With Alesis out of the way (for now), let’s take a look at a Roland kit. The TD-17KVX is the first “expert” electronic drum set we have seen thus far. One small thing to note: switching patches on the Strike Pro takes about two to three seconds of load time, so keep that in mind if you plan to use this kit live. At this price point, you can also start exploring the world of e-kits with proper wooden drum shells (like Roland’s VAD series). These not only look fantastic, but again authenticate your playing experience. They’re as close to real drums as you’ll get - perfect if that’s your thing. Do you need an electronic drum set? Most low-end drum modules only offer the ability to get a stereo output of a recording directly from the module. A nice feature. MIDI and USB connections You can buy an electronic drum set from any of the biggest specialist music stores, in-person or online. Places like Thomann, Andertons and Gear4Music, in the UK/Europe, and Guitar Center, Musician’s Friend and Sweetwater in the US all have huge ranges of e-kits from the big-name brands, as well as smaller ones - so you should be able to find an e-kit to suit your needs and budget without any hassle.

Another common issue lies in the Strike Pro’s hi-hat. Many users reported that the edge sample will not respond in some cases when playing. Then, when the time comes and you need to lay down a powerhouse groove on an acoustic kit, you’ll be far more prepared. One of the newest ways to find a used electronic kit is through Sweetwater’s Gear Exchange. They tout it is a the best place to buy or sell used musical instruments online. Because so many people know of and buy from Sweetwater, there’s always a vast selection of used electronic drum sets on the marketplace. Are you a drummer looking to add a few electronic samples to your acoustic kit? They’re fairly cheap and get the job done at the expense of one extra cable. It’s well worth it to go this route rather than buying a whole new drum module that has USB. First off, despite the module looking outdated, the samples included sound phenomenal. The ambiance slider is a massive feature for me.Roland has long held the crown for making the best electronic drum sets when money is no object. The VAD706 sits right at the top of the tree in the Roland V-Drums Acoustic Design line-up, and for good reason. Not only do the full acoustic drum shells give the kit that traditional look that means it wouldn't look out of place on stage or in a top-end studio, but the TD-50X sound module is currently unbeatable when it comes to the technology on-board. Electronic drum set playing has never felt more natural or nuanced, and dialling in your sound has never been easier. Are electronic drum sets quiet? Are electronic drum sets quiet?

Upon loading up a digital audio workstation, like Logic, you’ll find that most computers that utilize this technology today are Plug and Play.

Delivery

With decades of experience working for Roland and ATV, EFnote’s product designers have hit the ground running since launching the brand in 2018. Both the technology and striking visuals across their range has made EFnote a brand to watch, and despite being one of their cheaper kits, we think the 3X is just fantastic. You may need to adjust your playing, as well. The rims on most Roland drum pads are pretty loud when you play rim shots. The cymbals can also be fairly loud when played on the edge and bell zones. Electronic drum sets are designed to be hit, so often their build quality is strong, sturdy and durable. This also means, however, that the used e-kit you’re looking at could have been used and abused by a previous owner. The onboard sampler gives you the ability to sample any sound in real-time on the way in and route to any trigger you like. Eight direct outs for recording or live use There is no way to load custom samples into the Alesis Nitro MAX. For most beginner players, this should be a non-issue.

Featuring digital hi-hat, ride and snare pads, the 706 offers the kind of playability and natural feeling that Roland has made its name upon. As the most important elements of any drum kit, with these digital iterations you can expect to experience some impressively nuanced, detailed and great sounding drum tones - all powered by the formidable TD-50X module. The TD-17KV-S features dual-zone drum pads! At more than double the price of the Alesis Forge, the Roland e-drum kit immediately decimates the performance and build quality of the previous two kits.

Reasons to buy

Yamaha’s DTX402 series is aimed squarely at entry-level drummers. There are three kits in the 402 line-up, but for us the 402K is the best for tight budgets and offers plenty to help first-timers get started.

If you play music with a live band and want to switch to an electronic drum kit, I would steer clear of the Alesis Nitro or Alesis Surge. The TD-02 module also has Bluetooth capability for jamming to your music collection - a feature we've enjoyed seeing roll out to kits at the cheaper end of the spectrum - although you will need an adapter which comes at an additional cost. It’s by far the most realistic of the bunch and resembles an acoustic kit the most. I don’t own the TD-50KV2, but have the previous generation TD-50K-S electronic drum kit, and the similarities are very close for comparison.

International delivery

I wouldn’t even consider buying an electronic drum kit in this scenario. What you need is a sampling pad. You can mount one of these units next to your kit and play electronic drums only when called for. All of the pads on this kit are dual-zone, meaning you can trigger different samples based on whether or not you hit the rim or the mesh head. The drum module provided with the Alesis Nitro MAX is very basic. Don’t expect world class sampling and FX. Using the drum module, you can create your own drum kit setup with the available 440 sounds or just use a preset. The drum module is very intuitive and easy to learn your way around it.