choosing eDrum kit: opinions please :)

[hobbes1]

looking at the yamaha dtx560k ($1759 at GC) vs. the Roland td9-k2G ($1799) for the better quality pads.

also considering due to cost, dropping down to the Roland TD4-KX2-G ($1499.00) vs. the Yamaha DTX530K ($1199).

other considerations are a current GC special for a $100 rebate on Roland TD4-KX2G and a free, extra tom pad.

lastly, having a hard time in my research determining which might be the most expandable or better for long term use. been playing acoustic drums for 1.5 years and i need to move to quieter practicing. probably not gonna play out with the eKit but i never say never!
thanks in advance for any opinions. cost is a factor here just not sure if the more expensive options are really that much more desirable (eg: better playability, better longevity in the pads, better options to upgrade the brain or add kits or pads, better at controlling EZ drummer or superior drummer, etc).

[Bierp]

I just went through about the same discovery process with the Yamaha DTX700k and the Roland TD9KX2.

I don't have all the answers about longevity or expandability, but I will say that you should definitely put your hands (and sticks) on both the Yamaha Silicone pads as well as the Roland Mesh. They feel completely different and will almost certainly have more influence on your decision than anything else.

For me the Silicone was the hands down winner. It felt much more natural to me than the mesh. Roland mesh has been around for 10 years while Yamaha TCS is only a few years old. Yamaha does a poor job of getting reps into the stores to demand floor space, so you'll get a lot more Roland exposure at retail outlets. The forums have more Roland users for the same reason, but there are a lot of objective reviews and everyone seems to love the silicone pads.

But you have to try both yourself and make the decision based on what feels best to you.

I would suggest that if you go with the Yamaha, go with the 560 as it has silicone for the toms as well as the snare. Stepping down takes the toms to rubber, which is undesirable.

The other thing to consider is getting used. You can get a lot more bang for the buck that way. Roland mesh heads can be replaced. Yamaha TCS hasn't been around that long, so the used market is smaller, but there is some out there. eBay and Craigslist (or allofcraigs, which shows you CL from all markets) are good places to find great deals.

I'm still waiting on my ekit to arrive, so I can't give any more insight than that yet.

Good luck to you and welcome to the Drumchat forums!

[Russ]

Welcome to drumchat hobbes1! Yamaha and Roland both make quality kits and those are very nice ones. I can only speak on the td-9 however, and not the Yamaha. I found it to be a great kit for the money, even if it does seem a bit expensive. Generally Alesis modules come to mind as better for expandability, weighing in at 12 inputs and 10 inputs for their trigger i/o- all interchangable and can be used with any sounds. Adding in the computer will enhance the experience by a good deal, but you should really go try the kits you like and see which one feels best to you first. You are accurate in saying Roland mesh can be replaced, but bear in mind that while it is a more durable 2 ply head- they only come in sizes up to 12".

[hobbes1]

thanks guys for the welcome and the info. i've been lurking around here for awhile and appreciate all the good info and pics here!

[Digital]

One thing I love most about Roland vs Yamaha is the fact that you can adjust the tension of the mesh heads on the Roland. It definitely "feels" more real than silicone. That alone was enough to keep my attention firmly planted on the Roland series.

[hobbes1]

ok, you mean that one can actually tune the drum head tension on the roland mesh pads? hmmm...somehow i missed that in reading up on them! sounds like a nice feature.

can anyone comment on the expandability of the roland or yamaha lines? (eg: adding pads, cymbals or trigger pads)...pro or con on this? is alesis the one and only pinnacle as far as this price range, for expandability? i've heard/read some people refer to the alesis kits as "toy" drums and not for serious use. i'd like to get something that is solid, reliable, upgradeable and could be used playing out if need be (i know there are pro's and con's with PA/stage volume etc for that).
thanks

[Russ]

As far as expandability, you need modules with more inputs and that's why I think Alesis still has the best deal on it. This only applies though if you plan to use a module alongside computer software to enhance your sounds and capabilities. If you're only using module sounds than I would get something by Roland or Yamaha- although they can't compete in the same price range for having the same number of inputs to use, they do have good sounds and features. So if you're gonna use module sounds, go with Yamaha/Roland; if you're gonna use software based sounds go with Alesis.

[hobbes1]

thanks Russ. sounds like good advice.

[Russ]

thanks Russ. sounds like good advice.

Best of luck on shopping and making your final decision. Try to keep it within budget, keep in mind how many drums you need, and also decide whether you want mesh or rubber heads.

[hobbes1]

thanks! i guess that's something i'm struggling a bit with as to how many pads/drums i'll need. the $1499 kit from roland can be had for $100 off and a free tom pad, all mesh. so hihat, two rack toms and two "floor" toms. so if i was fully into the mesh thing then that would be the way to go but does shoot the budget a bit. i guess there are some kits with dual zone toms so you could have two tom sounds per pad. would i need a total of 8 tom sounds though? sigh....analysis paralysis setting in
thanks for all the helpful thoughts though, to everyone.
much appreciated.

[longgun]

ok, you mean that one can actually tune the drum head tension on the roland mesh pads? hmmm...somehow i missed that in reading up on them! sounds like a nice feature.

..."tuning" them will only adjust the "feel" of the drum....it does not change the sound as that is triggered. Only the tension changes.

[hobbes1]

Right. Got it but still....nice to have an adjustable feel

[numnetz]

The TD-9 has one feature that is worth noting and that is the USB port which allows you to backup any custom settings you make, load music (wav files) of your choice to play along with and also gives you easy to load expandability with custom kits from a great site V Expressions LTD. I've purchased all of their expansion packs (usually about $35-$50 to download) and the convenience of the USB port along with the usual MIDI hookups really makes this kit. The user interface is a breeze as well and all trigger inputs are dual (with the exception of Crash 2). Some folks don't care for the proprietary cable harness but I have found it to be well labeled and easy to setup quickly versus the gobs of individual cables most other kits use. Good luck in deciding, you can't go wrong with either kit!

[hobbes1]

thanks, numnetz. will take that into consideration too.
we've been in the middle of moving so had to put this on the back burner for a short time.
thanks to all who've chimed in to help me figure this out!

[yzmike]

The TD-9 has one feature that is worth noting and that is the USB port which allows you to backup any custom settings you make, load music (wav files) of your choice to play along with and also gives you easy to load expandability with custom kits from a great site V Expressions LTD. I've purchased all of their expansion packs (usually about $35-$50 to download) and the convenience of the USB port along with the usual MIDI hookups really makes this kit. The user interface is a breeze as well and all trigger inputs are dual (with the exception of Crash 2). Some folks don't care for the proprietary cable harness but I have found it to be well labeled and easy to setup quickly versus the gobs of individual cables most other kits use. Good luck in deciding, you can't go wrong with either kit!

Thanks for posting this information, i recently purchased the TD-9 Rocker and I have heard of the V Expressions before but your post helps in the decision to make the additional purchase.

[hobbes1]

update: i finally had a chance to test drive a few kits. although i had my young son with me at the time and we enjoyed ourselves, it was hardly a full testing event for me
still, they had a td4kx2 which didn't have all the parts and wasn't hooked up but at leat i could get a feel for the mesh heads. there was a yamaha dtx540 kit that i really like a lot. i found the heads to feel significantly different from the roland mesh, in a positive way. the roland heads were very good, mind...but the feel and bounce of the new yamaha heads was really nice.
there were also a couple of other roland kits, one with the zildjian gem cymbals (did not care for them at all, especially the blue lighting going on with them (to each their own but not for me). the other was $2500 or so...must have been a td9kx? can't remember that as my son was all over the place "helping" me test them out sadly, the mesh was torn/ripped on the kick for that kit and had not been replaced.
i've been watching the used market online but i see very little to no yamaha dtx500 series kits for sale. are the owners just madly in love and not giving them up? why the constant turnover in roland kits? just cuz there are more roland kits out there than yamaha?

[yzmike]

There is no best place, eBay/Craigs list local penny press ect, you just got to know what the kits are worth and look for deals. Roland had a TD-9 Custom Rocker, you get them for about 3 bills , awesome kit but limited edition, check it out too.

[Drumbledore]

If you want to, did you know that you can use Alesis Surge cymbals with a lot of Roland modules, so that if you bought a Roland kit with mesh heads, you could swap out the rubberised cymbal pads that come with those kits and have some e-cymbals that at least give a real cymbal feel when you strike them with sticks? I've heard of a few drummers doing that. I haven't as yet experimented with someone's Yamaha module or kit doing the same thing, but I'm sure you could do that with Alesis cymbals too. Just a thought. Personally, I have two Alesis e-kits where the hi-hats are each plugged into a Roland Octopad, taking advantage of the various onboard open and closed hi-hat sounds...mind you, each of those are also controlled with a Roland FD-8 pedal, not an Alesis one.

[mdee]

I just went through about the same discovery process with the Yamaha DTX700k and the Roland TD9KX2.

...Do be sure to shop around. I know that Kraft Music has some attractive freebies and decent bundles...

I bought my Yamaha set from Kraft Music and I had no problems dealing with them. However the bundled pedal,
drummers throne & sticks are all junk! I threw them away. - Hobbes1 - Do yourself a favor and buy those items separately.
I already had a Tama Throne in storage that just needed to be cleaned up. It's at least 17 years old.
I bought a really nice used DW3000 pedal from my local music store and I'm quite happy with the purchase!

[hobbes1]

hi thanks for the advice.
as far as the Surge cymbals, i'm guessing they would be louder acoustically than the rubber cymbals? quiet practicing is one of the major requirements i'd have so couldn't deal wtih too much cymbal "niose". how do they compare to rubber ones?

as far as the Kraft bundles: i already have an A kit and would probably just use the kick pedal from that as well as throne, sticks, etc. i've got a decently appointed A kit with some percussion stuff as well but it's in storage right now, sad to say, while we are house hunting.

i have toyed with the idea of doing some sort of conversion of the A to an E kit but not really sure of all the in's and out's and how much of a pain that would be.

thanks all for the tips so far though.

[Russ]

Surge cymbals aren't as quiet as rubber, their main purpose is to replicate the look and feel of a real bronze in an acoustic setup. You'll notice the same sort of knocking sound a hard plastic surface has, so it's not exactly a perfect solution for taking the noise away. As for a/e conversions, that's always a possibility and I think it would actually save you a good amount of money depending on what you get to use.

[hobbes1]

Is there a concise primer for what's required to convert a 5pc A kit to E? I have a 12/13/16" floor Tom and 14" snare with 20" bass drum. Thx

[Drumbledore]

Well, if minimising noise is what you're after, you'll definitely be better with the stock rubber cymbals with whatever set that you purchase. Even with headphones in, you will get a hard 'knocking' sound with the Alesis cymbals, due to their particular manufacture. Playing other peoples' e-kits from time to time, personally I don't mind the feel that Yamaha have with their e-cymbals.

[hobbes1]

well, i finally decided to shoot low for the time being. i found a roland td-6sw kit for $280 and decided to start with that. i figured i can get my money back out of it pretty well when ready to upgrade and this will give me some time to get used to e-drumming and get my kids acclimated to playing around on it. if the kids trash it, i won't be out the cash for a nice kit either.
from what i have read, the td-6 was the equivalent back in the day to the current outgoing td-9, so hopefully, it will have decent sounds and be overall good quality for the cash.
will be keeping my eyes open for nicer used kits (from roland) now that the new lineup is coming out and hoping that there are more yamaha used kits on the market in the not too distant future.
thanks all who have chimed in to help me figure out the best kit for my needs!

[yzmike]

Not sure about the TD-6 but check with Roland and see if they have a software upgrade too.. may be worth getting?