Why Edrums?
So glad you asked! The choice to play for electronic drums is one that comes up often for many reasons. Some are more obvious like controlling the volume and others are more buried like the ability to record via MIDI and email a studio or a friend your tracks. Roland wrote a great Blog Post about this several years ago which you can read here which hits all the benefits of electronic drums that we could think of. Having sold edrums for over 20 years I know most of the objections of people to considering electronic drums so I'll go ahead and try address each of the most common objections.
- They don't sound as good as real drums. I hear this all the time, even from musician friends of mine. Some of this is based off very old experiences with electronic drums. Yes early attempts to replicate usable acoustic drum sounds were not very successful. You can say this about any technology though. Cell phones, personal computers, and video games have all improved considerably since their early forms. Electronic drums are no different. Roland and Yamaha have been making Edrums for over 20 years and I have seen the improvement in dynamics, sound quality, ease of use, feel, looks, hardware quality, reliability from both companies. There are some newer players in the industry but I have found that these two companies not only make a great product but stand behind their work. So if you have not seen what Edrums are like these days browse around our site and check them out.
- They don't look good on stage. This really shouldn't matter but of course it kind of does. It's also not true. Some of the kits of the last five years or so have really stepped this up. Kits like the TD-20SX and TD-30KV has drums that look almost acoustic and the rack is basically the same kind of rack you would get for an acoustic kit. The cymbals from a distance would not be noticed as electronic cymbals either and as soon as a good drummer plays one of these kits through an awesome sound system nobody cares what they look like.
- Edrums don't have any dynamics. This was true for a long time. Its still true for some of the newer brands of Edrums. Not every product is created equal and you shouldn't expect a brand known for cheap products to make something that will rival a top of the line product from a company known for making quality products. Roland seems to be at the forefront in this regard with everyone else trying to get up to the same level.
- If I practice or learn on Edrums I won't be as good of a drummer. This is just silly. Practicing rudiments on anything will make you a better drummer. Will you have to make some adjustments when switching back and forth from acoustic or electronic drums? Yes probably so. You cannot deny the fact that you can practice a LOT more with electronic drums though, and the more you practice anything the better you get at it.
Feel free to contact us to talk about any of this. We love talking and playing edrums. Convinced you need a kit but don't know where to start? Send us a message and we'll contact you with recommendations.