Do any drummers actually enjoy performing on e-kits?

Paul Blood

Paul Blood

Junior Member
So the band leader just bought one of these for me to play our gigs with:

V-Drums Acoustic Design VAD706GE Electronic Drum Set - Gloss Ebony - Sweetwater

Looking for Electronic Drum Sets? Sweetwater has Easy Payments, FREE Shipping, and FREE Sweetwater Support for Electronic Drum Sets!
www.sweetwater.com www.sweetwater.com

He didn’t really give me any choice in the matter, but seemed confident I‘d love it. I think of electric drums as good for home practice but not really great for performance.

just for the record, I never get complaints about my volume or sound. Anyways, the band leader says an electric kit will be a good selling point for future venues, and will easier than using microphones on acoustic drums, better for live streaming ….. Oh well, it’s not my money.

Any tips on adapting to e kits? We do use in ear monitors, no stage monitor, if that makes a difference.

My maiden voyage with this kit is this weekend. No rehearsal, I’m just going cold. Wish me luck!
 
"Do any drummers actually enjoy performing on e-kits?"

Well, I've been doing it since 1986.... so, yes, yes I do. Much more fun than acoustics, I'd say (and I gig both). But they are TOTALLY different instruments and I don't limit myself to having one emulate the other :) (you don't buy a synth and only use the piano preset ;) and edrums are basically a synth you hit...)
 
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I've done quite a number of live performances with them. Enjoyed them? Never as much as acoustic. Somehow the gigs weren't as fun either. I imagine the HH response to be the same as the previous gen, so I'd skip on any fancy HH barks, etc. Really quiet buildups don't work that well either. Cymbals, drums, all will suddenly come in and with cymbals, they will still sound choppy. Band leader is right, so far as an easier sell, but that's about it
 
AzHeat said:
I've done quite a number of live performances with them. Enjoyed them? Never as much as acoustic. Somehow the gigs weren't as fun either. I imagine the HH response to be the same as the previous gen, so I'd skip on any fancy HH barks, etc. Really quiet buildups don't work that well either. Cymbals, drums, all will suddenly come in and with cymbals, they will still sound choppy. Band leader is right, so far as an easier sell, but that's about it
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An 8K investment, I find it hard to believe it is that much of a selling point. Glad it’s not my money!
 
electrodrummer said:
"Do any drummers actually enjoy performing on e-kits?"

Well, I've been doing it since 1986.... so, yes, yes I do. Much more fun than acoustics, I'd say (and I gig both). But they are TOTALLY different instruments and I don't limit myself to having one emulate the other :) (you don't buy a synth and only use the piano preset ;) and edrums are basically a synth you hit...)
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Good points, but the music we do uses traditional drum sound, no techno type sounds.
 
I have played on e-kits for the last 15 years and have mostly enjoyed it. The previous venue had new Roland's which were set up for my height, etc. We had a number of presets that we used to switch up the sounds to accommodate Latin musical styles. That was fun. In my current situation, the Roland's are old and finicky to adjust; it's not so easy for me to get them into an ergonomic position, so that makes it challenging. We are planning to switch over to acoustics in the near future.
 
Oh my Gosh !! Your leader must be fully commited to this e-kit idea. I don't want to scare you, but...... I think you are in for a BIG surprise. Your successful experience and the band sound is totally dependant on how the sounds of this e-kit are set up. For example usually the cymbals are too quiet. So just turning it on and playing it the first time will probably not sound too good.

Also, the biggest problem I have found is that you won't be able to play with different dynamics as you usually do with an acoustic kit. Meaning if you want to go from playing loud to playing quiet it won't work well. Although I have heard that the newer more expensive Roland kits have made progress in this area. Good luck !

.
 
Hollywood Jim said:
Oh my Gosh !! Your leader must be fully commited to this e-kit idea. I don't want to scare you, but...... I think you are in for a BIG surprise. Your successful experience and the band sound is totally dependant on how the sounds of this e-kit are set up. For example usually the cymbals are too quiet. So just turning it on and playing it the first time will probably not sound too good.

Also, the biggest problem I have found is that you won't be able to play with different dynamics as you usually do with an acoustic kit. Meaning if you want to go from playing loud to playing quiet it won't work well. Although I have heard that the newer more expensive Roland kits have made progress in this area. Good luck !

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Yeah, he’s been obsessing on the idea for a year now. I tried as nicely as I could to talk him out of it, i brought up the dynamic issue ( we do lots of build ups) But he is totally committed to the idea, and he thinks any sHirt comings in the dynamics can taken care buy his sound guy. He stored another bands patches/ setting that he liked so hopefully that will help?

The band leader is a good person, but the band is his, and he pays me well, so I just do my job…. I’m trying to go into this with an open mind, and I’m not normally super picky about gear.
 
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You cajole sounds out of acoustic drums and cymbals but an ekit you basically whack pads configured like a drum kit that plays recorded/synthesized sounds. They are fun to play but cymbals pads can make an audible clomping sound- mesh heads don’t but they are more bouncy than mylar heads. The cymbals, hats are weak link with my inexpensive Alesi kit- rest sounds fine for what it is. I imagine the higher end ekit cymbals sound great.
 
No Way Jose said:
If they want quieter then I have brushes. I'm not the e-kit type.
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Yeah, I love brushes, and I’d like to think I’m pretty good at them too, but the band leader wants a big studio sound… For the amount of work and the pay, I’ll go along with what he wants.
 
Paul Blood said:
I’m trying to go into this with an open mind, and I’m not normally super picky about gear.
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Good on ya for being open to it. You may be surprised how well you can adapt to a modern ekit. I got to use a converted kit with a TD27 at a rehearsal recently and I loved it for the backbeat stuff we were doing. I could use it on at least half my gigs.
 
Paul Blood said:
Yeah, he’s been obsessing on the idea for a year now. I tried as nicely as I could to talk him out of it, i brought up the dynamic issue ( we do lots of build ups) But he is totally committed to the idea, and he thinks any sHirt comings in the dynamics can taken care buy his sound guy. He stored another bands patches/ setting that he liked so hopefully that will help?

The band leader is a good person, but the band is his, and he pays me well, so I just do my job…. I’m trying to go into this with an open mind, and I’m not normally super picky about gear.
Click to expand...
With a sound guy and the downloaded settings, you could be ok. Having a sound guy will make a whole lot of difference. But it is still kind of crazy having a sound guy adjust the dynamics of the drums during a performance. I like your attitude, it will help a bunch.

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I come to play more and more on a Roland TD-11. In small venues and rehearsal. The main problems are : dynamics, level between each elements, hi hat, cross stick / rim shots sense.
And volume control! On an acoustic you know the power you deliver, the cutting. With an electro it’s blurred and depends a lot on the PA and the sound guy.
 
Hollywood Jim said:
With a sound guy and the downloaded settings, you could be ok. Having a sound guy will make a whole lot of difference. But it is still kind of crazy having a sound guy adjust the dynamics of the drums during a performance. I like your attitude, it will help a bunch.

.
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Yeah, it will be strange having to put my trust into the sound guy, but he is very good and familiar with the material, so that should help. As far as my attitude, it is shaped by having to put my daughter through college, a mortgage, and other stuff like that!
 
I used to practice at a guy's house, and he had a V-Drum setup. It was awesome to just sit down and play, but the feel is like picking up a guitar and having it be the Rock Band controller instead. It's a different instrument. There are, of course, things an acoustic kit can't do and vice versa.



Dan
 
I do not have that VAD model…so not positive how it feels playing….but I have a very nice and capable TD27KV2 I got last year, with a KD180 kick drum, and although I use it and enjoy my practice time on it, it does not feel like either of my acoustic kits. I am slower on the e kit. I have to speed up a tad on the e kit. I have to slow down a tad going over to the acoustics.
 
I play a Roland kit when I fill in at a church. The drums aren't too bad, but IMO, the cymbals are awful: the sound, the feel, the response. You might ask if you could at least play real cymbals. A friend of mine played in an 80s tribute with an e-kit, but used his Zildjians. Sounded so much better.
 
T
Paul Blood said:
So the band leader just bought one of these for me to play our gigs with:

V-Drums Acoustic Design VAD706GE Electronic Drum Set - Gloss Ebony - Sweetwater

Looking for Electronic Drum Sets? Sweetwater has Easy Payments, FREE Shipping, and FREE Sweetwater Support for Electronic Drum Sets!
www.sweetwater.com www.sweetwater.com

He didn’t really give me any choice in the matter, but seemed confident I‘d love it. I think of electric drums as good for home practice but not really great for performance.

just for the record, I never get complaints about my volume or sound. Anyways, the band leader says an electric kit will be a good selling point for future venues, and will easier than using microphones on acoustic drums, better for live streaming ….. Oh well, it’s not my money.

Any tips on adapting to e kits? We do use in ear monitors, no stage monitor, if that makes a difference.

My maiden voyage with this kit is this weekend. No rehearsal, I’m just going cold. Wish me luck!
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This guy does (enjoy playing that is)

Also you can hear all kinds of ghost notes and dynamics from the kit.
 
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