.

There’s also a third route: reduce the noise at the source. A kit with a beaterless kick, like several in my silent drum kit guide, cuts kick impact so much that some players only need a rug and a pedal board.

Final advice

Start with the full tennis ball riser if you have the room. Build it heavy, put everything on it, and keep it off the walls. Then test with someone downstairs before you add anything else. If the thump is still there, add a second layer of MDF before you try anything more complex. Most players find that this one weekend project is what finally lets them play in the evening without a knock on the door.