E-drums: could they be a common thing for small bands gigs?

[MirrorProfiles]

In all my years of going to gigs I think the only time I've ever seen a band not use an acoustic kit was when I was about 14 and saw Dragonforce play some weird ass fully triggered kit and it all sounded terrible. No less than I deserved for thinking it would be a good idea to go to that gig in the first place though.

I found it funny the other day when Prodigy were playing Glastonbury and social media was full of people saying "why do they have a drummer playing an acoustic kit?". No one wants to see someone cosplaying on a MIDI kit.

Absolute non-starter, I can't believe this thread exists honestly.

 

[molul]

Not exactly a live setting, but due to this thread I started watching vids on the latest edrums offerings and I have to say I'm quite impressed by the latest hi-end roland, it seems they fixed a lot of issues on playability and sound variance of the previous generations.

But the price is quite impressive too (10000€ on Thomann)

Pretty cool, but who's willing/able to pay 10K for that

 

[Chocol8]

The price is a big reason for the lack of popularity.

 

[[Nathan]]

Pretty cool, but who's willing/able to pay 10K for that

Pros and nerds like us who don’t gig

 

[EOengineer]

Not exactly a live setting, but due to this thread I started watching vids on the latest edrums offerings and I have to say I'm quite impressed by the latest hi-end roland, it seems they fixed a lot of issues on playability and sound variance of the previous generations.

But the price is quite impressive too (10000€ on Thomann)

The Roland digital snare is really cool, and one of the only ways I’m aware of to get positional sensing without the hot spotting issues we see with the common center cone design in many drum trigger assemblies. Unfortunately there’s vender lock-in there.

Honestly I fluctuate on how I feel about Roland's role in this space. On one hand, you need big companies with deep pockets to weather the risk inherent in more ambitious R&D projects. Unfortunately Roland also spends a fair amount of money squashing/suing smaller companies who might otherwise have out-innovated them without the absolutely stupid pricing structure.

Edit - additional add on. Most drummers can tolerate mesh heads after playing on them for a bit. The rubber cymbals are usually the most significant sticking point when traditional percussionists attempt to migrate to electronic or hybrid kits, and there’s really been VERY little progress on that front over the last 2 decades. There are metal electronic cymbals but they are still either loud AF or muted to the point where they do not feel like natural metal cymbals. This kit doesn’t seem to address that at all.

 

[HotRats]

A bit off topic, about 10 years ago I recorded two entire drums sample libraries for a brand new e-drums kit.
They were the most boring recording sessions of my life.

 

[EOengineer]

A bit off topic, about 10 years ago I recorded two entire drums sample libraries for a brand new e-drums kit.
They were the most boring recording sessions of my life.

I spent a couple months recording a 7 hour opera in 7.1 surround in London back in the early 2000s. It set a new level of session boredom for me. From what I’ve seen of the SD3 recording sessions, I’d record the opera again.

 

[HotRats]

I spent a couple months recording a 7 hour opera in 7.1 surround in London back in the early 2000s. It set a new level of session boredom for me. From what I’ve seen of the SD3 recording sessions, I’d record the opera again.

I recorded opera every year for 7/8 years - but 3 days in a row only.
2 or 3 shows a day and was always a condensed 1hr version for kids. Condensed but with a real orchestra (a smaller one) in a big theater and everything else.

I did it as a teacher for an audio school, I helped the youngster to design the whole recording setup and then with live mixing in the OBVan (with video students recording their part, directors and camera man doing their work live too)

I actually enjoyed those sessions a lot because kids came to the show well prepared by their schools and had two or 3 sing along moments. Imagine 1000 kids singing an aria like it was a rock concert. I have amazing memories of those moments.

I also took my share of after lunch naps in the dark of the backstage once the setup was up and running.

 

[DISTORT6]

Looking forward to the "solving the singer problem" thread.
Might need its own forum.

 

[molul]

Looking forward to the "solving the singer problem" thread.
Might need its own forum.

It could include "solving the 'none of your current bandmates sign remotely well and your songs sound worse without the original harmonies' problem" XD

God bless Boss for the VE-500.

 

[Chocol8]

none of your current bandmates sign remotely well

If you are playing for a deaf audience, hire a professional interpreter.

 

[Orvillain]

A bit off topic, about 10 years ago I recorded two entire drums sample libraries for a brand new e-drums kit.
They were the most boring recording sessions of my life.

Oh which kit was that??

They are indeed extremely boring and tiring sessions.

I've done many sessions like that; drums, pianos, guitars, basses, cellos, many more. I think one of the funnest sessions I did was a waterphone, and that was because it was a very creative session with lots of experimentation.

 

[JiveTurkey]

View attachment 48255

Odd bit of serendipity with both of these things; the Synsonics was my first drum kit ("Hey; can I have a drum kit for christmas? CANICANICANICANICANI?!?!?") then to see it on christmas morn

Wife and I saw Kraftwerk in Chicago here earlier this year and they were

 

[DrewJD82]

Not exactly a live setting, but due to this thread I started watching vids on the latest edrums offerings and I have to say I'm quite impressed by the latest hi-end roland, it seems they fixed a lot of issues on playability and sound variance of the previous generations.

But the price is quite impressive too (10000€ on Thomann)

They sound great, but without hearing it in the context of a live setting with other instruments being played live this is as good as any other e-drum demo that won’t display it’s limitations.

 

[metropolis_4]

In all honesty, if I was in a situation where I had to play electric drums I would just pick up one of these:

The last time I had to play electric drums I used one of these:

I wouldn’t bother with something trying to replicate the size of an acoustic kit

 

[spawnofthesith]

I like a drummer that has a pad in addition to their acoustic kit for cool and heady sounds

 

[JiveTurkey]

I like a drummer that has a pad in addition to their acoustic kit for cool and heady sounds

Whip cracks and breaking glass!

 

[EOengineer]

Bass drops FTW!

 

[deathbyguitar]

In all honesty, if I was in a situation where I had to play electric drums I would just pick up one of these:

This is what I've been using live for a few years now. Except with 2 Roalnd KT-10 kick pedals, and sometimes an external kick and hi-hat depending on how much stuff I feel like bringing. The sounds are dated as hell but it makes an excellent MIDI controller for SD3.

 

[molul]

In all honesty, if I was in a situation where I had to play electric drums I would just pick up one of these:

Amen to that! I've been close to getting one several times in the last years. But other gear shows up when I'm about to pull the trigger xD