Sound Idea?

[samccart]

Hey Everyone!

We recently built a stage for our gigs out of some angle and some plywood. This stage is in sections for weight and easy transport. Each piece has removable legs which when installed puts my drum kit about 12 inches off the floor. (Drummers like to stand a bit above! ).

After building this thing and placing it in our rehearsal area, I found that the sounds of the drums changed! Normally the kit is on a concrete floor but now with the drums elevated on the stage and a plywood floor (with air space between the plywood and the original concrete floor) the sound change was dramatic! My snare (old luddy supersensitive that really cracks since I tune it like a marching snare, tight tight and then tighter!) sounded like a bad rendition of wet cardboard box.

Granted, our practice area is NOT ideal for sound. It is a basically a wood framed building, painted plywood walls (insulated) and the previously mentioned concrete floor. For now its all we have.

I know the importance of sound checks and how acoustics will change big time depending on venue, etc...

Anyone have any ideas? Suggestions? I was thinking that maybe gluing some rigid insulation to the underside of the stage may help? I wish I could describe the sound. It is almost as if the stage acts like a second chamber (big drum) for the sound to oscillate in. Thanks!