Need Suggestion for Electronic Kit

[Jack Keck]

Here's my situation. When I play any type of drums, it's usually hand percussion. I'm partial to my cajon. My drum set is the basic 5 piece Sound Percussion set with Zildjian ZBT cymbals. I have no aspirations to be a "pro". The only time my set has been out of the house was to jam with a guy in his garage.

I am interested in an electronic set or device that I could use instead of the drumset when I want to do such jamming in the future. I don't need and really can't afford the best. Good enough would be good enough. The Yamaha DD-65 looks interesting.

I also need to know if electronic drums would work through my bass guitar amps.

[Drumbledore]

Jack, being both a kit drummer and hand percussionist myself, I would thoroughly recommend this. I finally got around to getting the foot-switch for the hi-hat pedal and this is now my "go-to" kind of set-up if I want to do some impromptu jamming. And yes, absolutely fine to run this through a bass or keyboard amp (I use a 'Made In Malaysia' Fender bass amp with no problems)....and I tell you, acoustic musicians will love having you on small gigs thanks to this. It has such great sensitivity with the pads, you can do all sorts of effects on it....delays, reverbs, lo-fi, you name it. Plus, with the newer version, the HPD-20 (with USB capability) which was released this year, it will certainly mean that the older HPD-10 will be certainly reduced in price on the second hand market.

[8beat]

I've seen drummers use a variety of electronic drum kits in live situations. You can plug these kits into any amp, but a PA system probably sounds better. If you go jamming with people then they might have a PA and you just plug in to their sound system.

[8beat]

If you have a keyboard then consider the drum sounds. The keyboard might be suitable for jams and doesn't cost anything.

http://www.drumchat.com/showthread.p...ion-29765.html

[Jack Keck]

TALK ABOUT AN EAR-OPENER!!! I need to reconsider what I want to do here. I play mostly bass, so percussion is a secondary thing to me, but this instrument is worth thinking about! I assume the foot pedals are separate items. If a regular snare stand can be used, Then this is even more killer. Even with my limited knowledge of electronic percussion, I know that it's hard to go wrong with Roland products.

[Jack Keck]

8beat, the keyboard idea sounds like a good one to use while I figure out how I'm gonna finance that Roland machine.

[Drumbledore]

TALK ABOUT AN EAR-OPENER!!! I need to reconsider what I want to do here. I play mostly bass, so percussion is a secondary thing to me, but this instrument is worth thinking about! I assume the foot pedals are separate items. If a regular snare stand can be used, Then this is even more killer. Even with my limited knowledge of electronic percussion, I know that it's hard to go wrong with Roland products.

There's a stand and bracket that they retail for this, but in all honesty, you can't go wrong mounting it on a snare stand like what I do. Yes, the kick pad, hi-hat footswitch trigger and lead (stereo one end, two monos on the other end) are sold separately. The manual for the Handsonic tells you what are the ones to go for.

[Tin Toad]

there is an article in Drum issue 210 december that is 7 e-kits under $500 I havent read it but seems like there might be some info there. ive upgraded my e=kit a bit Im running the yamaha 700series brain and the TCS pads .. . and am not going back to rubber but there are many affordable options out there.

[Bierp]

And yes, absolutely fine to run this through a bass or keyboard amp (I use a 'Made In Malaysia' Fender bass amp with no problems)

Is this true? I'm FAR from any kind of expert on this, but when I was hunting down an amp for my DTX-790k I remember reading that you wanted either a specific e-kit amp or a keyboard amp. The fear was that bass amps didn't have the highs for cymbals and guitar amps didn't have the lows for the kick. Keyboard amps supposedly had range for both.

I ended up going with the Simmons DA200S (just like everyone else). Now I'm just mostly curious if that bit about highs and lows on a bass amp is at all accurate?

[Jack Keck]

Is this true? I'm FAR from any kind of expert on this, but when I was hunting down an amp for my DTX-790k I remember reading that you wanted either a specific e-kit amp or a keyboard amp. The fear was that bass amps didn't have the highs for cymbals and guitar amps didn't have the lows for the kick. Keyboard amps supposedly had range for both.

I ended up going with the Simmons DA200S (just like everyone else). Now I'm just mostly curious if that bit about highs and lows on a bass amp is at all accurate?

The bit about the highs and lows may be measurable. You might even be able to hear it. The salesman I talked to said that the highs might ruin a bass amp. I'm a bit skeptical about that. He suggested an e-drum amp, keyboard amp, or PA system. If one has no amps to start with, then an amp dedicated to e-drums would be a logical choice. I have three bass amps and a "personal PA system" (It's a ~ 6" X 6" X 18" column with two 4" speakers, a piezo, 50 watt amp, two mic/instrument channels, and a channel for an mp3 player or other such device). For my needs, I'm sure I'm covered.

it will certainly mean that the older HPD-10 will be certainly reduced in price on the second hand market.

Drumbledore, I checked ebay. You ain't kidding!

[Warren Wright]

My Acoustic BK-II 100 watt bass amp handles my Yamaha DTX-500K - the amp has a 4 band EQ : Low - Low Mid - High Mid - High.
It worked well until I ran up the volume to 3/4 full on up to wide open... the speaker had a weird vibration coming from the Middle Tom. Im thinking this might be why they say that "Bass amps" are not recommended to amplify Electronic drums.

I upgraded the standard light weight 15" speaker that came installed in the amp with a 15" Peavey Black Widow" speaker I found on Ebay for $90.00 including freight. The Peavey Black Widow is primarily a Bass Speaker F/Y/I.
The Black Widow speaker cone is made from a Kevlar impregnated material , I knew it could handle anything the E-kit could put out - and the speaker is rated at 400 watts continous .

Now I can crank the amp up to full volume - - the E-kit controller volume all the way to the top and the E-Kit is Thumpin and Bumpin and sounding superb~! That Acoustic amp also has a "Direct Out" with a volume control on it - to send it to a PA Mixer - plus a Headphone 1/8" jack Out and a 1/8" Input for an MP3 player. Just sayin~~~

[longgun]

When I played an E-kit..................I used a Roland KC-550 keyboard amp..................worked great

[Jack Keck]

My Acoustic BK-II 100 watt bass amp handles my Yamaha DTX-500K - the amp has a 4 band EQ : Low - Low Mid - High Mid - High.
It worked well until I ran up the volume to 3/4 full on up to wide open... the speaker had a weird vibration coming from the Middle Tom. Im thinking this might be why they say that "Bass amps" are not recommended to amplify Electronic drums.

I upgraded the standard light weight 15" speaker that came installed in the amp with a 15" Peavey Black Widow" speaker I found on Ebay for $90.00 including freight. The Peavey Black Widow is primarily a Bass Speaker F/Y/I.
The Black Widow speaker cone is made from a Kevlar impregnated material , I knew it could handle anything the E-kit could put out - and the speaker is rated at 400 watts continous .

Now I can crank the amp up to full volume - - the E-kit controller volume all the way to the top and the E-Kit is Thumpin and Bumpin and sounding superb~! That Acoustic amp also has a "Direct Out" with a volume control on it - to send it to a PA Mixer - plus a Headphone 1/8" jack Out and a 1/8" Input for an MP3 player. Just sayin~~~

I hope you have a nice bass to play through that amp. I have an Acoustic B20 which sounds great. I know that whatever you're playing through your amp sounds great, too.

As much as I liked the sounds that Roland unit produced, when I picked up the check from the store that sold one of my basses on consignment, I ordered a Yamaha DD65. The proceeds from the bass nearly covered its cost.

[kay-gee]

For best results...play it through the bass amp and then mike the bass amp to the PA. The amp serves as a personal monitor and the PA gives you that FOH sound.

all the best...