electric drum sets

[chrisadlersidol]

so me and my girlfriend are moving into an apartment in a few months here and we are both drummers so were looking for an inexpencive electronic kit to keep in the apartment

i've been looking alot and i've played alot but im looking for some input from some people who've had experience with em and know like how long some sets will last before they start to crap out and stuff like that

[Talos]

You seem to have a thing with the length stuff lasts before it "craps out."
Well ill tell you, there is no specific time limit before it will "crap out" unlike your cymbals which lasted a year and a half.
Ive had my current kit and most of the cymbals for about 3 or 4 years and they still work fine.
If you treat it all right then it can last for a number of years.

Oh and electronic kits will never be able to replicate the sound and feel of an acoustic kit, thats why I dont like them.

[chrisadlersidol]

You seem to have a thing with the length stuff lasts before it "craps out."
Well ill tell you, there is no specific time limit before it will "crap out" unlike your cymbals which lasted a year and a half.
Ive had my current kit and most of the cymbals for about 3 or 4 years and they still work fine.
If you treat it all right then it can last for a number of years.

Oh and electronic kits will never be able to replicate the sound and feel of an acoustic kit, thats why I dont like them.

well i know i they don't but i can't have my real kit in an apartment
i'd get kicked out

[Talos]

Yeah thats fair enough, with electronic kits you get what you pay for unfortunately.

[SparBZ]

Any Roland TD series would work.

[Disco Adult]

electric kits aren't as bad as people make them out to be. they can do hundreds things better than acoustic kits can. acoustic kits are better than them at being acoustic kits, thats it.

[chrisadlersidol]

Any Roland TD series would work.

well im not really looking to spend that much being as how i'll be out on my own and i'll have alot more stuff to pay for so im looking at stuff around the 500 dollar range

[Talos]

Td3

[DxRocker]

electric kits aren't as bad as people make them out to be.

agreed.

they can do hundreds things better than acoustic kits can.

Disagree. Give me one example. When there are "hundreds", one shouldn't be difficult to find ha? :)

acoustic kits are better than them at being acoustic kits, thats it.

Not really. An acoustic kit is a real drumkit, whereas an electric kit will never come close to that, unless you shed out thousands of dollars (and objectively speaking it STILL wouldn't come close to it).

No electronics can ever replace the warmth of wood, the vibration in your gut of the bassdrum, the feel of the heads and cymbals, the hundreds of sounds every tom and snare holds,... not even the fun you have by just looking at that wonderfull setup :)

A non-high-end electronic kit is nothing more then a toy for drummers. A non-high-end acoustic kit is still a real drum kit.

It has its applications for sure, but to put electronic kits on par with acoustic kits is simply stupid.

well im not really looking to spend that much being as how i'll be out on my own and i'll have alot more stuff to pay for so im looking at stuff around the 500 dollar range

Then look for a TD series kit on e-bay. Having played on a number of electronic kits and being the owner of a TD6 toy, I'ld seriously advice against any e-kit that isn't Roland.

I'm kind of a brand whore for sure, but when it comes to e-kits I actually have other reasons as well :)
Roland technology is simply vastly superior, it's that simple. And (imo) the samples sound better as well.

Look around on e-bay for a discontinued or old series like the old TD6 or the TD8 or something. They usually are dead cheap.
And wait a while and try to save up some more money as well.

Don't expect to buy a quality e-kit for under 500 bucks. 700, 800, that I see happening, but 500... That's gonna be either the lowest of the lowest series or a completely bashed up kit.

[Disco Adult]

words
words
words
more words

the amount of rebound on an electric set is not proportional to the tuning of the head, so you don't have to substitute feel for sound.

electric kits are capable of sounds that acoustic sets aren't. hand claps, samples, etc.

you can change the 'cymbals' on an electric kit as much as you want. when you buy a module, you have all of those sounds to use however you want. with acoustic sets, you have to buy more cymbals. electric sets are more versatile.

electric kits fold up to about 1/5 the size and weight. good luck transporting a full acoustic set in a sedan.


there are things i love about acoustic kits (the power and feel, mostly), but electric kits are serious instruments too.

[airtricycle]

"A non-high-end electronic kit is nothing more then a toy for drummers. A non-high-end acoustic kit is still a real drum kit."

This

[sLarkin20]

But they aren't capable of doing hundreds of things better than an acoustic.

In fact, I'm not even sure they can do 10 things "better" than an acoustic.

I would only recommend an e-kit if getting an acoustic kit isn't possible, or to practice on when it's not feasible to play on an acoustic.

To reply to the topic: In addition to the Roland TD series that have already been recommended, the Yamaha DTXpress series are a very good bang for the buck. If you were to find a used mid-rangeish e-kit of either the TD series or DTXpress series, I don't think you could go wrong.

Personally, those are what I would look for in your situation.

[Talos]

Pros of an electronic drum kit:


Can trigger any sound - drum, other instrument, or sound effect.
Can use dozens of different sounds in a single song.
Easy to alter the pitch and put effects (reverbs, delays) on a sound.
Many sounds are professionally pre-EQed and compressed.
Can change sound of the kit to suit a particular song.
Quieter for practicing - can be played with headphones.
Less chance of hearing damage.
Can play in apartment or late at night.
Less amplification needed for band practice
Separate volume control for each drum.
You can play as loud as you want without feedback if you have a good monitoring system or PA.
More compact - takes up less space in the bass player's van or your room.
Lighter and more portable.
Can record a sequence on a computer.
Can store exact sounds parameters using MIDI.
Can put MIDI drum tracks online.
No hastle setting up mics for recording or gigs.
Easier to sound check at a show - no moving mics.
Can perform in quiter environments, like a church or coffee shop.
Much easier for a sound engineer to control the volume.
Easier to record - you will always get "exact" sound during different sessions.
Easy to practice along with CDs with many modules.
No broken heads (except, perhaps, with V-drums).
No tuning hastle (though you can change the pitch of each sound).
Fewer broken drumsticks.

[airtricycle]

gj.

[ace76543]

Pros of an electronic drum kit:


Can trigger any sound - drum, other instrument, or sound effect.
Can use dozens of different sounds in a single song.
Easy to alter the pitch and put effects (reverbs, delays) on a sound.
Many sounds are professionally pre-EQed and compressed.
Can change sound of the kit to suit a particular song.
Quieter for practicing - can be played with headphones.
Less chance of hearing damage.
Can play in apartment or late at night.
Less amplification needed for band practice
Separate volume control for each drum.
You can play as loud as you want without feedback if you have a good monitoring system or PA.
More compact - takes up less space in the bass player's van or your room.
Lighter and more portable.
Can record a sequence on a computer.
Can store exact sounds parameters using MIDI.
Can put MIDI drum tracks online.
No hastle setting up mics for recording or gigs.
Easier to sound check at a show - no moving mics.
Can perform in quiter environments, like a church or coffee shop.
Much easier for a sound engineer to control the volume.
Easier to record - you will always get "exact" sound during different sessions.
Easy to practice along with CDs with many modules.
No broken heads (except, perhaps, with V-drums).
No tuning hastle (though you can change the pitch of each sound).
Fewer broken drumsticks.


i would consider quite a few of those cons tbh

[sLarkin20]

Yah, me too.

I don't want to turn this into an acoustic vs electronic thread, though.

[chrisadlersidol]

yeah me either

[Retarded Chipple]

*Neither



I was watching an Omar Hakim video yesterday and he was talking about how e-kits and a-kits are almost different instruments - much like the differences between an electric and acoustic guitar. There're some things you can do on an electric that you can't do with an acoustic and vice versa.....use the differences of each tool to your advantage :)

[ace76543]

i would consider quite a few of those cons tbh

also what you're basically saying talos is that you want to hear a drum sound but you don't want to do any work at all to aquire that sound. you're lazy imo

[Disco Adult]

also what you're basically saying talos is that you want to hear a drum sound but you don't want to do any work at all to aquire that sound. you're lazy imo

so you never use elevators right, always stairs?
no power steering?
you walk instead of driving?

[Seafroggys]

so you never use elevators right, always stairs?
no power steering?
you walk instead of driving?

I try stairs as much as possible unless its a skyscraper.
My car has no power steering.
If I could walk anywhere, I would (alas I live in the country though)

[ace76543]

so you never use elevators right, always stairs?
no power steering?
you walk instead of driving?

you're just stupid as hell aren't you?

[Disco Adult]

i would consider quite a few of those cons tbh

you're just stupid as hell aren't you?

[DxRocker]

arrogance
arrogance
arrogance


Imo, some of the things you state as being 'advantages' are actually disadvantages.

For me it's really simple. The feel and groove one gets out of a real kit is impossible to reproduce on an e-kit. They've come a long way for sure, but they aren't anywhere near the responsiveness and dynamics a real kit offers you.

[an_original_name]

^^^ this. like you said, playing an electric kit just isn't the same as playing an acoustic kit. I would never play an electric kit exclusively, but adding electronics to an acoustic kit, be it an SPD-S or a few individual pads and a module, do add a lot of versatility to a drum kit, and can be very useful if you play in a band that requires a more electronic sound.

[DxRocker]

Pros of an electronic drum kit:

Let's look at this point by point.

*Can trigger any sound - drum, other instrument, or sound effect.
Triggers on an accoustic can do that to. So can a keyboard. Also liek an original name pointed out, there still is stuff like the SPD etc out there.

*Can use dozens of different sounds in a single song.
A real drum only produces one sound? And triggers can do that to.

*Easy to alter the pitch and put effects (reverbs, delays) on a sound.
Hook mics to a PA and there you go. Also triggers and tuning.

*Many sounds are professionally pre-EQed and compressed.
An all accoustics through a PA aren't?

*Can change sound of the kit to suit a particular song.
tuning, eq-ing,... and off course: overestimated

*Quieter for practicing - can be played with headphones.
agreed

*Less chance of hearing damage.
earprotection (fyi: put the volume high and this is negated)

*Can play in apartment or late at night.
you allready said this with the headphone comment. but this can be accomplished as well through soundproofing or location of your drums

*Less amplification needed for band practice
yeah, as if the guitarists will go along with that :lol: , but yeah, in theory, you are correct

*Separate volume control for each drum.
dynamics, pa, mixing

*You can play as loud as you want without feedback if you have a good monitoring system or PA.
are we still talking about electric only features?

*More compact - takes up less space in the bass player's van or your room.
Not neccissarily. a professional e-kit with amps will take about as much space as a simple 4 piece

*Lighter and more portable.
lighter - yes. more portable - not neccissarily. I move my 7pc kit with 10 cymbals into my car in 3 runs max. bags are easy

*Can record a sequence on a computer.
yeah, as we all know - it's impossible to record real drums :rolleyes:

*Can store exact sounds parameters using MIDI.
triggers can do that to. but who cares anyway, midi sucks (subjective)

*Can put MIDI drum tracks online.
yeah, it's impossible to upload mp3s

*No hastle setting up mics for recording or gigs.
no, but before you are busy for like days non-stop collecting the wanted samples and fine tuning them in terms of volume, pitch, etc etc. The sound engineer also gets an headache from your e-kit since he has no control over each individual drum, cause all you are giving him is a stereo output.

*Easier to sound check at a show - no moving mics.
as said, this is simply not true.

*Can perform in quiter environments, like a church or coffee shop.
I've done a gig or two with my e-kit. I've found that the end result wasn't all that more silent... you still need to get over the audience (unless you don't mind hearing them chatter over your music while you are playing)

*Much easier for a sound engineer to control the volume.
as said: not true, the sound engineer pretty much hates it.

*Easier to record - you will always get "exact" sound during different sessions.
For demo's, true. For real albums, you're gonna want to use your real kit, unless you don't mind that the groove doesn't hold any form of dynamics

*Easy to practice along with CDs with many modules.
I practice with play alongs all the time - with my real drums. iPod, headphones, set.

*No broken heads (except, perhaps, with V-drums).
true. only broken cables.

*No tuning hastle (though you can change the pitch of each sound).
No, only searching for samples, finetuning them and putting kits together hastle

*Fewer broken drumsticks.
i'ld still replace them once they are to dented and don't feel balanced anymore.


So to conclude, I only agree with the "silent practice" part.
For the rest, there wasn't anything on that list that I couldn't do with my accoustic kit.

I didn't want to turn this thread into another e-kit vs accoustic thingy, but I just felt compelled to reply to a bunch of arguments that made no sense imo.

E-kits have there place, but the way they are represented here is just wrong.

[an_original_name]

*Can use dozens of different sounds in a single song.
A real drum only produces one sound? And triggers can do that to.

yes an acoustic drum can create just as many (if not more) sounds than an electric one, but switching between sounds is pretty much instant on an electric kit, to change the sound of an acoustic kit you have to spend time tuning it.


*Many sounds are professionally pre-EQed and compressed.
An all accoustics through a PA aren't?

not all kits get mic'd up at gigs. I've played plenty of gigs where the drums haven't been mic'd up at all because the PA didn't have enough inputs. With an electric kit its just one cable, with acoustic kits its usualy atleast 4.

*Can record a sequence on a computer.
yeah, as we all know - it's impossible to record real drums

Recording little bits and pieces with an electric kit can be quicker and easier. it only takes 1 or 2 cables into a computer to get a decent quality recording, as a posed to half a dozen mics and a mixer for an acoustic kit.


If you have everything necessary to record/play live with acoustic drums, then that is obviously the ideal situation and you are going to achieve a better sound quality, but with electric kits costs can be minimized because you don't have to buy microphones, mixers etc.

Don't get me wrong DX, I'm with you on this one. You are right when you say that playing an acoustic is much nicer than playing an electric. I'm just pointing out that there are more pro's to an electric kit than you mentioned.

[chrisadlersidol]

you guys aren't helping
i just need to know some brands that would fit my situation

[oliv_da_skinmasher]

Yamaha:
Dtxplorer
DTXPRESSIV
DTXTREMEIII

Roland:
TD-9
TD-3
HD-1

[Carn]

i like my td9. alot.

[oliv_da_skinmasher]

I love my Yamaha DTXpressIII(discontinued now) fantastic kit.

http://i36.tinypic.com/29c6t01.jpg

[Talos]

also what you're basically saying talos is that you want to hear a drum sound but you don't want to do any work at all to aquire that sound. you're lazy imo

What? Im lazy?
But I dont have an electric kit that I use.
I dont particularly like them, I just stated the advantages. Thats all.

[ares]

I'm also looking into buying an E-kit for my apartment.

It's between the Yamaha DTXpress IV Special ($1500) or the Roland TD9S V-Tour ($1800). The Yamaha appears to have more features, but I wonder if the added quality of the Roland would make up for it costing $300 more and having one less cymbal/not real HH. I'm not incredibly interested in the sound of the units, but more in the playability/midi output (as I will be using a homemade EXS instrument in Logic to produce the sound, where I have more control over the sound of the drums and a channel per-drum). However, for practicing I still want a kit/module that sounds close enough to a real kit so as to not make my ears bleed.

any advice?

[ace76543]

you're just stupid as hell aren't you?

wow what an intelligent and witty comeback. my hat is off to you.

we use cars and elevators and stuff to get where we NEED to go. drumming is a hobby, which means it's something you enjoy. if you don't enjoy the fine tuning of an acoustic drumset to the point that you buy an electric set, drumming isn't for you. now kindly STFU and go back to your hole

[oliv_da_skinmasher]

No point tryin Ace. Despite the fact YOU are right

I'm also looking into buying an E-kit for my apartment.

It's between the Yamaha DTXpress IV Special ($1500) or the Roland TD9S V-Tour ($1800). The Yamaha appears to have more features, but I wonder if the added quality of the Roland would make up for it costing $300 more and having one less cymbal/not real HH. I'm not incredibly interested in the sound of the units, but more in the playability/midi output (as I will be using a homemade EXS instrument in Logic to produce the sound, where I have more control over the sound of the drums and a channel per-drum). However, for practicing I still want a kit/module that sounds close enough to a real kit so as to not make my ears bleed.

any advice?

Go Yammie. I love mine and mine is a 'lower' line that the xpress IV

[shadowswithin]

is there any way to buy an e kit without a module, as a keyboardist i already have tons of sounds i can use, i just want the kit.

[oliv_da_skinmasher]

You can buy all the pads separate. But I dunno if you can buy like a full set just without a module

[shadowswithin]

yeah nvm was looking at them more closely and you would need one regardless.

[oliv_da_skinmasher]

Can run them thru a laptop can't you?

[ace76543]

http://synesthesiacorp.com/

you can run those off a laptop. if there was ever a time where i would get an e drum, it would be that one

[Carn]

I'm also looking into buying an E-kit for my apartment.

It's between the Yamaha DTXpress IV Special ($1500) or the Roland TD9S V-Tour ($1800). The Yamaha appears to have more features, but I wonder if the added quality of the Roland would make up for it costing $300 more and having one less cymbal/not real HH. I'm not incredibly interested in the sound of the units, but more in the playability/midi output (as I will be using a homemade EXS instrument in Logic to produce the sound, where I have more control over the sound of the drums and a channel per-drum). However, for practicing I still want a kit/module that sounds close enough to a real kit so as to not make my ears bleed.

any advice?

I can only vouch for the TD9, but so far its been excellent. I`m also going to hook it up through a midi-interface into Superior2.0, but the sounds out of the box are excellent. If you cant live with the hihat you can also add the VH-11. If you want to know anything in particular, feel free to ask!

[Carn]

http://synesthesiacorp.com/

you can run those off a laptop. if there was ever a time where i would get an e drum, it would be that one

creepy price, good stuff tho.

You can run any trigger through a laptop as long as you have a midi interface.

[DxRocker]

Don't get me wrong DX, I'm with you on this one. You are right when you say that playing an acoustic is much nicer than playing an electric. I'm just pointing out that there are more pro's to an electric kit than you mentioned.

I know very well that the points made were relatively valid. I just don't like that these points are used as arguments as to why an e-kit should be "better" then an acoustic one. That's retarded.

It's "different" at most. Nobody is going to use a drumkit in a studio, because it's "easier" or "faster" to record or "easy to fold up". When they use an e-kit, it's because they want e-sounds, that's all. If all you want is a normal drumsound, then no drummer in his right mind is going to use anything else then... a real drumsound.

It's impossible to compare the two because, imo, they're not even the same instrument. They feel different, they require a different approach, they require different knowledge, etc... (at least, if you want to use them to the fullest).

When it comes to the art of drumming itself, I'ld say that an e-kit is not good at all. Here it was stated as an advantage that you always get an impeccable sound. That is a disadvantage when looked at from a drummer's view point.

Getting an impeccable sound usually requires great knowledge of the drums and great technique. Why is it that a stupid rockbeat played by Vinni C sounds heaps better compared to a stupid rockbeat most of us would be playing on the exact same gear, while you would barely hear the difference on an e-kit...

That's where your actual drumskills come in. Your feel, your perfection of hitting that head/hat in the same place with same amount of force over and over again. On most e-kits, it doesn't even matter where you hit, it will trigger that impeccable sound anyway.

On my TD6, you can even trigger the snare sound by hitting the rack with your foot if you set the trigger sensitive enough and I can only assume that goes for all e-kits.

If you do a roll around the toms and you get more rims then anything else, it will sound like crap on a real set. On an e-kit though... it will simply trigger all toms and it will sound ok.

So e-kits... yes, they certainly have their place in the music buzz. But... as a drummer, you NEED a real kit to develop your techniqe. No amount of electronics can ever replace that.

[chrisadlersidol]

u guys, seriously, i don't care what your opinion on weather electric kits are better then acustic kits, i moving into an apartment so i gotta get an electric kit
i'll still have my acustic set at my parents house but for now i need to know some models that are fairly cheap but wont crap out in 6 months

[Carn]

i need to know some models that are fairly cheap but wont crap out in 6 months

the lower end Roland/Yamaha kits.

[Talos]

Youve asked that question loads and theres loads of answers.
Why dont you read the whole thread?

[Futuro]

I can only vouch for the TD9, but so far its been excellent. I`m also going to hook it up through a midi-interface into Superior2.0, but the sounds out of the box are excellent. If you cant live with the hihat you can also add the VH-11. If you want to know anything in particular, feel free to ask!

word thats what i have been doing with it

superior 2 is friggin sweeeeet

http://www.box.net/shared/7ebvkjckco thats a shitty pt cover i did I recorded into reaper and added comp and EQ but man they sound great without it

[dairyairman]

i also own a yamaha dtxpress III and use it for practice just about every day. i've had it for a couple years now. it may not be the equal of the nicer roland kits, but it's been fine for me. i would be dead in the water without it or some kind of e-kit because of noise issues.