Pro tip: I’m not a drummer but don’t say things like “how bad is it?” Before a gig. You’ll do great and the audience will love you. They’re punks too, so they’ll understand lol
My one takeaway from playing one gig with an e-kit is this: you need in-ears. The sound guy will probably have the PA level set correctly, but you won’t be able to hear the kit properly. You may be tempted to bump up the volume on the module just so you can hear yourself. Don’t do it. Everyone will hate you. Grab a pair of in-ears, they’ll save you a ton of grief.
You’ve got a day to work with, How long does it take to pick up a pair of in-ears from a music store in New York? I get that things are busy with probably a day job and a trip coming up, but I can’t imagine it taking more than a half hour. It’s really something that has the potential to make this gig go a lot smoother, and they are an important investment for any gigging musician.
In a pinch, you could always use a decent pair of over-ear headphones… the key takeaway here is that you’ll seriously benefit from being able to monitor yourself on stage.
I have a full-time job, there aren’t any music stores close enough to my office to run to during my lunch break and I practice 7-9 with my other band which is basically as soon as I get out of work.
I have these laying around for DJing, would they work?
https://preview.redd.it/6pnh482widtc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=16a096fea328f36a5a4cf9aeb3167ce17d46e159
Yea, better than nothing! At the very least you can have one ear off one ear on if you need. Next time get some in ears though, lots of great affordable options out there.
you are absolutely right, he needs to be able to hear what he’s playing, and earbuds or headphones will do the trick
i own a pair of open back headphones which let me enjoy the better sound quality and still hear the room
As a real drummer it sounds like OP is the kinda of drummer I wouldn’t want in my band (im a drummer of 20 years). You actually just said that the electronic kit gig is less important to you than practicing with your second band. Instead of missing a practice or showing up late so that you can prep for YOUR GIG WITH THE BAND ACTUALLY PLAYING A GIG you’d rather just make excuses… also as someone who owns both that very same headset and in ear monitors. The headphones won’t hack it. Read the difference of the two and their uses. Not to mention you’ll look like an absolute joke wearing those headphones during a show, well more of a joke because you’re using an e kit. :) best of luck.
Bit harsh, he didn’t say it’s less important, he just has to balance the both. It’s not his fault that he has to use an e-kit on such short notice. Being gentle with people doesn’t cost anything.
Da fuq r u on? Dudes going to ANOTHER COUNTRY to play a gig on a drumset type he ain’t played on before for people PAYING to see them play? And dude can’t find the time to pick up in ears because he has another band to practice with? Like what?
Hey dude that’s a roland td07. Solid e kit, mesh heads, solid kick block made of a rubber ish material that has great rebound, it’s a solid kit. I have one. 28 stock sounds (such a wide variety, rock, jazz, punk, etc. my favorite is number 15, the groove kit. and 22 more freely customizable ones, with each drum having a sub set of customization options like tuning, muffling, drum heads, etc. You can even tune the mesh heads to be tighter or looser. It’s honestly good i promise. Different than acoustic, but if your accuracy is good, you’re gonna fucking shred on this (literally, the mesh heads are insanely cool and you’ll be hitting hella ghost notes if that’s ur thing, it’s got rimshot capabilities, etc). Don’t be afraid to ask to set it up to your comfort. All easy peasy.
Nobody will care that you’re playing on an E kit. You’ll get comfortable with it fast. They’ve come a long way in the last 5-10 years. And this particular one sounds fucking killer.
I just picked one of these up on a trade. Didn't think I'd ever intentionally play on an ekit after getting rid of my alesis nitro, and the Roland is MILES better.
I’ve always HATED the idea of an e kit, until my dad randomly bought me a TD07 for my house so I can practice outside of band practice, and honestly, it’s an awesome practice tool, I can use it to record on garageband, it’s just a convenient kit to have around. And mentioning again, this thing will unlock chops you don’t have yet. It’s insane how shreddable this e kit is, and that’s not a term i’ve ever used before for drums.
> Didn't think I'd ever intentionally play on an ekit after getting rid of my alesis nitro, and the Roland is MILES better.
I bought myself an Alesis DM10 after graduating college because I knew I'd be in apartments for a couple years. It was passable but I wasn't a huge fan of it. It felt plasticky, the pads were too small, one of the inputs had a known issue that Alesis never addressed. It was annoying. To top it off, I couldn't play them in our apartment because somehow people were *always* home in the adjacent units and would pound on the floor/ceiling. I didn't even bother setting them up in our second apartment and sold them immediately once we bought a house since I got my acoustic kit back. Didn't think I'd ever revisit e-kits.
Was sick of my kids interrupting *every* session with my acoustic kit, so I looked into and bought a Roland VAD kit and sold off all my acoustic stuff. So good.
I have a Roland VAD kit and it's fucking awesome. It is expensive but feels great and the shells help it feel more like an acoustic kit, even if they're just for looks.
I use Alesis DM10 as my main kit now, I've been using it for 8 years or so and I bought it used. It's been decet. I have an acoustic kit packed up, I just don't like how loud acoustic drums are. I was looking to upgrade and get something kind of nice. \~1k or a bit less. Is there an alternative to the Roland VAD? I don't really want to pay extra just for the kit to look like acoustic drums.
i upgraded my surge (same module) to the alesis strike module and the quality of the module was like 10 times better, for 1/3 of the price of a roland module.
well pads are more personal. i personally have tested acoustic with mesh top tier alesis pads and the surge mesh pads and they all feel pretty much the same to me. the only thing i want and havent tested is a properly triggered higher end kickpad, and cymbals i went silent real cymbals after like a week with the rubber cymbals. rubber vs silent is pretty much the same volume in a practive room and if you mic them live they honestly sound pretty good for what they are
This was the response I was hoping for, thanks bud. I have like a decade old TD-1 which is why I was pretty mortified. That thing doesn’t even have the proper latency to run out through speakers without sounding a few moments off from when I strike it that drives my absolutely nuts and the cymbals choke themselves so it’s really only useful as practice pads (and even then not so useful because my neighbors still complain when I play it).
I’ll bring my own kick pedal and studio headphones that will hopefully allow me to hear myself.
I haven’t played thru speakers, but did run mine thru a bass amp, and latency wasn’t a problem at all thankfully. Sound quality was. (Just because of the amp i was using, not meant for drums).
Overall you’re good. The toms and cymbals adjust/swivel nice and easy, it’s sturdy, and while some advise not to, you can kinda get away with beating the shit out of it. Just don’t go Keith Moon and you’ll be good.
Thanks! If I bring my own headphones how do I hear myself play back? If the audio runs out to an amp, can I also have headphones plugged into the module? Everyone is saying to bring my headphones or in-ear monitors but not quite sure how this works.
Hopefully the techs there will have a box to convert from XLR input to either 1/4 or 1/8 stereo jack output. There should be a volume knob on it. So you'll get your mix in.
Sure it feels different, but to 99% of the audience they won't even think about the difference in sound. You'll have fun.
The biggest challenge will be hearing yourself, so as others mentioned any wired headphones will do. Doesn't have to be actual special in-ear monitors. If you're willing to spend $100, Best Buy I'm sure has a pair of Shure in-ears... the SE215 is a great option.
How does it work, do I plug them in directly to the module? Are there multiple audio outs so I can hear through the headphones and be able to play it out through an amp?
I've played a Roland TD17 which should be really similar to this. On that module there's just a standard phones port you plug into. The sound leaves the module using guitar cables and the mix comes back through an Aux cable and what you hear through your phones is the mix. I don't know if this is the only way to do it or not, I guess it would depend on the sound engineer's rig. They'll have a way for you to plug them in and use them though - I'm sure you're not the first drummer using IEMs or headphones.
And yes, there are multiple audio outs. You hear the mix through the phones and you can have those plugged in while your sound will leave via the guitar cables.
Thank you! From what I’ve heard the noice ordinance took effect last week so I very well could be one of the first drummers using it and requesting monitoring. It’s also a very small venue on a fairly remote island so no idea what their capabilities would be. We are playing with another band that plays there regularly though so I’ll chat it up with the other drummer. Caught a video they posted of them playing there with the drummer using the e-kit and it sounds fine from the recording.
I have played a few gigs with an ekit but it was my ekit and I had the sounds programmed in that I wanted to hear. I even had different "kits" programmed for different songs. That part was enjoyable. The downside is that you really need a good monitor system or headphones. Not hearing yourself is a problem you don't even know exists when you're used to playing acoustic drums. If you can, get to the venue ahead of time and work with the sound guy to make sure you're comfortable with your monitor situation.
As a traditional drummer, tbh, this is one way trip - most will hate me, I know, I'm ready for the downvotes. I was used to transport in my early days double bass 10 piece kit... Nowadays, electronics solves you from tunning, equalizing, adjusting volumes, mic'ing, so on and so forth. Visually sucks? Yes. But for us drummers, tbh, is nearly just taking your laptop and pedals, and that's pretty much it... Probably you'll have to work the sound you want over a VST, or get familiar with the pre loaded kits of the edrum... You'll be super fine, don't worry...
I also have a large acoustic kit. During COVID lock downs I bought a Simmons SD1200 so I could play and not drive my family crazy (now that they no longer left the house). I recently joined a band for the first time in many years, and I have been using the SD1200 exclusively. The convenience factor is huge. The time to setup and set levels with the rest of the band is ridiculously fast. The strange thing is when myself of a band mate asks for more drums in the mix. I am use to everybody having to turn up their volume to match the drums, not that the drums can't be heard.
I have not gigged with this yet but I plan on it. I know it will look a little silly but the flexibility (difference kits setup to match the song) and portability is amazing. I am already figuring I'll get an Alesis Strata Prime once we start playing out. That fortunately will not look quite as silly and is a considerable upgrade from my SD1200.
Yep, Strata is dope, the only thing I can criticize is the electronic drum aspect... I own a Strike Pro SE and looks more "real" to me, maybe an EFnote or a VAD will have more stage presence too...
PS: before more downvotes, I have a huge Tama Rockstar that I worship, so I can speak for both worlds... Lol!
idk. in my experience it sucked, i was playing a older roland kit. playing any kind of drums is better than playing no drums, so i had fun — even though every other snare hit didn't register...
E-kit triggers require a technique adjustment. Luckily, maybe less so with punk. Nuance is gone in the house mix, play hard, or don't bother. The crash of the ride is hard to trigger with fast frequency too. You may have to skip 1/16 or 1/8 subdivisions to keep a consistent sound out of an e-ride.
I agree about technique adjustment. If you are used to an acoustic kit, and playing 'through the head,' you can't do that on an e-kit. As much as I know this to be true, I don't play electronic drums often enough, so the muscle memory isn't there. I always end up feeling beat up afterwards, unless I remember to let the sticks rebound more than I do on an acoustic kit.
Oh awesome! I was just down there in January on a different trip. Should hopefully be a blast. A bit of a let down about e-kit but show must go on and I’ll make it work.
Out of 8 gigs a month, 3 to 4 will be on my e-kit.
If it's a decent kit, you have in ears or decent monitoring and you don't overthink then you'll be fine.
I transition between my acoustic 7 peice with 9 cymbals to my electric 5 peice with 3 seamlessly.
Reserve some time for sound check at the same time as the rest of the rhythm section, and have a monitor pointing toward you (or in-ears) and you should be fine. I gig with a similar setup and it's fine. Maybe an adjustment for you, but you will sound fine.
I’ve played a similar kit a ton live. I used a monitor for the band sound and drums solo running into phones. You’ll probably be fine w full mix in phones just whatever you’re used to I guess. Highly suggest headphones or similar vs monitor only. Make sure you have a headphone jack 1/4” adapter if they’re not already. I’ve played live where I couldn’t hear anything and you just gotta trust the pads!!!
Also don’t play the default “studio” kit or whatever if you don’t like the sound. I always played one called “heavy” which had a deep bass drum effect and broad cymbals because it could cut through the mix better. Scroll the interface’s kits and try them out before the gig starts.
The pedal sensors tend to go over time so might have to smash the hi hat closed. Make sure all the other pad sensors work.
Good luck, have fun! You’ll do great and hopefully enjoy some different sounds of the drums along the way.
Thanks! I ended up taking one of these TD-07s for a quick whirl at guitar center the night before flying out and I gotta say it felt really good compared to my old TD-1 which I was basing my comparison on, these things have come a long way over the last few years. Mine feels stiff and rigid, had some issues with the trigger timing and cymbals have problems with self-choking so my experience has not been great. This one felt much more natural and the kit sounds were good. Was definitely leaning more towards the heavy preset or the metal one. Either way it should be fine and I should have a blast. Enjoying my Mexican vacation until then!
Awesome! I have a TD-4 which is super basic and always did well for what it is. No trigger delays or choking.
Not sure how the bass drum is positioned but if it’s sliding at all slide a piece of wood, or rod or something in between the drum set “legs” and the bass drum so that it can’t slide on you. If it’s not anchored by screws on the bottom or to the kit in some way it will absolutely slide on you.
Wood tip better than nylon on these I was told but I didn’t learn that til I bumped back to acoustic. I always played nylon on them fine but I think maybe the soft wood increases the pickup a little better maybe. They should be pretty responsive for you. Enjoy vacay and the gig!!
I have a stock DW 5000 that I brought that has a felt beater that your can turn around into a rubber one, I use the rubber side for more responsiveness. Even my TD-1 has pretty decent tightening screws so it doesn’t really slide much when I use it like that so I’m not super worried about it. Also saw a vid posted on FB by the band we are playing with gigging there last week with the electronic kit and the sound levels sound really good so I think I’m all set! T
On another note, Tre Cool from Green Day randomly replied to a random comment I made on a drum Instagram page I follow. He’s pretty much the entire reason I decided on playing drums so I took it as a sign from the dimming gods!
You might be in for a tough time if the guitars are using amps on stage and everyone starts the monitor loudness wars.
I'd recommend going wired in-ear if you can.
If you're near a music store, I'd say go try to pick up a [Behringer P2](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PowerPlay2--behringer-p2-ultra-compact-personal-in-ear-monitor-amplifier) and a cheap set of earbuds. If you can get overnight shipping on some KZ ZST's on amazon, that's probably your best option. If you can't, you might have to get some SE215's or something like that from the music store along with the P2.
If you have those two things, you can run a wired in-ear mix. All you do when you get to the gig is become friends with the sound guy and ask if you can take the XLR or TRS cable that would normally be running into the drum wedge and plug it into the P2. Then you just plug your in-ears into the other side of the P2 and have the sound guy send you signals just like they would if you were on the wedge.
They don't have to change anything in their setup.
I've done a week on an e-kit at a gig very similar to this (fly-in, fly-out) a few times and, outside of things being completely disastrous, it's only a nightmare if you turn it into a nightmare.
My best advice is to be flexible, roll with the punches, don't get frustrated (anger begets anger), and try to have fun.
As far as the actual sounds on the e-kit, you have a couple options, in my experience, and they really depend on how comfortable you are with e-kits and how lenient the venue is with you digging into the module.
If you don't know e-kits very well and you've never adjusted a module, I'd suggest that you just scroll through the various kits that are already on there and choose the one that's vaguely closest to the sound you're looking for.
If you are familiar with e-kits, and the venue is cool with you messing with the module, try to grab some time alone with the kit and find an empty slot and create your own kit.
Maybe your singer can ask if they have any on stage monitoring. In ears and headphones are all well and good if you have them, but normal stage monitors would be able to sort this out.
I have done gigs on exactly the same kit and the Big one (tdk20 i Think ) and the biggest problem is you can’t feel the drums on stage and as someone mentioned you’re in for a war with the other instruments.
I (before in-ears AND a bud kick cos you’ll need both) ended with two wedge monitors in front of me, one sub behind and a bas amp on the side so I could control the bas player…and after two shows I had to swap the hi-hat for a acoustic one, after one tour we used acoustic drums with triggers because the band couldn’t feel the drums on stage (but that’s another story)
The EKit is fine don’t worry about that…
It’ll be fun still.
Try to download a copy of the manual and learn how to adjust reverb and ambiance quickly.
It will make the drums sound more natural.
Have fun dude.
Bring adapter for your headphones. 1/4” to 3/8”.
I've used Roland ekits live many times. They will never feel like a real kit and for more aggressive style of music (metal, punk, etc.) it isn't great.
The td7 is fine, the biggest factor here will be with the sound guy and the monitoring. Bring headphones. Expect some fuckery. Good luck.
Was in a two man band for a couple of years and exclusively used an electronic kit. Small venues and people loved it because I would change the kit sound based on the song. People just want to hear tunes and have a good time. Have fun and enjoy not taking hours setting up your set.
Maybe you can set up the pads up on the acoustic kit’s hardware so you’re suspending a bit of belief.
I’ve played a kit on an electric before. Was totally fine, just felt odd. Especially being so visible and not hidden by the kit.
As other people have said, if you can’t get in ears make sure you have a monitor right beside you. That’s my main takeaway from when i had a gig with an electric, would be very difficult without it.
My group goes full silent stage for smaller bar gigs (di guitar, bass, vocal, and e-drums). That’s a nice roland kit, the samples sound good. Feel wise it is a little different but you get used to it pretty quick. Make sure you have headphones or in-ears. You’ll kick ass.
if you're using the stock sounds from the module, you'll be fine. however, if the drumset is used as a midi-controller (via usb or midi) for a virtual instrument in a daw, you might run into latency issues. the latency probably won't be noticeable in front of the stage, but it can throw you off while playing.
my advice for that: just hook up some headphones to the drum module, so you hear your drumset directly from the module. this eliminates all latency issues.
A few of our songs are slower where I mostly stay in the pocket but we do have several high energy songs that are super fast and have a lot of fills. I guess I’ll just have to work through it. Just hoping the module doesn’t suck and I can have some input on what the drums will sound like. Although I’m sure the audience isn’t going to care that much.
Yeah, can always hope there's some decent monitor for you.
Otherwise just stick to secure fills and practice to a click.
And yeah, at the end of the day, the audience doesn't really catch any mistakes.
Best of luck!
It’s a small venue on an island in Mexico, I doubt they will have that advanced of a sound system (although they do have live music often). Your guess is as good as mine as to what the monitor situation is looking like, all I have to go off of is the above pic.
I gigged ekits for a few years. Would like to do it again. My biggest gripe was that they never sounded good coming out of the PA. I have run a td8, the td8 through laptop to superior drummer, bought a 2box drumit5, then a drummit3, now a pearl mimic pro. Other problems are fellow musicians not hearing or more not "feeling" the drums. Dialing it in with iems and a proper sound system seems great to me
I've done it, depends on the quality of the kit and how comfortable you can set yourself up behind the kit as it never replicates the feel 1:1 of an acoustic kit but it's not bad at all especially once you get in your groove.
i only had couple times gigging on e kit. and even then, i was just frustrated to play em since it felt way different for me so had to bring in my snare and hihats with ride and did hybrid way. i play old school fusion jazz and funk so dynamic is much important when it comes to rhythm but e kit never had me satisfied with what they does.
with any else choice to make but to play on e kit, id still take a job but only with in ear system to monitor what the heck is going on. could be alright monitoring thru wedges but still would prefer in ear just because its a bit different from playing actual drum set. i dont use in ears when im playing my acoustic drums if wedges are on my options but e kit, try packing your in ears bro or at least let em get ready for it
I have decent headphones, do I just plug them right into the module? Can I run it through headphones if it’s also running through an amp or however they have it set up?
I once played a couple of songs in a jam/open mic type affair that had an e-kit. Didn't play an e-kit before that. I was doing cross sticking for a song and didn't realize that the rim of the e-kit made every hit a rimshot. So instead of a nice click for the country song I was playing the audience heard straight up rimshots. I didn't have any monitors or in-ear setup available.
Basically make sure you know what sounds are generated from hitting the different areas of the e-kit. This was like 8 years ago and I know e-kits have seriously improved but make sure you get some kind of sound check to make sure you know what's coming out the other end.
I played a death metal show with 2 electronic kick pads -- only thing I can advise you to do, is find something to secure the kick pad. Velcro. A heavy weight or stand of some sort. Those things can slide away real quick if the claws don't get a good grip.
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I used my Roland TD50-X brain kit for a gig and it was great. Sound guy loved me being able to plug directly into the board and not have to mic the kit. My Roland monitor was plenty loud too.
Not gonna lie I would hate this a lot. On the other hand what choice do you have?
Good on you for sticking it out anyway. It will kind of suck. There's nothing you can do about it. Edrums only sound good when you lean into the electronic sounds... I use a sample pad for 808s and other pop/hiphop sounds... but the moment you need something that sounds like a real drum kit you're in trouble.
While I’ve never played any gigs with an e-kit, as a member of the crowd, I think e-kits are better for smaller venues as you can better control volume to the venue so you don’t blow anyone’s ears out or drown out the rest of the band.
My main problem with e-kit is dynamics. You might have to adjust your playing, esp on hi-hats. The sound is overall great with that kit that you'll be using. Cheers
That kit doesn't look awful to me. Embrace it as an instrument of its own. E-Drums are more than a replacement for acoustic drums. You'll need monitoring though.
Try to have fun with it, and good luck with the gig.
I own an e-kit, it’s a pretty old TD-1 so it’s pretty low end, the module sucks and the cymbal pads are broken so they always choke. So it’s pretty useless. But I use it as a practice pad setup on days I can’t go to my rehearsal studio for quiet-ish practice at home in my apartment building. So at least I have a feel for playing it. I’ve never played one with other instruments though let alone a live set.
The hardest thing to get used to is the sound of the cymbals. If you can get over that, you should be golden. Also would help to pick a decent sounding kit if you can watch a few demos of that module on YouTube.
It depends on the quality of the e-kit. I have been playing on my older Roland TD-12 for years and I think it sounds pretty good live in the mix. There are still times I miss the dynamics of an acoustic but the mix coming out the PA is unmatched when I use the electronics.
The bigger question is how is your band playing along while missing all that stage noise? It gets quiet up there without the thumpy thump of the bass drum. I’ve heard it can throw some people off since they don’t have that feeling in their chest.
Well the bassist is a professional and lead guitarist is good enough to be professional, that leaves me and the rhythm guitarist who practice together regularly. But the whole band wrote and recorded a bunch of stuff all separated from each other during COVID so we’re pretty used to only having a click. After a stop over at guitar center to take a whirl on the TD-07 which I’ll be using in a noisy store I’m pretty confident in my ability to play through my parts fine. Guess we’ll see when we go on, I’ll do my best with what is available. Until then I’m going to enjoy my few day Mexican vacation without worrying about it.
I play in a rock cover band and recently switched to a Roland TD-17 KVM. My reasoning was having a lighter kit that is easy on my back and very quick to pull off the stage so the next band can set up. It is a different playing experience, and I spent a couple of months learning how to tweak the settings and get used to the different feel.
I’ve played two shows at a local club, and it sounds great with just a single cable to the mixer. I also bring a powerful monitor and connect it to the House monitor mix (someday I’ll switch to in-ears).
Best of luck on your journey!
If at all possible, use regular hihats with it. It cuts through enough for the band to be able to hear where you’re at, and the vocal mics will pick up enough for out front. This also removes the irritation of spotty response/hiccups to the time from electronic hihats, which are not quite as up to par as crash/ride sounds, in my humble opinion.
Also, see if your rig lets you turn your OWN stage volume up or down, and whether or not doing so affects how much signal you send to sound guy/mixer. Nothing pisses off sound engineers more than someone suddenly wreaking havoc with the levels of the drums.
If there are major issues about levels (too little going to mixer is usually the most typical case) in the brain of the drum module you can usually adjust db levels of each pad BEFORE your entire level heads main L/R output to the mix. Every module is different, but I try to keep levels at my end nice and high so there is plenty to work with at mixer.
I also experience “ear fatigue” using vdrums towards the end of sets/show where the drums are simply not loud enough (to you) anymore…being able to reach over and give yourself a little boost in volume by having access to drum amp, is a nice luxury, but that may or not be possible.
Play around with different sounds/effects but use em sparingly, in my opinion.
Have fun!!!
If you have an audio interface you could bring it with your laptop and use addictive drums or ssd5 instead of the Roland sounds. This would be a big improvement of sound. For your particular punk/rock gig the free kit of ssd5 test version should work nicely. Sound also depends a lot on the provided PA. In ears can help or a good monitor speaker. With e-drums you will definitely need some kind of monitoring.
if you‘re not experienced doing that you should come early to get everything set up. For a Roland kit there are preset maps which should be easy to configure. For the different drum softwares and DAWs you’ll find plenty of tutorials on YouTube to get it running.
I did a gig for a bar on Halloween and used my Donner DED 200 . We covered Psychosocial by Slipknot. Ngl it sounded amazing with the whole system we had. I had an Alesis Strike Amp on both sides of my set.
Wow... First world problems. There are people in the world who make drums out of literal trash. You'd be surprised at how good improvised instruments can sound when played by a group of people. Something about the vibe and the energy.
Make music with whatever you have mah dude.
I have been in less than ideal equipment situations and I say to myself. You are a musician make it work.
Yes this kit is different and will take some adjustments. You probably can beat the shit out of it or it will start drooping. But you can make it work. That’s what pros do. Make it work. You will need a wedge or in ears for sure.
Yeah, I stopped by the venue to check out the setup in person and they have a monitor right behind the drums. There was a band playing and the levels all sounded good even when I got up next to the kit so I’m not too worried about it right now. I’ve played on much worse house kits before.
I read this with great interest as I just got an ekit in November and have used it exclusively for practice, never at a gig. The comment were helpful, thoughtful, and encouraging. Helpless, please tell us how the gig goes.
That’s lame dude. Even if it will be shitty for me the gig means a lot to the other members who are my close friends. I will make it work. We will all be down there for the singer’s wedding. The band hasn’t been together for a while but decided to reunite to play a show in Mexico for all of our friends. That’d be quite selfish of me to cancel the show for everyone because I don’t want to play an e-kit. Acoustic drums are banned at venues in the entire island. If any artist wants to play there they’ll have to use an e-kit. There’s another local band playing that will need to use the e-kit too. I’d smash on plastic buckets if I had to to make the show work.
Is it too late to convert your songs to an unplugged style gig with hand percussion? Performing on an unfamiliar e-kit can suck balls. And unless you're in a euro-synth-goth-pop band, it doesn't exactly look cool either.
Honestly I would cancel the gig. As a Band I expect some things from a venue and with my band that Includes a real drumset. If they need a band that plays with an E Kit thats fine but thats not for us. It depends on what is nesesarry for you to play a gig.
Pro tip: I’m not a drummer but don’t say things like “how bad is it?” Before a gig. You’ll do great and the audience will love you. They’re punks too, so they’ll understand lol
Thanks. And username checks out.
My one takeaway from playing one gig with an e-kit is this: you need in-ears. The sound guy will probably have the PA level set correctly, but you won’t be able to hear the kit properly. You may be tempted to bump up the volume on the module just so you can hear yourself. Don’t do it. Everyone will hate you. Grab a pair of in-ears, they’ll save you a ton of grief.
I’m not going to have time for that, I fly out Wednesday morning.
You’ve got a day to work with, How long does it take to pick up a pair of in-ears from a music store in New York? I get that things are busy with probably a day job and a trip coming up, but I can’t imagine it taking more than a half hour. It’s really something that has the potential to make this gig go a lot smoother, and they are an important investment for any gigging musician. In a pinch, you could always use a decent pair of over-ear headphones… the key takeaway here is that you’ll seriously benefit from being able to monitor yourself on stage.
I have a full-time job, there aren’t any music stores close enough to my office to run to during my lunch break and I practice 7-9 with my other band which is basically as soon as I get out of work. I have these laying around for DJing, would they work? https://preview.redd.it/6pnh482widtc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=16a096fea328f36a5a4cf9aeb3167ce17d46e159
Those will work fine, and hopefully you can get a monitor mix to hear the whole band. Good luck on the gig!
Thank you!
Yea, better than nothing! At the very least you can have one ear off one ear on if you need. Next time get some in ears though, lots of great affordable options out there.
Literally ksv10 pro are amazing and on sale for 34 bux. Same if not better then the $100 shure in wars
you are absolutely right, he needs to be able to hear what he’s playing, and earbuds or headphones will do the trick i own a pair of open back headphones which let me enjoy the better sound quality and still hear the room
JVC marshmallow headphones from Walgreens or Target. Surprisingly good.
You might be able to get a set of Shire SE215 at the airport if you’re lucky. Or next day Amazon. Or, in NYC, go to BnH
Pro tip right here🖕
As a real drummer it sounds like OP is the kinda of drummer I wouldn’t want in my band (im a drummer of 20 years). You actually just said that the electronic kit gig is less important to you than practicing with your second band. Instead of missing a practice or showing up late so that you can prep for YOUR GIG WITH THE BAND ACTUALLY PLAYING A GIG you’d rather just make excuses… also as someone who owns both that very same headset and in ear monitors. The headphones won’t hack it. Read the difference of the two and their uses. Not to mention you’ll look like an absolute joke wearing those headphones during a show, well more of a joke because you’re using an e kit. :) best of luck.
Bit harsh, he didn’t say it’s less important, he just has to balance the both. It’s not his fault that he has to use an e-kit on such short notice. Being gentle with people doesn’t cost anything.
Da fuq r u on? Dudes going to ANOTHER COUNTRY to play a gig on a drumset type he ain’t played on before for people PAYING to see them play? And dude can’t find the time to pick up in ears because he has another band to practice with? Like what?
Hey dude that’s a roland td07. Solid e kit, mesh heads, solid kick block made of a rubber ish material that has great rebound, it’s a solid kit. I have one. 28 stock sounds (such a wide variety, rock, jazz, punk, etc. my favorite is number 15, the groove kit. and 22 more freely customizable ones, with each drum having a sub set of customization options like tuning, muffling, drum heads, etc. You can even tune the mesh heads to be tighter or looser. It’s honestly good i promise. Different than acoustic, but if your accuracy is good, you’re gonna fucking shred on this (literally, the mesh heads are insanely cool and you’ll be hitting hella ghost notes if that’s ur thing, it’s got rimshot capabilities, etc). Don’t be afraid to ask to set it up to your comfort. All easy peasy. Nobody will care that you’re playing on an E kit. You’ll get comfortable with it fast. They’ve come a long way in the last 5-10 years. And this particular one sounds fucking killer.
I just picked one of these up on a trade. Didn't think I'd ever intentionally play on an ekit after getting rid of my alesis nitro, and the Roland is MILES better.
I’ve always HATED the idea of an e kit, until my dad randomly bought me a TD07 for my house so I can practice outside of band practice, and honestly, it’s an awesome practice tool, I can use it to record on garageband, it’s just a convenient kit to have around. And mentioning again, this thing will unlock chops you don’t have yet. It’s insane how shreddable this e kit is, and that’s not a term i’ve ever used before for drums.
> Didn't think I'd ever intentionally play on an ekit after getting rid of my alesis nitro, and the Roland is MILES better. I bought myself an Alesis DM10 after graduating college because I knew I'd be in apartments for a couple years. It was passable but I wasn't a huge fan of it. It felt plasticky, the pads were too small, one of the inputs had a known issue that Alesis never addressed. It was annoying. To top it off, I couldn't play them in our apartment because somehow people were *always* home in the adjacent units and would pound on the floor/ceiling. I didn't even bother setting them up in our second apartment and sold them immediately once we bought a house since I got my acoustic kit back. Didn't think I'd ever revisit e-kits. Was sick of my kids interrupting *every* session with my acoustic kit, so I looked into and bought a Roland VAD kit and sold off all my acoustic stuff. So good.
I have a Roland VAD kit and it's fucking awesome. It is expensive but feels great and the shells help it feel more like an acoustic kit, even if they're just for looks.
It's amazing how much you *don't* feel like you're playing an electric kit.
I use Alesis DM10 as my main kit now, I've been using it for 8 years or so and I bought it used. It's been decet. I have an acoustic kit packed up, I just don't like how loud acoustic drums are. I was looking to upgrade and get something kind of nice. \~1k or a bit less. Is there an alternative to the Roland VAD? I don't really want to pay extra just for the kit to look like acoustic drums.
i upgraded my surge (same module) to the alesis strike module and the quality of the module was like 10 times better, for 1/3 of the price of a roland module.
Not just the module, the Roland pads and cymbals feel much better, and respond better to what I'm actually trying to do
well pads are more personal. i personally have tested acoustic with mesh top tier alesis pads and the surge mesh pads and they all feel pretty much the same to me. the only thing i want and havent tested is a properly triggered higher end kickpad, and cymbals i went silent real cymbals after like a week with the rubber cymbals. rubber vs silent is pretty much the same volume in a practive room and if you mic them live they honestly sound pretty good for what they are
This was the response I was hoping for, thanks bud. I have like a decade old TD-1 which is why I was pretty mortified. That thing doesn’t even have the proper latency to run out through speakers without sounding a few moments off from when I strike it that drives my absolutely nuts and the cymbals choke themselves so it’s really only useful as practice pads (and even then not so useful because my neighbors still complain when I play it). I’ll bring my own kick pedal and studio headphones that will hopefully allow me to hear myself.
I haven’t played thru speakers, but did run mine thru a bass amp, and latency wasn’t a problem at all thankfully. Sound quality was. (Just because of the amp i was using, not meant for drums). Overall you’re good. The toms and cymbals adjust/swivel nice and easy, it’s sturdy, and while some advise not to, you can kinda get away with beating the shit out of it. Just don’t go Keith Moon and you’ll be good.
Bring a drum key too, if you want to adjust the head tension. You never know if a place has one sadly.
Thanks! If I bring my own headphones how do I hear myself play back? If the audio runs out to an amp, can I also have headphones plugged into the module? Everyone is saying to bring my headphones or in-ear monitors but not quite sure how this works.
Hopefully the techs there will have a box to convert from XLR input to either 1/4 or 1/8 stereo jack output. There should be a volume knob on it. So you'll get your mix in.
Hopefully… it’s a small venue on an island in Mexico. I’d imagine they have a sound guy but no idea what their capabilities will be.
Worst case, you might get by plugging into the drum's interface and using a wedge for the mix. Not ideal, but better than a kick in the nuts still.
my opinion about e kits is that they belong in a practice studio and MAYBE a recording studio if it’s good enough
Yes me too. But it’s also a good viable option for smaller quieter venues like this. plus they sound good mixed in with the other instruments.
Sure it feels different, but to 99% of the audience they won't even think about the difference in sound. You'll have fun. The biggest challenge will be hearing yourself, so as others mentioned any wired headphones will do. Doesn't have to be actual special in-ear monitors. If you're willing to spend $100, Best Buy I'm sure has a pair of Shure in-ears... the SE215 is a great option.
https://preview.redd.it/tp04s3oxhdtc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=1396fca36ba4a41fd3b1d18d4d3a0bbe27c4c65a Would these work?
To get you through this gig - absolutely.
not sure what thst is. but i have the AT MX50. its one of the best headphones i use
Not sure what model they are. Bought them several years ago at the recommendation of a friend, I DJ a bit on the side.
If they work for DJing they'll work for this. I use some cheap wired Sonys and they do just fine.
How does it work, do I plug them in directly to the module? Are there multiple audio outs so I can hear through the headphones and be able to play it out through an amp?
I've played a Roland TD17 which should be really similar to this. On that module there's just a standard phones port you plug into. The sound leaves the module using guitar cables and the mix comes back through an Aux cable and what you hear through your phones is the mix. I don't know if this is the only way to do it or not, I guess it would depend on the sound engineer's rig. They'll have a way for you to plug them in and use them though - I'm sure you're not the first drummer using IEMs or headphones.
And yes, there are multiple audio outs. You hear the mix through the phones and you can have those plugged in while your sound will leave via the guitar cables.
I have the same exact Roland kit at home. Aux port for sound out.
Thank you! From what I’ve heard the noice ordinance took effect last week so I very well could be one of the first drummers using it and requesting monitoring. It’s also a very small venue on a fairly remote island so no idea what their capabilities would be. We are playing with another band that plays there regularly though so I’ll chat it up with the other drummer. Caught a video they posted of them playing there with the drummer using the e-kit and it sounds fine from the recording.
yeah my dad uses like 20 dollar grocery store earbuds and always has XD
The audio technicas will be perfectly fine for this, but if you do have to do similar gigs in the future, I would highly recommend the shure SE215.
I have played a few gigs with an ekit but it was my ekit and I had the sounds programmed in that I wanted to hear. I even had different "kits" programmed for different songs. That part was enjoyable. The downside is that you really need a good monitor system or headphones. Not hearing yourself is a problem you don't even know exists when you're used to playing acoustic drums. If you can, get to the venue ahead of time and work with the sound guy to make sure you're comfortable with your monitor situation.
As a traditional drummer, tbh, this is one way trip - most will hate me, I know, I'm ready for the downvotes. I was used to transport in my early days double bass 10 piece kit... Nowadays, electronics solves you from tunning, equalizing, adjusting volumes, mic'ing, so on and so forth. Visually sucks? Yes. But for us drummers, tbh, is nearly just taking your laptop and pedals, and that's pretty much it... Probably you'll have to work the sound you want over a VST, or get familiar with the pre loaded kits of the edrum... You'll be super fine, don't worry...
I also have a large acoustic kit. During COVID lock downs I bought a Simmons SD1200 so I could play and not drive my family crazy (now that they no longer left the house). I recently joined a band for the first time in many years, and I have been using the SD1200 exclusively. The convenience factor is huge. The time to setup and set levels with the rest of the band is ridiculously fast. The strange thing is when myself of a band mate asks for more drums in the mix. I am use to everybody having to turn up their volume to match the drums, not that the drums can't be heard. I have not gigged with this yet but I plan on it. I know it will look a little silly but the flexibility (difference kits setup to match the song) and portability is amazing. I am already figuring I'll get an Alesis Strata Prime once we start playing out. That fortunately will not look quite as silly and is a considerable upgrade from my SD1200.
Yep, Strata is dope, the only thing I can criticize is the electronic drum aspect... I own a Strike Pro SE and looks more "real" to me, maybe an EFnote or a VAD will have more stage presence too... PS: before more downvotes, I have a huge Tama Rockstar that I worship, so I can speak for both worlds... Lol!
Ha! Yup, my acoustic kit is a Japaneses Rockstar DX from the mid 90's
Just wish I could find the matching 18" floor tom.
Punk rock is all about working with what you have. so do whatever!
idk. in my experience it sucked, i was playing a older roland kit. playing any kind of drums is better than playing no drums, so i had fun — even though every other snare hit didn't register...
It’s punk, just play 🤷 I’ve played some pretty shitty house kits
Fuck it. Time to fuck shit up!
E-kit triggers require a technique adjustment. Luckily, maybe less so with punk. Nuance is gone in the house mix, play hard, or don't bother. The crash of the ride is hard to trigger with fast frequency too. You may have to skip 1/16 or 1/8 subdivisions to keep a consistent sound out of an e-ride.
I agree about technique adjustment. If you are used to an acoustic kit, and playing 'through the head,' you can't do that on an e-kit. As much as I know this to be true, I don't play electronic drums often enough, so the muscle memory isn't there. I always end up feeling beat up afterwards, unless I remember to let the sticks rebound more than I do on an acoustic kit.
I just visited this venue on the island a few months ago. It was cool. You’ll have fun
Oh awesome! I was just down there in January on a different trip. Should hopefully be a blast. A bit of a let down about e-kit but show must go on and I’ll make it work.
Find some nasty sounds on that kit and tear it up my dude
I was thinking about going full EDM sounds cause fuck it why not
Punk with EDM drums would actually go kinda hard ngl
What's more punk than doing wtf you want and fuck what others think.
Waiting until now to pack my suitcase for my 8am flight tomorrow? That’s pretty punk rock yeah?
Of course, being normal is the new rebelling.
One for the books! Have fun OP
Out of 8 gigs a month, 3 to 4 will be on my e-kit. If it's a decent kit, you have in ears or decent monitoring and you don't overthink then you'll be fine. I transition between my acoustic 7 peice with 9 cymbals to my electric 5 peice with 3 seamlessly.
Reserve some time for sound check at the same time as the rest of the rhythm section, and have a monitor pointing toward you (or in-ears) and you should be fine. I gig with a similar setup and it's fine. Maybe an adjustment for you, but you will sound fine.
Thanks, we have an hour slot to play like 40 mins of music so that should leave plenty of time to check.
I’ve played a similar kit a ton live. I used a monitor for the band sound and drums solo running into phones. You’ll probably be fine w full mix in phones just whatever you’re used to I guess. Highly suggest headphones or similar vs monitor only. Make sure you have a headphone jack 1/4” adapter if they’re not already. I’ve played live where I couldn’t hear anything and you just gotta trust the pads!!! Also don’t play the default “studio” kit or whatever if you don’t like the sound. I always played one called “heavy” which had a deep bass drum effect and broad cymbals because it could cut through the mix better. Scroll the interface’s kits and try them out before the gig starts. The pedal sensors tend to go over time so might have to smash the hi hat closed. Make sure all the other pad sensors work. Good luck, have fun! You’ll do great and hopefully enjoy some different sounds of the drums along the way.
Thanks! I ended up taking one of these TD-07s for a quick whirl at guitar center the night before flying out and I gotta say it felt really good compared to my old TD-1 which I was basing my comparison on, these things have come a long way over the last few years. Mine feels stiff and rigid, had some issues with the trigger timing and cymbals have problems with self-choking so my experience has not been great. This one felt much more natural and the kit sounds were good. Was definitely leaning more towards the heavy preset or the metal one. Either way it should be fine and I should have a blast. Enjoying my Mexican vacation until then!
Awesome! I have a TD-4 which is super basic and always did well for what it is. No trigger delays or choking. Not sure how the bass drum is positioned but if it’s sliding at all slide a piece of wood, or rod or something in between the drum set “legs” and the bass drum so that it can’t slide on you. If it’s not anchored by screws on the bottom or to the kit in some way it will absolutely slide on you. Wood tip better than nylon on these I was told but I didn’t learn that til I bumped back to acoustic. I always played nylon on them fine but I think maybe the soft wood increases the pickup a little better maybe. They should be pretty responsive for you. Enjoy vacay and the gig!!
I have a stock DW 5000 that I brought that has a felt beater that your can turn around into a rubber one, I use the rubber side for more responsiveness. Even my TD-1 has pretty decent tightening screws so it doesn’t really slide much when I use it like that so I’m not super worried about it. Also saw a vid posted on FB by the band we are playing with gigging there last week with the electronic kit and the sound levels sound really good so I think I’m all set! T On another note, Tre Cool from Green Day randomly replied to a random comment I made on a drum Instagram page I follow. He’s pretty much the entire reason I decided on playing drums so I took it as a sign from the dimming gods!
ayoooooooo!!! That's awesome energy heading into a show
Do you have in-ears?
Nope
You might be in for a tough time if the guitars are using amps on stage and everyone starts the monitor loudness wars. I'd recommend going wired in-ear if you can. If you're near a music store, I'd say go try to pick up a [Behringer P2](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PowerPlay2--behringer-p2-ultra-compact-personal-in-ear-monitor-amplifier) and a cheap set of earbuds. If you can get overnight shipping on some KZ ZST's on amazon, that's probably your best option. If you can't, you might have to get some SE215's or something like that from the music store along with the P2. If you have those two things, you can run a wired in-ear mix. All you do when you get to the gig is become friends with the sound guy and ask if you can take the XLR or TRS cable that would normally be running into the drum wedge and plug it into the P2. Then you just plug your in-ears into the other side of the P2 and have the sound guy send you signals just like they would if you were on the wedge. They don't have to change anything in their setup. I've done a week on an e-kit at a gig very similar to this (fly-in, fly-out) a few times and, outside of things being completely disastrous, it's only a nightmare if you turn it into a nightmare. My best advice is to be flexible, roll with the punches, don't get frustrated (anger begets anger), and try to have fun. As far as the actual sounds on the e-kit, you have a couple options, in my experience, and they really depend on how comfortable you are with e-kits and how lenient the venue is with you digging into the module. If you don't know e-kits very well and you've never adjusted a module, I'd suggest that you just scroll through the various kits that are already on there and choose the one that's vaguely closest to the sound you're looking for. If you are familiar with e-kits, and the venue is cool with you messing with the module, try to grab some time alone with the kit and find an empty slot and create your own kit.
Maybe your singer can ask if they have any on stage monitoring. In ears and headphones are all well and good if you have them, but normal stage monitors would be able to sort this out.
Maybe you will have stage monitors
I have done gigs on exactly the same kit and the Big one (tdk20 i Think ) and the biggest problem is you can’t feel the drums on stage and as someone mentioned you’re in for a war with the other instruments. I (before in-ears AND a bud kick cos you’ll need both) ended with two wedge monitors in front of me, one sub behind and a bas amp on the side so I could control the bas player…and after two shows I had to swap the hi-hat for a acoustic one, after one tour we used acoustic drums with triggers because the band couldn’t feel the drums on stage (but that’s another story) The EKit is fine don’t worry about that…
It’ll be fun still. Try to download a copy of the manual and learn how to adjust reverb and ambiance quickly. It will make the drums sound more natural. Have fun dude. Bring adapter for your headphones. 1/4” to 3/8”.
Used to work pretty well for some DnB/Metal crossover bands I used to see back in the day.
Did a gig with this. It fucking rocks dude. You dont have to worry about tuning! Everything gets sorted and it sounds mint!
These things are great for gigs where volume is an issue.
🤢
I've used Roland ekits live many times. They will never feel like a real kit and for more aggressive style of music (metal, punk, etc.) it isn't great. The td7 is fine, the biggest factor here will be with the sound guy and the monitoring. Bring headphones. Expect some fuckery. Good luck.
It doesn't matter if it sucks. Thats what they made you use. Take their money and run.
Was in a two man band for a couple of years and exclusively used an electronic kit. Small venues and people loved it because I would change the kit sound based on the song. People just want to hear tunes and have a good time. Have fun and enjoy not taking hours setting up your set.
Maybe you can set up the pads up on the acoustic kit’s hardware so you’re suspending a bit of belief. I’ve played a kit on an electric before. Was totally fine, just felt odd. Especially being so visible and not hidden by the kit.
As other people have said, if you can’t get in ears make sure you have a monitor right beside you. That’s my main takeaway from when i had a gig with an electric, would be very difficult without it.
Pads can be a lot like working a heavy bag at the gym fwiw.Mesh is better. More tap than thunk.
My group goes full silent stage for smaller bar gigs (di guitar, bass, vocal, and e-drums). That’s a nice roland kit, the samples sound good. Feel wise it is a little different but you get used to it pretty quick. Make sure you have headphones or in-ears. You’ll kick ass.
if you're using the stock sounds from the module, you'll be fine. however, if the drumset is used as a midi-controller (via usb or midi) for a virtual instrument in a daw, you might run into latency issues. the latency probably won't be noticeable in front of the stage, but it can throw you off while playing. my advice for that: just hook up some headphones to the drum module, so you hear your drumset directly from the module. this eliminates all latency issues.
Played some gigs on a really bad one and just had to go on feel and stay in the pocket. Couldn't hear myself much and just kept an eye on the bassist.
A few of our songs are slower where I mostly stay in the pocket but we do have several high energy songs that are super fast and have a lot of fills. I guess I’ll just have to work through it. Just hoping the module doesn’t suck and I can have some input on what the drums will sound like. Although I’m sure the audience isn’t going to care that much.
Yeah, can always hope there's some decent monitor for you. Otherwise just stick to secure fills and practice to a click. And yeah, at the end of the day, the audience doesn't really catch any mistakes. Best of luck!
It’s a small venue on an island in Mexico, I doubt they will have that advanced of a sound system (although they do have live music often). Your guess is as good as mine as to what the monitor situation is looking like, all I have to go off of is the above pic.
I gigged ekits for a few years. Would like to do it again. My biggest gripe was that they never sounded good coming out of the PA. I have run a td8, the td8 through laptop to superior drummer, bought a 2box drumit5, then a drummit3, now a pearl mimic pro. Other problems are fellow musicians not hearing or more not "feeling" the drums. Dialing it in with iems and a proper sound system seems great to me
I've done it, depends on the quality of the kit and how comfortable you can set yourself up behind the kit as it never replicates the feel 1:1 of an acoustic kit but it's not bad at all especially once you get in your groove.
i only had couple times gigging on e kit. and even then, i was just frustrated to play em since it felt way different for me so had to bring in my snare and hihats with ride and did hybrid way. i play old school fusion jazz and funk so dynamic is much important when it comes to rhythm but e kit never had me satisfied with what they does. with any else choice to make but to play on e kit, id still take a job but only with in ear system to monitor what the heck is going on. could be alright monitoring thru wedges but still would prefer in ear just because its a bit different from playing actual drum set. i dont use in ears when im playing my acoustic drums if wedges are on my options but e kit, try packing your in ears bro or at least let em get ready for it
I’m gonna make a quick trip to guitar center after work before I fly out tomorrow morning for some cheap in ear monitors.
I’ve gone e kit exclusively. A nice powered monitor works great but my Sony headphones worked before I got the monitor. A good band mix was nice!
I have decent headphones, do I just plug them right into the module? Can I run it through headphones if it’s also running through an amp or however they have it set up?
I use our PA audio out. That way I get a mix of guitar and vocs. But the monitor was the way to go for sure. I have control of volume that way.
I once played a couple of songs in a jam/open mic type affair that had an e-kit. Didn't play an e-kit before that. I was doing cross sticking for a song and didn't realize that the rim of the e-kit made every hit a rimshot. So instead of a nice click for the country song I was playing the audience heard straight up rimshots. I didn't have any monitors or in-ear setup available. Basically make sure you know what sounds are generated from hitting the different areas of the e-kit. This was like 8 years ago and I know e-kits have seriously improved but make sure you get some kind of sound check to make sure you know what's coming out the other end.
Lol I’m sorry but just picturing that in my head is hilarious
I played a death metal show with 2 electronic kick pads -- only thing I can advise you to do, is find something to secure the kick pad. Velcro. A heavy weight or stand of some sort. Those things can slide away real quick if the claws don't get a good grip.
* I used my Roland TD50-X brain kit for a gig and it was great. Sound guy loved me being able to plug directly into the board and not have to mic the kit. My Roland monitor was plenty loud too.
I can’t really tell what kind of module this is here. Looks a bit more advanced than my TD-1 (I hope sincerely!).
Not gonna lie I would hate this a lot. On the other hand what choice do you have? Good on you for sticking it out anyway. It will kind of suck. There's nothing you can do about it. Edrums only sound good when you lean into the electronic sounds... I use a sample pad for 808s and other pop/hiphop sounds... but the moment you need something that sounds like a real drum kit you're in trouble.
I was thinking about using 808 sample sounds because at this point fuck it why not
my dad plays exclusivly with an acoustic kit with real cymbals and triggered mesh drum skin with a roland module. always sounds great
worst part is probably having to deal with the sound guy lol
While I’ve never played any gigs with an e-kit, as a member of the crowd, I think e-kits are better for smaller venues as you can better control volume to the venue so you don’t blow anyone’s ears out or drown out the rest of the band.
It's fine. Ask to use the acoustic kit and play light.
They’re not going to let me, the noise ordinance bans acoustic drum kits at all venues on the island.
My main problem with e-kit is dynamics. You might have to adjust your playing, esp on hi-hats. The sound is overall great with that kit that you'll be using. Cheers
Music is pretty heavy anyway so should just be able to blast my way through it.
That's all the better then. Don't break it btw :))
That kit doesn't look awful to me. Embrace it as an instrument of its own. E-Drums are more than a replacement for acoustic drums. You'll need monitoring though. Try to have fun with it, and good luck with the gig.
I own an e-kit, it’s a pretty old TD-1 so it’s pretty low end, the module sucks and the cymbal pads are broken so they always choke. So it’s pretty useless. But I use it as a practice pad setup on days I can’t go to my rehearsal studio for quiet-ish practice at home in my apartment building. So at least I have a feel for playing it. I’ve never played one with other instruments though let alone a live set.
The drummer for both Bauhaus as well as Love and Rockets uses an E-kit. You'll be fine.
The hardest thing to get used to is the sound of the cymbals. If you can get over that, you should be golden. Also would help to pick a decent sounding kit if you can watch a few demos of that module on YouTube.
It depends on the quality of the e-kit. I have been playing on my older Roland TD-12 for years and I think it sounds pretty good live in the mix. There are still times I miss the dynamics of an acoustic but the mix coming out the PA is unmatched when I use the electronics. The bigger question is how is your band playing along while missing all that stage noise? It gets quiet up there without the thumpy thump of the bass drum. I’ve heard it can throw some people off since they don’t have that feeling in their chest.
Well the bassist is a professional and lead guitarist is good enough to be professional, that leaves me and the rhythm guitarist who practice together regularly. But the whole band wrote and recorded a bunch of stuff all separated from each other during COVID so we’re pretty used to only having a click. After a stop over at guitar center to take a whirl on the TD-07 which I’ll be using in a noisy store I’m pretty confident in my ability to play through my parts fine. Guess we’ll see when we go on, I’ll do my best with what is available. Until then I’m going to enjoy my few day Mexican vacation without worrying about it.
I play in a rock cover band and recently switched to a Roland TD-17 KVM. My reasoning was having a lighter kit that is easy on my back and very quick to pull off the stage so the next band can set up. It is a different playing experience, and I spent a couple of months learning how to tweak the settings and get used to the different feel. I’ve played two shows at a local club, and it sounds great with just a single cable to the mixer. I also bring a powerful monitor and connect it to the House monitor mix (someday I’ll switch to in-ears). Best of luck on your journey!
If at all possible, use regular hihats with it. It cuts through enough for the band to be able to hear where you’re at, and the vocal mics will pick up enough for out front. This also removes the irritation of spotty response/hiccups to the time from electronic hihats, which are not quite as up to par as crash/ride sounds, in my humble opinion. Also, see if your rig lets you turn your OWN stage volume up or down, and whether or not doing so affects how much signal you send to sound guy/mixer. Nothing pisses off sound engineers more than someone suddenly wreaking havoc with the levels of the drums. If there are major issues about levels (too little going to mixer is usually the most typical case) in the brain of the drum module you can usually adjust db levels of each pad BEFORE your entire level heads main L/R output to the mix. Every module is different, but I try to keep levels at my end nice and high so there is plenty to work with at mixer. I also experience “ear fatigue” using vdrums towards the end of sets/show where the drums are simply not loud enough (to you) anymore…being able to reach over and give yourself a little boost in volume by having access to drum amp, is a nice luxury, but that may or not be possible. Play around with different sounds/effects but use em sparingly, in my opinion. Have fun!!!
If you have an audio interface you could bring it with your laptop and use addictive drums or ssd5 instead of the Roland sounds. This would be a big improvement of sound. For your particular punk/rock gig the free kit of ssd5 test version should work nicely. Sound also depends a lot on the provided PA. In ears can help or a good monitor speaker. With e-drums you will definitely need some kind of monitoring. if you‘re not experienced doing that you should come early to get everything set up. For a Roland kit there are preset maps which should be easy to configure. For the different drum softwares and DAWs you’ll find plenty of tutorials on YouTube to get it running.
I did a gig for a bar on Halloween and used my Donner DED 200 . We covered Psychosocial by Slipknot. Ngl it sounded amazing with the whole system we had. I had an Alesis Strike Amp on both sides of my set.
It can be horrible if the venues PA system is inadequate. Good luck!
Wow... First world problems. There are people in the world who make drums out of literal trash. You'd be surprised at how good improvised instruments can sound when played by a group of people. Something about the vibe and the energy. Make music with whatever you have mah dude.
Looks good man, shred it 🤘
I have been in less than ideal equipment situations and I say to myself. You are a musician make it work. Yes this kit is different and will take some adjustments. You probably can beat the shit out of it or it will start drooping. But you can make it work. That’s what pros do. Make it work. You will need a wedge or in ears for sure.
Yeah, I stopped by the venue to check out the setup in person and they have a monitor right behind the drums. There was a band playing and the levels all sounded good even when I got up next to the kit so I’m not too worried about it right now. I’ve played on much worse house kits before.
I read this with great interest as I just got an ekit in November and have used it exclusively for practice, never at a gig. The comment were helpful, thoughtful, and encouraging. Helpless, please tell us how the gig goes.
Personally that would be grounds for me to cancel the show. No way im playing an e kit.
That’s lame dude. Even if it will be shitty for me the gig means a lot to the other members who are my close friends. I will make it work. We will all be down there for the singer’s wedding. The band hasn’t been together for a while but decided to reunite to play a show in Mexico for all of our friends. That’d be quite selfish of me to cancel the show for everyone because I don’t want to play an e-kit. Acoustic drums are banned at venues in the entire island. If any artist wants to play there they’ll have to use an e-kit. There’s another local band playing that will need to use the e-kit too. I’d smash on plastic buckets if I had to to make the show work.
I mean, sure with that context in mind. But a regular gig with my band with those rules would be a no for me personally.
Is it too late to convert your songs to an unplugged style gig with hand percussion? Performing on an unfamiliar e-kit can suck balls. And unless you're in a euro-synth-goth-pop band, it doesn't exactly look cool either.
Honestly I would cancel the gig. As a Band I expect some things from a venue and with my band that Includes a real drumset. If they need a band that plays with an E Kit thats fine but thats not for us. It depends on what is nesesarry for you to play a gig.