i've got really crappy people that are living next to my house and i cant practice with my drums anymore so i'm searching for an electronic drum set
(cos i need it for practicing and other stuff) that doesent cost more than 450-500$ but i'd like it also to be relyable.. i've found some sets but i'm not shure about them any advice would be welcome..thanks

Two cents from my experience/situation.

E-drums, even the 2+grand ones are to drums what those home trainer bike-like things are to real bicycles. IMO, not suitable for practising to play drums. Opinions differ, but i think they're a waste of money and space.

Spending your time practising and playing your drums is more valuable and the money is better spent on hiring a practice space. Even setting up and breaking down your set every single day and paying money for the time and space is worth more regarding good practice of general technique, dynamics, tuning skills and whathaveyou, than to pay for something that's not even a drum kit.

Since i quit the band three weeks ago i'm in the same situation as you are, and i started looking into e-drums about a year ago. I wouldn't want an e-drum for reasons other than to sell it for profit.

Find a practice space and people to share it with. Split the cost and rock on.

Ciao.

I agree whole heartedly with Peter.

Electronic drums are a completely different instrument, and are no replacement for an acoustic kit.

Of course, real acoustic drums are better, and ideal to learn on. But what happens when that's not an option (no practice space, neighbors who would not be happy with banging drums coming through the wall)??

I've considered one of these for a while now thinking it would improve my chops and consistency. Would it not? I'd be using the same bass drum pedal.

I've played on a few cheap electronic kits. The only decent one I have tried is a set of Roland V-drums (don't know which particular model); these have mesh heads and a vaguely real-ish hihat. I would go so far as to say that you can definitely practice and learn skills transferrable to an acoustic kit on them.

If learning on an acoustic kit is impossible: better electronic drums than none.

I agree that electric drums are completely different to a set of acoustic drums, but under the given constraints i think that an electric kit is probably better for the situation...

I've found that Roland kits are a bit nicer to play than Yamahas for the same price.
I've not looked at these things in a couple of years, and I know that a huge number of lower end kits have become available recently. No matter how much you spend on one of these things it's still not going to come anywhere near acting like a real drumkit, I don't see the point in spending £2000 or whatever on the top of the line things when a significantly cheaper one will feel just as lame.

I wouldn't play a gig with a set of electronic drums, but they're fine for practicing on. I have a Roland TD-6 kit and it sounds fine for what it is. I loaded some modeled kits from V Expressions and they sound much better than the stock sounds.

Not everyone can afford a practice space nor do they have time to go there and back just to practice. I can play my Roland kit any time of the day without disturbing anyone and it's right here.

one option that may be worth considering is heavily muting your drums for home practice. i once played with a guy who played in his apartment with thick rubber circles that covered the entirety of each drum head to keep it quiet. you could buy those, make your own, or just use some similar padding (blankets or something?) obviously it won't sound or feel exactly like unpadded drums but neither will an e-kit, and you won't have to set up and break down all the time or pay for space.

world of pee wrote:one option that may be worth considering is heavily muting your drums for home practice. i once played with a guy who played in his apartment with thick rubber circles that covered the entirety of each drum head to keep it quiet. you could buy those, make your own, or just use some similar padding (blankets or something?) obviously it won't sound or feel exactly like unpadded drums but neither will an e-kit, and you won't have to set up and break down all the time or pay for space.

I tried this, it was still too loud and it sounded worse than the TR-808 setting on the cheapest Roland V-Drum made. Not to mention it affected the rebound/response of all the drums and made me play in a completely different way.

Only electronic kit I've ever played was reasonably cool and fun to play. The snare and toms were Pintech drums which have really cool heads, I dunno what they are some kinda fibre-thing, that have a real-like feel, with bounceback and whatnot. They're velocity-sensitive too, as far as I know.

The brain/synth part is a whole separate thing, as far as I know. The one for the kit I played had a whole bunch of interesting sounds.

I rather enjoyed it.

When I lived in an apartment in DC where there are mostly no practice space options at all, I set up my kit in my bedroom and muted it. I put tshirts over the cymbals (including hihat). I used fishing wire to hold magazines over the heads of the toms and snare. For the kick, the foam that comes inside a microphone case, held in place with fishing wire.

I was able to play my actual kit, actual spacing and all, and hit medium-hard without making much noise at all. Way the hell quieter than an unmuted kit, that's for sure.

I'd still prefer the electronic kit over that. But either one is better than one of those deals where it's all a bunch of round rubber pads with weird rebound, or even worse nothing.