- This topic has 16 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by tootallpaul.
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Any drummers on here?
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johnnymaroneFree Member
Looking to get an electronic kit , Im a beginner but dont like the sound of the cheapish electronic kits, they all sound too “bongy” on the toms. My main interest would be trying to play along to metal and punk tunes in my shed when no-one is watching.
Did a bit of Youtube research and have found a thing called Superior Drummer 3. Makes kits sound half decent in my opinion.
Any body have any advice on what kit to get and whether this Superior Drummer is any good? Thanks.swdanFree MemberHave very recently bought an Alesis Nitro Mesh kit. So far and really happy with it and it far and away out performs my ability (complete beginner). No experience of Superior Drummer I’m afraid.
My thread on it all is here:
johndrummerFree MemberHello <waves>
I’m not familiar with Superior Drummer, it’s not a virtual kit for use with a DAW is it?
<edit> yes it is, it’s not a kit you can play with sticks</edit>I had an Alesis DM6 Pro electronic kit a few years back but found a problem with the kick pedal thumping through the floor so I sold it.
There are some cheaper kits where the kick pedal is an electronic thing rather than a regular pedal hitting one of the pads, I might have a look at these for practice purposes.I have two acoustic kits, one of which lives at the rehearsal studio, the other is for gigging (whenever that may next be allowed).
I haven’t played a top-end mesh kit so can’t comment on the ‘feel’ compared to an acoustic kit, but the Alesis kit felt quite rubbery. Old technology now though.
iffoverloadFree MemberSuperior Drumer is pretty good, it has a lot of options built in to get the sound you want as well as some really well recorded sample library and presets.
It also comes with a pretty comprehensive library of e-drums pre mapped out which makes initial setup easy with whichever hardware you decide you like the feel of.
oldtennisshoesFull MemberThe new top end Yamaha DTX6 kits look good – serious money though.
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/news_events/2020/introducing-the-yamaha-dtx6-series.html
p7eavenFree MemberI haven’t played a top-end mesh kit so can’t comment on the ‘feel’ compared to an acoustic kit, but the Alesis kit felt quite rubbery. Old technology now though.
I bought a low/mid-end mesh kit (Alesis Nitro Mesh) and for my early forays into drumming it was pretty good. Soon noticed the weakness though when trying to do press-rolls and ghost notes etc. It felt somewhat like tight material stretched over a frame.
So moving forwards I upgraded to a (used) DTX kit. Had tried Roland mesh heads as have a friend with a TD-11something and they were pretty good. But then I’d seen video reviews of Yamaha’s DTX textured silicone snare in comparison, and that seemed to be the popular recommended choice if seeking something close to the feel of an acoustic drum?
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/contents/drums/dtx_quick_tour/dtx_pad/index.html
It still feels a bit ‘rubbery, but the feedback, speed and playability is leaps and bounds beyond the entry-level mesh heads. I can’t compare it to my mate’s Roland mesh atm because of Covid. The other pads in my kit are ‘posh’ rubber and they also feel great to play
With the DTX snare though you can still on some presets get that unwanted ‘machine gun’ effect on a press roll, but this seems to be at least partially variable/due to the preset/kit sound selected as it’s more or less noticeable depending. This seems to be an issue with pretty much all electronic kits even higher-end models ie td20. It’a small price to pay, IMO, to be able to practice at home at all hours!
The DTX module (I have the 500) allows imported sounds/kits and you can (with the correct cable) customise, import and tweak via an ios device such as a phone which I’ve yet to do. All said and done DTX (5xx upwards) I can thoroughly recommend. I’m relatively new to drumming (but not to synthesis, recording and sound architecture) and for me it’s a revelation after the Nitro Mesh. I can’t see me needing to upgrade for some time (cross fingers, sticks etc) 🥁
@johndrummer if the beater is vibrating it’s a relatively simple venture to construct an isolating drum-riser, and also fit a tennis-ball beater to the pedal. I can’t imagine an electronic/switch pedal would be any use at all for practising kick-pedal techniques?I saved our neighbours and Mrs P from my noise just by putting some folded rubber-mesh mat underneath the whole kit. Used to use it as a breathable camping ground-mat. Since getting the drum kit I had a brainwave and folded the mat up into a rectangle, and it works a treat. At least 70% reduction in thumpy noise. I’d bet those foam playmats would also do a decent job. Depending on your floor/room/situation. Obviously to go the whole hog then a DIY isolating riser would be even better.
Go to Youtube, search ‘DIY isolating tennis-ball drum-riser’, and fill yer boots 👍🏼
boojiFree MemberA bit like yourself I’m considering getting an e-drum kit . Ive always wanted a proper kit but noise was always going to be a factor in a council house. I’m thinking on the Roland TD1 DMK, I’m an old punk that would like to set it up in the spare bedroom & put the earphones on and learn to play along to some punk etc.
lodiousFree MemberSuperior Drummer is amazing! The base library is really good, and some of the expansion packs are great, but take up a lot of hard drive space.
I have a Roland TD-12 and in a scale of 1-10, I’d say the Roland sounds are a 2, and SD3 is like a 9. The built in acoustic sounds in every kit I’ve played are just horrible.
You will need a half decent audio interface to get decent latency performance.
keefezzaFree MemberFirst post here but I can contribute haha.
I’ve been playing 2 1/2 years and had proper drum lessons for 2 years (apart from lockdowns). I’ve used a cheap Roland kit to begin with and very quickly found its limitations. Pedals are shocking.
I’ve now got a Roland td11 with full mesh pads and 3 zone cymbals (this allows you to choke i.e. hold and deaden the cymbal). I’d highly recommend getting a second hand Roland kit, with a proper base drum pedal and at the very least a mesh snare. They aren’t truly comparable to a real acoustic kit but they won’t necessarily stop you learning most of what you need. You can always upgrade various bits for more mesh pads, better cymbals and even a proper hihat which is my next plan. Gets expensive though.You won’t regret it, just don’t follow drumeo on YouTube. Get lessons if possible even if it’s via Skype for now.
Forget about superior drummer you need a decent spec laptop and extra hardware for it all really work, standard Roland drum sounds are more than up to the job to begin with.
johndrummerFree MemberDon’t start buying real cymbals to add to an electronic kit, that way your bank account will empty faster than buying a MTB 😉
Decent hi-hats will cost well over £200 a pair, and that’s before you get the hardware. You could easily buy a whole budget acoustic kit for the price of decent hi-hats & stand/pedal
https://www.drumshop.co.uk/collections/hi-hats/products/istanbul-mehmet-radiant-14-sweet-hi-hats
https://www.drumshop.co.uk/collections/hi-hat-stands/products/pearl-hi-hat-cymbal-stand-h-930
My main kit:
Crush Chameleon Ash 5-piece shell pack
Mapex Mars hardware
Istanbul Mehmet cymbals: 14in Radiant hi-hats, 15 & 16 Radiant crashes, 16in Radiant holy crash, 16in XMetal crash, 20in XMetal Ride, 16in Radiant China (hidden by the Ride)Shame my talent doesn’t match 😉
johndrummerFree MemberOr is it Mapex Armory hardware? Can’t remember but it’s f***ing heavy when broken down & bagged up
keefezzaFree MemberWhat I mean by upgrading cymbals and to a proper hihat is that there are better electronic cymbals from high end kits that can often work on the lower end. They tend to be bigger and move more realistically compared to the cheaper ones. The hihat on my Roland kit is an electronic pedal and a fixed position (up/down) cymbal. This can be replaced by an actual hihat pedal and a Roland vh11 which again replicates a proper hihat and therefore allows you to work on your foot control.
Completely agree with not buying actual real acoustic kit to go with the electronic, pointless at home.
Now making a hybrid kit to gig with, that’s definitely not pointless if you know the possibilities
prawnyFull MemberI’ve been drumming for nearly 30 years now, I should be better than I am.
I’ve got a cheap Yamaha electric kit, the DTX400 with an extra cheap cymbal I got off eBay used.
It’s ok, it’s not as good as a real kit, but it would work perfectly fine for learning on, I’ve done a couple of practices with a jazz band and they thought it was fine so I wouldn’t worry too much about sounds straight off.
There is a video on YouTube, I think it was Anderson’s where they demo a cheap kit with a copy of superior drummer to show what it can do, it’s a good idea for recording or if you’ve got the cash but if it’s just for practice the built in sounds are ‘fine’.
Real drums don’t sound like they do on recordings at home, they’re loud, and all of the overtones that the guitars cover up are more audible unless you choke them and ruin the sound for if you do want to play with other people, but they’re better to play because they do what you want them to.
Depending on your budget I’d put more money into the playability of the kit before worrying about the sounds, you can add software at any point later. Play (or watch YouTube vids) a few and see which one has the best hihat and buy that one, that’s the part that suffers on the cheap kits. I want to get a Roland TD17KVX but I don’t have the spare cash.
tthewFull MemberNobody clock the OP’s user name? Johnny-Mar-one. You’d think he’d have other sources of information, (not that this place is ever lacking) or someone who might give him a kit. 😁
tootallpaulFull MemberRoland TD17 owner here. Returned to drumming after a long break, was taking lessons for the first time before the lockdowns ensued. Now thinking of online lessons.
Takes up very little space, sound great, and I’m looking forward to playing with real people at some point…
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