electrodrummer
Senior Member
I'd take the head off and check for damage/issues with the mount plate the foam cylinders / pizeo are mounted on. Make sure all the cylinders are the same height and square.
Gigging with EKits
- Thread starter Frank
- Start date
I'd take the head off and check for damage/issues with the mount plate the foam cylinders / pizeo are mounted on. Make sure all the cylinders are the same height and square.
roncadillac
Platinum Member
I'm definitely going to try this next, thank you!
I agree with this. I've been using Yamaha DTX6 for the last 8 months and I have a ton of presets to cope with the fact it only has a stereo output. I like gigging with the Ekit, lots of possibilities I can't do with an acoustic, but next up is the top of the range with individual outputs as that would make life so much easier.
The few times I gigged my ekit, we configured the brain to only send kick to one side or the other (left or right, I can't recall), and then the rest of the kit to the other side. Ran two feeds to the board, one for the kick and one for the rest of the kit, so at least the sound guy could bring the kick up as much as he wanted or needed.
As far as the monitors/in-ears question earlier, I just use my regular in-ears, and have the kit fed into my mix, like everything else. I didn't bring any amps for the kit, just fed the main board.
I don't gig my ekit much, usually for venues where volume is a concern, and to a lesser degree, space. Just picked up another used ekit that i'm looking forward to setting up and putting thru its paces, and maybe i'll use it in more scenarios than before. (My previous/current ekit is in my basement for practice, and is a bit of a pain to take it out of there. Maybe the second one will sound so good that I'll wanna play it more, and I'll have it in the garage, ready to go.)
Rach
Member
Hi guys!
I'm new to this forum, but I have gigged quite a bit with my e-kit and octapad. I have played my Roland TD-11KD with my old electro-pop band, which is a smaller electronic kit, and regularly do trio and duo covers gigs with my octapad as well as playing the octapad with DJ's and my house music orchestra (space saver!).
In case of spares I bring a tonne of spare cables, sometimes an extra power pack, then the usual spare sticks. I always have my snare and brushes + mic as a backup in my car too! (With spare heads haha...).
I wish I had a single bag for the full electric kit, I used plastic containers for most of the kit then folded the rack up and carried it separate. Octapad I have the bag and then another separate bag with kick pedal, kick and high hat pedal.
These days I much prefer my acoustic kit, or octapad. Electronic kit is a bit of a pain, but sound guys do love it haha.
I'm new to this forum, but I have gigged quite a bit with my e-kit and octapad. I have played my Roland TD-11KD with my old electro-pop band, which is a smaller electronic kit, and regularly do trio and duo covers gigs with my octapad as well as playing the octapad with DJ's and my house music orchestra (space saver!).
In case of spares I bring a tonne of spare cables, sometimes an extra power pack, then the usual spare sticks. I always have my snare and brushes + mic as a backup in my car too! (With spare heads haha...).
I wish I had a single bag for the full electric kit, I used plastic containers for most of the kit then folded the rack up and carried it separate. Octapad I have the bag and then another separate bag with kick pedal, kick and high hat pedal.
These days I much prefer my acoustic kit, or octapad. Electronic kit is a bit of a pain, but sound guys do love it haha.
roncadillac
Platinum Member
Welcome and thanks for sharing!
aegisdodd
New Member
Just had my first gig with the EFNOTE 7X. Played in a big metal box with high ceilings and terrible acoustics (suburban "sports grill") that we have played numerous times with me on acoustic kit. It was fantastic! Everyone was amazed that it was an e-kit and how much better the mix sounded. Bandmates raved about the monitor mix and ability to hear themselves; I attribute that to the lower "stage" volume since they didn't have cymbals and snare right behind them (there's no stage, just a little corner of the dining area we cram into).
We cover about 35-40 songs from various decades and genres and I used the setlist feature to program song-appropriate kits and tempos and used the LED "click" to count-in and occasionally reference with a glance (we don't play to click). Total game-changer for us.
We cover about 35-40 songs from various decades and genres and I used the setlist feature to program song-appropriate kits and tempos and used the LED "click" to count-in and occasionally reference with a glance (we don't play to click). Total game-changer for us.
The efnote kit looks interesting, haven't come across that before. I take it your impression of it is favourable? Sounds aside, how does it play? Especially the cymbals.
As far as gigs are concerned I'm getting the same response with our covers band. Lower stage volume, better mixes and I can change kits between songs at the touch of a button!
aegisdodd
New Member
Very favorable. In my opinion, while having mesh heads and "rubber" coated cymbals, it plays as close to an acoustic as possible. The bell on the ride triggers and sounds far better than my TD-17kvx (only e-kit reference I have) and the hi-hat is, in my opinion and for the way I play, 95/100. I really appreciate the full size and 360° triggering of the cymbals. I did have to tighten the 4 lugs nearest me on the snare once, which is typical with the acoustic as well.
doggyd69b
Platinum Member
Make your own, it really is not that hard.I wish those zendrums still existed.
Many years ago, I got deep down the rabbit hole with playing with my fingers. I used a keyboard at the time.
It actually sounded great, and if I do say so myself, I was very good at it.
Never bought one when they were available, and if I remember, they were pretty costly when available.
One would think there could be a similar product these days that was fairly inexpensive.
Obviously you have to buy a module, but modules today are not as expensive (Unless you get a TD-50).
doggyd69b
Platinum Member
I would only (and had only) gig with an e-kit if I am in control of the sound board. I don't trust anybody else with my sound. That said, all those gigs have sounded fantastic. just turn down cymbals and toms, get rid of ambiance, and minimize effect use.
doggyd69b
Platinum Member
post a video of this (or your next gig if you don't have one) that speaks (and shows) a lot more than any of us can say. if you get one of this:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-Q2n-4K-Definition-Microphones-Livestreaming/dp/B07K114TFB/ref=sr_1_4_mod_primary_new?crid=3KM4KHCOGNTH2&keywords=zoom+camera+4k&qid=1682529861&sbo=RZvfv//HxDF+O5021pAnSA==&sprefix=zoom+came,aps,177&sr=8-4&th=1
you can even connect an audio out to it and record the gig with perfect audio and video. and it will be already synched so no need to fight it on the video editor program:
on free video editor here:
DaVinci Resolve 19 | Blackmagic Design
Professional video editing, color correction, visual effects and audio post production all in a single application. Free and paid versions for Mac, Windows and Linux.
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Hey, I'm new here, and a beginning drummer but a former pro bass player and maaaybe an advanced guitarist. In the '80s, some folks gigged with the Simmons series e-kits -- if I remember right, Spandau Ballet was using one when I saw them. I also saw InSoc numerous times (they're local) and I recall them using an e-kit (possibly a stand-up setup?) along with various machines, which were of course coming into vogue back then (my first was a Roland TR-505 which I used for home recordings). So some people definitely gigged with them in the past. And say what you want about drum machines, they were better than seeing OMD use prerecorded drums on a reel-to-reel tape, where we had to stand around and wait for the tape to rewind so they could perform an encore of "Enola Gay." Heh.
But I also have a question: does anyone who does gig with an e-kit do so running through a computer, to make use of all the great MIDI kits out there? I no longer gig out at all (I'm old, I just thought it would be cool to finally learn drums at 60), but I would find it hard to resist the temptation of using, say, Battery 4, which I have literally hundreds of kits for, and where you can drag and drop any sample into a kit, or Butch Vig Drums which I've recently become enamored with because if its heavy, industrial, and weird sounds.
But I also have a question: does anyone who does gig with an e-kit do so running through a computer, to make use of all the great MIDI kits out there? I no longer gig out at all (I'm old, I just thought it would be cool to finally learn drums at 60), but I would find it hard to resist the temptation of using, say, Battery 4, which I have literally hundreds of kits for, and where you can drag and drop any sample into a kit, or Butch Vig Drums which I've recently become enamored with because if its heavy, industrial, and weird sounds.
toddmc
Gold Member
I never did but plenty of people certainly do take the laptop with their favourite software out to gigs (I'd always be too paranoid about the laptop falling off the table or whatever but I'm sure the pro's have an answer for that).
At least we have the Pearl Mimic these days (basically Steven Slate drums built into a module) so you don't have to take the laptop out at all.
electrodrummer
Senior Member
I don't use a computer live. Only hardware. Nothing to crash. But I'll use hardware that gives me the sounds I want for the music I'm playing - be it built-in sounds, or my own added samples, either dropped into the module/s[1], or via MIDI'd on hardware. In the kit in my avatar for example, I'm using a module + sampler + tone module + MIDI data player, etc. (and, yes, I'm one of those who's been giggin ekits since the 80s - which gives you can idea of how old I am!
) ---
[1] many modules over the last 20 years have the ability to load your own samples.
doggyd69b
Platinum Member
You can also import samples into the Alesis module and the Roland TD-27 and TD-50, the ATV module, etc, etc.
I have not yet gigged with a laptop, but at home Laptop has never failed me or hung on me, The secret is close all other apps, do not, DO NOT have an active internet connection (during a live gig), and try to use the program as stand alone if available. Steven Slate, EZDrummer and I believe Superior Drummer all do that. now for the laptop:
doggyd69b
Platinum Member
Definitely bring your own strips, extensions and a spare pad or two.
Now, the Ideal is if the band has their own PA, so you have much more control over your sound, but of course you have to carry it, but if the band doesn't or the venue provides... make your own "live" kits. A lot of people make the mistake of creating a kit that sounds great in their headphones while playing against a backing track (usually when playing a cover or practicing with the original music). The problem is, we tend to turn up the cymbals because the original track usually drowns them a lot, so we need to hear our own, then the toms and finally the bass and snare, so then playing alone, all those will be very exaggerated when played through PA speakers, so those levels will need to be adjusted. Second, a lot of modules provide room ambiance, of course that is going to simulate a different room and sound great when played through headphones, but not so great when you are competing with a real room ambiance, so turn ambiance off, or tone it way down, otherwise the drums will sound very dead or overly muddy. All of this is if playing with the module's sounds, if you use a laptop and a VST, practice similar techniques (ambiance and turning down cymbals. finally in order for you to have some form of volume control, if you are connecting to a PA, keep your module volume at around half or a little over and LEAVE IT THERE, use a small mixer and connect your module outs to it and the mixer outs to the PA, that way you can give yourself more or less volume while leaving the front of house volume alone. and with this little mixer you can even add tracks from other connected devices....
I am aware that there are much better mixers out there, but this is just so that you have your own monitoring without messing with FOH levels.
doggyd69b
Platinum Member
I just take my monitor wedge, that way I can hear what the FOH is hearing, plus it gives my drums a better feel, and I can hear the guitars, I don't use in ears so I need a reference. I am able to adjust my levels on my module on the fly and also never had a complaint, on the contrary many have complimented the sound. Now if you want a module with individual outputs you might need to get the super expensive TD-50 or the similarly expensive Pearl Mimic or EFnote Pro....*Always* the house system. Never used own system. Still never had a problem. As I said - it's a keyboard - not an acoustic drum kit. (Indeed, if I'm doing a venue I've never done before, I'll simply tell the soundperson - "it's a keyboard" whilst presenting them with a single jack lead to plug into their provded DI )
Not only that - I'm often driving a MIDI-sequenced keyboard backing (tone module/s) and sampler/s down the same mono cable....
For sound-checks I fire off a pattern on the module and join the soundperson at the desk/in the auditorium to get an EQ we like to suit (try doing that with an acoustic!). I'll stay there whilst the whole band plays as well to get a basic mix to suit.
#EasyLife
As I said - it's NOT an acoustic kit and doens't need to be treated like it is
doggyd69b
Platinum Member
The module is good, the pads not so much, upgrade to used Roland pads, I got 3 10 inch and 2 12 inch pads for $400 no double triggering and no issues, those were from a top of the line kit a few years ago so they are great pads.