A Beginner's Guide To Electronic Drums

Electronic drum sets are all the rage. They won’t break your back. Your neighbors won’t call the cops on you. And unlike tuning acoustic drums, you can change how they sound with the push of a button.

This 15-minute crash course on electronic drums shows you how to choose the right e-kit and how to get the most of it once you own one.

0:00 - Intro
0:44 - Choosing an electronic drum set
Should you buy a new or used kit? New kits tend to work the best, include the newest technology and, like phones and computers, are sometimes less expensive than earlier models when they were first released.

If you’re looking into used electronic drum sets, consider its age and the generation of the technology. If it’s over 10 years old, you’ll get old tech that might not give you the best playing or connectivity experience.

5:09 - Choosing headphones/speakers
When choosing the right headphones, make sure you get a pair that are comfortable, and with a closed back design. Don't use cheap Bluetooth enabled headphones or ear buds (especially not AirPods). That latency will drive you nuts.

If you’d prefer to use a speaker or want others to hear your kit’s audio, make sure you use something with full range support. Bass amps are perfect for electronic drum kits. Avoid guitar amps as they’re built for distortion and they’re too mid-range heavy. Roland, Alesis, and Simmons all make dedicated electronic amps for drums if you want to go that route.

Our tip: get in-ear monitors. They fit in your ears like ear buds and sound great!

8:33 - Setting up
Follow the instructions that came with your kit, or look for a downloadable manual online if you bought it used. When it comes to where you should set up, there’s one important thing about electronic drums you need to know right off the bat; even though you're wearing headphones, your neighbors or someone else at home sure will hear you -- especially if you share a wall.

Set up the drums on a carpet to add a layer of dampening. But if it’s too plush, the kit won’t be as stable and might shake or move. You can pick up a 4’x6′ rubber-backed floor mat with a low pile at your local hardware store.

13:13 - Start recording
While it can take some pricey equipment and time to capture your performance on an acoustic kit, electronic kits are usually plug and play – no mixing or editing required! Filming and recording is a great way to track your progress or share your playing with your drum teacher, friends, or social media community.

Any entry level audio interface like a Behringer UCA222 or an iRig 2 will do the trick. Just make sure the interface is class compliant so you're good to go right away.

16:11 - Outro
And there you have it – ‘Electronic Drums For Drummies’! Dive deeper and check out more tips to get the most out of your kit in this Beat article:

And if you’re new to drumming and this is your first e-kit, you might also want to check out this comprehensive guide to buying electronic drums in 2021:

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[remander]

First kit I bought was that Alesis Nitro Mesh you were using. Was a great way to start playing drums without running your family out of the house. I've since transitioned to a Gretsch Catalina Maple kit. I now find it difficult to go back to the electronic kit. Of course, I have a dampened music room now.

[shuaibird.official]

Some more tips for new e-drummer:
For those living in an apartment, the floor vibrations from the bass drum pedal mostly would be an issue, do consider putting an extra layer between the pedal and the carpet. Buying Roland NE-10 is a good choice, but you could also DIY.
About the headphone, I use ATH-M50X, which sounds so amazing. Furthermore, it's cheaper than a pair of Airpod.

[chelseaanne]

I JUST bought my first electric drum kit as a christmas gift for myself. I play guitar, ukulele and some piano. NEW to drums and I wanted something I could use at night when my young child sleeps and I was so excited to find that I could still learn to drum without keeping everyone up all night long. I also bought an amp and didn't go nuts. I went with a mid range kit and a friend of mine is a drummer in a semi-famous LA based band and she offered to give me virtual drum lessons and helped me pick out the kit. I AM so excited, I have always wanted to play the drums but the ignorance of not knowing something like this existed kept me from emarking on my dream. I had ZERO clue about this option until recently. I'm very excited, and thank you for this video...great stuf!!

[ptimusbibIe]

Finally ... more Electronic Drums stuff please

[BurningHearts]

I recommend Acoustic to electric conversion. I converted My Mapex Saturn 6 piece kit into electric by getting a used Strike module, Steven Slade VST, affordable lemon e-cymbals, used laptop for Steven Slade. Even bought a cheap broken Strike Alesis crash and repaired it myself. A great sounding e-kit that looks better then the best e-kit out there.

[robertsterling]

I have been using e-drums over 20 years. Started with Alternate Mode Trapkat, which I still have, but also have a Roland with converted mesh heads. For practice at home, I use an in-line volume control from PC for input control, ($10 or less) and I HIGHLY recommend using Koss "The Plug" earbuds. (About $25) They fit in the ear, have a foam cushion you squish then insert in ear and it expands for a perfect fit and good outside noise cancelling, plus they sound great with good bass response. The problem I had with over the ear headphones was keeping them on, (can you say headbanging?) so I had to use a headband for a snugger fit.

[MisterMxyzptlk]

I got a Yamaha DTX 432 kit a few years ago and am very happy with it. It was moderately priced at about $600 CAD and works great. Snare plus three toms. Has hi-hats that can make all the acoustic sounds, a crash cymbal you can choke, and with the ride you can play the bell. The bass drum pedal is a real one from an acoustic set with a beater, very nice touch. Very impressed for the price.

[DrumeoOfficial]

Dive deeper and check out more tips to get the most out of your kit in this Beat article:

And if you’re new to drumming and this is your first e-kit, you might also want to check out this comprehensive guide to buying electronic drums in 2021:

[mjulio]

As the pandemic hit, my option was recycling useless stuff I already had. Via Amazon, mesh heads and Yamaha triggers for an abandoned Pearl Traveller set, and a used laptop online (for this purpose only) to connect my also abandoned Roland TD-10 module and cymbal pads. Downloaded Superior Drummer 3 and now, after a year of tweaking and experimenting, can't imagine myself practicing on anything else. Particularly, no more time wasted changing tuning or cymbals to practice a different genre. Can go from my Max Roach kit, to my Nashville kit, to my double bass kit in seconds. It takes a while to adjust, but to me it was worth it. So check your storage stuff, as what you wanted to throw away earlier might become useful with a little investment nowadays.

[Firefrostdrums]

If you have the budget, I highly recommend the VAD series from Roland : they're the best compromise between acoustic and electronics. I have so much fun with it since I got mine 🔥

[Mayhemzz]

I've had 2 Electronic kits now and I have to say without them I wouldn't be half as good as I am (not that I think I'm good haha) but I will offer one piece of advice/warning to first time buyers. Be very wary of the lowest end entry-level kits. My first e-kit was a $400 USD e-bay kit and it couldn't withstand what I would call energetic drumming. That thing fell apart piece by piece until eventually all the cymbal arms and one of the tom arms had snapped or bent way out of shape. It starts to cost more to replace pieces than it would have just to get a better kit to begin with.

I saved up and bought an Alesis DM-10 as my second E-kit and that thing was amazing! Built properly and had real heads so it had great feedback and feel to it. Unfortunately had to sell it to pay bills and rent but will for sure be looking at Alesis again when I'm ready to shop for a new one.

[zurczepol]

A year and a half with my Alesis Command... still learning stuff.... appreciate the information. Thank you @Drumeo

[aleksisiltala]

I just got an electronic kit and was wondering how to listen to songs while playing. You did what others didn't, just told it clearly that phone must be connected to module using audio cable. Thanks!

[ny]

If you can appreciate that edrums and acoustic are different then both are great. I love tweaking my edrums and getting sound combinations that are unique. Especially with samples. Obviously love the acoustic feel too.

[macpakinga]

Old tec is good. Good effects. Old school. Blend together. 🤗Cool man thank you 🙏🥁🥁😎🤗

[RADERFPV]

They're sort of quiet, and sort of not. The kick and hi-hat's are still pretty loud on e-drum kits. I play a Roland VAD 506, and my neighbor's complained a couple times already. It's definitely a lot quieter than an acoustic kit, but still pretty darn loud. Especially when playing aggressively. A lot of "whack-whack-thud-whack" sounds. Doesn't bother me since I wear headphones.

[JonathanHavins]

Quick tip for anyone who only has headphones with a mic and can’t afford a new pair right away, don’t plug the audio jack all the way in and you can still get full audio to the headphones. You will still want a different set eventually, but this can at least get you started.

[zammy]

Ironic he has open back headphones talking about closed back headphones

[itzalaFacade]

Speaking of looking for wear and tear on used kits, make sure all the triggers work properly as after some time of taking a beating they can become finicky or inoperable entirely.

[chrisminahan]

I Play Both Accustic And Electric Drums And Let Me Say WOW, Their Way Different. Electronics Drums Help You play Better Due To The Bounce Depending On Which Kit You Choose. The Mesh Type Are Bouncy As Hell For Snare Rolls From Hell...