Your Electronic Drum Guide

An Electronic Drum Kit is More Realistic
and Fun Than Ever Before!

The "synthetic" electronic drum sounds of the 1980's are long gone. And so are the funky pads that didn't replicate an acoustic drum feel very well. Today's electronic kits are cutting edge in design, feel, and sound.

No matter what your budget is or what style of electric kit you may be considering, there is an electronic drum set available that will surely excite you. The goal of Drumjunction.com is to expose the many facets of electronic drums available today.

Are you familiar with how the electronic sounds are made? What about the types materials used for heads and cymbals? Were you aware that you can convert an acoustic set into an electronic one? You'll learn about these topics an more as you explore the electronic drum pages.

Electronic Drum Sets

There are four electronic drum companies that dominate the market today. Each offer a range of models and prices to cover everyone from the hobbyist to the touring professional. So whether you're just browsing or giving serious thought to buying an electric drum kit, you should check what each company has to offer.

WHY? Because there is nothing worse than buying a product that you think is IT, and then learning that something better was just around that corner. It pays to research and know what's out there. With that said, click on the following electronic drum companies to learn more about each one.

Roland		Pintech
	Yamaha		Hart Dynamics

Before you get tunnel vision and rush out to buy a kit from one of the companies above, I would like to introduce you to a custom electronic drum company that has the most realistic feeling electronic kits around (using real drum heads and metal cymbals). The company is called RET Percussion, and you'll be glad you checked them out.

Electronic Cymbals

Just like the electronic drum line-up, electronic cymbals come in a variety of styles. Most companies strive to duplicate the look and feel of metal acoustic cymbals. Although this has not been an easy task, several models do a nice job.

Creating an electronic hi hat that sounds and performs like an acoustic one seemed to be out of reach until the last few years. Roland, Yamaha, and Pintech have each created unique devices that do an excellent job of helping an acoustic drummer feel right at home.

For crash and ride cymbals, a monotone sound was simple enough to duplicate, BUT the variable tones you get out of a metal cymbal is another story altogether. How is this copied in the electronic realm? The only way to find out is to head over to the article on Electronic Cymbals.

Electronic Drum Module

electronic drum module No Brain, No Life. At least with respect to intelligence. The drum modules you'll find today are like computers with amazing features and the power to create unlimited drum kits.

As we all know, acoustic drum kits create their sound through physical parts of the drums, such as the head, shell, and air pressure within the drum, but electronic drums are virtually silent. Electrical sensors pick up energy produced by the stick attack and transmits it to the drum module for processin.

And that's when the magic REALLY starts!

You have hundreds of voices to choose from for each part of the drum set. Because of this, acoustic drummers are at a disadvantage because they are limited to intrument choices.

Imagine playing one song that has a rock groove and then following up with a song that has a totally different sound - maybe an African or Carribean groove. At the push of a buttom you can change the sound of your entire kit to one that was pre-programmed.

There are many factory programmed kits on modules to choose from OR you can mix and match to create your own unique sound. Let those creative juices flow.

Whether your looking to purchase an entire electronic drum set or considering the addition of a couple electronic pieces for your acoustic kit, you MUST HAVE a drum module. The make your search easier, DrumJunction.com has compiled a discussion and table of the current popular modules. You can head over to the Drum Module Page Here.

Drum Trigger

You may already be familiar with how an electronic kit works, but are you aware of the many applications of the drum tigger? Would you believe that you can turn a block of wood into an electronic drum? OR cymbal for that matter? Yep.

In addition, did you know that you can convert an acoustic drum set into an electronic one for a temporary or even permanent basis? This is easily done with the right parts and drum triggers.

Everyone is looking to save a few bucks, and many drummers are hesitant to fork over a wad of $$, especially if they're not even sure if they'll like to play an electronic kit. If you're knowledgable about drum triggers, you can make a "Home-Built" kit.

For a crash course on this handy device and the many ways to use it, visit the Drum Triggers Page.

Drum Monitor System

What IS a drum monitor system by the way? Roland and Yamaha have created systems that are designed specific to electronic drum kits. BUT in all honesty, a drum monitor system can be any type of listening device that allows you to hear what's coming out of the drum module. This includes grandma's clock radio if you can figure out a way to hook it up!

There are many drum monitor systems to pick from. Each have their own special traits. The first one to consider is a good set of headphones. After all, the biggest appeal of electronic drums is that they can be played in virtual silence.

Next you'll want to look for a system that place at a nice moderate volume, at least equivalent to the level of an acoustic set. No need to knock pictures off the wall in your house!

This is where component systems like Yamaha's and Roland's come into play. You can also determine whether you want a passive monitor system which uses an external amplifier, or a monitor that has an external amp.

The final consideration is how you will project sounds in a live setting. There are several great monitors out there for this task also. Details on these and other ways to hear (or feel) an electronic kit are covered on the Drum Monitors Page.

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drum monitor system for live performances