Drummers: Anyone use an electronic kit?

[onegunguitar]

Don't worry Steve, anyone associated with Naildriver knows that it's ToddDale who is gay. And I mean Adam Lambert boy band gay. G-H-E-Y-gay. LOL.

Hahahaha!!!!!

[LHSL]

It's time that I put a little more effort into my playing- I found a bunch of super cool guys that I really click with both musically and personally. We can only get together two to three times a month and for convenience, I've been leaving my kit where we get together. It's easy for them to practice regularly since their instruments are really portable, but I have no such luxury.

Space in my home is limited, so at this point, another full blown kit is out of the question. Digital kits seem to take up a very small amount of space, and can be played virtually at any time, and I think would be a great way to sharpen my skills. I would like to gather some information, and I don't have $4k to spend on the latest Roland- minimal budget is necessary.

Tactile Response on a budget kit- Will this hinder learning the instrument?
Durability- I'm not a heavy hitter, but just aren't sure.
Sound- Any good? Will probably use headphones at home.
Gigging capable- maybe not as a complete set, but as an add on to the acoustic set (think: effects)

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not a drummer but for your stated goal, this sounds like a great idea. I have worked with a couple of drummers that used edrums and here are my thoughts on your questions.

Tactile response - there is a wide range of price categories out there. The quality of the sensors and construction of the pad will affect the way it plays. But the controller/drum unit will affect it just as much. Different controllers have different requirements to get the full capability. Some pads have a sensor in the drum and on the rim. Some controllers can integrate both signals to get the stick position and turn that into a different sound (hitting dead center vs near the edge - and rim shots obviously. The quality of the controller will typically determine how it plays for rolls and what not. Edrums have a reputation of producing "machine gun" sounds on rolls and what not.

Durability - I think some of the edrums out there look pretty flimsy. The rack systems from Roland aren't that great either. One drummer I worked with used Pintech pads and they seemed very well built.

Gigging - one thing I think seemed useful is like a Yamaha Octopad and a controller. This can replace lots of toys (roto-toms, wood blocks, effect symbols, gongs, vibra-slap, etc). Personally, I think it's MORE work, because you have another signal that needs amplified through the PA - and possibly on stage as well.

Overall, I think edrums are great if done right. I've encountered them a few times running sound over the years, one drummer I worked with for about a year. On the FOH side, that spoiled me, a lot of control over the volume and mix, BUT he was using a Roland TD-20 and top of the line pads and cymbals. On the stage sound side, that can be hard unless you have a good way of amplifying it and broadcasting it on stage. But for you, mostly just wanting to practice at home, I don't think it's as big of a deal.

Just a few things to think about.

[RobTheDrummer]

Randy Sciarillo let me jam on his kit. It was really awesome, still different, but very cool. These drums have come a long way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psBjGFZRf1s

[f.sciarrillo]

We use an E-drum kit at my church. An acoustic, like mentioned by Johnny, would be way too loud. My brother had his set in there for a little bit, Rob. It sounds awesome. Those V-Drums advanced so much over the years.

My church is in the process now of raising the money for new Roland TD-15. They are nice sets as well.

[Hawk]

Randy Sciarillo let me jam on his kit. It was really awesome, still different, but very cool. These drums have come a long way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psBjGFZRf1s

I played on Randy's kit too. Lots of fun, lots of bells and whistles. But when it comes to gigging I'd rather have greater control of the nuances an acoustic kit can deliver.

[Hawk]

We use an E-drum kit at my church. An acoustic, like mentioned by Johnny, would be way too loud. My brother had his set in there for a little bit, Rob. It sounds awesome. Those V-Drums advanced so much over the years.

My church is in the process now of raising the money for new Roland TD-15. They are nice sets as well.

Why can't drummers just play softer ? Yeah, I'm working on the piano side of my dynamics, but the challenge is fun, just like learning some complicated passage.

[f.sciarrillo]

We use an E-drum kit at my church. An acoustic, like mentioned by Johnny, would be way too loud. My brother had his set in there for a little bit, Rob. It sounds awesome. Those V-Drums advanced so much over the years.

My church is in the process now of raising the money for new Roland TD-15. They are nice sets as well.

Why can't drummers just play softer ? Yeah, I'm working on the piano side of my dynamics, but the challenge is fun, just like learning some complicated passage.

They probably could, but the E-Kit has a better volume control. I tried to play soft on the acoustic set they have there in the youth room. It was still too loud.

[Jasaoke]

Hawk, you've been in the game long enough. You should know by now that drummers simply CAN'T play softly.

C'mon, that's like asking fish to fly..

[VENTGtr]

May depend on the style of music. eDrums seem to have come a long way. Calv (Serious Jones) got his to use at practice, but ended up liking the consistency and having the sound he wanted, wherever. They used in-ears as well, so volume wasn't an issue in that sense.

One drummer we tried used had them (No idea what kind) and they sounded great. One cable to the board, unfold, and good to go.

Granted, ya lose that acoustic drum "impact" feel, but I'm all for controlling stage volume. So. if they sound good out front, some compromise can be worth it. That or a drummer with more control and dynamics (Been very lucky in that regard for some time).

As alluded, the big plus is the ability to drop in samples. Ya know...'cause Steve and I don't have enough effects goin'...

[brtgoldtop]

someone may have said this already, i didnot read through all the replys on this topic but I was in a band afew years ago and our drummer had an electric kit and an acoustic kit. we used the elec. kit for practice to minimize noise and the acoustic drums to play out with. well we decided to try the electric kit to play out with one night cause they were soundin so good at practice.
it turned out to be a decent night with them but learned id much rather have a drummer that plays out with an acoustic set. It feels more real to me. Just my opinion.

[Hawk]

There have been (and still are) drummers who play with an (un-miced) acoustic piano and a stand up bass, kick ass and still not overpower the other two acoustic instruments.

I don't know if I can do that (but I'd like to reach that level of control), but drummers have been indoctrinated into POUND POUND POUND. I've even seen JP give kudos to drummers (I've seen) for their aggressive style. POUNDING gets noticed. Technique often gets missed by the average person if the drummer plays at a low volume.

[songsmith]

There have been (and still are) drummers who play with an (un-miced) acoustic piano and a stand up bass, kick ass and still not overpower the other two acoustic instruments.

I don't know if I can do that (but I'd like to reach that level of control), but drummers have been indoctrinated into POUND POUND POUND. I've even seen JP give kudos to drummers (I've seen) for their aggressive style. POUNDING gets noticed. Technique often gets missed by the average person if the drummer plays at a low volume.

WOOOOOOOORRRRRDDDD!!!

One of the reasons I moved away from rock music was the relentless volume war brought on by drummers who have no feel for dynamics, and drummers who insist on a 47-piece kit. Still searching for that drummer who chooses syncopation over power, counterpoint over bombast, and time-lock over "bleckum-bleckum-bleckum-crash." There are a few out there locally, and oddly enough, they work A LOT.
These drummer get-togethers are a fantastic idea. They force the quality-level upwards, and stress technique, because 20 drummers in a room have to play quietly enough to hear each other. Show me a guy who can OWN a Bun E.-kit (kick/snare/hat/floor/crash/ride), and I'll show you a busy band.

BTW, I've been selling churches PA's and instruments since 1988. frank's right: acoustic drums are ALWAYS too loud in church, no matter how quietly you play them. That's because there are old people there. It's like when you take a big PA speaker into a VFW... they think you're too loud before you even get loaded-in.

[bassist_25]

There are a few out there locally, and oddly enough, they work A LOT.

Randy Servello was the first name that popped into my head. He is probably one of the most dynamic and tasteful drummers on local stages. Plus he can sing his ass off too. I've also always been a fan of Steve Arnold's playing. Steve's a bass player's dream - lots of chops but never overplays or steps on the groove.

BTW, I've been selling churches PA's and instruments since 1988. frank's right: acoustic drums are ALWAYS too loud in church, no matter how quietly you play them. That's because there are old people there. It's like when you take a big PA speaker into a VFW... they think you're too loud before you even get loaded-in.

Some rooms just suck for this type of thing. This past weekend, we played a gig in a club that has one of those giant empty warehouse things going on, kind of like Burgi's. The management wanted us to keep it down, and it was a nightmare adjusting levels so the drums weren't overpowering the FOH.

BTW, +1 on the Yamaha Octopad. I played with a drummer who used one of those, and it really added a nice touch to songs that needed a gong or some other one time-per-gig percussion effect.

[Craven Sound]

Randy Servello was the first name that popped into my head. He is probably one of the most dynamic and tasteful drummers on local stages. Plus he can sing his ass off too.


BTW, +1 on the Yamaha Octopad. I played with a drummer who used one of those, and it really added a nice touch to songs that needed a gong or some other one time-per-gig percussion effect.

+1 on both. I heard Randy for the first time last month and was blown away. He was with 7th Gear and was using a sampling pad and just owned it. I think I'll be working with them again this Saturday, I hope he's not with Chris V. this week.