Modern Vespa

Hey
I am thinking of geting my daughter a set of electronic drums - specifically the Yamaha DTXplorer. The web based reviews are fine but I need to know if this is the right way to go living in a residential area with close neighbours and not too much space to spare?
My daughter has played the Cello for 5 years and since arriving at High School she has stopped Cello and has played drums all year. My wife and I are not musical at all so I am seeking the trusted knowledge and opinions of my fellow MVers to see if this is a worthwhile investment and if it is the right way to go for a beginner drummer?

Cheers all.
Boulty

COPROCK should be your man. There's a pic on here somewhere of him playing the drums. Show us you thread i think. No musical genes here either

Hi Boulty....
I played drums in high school (I'm 40 now) and a few years ago decided to pick it back up again. I bought an electronic kit similar to the Yamaha and to tell you the truth it was a little dissapointing. To me, it just didn't seem to feel or sound the same...the bounce off the drum head is a little "stiffer" and the striking target or "sweet spot" is much smaller. If I were getting a kit for a beginner I think I would go with a standard 7 piece kit (snare, 2 toms, bass, hi-hat, crash and ride) and then build from there as she progresses. A drummer who has alot of experience can make the best of an electric kit, but I really think to learn about hitting accurately and with the right force you need to start off on traditional drums.

The good things about electronic drums is that you can control the volume, or even have her play them into head phones as to minimize the noise around the house. A traditional kit can be padded and muffled, but still makes a great deal of noise.

It is kind of a toss up...I am also a VERY amature drummer (to say I am a drummer is to say someone who drives fast is a "race car driver") and others with more technical expertise and experience may have different input.

Either way I think it is great that you are encouraging her musical talent and I'm sure she would love whatever you got her.

Good Luck and Cheers!

With all due respect, forget that electronic crapola.

Start her on a hand drum & go from there. She will be a better musician and person for it.

id go with acoustic drums.. nothing beats learning with the real thing..then id pick a dedicated room in your house and treat it with acoustics so as not to bother the neighbors.. problem with elctronic kits, even if you learn the concept and theory of playing..its still different....she will never learn the dynamics of an acoustic drum and how to hit it just right...she wont be able to learn to go about the different tensions of the skins around the kit....

but nevertheless...if your going the electrik drum route..id go with roland tdk4...

What kind of drums does she play in HS?
What would her music teacher say?
Where does she practice and rehearse now?
Is she in a marching band?
How much do you care about your neighbors? An electronic kit may be the only thing that allows you to stay in the neighborhood!
(However if you do go with an acoustic kit, she sould always practice with brushes!)

Why don't you ask her? Doesn't she have any opinion on this?

I luv, play and teach djembe, congas, bata, bongos, booguraboo, frame drums, etc.. Anything you can play with skin on skin! But she may be strictly a rock drummer and like only a kit with a huge kick drum, so you sure as hell better ask her before you go laying out big dough!

I have a chap lives about 100 meters down the road and practises with a full acoustic set in a specially silenced room. I can hear him plane as day in my house. Luckily he's reasonably good and he only plays when people are out at work. I'd still kill him if he was my neighbour though.

My son wanted to play drums to and I got him an acoustic pad as a compromise. It sounds fine but my son says it's not the same as real drums and doesn't play it that often - he just practises at school.

I've played both electronic and aucoustic and the electric definatly has it's down falls but with having neighbors close this may be the way to go. The reason I ended up with an electronic set was because I was playing with a church band and my punk music back ground or playinig hard and fast, they needed a way to turn me down. It worked. I think if she is learning it will be a great way to get a feel for a lot of the movements without the neighbors complaining. just my 2 cents

I'm not a drummer, nor do I play one on TV.
I have been a musician for years, though. I've worked with a lot of drummers over the years.

I would agree that an acoustic set would be preferable to electric, but if the noise levels are unacceptable for your area, electrics may have to do.

It's like this:
She won't enjoy the drums or get good at them if she doesn't practice, and she's not going to practice drums or enjoy it if she is constantly being told to "keep it down" and "don't practice now, the neighbors will complain."

That's what I think, anyway.

Thanks for the valuable input - lots to think about. I will give her drum teacher a call after the School Hols and then make a final decision.
Cheers everyone.

A good friend of mine just moved to a condo where his neighbor continually complains when he plays his ELECTRIC set. He can still hear the taps on the pads pretty well through the walls.

This reminds me of when we rented a snare drum for several months. It was through the school program with the local music store. My son was interested in music and we indulged him to the max. Clarinet, oboe, piano, tenor sax, bagpipes.

We had so much fun! I learned to do a real drum roll! Seriously!

If you're not sure, see if they do this rental program. It's great because if you change your mind, you just bring it back. I think it cost $12 per month.

When we played the drum we made sure the windows were closed and it was during the day. Our neighbors never complained.

Real drummers drum on anything and everything. All surfaces will be dinged up!

There are electronic kits made by Roland that have mesh heads. They feel more like actual drums. There's not a whole lot you can do about the feel of the cymbals, but at least the drums themselves strike and roll a whole lot more closely to their acoustic counterparts.

But definitely find out what kind of drums she actually plays, it may not be the traditional 5 piece set. She could be into concert percussion, especially in a school concert or symphonic band.

I prefer a traditional drumkit fitted with neoprene silencers on the drums and cymbals.
http://www.vintagedrum.com/category/drum-mutes-cymbal-mutes/brand/Sound+Off

But the electronic kit gives you lots of bells and whistles, sequencing etc...,

hehe...his acoustics must be wrong..._