New drummer looking to upgrade

[KaneBlaireau]

Hey folks! New to the forum and have seen multiple similar posts that did not have exactly the info I was looking for, so here it is.

I have an Alesis DM6. Extreme beginners kit, but as I was coming over from Rock Band, I figured it was a fair first step. Not to mention it was $350 for the kit plus a throne.

I am actually in a band and everyone is ok with the sound. Two of the guys have been touring musicians. We have been playing together for right around two months. I have been advised that the first thing to upgrade is the brain.

After doing a bit of research, it seems that the Roland TD-10 would be an ideal upgrade. Seems to go anywhere from $300 to $500 on eBay. Would this be a good module or should I really push it and save for the TD-20 (at TRIPLE the price) or is their something else you would recommend?

Thanks!

[itchie]

welcome to the forum

the td-10 12 and 20 are great but if your going to the effort of leaving your old module in the dust then i would suggest to upgrade the whole kit

have thought about is getting an acoustic kit ?
(you really should ...right now ...off you go)

[kaosotis]

I'm with itchie, I'd go acoustic personally unless you need an e-kit. They just aren't the same.

I'd also agree that if you are upgrading, upgrade the whole e-kit. You'll get much better hardware, better pads, etc... If you're willing to spend $1000-$1500 on a TD-20 brain I'd look at the TD-4 kits or the new Yamaha kits in that price range.

[KaneBlaireau]

Well, the idea is that I will be upgrading everything a piece at a time so that I can get the best for the money option available.

As for an acoustic...I live in an apartment. Noise level as well as space are a MAJOR issue and I don't have a permanent practice space. Its shared and I'm on a secondary lease so my gear goes home with me after every practice.

[pastor_bob]

Welcome to Drum Chat Kane!

Sounds like you have a good direction in mind, and a basic budget that you will need to follow. The key to good suggestions for you might be to find out what you can afford to put toward your kit on a monthly basis.

I did quite a bit of upgrading from a beginner kit (acoustic), too, and it just took a few years to get the things that I wanted (not to mention the occasional GAS that creeps in ).

[kaosotis]

PB, occasional GAS doesn't get you that big a cymbal collection!

[Bish]

PB, occasional GAS doesn't get you that big a cymbal collection!

Hey, Kaine. That sounds like an unbelievably good price for the 10. Have you had a chance to check out the sound patches it offers?

I had a TD-8 a few years ago and thought that would do everything I needed. 64 kits with 5 user settable ones. It'll support a good 5 or 6 pc kit with a couple of cymbals and offers a variable hi-hat and chokeable cymbals.

Maybe you could save a few more dollars looking at that one?

I also agree that once you upgrade your electric pads to mesh, you'll really enjoy ekits, more.

Good luck in your search and Welcome to Drum Chat.

[Bish]

I found a picture of my ekit that used the TD-8. Sorry for the poor quality of the picture.

[itchie]

what heads are you using there?

[KaneBlaireau]

Went to American Music today and he also recommended the TD-8. Also said to check out the TD-12 and even the TD-4. The DM-6 module is INCREDIBLY basic, so anything will be a step up!

Also REALLY in need of a double bass pedal system. May end up with that before a new module.

[Bish]

Also REALLY in need of a double bass pedal system. May end up with that before a new module.

The TAMA Iron Cobra Jr. is a great pedal for the money. Check that one out if you can.

[KaneBlaireau]

Thanks, Bish! Sadly, they had a double Speed Cobra set up so I just had to try it. Its just...AMAZING. Want it so much, but doubt its gonna happen for a good long while. Will look into the Iron Cobra Jr.

[KaneBlaireau]

So I see their are two different IC Jrs. Regular and HP200TW. Is their a difference???

[Bish]

It appears that the HP200TW has what looks like the IC foot pedals but other than that it doesn't show as available from the sources I use.

If I can find any more information I'll post up.

[itchie]

DW have released a cut down version of the 5000 series ...it was cheaper than the IC and smoother ...highly recommended and i use IC's

[DLDante]

If you're willing to spend $1,500 on the TD20 module then, as others have said, you may as well upgrade everything. In your situation I'd get myself a Roland TD9 kit and spend an extra $60 to load the module with VExpressions sounds (these are professionally altered sounds from the Roland module). Then you'll have some reliable hardware with module sounds that won't embarrass you on stage.

[Griff]

Well, the idea is that I will be upgrading everything a piece at a time so that I can get the best for the money option available.

As for an acoustic...I live in an apartment. Noise level as well as space are a MAJOR issue and I don't have a permanent practice space. Its shared and I'm on a secondary lease so my gear goes home with me after every practice.

Hey there Kane. Maybe upgrading a piece at a time won't actually work out to be very cost effective ("best for the money option"). If you work out the individual prices of what makes up the kit it might be cheaper to buy a whole kit?! (unless you buy everything second hand of course)

Anyway - if you're still looking for the piecemeal approach, what about Yamaha's DT Express IV module. Probably significantly cheaper than non-entry level Roland and has a great range of voices to build your kits. I love the sounds out of mine and customisable until the cows come home if desired. Brand new on musiciansfriend at 499 but likely to pick up second hand for much less. Used as controllers for things other than e-drums so someone might have gotten sick of their of the other thing they use it for!

Cheers,
Griff

[Mrs_Smith]

Lovely advice guys, because I need to get an e-kit due to baby using spare room Going to sell acoustic

[KaneBlaireau]

Hey guys! Been busy. Had our first show a couple weeks ago. Went VERY well. Currently recording our first few tracks. DM6 sound is surprisingly good once you adjust the EQ. Their is a used Iron Cobra double that I am keeping my eye on. Next month I should be able to grab it! Then, I will start saving for a new Roland kit and use the DM6 as either trade in or FX. We shall see what happens!

[Drumbledore]

If you've had a DM6 kit, here's one problem. Only your snare pad is a dual-zone trigger pad (that alows for a rim click sound). All of your other pads are single triggers. Now, even if you upgrade the module to say, another brand like Roland or Yamaha, which send dual trigger commands, your other pads will still only trigger one sound. Which means whilst you won't have to worry about your toms, your cymbals won't all of a sudden have say a seperate bell sound for the ride or you'll be able to choke the crash, simply because the cymbal pads won't have that function, irrespective of the module. So if you are upgrading your module, and if say you went for a Roland TD-12, you would have gone for a lot of unnecessary expense if you don't also upgrade the cymbals.

Myself, I bough a couple of Alesis DM5 kits (older model ones that first came out), I did a few modifications on the rack (I like their light weight but the corner clamps were hopeless, so I replaced them). Then the cymbal pads were replaced (all single zones, I've saved them for a few students and friends), replaced them with dual and triple trigger Alesis Surge cymbals, but here is the kicker....the DM5, not a bad module in itself (far superior to the DM6 to DM8 series, I wouldn't even touch them at all), the DM5 unfortunately is a single trigger module [N.B: the DM5 is a development from the Alesis D4 (a 16-bit module that was often used for replacing drum sounds in studios, and is now seen as a piece of vintage gear)]. So what I had to do was to order two Alesis I/O units which I have to MIDI into the Alesis DM5 modules if I want to allow my cymbals to choke.

In the meantime, because I have a Roland Octopad, I run two dual-trigger Roland PDX-8 snare pads (one for each kit) into the Octopad, which allows dual-triggering, whilst two Roland KD-85 kick pads (again, one for each kit) still connect up into each of the Alesis modules (they only need a single trigger function). But for anything that you have which will need dual triggering - from a snare pad to your ride cymbal and crashes....if you upgrade your DM6 module, you're going to need to upgrade your various pads as well.

As to why I've stayed with the DM5? Well, it's an AU$995 module that has 12 trigger inputs, as oppsed to the usual 8-10 you find on some of the lower end Roland and Yamaha modules at that same price range. Of course, once you come up to the Roland TD-10, TD-12 and the TD-20, remember, the bigger bucks will definitely get you the superior quality you'd expect (and maybe a few more inputs than the Alesis DM5). But once I get my Alesis I/O units up and running, I'll be pretty happy for what I got for teaching and practicing. After all, this sort of technology wasn't available to the average drummer quite a number of years ago......you should see footage of what it was like handling the old hexagonal pad Simmons electronic sets.....it was a nightmare when it came to upgrading and connecting various units together....you truly had to be dedicated manual reader to get though reading stuff like parameters, pitch bends, note numbers, etc.

[KaneBlaireau]

Just thought I'd check in. Have decided to just go with the Roland TD-9K2. Thinking I will use the DM6 as an FX box for cowbell, mini-cymbals and whatnot. Hook up both brains at once and give myself plenty of options.

[itchie]

^^ sounds like a good plan

[DLDante]

Just thought I'd check in. Have decided to just go with the Roland TD-9K2. Thinking I will use the DM6 as an FX box for cowbell, mini-cymbals and whatnot. Hook up both brains at once and give myself plenty of options.

Good choice. You're going to be very happy with that TD-9.

[KaneBlaireau]

Stopped at Best Buy and they had the TD-20 kit. So very, VERY amazing. But the price point...stops me dead in my tracks. :P

[pastor_bob]

PB, occasional GAS doesn't get you that big a cymbal collection!

KO, you are absolutely right. The cymbals were all very intentional, now the snares, and some of my guitars is where some serious GAS comes in.