Suggestions for electronic drum set?

brassplyer

brassplyer

Well-known member
Thoughts on brands, models for electronic drums - what to look for, look out for? Not too proud to go used. I see there are numerous selections that go for the price of an inexpensive trumpet. Looking at noise reduction and privacy - don't want to aggravate the neighbors nor advertise to those of larcenous predisposition that "hey this guy's got a drum set". Thinking also greater ease of break down and getting out of the way.

Do they all sound and feel pretty much the same or are some definitely closer to the real deal?

If you learn on electronic drums should you be able to transition to an actual set immediately?

I don't anticipate doing thrash metal, thinking big band, jazz.

Thanks for all feedback!
 
Many years ago I bought a set of Roland TD-7.
All of the pads are rubber. This was the norm for years.
Now there are "mesh" heads/pads of varying sizes. These are the way to go because they have a much more natural feel compared to the rubber pads.
Then of course "size" matters. The circumference of what you are hitting deserves to be as close to that of a real set you wish to emulate (jazz/rock/big band etc.) as possible.
Take a look at what your fav drummers were using and go from there.
Recent Roland kits have controllers (brains with the sounds) that sound awesome and should work in any intermediate/pro environment.
You'll also want either decent light weight headphones, and/or a full range speaker to play through. Could do with a connection to your recording interface and the monitors.
Look for mesh heads that respond to multi area hits. By that I mean a centre hit is a lot different than a side (close to the rim) hit, and also direct rim hits. Critical is velocity hitting.
TD-11 or 12 with mesh heads would be an older but serviceable start.
What's the budget?
 
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brassplyer said:
Many thanks.
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No worries.
I am in no way suggesting that the links provided are what should happen. I am unfamiliar with both of those models.
Just suggesting points based on experience (I was a drummer in a band before becoming a guitarist) and know what I'd like to buy were I to replace my TD-7
 
Dave Matthews said:
No worries.
I am in no way suggesting that the links provided are what should happen. I am unfamiliar with both of those models.
Just suggesting points based on experience (I was a drummer in a band before becoming a guitarist) and know what I'd like to buy were I to replace my TD-7
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That's just what I'm looking for - things to consider, I'm in the thinking about it stage. I might run across a great deal on something.
 
brassplyer said:
That's just what I'm looking for - things to consider, I'm in the thinking about it stage. I might run across a great deal on something.
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Yup, no worries.
If I were to get back into drumming, the killer thing would be mesh heads, velocity sense, choke cymbals etc.
If it is an experiment, then entry level is cool, but still... go mesh heads. That will make you way more comfy if presented with a real kit...
 
Slouching Raymond said:
Hard pads make a racket. There are some good cheaper mesh pads out there today, like Alesis.
The cymbals are still hard though.
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The other issue is I'm looking to preserve my hearing - I've got hearing like a teenager and would like it to stay that way as long as possible. I can't believe that drummers don't experience some degree of hearing loss over time.
 
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brassplyer said:
The other issue is I'm looking to preserving my hearing - I've got hearing like a teenager and would like it to stay that way as long as possible. I can't believe that drummers don't experience some degree of hearing loss over time.
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Same with guitar players.
Not a concern with digital drums.
 
I've got an Alesis mesh kit; I can't really recommend it. The mesh pads do feel pretty good; they bounce nicely. It's also nicely modular. The main technology is very simple, so it's easy to swap out individual pieces as you need to (e.g. I have a Rockband cymbal on the cymbal 2 plug, and for a bit, I had a homemade kick trigger instead of the provided pad (more on that in a moment))
But a cheap kit like that has a ton of downsides
The frame is small. We had to loft it so that our drummer could sit comfortably.
The frame is also flimsy. Getting a more expensive Roland might be worth it just so you're not worrying about the entire thing collapsing every time you hit the snare
The kick pad is very cheap. It not sensitive enough, so fast hits (i.e. the double kick in a thrash) don't all register, and it breaks easily (my drummer broke two before the warranty period expired
So far, all the mesh pads have held up, but between replacing the kick drum with something homemade and gradually phasing out the built-in frame for standard parts, I'm probably gonna end up spending more on after-market improvements than I saved by buying the cheap kit.
 
brassplyer said:
The other issue is I'm looking to preserve my hearing - I've got hearing like a teenager and would like it to stay that way as long as possible. I can't believe that drummers don't experience some degree of hearing loss over time.
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They do. That's why drummers use earplugs routinely, unless they're idiots.
I don't get on with earplugs, so always wear industrial ear defenders when practicing.
When I want to listen to a track while drumming I wear the Extreme Isolation phones you see on my head.
 
Is there any particular reason apart from the obvious you're looking at an electric drumkit ? If you're looking to do big-band jazz, am I wrong to assume you're not going to be beating the heck out of it ? If that's the case, and you've got reasonable neighbours, may I suggest the Arbiter Flat-lites kit. You can go both ways with such a kit. You can happily go heavy or light.
If an acoustic kit is right out of the question, ignore this message !
 
VomitHatSteve said:
I've got an Alesis mesh kit; I
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I bought the Alesis Drums Surge Mesh Kit and my experience's were different - good for the most part - but keep in mind I’m not spending $1500 - which certainly gives you better options - but the playing was easy - The Sound Module was good - but I also midi out to a MacBook Pro where I have EZ Drummer and Logic Drummer - so I’m kind of wide open on what Kits and Sounds I use.

One thing about buying E-Drums Kits - I would buy used - the savings is often 50% - expecially on the Alesis gear.
 
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grimtraveller said:
Is there any particular reason apart from the obvious you're looking at an electric drumkit ? If you're looking to do big-band jazz, am I wrong to assume you're not going to be beating the heck out of it ? If that's the case, and you've got reasonable neighbours, may I suggest the Arbiter Flat-lites kit. You can go both ways with such a kit. You can happily go heavy or light.
If an acoustic kit is right out of the question, ignore this message !
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It might end up being strictly for the enjoyment of developing a skill for my own amusement, maybe recording that I might never use in public and a full-on drumset seems more problematic to break down and put somewhere if you need the space plus maintenance issues - and from what I see way more expensive for a pro-level set. Also much more involved to record. Hard to envision a scenario where I'd play drums with a live big band instead of trumpet.
 
Papanate said:
I bought the Alesis Drums Surge Mesh Kit and my experience's were different - good for the most part - but keep in mind I’m not spending $1500 - which certainly gives you better options - but the playing was easy - The Sound Module was good - but I also midi out to a MacBook Pro where I have EZ Drummer and Logic Drummer - so I’m kind of wide open on what I Kits and Sounds I use.

One thing about buying E-Drums Kits - I would buy used - the savings is often 50% - expecially on the Alesis gear.
Click to expand...
Ah, mine's the nitro, which has the plastic frame. A larger, stronger frame and a more robust kick pedal would address most of my pain points with it.
 
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