First things first - grab your free transcription here.
If you know me you know - I have historically not been a fan of E-drums.
And historically, E-drums haven’t been very good.
Sorry.
“Twacky” rubber, or mesh heads with unrealistic tactile responses.
“Gated” sounds that omit all the '“analog” gradations and “messiness” of acoustics.
And their general…unsightly…appearance.
And over the years, various E-drum companies have offered to send me drums to review, but I’ve always refused.
But this year, it just so happened that when one such manufacturer DMd me, I was in a bit of a “YOLO” state of mind. I needed a gear review for the content calendar anyway, so I said “yes” - on one big condition: there was zero guarantee of a positive review, and I wouldn’t propagandize for them. If they sent the drums, they would get a candid review - upsides, downsides, and all.
The company - Roland - agreed.
What followed was a comedy of errors: the sheer enormity of the shipment, which barely fit in my mail room, and required an environmental’s nightmare worth of boxes. My comic ineptitude with making sure I had all the cables, connecting them properly, then connecting everything to my digital audio workstation, so I could bring you the sound.
I really wanted to hate them. But I failed.
The truth is…E-drums have changed. These aren’t your great uncle’s E-drums. The response is way better, both tactilely and in terms of mimicking the sound response of “real” drums. The appearance is way more similar to a mid-tier acoustic “wrap” kit than their predecessors. This is a kit that actually looks good in the den or rumpus room. And the one item Roland requested I feature - the recorded sound - is really good, especially if you don’t have pro mics and a lot of experience mixing and mastering your acoustics.
Still, they’re not perfect, and they’re not for everybody.
For my complete review, including misadventures, pros, cons, and a cheeky flow warmup (the transcription), peep the video!
Hope you enjoy!