Beginning drummer: what to buy for practice?

lucy

Junior Member
I'm a relative beginner trying to decide what to invest in for practice (just using a single pad now). Is it worth it to buy an e-kit that is only good for practice? Or better to buy a real kit and use mesh heads to actually play with down the line? (Need to practice quietly, space and budget is limited).
 
There's an almost overwhelming amount of options today. A lot depends on what you want to do.

You probably want to hear some noise when you're playing. With electronic stuff, you'll need headphones or an amp. In addition to whole electronic kits, there are also pad sets that you can use for practice. Some have inputs for bass drum pedal triggers and hi hats.
This one is pretty inexpensive right now: http://alesis.com/percpad

Pretty basic, but you can make some noise. They also make a SamplePad that allows you to load samples. Several other manufacturers make something similar, and some are much more advanced.

If you like using a practice pad, there are some electronic pads that have training functions - things like keeping steady beats, gradually increasing/decreasing tempo, pattern matching, and so on.
Like this: http://www.rolandus.com/products/details/479
Other manufacturers make similar units.

If you want to practice using several pads (kit like), instead of a single pad, and don't care about hearing electronic sounds, you can use something like this: http://www.dwdrums.com/smartpractice/specialty.asp

If you ever plan on using an acoustic kit, that's the way I'd go. You can use mesh heads for quiet practice. You can install triggers in them with mesh heads, or on them, with acoustic heads, and some manufacturers make units that can sit right on top of the heads. Like this: http://pearldrum.com/products/kits/electronic-drumsets/tru-trac-drumheads/
With most of these options, to hear something, you'll need a module, and an amp or headphones.

Of course, there's always whole electronic kits. They run from very cheap to very expensive. A lot of people really like them, but they never interested me much.

There's lots of options, depending on what and how you want to practice. Any of them can be bought new. Buying used will save you some money, but there's different things to look for with each.
 
Is it worth it to buy an e-kit that is only good for practice?

I use my little digital drum pad for jamming and gigs. It has about 50 drum kits, a metronome, lots of backing tracks to play along with, and works well for some gigs. It's OK to have more than one drum kit.
 
Thanks wildbill & Jose.

I'm currently using a single electronic pad but as it's very limiting. Definitely in need of something more kit-like with multiple surfaces. Eventually, I'll need an acoustic kit but that might be awhile so, just weighing the pros and cons of getting one now and muffling it or getting the most decent, affordable e-kit, like maybe this Yamaha kit:

http://au.yamaha.com/en/products/mu.../el-drums/drumsets/dtx400/dtx430k/?mode=model

If anyone has experience with this, would love to know. Thanks.
 
I started with a e-kit that was probably an older version of the one you're looking at. It was fine as far as it went, but that wasn't very far. I was given it for Christmas and by Easter I'd bought an acoustic. I kept it for a while thinking it might come in useful at some point but it didn't, so I sold it and bought another acoustic :)

I'd definitely recommend finding an acoustic-based solution.
 
Hi Lucy

Here's my 0.05.

Buy second hand, and buy inexpensive. This is your first kit, buy it as a taster, to help work out igzackerly what you want. Electronic kits, mesh head setups and acoustic kits all have their advantages and disadvantages. Until you've lived with one for a while, you won't know how well or badly it will meet your requirements.

If you buy an inexpensive, used kit (of any type), you won't lose money because there'll always be plenty of newcomers looking for kits.

When you come to buy your second kit, you'll have a much better idea of what works for you, and that will be the time to spend like a drunken sailor on shore leave.
 
Thanks all. Really appreciate the advice. Buying cheap and used till I know what I really want/need makes sense. Will do that for now.
 
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