Electric Drum Kits
Electric Drum Kits have evolved greatly from the original kits that were first made available to the general public during the 1970's and now present a genuine alternative to acoustic drums.
The drum kit is setup in a manner that replicates both the sizing and positioning of an acoustic drum kit. The base and hi-hat drums are hit using foot pedals while the other drum parts are struck using drum sticks. Depending on the drum kit model, the level of authenticity goes as deep as accurately replicating actions such as rim-shot and muffling sounds.
Some of the leading manufacturers in the electronic drum market such as Roland and Yamaha have been able to produce kits at the upper end of the market that sound and behave in a near indistinguishable manner from acoustic drum kits.
Whatever your level of experience with the drums or spending budget, quality electric kits start from as low as £200 and can cater to the individual needs of drummers irrespective of skill level.
Why An Electric Drum Kit
To those accustomed to the appearance and profile of a traditional acoustic drums kit, at first glance an electronic kit can seem like an entirely different instrument, when in reality the relationship between the 2 is much like that between an electric and acoustic guitar.
A drummer familiar with either version of instrument is able to comfortably play the other without problem. Drumming techniques are universal and thus directly transferable between sets of equipment whether acoustic or electric.
Previously the entry requirements to learning the drums involved having both the space and patience of those around you such as family and neighbours. An electric drum kit removes the noise barrier from prohibiting someone interested in learning the drums to actually doing it.
These kits provide the ability to either output the digital signals through an amplifier at any required level of volume, or for total privacy through headphones.
As well as the hugely practical benefit of not having to worry about the noise levels generated by electric drum kits there are the artistic and creative freedoms afforded to the drummer by going digital.
The drum kit itself will provide a whole range of configurable sound options which can be further enhanced upon by connecting the drums to a PC or Laptop and using third party software applications to digitally remodel the audio signal.
Using the same drum kit a drummer can instantaneously switch sounds between jazz or rock for example, delivering true musical versatility. It's also a great way to faithfully play along with backing tracks from your favourite bands!
With the signal delivered in digital format recording does not require the use of additional microphones and complex acoustic setups. Furthermore the performance can be saved and manipulated in the future.
In today's digital world, drummers are really spoilt for choice but thanks to the recent advancements in digital sound modelling any of the electric drum kits featured here are sure to exceed your expectations.
Popular Electronic Drum Kits
The popularity of electronic drum kits will vary dependant on the level of both skill of the drummer and their performance requirements. For example, a drummer just starting out with drums will understandably have lower requirements as well as a reduced budget when compared to a seasoned drummer who requires the kit for professional performances and recording.
A good starter electronic drum kit could be either of the entry level instruments from Yamaha or Roland. From Yamaha you have the DTX500 drum kit while Roland offer their entry level kit the extremely popular HD-1 electronic drum kit.
Moving to the mid-range category, a popular option for drummers is the versatile DTX550 electronic drum kit which takes a significant leap upwards from the DTX500 model.
For professional drummers with the highest level of requirements, the DTX900 comes at a price, but in the right hands is a wonderful piece of musical engineering that is almost impossible to surpass in terms of both musical performance and functionality, carefully tailored to satisfy the most experienced of drummers worldwide.
