Considering switch from A-kit to E-kit advice

[clhonu05]

Hello all: I've been a member for a few years but am more of a lurker than a poster.

I began drumming about 4yrs ago and took lessons for about 18 months before stopping due to starting a family. I play around with the drums every once in awhile but nothing serious. They mostly just collect dust in the basement.

I do not play them mainly due to the noise and I have a hard time motivating myself since I'm not taking lessons. My plan is to resume lessons once the children get a little older but until then I'm trying to decide what to do with the kit.

Lately, I've been considering switching to an e-kit to solve the noise issue. Right now, I have no ambitions to join a band - I just need to practice. I cannot justify owning two drum sets so I'd sell my acoustic set. I figure I can purchase another acoustic set down the road if I want to join a band in the future.

Has anyone here been in my situation or can anyone offer advice? I know a part of me will regret selling my kit because I know an electronic kit cannot truly duplicate a real set, but I'm just not sure an acoustic set is what I need right now.

Thanks.

[Texdrumr]

Personally, I cannot imagine going to an e-kit. I would suggest, if financially possible, to at least keep your acoustic set until you have a few months on your e-kit. Just to make sure you are going to be okay with the change. I do understand the noise thing though, so it's a tough call.

Tex

[NewTricks]

I made the switch over a year ago and it was the best decision I have made.

The practice time increases tremendously and it's easy to play along with music instead of always just doing regimented drills and routines.

When I first inquired online about Edrums online, I was warned not to sell my acoustics. I took the advice but they literally just gather dust now. I may never play them again but, I have the space so I'll hang onto them in case I ever get disillusioned with the E's.



Just do it. If you don't like it, you can always switch back.

Pick up a decent, used Roland kit from craigslist.

[KCJones]

I have both, I get most of my practice/learning/shed in on my Roland at home and play my acoustic at our practice space. Can't say enough for being able to practice any time without blowin up the neighbors. I have a Roland Td-9 and it's works great. Put in the ear buds, fire up the ipod... sounds amazing. I don't really wail away cause something in my head says don't bash the electronics... that being said, they have put up with a lot. A small point, if you plan on putting them upstairs or if someone is a floor below you, the kick will come thru. Not like an acoustic but there will be a noticeable "thump" that may be an issue.

Good luck!

[Drumbledore]

^ This. In fact I've even got into using a Roland HDP 10 Hand Percussion unit, which I use with my acoustic/electronic percussion set up, mainly for the convenience of not having to drag a half dozen hand drums. If you had seen me 6 or 7 years ago, I was pretty much an all acoustic player, from the practice shed to rehearsal to gig....and don't get me wrong, I still love all my acoustic stuff, from my drumkits to congas to all the weird stuff I own and collect. But for the sheer convenience of being able to practice and work on ideas without disturbing others as you explore them, e-kits are pretty darn good.

[clhonu05]

Great feedback. I haven't actually played an electronic kit yet so that's my next step. The big decision will be Roland vs Yamaha. I'm going to head to Guitar Center and the local drum store tonight to test drive both brands.

I've been browsing CL lately and have seen a few Roland kits for sale but not much Yamaha. In fact, there is someone selling a complete TD-10 kit with TDW1 expansion card and DW5000 double bass pedal for $2000 (I have no idea if that's a good price).

What I would end up buying will hinge a lot on what I can get for my acoustic set. Luckily, I landed some good deals building my kit so hopefully I won't lose too much money on it.

[Pearl MCX Man]

I always played acoustics and recently almost bought a e-kit and after a about a week of playing on the e-kit I decided to stay with the acoustic. The reason is that the e-kit sounds great but being an electronic it breaks down and unless you are electroncically inclined then this could end costing a fortune to fix. An acoustic does not need power. You could do like me convert an utility shed ( Bunkie) into a studio 12x10 and this way you have a place to play your kit and you don't anyone with the noise. Good luck to whatever you decide.

[NewTricks]

I picked up a used TD 10 for under $1300.

I have purchased all my gear used and nothing has failed so far.

[Pearl MCX Man]

I picked up a used TD 10 for under $1300.

I have purchased all my gear used and nothing has failed so far.

I almost purchased a used Yamaha DTExtreme 2 from a friend and after one week of playing had problems with the cymbals shorting out and a couple other shorts here and there. Glad it was a friend who let me try it first or I would of been screwed with a piece of *** kit. Consider yourself lucky.

[SparrowBeat]

I picked up a used TD 10 for under $1300.

I have purchased all my gear used and nothing has failed so far.

I've been thinking about an ekit so I can practice at night. How do you like it so far?

[NewTricks]

I've been thinking about an ekit so I can practice at night. How do you like it so far?

I've been using it for about 18 months and I was a convert after 10 minutes, even with the hard rubber pads on the first starter kit I bought.

I've since gone to mesh heads and it's much better. Once you get used to the small targets, they are actually easier to play because there can be more heads, cymbals and accessories within easy reach.

For me, the E kit solved more issues that it created. The increase time and quality of practice time is huge.

I almost purchased a used Yamaha DTExtreme 2 from a friend and after one week of playing had problems with the cymbals shorting out and a couple other shorts here and there. Glad it was a friend who let me try it first or I would of been screwed with a piece of *** kit. Consider yourself lucky.

Or maybe you were unlucky

[Pearl MCX Man]

I've been using it for about 18 months and I was a convert after 10 minutes, even with the hard rubber pads on the first starter kit I bought.

I've since gone to mesh heads and it's much better. Once you get used to the small targets, they are actually easier to play because there can be more heads, cymbals and accessories within easy reach.

For me, the E kit solved more issues that it created. The increase time and quality of practice time is huge.



Or maybe you were unlucky

I wouldn't call it unlucky, just smart saw the problem and did not buy it. Now if I would of bought this kit as is without trying it then I would of been Unluckily stupid.

[Bierp]

Great feedback. I haven't actually played an electronic kit yet so that's my next step. The big decision will be Roland vs Yamaha. I'm going to head to Guitar Center and the local drum store tonight to test drive both brands.

You may run into some issues here. When I went through this decision last year, it was very difficult to find Yamaha e-kits to demo. While many (including myself) think that their silicone heads are superior to mesh, Roland does a far better job of getting reps into stores, making sure their kits are available for demo and generally having retail presence.

Just about any music store will have a Roland kit or two to demo, but I had to call around a bit to find even one Yamaha TCS pad to try. I am glad I did though. Full respect to Roland, but my personal opinion is that silicone is a far more natural feel than mesh.

Not sure what price point you're looking at. If you're looking at Yammy kits with rubber pads instead of silicone, you might be better off getting a used Roland. (Mesh is still way better than rubber.)

I'd definitely suggest getting your hands on both types before making a purchase. If for no other reason that to have the peace of mind from knowing that you explored all your options.


Good luck and enjoy your new kit!

[clhonu05]

I was able to test drive both brands last night. It is such an awesome store and I'm lucky to have access to it. I originally purchased my acoustic kit from there a few years ago and didn't realize they had such a large selection of electronic sets. I think they had 4-5 sets of each Yamaha and Roland set up to play.

I discovered that this is going to be a more difficult decision than I thought.

My initial impression of each brand is that Roland looks nicer and more high-end than Yamaha...at a price of course. I didn't have a ton of time to play each of them but I did notice the TCS heads were a bit quieter than the mesh heads. It would definitely be an adjustment playing the smaller heads and rubber cymbals.

My budget is undetermined right now because it would depend on what I can get out of my acoustic set, but I'm thinking it'll be around $1500.

At this point, I'm not opposed to either brand. I need some more seat time with each to get a better feel for what I want. My friend has a Roland kit with mesh heads that I'm going to test more thoroughly. When I get some more time, I'll go play the Yamaha kits some more as well.

[Bierp]

It's nice to have a place that lets you demo both.

You definitely will be happier with lots of pre-purchase testing. It's a big expense and once you commit you're pretty locked.

Enjoy the experience. Let us know what you decide!

[Idaho_David]

I play a yamaha dtx 520 I got off ebay under 800 bucks. I had a pearl acoustic that I sold to fund the dtx set. I can play it anytime without concern of bothering anyone, I can put on headphones and they sound even better. Yamaha does have better sampling sounds since they are recorded from acoustic drums where roland uses digital drum sounds. I did have a problem, well two. The first is the bad one. I would suggest taking the pad trigger housing apart and looking at the connections. I had to add some glue to the connector to keep it from vibrating and breaking. The second is the fact you can't just add a bunch of cymbals and toms, you can only expand so much. But with all the available tones available I am pretty happy with what I have. I have played with other friends and they say they sound really good. I'm happy with my set.

[gradier]

I had an acoustic kit about ten years ago, but it soon started to gather dust. Playing along with CDs (in those days) was pretty well pointless as a little bit of playing enthusiasm drowned out the CD volume until I cranked everything up and started to annoy everyone. Now, with my Roland TD-11KS, I can play for hours and it feels like I am playing inside the track rather than struggling to keep up with a CD player on a nearby coffee table. Plus, I learned more technique in the first week than I ever mastered with the acoustic kit. If I feel like letting loose, I have my Simmons DA200 drum monitor (more than enough). I can even play with headphones on to control the volume and have the monitor on too to provide the feel of the 'thump' from the bass drum etc. Don't know if anyone else does this last part though. Lastly, absolutely no need for a teacher as the kit has a training program, and I bought the Roland TD-1 training program (computer based) as well (easily worth the $60).

[Russ]

No real need to buy an e-kit if you already have an acoustic. With a few things you can set it up for triggering, saving a lot of money and space. You won't need $1500 to do this either.

[soren-k]

In my experience, e-kits are loads of fun at first, but unless you take it to the next level with midi, sampling, etc. (stuff I know nothing about because I never took it to that level), it gets old after about a year. The advice to buy a used kit on CL is good advice. I bought a Roland TD-4K about a year and a half ago for $425, added an extra TD-8 pad, then sold it a few months ago for $700. So if you scout for deals and buy used, there's no need for you to lose any money on trying it out for awhile. It's fun while it lasts! But you'll probably want to come back to an acoustic kit eventually. With an acoustic, there's just so many more sounds available, and much greater possibility for nuance in your playing.

[Tin Toad]

I agree with what soren -k says about the nuance but there are deffinatly some nice things about an e-kit. sometimes when I don't know what I feel like playing Ill go to one of the non standard pre loaded kits like all latin precusion .. and just play normal jams.. really makes you think differently. also its nice for things like working on double bass to be able to just program the hat pedal to be a bass drum too.. no extra gear needed and your working on a new skill for your bag of tricks.

that being said I cannot wait until i am living somewhere I can set up an acoustic. I deffinatly feel i am missing on some control issues not haveing access to one.

[Shawn76]

It depends on how big of a kit your A Kit is.I personally would rather stop playing drums then use an E Kit.I have played around at GC on one a few times and I just don't like the feel or the limitations an E kit has compared to an A Kit. On the other hand,I like big huge kits so a huge E Kit would be pricey for me.

[kay-gee]

It depends on how big of a kit your A Kit is.I personally would rather stop playing drums then use an E Kit.I have played around at GC on one a few times and I just don't like the feel or the limitations an E kit has compared to an A Kit. On the other hand,I like big huge kits so a huge E Kit would be pricey for me.

The limitations are what exactly?

E-kits can create hundreds of sounds compared to an acoustic set with one sound!!

all the best...

[kay-gee]

I'd love to own an e-kit and someday I just may. The only thing that holds me back is that I live on a small island in the Atlantic. Things are quite difficult to get here.

My jury is still out on the e-cymbals but I love the drums. I'd probably use the e-drums combined with real cymbals for live.

I believe e-drums are going to become more and more relevant in music's future. Remember, people were a little reluctant to switch from typewriters to computers at first.

all the best...

[PHROGGE]

Kay-gee my brother,,,,
i have held that belief for years
e cymbals not good sounding
till ya get up into da roland td20 range ($5000+)

im going roland td11 & k8 kickpad...
Saving 1 ride (sabian 20.5" chad smith explosion crash)
1 crash (paiste 18" alpha 802)

i will probably save one set of hihats,,,which ones?
14"zildjian new beats (my 1st)
13"zildjian k hihats
13"sabian b8pros...

I have all kinds of stuff for sale
need only sell enuff to pay for ekit...
Over 50 yrs ive found it to be true,,,
i could get rid of anything & find something
as good if not better ...just haveta search....

Isnt our journey on planet drum about the search anyway?

And yer islands about to get even smaller...
In da words of (not) hank williams sr...
"move over kay-gee cos an old phrogges movin in".....

[Tazticles]

$1500 will get you a pretty nice kit =) I just made the jump to e kits and went with a Roland although I preferred the Yamahas pads. Don't forget to get some decent headphones.

Converting your acoustic kit to electric is also an option worth a bit of research.