Buying an electric drum kit: My 7 best recommendations 2024
Here you will find my recommendation of the best electric drum kits for beginners, advanced players and kids. Everything you need to know before you buy can be found in the answers to the frequently asked questions.
This text has been translated into English. Please report spelling mistakes to sebastian@musiksocke.com
What kind of electric drum kit are you looking for?
Frequently asked questions:
Electric drum kits for beginners
Beginners should look for a realistic feel, good sounds and high-quality workmanship in their first electric drum kit. It is important that all the necessary components are included in the set so that you can get started straight away.
The Alesis Nitro Kit Mesh Kit has all the important components in the set except for a stool. It has 60 play-along songs, 358 different sounds and a sturdy drum rack that offers enough stability and comfort. Another advantage: this set saves a lot of space and is also suitable for small rooms. This makes the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit a good recommendation for beginners in the lower price segment.
The Donner DED-80 is a good electric drum kit with all the important components for beginners. The sound is sufficient for a start, and if you want to upgrade your electric drum kit, you can easily replace the sound module with a higher-quality one. This way you don’t need a completely new electric drum kit. The playability is good and the drums stand securely in the room. In the standard version, neither stools nor drum sticks are included in the set.
Electric drum kits for advanced players
For advanced drummers, an electric drum kit with many functions, precise settings and a realistic sound is important. The electric drum kit should come as close as possible to the sound of an acoustic drum kit and also offer many possibilities for development.
The 2box Speedlight Kit is suitable for advanced players. It contains instruments that can be combined in different ways, and the volume can also be adjusted. The highlight of this electric drum kit is the sound module, which offers many possibilities. The drummers Simon Philips and Randy Black have recorded their own instruments on the drum kit. Other samples can also be imported. A sound editor (usable for Windows and Mac) is included with the order. It takes some time to get used to, but then you can create all imaginable sounds with your electric drum. Thus, this set achieves a sound that is indistinguishable from an acoustic set for the layman.
The Roland VAD307 is a high-quality electric drum kit with 336 sounds and 70 preset kits. The sound module convinces with a sound that is close to the much more expensive Roland TD-50 electric drum. The smartphone can be connected to the electric drum kit via Bluetooth in order to record your own playalongs. The play points of the snares, drums and hi-hats work smoothly and convey a good playing feeling. In my opinion, the electric drum kit with the best price-performance ratio.
Electric drum kits for kids
For kids, a small electric drum with a training function, a metronome and a few sounds is usually enough. The components should all be easy to adjust so that kids can reach everything easily. Special electric drum kits for kids do not exist, but there are some very small models that can be perfectly adjusted for the kid.
A good electric drum kit for kids is the Alesis Turbo Mesh Kit for under 300 euros. As the product name suggests, this electronic drum kit already has mesh heads, which is a big advantage in this price range. Kids should already be trained to play drums naturally (e.g. with mesh heads), so that the later switch to an acoustic drum kit or a higher-quality electric drum kit is easier. The set has 100 predefined sounds that can be easily adjusted via the drum module.
The Millenium HD-120 is a small and compact electric drum kit. The cymbals and drums can be individually adjusted for a kid. The range of functions is good enough for a start and is sufficient for practising. Since the set includes a seat, headphones, drumsticks and all the necessary cables, you can start playing immediately after setting it up. At this price, you have to cut back on the sound module and the snare drum, 3 tom toms and 3 cymbals are the smallest possible version of a drum kit. However, such a clearly arranged electric drum kit is just right for kids.
Electric drum kits for crazy people
Are you a passionate drummer? Then you will certainly have extreme demands on the quality of an electric drum kit and only use the latest technology. Of course, it also has to look right. There is also the right electric drum kit for this case!
In my opinion, the best electric drum kit on the market is the Roland TD-50KV2 V-Drums Kit. It has high-quality mesh heads, a stable drum rack, decent hi-hat stands and a very high-quality drum module. The special feature is the sound modelling technology, which can only be found in professional recording studios. WAV samples can be played back via an SD card. Multitrack recordings are possible via a USB 10-channel. The 8 TRS direct outputs allow professional applications. The TD 50 K from Roland includes three PDX-100 tom pads, a compact 12 inch bass drum pad, 3 cymbals and a natural hi-hat. The lower hi-hat cymbal is simulated by Roland’s hi-hat module, but this can be fixed firmly via the screw on the hi-hat, which is important for the use of a double pedal and fast playing in the music styles of heavy metal or hard rock.
How do I recognize a good electric drum kit?
There is a wide range of different electric drum kits on the market. It is difficult to keep track of them all, so here are the most important features so that everyone can find the perfect electric drum kit for them.
Most electronic drum kits for beginners have rubber pads instead of meshheads. Meshheads are heads that have a very fine and at the same time very robust mesh structure and can be individually tensioned with a conventional drumhead tensioning spanner. When hitting the meshhead, the rebound effect (recoil of the drumhead) is very natural and is adjusted with the tensioning force, so that the playing feel is almost like that of an acoustic drum kit. A good electric drum kit should be as close as possible to an acoustic drum kit in all aspects.
This also includes that the cymbals can be played in at least two zones. The cymbals on an acoustic set can be “choked”. Choking is the process of making the cymbal vibrate strongly with the stick and then stopping the movement of the cymbal abruptly with the hand. Simple sets and individual advanced sets do not have this function.
The hi-hat is also only simulated on most electric drums. A hi-hat consists of two cymbals that produce a sound when struck against each other. On cheap drum kits, the hi-hat consists only of the upper cymbal and a pedal connected by cable. When the drummer presses the pedal, the hi-hat (simulated) closes and changes its sound. When the drummer releases the pedal of the hi-hat, the drum module produces an open (louder) hi-hat sound.
Although a real hi-hat stand is included in the delivery, especially for electric drums in the advanced category, often only the upper hi-hat cymbal is attached to the stand. For the lower cymbal, a special hi-hat module is attached that measures the vibrations of the upper hi-hat cymbal and transmits the sound to the drum module according to the strength of the beat and the drummer’s playing behaviour. By mechanically closing the hi-hat on the pedal, very realistic and natural hi-hat sounds are created and the playing feel is more natural than with most electric drums, as the drummer has to overcome a mechanical resistance on the pedal as with an acoustic drum kit. However, the hi-hat cannot be locked, which is often important when using a double-foot machine. This means that the hi-hat is open as soon as the drummer releases the pedal and switches to the pedal of the double-foot machine.
Most electric drums have inexpensive mesh heads or rubber pads. The disadvantage of these pads is that they are loud when hit. This is especially annoying for the drummer, who has to turn up their headphones or drum monitor to mask the noise. In an apartment building, this is an additional factor for the volume.
Furthermore, a good electric drum should support a double foot machine. For this, the drumhead of the bass drum pad must be sufficiently large and fast to play (hits up to 250 bpm should not be a problem).
What accessories do I need?
An electric drum kit already contains many of the necessary components for playing drums. Which additional accessories are needed depends on the individual requirements, the playing style and the intended use.
A stool is often missing when you buy an electric drum kit. Of course you need one! Many musicians swear by the DW 5100 Drummer Throne. It is very stable and feels comfortable even after a long practice session. I had no problems setting it up and taking it down quickly.
It becomes even more comfortable with a saddle-type stool, which provides additional support for the legs and thus makes sitting for long periods comfortable. A backrest can also be added and then one can already speak of a luxury stool. The Ahead SPG-BBR Spinal G. Drum Throne is such a stool in the upper price range. I only know the somewhat simpler stools from Ahead, but I have heard from some drummers that the luxury version also has its advantages.
The headphones are usually not included in the set. This allows you to choose from hundreds of headphones! But which ones to choose? If you still have some at home, you can take those for now. For musicians, there are special studio headphones that have a particularly long cable and can be worn comfortably even after several hours. A good model is the beyerdynamic DT-770 PRO/80 Ohm. This version has a very clean and clear sound. With an adapter, the 3.5 mm connector can also be extended to 6.3 mm. This makes it compatible with any electric drum kit.
An electric drum kit is often played with headphones, but in some situations a real monitor is better. In general, all common speakers can be connected to the electric drums. However, there are monitors specially developed for the electric drum kit that offer an optimal sound for the drummer. A good choice is the Roland PM-100 Personal Drum Monitor. These are active monitor boxes that can be connected to any electric drum kit. Due to the angle and the design, they are precisely aimed at the seated drummers. In combination with a good electric drum kit, the monitor conveys a natural sound. If you need it louder, have a look at the model with almost 200 W RMS.
The drumsticks are often included in the set, but are not always of the desired quality. A different brand and thus processing of the sticks can create a completely different playing feeling. Good all-rounders are the Vic Firth 5A American Classic Hickory drumsticks. They are suitable for beginners and have a long life. You can’t go wrong with Vic Firth sticks.
What are the best brands for an electric drum kit?
In cooperation with experienced musicians, I have compiled this list of the best brands. It was important to us that these are established brands that have been delivering high quality for many years.
How much do good electric drum kits cost?
A good electric drum kit costs between 1,000 and 3,000 euros. However, there are also good models for beginners between 300 and 1,000 euros. The difference is the number of components in the set and the technical sophistication of the instrument. If you want to play electric drums regularly, you should invest in a good electric drum kit.
My recommendation for a good electric drum kit.
What are the best electric drum kits for beginners?
An electric drum kit for beginners is the Alesis Nitro Kit Mesh Kit for about 420 euros. It has the best price-performance ratio for beginners and has more setting options than beginners can see at the start.
As an electric drum kit for advanced players, the 2box Speedlight Kit is suitable for about 1,300 euros. The extensive sound module is otherwise only found in electric drums for several thousand euros. With the included components, you come very close to the real playing feeling of an acoustic drum kit.
Here are more details on the electric drum kit for beginners.
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The product recommendations made here are based on my experience and conversations with expert musicians. All products presented here meet the criteria of the checklist.
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All prices are incl. VAT plus shipping costs. The amount was estimated by me and may differ from the actual price. As an Amazon partner, I earn on qualified sales. This also applies to Thomann, Kirstein and all other partners.
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