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However, they offer Little if any Protection from load-in/load-out impact or (horrors!) being dropped. Hard Cases They are called "hard cases" generically. If you are touring with a major road act then you already know about the necessity of ATA cases if you want to still have an intact kit at the end of a tour. In Summary If you care about your drums, then it is wise to select the proper level of protection you will need when transporting them. The material and manufacturing methods meet or exceed the ATA case specifications. These cases are very expensive. Remember they are called Covers, because that's all they are - a soft bag. They feature special recessed latches, heavy duty hinges and are typically covered outside with a waterproof laminate and lined inside with thick foam cut to fit the shape of item being transported.First, lets examine the three basic groups: ATA Cases These "ultimate protection" cases are usually custom built from plywood. One other cool thing, that may appeal to some drummers, is that molded cases are now available in a choice of colors. These are, after all, Cases, and as such they offer a much better level of protection. Otherwise, I Do Not recommend them. then you most likely need molded cases for your drums. If you play lots of one-nighters and transport your gear in the back of a truck or in a trailer, etc. There are many styles and materials to choose from today, including vinyl, synthetic leather, various types of canvas-like material, nylon, Cordura, and even leather. This material was developed many years ago to make "sample cases" for traveling salesmen. Although the "fiber style" cases are still available, they are not as desirable as the now popular molded plastic cases. The tests involved with becoming ATA 300 compliant are conducted to ascertain if an ATA shipping case will withstand the rigors of being shipped a minimum of 100 times. Today, with modern materials, the covers are well designed zipper bags. I have seen drummers near tears, because they transported their beautiful drum kit without cases and somewhere in transit a piece of loose shifting banging gouging scratching hardware damaged some drums. They are lightweight and will not scratch or tear the upholstery in you vehicle. And equipment stacked in the back of a truck or trailer is certainly going to need adequate protection from the inevitable transit mishaps. Polyester DTY Unless you are touring with a major act, where the Road Crew stacks tons of equipment into the tractor trailer rigs, these are probably too big and too heavy to be practical and fit into the vehicle you normally use to transport your equipment. Many covers also feature soft protective linings and reinforcement in the areas where the most wear and stress occurs. Remember that some mounts and brackets require extra space when you are purchasing these kinds of cases. To qualify as an ATA Case, the case must conform to the Air Transport Association's Specification 300 requirements. Foam lining (or the cases with "impact absorbing" designs) offers an improved level of protection, and I believe it is well worth the cost especially if you have a kit with an expensive custom finish. I can not stress this enough. In my opinion, covers are practical Only for people who are Very Protective of their drums when they are transported or stored. Modern cases are designed to absorb some of the impact of load-in/load-out handling, as well as, the bumps and vibrations (and sometimes load shifts) experienced in transit. When in storage, care needs to be taken that they will not be knocked over or have anything heavy or that will pierce them placed upon them.e. Soft Covers They are called "soft covers" generically, dating back to the old canvas covers made with Macintosh type material in the 50's and 60's. The old fiber cases do tend to warp, absorb moisture, and even tear. The original ones were made of vulcanized fiber by companies like Humes and Berg. There is nothing that saddens me as much as seeing what was once a beautiful drum kit absolutely trashed because the owner didn't "love it enough" to take care of it. But, hey, that's just my own very biased "drum loving" opinion. Humes and Berg took this material and made drum cases (and other musical equipment cases) that quickly became the industry standard through the 1980's. So How Do I Choose What's Best For My Needs? If you are going to carry your own drums and you will transport and store them very, very carefully, then Covers may be a good alternative for you. Some companies like XL Specialty Percussion, now offer designs (i. The newer style molded plastic cases are scratch resistant, water resistant, impact resistant, and therefore offer much better protection for your drum. Load-ins and load-outs are often the times when bumps, knocks, and utt-oohs happen. If possible, it is best to actually take your drums into a drum shop and see which styles of cases fit your kit's components best. the Protector Elite Series) that eliminate the need for foam. They also available with foam interiors which adds another level of protection. If you've purchased a good drum kit, then you've spent some considerable cash, so take care of it! View more details...