They are a series of durable pads and cymbals attached to a sturdy frame that when struck will play that sound back in headphones or via an amplifier. However, due to the wire connections, the hi-hats will not actually move anywhere, this is the same for most affordable electric drum sets in today's market. Your e-kit module should also feature an auxiliary input for connecting a smartphone or music player, enabling you to jam with your favourite music. Both the technology and striking visuals across their range has made EFnote a brand to watch, and despite being one of their cheaper kits, we think the 3X is just fantastic. Not only did we find the mesh heads near enough replicated real drum heads, but they’re also tensionable with a drum key, meaning we were able to personalise the feel and stick response to our liking.

Digital hats have never felt more realistic or responsive and the TD-50K2 is the most affordable kit to include them as standard.Place your kit either in a central room, or against an internal wall - that way the sound is more likely to be contained within your home. The Alesis Nitro Max is another budget-friendly all-mesh kit, that boasts a sleek new module that features 32 drum kits from BFD, the leading drum sample library for Mac or PC. While we still love this kit and you can't go wrong if you're in the market for a budget kit with great sounds, the 402 series is feeling (and looking) a little tired now, particularly since the launch of the new DTX6 series. A good pair of drumming headphones, regardless of if they are designed for studio or consumer use, should have the following characteristics. Acoustic drum giants Pearl and GEWA have also thrown their e-kit making hats into the ring, with Pearl pushing their e/Merge range of e-kits in collaboration with Korg.

There are certainly many studio headphones and consumer level headphones that can fit that bill, and even some wired earbuds.As long as you’ve got no volume limits, an acoustic drum set wins over a speaker for us, every time. Thirdly, attach the sound module and connect each pads wires to the module itself and activate, plug in some headphones and begin practising. Trusting you can’t just make as much noise as you want with an acoustic set, an e-kit is as close to the real thing as you’ll get while keeping your neighbours or family happy. The DTX-PRO module also enables you to quickly add or edit the ambience, compression or effects which are influencing your drum tones - giving you ultimate tweaking power over many aspects of your sound. It is possible to keep your e-drums clean without damaging them by using some specific products, tools and methods.

Almost all drum modules will offer some sort of metronome, plus other training tools and a selection of pre-recorded backing tracks. It’s still not a massively common occurrence, but increasingly drummers are using full e-kit setups for their live shows. We love how much sound editing capability there is at your fingertips while the on-board sounds, although quite limited, are fantastic and almost 100% usable out of the box. We’d personally recommend getting something with a ‘proper’ bass drum pedal and pad as opposed to a standalone controller pedal, such as the Alesis Nitro Mesh. Many drummers want to practice at home, but are restricted by how much noise they can make and when, making an acoustic kit a no-go.By using headphones, drummers can practice without disturbing others, making them ideal for those living in apartments or close proximity to neighbours. Thankfully, Roland hasn't failed to deliver with the endlessly customisable TD-50K2 kit and 50X module.

With genres ranging from Funk to Pop and Gospel to Rock, each kit was chosen for its versatility, ensuring you have an authentic drum sound to suit any occasion. While the pads on this e-kit aren't exactly life-sized, we found their relative sizes made playing the DTX10K-X feel particularly familiar. Unlike acoustic drums, electronic drum sets produce little to no noise, making them ideal for practising at home without disturbing others. Ultimately, electronic drum kits provide a versatile and customizable playing experience that's well-suited for drummers of all skill levels and musical genres.We’d expect nothing less from a Roland flagship, which takes cues from companies such as Pearl, Alesis and ATV by housing electronic pads in full drum shells. All our advice comes from experts who have played, owned, reviewed and even sold kits over many years between them.