As stated before a cable snake is NOT a deal braker and is NOT a big deal, IF I need to extend a cable get an adaptor such as this:
and If you want to make all custom cables you can just get a patch bay, connect the Evil cable snake to it, and connect individual cables to each pad.
Benefits of individual cables..
you can get a shorter or longer cable depending on where in the rack (if you have a rack) your pads are positioned. This (modifying cable length) allows you to have a cleaner looking setup and also gives you more options for pad placement.
Disadvantages... you will have multiple cables and you have to label and maintain multiple cables, a cable snake is just one and it comes pre labeled and if it fails it costs about the same it cost to repair a single cable.
Benefits of cable snake... Pre labelled.
One multi cable to deal with instead of multiple cables. much easier to maintain. Does not affect module's functionality.
Disadvantages: Comes with pre determined lengths (usually fine for the rack that comes with the kit).
Limits pad placement options but we already stated how to overcome that limitation.
Other things that are seldom mentioned are:
Whatever kit you end up getting regardless of brand or tier (entry level vs top of the line), spend some time dialing in (
and learning how to) so that you can
get the best possible sound you can out of that kit.
Every single kit usually sounds great when using headphones or if a large speaker
in a small room, but they sound bad when in a large room through a PA. This is due to the module having ambiance settings to simulate... different environments (read different room scenarios) so, when you listen through headphones your experience is that of someone playing in one of those rooms which generally is going to sound great, but, when you play through a speaker, if you are in a small room, the speaker can usually overcome the natural (real ) room ambiance so that it still sounds good, but when you go to a larger room (at a venue for example) your PA is going to be competing with the venue's natural ambiance so In that case you have to adjust to either turn of room ambiance in your module or greatly reduce it so that your drum sounds are only being "processed" by the natural room ambiance and not both. This is what makes a lot of people give up on electronic drums, failing to adjust simple settings. We like our brand (I started with Alesis back in the 80's but moved on to Roland (still have the Alesis modules and pads though) so we are going to recommend what we like (because we like it) take that with a grain of salt of course. I like Roland, Electrodrummer likes Yamaha.. neither of us is wrong just different brands. but we both agree with you going to a store, play both and pick what YOU like and your budget can handle. And if what you like is not something you can buy that day (over your current budget) then consider places like Sweetwater where you can use your current budget as down payment and pay the rest off in installments. You will be much happier with a higher end kit like this one:
for $93.50 a month for 36 months (minus what you put as down payment)
or the equivalent :
With the digital snare, digital ride, and digital Hi Hats for $ 74.38 a month (again minus whatever you use as down payment).
I would do this (If I was looking for a new kit) life is too short to suffer a shitty kit. (basically anything sub $1000)
