Entry level kit for home practice

Kingrazor

Junior Member
I'm looking at purchasing a drum set that I'll be using for home practice. I'll be using mesh heads and Zildjian low volume cymbals to keep the neighbors and house mates happy, so I'm less concerned about the tone of the drums.

I'm looking at either the Ludwig Backbeats, Pearl Roadshow, Tama Club-Jam or Ddrum D2 set.

They're all around the same price, so I'm just wondering if anyone has tried any of these and can vouch for build quality.
 
Well, I own two Roadshow kits.

I love them. Not sure what size you would be interested in. I was attracted to the jazz version that has shallow shells.

If you are a heavy player, the tom mount hardware might eventually fail you. I have a light touch so it is not an issue.

I couldn't be happier with those kits. Light, portable, sounds great to me.
 
I recommend you scratch the D2 from your list - they are pretty nasty.

I'd go for the Pearl Roadshow. Many don't like the tom mounts, but I believe that is for aesthetic reasons - I've found that once set up they are as good as any other system. If you are using it for home practice they will be fine.
 
Hi, have you thought about an e-kit for home practice? I picked up a used Roland TD-9, which has been brilliant!

There are a couple of down sides to e-kits but they are a great option for home practice :) 
 
I'll suggest a different approach, and my money is where my mouth is.

For home practice I have a Pearl Rhythm Traveller kit, which comes with mylar and mesh heads, and I use the mesh heads. The cymbals that the kit comes with are utterly woeful, and the plastic practice cymbals are a daft idea. I swapped them out for the least expensive 'real' cymbals I could find, which I use with cymbal mutes.

You can use the Rhythm Traveller with its mylar (proper) heads, and the tone it gives is unbelievably loud for such a small setup, but you will want a more suitable kit for regular music-with-others duties.

I have my Rhythm Traveller permanently set up in my garage, for quiet practice duties, and use my "real" kit when I rehears with my band.
 
Mesh heads are the way to go. Also take the bottom heads off if you're upstairs. (Trust me the noise really travels through the floor with reso heads). The Rhythm Traveller is the way to go if you don't have a kit you can convert plus it's concert toms anyway.

I used an old Stratford (Pre English Rogers) someone gave me. Saved me a fortune! I used plastic practice cymbals as low volume cymbals weren't around and I hated the rubber cymbal mutes. Not ideal but got the job done.
 
First off I'd look for seond hand stuff. You'll get more for your money. Hard to be specific in that case because you never know what might show up.

Personally, I don't use mesh heads, they feel horrible. I use Aquarian Super-Pads and quite often I use them alone. My practice kit at home is L80s, Super-Pads as toms and various pads and solutions for snare and bass. Right now I use my Xymox pad and a DW stand alone pedal, but I have several options. You also don't have to remove heads to use the drums as intended, you just lift them off. RTOM Black holes offer similar versatility. Super-Pads also come in a version with built in triggers called OnHeads.

Be aware that in regard to neighbours the bass drum will be the biggest challenge and that's not just the drum sound. It's the pedal and vibration in the floor. Low frequencies are the ones that travel and are really hard to block without a solid mass that absorbs them.
 
The Aquarian Super Pads seem to be hard to come by. In the UK, I can only find one retailer and it’s charging £100 for a 14” pad.

My boy practices on a Rhythm Traveller, Pearl Mesh heads and Zildjian L80s. It’s great to practice on, but the mesh heads have to be detuned quite low to remove the springiness and provide the right feel. It doesn’t sound great and I suspect that the Aquarian Super Pads or the new RTOM Black Hole solution would sound much better.

But if you’re only looking for a practice kit, I wouldn’t worry too much about the shells/brand. The cymbals and heads/pads are the most important thing. It won’t be silent, but this kind of set-up will allow you to maximise your practice without upsetting the neighbours.
 
Do you already have regular cymbals? In that case, a nearly free alternative to the low volume cymbals would be to get some plastic hoses and cut them open along the length. Then you can put the hose over the edge of the cymbals. It really kills the sustain and attack. If it's too much you could take a shorter hose that doesn't cover the complete cymbal edge maybe. For the Hi-Hat it doesn't work of course - maybe try a felt mat with a string to attach it to the stand or something.
 
Do you already have regular cymbals? In that case, a nearly free alternative to the low volume cymbals would be to get some plastic hoses and cut them open along the length. Then you can put the hose over the edge of the cymbals. It really kills the sustain and attack. If it's too much you could take a shorter hose that doesn't cover the complete cymbal edge maybe. For the Hi-Hat it doesn't work of course - maybe try a felt mat with a string to attach it to the stand or something.

I don't have any cymbals yet.

I'll take a look at the rhythm traveler set.

As for mesh heads I hear good things about the drumtec "real feel" 3 ply mesh heads.
 
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