What makes electronic drums so great? What makes them suck? This article will explore the good, bad, and ugly of electronic drums based on a series of interviews I had with electronic drum manufacturers at PASIC 2024, my examination of two live performances at the event, my own experiences with electronic drums (performer, teacher, and drum nerd), and insights from my own drum students (college and high school drummers).
This article is divided into three sections: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. First, The Good section will focus on innovations and advantages of e-drums. Second, The Bad will look at problems with live performance (sonic experience) and cymbals issues (serious problem). Last, The Ugly will briefly examine the actual volume of these drums, feel of e-drums, and set up concerns. So, let's get into it.
The Good
When I lived in a townhouse just outside of Washington D.C, I purchased an electronic drum kit with mesh heads to practice. Initially, I was captivated by the array of drum kit configurations, drumless backing tracks, and other possibilities in the sound module. Likewise, I was able to make it as loud as I wanted in the head set and really rock out. This was great to keep my chops in shape. But it did come with some limitations, as the e-drums did not exactly feel, set up, and sound like an acoustic drum kit.
Of course, there have been a number of innovations that have revolutionized this gear. After talking to electronic drum manufacturers at PASIC 2024 and playing on the kits, here are a few sets that really stood out.
Zildjian E-Cymbals: Dang!
One kit that stopped me in my tracks was the Zildjian ALCHEM E Gold EX Electronic Drum Kit. To be honest, it was not really the electronic drums that drew me in (though they looked cool); rather, the cymbals on the kit were like no other. I was able to chat with Mike Weber, the designer of the new Zildjian E cymbals, and they were epic. The cymbal sounds came from hand selected cymbals in the famous Zildjian vault and the material felt like real cymbals (this was the best part). Not only that, but the dynamic range, bell sounds, crash, articulation, and choking (muting the cymbal while grabbing) was beyond anything I had heard, seen, and more importantly felt. In short, they felt light and moved like acoustic cymbals (I usually use K and A Custom). Zildian’s E Cymbals are undoubtedly exceptional. Cost is about $6K.
That Floor Tom!
The Roland VAD716 Electronic Drum Set - Satin Walnut has to be one of best electronic drum kits on the market, as the feel of the drums was awesome. I was most impressed by the floor toms (yes, there are two), which felt more like acoustic floor toms than any electronic kit I have ever played. Overall, the drums felt great, had massive sound options, and produced minimal sound, which is essential for environments with noise restrictions. Of course, this kit is really pro level gear and costs more than some of best acoustic drums, as it retails for about $9K (ouch for my struggling college students).
Why Not Have Both
The DWe Drum Kit is a combo of both worlds. Basically, the kit has some great electronic drum technology and sound options (the sound bank is awesome), but the heads are put on an acoustic DW drum set, which is nice. After playing it for a while, I realized that the bass drum and toms feel very similar to a standard acoustic kit. I was back and forth on the cymbals with this kit, as they had a great sampling of sounds (I chatted with the guy who sampled the cymbals), but the overall feel seemed a bit heavy. They had a metallic feeling on top, which was cool but overall, they still had that dense feel of electronic cymbals. Of course, the price of this kit gets the highest cost award, as it is about $11K for the Maple version of the kit.
Is That a Guitar Pick Up?
Evans Sensory Percussion Sound System is pretty cool, as it allows you to convert any acoustic drums into an electronic drum controller. These are not triggers, instead they work more like pickups on a guitar. They sounded great and felt good. More importantly, there are a lot of applications for this type of technology, especially for drummers that simply want to turn their acoustic drums into an electronic kit for a reasonable price (less that $1K). Currently, Evans does not have a cymbal solution, but these are a quick and easy way to modify your kit.
On A Budget?
I always have students that ask about electronic drums and are on a budget. One other set I ran into that was amazing, was Hampback ACE-360 (about $500) and Hampback ACE-530 (about $1K). These kits were solid and honestly, surprised me. I am used to the Roland, Yamaha, and Alesis mesh kits (I really like the offerings of the brands), but I was not familiar with Hampback’s drum sets. When I went to their booth there was an army of young drummers playing, but for good reason.
Hampback e-drums were responsive, felt good, and used quality materials (mesh heads, silicon cymbals, and kevlar kick pad on some models). Overall, Hampback is a good e-drum option. Plus, the price point is really in the range that most students and their parents are looking at, as the aforementioned kits are all pro-gear.
As you can see, there are a number of advantages and innovations in e-drums. Now, lets dig into some of the issues.
The Bad
In the end, electronic drums are designed to feel like real drums and the more they feel like the real thing, the better they are. While e-drums offer a myriad of possible sounds, there purpose is to replicate acoustic drums and percussion.
Sonic Experience
At PASIC 2024, I saw tons of drum set clinics and only two used electronic drums. One workshop/performance was with Thomas Lang (Independent, StOrk, Drum Educator, etc.) and the other was with Trevor Lawrence Jr. (Dr. Dre, Herbie Hancock, etc.). Both are exceptional drummers and provided some great insights at their clinics. However, the sonic experience (how the drums feel to the audience) was lacking in both performances. Yes, Thomas Lang playing 6 rhythms at one time and Trevor Lawrance Jr. laying down some serious in the pocket grooves was impressive, but much of it was lost because the e-drums simply were not real and could not be felt by the audience.
The bass drum and cymbals may be the best example of this, as cymbals resonate, but we can see, feel, and hear the resonance and decay of cymbals. Likewise, we can see the movement on the bass drum resonant head as it is responding to the batter head, but this was lost. This was most evident at Trevor Lawrence's workshop, as he played on e-drums (DWe kit); then, went to his acoustic DW drum set. Without a doubt, the acoustic drums spoke and felt better to the audience (I spoke with a few drummers after the clinic and they agreed with the observation).
Even on the best electronic drums on the market, it “almost” felt like the real thing. In the previous section, I mentioned that the Roland VAD716 Electronic Drum Set floor toms were the best I have ever felt. Likewise, the Zildjian ALCHEM E Cymbals were exceptional, as they were pretty close. But in the end, they are not the real thing.
The Ugly
While e-drums have a lot of perks, from my experience they have three major issues that are tough to resolve.
Not as Quiet as You Think
When living in Washington D.C., I assumed the electronic drums would alleviate the sound issue. However, this was not the case, as sound is simply vibrations and those vibrations can be felt through walls and floors. Likewise, I have had students parents ask if there are ways to “mute” their students' e-drums, which usually requires the e-drums to be moved to the basement, garage, or bottom floor.
Too Bouncy
Mesh drum heads have come a long way, but they still provide way too much rebound. This seems nice at first, as it makes it easier to play fast rolls and other rudiments. However, once your transfer to acoustic drums, there is a lot of work that still needs to be done.
E-Cymbals Suck
I have to admit, I am pretty excited about the possibilities of Zildjian ALCHEM E Cymbals, but in the end, e-drum kit cymbals always suck. I have played on hundreds of kits and they always feel heavy. Replicating cymbals is a tough obstacle to overcome, as there is something unique about the touch, feel, and sound of acoustic cymbals.
Weird Set Up
One of the biggest challenges I see students that use electronic drums face is the set up. Electronic drums are smaller than acoustic drums; so, they can be put much closer together. This is nice, but unrealistic. This can easily be fixed, but it does require a great deal more space between the drums and cymbals.
So What!
The purpose of this article was to show a few advantages and disadvantages of electronic drums. For practicing at home and in environments where volume needs to be controlled (like a small church or living room), they are great. Acoustic drums are usually between 90 and 130 decibels, while electronic drums tend to range from 70 to 90 decibels.
For live performance, I do believe acoustic drums are the only way to go, unless you need some type of unique sound. This was really the impetus of this article, I was disappointed by the sonic experience of e-drums as an audience member in two different venues and with two different drummers. Yet, acoustic drums are great live and when possible, drummers should put there focus on acoustic instruments. Electronic drums are a great tool, like a practice pad and keep getting better and better. In the end, I’ll stick with my acoustic drums when I can and recommend my students do the same. Whatever your situation (acoustic or electronic drums) the most important thing is that you keep drumming.
GET MORE
For more drumming resources. check out https://tacticaldrumming.com where you can find John's book Tactical Drumming: Groove Survival Guide or get it on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3Qr56pN
By John Owens, Ph.D (Author, Drummer Educator). For more about the author check out
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