Reddit mentions: The best electronic drums
We found 126 Reddit comments discussing the best electronic drums. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 59 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. Alesis Drums Nitro Mesh Kit | Eight Piece All Mesh Electronic Drum Kit With Super Solid Aluminum Rack, 385 Sounds, 60 Play Along Tracks, Connection Cables, Drum Sticks & Drum Key included
- Feel The Difference Mesh Makes – All mesh electronic drum Kit heads deliver the most realistic, responsive and immersive playing experience drummers demand
- Premium Eight-Piece Drumset - 8 Inch dual-zone snare pad, (3) 8 Inch tom drums and (3) 10 Inch cymbals: ride cymbal, hi-hat, crash w/choke
- In-Demand Sound - Nitro Drum Module with 40 ready-to-play classic and modern drumkits, 60 play-along tracks and 350 plus expertly curated Acoustic / Electric drumset sounds
- Powerful Educational Features - 60 built-in play-along tracks, sequencer, metronome, Aux input and performance recorder help to hone and develop your drum skills
- Everything You Need - 4-post aluminium rack, connection cables, drum sticks, drum key and power supply included
- Interactive Drum Set Lessons Included - 60 Free Virtual Lessons from Melodics to hone your skills for any genre or technique you want to master
Features:
Specs:
Height | 43 Inches |
Length | 24 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | June 2018 |
Size | Nitro Mesh Kit |
Weight | 29.541943108 Pounds |
Width | 38 Inches |
2. Alesis DM6 USB Kit | Eight-Piece Compact Beginner Electronic Drum Set with 8" Snare, 8" Toms, & 12" Cymbals
- Realistic-feeling full electronic drumset, includes DM6 drum module "brain" and everything you need to get started
- Headphone and amplifier outputs to practice quietly or jam out live; USB-MIDI output for sending MIDI data to virtual instruments & software on your computer
- Contains 108 top-notch drum, cymbal, and percussion sounds with aux input for practicing with an external audio source
- Includes kick, snare, (3) tom, (2) cymbals and a hi-hat pad, kick pedal & hi-hat controller
- Dual-zone 8" snare pad expands expressive playing freedom with multiple sounds per pad
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 13 Inches |
Length | 33.8 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | September 2009 |
Weight | 37 Pounds |
Width | 22.4 Inches |
3. Roland Electronic Drum Set (TD-11KV)
Supernatural-enhanced sound engine with Behavior Modeling provides an expressive and natural drumming experienceDiverse sound library covers a wide variety of musical genres for performance and practiceProfessionally recorded backing songs onboard, ideal for play-along practice and performancePracti...
4. Alesis DM6 Nitro Kit | Eight-Piece Compact Beginner Electronic Drum Set with 8" Snare, 8" Toms, & 12" Cymbals
- Full-size electronic drum kit
- Upgraded "brain" and drum pads for higher sound quality over standard DM6, with built-in tools for practicing skills
- USB MIDI connection for sound recording and virtual-instrument control on computers and mobile devices
- Headphone jack for private practice, and stereo outs to connect to a PA system, amplifier, or recording console
- 8” rubber drum pads with dual-zone snare and three single-zone toms; kick pad tower with bass drum pedal included; three 12” cymbals for ride cymbal, hi-hat, crash play
Features:
Specs:
Height | 2.05 Inches |
Length | 33.46 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | August 2016 |
Size | -inch |
Width | 12.6 Inches |
5. ddrum DDTi Drum Pad and Trigger Interface
- A simple way to convert your drum pads or triggers into MIDI with 10 TRS trigger inputs to accommodate single- or dual-zone triggers
- Multiple hi-hat control options let you get the expression you need, and customizable trigger settings let you define the feel of your drums
- USB output lets you control your virtual instrument drums
- MIDI output provides connectivity with hardware drum modules and synths
- Easy user interface makes creating and editing user setups painless, and 20 programmable presets allow you to store and recall your setups
- Works as an input expander with virtually any drum module, and it is velocity sensitive for expressive control
- Works plug-and-play with Mac and PC with no extra software drivers needed
Features:
Specs:
Color | Natural |
Height | 18 Inches |
Length | 6 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | -inch |
Weight | 1.5 Pounds |
Width | 9 Inches |
6. Alesis DM10 Studio Kit | Ten-Piece Professional Electronic Drum Set with Black Aluminum StageRack (Mylar Drum Pads)
- Premium electronic drumset featuring DM10 "brain" suited for live performance and quiet practice
- Accesses more than 1,000 built-in sounds of diverse genres, re-assignable and sensitive to force of drum strike
- High-definition sound library of uncompressed samples, expandable via USB/MIDI for controlling software instruments and modules
- RealHead snare, tom and kick pads use mylar heads for authentic sticking and rebound
- NOTE: Kick pedal sold separately
Features:
Specs:
Color | Aluminum Rack |
Height | 12.75 Inches |
Length | 23 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | February 2010 |
Size | Standard Pads |
Weight | 70.4 Pounds |
Width | 47 Inches |
7. Alesis DM8 USB Kit DM8 high-definition drum module with over 750 Dynamic Articulation(TM) sounds
Low-noise, natural-feeling rubber pads: dual-zone Snare with rimshot and three Toms with natural feelLarge Kick works with single and double pedals (sold separately)Large dual-zone Ride with bell and bow, Crash with choke, and Hi-Hat with continuous-control pedal
Specs:
Height | 23 Inches |
Length | 47 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | February 2011 |
Weight | 65 Pounds |
Width | 13 Inches |
8. Roland TD-1DMK Dual-Mesh Kit Entry-Level V-Drums Set
- Kit includes Kick, Snare, Hi-hat, Hi-hat control pedal, Tom x 3, Crash, Ride, Drum stand. Other accessories such as kick pedal and personal drum monitor are sold separately.
- Size (Including sound module, kick pad, kick pedal and drum throne): 47-1/4" W x 43-5/16" D x 47-1/4" H | Weight: 17.8 kg
- Dual-ply mesh heads with tension adjustability for a quiet and realistic drumming experience
- Built-in metronome with adjustable tempo and timing settings to help improve timing
- 256 notes of polyphony
- 15 preset drum kits with authentic, expressive drum sounds for accurate and true-to-life drumming
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 15.8661417161 Inches |
Length | 34.5275590199 Inches |
Weight | 54 Pounds |
Width | 19.68503935 Inches |
9. Kat Percussion KTMP1 Electronic Drum and Percussion Pad Sound Module
Compact and affordable electronic drum and percussion instrumentFour velocity-sensitive pads50 High quality drum and percussion soundsTwo additional inputs for hi-hat controller pedal and bass drum triggerUSB/MIDI Connectivity
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 16 Inches |
Length | 27 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | -inch |
Weight | 4.14 Pounds |
Width | 13 Inches |
10. Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite Electronic Drums
- Jam with your favorite songs via the MP3 player input!
- Instructional DVD included w/beginning tips
- Easy set-up and operation
- Great sounds with a variety of kits
- Included DVD has set up instructions and drum tips
Features:
Specs:
Height | 17 Inches |
Length | 41 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | October 2008 |
Width | 23 Inches |
11. Universal 3-pin CPU Speed Reducer PVC Cable Cord for Electric Fan
- New TheraPearl Color Changing Hot + Cold packs feature TheraPearl ColorSmart Technology with pearls that visibly change colors when hot or cold, the pearls turn white when hot and purple when cold
- Reusable hot and cold pack is perfect for relief of ankle sprains, knee injuries, elbow pain, and more
- Hot and cold compress with gel pearls that conveniently hold temperature for the doctor-recommended time of approximately 20 minutes
- Place gel pack in microwave for 20-40 seconds for heat therapy or place in freezer for at least 2 hours for a cold therapeutic pain relief experience, refer to microwave instructions chart
- Non-toxic, non-latex, BPA-free, and phthalate-free, pack measures 11" x 4.5", 18" long with elastic strap
Features:
Specs:
Color | White9 |
12. AKG Drum Set Session 1 Drum Mic Pack (1x P2, 4X P4, 2X P17)
1 x P2 bass drum microphone2 x P17 for overheads4 x P4 for toms and snareMicrophones optimally tuned to work in harmony
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 8 Inches |
Length | 18 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 7.275254646 Pounds |
Width | 14 Inches |
13. BOSS Electronic Drum Set (TD-30KV)
- Flagship V-Drums with advanced sensing technology and SuperNATURAL sounds
- Expressive and accurate playability produced by Behavior Modeling
- Professional V-Edit mode for customizing sounds
- Solid stage set with metallic gray and black-chrome color finish
- Hi-hat Stand, Hi-Hat Pedal, Kick Pedal and Snare Stand are not included
Features:
Specs:
Color | White |
Height | 25 Inches |
Length | 40 Inches |
Size | large |
Weight | 168.92 Pounds |
Width | 18 Inches |
14. Yamaha 4 Pad Digital Drum Machine
Yamaha digtal drum touch sensitive
Specs:
Height | 7 Inches |
Length | 18 Inches |
Weight | 7 Pounds |
Width | 2 Inches |
15. Alesis Sample Pad 4 | Compact Percussion and Sample Triggering Instrument with 4 Velocity Sensitive Pads, 25 Drum Sounds and SD/SDHC Card Slot
- Expand Your Performance - Add any sound sample to your drum or percussion setup via standard SD card
- In-Demand Sound - Built-in library of the 25 most-commonly requested percussion and electronic drum sounds mapped across 8 ready-to-play kits
- Designed for Maximum Creative Expression - Four velocity-sensitive pads and a dual trigger input for expanded performance potential
- Shape your Sound - Tune and add reverb to your sounds, then assign them to any of the four pads or the kick input
- The Centrepiece of Your Performance - MIDI output for use as a controller for triggering sound modules and software
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 2.5 Inches |
Length | 7.5 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | January 2022 |
Size | 4-pad |
Weight | 2.55 Pounds |
Width | 10.25 Inches |
16. Alesis DMPad 16-Inch Ride Electronic Drum Pad Black
- Multiple triggering zones for up to three different sounds at the bow, bell, and edge
- Grab the edge to stop the cymbal sound
- Natural-feeling rubber cymbal pad
- Realistic cymbal movement
- Almost none of the noise of an acoustic cymbal
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 16.3 Inches |
Length | 16.5 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | -inch |
Width | 2 Inches |
17. Alesis RealHead 10" Dual-Zone Pad
- Velocity sensitive drum pad with real mylar drumhead and triple flanged hoopDual zone sensing enables triggering sounds from the head and and rimWorks with virtually all epercussion including DM10, DM5, TriggerIO and ControlPadHead tension can be adjusted with a standard drum key, and the head is replaceable with any standard 10” head
- Velocity sensitive drum pad with real mylar drumhead and triple flanged hoop
- Dual zone sensing enables triggering sounds from the head and and rim
- Works with virtually all epercussion including DM10, DM5, TriggerIO and ControlPad
- Head tension can be adjusted with a standard drum key, and the head is replaceable with any standard 10” head
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 2.8 Inches |
Length | 11 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | October 2010 |
Size | -inch |
Weight | 2.8 Pounds |
Width | 13 Inches |
18. Alesis DM10 (Module) | High-Definition Electronic Drum Module with Dynamic Articulation
- 12 trigger inputs
- Top-panel mixer for balancing drums, cymbals, and accompaniment levels
- Compatible with most electronic drum pads, cymbals, triggers, and controllers
- Premium instrument library multi-sampled from real drums and cymbals
- Dynamic Articulation changes sounds' character along with dynamics for realism
Features:
Specs:
Color | Blk/Sliver |
Height | 2.25 Inches |
Length | 7 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | February 2010 |
Size | -inch |
Weight | 2.5 Pounds |
Width | 12 Inches |
19. Spectrum AIL 602 7-Pad Digital Drum Set with Adjustable Stand, Pedals, Sticks and AC Adapter
Seven Fully Assignable Pads, with 215 Voices, 20 Preset Kits, 10 User Kits & 1 Demo SongIncludes Heavy Duty Height Adjustable Drum Stand. Suitable for Sitting or Standing Play. Angle Adjustable, Double Braced with Non-skid Rubber Feet. Drum Throne Not IncludedAccessories Include AC Adaptor, Drum Sti...
Specs:
Color | Silver |
Height | 21 Inches |
Length | 25 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | October 2010 |
Size | -inch |
Weight | 1 Pounds |
Width | 7 Inches |
20. Rhythm Pick
Sold IndividuallyMade in the USA
Specs:
Color | black |
Height | 2 Inches |
Length | 3 Inches |
Weight | 0.06 pounds |
Width | 2 Inches |
🎓 Reddit experts on electronic drums
The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where electronic drums are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Haha, yep that's me! Really into Melee, and I'm studying Audio at OU.
SO there's a whole lot you can do with a $1.5-2k budget. Most of my recommendations are going to focus on microphones, but if you're not trying to do that much recording, you can discard that advice and spend more budget on keys and synthesizers—however, making your own samples and working with them can be pretty cool, fun, and very professional-sounding. I'm speaking from already deep into this rabbit hole, so note my bias. BUT! For that budget you can basically get a near-professional quality mini-studio's worth of gear, if you so choose.
In my opinion, if you're just starting out, Piracy can save you a lot of cash that you can better put towards your gear. If your budget is ~1.5k, I would say pirate Logic Pro if you have a Mac machine, or Ableton/Adobe Audition if you have a Windows machine (PM me if you'd like ;) ). You don't really need all of NI Komplete when you're starting out, especially if you get Logic Pro, because they have a LOT of built in instruments. Also, NI packages can be piratable too. This is all assuming, of course that you're comfortable with pirating software, I understand if you're not, but it can save some cash, and you don't really need a license until you start making real good stuff that you plan on selling/making a business out of.
As far as gear is concerned, if you're serious about recording you might outgrow your Scarlett pretty fast, since it only has 2 mic preamps. You might want to consider a TASCAM 16x08 or a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20. These will let you handle 8 microphones at the same time, which means you can also get a mic kit for your drums. This will get you the absolute best sound out of your drums (provided you learn to use them properly, of course). Learning how to mic drums is a really cool process and there's a lot of room for really making it your own and experimenting with different techniques.
As far as drum mics go, you have cheapest quality at Pyle Pro Mic Kit, Medium Quality at CAD Audio Mic Kit, High Quality at AKG Mic Kit, and professional quality with an Audix DP7 Mic Kit. Even with these, you're still going to want something versatile too.
If you want to also sample some stuff IRL or record other instruments, then get one or two good Dynamic Mics to handle Vocals, Guitar cabs, or wind instruments. You're spot on with the Shure SM57, that thing is a swiss army knife of a microphone and is nearly indestructible. You probably can't go wrong with a matching pair, but you could also go for a SM57 and a Sennheiser e609 to cover all your bases, as the e609 will probably sound better on a guitar cab if you're looking to record guitars.
Okay, now MIDI! The Akai Pro MPK Mini II is a good bet and will definitely do all that you need it to, but if you find yourself needing more keys, there are some good midi controllers out there for just about the same price, for example an M-Audio Controller. It doesn't have as many programmable knobs, but that shouldn't matter unless you're using it to control a software synthesizer, and you need to utilize cutoff, attack, resonance, etc. on the fly. If you're really set on electronic music, then the Akai may be right up your alley, since these knobs will give you more control over your tone.
Aside from that, if you have these tools you can do nearly anything. Check out YouTube tutorials, learn how to use a sampler, learn what the different knobs on a synth do, and get some basic production background and get started! Experimenting in a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is really fun, so I think the best thing you can do when you're starting of is mess around and see what you can do. Best of luck, let me know if you have any questions.
I try to chime in on any digital drum related questions -- particularly for folks like you that are working with a smaller budget. I've owned and played electronic drums in some form or fashion for 20 years, starting with one of these.
The Roland kit you linked is certainly a contender for the price range you're in. You really can't go "wrong" with anything in Roland's current offerings, so there's some peace of mind with the TD1-KV. That said, I would strongly encourage you to give Yamaha's DTX line a look. In my opinion, Yamaha's entry/starter level kits are a much better value than Roland's, while Roland is the unquestioned leader in the higher-end/professional level kits.
The Yamaha DTX450K appears to be the same price as the TD1-KV (at least in USD), and lends itself to a more traditional arrangement of that pads. More importantly -- in my opinion -- is that it comes with a true bass drum pad and real bass drum pedal (same type that is used on acoustic kits). They are one of the more popular, longstanding options for entry-level e-drumsets, so you should be able to find a decent used selection to save money (these things are bulletproof, it takes a lot to damage them). I really can't stress enough how important this is to a new drummer -- the spring'd bounce of a real bass drum pedal is a fundamental facet of developing muscle memory and building dynamic range. To be frank, the flat, hi-hat-like bass pedal on the Roland is an absolute deal-breaker for me.
As you can probably tell by now, I can go on, and on, and on about this stuff. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions! I've owned two DTX kits (currently still banging away on one!), so I have a pretty good feel for their capabilities and all that.
You know, the thing is, this isn't a musical instrument, it's a toy. It's kind of like one of those teddy bears, where you pull a string, and it says "Hello". He would probably be amused by it, and would think that you were very thoughtful, but I don't see him actually seeing it as a musical instrument.
If you decide that you'd rather want a real musical instrument, there are some options:
If your price range tops out at the ~$60 the roll up drum mat would cost, then you can maybe get a cheap cajon, something like this. It won't be professional grade, but it will be a reasonably versatile instrument. This is probably something like the drum equivalent of the acoustic guitar one would play next to a campfire. If he's the tinkerer / DIY-er type, maybe a "make your own cajon kit" is an option too.
If you are willing to stretch the budget to a bit over $100, then you could obviously afford a much better cajon, but also some sample pads start to come into the picture. The KAT KTMP-1 is reasonably well regarded, and pretty cheap. It can be extended with a kcik pedal, and a hi-hat controller, so it can somewhat feel like playing a drumset. There are some other options, like this one from Alesis but those are starting to get expensive. Some drummers actually use sample pads as part of their acoustic setup for additional effects, so something like this is not necessarily just a temporary thing until he gets a kit, but maybe something that would see some use even in conjunction with a kit.
I'm not the OP, but I'm pretty happy with my DM10. The brain module is alright for the price and it's compatible with sampling programs like Superior Drummer 2.0 and AddictiveDrums. The mylar heads are also replaceable with mesh heads to make the whole kit a lot more quiet and responsive. If you're interested I can link the DIY mesh head conversion I used.
Edit: you can buy individual Alesis components of Amazon, but by the time you buy the brain, shells, cymbals and rack you may be better off buying a pre assembled kit.
This drum pad looks pretty good, looked through the reviews and while it's not really professional grade, it seems good for casual usage and practicing. Pre-owned there's currently one available for $135. Alternately if you need something cheaper you can get a roll-up drum pad for $40 though never having used one I can't really say how good they are, so it's worth checking reviews on various websites. If you can it'd be better to put more money into your purchase and get something that will last longer, but I understand since you want to do this in the course of this year you might want to get something cheaper since it will be quicker to save up for.
If you can't find anything suitable online, try local pawn shops or second hand instrument shops. If you go into a store, see what they have in stock and then go back and research it to make sure it isn't awful. There's plenty of crappy instruments for sale lol. Second hand instrument stores often have higher quality products but for a higher price than a pawn shop. Pawn shops aren't always aware of what they're selling so can occasionally sell things for very good prices without even realising what a bargain they've made. Because the staff are (usually) not music specialists it's more likely you will buy something faulty from a pawn shop so make sure the instrument is in a good condition before buying and test out every last thing, as the staff may not have done that themselves.
Is it easy to do? Yes. Is it a good idea for the structure and tuning of the heads? Probably not. Like I said, there are other ways to mute your drums aside from using mesh heads. Another redditor suggested simply throwing towels on.
If you're looking for that bouncy feel of a real or mesh head, however, and don't want to risk your normal heads... I would suggest maybe building a practice pad kit. This is an assembly of practice pads arranged like a normal drum set. And it's not that expensive, only difficult to build (unless somebody has made a rack/stand specifically for it recently). This can be very cost efficient however, as practice pads are cheap especially if you get used ones which should be in good shape because they're built to be abused.
So you could buy these: https://www.amazon.com/Tosnail-12-inch-Silent-Drum-Practice/dp/B01FQG9M88/ref=sr_1_5?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1502919371&sr=1-5&keywords=practice%2Bpad&th=1
And have it look like this: https://d1aeri3ty3izns.cloudfront.net/media/20/200743/1200/preview.jpg
That said, it sounds like electronic kit is a good option for you depending on your budget. So you can find a used kit like this: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/msg/d/electric-drum-set-roland-td-6/6258682324.html
Or a brand new one for a pretty penny like this: https://www.amazon.com/Roland-TD-11KV-S-V-Compact-Electronic-Drum/dp/B00AKQVUSA
Just make sure to get one with mesh heads, not the rubber/plastic heads.
I don't know about the pro, i bought this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NMN8MS/ref=pe_175190_21431760_cs_sce_3p_dp_1
It's... okay
I've been drumming for about 6 years on a Pearl Export EX kit, not the nicest in the world but it uses real heads and so the sticks bounce on them as they would any other drum set. I bought the DM8 when i moved into an apartment building. I had a feeling it wasn't going to be as nice as some of the other electronic kits i've tried at Guitar Center, but the few reviews i could find seemed like it would be a fairly good purchase. But i just can't enjoy the feel to the bounce of the DM8 pads. It's just too much and i can't play for more than 30 minutes without feeling underwhelmed by the whole set up.
The way the hi-hats react to the pedal is kind of a joke, the pads don't register my hits fairly often, the ride has trouble differentiating when i hit the bell, and worst of all, i've had two pads fall apart on me with only moderate use, probably less than 10 hours of play. The pads are poorly constructed, the actual sensor is just stuck on to the plastic mounting plate with a little glue. Oh, and the hardware for the actual stand is held together by plastic clamps that have trouble clamping firmly enough to keep everything in place.
Things i did like: Some of the drum sounds it has built in sound pretty nice. It's fun to hook up an mp3 player to the AUX In and play along to songs. It hooks up easily to my mac and garage band. It was easy to assemble and set up.
Are there problems for lefty drummers and e-kits and RB4? Someone tell me if I'm missing something but if there is I would assume they would be fixed in a patch or with the new adapter being made. As long as you have the proper setup and midi note assignments on your brain module (for whatever kit you get) I'd assume you'd be fine. I'm a lefty but I play open handed, so my drums are setup as righty and I don't play lefty flip on drums (only guitar).
The type of kit you'd want depends on how much you're willing to spend. If you want it to last a while, and you're serious about playing I'd recommend spending at least 700 dollars on a good solid kit. You get what you pay for, and Roland and Pearl are considered good brands to stick by. The Roland TD-11K and TD-11KV wouldn't be bad choices. There's also cheaper choices if you're not willing to spend as much. Just be warned, the pads may be not as good quality the less you spend. If you're a heavy hitter like me, and you spend 400 bucks on a kit like I did, you're going to have to replace pads later on.
Hello! Happy non-busy season to you!
Favorite thing I've done thus far, my best friend and I went on an all-day adventure and visited 6 guitar stores on a whim. =)
Thing.
I personally use an old TD-20 module I bought off craigslist for super cheap (but only as a midi interface), but if I hadn't gotten such a deal on that I would have gone with this guy since it does exactly what I need:
https://www.amazon.com/Ddrum-DDTI-ddrum-Trigger-Interface/dp/B00IQ7PYG4
Over time I just kept adding more toms and cymbals to my e-kit as I got extra cash. The mesh head Roland toms feel the best, but they can be pricey. I'd recommend buying used mesh toms off of ebay if you like that, but don't buy used e-cymbals since people really beat those things up.
This approach is also nice because you're not locked in to any particular vendor since you're "rolling your own" kit.
A really good bang for your buck kit for me has been the Alesis DM10. LINK
You can get it with mesh heads (I have the mylar and they are a bit louder) for $1000. The drum brain is probably not quite on par with Roland's much more expensive offerings, but I've never had any issue with it and think it sounds great. The one thing I wish it had is an articulating hi-hat, but realistically I don't mind the stationary one at all.
I have used the MIDI adapter to play Rock Band 3 with it, and it works well, although from what I understand the adapter will not work with Rock Band 4.
I mean, a DTXplorer isn't top of the line (that would probably be this) but it doesn't seem bad as far electronic drums go. There are always drum / cymbal mutes for acoustic sets: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Firth-Prepack-Inches-Hi-hat/dp/B000SSMJG2/ although Silentstroke heads are probably even quieter. The best thing to convince your parents would be to get someone like a drum teacher to explain to them the benefits of learning on acoustic drums.
I know if you put acoustic drums in a basement, they won't be that loud throughout the rest of your house (although this can depend on the basement too, lol).
At 7v the fan is fully silent but running at 600rpm so it doesn't move enough air to cool unfortunately.
I've seen better fan speed reducer cables like this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-3-pin-Speed-Reducer-Electric/dp/B00EAH16UC/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt
But if I knew what ohms resister to use to reach 9v it would be much easier to just clip a wire and sleeve over it.
Im on the same predicament, only that i've already have the ION from last gen, but i've always wnated to improve my drumset.
Im looking a couple of sets, but my apartment is not that big and also dont want to make a lot of noise, but one my goals is to take the drum experience further. The sets i got an eye on are these:
Alesis Nitro Mesh: https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Electronic-Snare-Cymbals/dp/B07BW1XJGP/ref=pd_cp_267_1/142-3492387-8206218?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07BW1XJGP&pd_rd_r=70cc95cd-697d-4cb0-8356-f0d6fcc4365d&pd_rd_w=nJSw9&pd_rd_wg=s93xL&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=Z9QA2P70Q7CS7Z7HAE9J&psc=1&refRID=Z9QA2P70Q7CS7Z7HAE9J
Roland V (TD-1DMK): https://www.amazon.com/ROLAND-Electronic-Drum-Set-TD-1DMK/dp/B07HC2ZMN4/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_267_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=D9YP1V1YT394Q2VZ39N7
I'd like that you guys, with a vast experience in playing RB with an e-kit, could point wich one would you pick, with con's and pro's if possible.
Thanks!
Ok, just as a starting point and over budget at $349USD (assuming you're in the US):
https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-All-Mesh-Electronic-Connection-Included/dp/B07BW1XJGP/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1535763724&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=alesis+nitro&dpPl=1&dpID=41GsMgTa16L&ref=plSrch
You can probably get cheaper Alesis Nitro kits which are non-mesh and also start looking down the second hand path. I would say stretch and get a mesh kit because is quieter and worse case you can sell it for a small loss if you're that disappointed with the whole setup, which I doubt will happen. I reckon any person will improve 10% straight away with an ekit vs a toy kit because of better kick drum, responsiveness and adjustability of position of the kit. I spent heaps on the Alesis Surge Mesh never having players drums and only just started on Rock Band and about four months in I'm super happy and even spent more buying new drumsticks, double kick pedals and other stuff. I love it, and any mistakes when I play are now mine and not the equipment.
Is that too expensive or are you thinking something cheaper?
No, both E-kits. There's the original Alesis Nitro, which has four legs and 10" cymbals, and which we have.
There's also the Alesis DM6 Nitro which only has two legs, but has 12" cymbals. AFAIK, they have the same brain and everything else as the original Nitro, just the cymbals and stand are different.
To me, I'd think the stability of four legs would outweigh 2" bigger cymbals. Just wondering if there was any advantage. I guess I could see how it could matter for the drums as far as hit space, and maybe for mesh heads, the rebound would be different. (My son is the main drummer, I'm just lucky to have the Nitro instead of the stock kit when I do play. I wouldn't have bought it just for me, but playing both, even I can tell it's a lot better.)
Well I've played the Roland V-Drums with the mesh heads, and hey are really cool. You have to have a real kick pedal on the ones I've seen. They have this new compact all-in-one system that looks pretty neat.
http://www.amazon.com/Roland-HD-1-V-Drums-Electronic-Drums/dp/B000UJH2HA
You could probably keep that, and augment a "real kit" in the future.
Thanks for your thoughts. When you say a MIDI interface, do you mean something like this:
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https://smile.amazon.com/ddrum-DDTi-Drum-Trigger-Interface/dp/B00IQ7PYG4/ref=sr_1_47?keywords=drum+midi&qid=1555278081&s=gateway&sr=8-47
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I was planning on getting something like that so I can have more inputs for sounds with some of the PD-7s or PD-9s that came with my deal. But otherwise, I'm just going to plug my TD-10 into a computer with a MIDI/USB cable for the software you mention. It is definitely in the plans, but I've focused on setting up Phase Shift first so I can start playing some songs. The learning curve has been steep, but I think I've got it all set up.
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I've also started the restoration of one of the PD-120's. I may be done with some pictures tomorrow....
Well, I'm done with this thread!
Thanks to ThatDrummerGuy, I began to heavily lean towards the Alesis DM8 because of the more versatile cymbals. The other major factor: I found a pretty killer deal on them: $379 from Amazon.com. Even combined with the pedal I purchased (Pearl 900, seems popular, solid), it was less expensive than the DM6 from the cheapest Canadian vendor. It did need to be shipped to a US address, but that's not all that far from me, especially given the $200 price difference (provided I don't get nailed on duty!).
I appreciate everyone's input and will let you know how I adjust :)
I've been using the Alesis DM6 USB (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C4SM5W) for about 6 months and I'm pretty happy with it. I'd recommend it as a solid beginner/intermediate set.
I bought myself an Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit a few months back and I've been loving it. I play it way more frequently than I did my acoustic kit and I've yet to have my neighbors come over and bitch about the noise! It has its flaws to be sure, but all in all it's a great kit for the money.
I found the Alesis Nitro Kit and the Alesis DM6 for $275 and $300 respectively.
They're slightly less than Amazon price. But there's nothing else under $400 on my local Craigslist and $400 is the max I wanna spend until I know I'm going to stick with it.
Do you have any recommendations on either of those or any others around $300-$400 that will give me the best value?
Do you have an Xbox One or PS4? Its easier with a PS4 because you have to buy an Xbox wired adapter to play an e-kit in Rock Band 4
https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-DM6-Nitro-Kit-Eight-Piece/dp/B01ELETH4A/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523545678&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=el%3Bectronic+drum+set+alesis
This is a basic set which is pretty equivalent to the Ions
400 dollars wont get you anything great but this one isnt too bad.
https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Electronic-Snare-Cymbals/dp/B07BW1XJGP/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=electric+drum+set&qid=1571062145&sprefix=electric+drum&sr=8-3
You can also check your local music store for something you like.
Last month I ordered the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit from Amazon. I think the kit was $350, but I ordered a throne, small amp (which I don’t need), iPhone aux cord, and nice headphones to go with it, so my total was closer to $450.
Amazon had a payment plan for the kit itself where I pay like $60 a month for 6 months.
It’s not the greatest quality set by any means, but it does the job and sounds fairly reasonable. It comes with most everything you need (except headphones and throne). All pedals are included.
Alesis Nitro Mesh (Amazon)
The problem with a drumkit that has mesh heads costs upwards of $1500. (Rolands V-Drum cheapest all mesh kit is the TD11KV) which no parent would buy their child starting out with drums. Even used will set you back 800-900 bucks alone (add to that a throne and kick pedal and you're easily in the ballpark of $1000)
You see - when you are a beginner you need mainly to practice on stick technique, tempo keeping, proper hitting and hand coordination. All that you can get from one practice pad. Spending a minimum of $1000 on a used V-Drum to practice the basic fundamentals is kind of a waste. Don't get me wrong - an all-mesh V-Drumkit is awesome (I have one myself) but it's kind of like buying a kid a Hummer when all they need is a bike with support wheels to learn how to bike. It's pretty much overkill and overpriced for its intended purpose.
As for not making little noise - you are incorrect. Even an all-mesh V-drum kit will make significant noise - unless you spend even more money on things such as acoustic noise dampening isolation like the ND-01 costs $100 alone. - Again, I own these myself.
And no - you cannot always sell drum stuff for the intended price. There's never a 100% guarantee you'll be able to sell whatever drum hardware you bought.
I started out with 2 practice pads - one snare and one kick in the late 80's and I ended up continuing playing the drums for over 20 years.
In your situation i would look into a possible upgrade. roland has come out with a new kit this year called TD-1DMK. it's the cheapest roland set i've seen that has all mesh heads and it supports a double pedal. running around $700 you get some great upgrades from your HD-1 and way more functionality. I know money is an issue for some and im sorry the HD-1 doesn't have the functionality you're looking for. TD-1DMK
I got a KTMP1 a while back. It really sucks for soft playing (skips a lot of hits) but it is just great for simply triggering samples and stuff. Maybe not what you are looking for velocity-wise though.
that's a lot of horse power dude. I wouldn't spend over $500, especially if it's unclear if your son will be into it. Just make sure whatever you get has midi out. This set looks like a decent compromise https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BW1XJGP
Feel free to msg me if you want any advice or need a sounding board. I've recently been doing a lot of midi stuff with drums and keyboard and researching amps.
In that case, save up a few bucks and buy a nitro mesh kit. A million times better than a rb kit, if you even find one.
Then you just need the midi adapter and a midi cable
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BW1XJGP
Xbox 360 Rock Band 3 Midi PRO-Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00409SOD2
Thanks for the reply! I have my eyes on Alesis Nitro Mesh kit for sometime. The reviews are good and it's not that expensive.
I have an Alesis nitro kit im a beginner as well and it’s pretty cool, you can buy an extra Tom and crash as an add-on and the module has lots of customization, you can find other pages for cheaper, as well as the mesh kit
Like most people, I also use my wishlist as bookmarks for what I hope to eventually be able to afford for myself. But, I really don't have too many majorly expensive things.
Just these three things: one, two, three
I honestly still have to do the research myself. :P
I think the general consensus for good "cheap" e-kits are the Alesis Drum Nitro Mesh Kit.
Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!
Here are your smile-ified links:
https://smile.amazon.com/Alesis-DM6-USB-Kit-Eight-Piece/dp/B002C4SM5W
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Never forget to smile again | ^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot
Alesis DM6 is the best kit for under $500. They usually retail at $650-700 but on Amazon, brand new kits are $350.
http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-DM6-Five-Piece-Electronic-Drum/dp/B002C4SM5W
Alesis DM10 is a big upgrade, but on Amazon the kit is $750. I've seen it on ebay for under 500, but they've all sold quickly.
http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Studio-Six-Piece-Professional-Electronic/dp/B0038YX39U
Would you recommend something like this?
https://www.amazon.com/Roland-TD-11KV-S-V-Compact-Electronic-Drum/dp/B00AKQVUSA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1519290733&sr=1-1&keywords=B00AKQVUSA&linkCode=ll1&tag=kickstartyourdrumming-20&linkId=66db05dd2cb5935d14fe3d591ee96483
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I've had my eye on it (minus the price of course lol)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BW1XJGP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XmFZCb42E8AYK
Is a kit like this one pretty good?
Yeah! That would be the general price of cheaper drum brains. I have heard stories of people acquiring them through craigslist for dirt cheap, so that's always a route. Just make sure the drum brain offers midi out, and nothing bizarre because that'll compromise the Midi Pro Adapter. I can recommend this (http://www.amazon.com/Ddrum-DDTI-ddrum-Trigger-Interface/dp/B00IQ7PYG4/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1453010455&sr=8-12&keywords=alesis+io) for the price bracket.
https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Electronic-Snare-Cymbals/dp/B07BW1XJGP
Lots of these running around. Not my cup of tea but they are popular.
Based on what you describe as your goals, I think Alesis is a good option. I decided to start playing drums a couple of weeks ago, and started with this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ELETH4A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have a ton of fun with it and haven't had a single problem with any of the hardware. The way I see it, if it were really that crappy it wouldn't so many positive reviews.
https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-DM6-USB-Kit-Eight-Piece/dp/B002C4SM5W
It shows the back of the drum brain as I have no idea about e kits I wanna make sure that the drum brain does or does not have that port. I'm assuming this does not based on what I see but I wanna make sure.
http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Studio-Six-Piece-Professional-Electronic/dp/B0038YX39U people say that kit is good. you can change out the heads if the mylar doesn't suit you
nice I bought a Roland 11kv-sv last christmas
Recently got an Alesis DM6 electronic kit. I would recommend it as a starter kit. Currently $349.95 on Amazon.
Alesis DM10 from amazon
> Product Dimensions: 23 x 47 x 12.8 inches ; 70.4 pounds
If you do get the DM10 tell me how you like it because I've also been looking at that kit for a while now and i'm thinking of buying it
(PS3 Adapter only works on Rock Band 4 in-game on PS4)
Other info:
For Nitro (if you go with it) the in-game notes Ride & Crash (Blue and Green cymbals) will be reversed. Not to worry the manual has guide on how to change them without just swapping cables.
Links:
Drums:
Adapters:
Cable:
https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-MID-305BK-5-Pin-MIDI-Cable/dp/B000068NTU/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1506164101&sr=1-3&keywords=MIDI+cable
Others:
Yeah! https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Electronic-Snare-Cymbals/dp/B07BW1XJGP
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It's just $350 for a mesh kit. But in my country it's around $500.
How about the Roland HD-1 Lite? My wife ordered me one for xmas, so I haven't gotten to play with it yet. But it seems like a decent compromise, especially for the price ($600). http://www.amazon.com/Roland-HD-1-V-Drums-Electronic-Drums/dp/B000UJH2HA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291469355&sr=8-1
her ya go op just plug this in between fan and motherboard.
Any chance this is good? It gets decent reviews. http://amzn.com/B0038YX39U
Fuck it I don't like my odds but I may as well try since I really need one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0079DIF58/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RfGgybBTZ3XWA
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alesis-Drums-Nitro-Mesh-Kit/dp/B07BW1XJGP
Run $299-350 usd usually.... need midi pro adapter and din midi cable.
Alesis Nitro w/ 10" cymbals
https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Kit-Electronic-Cymbals/dp/B0187KO8X4/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1492538957&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=alesis+nitro+dm6
Alesis DM6 Nitro w/ 12" cymbals
https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-DM6-Nitro-Kit-Eight-Piece/dp/B01ELETH4A/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1492538957&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=alesis+nitro+dm6
This one was suggested
No I am on xbox.
Im using a trigger io with my ions plugged into that and both of my pedals. Then midi out of that into a ghwt drum brain which has midi in. Then connecting that via legacy adapter and the game thinks it is a stock ghwt kit.
The only downfall to this is that is does not allow for pro drums only regular. You can do this with any midi kit though.