What are the pros and cons of electric drum sets?

Question

What are the pros and cons of electric drum sets?

Answer 1

Pros:

they are easier to move

Cons:

they feel different then a reg. drum set

some have developed hand problems do to the surface being hard

Answer 2

Pros:

   Can pretty much fold the kit up and carry it with one hand.

   (less to carry and set up on a stage.. less space they take

      up too.)

   Many different types of drum kits are readily available at the push of a button or turn of a k**b.  

   Many types of percussion are readily available, same as above.

   No mics required for live playing.... Left and Right outputs  

         from the module to P.A.

   Dont have to replace heads that often, as there is none!

   Can trigger Midi devices with the drum kit.

   Multiple sounds can come from one pad... inner pad one sound.... outer ring of pad another.

   No feedback whatsoever or bleedover from other instruments on stage... as the kit does not require mic's.

    Can play anytime of day or night..... just plug in headphones at 2am.. neighbors wont hear it!

    Ok.. thats the Pros I can think of... now.. the cons...

  An electronic kit just doesnt sound like a real one.

  Sometimes a lot of editing in the programs is required to get the sound your looking for.

  Pads when repaced are sometimes 60 bucks and up.. EACH!

  Cymbal pads on an electronic kit just dont sound the same as high end pro cymbals.

   Sometimes the pads fail on stage.. due to poor electrical wiring in a lot of clubs.  It is a midi device ya know!

   Cables can fail you at any time on any pad....

   Hard to get the same size kit that Mike Portnoy from Dream Theatre has with an electronic only kit.....(lol)

   Prolonged use (day in day out playing month after month..for a couple of years) has been known to cause wrist problems, due to hardness of pads.

  

   Im sure a REAL drummer can give you more than what I did.  I do own 2 drumkits.  I have a late 80's Yamaha electronic kit, and a 2002 Yamaha Stage Custom Maple acoustic kit.   Both of these kits are in my studio.  Im not an accomplished drummer by NO means.  But, ive sat behind each kit long enough to where I can play a little.  While the electronic kit is a breeze to set up for recording... it also has only 2 outputs going to the recorder.. which means.. limited mixing capabilities.(some of the new ones might have direct outs from the module for each individual sound.. dont know on that one.)  A ton of editing for each voice on the module sometimes has to be done to get everything just right in the mix.

   With the acoustic kit... mic's are on everything.. kick, snare, mounted toms and floor toms, plus 2 overheads.  Takes up 7 tracks of recording.. but.. WAY more flexibility when mixing.

   Bottom line to..... My opinion only... the electronic kit just doesnt sound as good as an acoustic kit with good heads on it, properly tuned, with good cymbals.

Answer 3

Cons: Electric drumsets will never feel the same as a normal one

the best ones are just as expensive as the best acoustic ones

Pros: many believe that the best sounding drums are electric samples.  Electric sets are also easy to take around.  You might be surprised how many of yoru favorite bands actually use electric samples attached to triggers on their real drums to get the best of both worlds; the accuracy and perfect reproduction and consistence of electric sampled sounds with the feel of a real acoustic drum