Electronic Drum Kits

Electric Drum Kits

The proliferation of electric drum kits in the 80s and 90s was greeted with dismay by musical purists, and they had had a point. The early kits were an unconvincing analogue for the real thing. But they were a great way of learning to drum without driving the neighbours crazy, and while serving in that capacity they improved in leaps and bounds to the point where the sound is barely distinguishable from the “real” thing. Add to that the sampling possibilities that electronic connectivity brings, and electric drum kits have made their way firmly into the mainstream of music performance.

What to Look for in an Electric Drum Kit

Depending on your budget, an electronic drum kit may be an inexpensive but impressive analogue for a traditional drum set, or a platform for a highly creative percussion instrument in its own right. Electronic drum kits owe their sound to the electronic drum module – sometimes just known as the “drum brain” through which all signals generated by the various playing surfaces are routed, and in which the kits library of sounds and effects is stored and manipulated. Check the “brain” specifications of the kits you consider – make sure that they have the functionality and capacity you need. Check that the kit has all the hardware needed to be ready to play on assembly.

Your electric drum kit should offer a thoroughly realistic percussion experience. Look out for important refinements to the technology of the basic drum pad such as the Yamaha’s three zone snare pad, which allows rim-shot and side stick as well as head strokes and is a feature of their DTX400 series of kits.

As well as the required drums and hardware, look for ease of computer connectivity and make sure that you understand the functions the kit you are considering offers, and where they will fit into your drumming habits and style.

Posture - Whatever your budget, look for a comfortable, ergonomic design, with plenty of height adjustment for the throne. At the same time, your electronic drum kit needs to be easy to assemble, disassemble, adjust and transport.

At Music Mart we have an electronic drum kit for every budget. We stock Yamaha and D’tronic, and each kit is complete, robust and loaded with features and connectivity.

To learn more about Music Mart’s range of electric drum kits or to make a purchase, give us a call on (08) 9250 2015 or send us an email enquiry.