any decent e-drum cymbal sounds?

[speedamp]

i am selling my acoustic kit and buying an electronic kit exclusively for space/loudness reasons. I will not be gigging with the kit, and will only need a solid recording sound.

i played the Yamaha DTXpress and the cymbal sounds seem terrible, but the drum sounds seem fine. All i need is a great sounding kit that i can get "real" drum sounds (samples) into my digital recorder. I played the ddrum4 (unreal!), but it's out of my price range and might be overkill on the features. I do not need the sequencer, etc.... just a solid rock kit that will sound like a real kit in my recordings.

can anyone recommend any solid kits that i will be happy with the entire real rock drum sound?
I need to keep the price as close to $1000 as possible, but have a little space.

-michael

[db51]

I haven't heard it myself, but in a review in a french magazine the reviewer kept raving about its great cymbal sounds...Very realistic according to him...Worth checking out

[Emeric]

How about a compromise? Fake sounding samples and keep your real cymbals? Cymbals should not bother your neighbors much, unless your close quarters.


$1000 won't get you anywhere near a good sound in E-Drum world. However, $1000 in Acoustic land will get you quite far.

Is the space/loudness totally unworkable? I'd think that out before selling.

If you wan't a 'real' sound, which you apparently do, keep your kit and invest in microphones or whatever.

[Krystof01]

I'd say the compromise also. Many I believe keep their real cymbals as they can't easily be replicated.

[Krystof01]

The new (latest) roland v cymbals look the part but are probably out of your price range.

[speedamp]

Emeric,

I've play, recorded acoustic drums for over 10 years, and know the benefits of all the topics you mentioned.

however, i am asking only for electronic drum advice. What do people think of the Roland drum module sounds? TD-6, TD-8, or TD-10?

thanks everyone,
-michael

[skippy]

I use the Roland TD10 with the TDW-1 expansion module, triggered by Hart triggers (the Studio BX kit, with a bunch of additional triggers added). I also have an Alesis DM5 I use for some of the random percussion sounds I need, but its cymbal sounds fall far short (except for one particular spectacularly trashy china-type sample that I find myself drawn to).

I really do like the TD-10/TDW-1 cymbal sounds. If you do go audition the TD-10, try and audition one *with* the expansion module. The cymbal sounds are much better with the module, and the trigger software is modified to allow a much more natural triggering setup: the expansion module is really not an option, IMNSHO. I no longer use any of the basic TD-10 cymbal sounds: all my current sounds are in the TDW-1.

All I can say is "try it". There are a number of velocity-crossfade cymbal patches that change timbre quite realistically with trigger velocity, and I finally have some ride cymbal combinations that I like. With the Hart ride cymbal trigger (dual-zone, but mounted on the same mount), you can use one of the velocity-crossfade ride patches for the bow trigger, the associated bell patch for the bell trigger, and set the crosstalk sensitivity to give a completely seamless transition from bell to bow sounds with stick placement. I'd been struggling for some time to get a ride that I could close my eyes and believe in, and that does the trick.

The triggers themselves will have a lot to do with your satisfaction level in the kit. I played a Roland TD7 kit for some time (with nothing but rubber splat-pads for everything), and really despised the feel. With the Hart triggers, the cymbals are set up on Aquarian spring mounts, and move very naturally with the stick- they can be "played through", so that you don't need to retrain your muscles for the new feel. You can do the same thing with the new Roland cymbal pads, the Yamaha cymbal pads, and probably others.

Definitely spend some significant time playing all the candidate kits, and make sure that the feel suits you before plunking down the cash. The sounds are very important, but having played both Simmons and Roland kits with rigid triggers, I can say that I'll never go back: it will always be mesh heads, and moving cymbals for me. Your mileage may vary, though...

It is very nice indeed to be able to play without the police showing up. That's worth a lot, in my book! (;-)