Forgive me if this is already widely known, but since I've never met anyone else who does it I continue to assume it's my little secret. Maybe I'm wrong.

You need something that takes up space and makes contact with the heads and shell. This eliminates some of the highest (and lowest) overtones. But something that has a lot of mass (i.e., your old blankets and pillows) also inhibits the heads and shell from vibrating so the only sound you're really getting is the smack of the beater against the (muffled) drumhead.

The solution to adding volume without mass - styrofoam packing peanuts. Don't go nuts either, maybe just a 2" layer at the bottom of the drum from head to head. I've also experimented with shredded newspaper (tends to move around too much), stretched-out cotton balls, nerf-ball type material, etc. Packing peanuts are cheap and most effective. You do need to move the pile around every once in a while, since the peanuts still do tend to drift away from the batter head (duh) but give it a shot if you're struggling with kick drum sounds. The difference between this and the "pillow" method - or those horrible, deadened pre-muffled Evans heads - is really amazing.

The peanuts don't fly out on the first hit? Or make that awful styrofoam sound while scraping each other?

... I'll have to try that.

Depending on your playing style you very well might have those problems. I smack the drum pretty hard and, yes, it tends to move around after I play for a while. But it doesn't go launching out the front of the drum the second I hit it. That has never happened.

Never had anyone complain about the sound either. Live, it certainly won't be a problem. In a recording situation I strenuously avoid putting mics in the bass drum and, with an external mic, so I've not had a "scraping sound" problem either. If you put a large microphone 1" away from the pile of styrofoam, chances are you might pick up some unwanted sounds.

Sounds interesting, thanks

Or, shredded newspaper.

Or, shredded newspaper.