drumset: convince me whether or not to get a $300 electronic drumset

[everdrone]

cant get this electronic drumset out of my head...I already have an acoustic drumset but I cant play it in my apartment. 

convince me!!!  haha

I would use it to record with my Toontrack Superior 2.3 drumkit from hell that I always use

Here it is:

Behringer XD8USB 8-Piece Electronic Drum Set

  http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-BEH-XD8USB-LIST

[mortlock]

seems cool for practicing in an apartment. might be kinda gay for a live show though or not. I guess you cant really go wrong for $300.

[nyarlathotep]

Should be fine for tracking MIDI, but it won't feel authentic at all and some dynamics will get messed up while you're recording- but you can edit those out in post.

Sounds like the double-bass pedal isn't big enough for a double kick - that you can upgrade from a third-party however.

From the reviews nobody is complaining about the triggers failing immediately, which would be my biggest worry. As long as you know how to solder you should be able to squeeze some extra life out of them even if they do break.

[everdrone]

aaahh!  I may be getting it! yall are convincing me lol

I do like my double bass pedal I have for my acoustic drumset,

I have been eyeing the Roland KT-10 if I wanna upgrade for the elctronic kit to do my double bassingZ

[nyarlathotep]

You mean this thing? http://www.amazon.com/Roland-KT-10-Kick-Trigger-Pedal/dp/B00IBIUZQW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460499362&sr=8-1&keywords=roland+kt10

The Behringer kit, and most electronic kits, are a BYOP affair... you really just need to add a bigger pad like http://www.amazon.com/Gibraltar-Gbdp-Bass-Drum-Pad/dp/B0002F73KI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1460499287&sr=8-2&keywords=electronic+drum+kick+pad - then your double bass pedal will work fine with it.

The Behringer kit should be using quarter-inch TRS cables like every electronic kit ever so putting in a new kick trigger should just be a matter of connecting the new one.

[Lumpy]

Depending on your apartment, electronic kits can disturb the neighbors too (imagine doing calisthenics for an hour, would that annoy the people downstairs?) You might need to put a piece of plywood, rubber matting, carpeting down (or some combination). Or it might not matter, it depends on the building. My neighbor said his electronic kit got complaints from the people below him.

[everdrone]

you guys know the dealeo exactly! Mondo tone from that KT10 at quiet volumes. Good to know they are compatible, thanks for the insight. I am on the apartment bottom floor.

if I get it I would play it in my walk in closet with these sound blankets but ya it might still be too loud:



sound blanket:
https://www.vocalboothtogo.com/product/sound-blanket-producers-choice-with-grommets-black-and-white/

[Bro. Righteous]

e-kits are an absolute abomination, sound like shit, utter jive on feel - not meant to be in the real world.
...plus show me one cat who doesn't look gay as fuck, and sadly sounding like porous shit whilst playing them.
It's the equivalent of watching someone get excited about the next iPhone.
Sorry man, stay the fuck away!
Like I need one more pseudo-drummer DJ fuck horseshit in my life. Pass.

[everdrone]

I looked for some metal videos of edrums through superior like I wanna do, its not pretty I would say,


here is Slipknot:

Dream Theater:

[eddiefive10]

I have the Alesis Dm10 studio kit, I picked it up used on Craigslist with a pedal and throne for $450, honestly I couldn't be happier, I bought it to record with and spent most of the winter jamming out on it, I've never been a drummer so it really built my chops up, I spent a lot of time after my kids went to bed plugging the aux cord in and playing along to drum less tracks on YouTube

[everdrone]

thanks for the insights!  ya I have an awesome tube rig but I mainly use practice amps and modelers, I figure it is similar with edrums like you dont get massively excited but they are bread and butter like my modelerz

[everdrone]

I have been maybe overthinking but I dont wanna jeopardize things, my upstairs neighbor has been pretty cool and never complained even though I constantly am singing or playing my acoustic.  I hear him pretty easily but Im downstairs.  still, he might be hearing everything and is scared of me to complain or something.  I dont think he could do anything but ya it could be bad.

I better not get it, walls are thinner at my apartment than other places I think...

I read this thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/drums/comments/2edgdj/electronic_drums_downstairs_apartment_too_loud/

he is downstairs too and they hear everything

if anything maybe I should just sell my acoustic drumset and save up for more crazy amps and other shizzle

[jibberish]

I have a chair cushion that I would really like to set up with a kick pedal. it has a deep dead "Whop" to it.  it is genuine aged naugahide.
with mics and effects...maybe could do something like that.

I guess I don't mind thinking outside the box, especially since thinking is for free. best place to do all your fucking up is on paper so-to-speak

also, I have been paying attention to various metal objects and the sounds they make.  there are things as cool sounding as cymbals around the ranchero.

trays of various materials make bizarre snare sounds.  also there needs to be a tunable snare that can be performed with, like timpani.
except not just the timbre, but also the snare sounds.


edit: regarding the upstairs neighbor, why are you wondering aloud about him to us? haha.
Why not have a little neighborly chat and say that you are trying to be respectful by checking with him what he hears of your music blah blah yada yada suhdababa..

Actually a pre-emptive chat can pay off double. the fact that you showed respect by running that by the person will generally get more tolerance if they occasionally hear you.
It is the classic big shindig party strategy: invite all your neighbors and tell them "This one could get loud so even if you don't stop by to party, if it is getting to be too much for you, come and find me and I will tone it down for you...hope to see you xxxx nite. ta! "
no cops will ever be called if you do it right and none of your guests don't take the royal piss initiative themselves and bust a bogus move.


still, after midnight, I wouldn't even play acoustic full bore. I can do everything silently with headphones.  give respect-get respect.

[everdrone]

thanks for the insights

ya Im doing everything full bore until 10pm like every day so its not realistic that Im gonna stop if he complains.  I wanna make it worse with the drums.  I dont wanna be all neighborly after a year and a half.  the only thing he is gonna say to me ever is about the racket.  he is always home except when Im at work hes at work.

[everdrone]

...

[nyarlathotep]

If you build a tennis ball riser or a similar isolation platform and then use a closet you'd probably be okay. Down the line, you could convert the snare toms and kick to actual drums w/ mesh heads and triggers or get mesh pads to minimize the noise from the pads. Also - use small sticks (5a or smaller), preferably a lighter wood like Shira Kashi Oak. Wood tips will be a bit quieter than nylon in my experience.

It's true that ekits are never going to feel like a real kit, but unless you have a $$$$ budget they often end up being better for recording than real drums.

If your acoustic kit isn't getting any action, maybe convert it to a 'quiet' kit - my practice kit is a Slingerland kit with mesh heads (and reso heads removed) with Zildjian LV80 cymbals. The cymbals are still pretty loud but it's all treble - acoustic treatment and some level of isolation will cut most of it out.

[everdrone]

thanks nyarlathotep those are great ideas, adding fuel to the fire...I would have to let the neighbor approach me about the edrum noise but I would save up for all the noise mitigation like the Kt-10s first.  maybe a noisy neighbor would move in then Id have a better response.

what do you think of these drumsticks for being quieter on an electronic drumset:

http://www.lidwishsoulutions.com/

[nyarlathotep]

Those look pretty good to me... probably would not make an acoustic set soft enough but should reduce the impact sound on rubber pads a lot. From a quick google search it looks like the owner is fairly responsive so you could probably email them to double check and see if they have any sample footage.

Also, instead of the KT10 you could use a keyboard sustain pedal - you will not get any dynamics out of it but that's usually not a big deal for the kick.

If you want to keep using a real kick pedal, there's the Triggera: http://triggera.com/kick-pedal-trigger  - I actually have two of these gathering dust. Wasn't a big fan of the response but I was using a cheap pedal to begin with.

[everdrone]

cool thanks brutha

I see you have gone through a similar route with your triggera, cheers 

[Pissy]

When I was much younger, some friends of mine used old suitcases for drums to record a demo. 

Why not just get muffle pads and triggers on your acoustic kit into a controller?

[everdrone]

I figured Id update this, the drumset cost $400 and was not that loud at the store so I bought it and made a video syou you could see how it sounds in a song...

I wrote a song last night called "Southern Comfort" and wanted to share my video of it with yall:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujYyUbhJ7_E

my original song lyrics:

Pretty girl wont you come this way
I see you trying to look away
Somehow we meet, honey that sweet
Your honey oh, bring it lets go
Inside the furnace I turn on the heat
Running fast in the last lap
I see gold and I go for it at all costs
Picking up speed flying fast
Im drinking southern comfortably numb, I feel high life
Im burning my gasoline fires going blind, I feel numb
Im drinking southern comfortably numb, I feel high life
Im burning my gasoline fires going blind, I feel southern comfortably numb

Well make this work well make real right
The shining stars are southern comfortably bright
Ive been drinking and bar fighting all last night
So lets turn down a notch and feel real right

Pushin' 90 miles an hour aint the best way to go
Speeding past the limits the only way I know
Shootin' stars makes me feel all right
Shootin' everything and shoot out the lights

[jibberish]

I can tell you are getting much smoother and quicker putting entire songs together and performing all the parts.
the payoff for putting in the time.

are you going to try the RPM challenge next year?  probably wouldn't be that tough at all for you.

[everdrone]

thanks brutha, I appreciate it

my goal is to make a song each weekend, and the RPM challenge is easier than that and there is no RPM winner or reward

I used to be making a song a week, it takes longer now with youtube being king but I dig it cause its more real that way.  Im all about performance and not a million takes and editing.  

thanks for the listen, Im glad you dig, cheers  

edit:

I mixed it a bit more, free download here: https://soundcloud.com/earthalliance/southern-comfortably-numb-ron-on-drums-heavy-southern-rock


[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/earthalliance/southern-comfortably-numb-ron-on-drums-heavy-southern-rock[/soundcloud]