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Thread: New Electronic Kit

  1. #1

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    Default New Electronic Kit

    So I am am currently looking into buy an electronic kit for my studio. I will be using it to trigger out of superior drummer and some other midi drum programs.
    I don't really need any built in sound on the module.
    What do you think will give me my best bang for my buck?

    These were some of the ones I was looking into:

    -Alesis USB Pro Electronic Drum Set with Surge Cymbals (about $800) (upgrade snare to Hart Dynamics Professional 13" Snare Drum (about 350$))
    -Yamaha DTXpress IV Electronic Drum Set (about $1000)
    -Roland TD-4K V-Compact Electronic Drum Set (about $1000)

    We do recroding and produce everything from Electro to Rock.
    What do you all think??

  2. #2

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    Cool Re: New Electronic Kit

    I Always Have And Always Will Have Roland As My 1st
    Choice......
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    (AND OTHER TOYZ) INCLUDING PIZZABOX SNARE DRUM

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  3. #3

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    Default Re: New Electronic Kit

    I agree wiht Phrogge - Roland is always my 1st preference as well, BUT the Hart snare upgrade makes that a pretty decent setup aswell, and since your not interested int eh module, it should be more about the actual pads/triggers themselves. In this instance you'll find that ther eis very little variance betwene the three brands - i would just be leaning towards something using mesh heads personally for the more realistic feel, but i don't think any of them use mesh
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  4. #4

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    Default Re: New Electronic Kit

    So first let me tell you a little about my history with electronic kits.

    My first E Kit was a Roland TD-10 kit. I loved it. I brought it home from the store, set it up and played it. I never had an issue.

    Money got tight and I ended up selling it.

    When money go better I decided to get another E Kit. I did a lot of homework and decided on the Hart Dynamics 6.4 and Roland TD-8 brain.

    The Hart kits are built like a tank and the racks are great. But the down side was I had to configure the brain for the kit. Unlike when you buy a complete Roland, or any other complete kit, YAMAHA etc. . I placed many calls to Hart, their tech support is great. I also had to call Roland a few times. Their tech support is great as well. After literally months of tweaking off and on I never did get the kit to trigger as well as my previous Roland kit did right out of the box.

    I finally got to the point where I decided I just wanted to play the drums not tweak them all the time and never be satisfied with them. I [put them on ebay and sold them.

    I went out and picked up the TD-20 kit and have not regretted it at all.

    So my advice is to get a kit that where everything is made by the same company.

    I love the TD-20 kit, my only complaint is that the hi-hats are not perfect yet, very close though and I am used to them so I have no trouble playing them.

    Here is my take on the subject over all:

    First E drums are one of the best tools ever for practicing. They have a built in metronome and play along patterns. One of the things I discovered was that when I practice on an acoustic kit I know people can hear me. This tends to make me want to “entertain”. I tend to play solos and grooves that I know sound good. I tend not to practice repetitive patterns that I need to in order to improve my playing.

    I find for me this goes away with the E Drums, I know nobody can hear me. I practice a lot more and my practicing is a lot more productive.

    As far as the kits themselves,

    Pads:

    Try to go with mesh heads; they will not harm your hands, wrists and arms. The thin rubber pads will. Here is what happens, when the pads are to thin they do not completely absorb the impact when you hit them. Some of that impact is absorbed by your body.
    If you have to go with rubber pads you need the thick ones.

    I personally tune mine down so they feel like an acoustic drum. I find most E kits are tuned to tight and feel like a tennis racket.

    Brains:

    For strictly practicing, almost any of them out there will do the job. So if you are only going to be practicing then I suggest you find one that has sounds you like in a price range you can handle.

    On the other hand if you plan on getting into recording then the TD-20 is the only way to go. The reason is OUTPUTS.

    All of the brains lower in the line have 1-stereo out and 1- mono out. This means if you record you have to have all of the drums on one or two tracks. This makes it very hard to get a decent drum sound in the mix.

    The TD-20 has the standard Stereo and mono out plus individual outputs designed with recording in mind.

    You get:

    Kick – Mono
    Snare – Mono
    Hi-Hat – Mono
    Ride – Mono
    Toms – Stereo
    Crashes – Stereo

    This means you can have individual tracks to mix as you would when you record an acoustic kit.

    Or you can use MIDI than any brain wit MIDI out will work as well
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  5. #5

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    Default Re: New Electronic Kit

    Thanks for your help everyone!
    I know roland is an awesome company, and I would love to purchase the TD-20. I've seen this kit in action and i love it. Unfortunatly I don't have $6500, and I also don't really need any sounds in the module I am simply using it fo midi.

    This is why I was looking at some of the other routes. If i could buy a wicked set of pads and then purchase the Alesis Trigger I/O Percussion Pad to MIDI Interface that would be awesome but i don't know where i would be able to buy just pads.
    Also going with Alesis trigger there would be a considerable amount of tweaking.
    Hmmm....

  6. #6

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    Default Re: New Electronic Kit

    i use Yamaha DTXplorerII its great

  7. #7

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    Roland or Yamaha, Stay away from Alesis.

  8. #8

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    Well, I've heard both good things and bad things about alesis. Poepl that tell me its good give me reason:
    -Inexspensive
    -Decent(not the best) hardware
    -Works for the applications they need it for.

    I'm not using this kit live i just need it to trigger midi stuff in the studio.
    Most of the people that tell me Alesis is bad don't give me a reason.
    Its easy to say something sucks, but its not alway easy to say why.

    I know that Yamaha, Roland, & Hart dynamic have great stuff its just the price i'm concerned about.
    No dis-respect I'm just very interested in getting proper input, not just biased opinions.

  9. #9

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    Default Re: New Electronic Kit

    I would vote hart. There cheap for their quality. And you dont need the brain, and what normally keeps their prices up is the TD 12 or TD 20 that comes with them.

    I think this is right but would pass it by 2slow. He is the bargain hunter.
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  10. #10

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    Default Re: New Electronic Kit

    if you dont need all this extra stuff, you can plug your triggers into a cheap drum module or drum machine even(the ones with the square pads on em) if you need inputs.

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