Need help finding a quiet electronic drum set

I bought the DW Go Anywhere Practice Kit ( http://www.guitarcenter.com/DW-Go-Anywhere-Practice-Kit-103222485-i1371515.gc ) and after setting it up in my 4th floor NYC apartment I realized that I am going to run into major sound issues with any gear.

The practice kit causes slight vibrations in the floor that can be felt throughout the apartment. Most of it is manageable, except for the bass pad. Whenever I use the kick pedal it is though I am hammering a nail into the floor. It really destroys my desire to play the thing and I am definitely returning it.

My original plan was to get an electronic kit but I wanted to work my way up gradually with practice gear, but after this purchase I am realizing it will probably be cheaper in the long run to just jump right into it rather than wasting money on practice sets.

Anyway, I was hoping someone could point me towards finding a descent priced electronic set with a more quiet bass drum. There are two main things I am seeking in an electronic set: one, something that is quiet overall (especially with the bass drum), and two, a set with a variable hi-hat.

Any suggestion are appreciated. Thanks

No matter what you use, there will be vibrations to the floor below......... but the good news is the solution to your problem can be found here

http://vdrums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45889&highlight=tennis+ball

Search those forums for tennis ball isolation platform. Cheap and easy to build, and will do wonders to reduce noise.


As far as E- drums go, there are two primary manufacturers, Yamaha and Roland.

The mesh heads available on the rolands are quieter than the Yamaha pads, however i found them excessively bouncy and prefer Yamaha. They are noiser, but I have had no problems with my neighbors, and even the roland guys will tell you that Yamaha makes better cymbal triggers

Don't be affraid to look at used gear, E drums in general are much more expensive than Acoustic drums, if reasonably cared for they can last a lifetime and will hold their value well

Roland TD12.....quite expensive, but all mesh heads should keep noise levels down. The 12 also has a mesh bass drum pad (as opposed to the TD9 which has a rubber pad....I've heard similar issues with it being too loud) and a hi hat that sits on a traditional stand that can be splashed as per normal. Of course, there is also the TD20, but it's seriously pricey.

@shadowtick, I love the tennis ball platform idea. I'm in the process of gathering the parts for it now. I'll try to remember to lead feedback on how it goes.

Thanks

The new Yamaha DTX pads are said to be very quiet pads:

- Yamaha DTX pad (go to 1:30)

I don't know how quiet they would be compared to mesh heads you can fin on Roland kits though...

That aside, you'll always have issues with kick pads. Like mentioned above, you'll need to isolate your drums. A friend of mine set up his e-kit on one of those thik sport mats and it did the trick for him. But it depends a lot on your flat.