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

[Orvillain]

Then it apparently sucks to be you. Advocating the use of edrums as some kind of ideal solution is completely nonviable for all the reasons enumerated by others in this thread.

And this is the thing.... my very first post in this thread:

Post in thread 'E-drums: could they be a common thing for small bands gigs?'

Jul 7, 2025

Most of the gigs I've played in my career have been small to medium sized rock clubs and pubs in the UK, with 3-5 band line ups, with shared drums and cabs, and people usually would just bring their breakables.

Now here's how I see it with drums:

- Drummer sits at kit. First thing they wanna do is adjust the hihat clutch. On an acoustic kit, this is a very intuitive and tactile thing. On an electronic kit, this completely fucks any playability that has already been dialed in for the kit.

- Drummers usually want to move stuff around, change the heights of things, switch out cymbals...

• Orvillain

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For all of the faux-offense Mr. Pro Engineer is giving us, he actually hasn't really tackled much of what anyone has said. Not on any meaningful level.

 

[sashimi]

.... and when he ignores you .... or better yet, tells you to f-off?

And if you are mixing a gig with one that doesn't? What do you do?

I’m guessing this is when you start the lecture on the superiority of e drums? Do you keep a set in the trunk just for these situations? How many drummers have you converted to e drummers at sound check?

 

[paisleywookiee]

Agree to disagree.

That's too bad, but we all see things differently I guess. I quite like the majority of people here, and even when I get flat out angry with people sometimes, I usually come around to at least seeing their perspective, differences in personality, etc. But to each their own.

 

[Jarick]

I saw Garbage yesterday and Butch Vig was play a Roland V-Drum set. Sounded just fine to me and worked well for their music. Might have been the first time I've seen a drummer on a full electronic kit in a bigger name band.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I saw Garbage yesterday and Butch Vig was play a Roland V-Drum set. Sounded just fine to me and worked well for their music. Might have been the first time I've seen a drummer on a full electronic kit in a bigger name band.

Butch Vig also likely has the budget to get a damn good kit too. The cost to quality ratio is much more steep with eKits, than acoustic, IMO.

 

[Jarick]

Butch Vig also likely has the budget to get a damn good kit too. The cost to quality ratio is much more steep with eKits, than acoustic, IMO.

He had the high end V-Drums that looked like real drums, with the rubber cymbals and some extra pads. If you weren't a drummer you wouldn't notice. Even back in the 90's he wore noise blocking headphones and had loops going on and all that.

 

[paisleywookiee]

He had the high end V-Drums that looked like real drums, with the rubber cymbals and some extra pads. If you weren't a drummer you wouldn't notice. Even back in the 90's he wore noise blocking headphones and had loops going on and all that.

Yeah, would love to get my drummer’s mitts on those. But damn, expensive AF.

 

[DrewJD82]

I saw Garbage yesterday and Butch Vig was play a Roland V-Drum set. Sounded just fine to me and worked well for their music. Might have been the first time I've seen a drummer on a full electronic kit in a bigger name band.

The reason they work well for Garbage’s music is because they’re not in any way trying to recreate an acoustic kit and are laying into the electronic aspect of them, in which case is absolutely perfect for their music.





In their case, it’d be silly to use anything but an e-kit unless they wanted to do the ‘our live show is more rocked out’ thing.

Man, I had the biggest crush on Shirley Manson back in the day.

 

[Jarick]

The reason they work well for Garbage’s music is because they’re not in any way trying to recreate an acoustic kit and are laying into the electronic aspect of them, in which case is absolutely perfect for their music.





In their case, it’d be silly to use anything but an e-kit unless they wanted to do the ‘our live show is more rocked out’ thing.

Man, I had the biggest crush on Shirley Manson back in the day.

Oh yeah 100%. They're pretty electronic to begin with and I remember Butch was mixing electronic and acoustic back when they were first coming out.

There was a couple times I wondered if Butch was miming to a real track because he didn't play a couple notes on the ride cymbal that I heard. Maybe that was a loop but it was the same tone as the real thing. But I'm not going to sweat a 69 year old Butch Vig for some reinforcements and everything else he played looked bang on to the track.

I think we all had crushes on Shirley back in the day...I saw them in 1996 or so as a 13-14 year old...my friends and I definitely pushed our way to the front row if you know what I'm saying.

It seems like aging was pretty hard on her mentally, she must have struggled with being defined so much by her beauty and probably had to prove herself way more as a musician and artist. But she seems to be in a pretty good place now and yeah it's impressive to see a nearly 60 year old battling heat stroke and going 100% for the crowd, and the crowd was behind her pretty strong.

Anyways...

 

[paisleywookiee]

Garbage was really into everything high tech. They were one of the first fans of digital modeling.

 

[[Nathan]]

He had the high end V-Drums that looked like real drums, with the rubber cymbals and some extra pads. If you weren't a drummer you wouldn't notice. Even back in the 90's he wore noise blocking headphones and had loops going on and all that.

He is basically the one poster boy for edrums in a touring pop / rock band. Good to hear that it sounded great.

He’d have an easier run using an ekit over your average joe muso. It’s the combo of a drummer wanting that setup, affording the best of the best, having roadies have it all done for them, music lending itself to the pop side of the spectrum.

No one ever said it can’t be done, more that it’s far from the norm, it’s expensive for good kits, a lot of drummers just prefer acoustic kits for the feel, and that no one should be coerced or bullied into playing an ekit if they don’t want to….. and that realistically no rock bands are using ekits live (percentage wise would be in the single digits at best).

Again, not shitting on edrums I love them for recording and practicing. Seeing a band like garbage embrace it and sound great is a cool different experience, but you just can’t deny it’s even remotely close to the norm, it’s the one off anomaly.

 

[OneEng]

No drummer I did sound for ever told me to fuck off. In every case, the drummers I worked with when I did sound knew me - I had previously played gigs on guitar with them - and none of them were prone to playing at abusive volumes. They were all pros and knew how to adapt to different situations (what a concept), and we respected each other. Had I ever encountered uncooperative players in a group I was doing sound for, I'd have wished them luck and walked.

None has ever told me that either; however, several have been unable to moderate to a good level appropriate for the venue to the point where the only solution is to bring the rest of the band volume up around the drums .... which isn't always possible.

There are two possible scenarios:

1. This is someone else’s band you’re mixing.
2. This is the drummer in your band.

If it’s the first, then the consequence is that their band sounds bad in the house, and it’s not your problem. You did your job. If the person paying you complains you can let them know the band refused to work with you and then it’s on them, not you.

If it’s the second, fire that person on the spot and find a real drummer.

#1. Agree, and I tend to just not do that again as it isn't pleasurable for me to listen to a bad mix all night.

#2. I have fired 2 drummers over the years. Both for this reason. For the last 15 ish years, I have had drummers with vDrums so we no longer have this issue.

If the house rules limit sound levels and a drummer with acoustic drums refuses to comply, that’s on them and their band. In today’s world, they will likely not get paid and not get new bookings as their reputation spreads fast.

This isn’t a problem for the sound guy to solve. It’s on the band and the drummer.

Absolutely agree.

in the 7 years I’ve been doing this I’ve yet to see a shred of evidence that intelligence = financial payoff.

Ok, well there we can totally 100% agree. You would think that it did though. The thing I see is that lots of very intelligent people, just don't care that much about getting wealthy. I know a butt ton of very very hard working and very very intelligent engineers and program managers who do OK, but nothing like those guys in finance (who work a fraction of the hours).

The thing is, I think I would be miserable doing finance (although I do way more of it than I would like already). If I had started off in Finance, perhaps I would have become very wealthy, but I don't think I would have enjoyed myself nearly as much.

View attachment 49063

Typically enlightening and providing your standard contribution to the subject.

Again, not shitting on edrums I love them for recording and practicing. Seeing a band like garbage embrace it and sound great is a cool different experience, but you just can’t deny it’s even remotely close to the norm, it’s the one off anomaly.

In my neck of the woods, I would say about every 5th band uses eDrums, but it is growing for sure.

 

[metropolis_4]

#1. Agree, and I tend to just not do that again as it isn't pleasurable for me to listen to a bad mix all night.

#2. I have fired 2 drummers over the years. Both for this reason. For the last 15 ish years, I have had drummers with vDrums so we no longer have this issue.

And for the last 15 ish years, I have had drummers with acoustic drums and I have never had that issue…

If you have a drummer who doesn’t understand dynamics, ignores you, and tells you to f-off I don’t see how the kind of drums they are using matters. They have no business being there no matter what they’re using

 

[spawnofthesith]

And for the last 15 ish years, I have had drummers with acoustic drums and I have never had that issue…

If you have a drummer who doesn’t understand dynamics, ignores you, and tells you to f-off I don’t see how the kind of drums they are using matters. They have no business being there no matter what they’re using

My drummer is a hard hitter, (I’d almost say he’s a Neanderthal, but it turns out from my dads genetic test I’m an elevated Neanderthal myself…)

First time in years of Gigs around town a venue requested lighter hits back in June… shocker he managed to accomadate that

Homeboy either works shitty venues or shitty bands. If he’s to be believe at all about his “work”

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I’m guessing this is when you start the lecture on the superiority of e drums? Do you keep a set in the trunk just for these situations? How many drummers have you converted to e drummers at sound check?

 

[TSJMajesty]

View attachment 49093

Add edrums to religion and politics!

 

[paisleywookiee]

Add edrums to religion and politics!

Yup. My dad used to always say “you don’t talk about religion, politics, edrums or aliasing around friends and family”.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Yup. My dad used to always say “you don’t talk about religion, politics, edrums or aliasing around friends and family”.

Unless you have graphs.

 

[Sascha Franck]

None has ever told me that either; however, several have been unable to moderate to a good level appropriate for the venue to the point where the only solution is to bring the rest of the band volume up around the drums .... which isn't always possible.

There's several possibilities:
- The gig isn't for the band.
- The gig isn't for the drummer.
- The drummer isn't fit for the gig.
- The band isn't fit for the gig.

An e-kit likely wouldn't solve any of these.

And yes, I know that sometimes e-kits can be problem solvers. The things mentioned above would still be valid.