The Vic Firth Balter Emil Richards Super Rub Mallets Set brings a specialised friction–based sound design tool to percussionists seeking textural effects beyond traditional striking. Created by Emil Richards, a legendary studio and film composer, these fibreglass mallets produce a distinctive rubbing sound across gongs, cymbals, tam–tams, and other resonant surfaces. Originally developed for Hollywood film and television production, they deliver smooth, swelling tones essential for ambient, meditation, and cinematic applications.

The Super Rub set pairs fibreglass construction with a rubbing technique that generates sustained, mellow tones without the attack of mallets or brushes. Each mallet is hand–crafted to consistent specifications, allowing even friction across the playing surface. The grip and balance suit extended playing sessions, whether applied to vibraphone, marimba, or free–standing resonators. Fibreglass material resists moisture and temperature fluctuations, maintaining consistency across studio and live environments.

Studio engineers, gong players, and yoga–space programmers rely on the Super Rub for creating seamless transitions and swells on large cymbals and tam–tams. The mallets excel at producing meditative soundscapes without metallic harshness, making them industry standard in relaxation and underscore recordings. Bedroom producers working with sampled percussion or foley libraries find genuine sonic depth impossible to capture without genuine friction–based performance.

Features

• Fibreglass construction for durability and consistent friction performance
• Designed by Emil Richards for Hollywood film and television studios
• Produces smooth rubbing tones on gongs, cymbals, and tam–tams
• Hand–crafted for balanced weight distribution and extended playing
• Moisture and temperature resistant materials for studio and live use
• Generates swelling, mellow textures without metallic attack
• Ideal for meditation, yoga, underscore, and ambient recording applications
• Complete set includes multiple mallets for varied friction effects