Practicing w/ V Drums

frying pan

Junior Member
Hello,

I haven't really played for a few years now, but just sat down behind a set of V Drums this afternoon and they were awesome! I'm seriously considering taking the plunge.

I have a question for anyone who has experience playing one of these. How easy is it to play along with recordings i.e.; mp3's?

I see that they must be wave files, pardon my unsaviness, but is it easy to put the files from my mp3 player into the drum kit?

How's the mix when playing along to mp3's? Is it any good? Is the sound quality good enough to get productive practice time out of it?

I have no experience with one of these machines, so any light that could be shed on this matter is much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
Here is a story that captures my feelings about electronic drums. I was in the local drum shop a few months ago, and another customer was playing different acoustic kits, trying to decide which one to buy. The guy's playing intrigued me, because he clearly was not a total beginner and could get around the kit pretty well with fills, solos, etc. However, on each kit, he sounded horrible. Just horrible tone and touch. It turned out that he had been playing a while and was even in a band. But up to that point, he had only played electronic drums. The lesson I draw from this is that touch and tone are crucial (to acoustic drums at least), and cannot be developed on an electronic kit. Of course, electronic kits are interesting and fun, but I don't think that they are a good idea for learning to play acoustic drums. They are sort of like another instrument entirely, and I don't mean that as a put-down.
 
Yes, but it feels like a put down. And is one example, as you have experienced, adequate to generalise?

Anyway frying pan you get a lot of e-kit bashers around here. It's part of the fabric of the drum community. Welcome.

Yes. Is the answer and it is the easiest thing in the world. You will have an input in the brain for a 3.5 mm jack, so you can play CDs, mp3 etc any source really. I have played TD1, TD6, TD9 and I currently own a TD12 kits. They're all different. Although I would say that the mesh heads have the advantage of slightly better feel and they are quieter than pads. The two big players are Yamaha and Roland so check out their gear.

Peace
Davo
 
Here is a story that captures my feelings about electronic drums. I was in the local drum shop a few months ago, and another customer was playing different acoustic kits, trying to decide which one to buy. The guy's playing intrigued me, because he clearly was not a total beginner and could get around the kit pretty well with fills, solos, etc. However, on each kit, he sounded horrible. Just horrible tone and touch. It turned out that he had been playing a while and was even in a band. But up to that point, he had only played electronic drums. The lesson I draw from this is that touch and tone are crucial (to acoustic drums at least), and cannot be developed on an electronic kit. Of course, electronic kits are interesting and fun, but I don't think that they are a good idea for learning to play acoustic drums. They are sort of like another instrument entirely, and I don't mean that as a put-down.

I've been sitting behind the traps for 10 years so that's not an issue. I stopped playing for a while. One of the reasons being I had messed up my rotator cuff pretty badly. That's what I'm digging about the mesh heads, they're much more shock absorbent. I can actually play without pain which makes me think maybe it's time for me to pick it back up again.

I like the analogy Omar Hakim made about electric drums to electric guitars. He was saying it's just a different way of expressing yourself, just like with guitars.
 
Yes, but it feels like a put down. And is one example, as you have experienced, adequate to generalise?

Anyway frying pan you get a lot of e-kit bashers around here. It's part of the fabric of the drum community. Welcome.

Yes. Is the answer and it is the easiest thing in the world. You will have an input in the brain for a 3.5 mm jack, so you can play CDs, mp3 etc any source really. I have played TD1, TD6, TD9 and I currently own a TD12 kits. They're all different. Although I would say that the mesh heads have the advantage of slightly better feel and they are quieter than pads. The two big players are Yamaha and Roland so check out their gear.

Peace
Davo

Cool, that's what I like to hear! I'm looking at the Roland TD9. What made you choose Roland over Yamaha?
 
At the time of purchase of my first kit, the TD6, I wasn't sure whether I was going to take to drums and so it was a moderately priced kit. At that time the equivalent Yamaha kit was much bigger, ie bigger pads and overall a bigger footprint. I had a space I wanted to squeeze my kit into and I also wanted to transport it, so I preferred the smaller kit. Also, it seemed to me that Roland had the biggest range and add on goodies, and so I went for Roland. My TD12, I bought used, and it is again more compact than the TD20 and so it's my perfect ekit. By then, I had established a respect for the Roland technology. I've also been purchasing downloadable kits, which are superior to the original Roland kits and these are great fun too.

Anyways, that's my story.

Davo
 
I play a VdrumTD-9 with mesh heads, an acoustic Yamaha MCAN, and a vintageTama Imperial Star.

Es & acoustics are almost two different instruments.

V-Drums are good to practice things quietly and conceptually ( work out ideas, exercises etc ). However I find the feel so completely different that too much time on the V-drums is often harmful to your feel on an acoustic kit.

But that might be just me...
 
However I find the feel so completely different that too much time on the V-drums is often harmful to your feel on an acoustic kit.

But that might be just me...

I understand this completely. Oh how I understand.
 
I've been out of drumming the last 10 years, so when I started again this Spring, I bought a Roland TD-6, which helped satisfy my itch to play. They are nice when you plug that jack in from your Ipod or CD player, and can play along without disturbing others too much. And the sounds you get while playing along are good enough and close enough to acoustics, because the music in the background will obscure the flaws.

Upon recording myself however is where I could hear the sound difference - the toms basically sound like crap and the whole kit sounds like, well, electronic drums. You can download some Vexpression kits if you have a Roland set to improve the sound, and that's what I'm looking at doing now since I can't afford the alternative - upgrading my computer, buying an audio interface, and purchasing software like Superior Drummer 2.0. Out of my price range right now.

So I would say for practice with all their features including a built in metronome and onboard songs with which you can mute the drum part and play along they are good for getting you back in shape.

Now that I have finally purchased a real acoustic kit however, the feel, the sounds, and even my ability to play are coming back - it's just much nicer and a lot more satisfying.

Because of the electronic sounds on the E-kit you can sound like you suck when you don't, just because the sound and feel doesn't translate in my opinion. Still, I wouldn't do without them or sell them, only to upgrade.

They are a different facet of drumming and a great practice tool, but acoustic drums sound and feel so much better, IMO. If you can have the best of both worlds, that is a good thing.

Fishnmusicn
 
Back
Top