The Honest Truth About Electric Drums
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
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Today we’re tackling what’s probably the most controversial topic among the drumming community. However, I try to be as objective as possible, offering to you the best pros and cons of each type of kit so that you can make an informed buying decision. Ultimately, go to a music store and test out a few e-kits yourself. Don’t take my word for everything. Do your own critical comparison of acoustic drums versus electric drums!
We can go further with this discussion by comparing e-kits with practice kits, and we can talk about the best ways to practice in an apartment. Some of this I’ve actually already covered on the channel, so check it out before you go:
If this video helped you out, I hope you’ll become a fellow Non Glamorous Drummer and subscribe to the channel. New videos every Friday! Thanks guys, and have a great weekend.
Contact me here at my email! It’s always great to get mail.
stephen@thenonglamorousdrummer.com
VIDEO LINKS:
How to turn your acoustic kit into a quiet practice kit:
• The Best Practice Kit ...
How to soundproof your kit with a tennis ball riser:
• Is a Tennis Ball Riser...
PRODUCT LINKS (Amazon Affiliate):
Zildjian L80 Quiet Cymbals:
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Aquarian Super Pads:
amzn.to/2S288PW
Remo Silentstrokes:
amzn.to/2S2OcfJ
RTOM Black Hole Practice Pads:
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Conquer one-handed hihat 16ths at 80bpm in 5 simple lessons! Download my FREE guide, “The Secret to Hihat 16ths." the-non-glamorous-drummer-llc.ck.page/b2413eee87
When I was fooling around on drums in high school, I really liked the song 99 Red Balloons but couldn't play the high hat fast enough during the verse. Turns out it's one-handed 16th notes at ~94 bpm :P
I would take acoustic drums anyday of the week but i live in a apartment. So i need to stick to an electric.
Ditto
*any day
You can still have an acoustic kit. But you’ll end up sending money on mutes and soundproofing the surroundings
feel u buddy
Same
e-drums are allowing thousands to play drums while living in apartments or townhouses, the high end kits are amazing
so in that respect they are amazing
You dont have to spend time tuning electric kits that's a big pro
No but you can and there is a lot of editing and building your own cstom kits if you want
what this guy said.. dont understand how this wasn't mentioned in the video
Watch Ron Brown's video on tuning; he makes it simple and easy.
Tuning is a beautiful process though :(
If you have an electric kit you don't learn how to tune drums, so if you play in a church for example and the drums sound bad, your screwed since you don't know how to tune.
Electronic drums could never replace acoustic kits... but are a great alternative for home practice and recordings .
A high end electric kit can do more than an acoustic kit and sound just as good and sometimes better. Lots of drummers use hibreed drums, their main kit is acustic but they have trigger pads and sound samples added. Sure you can have more dynamics with an acustic kit but a good electric kit will sound very close. If you are against electric kits then you have not played a good one. You still may prefer an acustic kit but after playing a high end electric kit and hearing the capabilities you can not say for sure an acustic kit is 100% better.
@@Iamadrummer Well, good luck playing on an electric kit if you are playing jazz. Brushes? Rods? Nah, playing some pop or something will work on it, but as an all-round kit, electric kits just dont cut it. If you want an electric kit with a lot of sesitivity and what you are looking for in an acoustic kit, you have to pay a lot more than an acoustic kit.
Of course, just like how electric guitars could never replace acoustic guitars. However, acoustic guitars could never replace electric guitars either - they are two different tools for different jobs.
@@TheNoobWood of course, you wouldn't want to play a hip hop gig with your jazz kit either.
MyTony40 same argument with acoustic vs electric guitars.. And no the acoustic guitar didn't get replaced but the electric guitar became hugely influential in all music , the same way electronic drums will. If anyone doubts this, just watch the drummers for a lot of pop stars live, they use some hybrid kit combo most of the time, and it's not lack of money in their case, they can afford the most expensive setups and a lot of the time they are sponsored by the companies, instead they choose to use electronics because they provide them the flexibility that no acoustic set ever will. And the technology is light years ahead of that old Alesis DM5 , the samples are hyper detailed, and you have much more control on how you use them.
You did not mention recording yourself.
With an electronic kit it is really really really simple to record yourself.
Of course you will not end up with the same result as if you recorded properly an accoustic drum, but recording an accoustic drum takes a lot of skills and unless you took the time to learn them (+ buy all the things needed to record the drum, and that's a lot of things to buy) you will have a better result recording on an electronic kit.
If you have a very serious project and a lot of money it might seems not that big of a deal, but if you can't spend tons of money on your gears and have a little project with your friends it actually makes a difference.
Vermillionns so true!! A lot of people miss this huge fact!
SO easy to record my Roland td-9!
I've started doing MIDI recording on my electronic kit, and I love it. Aside from being so much easier and cheaper than micing and recording (nine) acoustic drums, the workflow is more like composing than recording: I can easily go back and manually tweak a part without having to record another take and punch in/out.
*acoustic
*it might not seem like that big of a deal
*your gear
@@code_monkey_steve I used to create songs on my computer and record MIDI drums and it IS easy to go back and fix mistakes, move kick drum hits forward to line up with the click and change the whole drum set to sound better with the particular genre, But, organically speaking, it's kind of like taking a test then changing the answer after you realized you got it wrong the first time. I guess it depends on your end game. Producing music for airplay = standard procedure; recording for a demo or audition= cheating : )
@@zacdrake Professionals also use electric kits for recording. But they don't use the drum module. They use expensive drum instruments in software with midi signal in from the kit.
Why not both
Hybrid
Spacemuffins X- Series. True maple shell acoustic drums with triggers built into the shells. Boom Theory.
I've just recently started experimenting with a hybrid set for small gigs and jams. Mainly I can't stand the sound of crashes on my TD-11, or other common sets, even tho they are multi-trigger. The range of sounds you can get on real cymbals is totally missing on most electronic sets I've tried when considering cymbal rolls, and varying sounds from different regions of the cymbal. The acoustic cymbals sound so much more alive and versatile. Yet, I love the toms and kick on the electronic because they are so easy to tune and adjust to get the right sound for the genre of music you want. (They also take up way less space.) So, I use all electronic except crashes, and sometimes hi-hat and snare, for more natural sounding rim-shots and taps. The draw-back is brushes don't trigger the electronic pads. I go with rods in the case of needing to play a bit quieter, but I sure wish the brushes would work with this setup.
It’s gonna cost a shit ton of money, but if you want an electric kit that is shaped feels like and sounds close an acoustic, try the Roland VAD506. It’s like 14000 USD.
Guitarist/songwriter perspective here:
One CON of electronic drums that I’ve observed is that younger rock drummers do not learn dynamics and stick control. If they start out as “pounders,” an e-kit can exasperate that problem. I have always marveled at drummers who can play a tasty, solid groove at whisper volumes on an acoustic kit. It’s an important skill to have as a drummer, because at a live gig guitarists, bassists, and keys can trim their volume to proper room levels with a twist of a master volume knob, but an acoustic drummer who can’t do anything but pound will force everyone else to turn up, leading to an ear-splitting mess and no follow-up gigs at that venue.
That said, a good e-kit married to an amazing sample platform like Superior Drummer solves so many problems with ease in a home studio that they are by far a better opinion for recording on a budget. Once you get a fantastic PERFORMANCE out of your drummer, as captured as a MIDI stream, then the world is open to you. Don’t like the kick? Audition ten others and pick the one that sits in the mix the best-in about 30 seconds.
The level of sample control in SD is stupefying... you can control the level of MIC BLEED from one instrument to another, fer cryin’ out loud! You have sounds from the highest end kits, professionally tuned, recorded in world class studios, through high-end mics, into million dollar consoles. For what they ask for SD and the additional sample libraries, a project studio is leveraging million-dollar resources for the price on one three-hour session at a professional recording studio.
Forget the cost of the drums themselves... just the additional costs of dedicating a big enough room to mic drums in, acoustically treating that room properly, and buying the mics and outboard gear to record it all, at least doubles or triples the price of a project studio.
Heck, I can have a drummer play a song on his e-kit in California and email me his MIDI performance (a tiny file) that can be tweaked to perfection in post. The same can’t be done with an acoustic drum performance.
I know that most drummers MUCH prefer to play the real thing: infinite dynamic nuance, tone, and feel. When you have unlimited resources, that’s obviously preferred. But in the real world e-kits represent an incredible value.
Well said!
There is no way I could play acoustic drums in my home. I'm thankful to be able to play with the next door neighbors hearing nothing.
me with an acoustic in the LIVING ROOM 🤣
I had an acoustic set when I lived in a house with a basement. Now that I live in an apartment I have a high end E set. I actually love both. Both are incredible. Just depends on what the individual drummer is looking for.
I’ve been on my drumming journey for allmost 40 years now..I played all over USA back in the 90s ‘country line dance craze’ road band for 6 years..and I’ve owned several accoustic kits and now I’m on my my 2nd Edrum kit..a Roland td17 kvx And this is a very impr7set..I paired it with a KC 400 Roland amp..And it sounds great the different sounds and easy adjustments are amazing and best of all a Volume knob for Times I can truly jam and time to play quietly....it depends on what you want the sets for....when I was on the road...definitely would cho7my Pearl session accoustic kit...but jamming around the house wit friends...it’s hard to beat the versatility of an Ekit.....happy drumming...Jim .hammond Louisiana..👍🥁🎼✌️
Everything has its purpose that’s for sure. I started with a small entry level electric kit. It served its purpose and got me started. It didn’t help with some areas of technique but at least got some of the foundations of drumming laid down. I then moved next to an acoustic kit with drum mutes and cymbal mutes (cymbomute), which was so much better. With this I was sitting at a real kit, playing and developing muscle memory and getting used to playing a real sized kit. Finally I built a soundproof studio so I can now play as loud as I want, but fundamentally that little electric kit served as an introduction to the instrument. Sure the sizes and dynamics didn’t feel real, but I was playing drums and that kit had its place.
I live in a apparent where I can’t make noise so I had to switch to an electric kit. I like it so far but I see the flaws in the cymbals. I’m going to see if I can practice on a acoustic kit at least once a week. Thanks for posting your comment this helped me put things in perspective.
Acoustic for live, e drums for home, simple as that.
I use my acoustic conversion live.
@ yeah same also using e drums live is good because you don't need to Mic up your drums😁
@ and we don't need to tune😅😅😅
Maybe, but you practice volume better with acoustic
@@lukelackermayer that assumes you plan to ever really play acoustic drums. Given how far electric has come, I have yet to find a reason why I’d want to switch back. Learning volume is a fine thing to learn; but that really only applies to acoustic drums.
The Acoustic drum v electric drum debate is about as frustrating to listen to as the android v apple phone debate, just try it out & see what you like, let it be that.
Djdude777 yes but for iPhones and android people are just being picky and are actual reasons for the drums thing
But at the end of the day, Android is still superior
1. Buy a used drum set
2. Buy Remo ambassador and Remo powerstroke drum heads
3 buy all cymbals in the Zildjan K-series
Boom - Legend drumset
@Asthma Official its just so much cheaper and you can make it sound sooo good with just duckt tape, New heads and a tuner
zildjian Ks are ridiculous expensive, other cymbal brands are available
Boy literally I put duct tape on my drum sticks Saturday because I’ve had them for 4 years and I got no money and the broke
BenAqua Some old kits actually have better build quality than a lot of newer ones 😃👍🏻
BenAqua I am actually about to buy an old used drum kit from my drum teacher. It is a Sonor S Class maple.
As an avid player of acoustic and electric drum sets, I would say this video is Pure Accuracy! Both are great for their specific purposes. I always make sure I use my acoustic set when the music calls for that and my electronic set when my kids go to bed. My favorite aspects of each one : Electronic- tinkering around on sound modules can be addictively fun. Acoustic- Nothing beats the feel of real drum heads and the full sound that hits your face.Great Video!
The big aspect that he missed is price. For a decent drummer a "good enough" e kit that is responsive enough to keep up with the drummer usually goes about $1500 and up. Acoustic sets that are OK start out at $500 and start getting quite good at $1000 and neither of those price ranges have issues with responsiveness.
You made a great points. I have a Roland TD-25KV ($2500 at the time) and I use software (superior drummer) it sounds amazing and the responsiveness is incredible.
But...it’s kinda like where we are with AI and robots. They’re amazing but they’re missing that something that’s so elusive to a real person. There’s something irreplaceable about how an acoustic kit pushes the air in the room and had so much presence.
@@rogerurby I usually buy used acoustic kits but wouldn't buy a used e kit.
E-drums have so much advantages over acoustic drums that I never miss them anymore. When playing my Roland 15 I get a real good and clean sound out of the PA. Further more the sound of my playing is much more distinct and powerful. For me the Roland 15 has by far good enough drum sounds even though it is a mid range kit. No one in the audience has ever complained at the sounds of my drums. Even my Roland 11 are good enough by far. Also the compact e-drums are so easy to tour with on smaller venues and real quick to get ready on stage. I'll never go back to acoustic drums again!!
When you play in a gig did you get payed?
@@shahaffiq5860 Yes I played for more than 20 years as pro and semipro.
I bought an electric kit because I'm limited in space, and have neighbours living close. Its got a metronome so practice is easy (though it is limited in its function, it works fine for 4/4), I can put audio through it to play along to (though bluetooth occasionally has a hiccup and it skips a beat, throwing you off), and you can record yourself easy without needing expensive mics, bass traps and precise layouts. The sound of properly recorded acoustic drums can never be matched by electric kits, but for beginners like myself who only just got into playing, an electric kits serves my purposes.
The downsides are, you are limited to the kit you bought. Now I invested in a mid-range Roland kit, so I do have some room to add onto the kit, but I have to buy Roland drum triggers and still I'm limited. Acoustic kits you can add what you like, where you like. And while my kit does support rim shots, 2 or 3 zone cymbals, mesh heads, and a hi-hat set up for a regular stand (as opposed to just a trigger and separate pedal), it cannot emulate every function. Brushes won't work, dynamics are limited especially ghost notes, and you can't hi-hat sizzle. But still, for a beginner like myself, they are perfect.
I don’t even play drums why am I watching this
Same bro. I'd love though but it seems so difficult
@@ksm1985 nothing wrong with giving it a try!
@@vaughanxaviermusic thanks, I hope to
Lol
Same lmao
I'm surprised he never mentioned tuning as a con for acoustic drums.
It can be tricky to get them sounding perfect. Not to mention, recording.. if you leave a part for a day or two, you come back to different sounding drums and it can be tricky to get the exact sound you had before.
With that being said, acoustic drums for the win.
A good quality electric kit is WAAAY nicer than having to play a muted / muffled acoustic kit in your house all the time. This is what I finally realized.... Whatever the shortcomings may be, an electric kit is better than freakin' Evans SoundOff pads (or even Aquarian Superpads) on an acoustic kit, and rubber mute pads on your cymbals. That just sucks. I found a nice deal on a top-line electric kit and solved so many headaches at once. I did keep one set of acoustic hi hats and a couple effects / splash cymbals, just for fun. Not hard to throw those up there to play once in awhile.
Bottom line is I can play way more on my ekit because of volume.
An electric kit with acoustic cymbals, like an 18" flat ride and a small crash. The highs don't travel through walls. You could build some baffles.
@@farshimelt or a set of L80 low volume cymbals? They're pretty decent priced and sound pretty decent.
80% quieter than normal cymbals.
I was expecting to have my first major disagreement with you on this one, but I totally agree. Any drummer just starting needs to play an acoustic kit. However, I do still have some slight disagreements. A few years ago I inherited some money and splashed out on the Roland TD-50. I didn't get the top end model, but the one with the smaller tom and BD pads and the cheaper hi-hat controller. I did pay extra for the better hi-hat controller though (the VH-11 & VH-13 respectively). It brought the kit to the best part of £5,000 (roughly $7,500, but bear in mind that UK prices are much higher than US). I absolutely love this kit. Like you said, the digital snare & ride pads really do have the nuances of the real thing. Also, you CAN play this kit with brushes. You do need to use the dedicated patches, but it does respond to swishes. Roland have also released a digital hi-hat controller, the VH-15, which I'd love to try/buy. The hi-hats are the biggest weakness of all e-kits. I don't know how much you've played around with the TD-50, but there are a mind-boggling number of parameters you can change: head type, BD beater type, mic placement, shell depth etc. Then there are the 30 built-in effects. Lastly, one of the features I really love is that you can assign two samples to each ‘instrument’. For example, I have gong drum samples for my toms, cross-faded between hard and soft hits and, for the rims I have octobans at two different pitches. I do the same for the crash cymbals, with different cymbals assigned to the edge. Lastly, I've configured one of the cymbal sounds, a finger-bell, so that the hi-hat changes its pitch. I have to admit that I've barely explored all the possibilities myself. I more or less stopped when I got a really good snare. I'm very proud of that actually. It reacts quite differently to the depth of rim shot, shallow ones producing more ring than the deeper, for example.
Of course no electronic kit is ever going to produce as much nuance as an acoustic kit, but the TD-50 comes pretty damn close. I had a Yamaha DTX500K before I got the Roland and there's a world of difference between the two, more than between the Roland and an acoustic. I never really enjoyed playing the Yamaha anywhere near as much as my acoustic kit, but the Roland really is a joy to play, it's response is so good. It's reinvigorated ‘apartment’ playing and band rehearsals. One thing I will say for the Yamaha is that its training tools were really good, better than the Roland's. Which brings me to my final comment, the built-in metronome and songs. The metronome is fully customiseable with a number of pre-programmed (eg agogos, claves & woodblocks etc, but you can assign any sample to the different note values: 16th, 8th, 4tr plus triplet and dotted). The songs come in a number of genres and allow you to mute the drum part. You can also record your performance and the brain has a built-in mixer. On top of the 30 effects, any three of which can be assigned to each instrument, they also have separate compression, ambience (reverb, really) and EQ.
If you can afford it and have a reasonable amount of experience on acoustic kits I wouldn't hesitate recommending this particular e-kit. It's like you said, Stephen, you have to cut the manufacturers some slack, but Roland really have gone to a lot of trouble, have done their research and listened to drummers and have gone deeply into the design. While I'm plugging Roland's drums, I also have their HPD-20 percussion pad. That has even more sounds than the TD-50 and the same attention to detail & performance. It's much more affordable too, having cost me about £600 (roughly $900). It includes kit sounds as well as just about every percussion instrument you've ever heard of and you can get a BD & hi-hat controller for it, so it can be used as a kit. It can be played with sticks or hands - there's a sensitivity switch - but it's not meant to be an electronic kit. What it's great at is percussion, especially congas and similar drums. For example, resting your hand on either of the two main pads will dampen/mute them both, much like a conga. I've sung their praises enough, I won't go into detail. You'd think they were paying me! 😄
the combination of both is the ultimate experience
I've played drums in general about 10 years and e-drums close to 5, so I think it's safe to say you left out 1 major pro with e-drums = drumsticks lasts forever! Well not forever but I've been using the same pair for years now.
Have also an acoustic set and I've noticed (especially when playing metal) that pair of drumsticks wear out really quickly, even the more expensive ones, (mainly due to hitting cymbals). Maybe my technique isn't the best and it's not an issue with all drummers but I don't wanna buy pair of new Vic Firths every second week.
Also playing with broken sticks can damage your drumheads really quickly. That's why It's good to replace them as soon as their tip breaks.
I really missed acoustic kits, especially cymbals. Those days are long gone now. I must choose what suits my work best. Cheers!
PS. Electric kits are really bad for jazz gigs.
True.
not for me.
What kit? Lol My Pearl Mimic can handle Jazz no problem. Td50, Td27
@@arbogast4950 not anybody had a pearl kit....
I just use an electric kit, run through Superior Drummer. It works perfectly for every type of music I've tried to play on it so far. That helps in terms of the sound/samples problem, then it's just the setting up the velocity curve to the levels are more true to an acoustic kit and things like that. So it is possible to get a very real sound out of an electric kit, it just takes a fair amount of work to get it right. I'm still working on it, slowly but surely
I'm done playing acoustic kits after playing my td-17kv. I can get any sound i want and it feels amazing to play on a huge p.a system.
This was a very well thought out, organized and informative video. I've been an acoustic set player for 50 years and am now toying around with getting an electronic kit so I can practice at home and not throw the household into an uproar.
I love my Roland td-25kv, tour kit, I also love my Ludwig drum kit I've had for year's but, a lot of maintenance, if you're a drummer get both and you'll see.
You also can convert an acoustic kit into an electric one with triggers an mesh heads plus using low volume cymbals (Zildjian L80, Arborea Mute)
I just bought the Millenium MPS-850 as my first set at 29 YO. I figure I’ll start saving now and if I like it in 6 months I’ll buy a decent acoustic kit.
I used to have edrums, but I changed to acoustic with remo silent stroke and zildjan l80. But the funny thing is, my mum said that she heard the edrums more than my silent stroke kit when I play.
And do you think / feel that this "muffled" acoustic sound offers you still the benefits of greater expresiveness? Or is that not lost to some extent by playing the silent heads and L80 hats?
You should move out of your mom's house so she doesn't bitch at you anymore.
Electric kits are indispensable for recording professional sounding records on a budget. The cost, time, effort, and access of facilities to record a world-class live drum sound is enormous, whereas with an electronic drum kit triggering a high quality sample library such as Superior Drummer 3, or GetGoodDrums etc... will get top quality results for a fraction of the price, with 1/10th of the effort and time involved, not to mention the tweak-ability after the fact in both the performance and the drum sound (even being able to exchange entire pieces of the kit) and mix.
This is from the perspective of a non-drummer, so I appreciate the feel is not going to be quite the same, but I've heard some brilliant performances from world-class drummers on electronic kits that are indistinguishable audibly from a real acoustic kit.
The best of the best "(currently) is the mimic pro module. Buy atv hats, snare and ride and choose whatever mesh toms u like. Tried them all. This combo is killer. Greetings from professional drummer in Norway;)
Two big cons of acoustic drums you did mention are tuning and cost of maintenance. Granted, every drummer should know how to tune their kit, but that doesn't mean it won't drive you up a wall when you've spent a half hour fine tuning a snare only for it to sound worse than when you started. Electric drums will never have to be tuned and will always sound perfect (in a sense). It is also a lot easier to break a stick on an acoustic set, and you have to replace your heads after a while, or cymbals when they start to crack. With that being said, the sound and feel of a real acoustic kit squander these cons tenfold.
Trust me, electronic kit maintenance is no cheaper! The pads don't last for ever - especially the cymbals and they are a pretty penny to replace.
I play both electric and acoustic and my acoustic has cost me less in maintenance.
Yeah, I've been on the same set of sticks for over a decade now with my custom made E kit, I was lucky to get a month or two out of a pair with my old acoustic.
Tuning is not rocket science, it's just not that hard.
Tuning is all about practice. When I started I was absolute ass at it but I kept tinkering and eventually found the sound that I wanted and it is pretty easy to tune drums for me now. It also depends on the heads and shells, some are easier and some aren't. Otherwise head replacement isn't that expensive. You can get a pack of ambassadors or a ton of other brands for less than $80 and good heads usually last a year or two. And cymbals if you properly set them up and manage them well can last for multiple years. It also depends on the brand and sometimes you get a bad product but I'm sure this can be similar for electronic sets as I'm sure the pads eventually wear out.
Check out Ron Brown's video on drum tuning. Simple and easy. I can tune a 4 piece kit in 10 mins.
I played out for many years with an electronic kit. It was so simple, I hated setting up and tearing down an acoustic kit. However, I used acoustic cymbals, hi-hat ,etc. So I guess I was mixed, but what I had was easy to set up and tear down. And it worked fine in the venues I played in.
One thing my 1st drum instructor pointed out just before I picked up my 1st new drum set(Pearl Export in burgundy), was that, despite the disadvantage of being large and taking up some floor space, a decent acoustic drum set is similar to a piano, in that it's like an aesthetically pleasing piece of furniture.
Electronic drums vs acoustic drums is like a hand saw vs power saw. Both cut wood, both make drum sounds, but you can do so much more with an electronic kit. It's quiet so you can play at 3:00am with the baby sleeping in the next room, no problem. You not only have a metronome to keep time, but every kind of beat and tempo to choose from. You also have built in play along loops to practice grooves and fills against with adjustable tempo. Start out slow at 60 bpm and speed it up as you get better. You can also input your own songs to play against through the Aux in jack. You can record yourself playing the kit with just the push of a button and you have dozens of different customizable kits and hundreds of customizable sounds to choose from. You can even sample a kit or a sound and store it to use as needed. I just did that with the electronic drum sound on "Let the Good Times Roll" and put it on the rim of my 2nd tom.
I love the sound of a really good acoustic drum kit well miked, but lets face it, unmiked in your family room leaves a lot to be desired!
Great advice on electronic kits. I’m in an apartment and don’t really expect to play in a band, so an electric kit is fine with me.
Now my advice on getting rid of that annoying auto-focus. Learn how to do a manual crash focus and focus on that striped pillow with Hello embroidered on it (it’s about the same distance to the camera as your face) and then shut off the damned auto-focus.
I play in a six-piece horn band, so size is an issue. Great comparison of both. I have two acoustic sets, that I can use for larger venues, but I really like my "Hybrid Kit." Real snare, real hats, real cymbals... Roland V-Drum toms and kick. I mic the snare and cymbals. The result is a super realistic sound, great "feel" and a ton of sound possibilities. I just added a Roland dual zone snare trigger so that I can add effects on the snare too (for certain songs). I use the Roland TD-20 brain, which lets me program individual drum sets, which I name with the title of the song.
PS: VERY COOL TECHNIQUE for your snare. If you need to cut your snare volume, place a snare batter head up-side-down on your snare stand, then put your snare on the stand. It acts as a baffle, cutting the snare stage volume by 50%, without changing the playability of the top head. No deadening, just a volume cut. I started doing this when we played in an old factory/brewery (with very active brick walls) but now I do it all the time. I cuts the sound to me (saving what hearing I have left!), reduces stage volume (a big plus, let the front-end DO what' it's supposed to do) AND it has no effect on the "feel" of the snare (like laying a t-shirt over it). We have a "law" in the band... if you can't hear the horns, you're too loud!
Anyway, I really enjoy these videos. Excellent down-to-earth advice.
I have three kit's so it don't matter!
I like Electric because I can Birch, Mapple and another 198 drum kits on a fly. I don't have to but Mics.... I have a 200w Amp, and Protable!!!!!!!
This is it .
Iv been playing for 40 years and I'm so impressed by the approach of none glamorous playing..thanks my brother.
My wife has balked at letting me get am acoustic kit for years but when I started pitching an electronic kit and explained how quiet it is she finally relented and let me proceed. So far I only have a few pieces due to budgeting with two kids as well, but I'm happy I have something.
in a recording studio you want a acoustic kit to sound like a Ekit on stage you want a Ekit to sound like an acoustic, I think both have their place, I have both , the acoustic drums are dynamically in feel and control superior, I have a Roland TDKV 17 kit its great for play along and record but acoustic with good set of cymbals on a gig will never let you down
I played acoustic kits until about a year ago. I go to a small church and so they had a electric so as to control the volume. I found it frustrating because you have to hit so hard just to get the sounds. Cymbals were dismal. I brought in acoustic cymbals and high hats. Band director said it would be too loud. I said don't even acknowledge them, and no one complained. It made life better. So I brought in the rest of my kit. And went on vacation. I wanted people to just get used to them being there. I will never play electric again. They worried about volume, I said it's my job to control tempo and volume. Everyone has agreed it's better for the band's sound. And it challenges me to be a better player, controlled and more nuanced. The end.
What brand and/or price range of e-kit was it? I agree that the feel and dynamic of acoustic kits is virtually unattainable with electric kits, but the higher end ones are coming closer than ever, especially if you play using real drum shells with mesh heads and triggers instead of pads. Cheap e-kits however will surely sour anyone's opinion of them very quickly and I'm wondering if that's the case here. Cheap e-kits are basically toys.
The volume was probably turned way down, all you have to do is turn it back up. Also, it was probably a cheap kit. I guarantee you if you were to play a mod range, to high end e kit, you would love it!
Electronic kits can be effective in a church. I've played a lot in small clubs and you have to work every day at a low volume (I played solos with the metronome in my back), but still, you must always hold back your horses. it's wearing, but it works for middle jazz or bossa-nova. When it comes to soul or pop music, you don't have the proper sound with acoustic drums. better take an e-kit.
And you don't play fusion jazz at all in a church.
You've just wasted 10 days of me searching and watching videos on electronic kits. I was considering picking up the Roland TD 17kvx since I live in an apartment with peeps around all the time, but then you mention those silent cymbals and muffling at the end of your video (THANK YOU!). I've always wanted the real feel of Drums. I was going to sound proof the room even with an E-kit, so might as well go Acoustic with the parts that you mentioned. Awesome video man.
As an aspiring drummer, would it not be safe to say to truely master the instrument, investing in both an acoustic and an electric kit is the best route to go? Practice on your electric when noise is an issue, and the acoustic when it is not?
Obviously this assumes you have the budget to do so.
If you think of them as two completely different instruments as a opposed to a substitute for acoustic drums it takes the onus off the electric set having to function like it's acoustic counterpart. Also Rolands digital technology is a big game changer. The digital snare, but especially the digital ride, are a lot more sophisticated than standard triggering even with positional sensing. There are also new technologies like Sensory Percussion which uses an entirely different approach than piezo pickups. Cymbals as well are undergoing a revolution and not just with Rolands digital. Companies like Jobecky and Field Drums are using B20 alloy full size cymbals as the basis for their electronic cymbals. They feel like real cymbals because they are. Combine that with digital technology and positional sensing and you've got a whole different ball game.
Most acoustic drums don't sound even half way decent until they are mic'd and processed through a mixer. The e drums are always consistent, save you a fortune in mic's and sticks and
cymbals. It is more about aesthetics in my opinion, which is why the e drum manufacturers are now designing their pads to look more traditional although this may compromise the portability.
That sounds like a head, stick, touch, tuning problem.
I just got modifying my 1965 Ludwig kit into one you can stack inside each drum. It sounds more 70s style. The only double headed drums are the hi tom and obviously the snare. I've got a body sized duffle bag for stands in the trunk and all the drums take up only one car seat. Kd has a built in muffle ring and flrTom has special head too. When they stack I've got round carboard in between each drum to prevent damage. Also have an electronic TD-20. So now both are just as easy to pack but I'm definitely enjoying the no wires thing. Great Video!!
Yeah I'm an acoustic drummer thru and thru.Micro kit now.Love it.Tried several drum machines,sold them.Just can't do electric after so many yrs.They do have they're advantages for recording that's for sure.
I converted an acoustic kit with UFO Drums ebridges and 3 ply mesh heads. I added Yamaha 3 zone cymbals and a hi-hat stand modified with a Hall effect sensor. The snare, hi-hat and ride are plugged into an eDrumin, the rest into a MegaDrum. I'm using Superior Drummer for the kits and dedicated Alto TS115a's behind the kit for monitoring. This cost way less than high end Roland kits, is very playable and sounds excellent. Perfect for rehearsals and recording but it's simpler to use an acoustic kit for gigs.
This is more for recording....but my decision comes down to what sounds I'm wanting. Bigger sounds and natural reverb calls for an acoustic kit, and I like to use an electric kit when composing with custom recorded samples (even though a beat pad would work just as well.)
I have both. After using my e-kit alot my acoustic drums sound so freaking loud!😱😂
That's because you play them loud.
@@farshimelt hmmm yes this floor is made of floor
@@orange2694 Some floors are made of physics.
I started out on electronic drums in the early 90's the first thing I ever bought was a Roland SPD-8. I was in the Navy and I needed something ultra portable. I loved it at the time, it had some great sounds and if you had their "pedal" really just a foot switch with a spring you could either use it for the bass drum, or as long as you held the switch down you could alternated the sounds on the pads so you could open and close the hi-hat and have up to 17 sounds per kit. The biggest issue with that thing was the motherboard was directly underneath the pads. One day the motherboard cracked and that was the end of it. It lasted years though. The next thing I bought was a Yamaha DTXpress in the early 2000's I stayed electronic because I was apartment living. I had an Alesis DM5 module that I used for cymbal sounds because the one's that came with the Yamaha were super weak and quite. Also I added some extra cymbal and tom pads. It was very durable and solid for a long time. However, they don't last forever pads break, and the bass drum stand/pad wore out. Also because when you strike a pad you are creating an electrical signal, carbon will eventually build up on the plugs and the jacks so you need to keep them clean. It won't happen for a long time, but it will happen. I got tired of playing with headphones so I got some Yamaha 15" PA speakers and a couple of Alesis amps so I could play and hear myself. I played to music and it was just myself. Then one day my neighbor's boyfriend's band was looking for a drummer and she told him to ask me, he plays all the time. I was in my garage and I didn't know she sat outside and listened to me. I guess it wasn't too objectionable because he came over and said "Our band needs a drummer you wanna get together and jam?". Okay, so that weekend I met the band and they had a drum set already at their place so I didn't need to bring anything but sticks. So this was my first time playing with people, and playing on an acoustic drum kit. Somehow I made it through and got in, but I knew I had a lot to learn. I chose leave electronic drums behind because it just wasn't the same for me. I got myself a Yamaha oAk Custom shell pack 5 toms and a bass drum, and I've got 3 different snares a Steel Mapex Machete, a Gretsch hammered COB, and a Retro Mahogany. I have a mix of cymbals Paiste, Zildjians, Wuhan, and Dream Bliss. Most of my hardware is Yamaha medium or heavy. So I guess what I'm saying is electronic is a good way to start, but if you're playing with headphones quietly then electronic kits can restrict you in more ways than one, because no one can hear you.
I did a great test on this subject. I played acoustic only for years. Then I quit playing altogether, restarted on strictly an E-kit.
Then, a couple of months ago, I found a practice space and played strictly acoustic for a month. My findings:
The practice on an e-kit is just as good as on an acoustic kit, I completely disagree with the assessment in this video. I really expected it to be harder at first, that it'd take getting used to, it was not at all the case for me. It took about 30 minutes, and then it was easier and felt better then the kit I had practiced with at home for almost a year.
The other way around is more difficult. The surfaces are bouncier, and this takes away some control, especially at first. I can see how one could think the e-kit hi-hats ("even the higher end ones") aren't suitable for practicing hi hat work, but that's ultimately because you're not used to them. If you're used to them, the transition back to acoustic is actually very easy.
I'm kind of confused... so is the transition difficult or easy lol
@@lalalalalalalalal567 From e-kit to acoustic is easy, the other way around takes a couple of weeks of intense playing to get used to.
What e-kit did you use?
I play a Roland TD 4 kit. Bought it new it '09. I have since upgraded all the tom head to the Roland mesh heads. Used of course, curtesy of Ebay. I bought the third cymbal to have two crashes and the ride. I gig all the time with it, running it through our PA and the sound is fantastic. I've never had a stutter or skipped trigger while playing. In the last year I bought a bass guitar EQ pedal. I run the line out into it then out to the PA and my sound has really changed. Looking back, I can't believe I ever played without the EQ pedal. I'd love to polish off my Gretsch acoustic 4 piece set to gig with, but anymore when we tell the bar or club owner I have a volume controllable electric kit their eyes widen in curiosity and enthusiasm. I would like to upgrade to a mesh bass drum pad, I haven't found one at a reasonable price though.
With the Rolland td 30 you can change the sounds of the stick on different drums so you could make a single drum sound like brushes
Alesis Command Mesh has some samples also that emulate the brush roll
Totally agree on the "mastering the art"-aspect.
Being able to really control the finest details and nuances is key to developing a great drumsound.
With electric kits, all you have control over is the velocity, but there's no way to control any of the other aspects, that have influence on the sound.
Sure, they are great for practising rythm and timing, they are also great to lay down a beat for songwriting.
But in terms of sound, an accoustic kit offers much more variety. It takes skill to get the kit to sound right (be it via tuning or playing)
but it has much more potential to sound GREAT, which you don't get with an electric kit.
It makes no tonal difference, if you get a drum guru or a student on a electric kit, the drum module will fire off the same sample, if both of them max out the midi-velocity on the e-kit.
Get both of them on a real kit, and you see why that drum guru is a drum guru.
There's no comparing the two... They are both really useful in different circumstances. I have played for 40 years and i treat them as different instruments. While playing an acoustic kit has nuances... I can't make it sound like a jazz kit from the 40s then swap out in 4 seconds to make it sound like Bonhams vistalite kit. Give the vexpression kits a look up for the Roland's. They bring out the best of those electronics. I have a Billy joel drummers cover on my channel and it sounds killer
With acoustic ones you need to spend time with tuning etc...
and you need special earphones or IEM'S if you want to play to music
I have a Roland TDK -1DMK e-kit. It is a marvel and in my opinion it
sounds so much better than any acoustic kit I've played in the same price bracket (£600--£800). It has so many advantages especially for a learner - you can play along to the pre-set songs, play the drum parts on your own favourite songs with drumless tracks, there are 15 pre-set kits (rock, pop, jazz, electronic, metal, percussion only etc). There is no question that I would have been a much better drummer and learnt so much more if I had started on an e-kit back in the day. Comparing an acoustic kit with an e-kit like judging an old analogue rotary phone versus a modern day smartphone. Which one would you rather have?
All very true & valid points & the only reason I'm thinking of buying an E Kit is because I stay in a small flat & I know for a fact I'd be hit by ASBO's left right & centre if I could by my favourite acoustic drum kit...
When I was younger I started out on drums but i somehow got talked into playing bass, as back then no one wanted to play bass & it hadn't been brought forward as it has within a band environment & this all happened in the mid 70s & 80s & I'm so glad I moved to bass guitar as it is a very expressive instrument in the right hands...
Hands down, any day of the week, I'd take acoustic drum kits over E Kits but my circumstances won't allow me to do this...
I will say though that E Kits have grown so much since their early years but when you have a trained ear you can really hear the difference between the two & of course your physical interaction between them...
I still do not think they've perfected a really great snare sound that could fool you but they are still good for what they built to do...
I get why this gentleman is doing a Pros & Cons but your circumstances should tell & speak to on what type of kit you'll want to get...
If you live in a detached home & have a garage/no brainer it's an Acoustic Kit, but if your in a flat with neighbours around you it has to be an E Kit & though they're not 100% realistic sounding as an acoustic they've come on a long way & can do the job for whatever your looking for...
Beats the hell out of using your parents pots & pans & old used paint pots that I smacked on back in the day... lol
In all seriousness I'll say again that think overall what you'll be using them for & can you play them without incurring the wrath of not just your neighbours but your family...
Again for me & if I could I'd take acoustic but I think E Kits have become good enough to use them for what I need, as I'm not intending on playing with any bands or recording anymore as they're just for the fun of grooving along to a beat...
Factor in everything that you'll need them for & if you'll be able to use them without hassle...
I'd even suggest, if you have the money, an acoustic kit for during the day/early evening & an E Kit at night & that way you don't drive your family & neighbours nuts because of the sound...
Have fun picking out what you'll use & above all enjoy the Instrument your playing, as it's all about the passion of music & finding your groove within whatever part of that band you want to be in...
I was lucky as I picked up drums/bass & lead & rhythm guitar, so I can play around more & I'd suggest you try playing other instruments also as it all adds to the musical soup your cooking & if one day you want to go Pro you have a better chance at getting more work when you know how to play more than one instrument...
Enjoy...
.....
I love both. I learned on an acoustic set and now play more on e-sets. 2 different animals. Nowadays, I don’t think e-drum makers are trying to solely emulate acoustic drums anymore.
I’m sure similar debates have happened when electric guitars and keyboards first came out.
When I record and perform vdrums with loud live band, I have use a mini spot monitor just for my hihat because it's not loud enough like a real hihat normally cuts through loud guitars. I could turn my hat up but then it'd be way loud in the recording. It also makes the playing experience seem much more like an acoustic.
Thanks for the video. I’ve had a Roland TD17 kvx for about 18 months, and fortunately my wife has just bought me a new Pearl Export 6 piece drum kit with Sabian B8X cymbals, so I’m fortunate enough to have the best of both worlds. I also have an old barn in my garden with 18” walls I intend to put them in after some alterations so hopefully the neighbour’s will have some peace. Regards and Happy New Year to all drummers. Bob M. South Wales
Having been a professional drummer since the early 70's ( live gigs, studio musician, etc) and having been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play a Pollard Syndrum drumset ( the first electronic drums ever made) I find it difficult to take someone seriously when they don't know the proper nomenclature for the topic they are discussing. These are electronic, NOT electric drums. This may sound petty, but there is a significant difference in the meanings. An electric drum, means that, as an electric guitar or electric bass, all the sounds that the instrument makes is contained within the instrument itself. With electric guitars, bass, mandolins, etc, you plug into an amplifier, and the sound created by the instrument itself, is made louder. You can play them without plugging in, and still play actual notes and chords. The electric part of these instruments are the pickups, which are basically microphones. Try plugging an electronic drum pad directly into an amplifier and guess what? Nothing happens. That is because the actual sounds are created ELECTRONICALLY in the control unit, hence the name electronic drums.
I’m just getting into drums and wondered why the two different words, now I know. Thank you!
Although an electronic drum kit never can or will replace an acoustic kit, they indeed are a great invention and have their own advantages!
They are 2 different Instruments so how can you compare. Check kwhich suite U and go from thre
Hybrid kits are the BOMB!
E KICK & SD (or clap) sound amazing live, keep the acoustic cymbals and toms.
Best of both worlds.
I also have an acoustic SD with a trigger on it for layered sounds
Acoustic for live
Electric for playing around with the kit
Drum-Tec Diabolo kits with a TD-30 are fantastic for practice, playing through amplification and perfect for live playing. Controlling the sound and volume has unlimited uses. No one wants to here loud real drum sounds anymore, especially in smaller venues. Tuning down the drum volume allows the entire band to lower the volume = more options for live music = more gigs = more money. I paid off my kit in a few months with the extra work.
E kits are awesome for recording and even live sound. By putting mics on an acoustic kit you are essentially making a crude acoustic electric kit. you can manipulate the sound from the mics with EQ and processing at FOH. you can tweak the mics feeds on the kit this way and make it sound nothing like the original acoustic kit. you are basically able to do this same thing with an E kit without all the variables and headaches of live mic placement, phase and bleed issues. you will have a consistent drum sound from gig to gig with out depending on a sound guy that may or may knot know what he is doing. Combine a Roland VAD-506 with a PC and a copy of easy/superior drummer and you have a pretty versatile and powerful recording/gigging set up. no one except other drummers will even notice its an E kit. some of the worst sounding E drums are still better sounding than some of the POS untuned acoustic kits I've heard live. a sound man can also destroy the FOH sound of a perfectly tuned and impeccable acoustic set. a lot less variables and work to get an e kit sounding good lol.
Well i live in an apartment and own an e-kit, and my neighbours think ive got a crazy washing machine, sooooo.
Absolutely nothing compares to a well tuned recording of a acoustic drum kit!
I'm just starting. I can't figure out how to tune the drums to sound how I want. But I guess I'm not going to learn on an electric drum either
@@jeremy378983 Ron Brown's video on tuning will solve your problems.
@@farshimelt I appreciate that. I'll have to search it. I watch a lot of his vids. He's been a huge help. Thank you
Sometimes areas are just too small for acoustic kits. If I'm playing at a bar or tiny room I'll always bring my ekit. You can get the perfect band mix instead of turning everything up to match the drums.
I think my TD-30 Roland kit sounds like a very well mic’d acoustic kit in a big room. I don’t need a good sound man with a handful of mics and a major PA with the Rolands.The best part of it is the lack of over-ring which always takes away from the “clean” sound. Playing quietly on an acoustic kit is a trick. Everyone has to be as loud/quiet as the drummer. Roland wins there! If its too loud, turn that button counter clockwise. For brushes, I use a DW acoustic snare to replace the Roland snare mic’d separately. Works great through a Focusrite interface.
I play both, no matter how good eDrums get, they will never replicate the feel and dynamics of an acoustic kit. It's not even close IMO so I completely agree with your comments around 8:00 - I don't think you can become anywhere near as good of a player on eDrums. I have an Alesis Strike Pro with a Drumtec real-feel head on the snare that I use for recording and for when I can't play my acoustic drums. It is WAY easier to record with eDrums IMO. There's no noise or bleed from mics on other parts, it's much easier to mix since all the pads/cymbals are isolated, doubling or replacing sounds with VSTs is easy and the mixing process is sooooo much better if you're a home studio dude and can't setup a good sounding drum room.
What do you think is currently the most realistic sounding edrum kit?
If you use the ekit for recording, then it has at least enough feel and dynamics for that.
Do you use your acoustic kit only for shows? I'm on a 16 or so year old Pearl Forum series with a PorkPie snare. My main concern and losing that amazing snare dynamics with an edrum.
With VSTs (using drum replacement or doubling in any DAW), I don't think the sounds of the module matter much anymore. I think the Pearl Mimic Pro has the best samples and the PD-140 roland snare has the most dynamic feel.
For recording, yeah, the eDrums are good enough because I am recording straight-ahead rock music but if I was playing other styles where subtlety is more important, I don't think they'd cut it by comparison. Plus, it's much easier to customize your sounds, especially with adding other percussion elements.
I practise on the acoustic kit more and always use it live. I'd like to try the Strike Pro kit live someday, I would imagine it's easier to get a good, clean sound. LOVE PorkPie snares!! I had a Pearl free-floating brass piccolo a while back and I tried to replicate the sound with the Alesis module and got it close enough, but still couldn't match it entirely.
@@cleverdood Thank you for that information. Maybe it would be better for me to piece together a kit.
From someone who bought a studio in the country mainly to have acoustic drums (ended up like the shining) , I would recommend you join a band and rent a room and you can keep all your stuff in the place and constant access. Or buy a 2box drum it.
I’ve been playing for 30 years. My acoustic kits are a five piece Yamaha stage custom and a five piece Ludwig. My E kit is a Roland V TD-12KX. I have nothing else to add here because I agree completely with your entire analysis.
I've seen other people mention it in the comments as well but I really wanted to emphasize another con to acoustic kit: MAINTENANCE.
With Acoustic kits, you have to switch out your heads when they get dull and beat up, you break sticks significantly more, you can crack cymbals, and you have to keep up with the tuning. Now I personally prefer acoustic kits myself, I imagine the vast majority of people do. However, it is important to mention this con as I think its importance is only second to volume when comparing acoustic vs electronic. I say if you have the space, if you don't mind the upkeep, and if volume is not a factor, definitely get an acoustic drum kit, otherwise an electronic kit is quieter, takes up less space, and is a lot more low maintenance. That being said, this video is very informative and well done!
Have you priced replacing pads on e-kits? If one breaks and eventually one will, replacing one pad can cost more than a couple complete sets of acoustic heads. If you are cracking cymbals where it becomes a MAINTENANCE issue, you are doing something wrong.
@@EHiggins I mean if you're breaking your electronic pads you might be doing something wrong as well...
@@capnDisco drum pads wear out, just like acoustic drum heads that gets struck with a drumstick multiple times, it just takes longer. It's rubber and plastic, the cheaper the ekits the cheaper the material that goes into pads. So they wear out faster. The thing is even with the cheaper ekits buying an individual replacement pad is still more expensive than replacing an acoustic drum head. Just like every other piece of electronic gear they have finite life span. Cymbals are made from a metal alloy that is typically harder than stick you are hitting with. Would you cut wood with wood, rubber or plastic no it requires something harder like metal. If cymbals are mounted properly and you are playing with proper technique then they shouldn't be cracking to where it becomes a regular maintenance issue. You can look up the prices of individual pads look and see how much a replacement costs or even if you wanted to expand your ekit with more pads it can get very expensive. Eventually you will have to do maintenance on an ekit. As the manufactures introduce newer models and discontinue the model you bought. Replacement pads for your particular kit might get hard to find. You can usually substitute a different pad, but they maybe more expensive, and you may have to buy additional hardware to mount it to your rack.
I feel bad I reccently got an E-kit, but I practice on a real kit from time to time. I will upgrade to a real one eventually (Hopefully within a year) But for now as a beginner it's great
I have an Alesis nitro mesh kit. Added an extra cymbal kit and a double bass pedal. It is great for the most part. If I were to do it again. I would for sure go with Roland or Yamaha. I have gone through a snare pad and a kick drum. Snare pad was able to get warrantied. Kick drum I was able to get a Yamaha kick KP65 kick pad. So that fixed that issue. The sensors don't seem to hold up that long on the Alesis kits. for $300 bucks its not bad but be prepared to have to order extra parts for it. I think I am going to pick up an acoustic kit so I can have best of both worlds.
I have an electric. Honestly the biggest pro is if you want to drum you can. Allows you to learn at least for maybe the day where you can grab an acoustic kit.
I always hated electronic drums, mainly because they never felt good playing. I think in 2003 I finally came across a Roland TD6KV, and that was the first time I ever liked the feel of the pads.
I got one with an extra cymbal, and set it up just like an acoustic set, maple toms, oak bass and a double pedal.
It's been a great set, it still works, and I think that controller was actually better than the newer ones. I've never had a problem with it. And for that time and the price, it was the best, and probably still is, for dual trigger set. I could play almost, almost every on it as my acoustic set, but not everything was possible.
But I still feel to learn, you should use an acoustic set first.
My biggest gripe about electric drums when your playing live anyways is you don’t get that sound of sitting behind drums. The sound comes from wherever the speakers are. With acoustic drums the sound is where the drum or cymbal is that you are hitting. I enjoy playing my Roland td9’s but not live. Wearing headphones does help but it nowhere near the same. The sounds of the Roland drums in my opinion is the absolute best electric drum sounds you can get. People give me positive comments on my Roland set every time we take them out. It’s just hard for me to get use to the location of where the sound comes from on electric drums.
I have an electric kit now purely for fun and more for noise. I had an acoustic 8 piece in my mid 20s when in a band and I would have to agree the high hat is limited but I can live with that
We have an Roland TD30 at church. The most annoying thing for me is the sound of hitting plastic/rubber cymbals. We all use in-ears so we don't have any monitors on stage. People very close to the stage that are not in line with the mains can hear the impact of the stick hitting the plastic cymbals pads. We all had to learn to play softer than we would with an acoustic kit and push the drums in the mains so we can mask that sound. Also really don't like not having ability to play with brushes. I have pulled up an acoustic snare when I need to but it is a hassle.
You can absolutely play brushes and rods on an electric kit. Just turn the dial to "brushes" or "rods".
I've owned and played on both, Pearl acoustic and Roland E-Kit. I really like playing on both types of kits.
On the Roland I can play all night and won't bother my neighbors also to record myself, I just plug the Roland module output, into the camera mic input, how easy is that! The Pearl kit with Zildjian cymbals, well... it's Pearl and Zildjian! The only con is recording acoustic the right way, you need a ton of extra equipment. If I could only have one or the other, I would choose the acoustic kit. I can't give you a real good reason why but if someone said "make a choice" I would choose acoustic!
I use an electronic set for quiet practice. One thing I noticed is that it has increased my accuracy on a full acoustic set. With tiny 6" pads, you have to be accurate. When I move over to an acoustic set, it's like a "vacation" to the larger heads! E-kits are like a baseball player using a weighted donut on his bat for practice swings. I also like to use really big sticks, when I practice (5B)... then switch to 5A-7A for gigs. You can get to used to one feel.
I get asked to sit in with many bands, when I go out to see my friends. I NEVER adjust the drummer's set. I like adapting to different drum angles, cymbal heights/locations, throne heights... it's a challenge to me... and, I've been told by the band's drummer how much they appreciate NOT having to re-adjust everything.
CONFESSION: There IS one thing I find myself adjusting... I find that lots of drummers seem to place the lock on their hats toward them. I always move it around to the back side of the hat. Why? I play the WHOLE hat, edge to bell... can't do that with the locknut in the way! (I always return it to their position when I leave the stage)
Been playing on an acoustic kit for over 15 years now - though with a cross country move I had to go TD17KVX due to noise. Going to be a learning curve but I'm excited.
Two different beasts. It would be like comparing an acoustic piano to a synthesizer/sampler keyboard. You play both instruments with hands, but that's about it. A fine acoustic kit is like a grand piano, a fine e-drum kit is like a high-end keyboard workstation. With that said, Sensory Percussion by SUNHOUSE, is yet another fine beast.
I play an electric kit. They work according to the PA. The better the PA the better the sound. There are drawbacks but it is more than possible to play "around" the limitations without sacrificing too much. I started playing an accoustic kit but at my age "almost 70" there is much less to move around to get set up....
This was a great video! We just moved from our lake cottage to a condo in a nearby city where I won’t be able to use my acoustic kits. I much prefer the acoustic kit, but I have no choice but to give the electronics a try. Thank you
I’m a beginner, but was recently shopping for drums, and couldn’t decide between acoustic or electric. One thing I noticed as a beginner looking for a beginner set, beginner electric sets sound WAY inferior compared to the higher end ones. I know that sounds obvious, but I think it’s a consideration. The Alesis Nitro sounded like pressing a drum sample in garage band. The higher end set, not even the best there, I think around $1,500, sounded way closer to the real thing. So if you are a beginner and looking for entry level drums, the difference is WAY bigger than if you’re going to shell out a good amount of money.
Drum-Tec Hand Hammered Diabolo 13" snare you can use brushes and with the new ATV cymbals and hi hat mallets works. Drum-Tec / ATV kits are great all around.
You made many great points! I love big loud expensive acoustic kits! Unfortunately I now live in an apartment. I went back to Electronic kit! Ive owned them all, from Alesis, Roland, and Yamaha with XP heads! 3 zone. Point is Noise control! Thanks for your input!
An Ekit isn’t a replacement for an acoustic kit. They augment and work with each other. A concert pianist can also have a synthesiser/electronic keyboard for the same reasons. You cannot take a grand piano everywhere easily!
You resumed pretty well the pros and cons of each option. When I was younger, I hated electronic drums (the sound, feel etc...) but I've changed my mind by understanding the history behind it.
I think electronic manufacturers wants to respond to a demand for kits that simulate acoustic kits with nuances (which is nice to practice etc... ).
However the strength of electronic is... to play electronic sounds. It is a different culture, the first electronic kit was created from a modified groove box. Everyone knows the sound of the 80's just by hearing the Simmons drums.
The trend for electronic kits, and electronic instruments in general, is to bring each time a new level of sensitivity/nuances which is interesting in a electronic way, but concerning the Drums, it will never represent at 100% the real touch of the drummer because there are too much variables in an acoustic setup/sound.
So take the electronic drum kit for what it was created for at the start : an electronic instrument which purpose is to sound electronic with a more humanized interpretation of the beat than a groove box.
Stephen Clarke, when you were talking about the benefits of getting a cheap used $300 - 400 kit explaining that its sound could be modified by swapping out a snare or get new hardware, hoops, heads, etc., and get a good sound and I agree with that. But if one is going to trade up like that the cost could potentially rise to the same cost as a good electric set unless the equipment you swap out itself is used. I haven't been shopping in a long time but I remember a new double bass drum pedal ran between $200-$300, a new ride ran about $250, etc. Then I got a Roland TD20 when they came out spent $5000 and at the sixth year of playing that set it began to develop problems with the hardware and software from regular wear and tear. If I had kept my acoustic kit I would still be playing it now with little troubles. I was a little upset because I figured for $5000 the set should have lasted much much longer than it did. If I buy another electronic kit I won't buy the high end because Roland hasn't shown me that their kits last for the money you have to shell out. Just wanted to throw that in ...good vid, thanks
I have a modified td9 and it is great fun, especially for quick and cheap recording.
Also, I like to build it into my acoustic kit.