Reddit mentions: The best drums & percussion

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.

Agree about the full kit vs. practice pad. If a friend was interested in learning to play golf, you wouldn't suggest spending 6 months practicing with a swing trainer and a single practice club before taking them to the driving range to hit stuff. You'd help them find a halfway decent bag of used clubs online or at a garage sale, show 'em a couple quick things, and then go smack some balls around.

OP, you should absolutely go secondhand, for multiple reasons:

• You will get substantially higher quality gear for your money.
  
  
• Assuming you get a decent deal, the resale value should be roughly the same if you decide you're not interested in a year.
  
  
• There are SO many options for a new drum kit that you'll be overwhelmed walking into a shop. Are you interested in a 4-, 5-, or 6-piece kit? What type of shells? Snare included or separate? What kind? Evans or Remo heads? What kind of cymbals? What kind of throne? Pedal? Mounting hardware? It's ridiculous. There's no way you're equipped to answer all those questions. I've been playing for years, and I'm still overwhelmed by the options for snare drums alone. Start by buying somebody's full kit that's 100% ready to play and then upgrade as you decide what sound you want and where you need to invest.
  
  
• €250 is not enough for a new full kit. Anything you can get for that price is basically shoeboxes pieced together with coat hangers. The cymbals are flattened tin cans. You will get frustrated and be much less likely to stick with it, and when you give up, nobody will want your Gammon Percussion kit on the secondhand market.
  
  /u/liberateyourmind has a good list of reputable drum manufacturers - basically any kit made by those companies is going to be decent. I would add Sonor, Sakae, Natal, and Crush kits to the list, although you're less likely to find those in your price range (with the exception of Crush, who may be the shakiest of the listed brands rep-wise).
  
  Good cymbal brands: Sabian, Zildjian, Meinl, Paiste, Bosphorus, Istanbul, Crescent, Dream. "Starter" cymbal lines that usually come in multi-packs and will need to be upgraded once you decide you're serious include Sabian B8 or SBR, Zildjian ZBTs, Meinl HCS, and Paiste PSTs.
  
  I'm happy to help evaluate any kits you find on your local secondhand market. I advise going direct-to-seller through a site like Craigslist, as I think you're more likely to get a bargain from someone who doesn't know what their stuff is worth (my kid left their kit in the garage, blah blah) vs. picking up a used kit from Guitar Center or the like (who, I think, make a living by selling gear to people who don't know what it's worth).

I'm going to slightly disagree with what others have said. To me he is playing Deck A, then he queues up a section of whatever is loaded on deck B to where he wants, he triggers deck B and uses a BITCRUSHER effect on deck B increasing the BIT DEPTH parameter. I'm pretty sure the echo effect is going on too and being increased at the same times at the bitcrusher. The bitcrusher is the primary effect of that sound though, everything else is to 'taste'. He also sets the filter where he wants on B before he starts the move. I do not think that it's a small / increasingly small loop size but primarily ECHO and BITCRUSHER effects engaged and both parameters increasing / modulating at the same time. I think all the effected sound is Deck B not Deck A.

That same sound is around 19:40 as well.

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I use this trick often too, I have the echo and bitcrusher effects always loaded effect 1 and 2 on my decks. I have a midi controller that maps both of the effects parameter knobs to one single touch fader and the dry/wet for each effect on it's own. So using 3 fingers I can control the parameter and dry/wet of the effects. I find it quite easy to quickly find an interesting sounding musical spot by manipulating all 3 faders at once.

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Experiment with your midi mappings and midi controllers for interesting and new ways to use your gear. You can find several inexpensive midi controllers out there these days.

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I had found a Stanton MIDI DJ controller on clearance / closeout for just $20. I use it for my effects controller alongside my DJ controller, and remapped all the effects buttons on my controller for CUE & Looping.

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It looks like you can still find the controller I got cheap on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?LH_CAds=&_ex_kw=&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_mPrRngCbx=1&_nkw=stanton+scs+3d&_sacat=&_sadis=&_sop=12&_udhi=&_udlo=&_fosrp=1

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Another great and not too expensive controller for DJ effects & CUE triggering is the Arturia Beatstep: https://www.amazon.com/Arturia-BeatStep-MIDI-Controller-Sequencer/dp/B00I88HPUO/

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.

Looking through your wishlists - did we just become best friends?

I'd be into this. I love this game, but I think it'd be easier to play if I had the physical game so I could play with real life friends.

This! I love me some drums, and I need more effects cymbals.

Also, treat yourself to Dark Souls. I've spent 253 hours in that game according to Steam, and I regret none of that time.

Twinsies!

link

and for those interested, pay attention to the amazon warehouse deals for this. this is their most popular e-kit, so a lot of them show up as used, with various issues, but mostly cosmetic ones.

the kit I ordered was $240 and listed as 'good' condition. they claimed the kit would have multiple minor blemishes, but outside of the box having a few dents, the kit appeared to be in pristine condition. (but ymmv)

it may seem like a good jump from the roughly $140 you'd pay for the stock kit with cymbals, but you end up getting a fully customizable kit you can setup in whatever way you want, and you have something that is actually build to be beat on.

also remember you'll need to buy the madcatz midi pro adapter (~$25) to get this working, and xbox users need to get the upcoming pdp adapter to get it to work with rb4. ($30) since I saved $60 on the set like I mentioned above, this sort of made the adapters free.

EDIT: amazon has a musical instrument promotion right now. MISAVE10 gets you 10% off this kit. not sure how long it'll last.

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.

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 keep them in a well-ventilated open room but the kit was rusted out of the box when I got it, I just didn't notice when I got them because I was too excited. But the brand is Gammon Percussion! This is the link to where I bought it https://www.amazon.com/Gammon-Percussion-Complete-Cymbals-Stands/dp/B002RGPQJ0 & Okay, great! I'll write that down for future reference. :)

Get the Wuhan Western Cymbal Pack. I did a shootout vs my Zildjians here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY_sDbRj8VI

The pack of wuhans are hand hammered B20 (same as the big boys) and about $250 for the set. I keep them on my practice kit mostly, but the 16"crash has wormed its way into my main kit cause I love it so much.

I don't like ANY of the big manufacturer's low end stuff. may as well just hit pie tins in the kitchen... these are actually very nice.

EDIT: I should add, my high-end Zildjians are nicer, no question about it. but for an inexpensive set of cymbals, you can't go wrong.

EDIT 2: Amazon Link - https://www.amazon.com/Wuhan-WUTBSU-Western-Style-Cymbal/dp/B0002D0HO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510924233&sr=8-1&keywords=wuhan+western+style+cymbal+pack

It's like buying it, but instead of buying it all up front, you make small payments over a long course of time.

also, thanks for the suggestion!
edit:
i looked that up on amazon and it came up with 2 very similar looking things, one of which is at 500, and the other of which is a number 1 best seller and is on sale for 300 down from 400.

500 drum: https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Forge-Kit-Eight-Piece-User-Loaded/dp/B01BDMKH2Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506315568&sr=8-1&keywords=Alesis+Forge+kit

300 drum: https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Kit-Electronic-Cymbals/dp/B0187KO8X4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1506315568&sr=8-2&keywords=Alesis+Forge+kit

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?

I've got the Drumeo P4 and really enjoy it for practicing. Just keep in mind that two of the regions on the pad are harder/louder than your typical electronic kit pads, so volume may factor in.

As a fellow apartment dweller with budget concerns about electric kits, I was in a similar situation. Just purchased the $300 Alesis Nitro kit and set it up yesterday. It's been pretty solid so far and is well covered in the reviews. I'd recommend giving the Nitro some consideration or hunt for a deal on a used kit.

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.)

I've got a Pearl Vision Bop kit (18 bass, all the shells are birch) that I absolutely love. Not sure if you can still find them, but I would recommend them any day. The snare was quickly replaced but the toms and bass are great.

I use this lift:

https://www.amazon.com/Dixson-BDL-100-Bass-Drum-Lift/dp/B001RXY44C/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1486581623&sr=1-2&keywords=bass+drum+riser

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....

Let's hope you're on PS4. XB1 uses are left in the wind atm.

If so, pick up a MIDI Pro Adapter NOW. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042B3EOM/

The Alesis Nitro kit is a very nice entry-level ekit for 300. Works like a champ on both consoles.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0187KO8X4

Only other thing you'd need is a MIDI cable.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000068NTU

This enhances your rock band experience 1000%

Not sure if it's right for your needs, as I don't have really any experience with Maschine, but I'm a pretty big fan of the Arturia Beatstep - https://www.amazon.com/Arturia-BeatStep-MIDI-Controller-Sequencer/dp/B00I88HPUO

I've got pretty simple requirements for a pad controller though, so this might be the wrong one for you. How's that for a ringing endorsement?

It's a bigger investment but it'll give you a more flawless experience while playing drums.

[This is the midi adapter] (https://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Rock-Band-MIDI-PRO-3/dp/B0042B3EOM). You can plug any e-kit (electronic drum kit) into it, and use it to play Rock Band. I personally use [this one] (https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Kit-Electronic-Cymbals/dp/B0187KO8X4/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1496718032&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=alesis+nitro)

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?

People seem to be having great success with the Alesis Nitro kit, which has native MIDI output, so all you need is the MIDI Pro adapter.

I'm personally using a RB2 kit until my financial situation is a bit more allowing. :p

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

I take the ages they put on the side of the box as a guideline. It's certainly not a hard and fast rule.

My son is turning 1 next month, and I bought him some musical stuff like this and this since he loves the shaker egg

Rhythm. With rhythm/timing, even a novice can sound good with some bum notes and less musical lines. Without it, even "good" players will sound pretty bad.

My tip? Instead of just saying just metronome practice, buy an egg-shaker next time you're at a music shop. Put on some music and see how good you are at just getting the rhythm.

I could always sense the rhythm and feel it, but it wasn't until one of these puppies was put in my hand that I realised just how far out I could be.

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.

There are differences but I get to practice more frequently. Because of this I have made significant improvements in my drumming. Having the kick pedal and high-hat pedal are very nice. I purchased one with the same amount of pieces as my kit to try and simulate it as much as possible. I don’t usually use the headphones because the sound quality it not that great and I find I hit the kick pedal harder.

This is the one I purchased.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0187KO8X4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1523231219&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=electronic+drum+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=412j-EeCaFL&ref=plSrch

I can personally vouch for these.

Also, kids, this is why you upgrade your cymbals first.

But seriously, shop used, and disregard brand unanimity. Buy the best, best-sounding, best priced cymbal of each type you're shopping for.

I bought an Alesis kit for under $200 (on sale) a couple of years ago. Connect it to my DAW as a midi controller and play all the kits I have on EZDrummer and Komplete. Works great. https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Kit-Electronic-Cymbals/dp/B0187KO8X4

You can do this with any midi controller using an open source plugin

I tried it with a $100 [controller] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I88HPUO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) off amazon. It was pretty neat, though idk if i could make it a regular part of my workflow.

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.

This is the go-to kit for those who just want to play RB

https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Kit-Electronic-Cymbals/dp/B0187KO8X4/ref=sr_1_1/135-3473805-3460805?ie=UTF8&qid=1494712318&sr=8-1&keywords=alesis+nitro

You'll also need this

https://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Rock-Band-MIDI-PRO-Adapter/dp/B0042B3EOM/ref=sr_1_2/140-0032164-8482739?ie=UTF8&qid=1494712411&sr=8-2&keywords=midi+pro+adapter

And this (shop around for cheaper prices)

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Cable-Plugs-3-Feet-108532/dp/B009GUP5SW/ref=sr_1_13/130-7031847-3528741?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1494712464&sr=1-13&keywords=midi+to+midi+cable

Finding an ION might be difficult and more expensive. Probably easier using an e-kit like the one I posted above. Any e-kit with 5 pin midi out should work. Just find one in your price range and ask questions in here if you have any.

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

This Wuhan China is $20 on amazon. I grabbed one a few months ago and love it. They also have larger sizes if you're looking for something bigger. Just seach "Wuhan china" on amazon.

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.

Alesis Nitro @$320 is a good intro kit. Half the price of most other basic kits, but still good quality.

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

---

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

​

I've had my eye on it (minus the price of course lol)

I have these.
Wuhan WUTBSU Western Style Cymbal Set with Cymbal Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002D0HO4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_L1p.BbKWMKCSK
As for sound, I like them because compared to the ZBT/B8 line, these sound 10x better (in my opinion) for the price. I'm not a heavy hitter so they have lasted me the year I've had them.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BW1XJGP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XmFZCb42E8AYK

Is a kit like this one pretty good?

Do NOT get the stock drums. Completely useless for any competent player. I even got a replacement kit and it was worse than the last. The go-to kit around here is the Alesis Nitro kit. I havent used it yet but a ton of people seem to love them and I plan on getting them next month.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0187KO8X4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1G6BEO07EYOG4&coliid=I1U40LDZ2OC85B&psc=1

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.

Late to the party.

If you would rather not involve the staff, I recommend carrying a volume control device. I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/Shure-EAADPT-KIT-Adapter-Combines-Attachable/dp/B001P5HL3S

I use this thing for my 18" bass drum and it works wonderfully. I can't see any reason it wouldn't work for a floor tom. It rests just behind the hoop. The rubber holds it in place and it doesn't move. I especially love that it doesn't require any modification or clamping. Might be worth looking into for your floor tom.

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.

I don't know your budget but for an entry level kit you should consider something like Alesis Nitro Kit | Electronic Drum Set with 8" Snare, 8" Toms, and 10" Cymbals https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0187KO8X4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_NBVgzbWXPQKW0

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.

4 Ion Drum Rocker Pads w/Upgraded Black Pintech Mesh Heads - $25 each<br />

I'm using an Alesis Nitro right now with a midi adapter and was wondering if these mesh pads will be better than the stock rubber pads that come with this drumset.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0187KO8X4

I actually just looked this drumset up after having it for 2 years and am now sad that they released it with mesh pads for only $20 more than what I paid for mine... /sigh

Thanks in advance for your response!

Here are a few examples of attenuators you can use for headphones:

1. https://www.amazon.com/Shure-EAADPT-KIT-Adapter-Combines-Attachable/dp/B001P5HL3S/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=attenuator+mp3&qid=1569248903&s=electronics&sr=1-2
   
2. https://www.amazon.com/Ear-Buddy-Headphone-Optimizer-Travel/dp/B075PVVHF5/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=attenuator+3.5mm&qid=1569248936&s=electronics&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&smid=A34JWT04R7KMFW&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyR1ZDUlNZS0JYWkhEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjM4MjY1M1RVU1lTWkpTR0Q0USZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDMwODQxMjdPRTdDVjU2WkdZMCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
   
3. https://www.amazon.com/Volbox-inline-audio-control-attenuator/dp/B071VL2GF8/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=attenuator+3.5mm&qid=1569248936&s=electronics&sr=1-5
   
   I got the second one listed which is good but there are a ton to choose from some more tailored than others.

This and This received good reviews.

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

Amazon or ebay are good places to get it. I found that $299 is the usual price when I was looking at them.

Thanks, that one popped after I posted, there is something similar I found from Shure ( https://www.amazon.com/Shure-EAADPT-KIT-Adapter-Combines-Attachable/dp/B001P5HL3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502962538&sr=8-1&keywords=shure+airplane )

How about an electronic kit which allows you to only hear yourself via headphones? Like one of these.

nice I bought a Roland 11kv-sv last christmas

Meinl has kits. I purchased one and assembled/stained it myself.

You can buy them on Amazon

Here are a few pics of mine: one
two
three

Cheaper and more customization if you already have wood glue, clamps, etc..
I also highly recommend an orbit sander.

Might see if you can exchange if you're set on using the kit with RB. Looks like the Nitros are in stock right now for $299 (and with Prime)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0187KO8X4/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473441110&sr=sr-1&keywords=alesis+nitro

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

• Alesis Nitro (affordable approx. $300) or Alesis DM6 Nitro Kit (same price)
  
• MIDI Pro adapter for 360 and PS3
  
• Obviously MIDI-to-MIDI cable. 3ft is enough
  (PS3 Adapter only works on Rock Band 4 in-game on PS4)
  
• If you would use Adapter on Xbox One you'd need Wired adapter by PDP but looks like you can ignore this.
  
  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.
  
  
• MIDI numbers to change are 49 & 51 IIRC
  
  
• You need to configure each pad and cymbals basic setting like sensitivity.
  
  Links:
  
  Drums:
  
  
• Alesis DM6 Nitro: (https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-DM6-Nitro-Kit-Eight-Piece/dp/B01ELETH4A/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1506163723&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=alesis+nitro&psc=1)
  
• Alesis Nitro (https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Kit-Electronic-Cymbals/dp/B0187KO8X4/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1506164059&sr=1-2&keywords=Alesis+Nitro)
  
  Adapters:
  
  
• Xbox360 (https://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Rock-Band-Midi-PRO-Adapter/dp/B00409SOD2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1506163590&sr=8-2&keywords=MIDI%2BPro%2Badapter&th=1)
  
• Playstation 3 (https://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Rock-Band-MIDI-PRO-3/dp/B0042B3EOM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506163590&sr=8-3&keywords=MIDI+Pro+adapter)
  
  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:
  
  
• PDP Wired Adapter: (https://www.amazon.com/PDP-Rock-Band-Wired-Legacy-Adapter/dp/B01MDJWJH9/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1506164159&sr=8-1&keywords=pdp+Wired+adapter) You ONLY need this along with the Xbox360 adapter if you were to use your kit on Xbox One.
  
  

Yeah! https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Electronic-Snare-Cymbals/dp/B07BW1XJGP

​

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.

An Egg Shaker. Seriously, easiest way to get unique shakes and rhythm is just do them yourself instead of clicking them in in your DAW

Any chance this is good? It gets decent reviews. http://amzn.com/B0038YX39U

Craigslist, or these: AMAZON LINK

You talking about the $40 one? You probably are not going to find anything cheaper than that without building it yourself.

http://www.amazon.com/Dixson-BDL-100-Bass-Drum-Lift/dp/B001RXY44C

> Alesis Nitro

This one here?

http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Kit-Electronic-Drum/dp/B0187KO8X4

I'd still need a midi pro adapter right?

Under $1000?

Roland V-Drums V-Compact TD-4K2

Alesis DM10 Studio Kit

Yamaha DTX500K Electronic Drum Kit

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.

I don't know of any way but a possible workaround is an in-line volume control. I have one of these and it's more convenient to adjust volume with than s/w controls for me:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P5HL3S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one was suggested

I have my ps2 setup on a computer monitor. I can either use computer speakers or headphones.

Use one of these to use headphones.

Then one of these to control volume

I'll paste what I've posted in a similar thread about this:

I'd recommend the Alesis Nitro Kit:

https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Kit-Electronic-Cymbals/dp/B0187KO8X4

I purchased this about two months ago and have been using it in RB3 in preparation for RB4, and couldn't be happier with it in terms of sensitivity, accuracy, feel, etc.

To get it to work in RB4, you'll need:

A MIDI cable (connects drum kit to MIDI adapter): ~$6

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000068NTU

The MIDI adapter (connects drum kit to PDP Adapter): ~$30

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00409SOD2

The PDP adapter (connects MIDI adapter to console) that just started shipping: ~$30

http://pdp.com/en/rock-bandtm-wired-legacy-adapter

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.

I'm not an expert in this field, but I think the answer is no, at least not without having your computer and some software involved. The MIDI adapter needs a standard MIDI cable connection I believe, and that kit only appears to do MIDI-out via the USB port.

Not sure if you've seen these, but for around the same price, this kit has MIDI out:

https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Nitro-Kit-Electronic-Cymbals/dp/B0187KO8X4/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1466617300&sr=1-1&keywords=Alesis+Nitro

Oh I see what you're trying to do now. Disregard my post above. All you need is an inline volume control

This is the exact model that came with my Shure SE-535 and I notice no loss in sound quality.

I always say spend money on cymbals first, but that's assuming you have pedals that are at least workable, which you don't. You should be able to find some decent used ones cheap.

Your cymbals may be crap, but unlike your pedals, at least they aren't malfunctioning - they make a racket when you hit them. Replace things that don't function properly first. Once you do, shop or cymbals used. If you want new on the cheap, I'm a broken record when it comes to cheap cymbal recommendations: Wuhan. I've got two of their crashes on my kit now, with no want or need to replace them.