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Mic’s for the kick drum, mic’s for the snare drum and toms, a cymbal mic, overhead ambient microphones….how many is that, like 8? Setting up microphones for an acoustic drum set recording or performance is an art form. More expensive models offer hundreds of sounds, presets, and FX. I came up with the Simmons SD200…this set offers 10 preset kits (plus 10 slots for user-generated kits) and an additional 92 sounds that you can mix and match. I did a quick search on Guitar Center for their least expensive electronic drum set to see its instrument offering. Electronic drums will have a whole set of sounds that you can change on the fly, from various standard rock and jazz kit sounds to synth and 8-bit drum sounds. With acoustic drums, if you want to change the various sounds you have to switch out drums heads, cymbals, or the entire kit. There are some measures to counter this too, various mutes and sound dampening pads that you can put over the e-drum heads are available, or you can use towels or t-shirts if you’re on a budget. While you can completely eliminate the drum sounds from being heard you can’t get rid of the sound of your stick hitting the drum pads…and this can get pretty loud if you are jamming away to some hard rock tracks. If you want to prevent the drums sounds from being heard all together you can use headphones. With electronic drums, you can either turn the volume down on your amplifier or speaker or adjust the volume on the digital console. Even playing at quieter volumes (called pianissimo in music-speak)will still be noticeable to anyone a room or two away. Quieter Playingĭrums are loud…just stating facts. The upside is, you get an electronic drum set now, and in the future get an acoustic set…you’ll have both and be ready for all sorts of recordings or gigs. An e-drum kit can break down and fit into a standard suitcase…good luck doing that with an acoustic set. For instance, a standard acoustic floor tom will be 16 inches wide by 16 inches deep and an electronic floor tom will be 16 inches wide by only a few inches deep. While the drum heads and cymbals are usually sized accurately to their acoustic counterparts, they aren’t as deep and can stack easier.
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They also pack down to be much more compact than acoustic drums. But for a lot of people space is limited so the smaller footprint of electronic drums can be a huge plus. Complex Microphone Setup Not Required SmallerĪcoustic drums look cool…the bigger the better, right.
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The pros of learning on an electronic drum kit: I know the vast majority of people reading this already know they want an acoustic kit…but at least consider an electronic drum kit if one of the following applies to you. With a little reading and weighing the pros & cons, you’ll be able to make the best decision for your future as a drummer! What Are The Pros To Learning On An Electronic Drum Kit? Electronic kits are going to be smaller than acoustic kits and be much quieter making them ideal for apartments, condos, or playing at night when others are sleeping.Īnything that gets you practicing is worth your time and investment…but that’s not to say learning on an electronic drum kit doesn’t have some disadvantages too. When it comes to getting some good practice time in, are electronic drum kits good to learn on?Įlectronic drum kits are a great way to practice your technique and develop as a drummer and musician. You’ll learn to play along with your favorite music tracks, get a low-impact high-performance workout, and develop some top-notch hand/eye coordination.įor learning and practicing the drums, you have two main options (there is a third that I will mention below) acoustic or electric. Learning to play the drums is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself.