What is the secret of good electronic drums?

Over the past half century, digital instruments have firmly entered the music world. But electronic drums have taken a special place in the life of every drummer, whether he is a beginner or a professional. Why? Here are a few digital drum tricks that any musician needs to know.

Secret number 1. Module.

Electronic drum kits work on the same principle as any digital instrument. In the studio, sound is recorded – samples – for each drum and for strikes of different strength and technique. They are placed in memory and the sound is played when the wand hits the sensor.

If the quality of each drum is important in an acoustic drum set, then the module is important here first of all – the “brains” of the drum set. It is he who processes the incoming signal from the sensor and reacts with the appropriate sound. Two points are important here:

• The rate at which the module processes an incoming signal. If it is small, then when performing fractions, some sounds will simply fall out.
• Sensitivity to different types of shocks. The module should be able to produce different sounds – quiet and loud, rim shots , fractions, etc.

If you have drums with several zones for different beats, but the module is not able to reproduce all this diversity, then these drums lose their meaning.

How to choose a module? The rule always works here: the more expensive, the better. But if the budget is limited, then focus on indicators such as polyphony , the number of recorded sounds (not the number of presets, namely voices, samples ), as well as the number of two-zone drums in the installation.

Secret number 2. Noise and traffic.

Electronic drums solve two of acoustic drums’ biggest problems: noise and transportation .

Noise . This is a problem that makes daily training an impossible task: it is extremely expensive to travel to the rehearsal room every day, and even with all the equipment. And an electronic installation with headphones can be used even in a small apartment. For children and their parents, this is a real find: he put the baby in and let him knock for his own pleasure. Training programs will help develop abilities and how to practice punches.

The same goes for professional musicians. Nobody wants to make enemies among neighbors and households. Therefore, drummers who play in a group on an acoustic kit get an electronic one to work out beats and compositions at home. But even here you need to know which setting to take. In apartments with poor soundproofing, even rubber pads make too much noise and especially sensitive neighbors can be brought to white heat. Therefore, Kevlar pads are best suited for “homework”, especially for snare drums and toms , because. they are quieter than rubber and give a more natural stick rebound.

Transportation . Electronic drums are easy to fold and unfold, fit in a bag, installation and tuning do not require a team of specialists. Therefore, you can take them with you on trips, on tour, take them to the country, etc. For example, a Roland digital kit fits in a bag like this (see right). And what’s in the bag, see the video below.

To evaluate the convenience of the frame and assembly, look at the strength of the frame and the quality of the fasteners. Cheap mounts usually have plastic mounts, while more expensive ones, such as Yamaha and Roland, are much more solid and solid! There are kits that simply fold in and out without having to unscrew the pads, such as the  Roland TD-1KPX ,  Roland TD-1KV,  or Roland TD-4KP kits :

These two points alone make the digital setup truly indispensable for musicians of all levels!

Secret number 3. What drums can be played without fear of damaging the joints?

The digital kit does not consist of drums, but of plastic pads. Most often, the pads are covered with rubber or rubber – for a good bounce of the stick, the same as on acoustic drums. If you play on such a setup for a long time and often, the joints begin to hurt, because. the drummer beats on a hard surface. In an attempt to solve this problem, modern kits make Kevlar mesh pads for the snare drum, and the most expensive ones also make them for toms ( you can buy the necessary pads separately, even if they are not provided in the kit). The sound of hitting the mesh pad is quieter, the rebound is just as good, and the recoil is much softer. If possible, choose mesh pads, especially for children.

Mesh Pad Setup – Roland TD-1KPX

Choose your drum kit:

Medeli – will satisfy any professional in terms of quality and variety of sounds. And thanks to low-cost production, these installations are affordable for many!

For example, Medeli DD401 : compact and convenient setup, easy to fold and unfold, has quiet rubberized pads, a stable frame, 4 drum pads and 3 cymbal pads, connects to a PC and allows you to add your samples .

Nux Cherub is the IBM of the music world! She has been creating music processors since 2006 and has been very successful at it. And you can hear it for yourself in the Nux Cherub DM3 drum kit :
– 5 drum pads and 3 cymbal pads. Customize each drum for yourself – choose from over 300 sounds!
– 40 drum kits
– Multiple active zones on the pads – and you can play the DM3 like an “acoustic”: rim shots , drum mute, etc.

Yamaha is a name that is trusted in the music world! Solid and solid Yamaha kits will appeal to drummers of all levels.

Check out the Yamaha DTX-400K : – The new KU100
bass drum pad absorbs the noise of physical impacts
– Throw in big 10″ cymbals and a hi-hat and you’ve got a high quality electronic drum kit that lets you play without disturbing others.

Roland is the epitome of sound quality, reliability and elegance. Recognized leader in digital tools! Check out the Roland TD-4KP – a drum kit for real professionals. Ideal for those who perform a lot and are often on the road:

– Famous V-Drums sound and quality from Roland
– Rubber pads with excellent rebound and minimal acoustic noise
– Easy to fold and unfold, carry in a bag, weighs 12.5 kg