Best Electronic Drums
The electronic drumset used to be a novelty item that was rarely used in a professional setting and hardly ever used for live performances. The best electronic drumset was hardly more than an expensive set of practice pads exclusively used for a “quiet” option for parents buying a quiet beginner electronic set for a young drummer, or professional drummer that lived in urban environments and had to have low volume practice sessions.
Times have changed for these musical instruments and now options for electronic sets are abundant with incredibly complex sound modules that deliver huge banks of snare drums, bass drums, toms, and cymbals. The designs of the cymbals pads, kick pads, trigger pads, and the various drum pads are available in a variety of rubber pad and mesh pad options, creating a realistic feel and drum sounds that can rival the most advanced drum machines but with the full electronic drumset experience.
When finding the best electronic drumset, one has a wide range of factors to look at from the drums sound, range of sound and sound quality to price ranges, mesh heads vs. drumming pads and so much more, all of which we cover in our buyers guide.
Top 10 Best Electronic Drums
Roland TD30KV Review
Bottom Line - This is the end all be all electronic drumset...at least for now.
Roland TD25KV Review
Bottom Line - While 2-4k for an electronic might seem expensive, the truth is, the quality rivals some of the drumsets ...
Alesis Strike Pro Review
Bottom Line - Very well built electronic drumset by Alesis
Roland TD11k Review
Bottom Line - Roland makes amazing electronic drumsets. The modules are amazing and the response and feel of the drums ...
Roland TD1KV Review
Bottom Line - This is a great price for an electronic drumset, especially one with a signature Roland sound module.
Alesis Command Mesh Review
Bottom Line - The drum tones are on point and the MIDI capabilities are choice.
Alesis Surge Mesh Kit Review
Bottom Line - Very well built electronic drumset by Alesis
Yamaha DTX562K Review
Bottom Line - Yamaha delivers on tone and response with the Yamaha Dtx532k.
Alesis Nitro Mesh Review
Bottom Line - It's cheap without being cheap.
Yamaha DTX532K Review
Bottom Line - Yamaha delivers on tone and response with the Yamaha Dtx532k.
Now with options that range from full electronic drum kits to hybrid drumsets and even fitting acoustic drums and acoustic kits with drum triggers, the options are nearly endless. Between the electronic and acoustic fitted options, there are plenty of directions to go in finding the perfect electronic drumset for you, regardless if you will be playing live and need professional musical instruments or just need a drum set for beginners.
Whether you need a practice kit for your apartment or you need a portable electronic kit for playing live, we created a buying guide to look at the best electronic sets that vary in price ranges and purpose, from beginner electronic kits to professional electronic drumsets.
From the yamaha dtx400k to the roland td11kv, there are countless options for quality electronic drumming kits that we will help you navigate to find the perfect electronic drumset for you.
Electronic Drumset Buyers Guide
Will it be Affordable to get a kit that includes everything I need?
Since electronic drumsets range so widely in price, it is important to know what all the costs associated with your electric drums will end up being. You’ll want to know what is included with your purchase, from kick pads and kick pedals to snare drums, drum thrones, drum sticks, drum modules, drum triggers, tom pads and more, there is a wide variety of things your money will be buying. Be sure to use the instrumentfind buying guide to check price and to help navigate the wide range of options for your drumming kits.
How can I be sure I’m purchasing a Quality drumkit?
The quality of an elecronic drum set can be judged on a wide range of factors. Considerations include the make of the electronic drum pads, the drumming pads’ use of mesh heads, mesh pads and mesh snares vs rubber pads for the drum heads, the design of the cymbals pads, kick drum, bass pedals, drum trigger and more. Many of those factors will determine the quality of feel when playing electronic drumsets, but ultimately, the sound quality is controlled by the drum module . What seperates the quality of a roland td1k from a yamaha dtx450k and a alesis dm10 studio kit is the sound module.
Will this drumkit have Longevity?
With any expensive instrument purchase, you want to make sure that your electronic drums don’t fall apart after a short time, especially if you intend to use your electronic drumset for live performances. You don’t have to splurge on a chrome rack to get quality electric drums that will last. In our individual electronic drum reviews we’ll help you find long lasting, high quality beginner electronic drum sets all the way to electronic drum sets for professional drummer mastering the art of digital drumming whether as a studio kit or for live performances.
Will I be inspired to play?
The look and sound of an electronic drumset will be a source of inspiration which will lead to practice. If the foot pedals are off or the ride cymbal sounds fake, you may be wasting your money and would be better off looking at acoustic drum kits. But if you get a good looking electronic drumkit that sounds good and feels good to play, you will be inspired to play as often as you can get your hands on a pair of drum sticks.
Does this kit look professional?
While it may seem a little vain; caring about the look of your drums is the same as caring about the look of yourself. Your drums, be it electronic drums or acoustic drums, are an extension of yourself and your personal brand. For professional musicians, taking a good looking set of drums to your live performances can give you confidence and swagger that carries into how you play. Even if you just need a drum set for beginners, simply feeling cool playing electric drums or even acoustic drum sets will inspire practice and pride. For instance, the Alesis Forge kit and the Alesis Nitro mesh kit have different looks even though they are made by the same company. Same could be said about the Yamaha dtx400k and the Yamaha dtx450k or the difference between the Alesis Nitro and the Alesis Dm10. Similar electric drums but slightly different looks that can be considered in your purchase. Perhaps it is not the top priority over the sound and cost of the electric drums, but definitely consider the look in your purchasing decisions.
Is the Sound professional?
Along with the way the electronic drumset feels when you play it, the sounds is of the utmost importance, especially if you are going to use the electric drums for live performances. The sound has little to do with the quality of the hihat stands, whether it comes with a bass drum pedal or an option for double bass pedals. the sound mainly stems from the quality of the trigger pads and the sound module.
Individual Reviews and Prices
Roland TD30KV
Guitarcenter
Musiciansfriend
Amazon.com
The Roland td30kv is likely the best electronic drum set on the market. The mesh drum heads are responsive and dynamic and have the feel of acoustic kits. The roland td30kv sound module is the flagship module of the Roland electronic drum lines and is at the forefront of electronic drumming. In my opinion this electronic drum kit rivals just about any electronic and acoustic kit you can find. Be sure to use our buyers guide because when we check prices, we compare different sellers to find the best deals.
Roland TD25KV
The Roland td25kv comes in a few different configurations. There is the roland td25kv, the roland td25kvs and the roland td25kvsx. You really can’t go wrong with any of these three electronic drumsets. They are all top of the line mesh kits with mesh snares and mesh tom pads with tones to rival any of the idrum machines on the market. The roland td25kvsx is by far the nicest of the bunch with a full-size kick drum and hi-hat mounts for use with standard acoustic hihat stands.
Alesis Strike Pro
The Alesis strike pro is a solid electronic drumset for the price. It is not ideal for live performances as it is at least as heavy as many acoustic drum sets, but the tone bank is robust and the drums have a good look and feel that is fun and inspiring to play. There have been some reported issues with the high hat stand, but considering it’s more affordable than many Roland electronic drumsets, it is definately be worth the consideration.
Roland TD11K
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The Roland td11ks vcompact series drumset is a great value electronic drumset in the Roland series. The vcompact series electronic drum sets are considered mid level electronic drumsets for beginner electronic drumset players and intermediate electric drumset players, however, I know some professional musicians that use this kit for studio work. I wouldn’t take this kit on the road despite the great sound module, but I would be happy to see this in any studio. With the learn modes, this is a great option for practicing.
Roland TD1KV
This might be one of the best electronic drumsets for under $500. It’s definately set up for beginners as it’s an entry level compact electronic drum kit but it comes with the superNATURAL sound engine which is based off the professional level td-30 drum module. For a few extra bucks you can upgrade and get a mesh snare, which is worth it in my opinion. Considering the high end Roland kit’s can cost up to 10k, this is a great way to get into the Roland electronic drum line.
Alesis Command Mesh Kit
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The Alesis command mesh kit is a great value electronic drumset, packed with great drum tones on the sound module, with the mesh drum heads that Alesis has found a way to make affordable and responsive; a rare combination. The USB and Midi options make this electronic drumset very functional for today’s musicians. If I was to use an Alesis electronic drumset for studio purposes, I would probably go with the Alesis command Mesh Kit. The soundbank on the drum module has more options than the Alesis Surge Mesh Kit and it is more affordable than some of the Roland counterparts.
Alesis Surge Mesh Kit
The Alesis Surge Mesh Kit is one of my favorite electronic drum kits that Alesis has put out. I find the mesh heads to be a great updgradge from the Dm6. The Alesis Surge is also more affordable than the similar Alesis command Mesh kit, which is a great drumset for the price as well, but if you are looking for an electronic drumset under $500, this is a great option. The collapsable chrome rack is pretty sweet too!
Yamaha DTX562K
For the mid level electronic drumset, the yamaha dtx562k is a great option at an affordable price. An upgrade from the yamaha dtx532k electronic drumset, the yamaha dtx562k features the “real” hihat stands with intuitive cymbal pads that respond to chokes and swells. The mesh pads give this electronic drumset a great feel and the price makes this yamaha electronic drumset worth the consideration. The only drawback is it’s limits in expanding your drum pad based on the inputs on the module, an issue with many electric drumsets.
Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit
The Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit is a great option for getting an Mesh Kit at a very affordable price. I would venture to say that this electronic drumkit would not be ideal for professional drumming and certainly not for live performance. It is a great electronic drumkit for practice, apartment drumming, and beginner electronic drumsets. With the MIDI and USB connections that are standard on most Alesis electronic kits, there is application for studio use, though, the higher end models are going to be more responsive and better for the professional musician. All in all, this is a great value purchase.
Yamaha DTX532K
The tones in the yamaha dtx532k are quite impressive and there are a ton of great tones to work with. The feel of the pads are quite good for rubber pads, though i do and will likely always prefer mesh heads when it comes to my preference in electronic drumsets. The nuance in the cymbals and snare are solid, with great response to even chokes and swells and buzz rolls on the snare drums. The hihat stands have a better reputation than that of the Alesis Strike Pro kits.
View All Electronic Drum Reviews
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In the modern age of drumming, there are now more forms of electronic drumming than ever before. There are several great (and not so great) brands of electronic Drumsets, of course.
Now there are also a ton of option for drum pads and triggers and drum machines, including analog drum machines and digital drum machines. With all the electronic drums becoming popular there have also been efforts to create drumsets that are “the best of both worlds” in the form of hybrid drumsets.
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Yamaha DTX532K Review
