Electronic drums used to be the “sound of the 80’s”, but more now than ever, using an electronic drum kit is a preference for many studio musicians, as well as quick kits that are being used more and more on live tours as well. Why are these more beneficial? We’ll get into that in a moment. Keep reading.
How Electronic Drums Work
Electric drums are like a rubber surface with a “pickup” called a transducer that is routed to an effect’s processor. Most of these processors have various types of sounds, from electric drums all the way to replications of analog drums. No matter what type of drum you have, they all work the same way.
You hit the trigger pad, then the signal is sent to the processor. The sensor in the transducer detects how hard you hit the pad, and can increase the volume up and down depending on the force of your drum strike. Some higher priced models can even detect and mimic various types of drum sticks, from brushes, all the way to padded mallets. Another sensor is usually attached or embedded into the drum pad so depending on where you strike it, you can even mimic the sound of rim shots, and more.
The Benefits of Using Electronic Drums
Well, for starters, think of an electronic drum kit being a similar product for a drummer as an effects pedal unit is for a guitar player. The range of drums that you can incorporate, from realistic, to futuristic and completely electronic drum sounds of various genres can be programmed into them. Some kits actually even include additional software and sound packs that can be programmed into them, so they can mimic your actual acoustic drum set, all without having to pack it around with you.
You can literally easily edit your drums sound, so if you have a song that requires a certain sound, then with a press of a few buttons, you can have that drum set to duplicate what you may have recorded while you’re playing live. Not only that, but you can literally use the data that is being captured as MIDI data, so you can record, mix, and edit your drum tracks a lot easier. On top of that, compared to slicing and mixing audio tracks, with an electronic drum kit, you can make your MIDI drum sounds sound more natural.
The most common features are that outside of learning and practicing with preset patterns that can help you do drum exercises; electronic drums are ten times more compact. Not only that, but they’re extremely portable, so they are space efficient, and can easily fit just about anywhere.
Conclusion
No matter what electronic drum kit you choose, the main thing you want to make sure of is that it has everything you need to pack a punch for your arsenal. You want an electronic drum kit that can have toms, cymbals, snares, bass pedals, and more. Some sets you can even attach a second bass pedal or a double-kick pedal for those heavy double-kick beats commonly found in today’s music. You want to make sure that you have features like programmability, and choose the drum kit that’s right for you, and the sound you’re wanting. Make sure that you take extreme care of your electronic drum kit well, as with any other electronic, keeping it clean and safe.
References: http://www.muzu.tv/best-electronic-drum-set-kit/
