This fun-packed electronic drum kit could inspire a future Dave Grohl, Launch price: $59/£45/€52 | Pads: 2x pads, 2x cymbals, 1x bass drum pedal | Connections: phones, aux-in. There is a coach mode which grades you on how well you play along with different time signatures, as well as 30 playalong tracks and a metronome. Just starting out? It features Roland's dual-ply mesh heads on the snare and tom pads, a stand-alone bass drum pad and pristine, studio-quality sounds that are customisable. Yamaha’s DTX402 series is perfect for beginners. The module is loaded with 35 kits, spanning 336 sounds, which will give budding producers a lot to play around with (for some real fun, have a look at the ‘Nails’ and ‘Chinese Dawn’ settings). Pads can be played with either sticks or hands and there isn’t any noticeable interference of cross talk when playing multiple pads at once. Roland also includes 40 free interactive lessons via Melodics to keep you progressing. The Alesis Nitro Mesh is also class compliant, which makes laptop connectivity very easy, so it could easily fit into a home-studio setup. With USB connectivity, any budding drummer who is interested in producing hip-hop, lo-fi or electronic music can record into a laptop and get creative. If you're just starting to play, a beginner electronic drum set is a great tool to help develop the fundamental skills in technique and timing that will form the bedrock of your future playing. It’s unlikely you’ll use one of the best beginner electronic drum sets featured here in a live environment, but for home practice, there’s no better – or quieter – alternative than an e-kit. With drumsticks and a drum key thrown in, a high build quality and a very fair price, there’s nothing to complain about here. So a beginner electronic drum kit might also be a great idea for anyone looking to fuse their acoustic kit with electronic elements. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. The icing on the cake is that the Alesis Compact Kit can be powered by 6 C class batteries, making it a truly portable machine. For the money, this kit offers everything a prospective drummer needs, along with mesh heads for a more realistic playing experience (as well as quieter delivery of stick-to-head). It’s a tough contest overall, but right now we’d point you to the Alesis Nitro Mesh as the best beginner electronic drum set. The cheapest mesh kit from the experts in electronic drums, Launch price: $699/£615/€709 | Pads: 4x mesh tom/snare pads, 1x rubber bass drum pad, 3x cymbals | Kits: 15 | Kick pedal: Real (but not included) | Ideal for: Recording beats, exploring sounds. If space is an issue, you may want to consider a compact desktop drum kit rather than a full-size kit. That doesn’t make it any less of a viable electronic drum set for kids, though. Shy beginners need not worry about being overheard and – providing housemates don’t mind the ambient noise – it’s much easier to practice late into the night. The drum module. If you'd rather get straight to the products, take a look below. Most beginner’s electronic drum kits will be easy to set up and take up a relatively small footprint. Pads are responsive enough that most techniques can be played on them. Roland's Rhythm Coach feature is included on the module, along with a metronome and 15 jam tracks. The best beginner electronic drum set – the perfect blend of versatility, usability and price, Launch price: $379/£339/€390 | Pads: 3x mesh toms, 1 dual-zone mesh snare, 1x bass drum tower, 1x integrated hi-hat pedal, 3x cymbals (including 1 dual-zone crash) | Kits: 40 | Kick pedal: Real | Ideal for: Solo practice, recording beats, rehearsing with others. For the uninitiated, a starter electronic drum set consist of a series of rubber trigger pads, representing tom toms, snare drum, cymbals and bass drum. Multiple adjustment points mean pads can be positioned for playing comfort and the sturdy rack folds neatly when practice is over. The best Roland electronic drum kits; Alesis Nitro Mesh kit vs Yamaha DTX402K vs Roland TD-1K: which is best? The included crash and ride pads are dual-zone and chokable, making for an even more realistic feel. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, There’s loads to occupy kids with the Drum and Beats Kit: they can record their playing, learn basic rhythms and timekeeping and play along to upbeat backing tracks. They are made from either rubber or mesh and are designed to sound and feel like acoustic drums. This is also where you adjust the volume and plug in the most important accessory of a beginner’s electronic drum kit: headphones! This kit includes four single-zone rubber pads for toms and snare, choke-able dual-zone crash and ride cymbal pads, and a hi-hat pad. After decades of evolution, the modern e-kit has a few different uses. Knowledge Base. The Alesis Turbo Mesh is perfect for beginners. They are generally user-friendly, with buttons to toggle between kits and activate programmes, songs and the metronome. The T-frame is compact and has a cool, spacey vibe to it. You will receive a verification email shortly. Kickstart their drumming journey without breaking the bank, Launch price: $168/£128/€148 | Pads: 7x rubber toms/snare/cymbal pads, 2x controller pedals | Kits: 45 | Sounds: 265 | Connections: USB MIDI, phones, aux-in. The module houses 40 drum kits, 385 sounds and 16 slots for customised, user-created kits (meaning you can piece together a kit of your preference from the existing sounds). It doesn’t have a dual-zone snare or crash and the kick pedal is electronic – which is not ideal – but the low price point speaks for itself. TourTech has recently emerged as one of the key players when it comes to well-built, affordable entry-level and mid-range electronic drum sets, designed to last far beyond the first few drum lessons. Players can add other components to their kit such as cow bells, rotatoms, temple blocks and several different types of cymbals, like sizzle, swish and crash/ride cymbals. All in all this is a simple, high quality kit which is incredibly user-friendly, albeit lacking in customisation options. Price (pictured model): $999/£923/€1049 | Configuration: 4x mesh toms/snare, 1x bass drum pad, 1x integrated hi-hat pedal, 2x cymbals, 1x hi-hat pad | Kits: 50 | Sounds: 143 | Connections: CD/MP3 aux input, USB MIDI/audio, Bluetooth, stereo line/headphone outputs. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. In some cases, the electronic drum set could even be used as a MIDI controller, for use with DAW software. GOAT hunt: Who is the greatest pre-1980 drummer? The Digital Drums 400 electronic drum set is sold exclusively by online retailer Gear4Music, who know a thing or two about quality budget music gear. macOS 10.15 Catalina Support for Alesis. The best beginner electronic drum set for small spaces, Launch price: $537/£409/€475 | Pads: 4x rubber tom/snare pads, 3x rubber cymbals | Kits: 15 | Kick pedal: Electronic | Ideal for: Small spaces, electronic music production, general practice. Help your child learn to play the drums with these top entry-level electronic drum sets and drum pads. The Nitro Mesh Kit is a complete eight-piece electronic drum set featuring Alesis' next-generation mesh head drum technology - The unanimous preference of electronic drummers for their natural feel and ultra-quiet response, ideal for late night practice sessions and privately honing your drum skills. If they have a favourite song it’s easy to connect a phone or mp3 player and jam along via built-in speakers or through headphones. Learning the drums is majorly gratifying, particularly for kids and learner drummers. All in all, the easy DAW connectivity and playable nature of this kit make it a great choice, especially for those looking for a kit to use as a MIDI controller. The SD600 features all-mesh heads which feel great, although they will need a little tuning to get the perfect tension. The Alesis Nitro Mesh now sits atop the throne as the perfect introductory kit. The unit comes with a pair of sticks too, so it's ready to rock right from the box. There are only 10 kits on-board the module, but there’s enough variety to cover most popular genres and 30 built-in backing tracks are great to jam with. There are plenty of percussion sound offerings too and pads can be played with hands so there’s fun to be had by the whole family. While it won’t feel like a full kit, the position of the eight rubber pads introduces new players to the layout of a drum set, while two supplied pedals take care of bass drum and hi-hat control. $1,850. On-board coaching functions provide exercises and challenges to help boost time keeping and other essential drumming skills, while USB connectivity makes it easy to link the DM Lite with a computer for recording or triggering virtual instruments. You’ll probably be looking for phone/laptop compatibility, too. The TD-1K features standalone bass drum and hi-hat pedals so they can be positioned where it feels most comfortable. The module delivers 30 kits (20 preset, 10 user-defined) giving drummers plenty of sound options. From their original MIDIverb and HR-16 drum machines to today's recording products for iPod, Alesis provides products that have found homes in world-class recording facilities and project studios alike. There are three kits in the 402 line-up, but the 402K is the cheapest in the range and offers plenty to help newbies master their first beats and develop their playing. The TD-1K might cost a little more than others featured here, but with Roland products you pay for decades of experience and R&D which translates to reliable products with pedigree. Pads are mounted to a rack, along with bass drum and hi-hat pedals on the floor. As with the Nitro Mesh, this kit comes with mesh heads, a drum key and a pair of sticks. Launch price: $299/£279/€299 | Pads: 4x mesh tom/snare pads, 3x cymbals | Kits: 15 | Kick pedal: Electronic | Ideal for: Learning the ropes, trying out the drums, having fun. However, they may quickly want to progress to a full-size e-kit so could prove to be a false economy. Most beginner e-kits will use a pad for the kick drum, along with an actual bass drum pedal – meaning there is a ‘kick’ motion happening. An upgrade on the 402K, with kick tower and real bass drum pedal, Launch price: $599/£456/€509 | Pads: 4x rubber toms/snare, 3x cymbals, 1x bass drum tower w/pedal, 1 x integrated hi-hat controller pedal | Kits: 10 | Kick pedal: Electronic | Ideal for: Solo practicing, learning skills behind the kit, building confidence. Finally, with musical genres being more fluid now than ever before, some drummers will opt to include parts of an electronic kit in their live set up, resulting in a ‘hybrid’ kit. Therefore an electronic kit might be favourable to beginners interested in developing these styles of music. There was a problem. The module is simple and easy to use, featuring 10 drum kits and 120 sounds. There are two options to power the device: micro USB or 2x AAA batteries. The kit comprises two plastic drum pads, two cymbals and a bass drum that lights up when struck for added fun-factor. A boon at this level, pad sensitivity and crosstalk can also be tweaked to the drummer's liking. Please refresh the page and try again. Giving you the best value, Alesis provides high-quality yet low-cost pro audio and recording equipment. Nitro music equipment pdf manual download. Take a look at our comparison of the Alesis Nitro Mesh, Yamaha DTX402K and Roland TD-1K if you don't believe us – they're all worthy of the best beginner electronic drum set title. © The kit is sturdy and feels great to play, with the double mesh heads doing an excellent job of replicating an acoustic kit. Using a real pedal will help beginners progress more smoothly to an acoustic kit, as the response and feel will be more ingrained into their playing style. Now let's take a look at the top pick of electronic drum sets for kids from big names likes Yamaha, Roland, Alesis and beyond. The DTX402 is also compatible with Yamaha’s free DTX402 Touch app (iOS/Android), which enables deeper kit customisation, additional playing challenges and rewards as players progress. Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit Electronic Drum Kit, 8-Piece. For starters, drummers have the choice of 10 pre-configured kits, or they can program their own custom setups using the 108 on-board sounds. The Drum and Beats Kit is aimed at kids aged three and above. Features include play-along tracks, precision tests (where a score is given, based on how accurate your performance and timing is), the ability to record yourself and assess your performance and, of course, the all important metronome for working on your ability to stay in time. The dual-zone snare and cymbals allow for some more intricate playing and the exploration of dynamic range, which is nice. At the heart of the kit is a stylish, simple to navigate module that delivers loads of features that belie the price (the DD400 is the cheapest full-size e-kit on this list). The Yamaha DTX432K takes the 402K and adds a kick drum tower and a real bass drum pedal, as well as the more expressive, HH65 hi-hat controller. Offering the same layout of strikeable pads as the Alesis, plus hi-hat and bass drum pedals, the desktop Cahaya can be rolled up neatly in between practice sessions and takes up practically no space when stowed. The mesh heads offer a far more realistic playing experience than traditional rubber pads, and are quieter to the touch. First and foremost, it’s a tool to develop drumming skills. If you’ve decided that a beginner electronic drum set is the way forward, you’ll be looking for something that offers a great sound library, realistic expression and helpful learning tools. Alongside this are 10 training tools including Fast Blast, Pad Gate, Rhythm Gate and recording functions. There are 60 play-along backing tracks, a metronome, a sequencer and a performance recorder. The TD-1K offers 15 kits spanning traditional acoustic, electronic and percussive; all of which sound great. With your bespoke kit loaded, drummers are free to practice rudiments, jam along to music on their smart device via the aux input, or explore the module’s exhaustive training tools, including 40 drum patterns to learn and play along with. Bath You will receive a verification email shortly. All mesh heads feel great, the drum sounds will definitely suffice and the coaching modes are helpful. The module is the computer that holds all of the information. The 25 best VST/AU plugin synths in the world right now: all the best soft synths you need in your DAW, The best DAWs 2021: the best digital audio workstations for PC and Mac, Finally, someone’s built a set of working vinyl DJ decks out of Lego, Google launches spectacular free online electronic music exhibition, featuring playable AR vintage synths, Native Instruments and iZotope come together to create “an unprecedented alliance to shape the future of music making and audio production”, Free Ableton Live webinars announced: find out how to make music with Live and Push 2. Drum Module. The Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit drum module offers 40 drum kits right out of the box, covering classic acoustic favorites, modern electronic beat machines, exotic percussion rigs, and more. If you'd like to read more in-depth buying advice from our experts, hit the link in the navigation bar above. Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. Manuals. The lightweight aluminium tubing of the adjustable rack makes the kit a breeze to set up and move into place. The rubber pads feel high quality and responsive, albeit a little stiff in comparison to mesh alternatives. There’s plenty of fun to be had with the Drum and Beats Kit and it could be the spark that starts a future rock star on their journey towards a full-sized electric or acoustic drum set. On board the sleek module are 15 preset kits of reasonable quality, covering everything from standard acoustic kits, to electronic and percussion set-ups, Roland's Rhythm Coach feature to help beginners boost their playing skills, a metronome and 15 jam tracks. A great looking electronic drum kit for kids that grows with the drummer, Launch price: $300/£229/€266 | Pads: 4x rubber toms/snare, 3x cymbals, 1x beaterless bass drum pedal, 1 x integrated hi-hat controller pedal | Kits: 10 | Sounds: 200+ | Connections: 1/4" main left and right outputs, 1/8" stereo headphone output, 1/8" aux input, USB MIDI port.