In the air, yes, with mesh heads. Through the structure, no — the kick pedal and the rack transmit into the floor, and that is what the flat below hears. A riser is the fix, not a different pad type.
Two kinds of noise
Airborne noise, which mesh heads and headphones deal with. Structure-borne noise, which travels through the floor and is unaffected by either.
What to do about the second kind
Decouple the kit: a riser, or a plywood board on dense foam under the whole rack. Move the rack off a shared wall. Use a beaterless kick pedal if the kit has one.
Set expectations honestly
An electronic kit in a flat is quiet, not silent. The difference between a complaint and no complaint is usually the riser and the hour, not the kit.
The questions players ask
What about a beaterless pedal?
It removes the largest single source of structure-borne noise, because nothing strikes a tower. Where a kit offers one, it matters more than the pad material.
Do rubber pads work?
They are louder in the room and louder into the floor. Mesh is the specification that makes an electronic kit viable in a flat.
Last reviewed 2026-08-18