electronic drums for recording

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the_neil_cave

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I'm just wondering if anyone here has experience using an electronic drum set (i.e. roland set or whatever) for recording. Me and a friend are thinking of going that route cuz of volume issues (our neighbors are pretty uptight). so if anyone has used something like that, yer input would be awesome.. THanks!
 
I used an Alesis DM Pro and some pads for some tunes that i did. If you go here,.... http://www.soundclick.com/bands/6/davejammusic.htm and download the tune "Therese" you can hear the results I was getting.
Anyway,...I still got the thing and use it quite often for different stuff. The drum sounds on it are really good,...but the cymbals suck!!!! I'm pretty sure thats the way with all electronic cymbals. Thats been my expierience.

Good luck!!!

Take 'er easy,...
Calwood
 
I have to admit, after playing and recording with an electronic kit for over 8 years I was sooo glad to start using an acoustic kit again. For volume control and ease of recording when without a good drum room, an electronic kit is ok for straight ahead drum parts, but for playing with any dynamics or style / finess they just dont cut it.
If your drum parts are mainly for background rhythm keeping, i say go for it!

Tom
 
thanks so far for the input! anyone else? how big of a difference is there as far as what it sounds like? Any recommendations on a good set?
 
I agree with tmix. I've recorded in my studio with a set of Roland Vdrums for the last 5 years and before that I triggered an Alesis D4 and DM5 with a drum Kat. I still prefer to record with accoustic drums (I use a Birch kit or a Maple kit when recording in "real studios") but my studio is not set up to track drums (it's maily a MIDI studio).

While you can get very good sounding snares and kicks with electronics and while the toms can be fairly convincing - the cymbalos suck and will likely always suck (most people who record e-drums use acoustic cymbals).

As tmix said, if the drum parts are basic grooves with limited dynamics and nothing busier than 1/16 notes (and if you keep the e-cymbals low in the mix) e-drums can be great - in particular in a home studio with volume concerns and/or limited tracking capabilities.

However, e-drums can't provide the subtle dynamics that make a good drum part sound great (ghost notes, etc). Like any gear choice - it depends on what you need the gear to do. I am a fan of e-drums, but they are not accoustics. I love electric guitars, but they'll never replace an accoustic nor will a sampler ever provide the pure tone of a grand piano.

As far as recommendations - The Roland TD-10 V.Drums are very good (I just played a TD20 which is even better). Many people love Ddrums. The Hart system with the Alesis DMPro is not bad. I would recmmend you pay to get mesh pads. The rubber pads do not track as well, are somewhat noisy, and with prolonged use can cause pain in the wrists and elbows.
 
thanks for all the great input...

so for around 1000 dollars is it possible to get a pretty good used set? recommendations welcome!

also, do you record the acoustic cymbals then at the same time as the rest of the set?

THanks!
 
If you buy a used set make sure you really check it out. Unlike used acoustic drums, which as a rule are fairly easy to inspect - a drum module can have more subtle problems. Makesure all the jacks, sliders, knobs, etc. work. Hook up a pad to every input.

$1,000 may not be enough to get you into mesh pads. I havn't really priced used e-drums so I don't know what $1,000 can get.

Normally you do record the acoustic cymbals at the same time. I prefer to record the analog signal from the module and the cymbals. I also record the MIDI performance at the same time (allowing me to make changes to the drum sound later in the mix.
 
Well- i think we've got it narrowed down to a few different options.

Option 1- it's called the USA Spirit special at Drumbalaya.com. It is a pintech set w/ a 295 dollar allowance towards the module. it comes w/ a pretty standard set up, but all of the pads are mesh. The price is $1200, but we are thinking of using the 295 dollar allowance towards the Roland TD-6 which then puts us at 1400 dollars.

Option 2- Yamaha Dtxpress 3 for 1000... the module is the dtxpress3 module. the drum heads are rubber. pretty standard looking.

option 3- yamaha dtxpress 3 Special for 1600. same module as the standard version, but has the realistic highhat setup and an extra ride/splash/or crash cymbal, and all cymbals are the swinging kind.

I appreciate all your help so far! If u guys could point me in a direction, or tell me a good place to read some reviews, i would be greatful! Thanks
 
The only reasons I can think of to go with a fake drumkit is:

1) Keep the neighbors at bay. Yeah, they're quieter

2) Save some money. Going straight into line inputs on recorder is cheaper than a nice kit with nice mics/preamps.

Otherwise, I'm with tmix. Only a real drum kit satisfies. I'm not above using a drum machine now and then. They have their place. But I've known many music buddies go the electronic drumkit route, only to realize they've thrown some big money down the drain.
 
Acoustic all the way! i love the sound of acoustic compared to all that MIDI stuff from computers and electric kits that you hear so much in pop music.
But saying that i still use MIDI drums to create tunes that just wouldnt be able to be played by an acoustic kit. I think the sounds are ok in MIDI, but should really be better for the price you pay for an electric kit. I mean $2500 for a mid range elec kit and the sounds arnt the best. I want to see an electric kit with perfect acoustic samples. I know it is definetely possible to achieve. Maybe a few years down the line real acoustics will be repalced by electric!! you never know. Just like digital taking over from analogue.
 
If I had to choose between the DTExpress module and the TD6 - I would likely go with the Yamaha.

The Roland TD6 came out to compete with the original DTExpress, in turn Yamaha made some improvements on the DTExpress. I feel Yamaha does good things with the drum modules, buy I am not a fan of their triggers - in particular I think the kick drum towers are very poor.

Pintech makes decent pads.
 
the yamaha stuff just sounds too stiff to me even there latest greatest model that i recently demoed. i would go with the td-6 or even better a used td-8. its got much of the big daddies td-10 technology and sounds more natural to me than any of the yamaha brains. if you you record with the electronic drums make sure to use use real cymbals . if you dont have a great sounding room with good mics and processors i challenge anyone to take a basic 5 piece kit like a pearl export or tama rockstar kit and make it sound like the in your face drum sounds on a modern cd. i dont understand how some people just cant get use to new technology. acoustic drums will never be replaced but doing things at home recording in a shoe box you just cant compete with a biG studio drum sound.I SAY PLUG IN AND GO!
 
this may be stupid to most of you, it is my first post though. haha

i would say for recording drums stay with accoustic. to me its more or less a matter of tradition or something. i was considering the same exact thing a few months ago because im just not sure if i wanted to get a bunch of mics and stuff. i decided to save up and get the mics to keep the "tradition" and feel alive in my recordings to come.

"an electronic kit is ok for straight ahead drum parts, but for playing with any dynamics or style / finess they just dont cut it."

so in fewer words i agree with ^

when i want to get that "straight drum part" i use computer software like reason to get those tracks done if the drums arent the focus of the track. something like that... im tired.... haha later
 
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