I've been spreading my drum rack farther and farther out each week for a couple months now. It really helps the acoustic/electric switch that I'm required to do each time I play in church
One of the most important topics to cover. Great stuff! The problem is that people instantly set up their kit exactly the way they see it on dealer‘s websites and literally everywhere else. I had the exact same situation when I friend of mine (6“4) got a TD-11 for Christmas, he called me like: „It’s fun, but somehow I feel uncomfortable“, because he set it up the way it was shown online.
Thanks Mike! I agree, I'm even taller than your friend and it's incredibly important to perfectly setup "regular" electronic drumsets to be as spread out as possible.
Being that I'm planning on buying a TD-17KVX in a week or so this video was really well timed. This took care of a lot of the issues I had with my old Nitro kit. Thanks man.
Just played one today. That big snare is nice! Some nice sounding kits too. If I didnt have 2 Roland sets already I would buy one.😂And should hold up better than Alesis. Good move getting KVX. Cymbals much nicer and heavier duty.
It took some time to get used to my kit (I have the same). Actually, the first couple of weeks I was not really sure that I'm happy with the purchase because it just felt really weird until I got it adjusted to have more space. Now I'm super happy with it so far!
I usually place my drums so the distance from middle to middle of each head is about the length of a drum stick (approx 16 inch), both e-drum pads and acoustic drums. If you then switch from 8 inch pads back to acoustic you will find that you always hit exactly the middle of the drum head, which really improved the consistency of my sound. So you can even profit from having smaller pads on the e-drum
Bravo, Justin! I'm a lifelong musician helping my 52 year old wife to realize her dream of playing drums. Every time we watch one of your videos, we learn crucial information. And you present it in a logical, concise manor.....no rambling diatribe. Thank you.
Justin, just a note to let you know that after binge watching about 3 hours of your content I took the plunge and bought the Alesis Command X Mesh last month. Still tweaking it, tom adjustment here, ride there but I'm happy. I'm playing drums again, not since '99 have I sat behind a kit. I still suck but I'm enjoying it again, thank you.
Saw this video just now and it makes total sense when I first set up my TD-17KV. I am used to playing an acoustic drum kit (hint: I’m not great) and struggled the first few times with the 17KV. I am starting to feel more comfortable with it without realizing that it could also affect my playing on an acoustic kit. But now, I’ll have this in mind and start adjusting my 17KV as well with what I was “used to”.
Pretty cool that you were able to diagnose the problem from that email. Curiously, I had the opposite problem: I went from playing on a TD-1K for year to a TD-17KV on an upgraded rack (not the smaller stock one), and my timing was all kinds of messed up simply because I wasn't used to having to reach so far to hit the drums. I would say it took me about two-weeks until I started to feel comfortable on the new kit. I've found the easiest way to adjust a kit is to close your eyes and and hit a drum head. Open your eyes and look where your stick naturally lands; that's where the middle of the drum head should be. I did this for each one of my drums (snare and four toms), and now the kit feels pretty comfortable. Whatever problems I have now are entirely my own and having nothing to do with my set-up!
Totally useful Justin ! I have just those "turdville" class compact dDrum Beta D Lite e-drums but what i realised as FIRST thing i have to move small rubber pseudo-hihat pad no only HIGHER but also AWAY from snare pad. SPREADING and DISTANCE is very crucial even if starting with just 8-note only basic rock beats. And there is huge suprise to sit behing acoustic drumkit in jam session room after week of practice on these sub-compact e-drums.... Four or more sounds from hihat cymbal instead of one, the same of snare, different sound and feel of kick pedal (you know if you tested that "spring thing" on dDrum beta, but i think stiff spring on this is still better than loose jumpy spring on silent pedal of Roland e-drums), etc. Maybe there is a topic for video to ask begginer level drummers that started on e-drums about 5 opinions HOW IT IS FEEL LIKE to sit behind REAL drums... Or 5 opinions of beginner acoustic drummer of HOW IT FEELS like to sit behind some kind of (lets say higher level) e-drums ? (additionaly, how it feels like for acoustic drummer to sit behind kit connected with some sampler like Addictive Drums with sample set similar to his real drums ?)
Spot on with this video. I made sure my playing style, reach and everything should not change just because I now use an e-kit. Yes most are compact, but should not affect your playing style.
I had an electronic kit like 15 years ago after the neighbours complained about the acoustic kit at my parents house. I ABSOLUTELY hated it. Everything was too crammed in, the pads were way to small, the cymbals were these tiny little lifeless rubber triangles, the rebound felt way off on the pads and it was all on this fixed rack where you had very little freedom. I sold it and forgot all about the idea of ever having an electric kit, and therefore never ever having a drum kit at home to use as I had grown paranoid of disturbing neighbours with an acoustic kit (i'm a very heavy hitter!). But always had that longing of playing at home whenever I wanted. 15 years later I discover you can now get these low volume triggered full size (ish) cymbals, with mesh heads and triggers all thanks to your channel! I done an A to E conversion several months ago, bought jobeky cymbals and a mimic pro and its honestly been the best thing ive ever done drum kit wise! Brings a smile to my face every time I play them in my garage, knowing I'm not really bothering anyone except for maybe the odd dog walker who can hear the tap tap tapping from the garage. If you're not enjoying the electric kit, buy a cheap acoustic one and convert it. Life changing! Thanks for the inspiration and content! Sorry for the long post!
I just got my first electronic kit (TD-17 KVX) a few weeks ago because I'm in an apartment and definitely can't bring my acoustic kit. This has been the biggest thing I've had to work with! Spacing the pads! So I completely agree and think you nailed it with this one. It's even harder with Roland's compact drum rack because there's not quite enough leeway to get things spaced where they need to be unfortunately. Seems like one of the weakest points of the kit for me.
Great tips! My eKit is set up at the exact same configuration as my acoustic drums. Literally measured everything and set up the same. Definitely something to point out especially if you're back and forth from acoustic to electric.
I feel the exact opposite had been an acoustic drummer for a decade. off and on total of maybe 3 solid years of that decade on acoustic set because of living situation and finally been almost a year playing on an E kit. I hear and feel a huge improvement in my playing. I play 1-4 hours a day. And when I get on an acoustic kit at a music store I feel relaxed and less tense than years ago when I first started. Also a big tip I would give to that guy who sent the email is I would setup the E kit with less pads as possible and use the metronome and coaching tool it has in the module. like just use hihat, kick and snare. Then after a month or two add ride then time passes and add only two toms and so on and so on. Helps me a lot. E kit made me realize a lot of times less is more when it comes to drumming. Or do more with less. When I had an acoustic kit I had like 5 toms 4 crashes two splashes two chinas. A ride blah blah. Sold it all and got me my first E kit. But I guess it also comes with maturing as a player. Anyway that’s my two cents. Great video as always 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Justin , you are 100% correct. When I first got my TD25 I set it up in a cramped way because of my tiny space and yes , I got frustrated at first. Then I moved to a bigger apartment and was able to expand toms a bit more , like open the rack and I was also able to add a fourth pad and extra cymbal...and that was a big difference in my playability. I was able to extend my arms and play in a more comfortable posture which helps for your stamina. Great video!!!
Agree. There's a lot of tips and tricks to know with electronic drums to get the perfect sound you want. I spent hours going through the manual and tinkering.
I've tried so many things to adjust the volume on my Roland TD-4 hi-hats, even returning to factory settings but there just doesn't seem to be much volume there at all. I'm considering using a real hi-hat set-up with the kit instead. Great video buddy, very valid point about the distances between drums
Yes Justin, This is a MARVELOUS film. A very important film with importantinformation that we know have helped at LEAST one young drummer. THANK YOU for your work. Well done !
I learned the whole 'crammed together' thing awhile ago. I was an accoustic player and bought a TD-7K in 1995 for practice in my apartment. First thing I noticed was that I had to be much more accurate in my hits, b/c the rubber pads were only 6 inches. But the tiny rack was the biggest problem b/c I couldn't really separate the toms like I had on my accoustic kit. So I went the opposite way and condensed my accoustic kit a bit so that the distances were closely replicated. Took a little work but I could move from one to the other much more easily after a month or two. I also found that it was important to switch back and forth with frequency, so that you dont get too used to the way one or the other feels. That's what worked for me anyway.
Helpful vid. Another thing I found (at least about Alesis Nitro Mesh) is when set up to factory specs the snare is ridiculously low. I switched that bar and the module bar and it fits more like my acoustic kit now.
Thank you for all of this! I bought mine today, but it was already too late to play when I got home. Instead I'm watching this video, which probably is a good idea.
a great video as usual, Justin! My kit is about six feet from my hihats to my ride and I find ok but my high and medium toms are too close to the snare..I should have bought the 12 inch snare :( Nice dog there is it a husky??
I had an e-kit that I recently got the module for. It’s set up behind my acoustic set ala Neil Peart and I use it for evening playing and practice. I too had to do like this dad did of measuring the distance to get the feel right. It really does matter that the fit is correct or your overall feel on the kits will be off. Great video man! You hit all the points right on the head.
E or V Kits by their very definition are narrower than an acoustic kit & are one of the many reasons new to advanced players buy them as they're smaller & more mobile than an acoustic drum kit but with all due respect to this young lady she must have known or at least thought to herself that she'd have to set her electronic kit up in a way that she would have more room... I've known friends that I'd go in & jam away with in the studio that spent too much time practicing at home on their E/V Kits & when they went back on to a regular accoustic drum in the studio it'd take him a little while to get used to the kit been spread out more... It's good that your helping her & even better that we have younger kids taking up musical instruments, as way too many waste their time on games console's & if to keep music alive we need fresh blood that take up where we left off... Best of luck to her & I hope she sticks playing the drums all through her life & passes her knowledge onto other generations & maybe even her kids... One last thing & that is I'm not surprised this young lady is having issues using her electronic drum kit as they really need to make them bigger, sure you can buy a bigger rack/stand to put your drums on but that's the one thing I've never liked about electronic drum kits & that's their overall size... Being a 6 foot stocky lad doesn't help me when I have to work around my Yamaha TD17KVX & I've found if I use more of a wrist flick movement than a half to full arm stretch movement, I can still reach areas without to much hassle... She'll get used to going from acoustic to electronic eventually, & it's just a case of economy of motion when going on the electronic drums & watched friends wreck their electronic snare or Tom pads as they hit them as much as their accoustic kit & though electronic kits are built to take a beating, they just don't stand up to how acoustic kits can handle this a lot better... Most of the time snare/Tom/Kick & Floor Tom's skins life spans are done to how aggressive many drummers are & I've known many that think that hitting them as if they were using baseball bats is the best way to get their desired sound & it's the same if not worse with electronic kits... Great your instruments well & they last you for many long years... .....
I got a Nitro Mesh 3 days ago and have this issue. This video made me realize that the e-drums are typically all a 8" or 10" drum and a habit from playing acoustic kits is to set them up as close as you can but forgetting that acoustic snare is usually 14" and toms are usually 12 - 16" I'm gonna have to rethink my set up. imagine there's a 14" rack tom and space it accordingly. Mimic my acoustic set up from the center of the drums not the edges. Makes so much sense. I hope the Alesis rack can accommodate.
The easiest thing to do is get the throne to pad spacing right, call that the y axis, I did this as well by expanding the rack beyond the manuals suggested arc, you'll know if it's going to tip over lol. Unfortunately with my TD27KV rack you can not really increase the X axis much as you run out of room to space them out. But for the Z axis I dismantled the kit and some of the parts to be able to increase the height of my floor toms, as I like them the same height as my snare. Using an extra snare stand to hold the module helped to get that out of the way for the HH stand, as I also use double base. It's good to read the instructions, but it's eventually better to make your own. ;)
Hey. I've been watching your videos for a few months recently. Thanks to your review and videos i recently purchased an alesis crimson 2 kit for myself. (I know its a risk but this is just something for me to play on at home.) If possible could you consider doing a video on chord managment, and maybe go in more detail on setting up the ergonomics of an electric kit? (If you already have videos could you please send me a link) thanks for all the awesome informative content
I measured out my Tama acoustic kit A Bonham setup And mirrored it on my Alesis E Kit Measured all drums center to center And heights It took a little improv , as I clamped the lowest Tom on the vertical post and rotated the spike out as far as possible And a slight bend to open the 90 degree bend in the spike so as to have a slight tilt on what would be my 18" floor tom Another hack is , moving the right side post that has the boom cymbal arm , to the left side for the hi hat (Yes , move the whole leg and boom to left side) And use the short , hi hat post , for your right side ride This will give you the most spread , and adjustable hat spot
Just got an ekit a few months ago and I noticed the same thing. It felt so weird having so much space between the drums and cymbals but it was definitely more akin to acoustic drumming once I did it.
I did the same thing to my Alesis Strike Pro and it's a night and day difference. The top toms rims are 30 in from the floor and the third and fourth toms are positioned like floor toms. I adjusted everything else to compensate with that and it's been an awesome difference.
Great video ! just got a simmons 350 just to practice. I live in a small apt so space is an issue but good to know about speading the kit out without banging the sticks together. Also I loved that Roland keyboard and Baby Grand comparison as I'm also a piano player but use a lot of keyboards too.
Great advice Justin, when I made the switch to e drum a lot of time was spent making sure the e drum set matched up to the acoustic set in the placement of each drum and cymbal, helped with transition process of the e drum playing. Hey did you know the dog is in the video (now its been mentioned for ya)
I played for years on acoustic set and went to Roland recently and yes the pads are smaller than regular drums but everything is closer that's a good thing it forces you to play with your wrists not flailing your arms like a wild man..I took lessons from Joe Morello and he used to put a belt around my upper arms to force me to use my wrists, this is something a drummer should learn to do to increase speed and endurance
Hey Justin! This is a great video and illustrates what I’ve been saying in the 65 Drums Facebook group. If you want to play both electric and acoustic, you really need to set up your electronic set as close as possibly to your acoustic set up like you said. This means both distance of the pads and cymbals, plus trying to purchase similar pads and cymbals to what you have in your acoustic setup! Now, my issue with the TD17 and many other compact kits is it’s very hard to achieve this with the small racks they come with. So you may need to spend some money on either buying rack expansion kits or a bigger rack so you can spread everything out more to get close to acoustic distances. If you are used to playing only acoustic like Sean’s daughter then your muscle memory is locked on those acoustic positions so it’s very important to do what you’ve suggested in this video. Cheers man 😄👍
Thanks Broc, very good points. It IS harder to get that pad spacing with the TD17 drumrack, but it is what it is :/ we just got to push our gear to the edge of what it can do
65 Drums Hey I was first for once! 😉 That’s true, you can only work with what you have. Someone commented in the group yesterday about a V-Drums rack expansion kit available on eBay for the TD17 and I think it was like only $16-17 + $8 shipping. That would help you space things out more and is very affordable for most people.
Justin, great video! I agree whole heartedly that your electric kit or practice kit should be set up as close as possible to your acoustic kit. I have 3 acoustic kits and a TD-50. And I have them set up as similar as I can (I’ve got them set up at different practice spots and the TD-50 at my apt). I’ve learned through the years that if you find you’re having trouble learning a groove or fill, that it may have little to do with lack of skill and more to do with drum placement. And to add that, sometimes too much or too little tension on your mesh or drum heads may have something to do with stunting your progress .
It's very useful to learn to play on different sized setups like edrums etc.. trust me u play a gig where the headliner provides the kit, it will all feel rly weird.. learning to handle any adversity and still make those beats sing is a good skill in itself. Shift them comfort zone settings
Great video Justin. I have been watching your videos for a while and I finally decided to jump in and buy an e drum kit. I have been a drummer for about 60 years. My first top of the line kit wayyyyyy back in the day was a Ludwig kit. I have a question for you. I just purchased an alesis dm10 mkii studio kit. I even splurged and bought a beautiful Tama bass pedal and thrown. I'm making, yes making my son set it up in the basement. Now here is the question. I want to put the kit on an area rug, but I can't find the dimensions of the kit anywhere. I need to know what is the best size rug. And yes I want to spread the kit out as far as possible. Thanks again for your great videos.
I've never owned an acoustic drum kit (I'm primarily a Lead/Rhythm/Bass guitarist and singer). I've messed around with drums enough to know I can keep a beat and throw some fills in. The last time I played was several years ago at Edwards Music store in Fayetteville, NC, on a Roland mesh kit. The mesh design was brand new and the kit I played was about $3k. It was just a standard (I think) 8 piece kit. I can't remember if it had a pad for the bass drum. Anyway, I ordered the Alesis Surge kit from Amazon and It should be delivered tonight. Depending on how the setup goes and how the drums feel, I may want to add some additional pads/cymbals and eventually upgrade the module, or vice versa. I realize the Surge isn't a professional grade drum kit, but I should be able to lay down some tracks and get a decent sound out of it. Given that it's been probably 25 years since I touched an acoustic drum kit and I'm going to start out playing an electronic kit, I don't think I need to "touch" and acoustic kit every now and then. However, I do understand the concept behind what you're saying. I'm sure TH-cam is going to be a big help in launching this new hobby. BTW if you have any tips on adding additional pads/cymbals to a Surge Mesh kit, please reply. Thanks for the video!
I started playing acoustic drums in 1972. In the mid 80’s I went electronic Simmons drums and later made some hybrid drums using pearl export series drums. I centered the piezo with heavy duty rubber bands. Everything was single zone of course. Then I went back to all acoustic in 1990. Then 2012 acoustic and Roland TD30 KV. Today I’m buying the Alesis strike pro SE. I went back-and-forth many times and sometimes had both at the same time. The hardest part was getting used to the Simmons drums at the beginning. And then later getting used the Roland at the beginning. Now it’s just second nature..lol
Hey, Justin, one more comment from me and I promise to shut up for the time being. Ha ha ha. I tried out a Roc-N-Soc throne at that new Guitar Center? OMG! You were right! Dang! I didn't want to get up off that fine, fine seat. So comfortable! I am definitely going to buy one! I thought I would never find anything as comfortable as Tama's 1st Chair Wide Rider throne but they discontinued it and no other drum thrones impressed me as much as that one did...until now. As a sufferer of Scoliosis, I absolutely have to have a really good drum throne. From all you've said and from other drummers, the Roc-N-Soc drum thrones are the best. I believe it now!
Wow! This video couldn't be MORE timely!!! I was at a new Guitar Center in Seattle last Thursday and got to "test drive" the new TD-17 kit and an Alesis one...can't remember which Alesis set it was but it was priced about the same as the TD-17. Anyway, my drumming was lousy on both kits and I got really depressed. One thing I did notice at the time was that I couldn't figure out how to move the tom arm clamps to tilt the tom pads towards me. Instead I was stuck having to play both kits with the tom-pads completely flat, which is pretty darn difficult! Same for the cymbal pads. I'm a left-handed drummer but I also like my ride cymbal to be above the hi-hats. I should have made the left side crash into a ride but then I couldn't have the bell sound. All in all, I left Guitar Center wondering if my time as a drummer had come to an end. After all, I AM 51! Ha ha! Thank you, thank you, Justin, maybe I don't have to quit playing drums!
@@johndef5075 Yeah, I would imagine. Too bad I have to try them out at a music store where space is at a premium and they probably wouldn't be happy if I moved things around...
I play on an electronic set, that's mostly fixed (someday I plan on expanding it and making it coser to an acoustic kit). I've been playing with this one for almost 10 years now, and when I stopped having drum classes I didn't had a chance to play acoustic kits very often...
After several decades of playing an acoustic kit, I bought an e-kit 2 weeks ago and it is challenging to be sure. I tried many, and have heard many bands playing live when the drummer had an e-kit, and the weak point of every one of them, in my opinion, is the hi-hats. I may use real hats incorporated into the e-kit.
I'm dealing with very issue. I'm a beginner drummer who has about 20 hours of practice on an acoustic kit. Yesterday I got a td-17kvx2. The first thing I noticed is the pads are really bouncey. I also don't like the 2 bars around the kick drum. I couldn't get comfortable in that position so I moved it over to the right. The kick drum is also to bouncey. I'll just need to get used to this kit tho.
I ve noticed that after I took my all my electronic cymbals off the rack and put them on stands made a huge difference in playing then just spread out Toms 👍
Getting a Alesis Surge kit. So yeah transitioning back and forth to acoustic and (E) very important. It would be natural for me as a lifetime drummer to set up the (E) kit as close as I can spacing wise as my acoustic kit for sure.
Im new to drumming and looking to buy the td 17kv in around a month. Guitar center had a 15% off last time i was there so once i have the cash i will wait for that discount again. I was thinking to get the cy13r for the 3 zone so id have the extra crash cymbal. Do you think its more cost effective in the long run to just go with the kvx with the 15% off or get the cymbal on the side with everything else. As a begginner I just dont see the need in having a high hat stand. The kit basically spoke to me when i played on it. The kv anyway. Also...maybe you did this already but could you make like a tutorial on your td 17 for absolute begginers? Like where to start after you set up? Good songs to practice etc.
I’ve explained this for years and I always felt like it fell on deaf ears. People would always say smaller pads help with accuracy but they are wrong. I can’t get the TD9 or now TD17 floor toms back far enough to simulate a 16” and 18” floor Tom. It doesn’t allow it on a small TD17 rack. I can get the TD30-50 close but the farthest pad is still short because of the rack limitations. The cymbals have same problems. Riding the edge of a 12” or 14” cymbal pad is not the same as a 18” or 22” cymbal especially when using the bell. I can place the bell in similar spot but then I have to reach for the ecymbal edge unnaturally so then when I switch to acoustic I used to hit my hand on acoustic cymbals before I could find a compromise. Another problem I see edrummers do is place all the pads in a line. That is also unnatural but I don’t fault them because they only played edrums and never acoustic.
That's all true Robert, but drummers have to make the best of the drumset they currently own. Even though positioning drums more naturally won't replicate the acoustic experience, it can at least help a bit.
65 Drums I agree, nothing replaces acoustic just like digital pedal boards with simulation amps don’t replace tube amps but it is close. We can still position the pads close enough to help and make it feel more natural. That is probably what I should have started with to make more sense
I’m running into the same issue with my new TD 17 KVX kit fighting my fat 6’2” frame. I have everything stretched out in a one up two down configuration and have decided to start replacing the tubes with Gibraltar tubes. I am hoping the 30” curved side arms allow more space to stretch out the “floor Tom’s” , a 24” front cross bar clamped to the rinky dink center piece fine additional distance, and mini T legs around the whole kit will give the entire set up a 2” lift. I believe this is called Frankenstein if a rack. If this works with using the Roland equipment clamps, I will then take plunge and match all the clamps with Gibraltar hardware. Having fun every day though!
I used to have a beautiful set of DW acoustics, but had to get rid of them due to the noise level. Then I tried a set of TD-25 electronics last year. Nothing wrong with the drums, but it did not feel right and I lost the motivation to play. Sold them. Got a set of VAD506's ......... that's the answer !!!!
Hey Justin, I have a question for you. I have an electronic drum set that I use for basic practice. My acoustic drums I use for my main practices and to practice songs. On my electronic set, I have an issue with my snare pad constantly moving down as I play. I don't think that I can tighten the clamp any more. Do you have any suggestions?
I understand that there are differences between an acoustic or original version of a musical instrument and its electronic version, although the importance of keeping up with both versions only seems important to me depending on the style or style's the player wants to indulge in.
Man if there was a video built for my flaws, this is the one. I too have experience MUCH more "stick dropping". In the last 6 months. I've probably dropped more sticks than the last 40+ years of acoustics. Then when playing on my acoustic set the cymbals/stands seem a mile away compared to the e-drum set. I credit my the pain my left shoulder/delt to the bad/inaccurate set-up of the Floor Tom pads. One day I'm definitely going to be replacing the Roland MDS-compact rack; as I sink more-and-more $$ into this electronic hobby.
Not being funny, but if I connect the foot pedal to the snare drum slot, will the foot pedal play like the snare drum? I've only got one arm so I have to play Rick Allen style!
Actually, if all I want to do is play electronic drums, cause Ill never need acoustic drums for recording and that's all I'm doing, I'm not going to give a crap if I suck on regular drums or not. I guess I'm THAT guy .
Hey Justin: what are your thoughts on Anti-vibe drum sticks? I've read that they're the best for electronic drums, particularly for hard rubber pads in a sense that its easier on the hands. Any truth to this?
I picked up a pair of anti-vibration sticks and it really made a world of a difference. I was having trouble with the sticks feeling like they were rattling in my hands any time I hit with a bit of power, and was dropping my sticks because of it. In reality the difference between anti-vibe and normal sticks is pretty minimal, but even just the little extra absorption of vibration made a HUGE difference in the feel of playing the kit. I would highly recommend picking up a pair
I must be weird but my 3 sets are all set up differently. Acoustic 2 toms. Large Roland with 4 toms and small Roland with 3 toms. I dont seem to have problems switching back and forth. Now my little Yamaha dd65 IS a bit of a challenge!😂
I just went out and bought 3 MKII 12-inch pads, and 3 10-inch, I have my snare on a stand and split TOM 4 so I have one low rack right and one on a stand on the other side of my high hat..so I have 3 12s a foot apart in a row almost and my 10s are set up the same way I set up my regular set...
I started drumming few months back, at home and on an edrum kit. I'd like to go jamming with some friends though, but the switch to an acoustic kit.. 😱
Ah no wonder I felt it so crampy. I am using Roland TD4 KP. I did not open wide fully. I like how acoustic allow your elbow to be free. I only can play acoustic at the academy. House is too loud sadly.
I used the exact same technique with my alesis. Measured my sweetspots on my acoustic and after adjusting im a fkn beast. I have no speaker but is there a way to record it to your laptop and share the file. Been trying to teach some tool polyrythms to some friends. Any help is appreciated.
Hi Justin, is there a cheap decent way to upgrade my Alexis strike to the pro version, add 2 cymbals and a Tom, the Tom can be 8 "... what's compatible (with dual zones and choke-able cymbals). I like drums as a hobby, no band or studio stuff. Thanks
Hi Justin My bell zone is losing sensivity. I tested the cables and the RDB cable dont receive drum module signal. The cable itsself its good. It has signal when i tested on multimeter. Could my drum module have hardware (electronic) issue?
Make a video on how to set up and position the kit please, I have same kit ,been playing on it for months,still felt strange or something is not right.Thanks.
I have a major question about this exact electronic drum set I just put mine together,. but two Tom's are sitting up above my snare on the left and my third Tom is sitting over on my right ........WHAT ,. can I change the position of the pads without screwing anything up??? I have not installed the brain or wires yet,. just stuck because it doesn't even seem playable with a snare between my legs and to Tom sitting up above that and then a third Tom sitting on my far right. I was wishful thinking that maybe we could position the pads and symbols where we want them even on a different bar then what it's on. ....
Hey broo, nice channel, had helped me a lot, I decide to get a td17kv, it’s amazing, it’s been 7months, now I want to use the aux trigger in with a drum splitter and get two mono diferent tones on each pad. Now, I got the splitter and I can’t configure it to be one pad the rim and the other pad the bow, what happens is that each pad becomes rim/bow just depending on how hard you hit! Please help me to make the correct set up pleasee!!
Hi Justin the one thing that caught my attention is all I have ever played is e drums do I still need to go on a acoustic drum kit I have an alesis strike pro
The middle the drum is smaller with e drums. Good point. Common to think the e-rims need to be where the a-rims are. It's a mini kit yet it's full sized. Think in a fisheye. The one key difference I found, skin feel and response is probably this girl's problem.
i practiced 4-6 hours a day with my yamaha electronic kit for 5 months : Strict rudiments, Hours of work with a metronome,Strict timekeepingetc...i felt like a god with my speed ,power and endurance,enjoyed the fruits of my labor . First week of May 2020 ,i Took out my Acoustic drums and set it up,I was expecting to be able to play them with ease..long Story short,i was total shit!! i put the Electronic kit Back in the storage. ill be Focusing on acoustic drums so I can reprogram my brain to play an acoustic kit Again Because I'm really aiming for mastery and high-level playing. Electronic drums may come close the sound of an acoustic, But we'll never come close to the real feel Of an acoustic kit.
It's amazing that this is a problem, but, the same problem exists when an acoustic drummer has to use another drummer's kit (house kits, line kits or festival set-up etc.) One thing about drummers is they rely HEAVILY on muscle memory. I noticed my left hand getting sloppy over the years and after playing for 30+; took lessons. The first thing I learned, unlearn your process and focus. This is essentially what this young lady is dealing with here. Without actually seeing her, I would imagine that instead of learning 'technique', she's learned 'form'.; It's common (like I said, I had too), but it also isn't a forgone conclusion that you HAVE to stick with it, it can be trained out of you (but as someone who had to undo 30+ years of bad habits, I had a Hell of a time doing so). Luckily this young lady is only 16 and has time to change her ways of doing things if she indeed is dong just that. If so, I would suggest the following. My first suggestion is getting lessons instead of just wood shedding - she may have talent and timing, but they will catch up with you eventually (I wish I had when I was younger I feel I may have been a better player(and I've played professionally)). Second, breaking down the 'why you move your sticks the way you do' versus 'how you move your sticks' is another key. When Neil Peart took lessons from Freddie Gruber they talked about "economy of motion", doing the same thing with less movement, being fluid in your transitions and such. Neil still sounded like Neil but he didn't have to work as hard to get there (and considering the toll his career has taken on his body, I imagine we would have had his retirement about 10 years earlier if he hadn't) Third, focus on rudiments instead of songs. Her dad mentioned she's playing 'Tool' songs, which are technically complex and very fast, but if the basics aren't strong there will always be cheats that she inserts and not realize it until much later (again, this is experience talking). Moving the drums is a great short-term solution, but digging deeper into the possible root of the issue may yield better and longer lasting results. Happy bashing!
I'm surprised nobody has noticed the dog in the video yet
inattentional blindness
I did
@65 Drums Yeah I thought that was weird, did someone leave the front door open and let a wolf in? Haha 😉
65 Drums I did 😎
The dog is hilarious.
I've been spreading my drum rack farther and farther out each week for a couple months now. It really helps the acoustic/electric switch that I'm required to do each time I play in church
One of the most important topics to cover. Great stuff! The problem is that people instantly set up their kit exactly the way they see it on dealer‘s websites and literally everywhere else.
I had the exact same situation when I friend of mine (6“4) got a TD-11 for Christmas, he called me like: „It’s fun, but somehow I feel uncomfortable“, because he set it up the way it was shown online.
Thanks Mike! I agree, I'm even taller than your friend and it's incredibly important to perfectly setup "regular" electronic drumsets to be as spread out as possible.
Being that I'm planning on buying a TD-17KVX in a week or so this video was really well timed. This took care of a lot of the issues I had with my old Nitro kit. Thanks man.
Sweet!
Just played one today. That big snare is nice! Some nice sounding kits too. If I didnt have 2 Roland sets already I would buy one.😂And should hold up better than Alesis. Good move getting KVX. Cymbals much nicer and heavier duty.
Fishy: I love your name. Very cool.
It took some time to get used to my kit (I have the same). Actually, the first couple of weeks I was not really sure that I'm happy with the purchase because it just felt really weird until I got it adjusted to have more space. Now I'm super happy with it so far!
@@DrummerGrrrl Thanks!
I usually place my drums so the distance from middle to middle of each head is about the length of a drum stick (approx 16 inch), both e-drum pads and acoustic drums.
If you then switch from 8 inch pads back to acoustic you will find that you always hit exactly the middle of the drum head, which really improved the consistency of my sound. So you can even profit from having smaller pads on the e-drum
This comment is gold.
Bravo, Justin! I'm a lifelong musician helping my 52 year old wife to realize her dream of playing drums. Every time we watch one of your videos, we learn crucial information. And you present it in a logical, concise manor.....no rambling diatribe. Thank you.
Im watching all your videos practicing my guitar!!! With this quarantine I’m looking to getting back to drumming again...my first love!
Justin, just a note to let you know that after binge watching about 3 hours of your content I took the plunge and bought the Alesis Command X Mesh last month. Still tweaking it, tom adjustment here, ride there but I'm happy. I'm playing drums again, not since '99 have I sat behind a kit. I still suck but I'm enjoying it again, thank you.
Saw this video just now and it makes total sense when I first set up my TD-17KV. I am used to playing an acoustic drum kit (hint: I’m not great) and struggled the first few times with the 17KV. I am starting to feel more comfortable with it without realizing that it could also affect my playing on an acoustic kit. But now, I’ll have this in mind and start adjusting my 17KV as well with what I was “used to”.
As a noob drummer four yrs later. This has been amazing advice. Cheers for the video.
Pretty cool that you were able to diagnose the problem from that email. Curiously, I had the opposite problem: I went from playing on a TD-1K for year to a TD-17KV on an upgraded rack (not the smaller stock one), and my timing was all kinds of messed up simply because I wasn't used to having to reach so far to hit the drums. I would say it took me about two-weeks until I started to feel comfortable on the new kit.
I've found the easiest way to adjust a kit is to close your eyes and and hit a drum head. Open your eyes and look where your stick naturally lands; that's where the middle of the drum head should be. I did this for each one of my drums (snare and four toms), and now the kit feels pretty comfortable. Whatever problems I have now are entirely my own and having nothing to do with my set-up!
Thanks to you now I have a new Alesis Niro Mesh, I LOVE it. Thanks for recommending me it on your cheap electric drum videos!
Glad the video was helpful! I think it's the best drumset that costs $350 brand new
Totally useful Justin ! I have just those "turdville" class compact dDrum Beta D Lite e-drums but what i realised as FIRST thing i have to move small rubber pseudo-hihat pad no only HIGHER but also AWAY from snare pad.
SPREADING and DISTANCE is very crucial even if starting with just 8-note only basic rock beats.
And there is huge suprise to sit behing acoustic drumkit in jam session room after week of practice on these sub-compact e-drums....
Four or more sounds from hihat cymbal instead of one, the same of snare, different sound and feel of kick pedal (you know if you tested that "spring thing" on dDrum beta, but i think stiff spring on this is still better than loose jumpy spring on silent pedal of Roland e-drums), etc.
Maybe there is a topic for video to ask begginer level drummers that started on e-drums about 5 opinions HOW IT IS FEEL LIKE to sit behind REAL drums...
Or 5 opinions of beginner acoustic drummer of HOW IT FEELS like to sit behind some kind of (lets say higher level) e-drums ?
(additionaly, how it feels like for acoustic drummer to sit behind kit connected with some sampler like Addictive Drums with sample set similar to his real drums ?)
Spot on with this video. I made sure my playing style, reach and everything should not change just because I now use an e-kit. Yes most are compact, but should not affect your playing style.
I had an electronic kit like 15 years ago after the neighbours complained about the acoustic kit at my parents house. I ABSOLUTELY hated it. Everything was too crammed in, the pads were way to small, the cymbals were these tiny little lifeless rubber triangles, the rebound felt way off on the pads and it was all on this fixed rack where you had very little freedom. I sold it and forgot all about the idea of ever having an electric kit, and therefore never ever having a drum kit at home to use as I had grown paranoid of disturbing neighbours with an acoustic kit (i'm a very heavy hitter!). But always had that longing of playing at home whenever I wanted.
15 years later I discover you can now get these low volume triggered full size (ish) cymbals, with mesh heads and triggers all thanks to your channel! I done an A to E conversion several months ago, bought jobeky cymbals and a mimic pro and its honestly been the best thing ive ever done drum kit wise! Brings a smile to my face every time I play them in my garage, knowing I'm not really bothering anyone except for maybe the odd dog walker who can hear the tap tap tapping from the garage.
If you're not enjoying the electric kit, buy a cheap acoustic one and convert it. Life changing!
Thanks for the inspiration and content! Sorry for the long post!
There is nothing like a real sensible video as per this one. Direct and to the point. Perfection. I subscribed.
I just got my first electronic kit (TD-17 KVX) a few weeks ago because I'm in an apartment and definitely can't bring my acoustic kit. This has been the biggest thing I've had to work with! Spacing the pads! So I completely agree and think you nailed it with this one. It's even harder with Roland's compact drum rack because there's not quite enough leeway to get things spaced where they need to be unfortunately. Seems like one of the weakest points of the kit for me.
Great tips! My eKit is set up at the exact same configuration as my acoustic drums. Literally measured everything and set up the same. Definitely something to point out especially if you're back and forth from acoustic to electric.
I feel the exact opposite had been an acoustic drummer for a decade. off and on total of maybe 3 solid years of that decade on acoustic set because of living situation and finally been almost a year playing on an E kit. I hear and feel a huge improvement in my playing. I play 1-4 hours a day. And when I get on an acoustic kit at a music store I feel relaxed and less tense than years ago when I first started. Also a big tip I would give to that guy who sent the email is I would setup the E kit with less pads as possible and use the metronome and coaching tool it has in the module. like just use hihat, kick and snare. Then after a month or two add ride then time passes and add only two toms and so on and so on. Helps me a lot. E kit made me realize a lot of times less is more when it comes to drumming. Or do more with less. When I had an acoustic kit I had like 5 toms 4 crashes two splashes two chinas. A ride blah blah. Sold it all and got me my first E kit. But I guess it also comes with maturing as a player. Anyway that’s my two cents. Great video as always 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I’m picking up an e-kit tomorrow and fully intend to set it up wide to what is normally comfortable with an acoustic set.
Justin , you are 100% correct. When I first got my TD25 I set it up in a cramped way because of my tiny space and yes , I got frustrated at first.
Then I moved to a bigger apartment and was able to expand toms a bit more , like open the rack and I was also able to add a fourth pad and extra cymbal...and that was a big difference in my playability. I was able to extend my arms and play in a more comfortable posture which helps for your stamina.
Great video!!!
I switched to an e-kit for more practice and I smack my sticks together and hit the rims when going around the toms. I’m glad I saw this video!
Agree. There's a lot of tips and tricks to know with electronic drums to get the perfect sound you want. I spent hours going through the manual and tinkering.
I've tried so many things to adjust the volume on my Roland TD-4 hi-hats, even returning to factory settings but there just doesn't seem to be much volume there at all. I'm considering using a real hi-hat set-up with the kit instead. Great video buddy, very valid point about the distances between drums
Yes Justin, This is a MARVELOUS film. A very important film with importantinformation that we know have helped at LEAST one young drummer. THANK YOU for your work. Well done !
I learned the whole 'crammed together' thing awhile ago. I was an accoustic player and bought a TD-7K in 1995 for practice in my apartment. First thing I noticed was that I had to be much more accurate in my hits, b/c the rubber pads were only 6 inches. But the tiny rack was the biggest problem b/c I couldn't really separate the toms like I had on my accoustic kit. So I went the opposite way and condensed my accoustic kit a bit so that the distances were closely replicated. Took a little work but I could move from one to the other much more easily after a month or two. I also found that it was important to switch back and forth with frequency, so that you dont get too used to the way one or the other feels. That's what worked for me anyway.
Helpful vid. Another thing I found (at least about Alesis Nitro Mesh) is when set up to factory specs the snare is ridiculously low. I switched that bar and the module bar and it fits more like my acoustic kit now.
Thank you for all of this!
I bought mine today, but it was already too late to play when I got home. Instead I'm watching this video, which probably is a good idea.
Love being part of the notification squad! Awesome video!
Sup PJ :)
Same
a great video as usual, Justin! My kit is about six feet from my hihats to my ride and I find ok but my high and medium toms are too close to the snare..I should have bought the 12 inch snare :( Nice dog there is it a husky??
I had an e-kit that I recently got the module for. It’s set up behind my acoustic set ala Neil Peart and I use it for evening playing and practice.
I too had to do like this dad did of measuring the distance to get the feel right. It really does matter that the fit is correct or your overall feel on the kits will be off.
Great video man! You hit all the points right on the head.
E or V Kits by their very definition are narrower than an acoustic kit & are one of the many reasons new to advanced players buy them as they're smaller & more mobile than an acoustic drum kit but with all due respect to this young lady she must have known or at least thought to herself that she'd have to set her electronic kit up in a way that she would have more room...
I've known friends that I'd go in & jam away with in the studio that spent too much time practicing at home on their E/V Kits & when they went back on to a regular accoustic drum in the studio it'd take him a little while to get used to the kit been spread out more...
It's good that your helping her & even better that we have younger kids taking up musical instruments, as way too many waste their time on games console's & if to keep music alive we need fresh blood that take up where we left off...
Best of luck to her & I hope she sticks playing the drums all through her life & passes her knowledge onto other generations & maybe even her kids...
One last thing & that is I'm not surprised this young lady is having issues using her electronic drum kit as they really need to make them bigger, sure you can buy a bigger rack/stand to put your drums on but that's the one thing I've never liked about electronic drum kits & that's their overall size...
Being a 6 foot stocky lad doesn't help me when I have to work around my Yamaha TD17KVX & I've found if I use more of a wrist flick movement than a half to full arm stretch movement, I can still reach areas without to much hassle...
She'll get used to going from acoustic to electronic eventually, & it's just a case of economy of motion when going on the electronic drums & watched friends wreck their electronic snare or Tom pads as they hit them as much as their accoustic kit & though electronic kits are built to take a beating, they just don't stand up to how acoustic kits can handle this a lot better...
Most of the time snare/Tom/Kick & Floor Tom's skins life spans are done to how aggressive many drummers are & I've known many that think that hitting them as if they were using baseball bats is the best way to get their desired sound & it's the same if not worse with electronic kits...
Great your instruments well & they last you for many long years...
.....
I got a Nitro Mesh 3 days ago and have this issue. This video made me realize that the e-drums are typically all a 8" or 10" drum and a habit from playing acoustic kits is to set them up as close as you can but forgetting that acoustic snare is usually 14" and toms are usually 12 - 16" I'm gonna have to rethink my set up. imagine there's a 14" rack tom and space it accordingly. Mimic my acoustic set up from the center of the drums not the edges. Makes so much sense. I hope the Alesis rack can accommodate.
The easiest thing to do is get the throne to pad spacing right, call that the y axis, I did this as well by expanding the rack beyond the manuals suggested arc, you'll know if it's going to tip over lol. Unfortunately with my TD27KV rack you can not really increase the X axis much as you run out of room to space them out. But for the Z axis I dismantled the kit and some of the parts to be able to increase the height of my floor toms, as I like them the same height as my snare. Using an extra snare stand to hold the module helped to get that out of the way for the HH stand, as I also use double base. It's good to read the instructions, but it's eventually better to make your own. ;)
Your vids have helped me more than any other vid here on YT. Thanx! Looking forward to more. Peace
I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Thanks man!
Hey. I've been watching your videos for a few months recently. Thanks to your review and videos i recently purchased an alesis crimson 2 kit for myself. (I know its a risk but this is just something for me to play on at home.) If possible could you consider doing a video on chord managment, and maybe go in more detail on setting up the ergonomics of an electric kit? (If you already have videos could you please send me a link) thanks for all the awesome informative content
I measured out my Tama acoustic kit
A Bonham setup
And mirrored it on my Alesis E Kit
Measured all drums center to center
And heights
It took a little improv , as I clamped the lowest Tom on the vertical post and rotated the spike out as far as possible
And a slight bend to open the 90 degree bend in the spike so as to have a slight tilt on what would be my 18" floor tom
Another hack is , moving the right side post that has the boom cymbal arm , to the left side for the hi hat
(Yes , move the whole leg and boom to left side)
And use the short , hi hat post , for your right side ride
This will give you the most spread , and adjustable hat spot
Just got an ekit a few months ago and I noticed the same thing. It felt so weird having so much space between the drums and cymbals but it was definitely more akin to acoustic drumming once I did it.
Just starting out and you answered many of my questions. Thanks
I did the same thing to my Alesis Strike Pro and it's a night and day difference. The top toms rims are 30 in from the floor and the third and fourth toms are positioned like floor toms. I adjusted everything else to compensate with that and it's been an awesome difference.
Great video ! just got a simmons 350 just to practice. I live in a small apt so space is an issue but good to know about speading the kit out without banging the sticks together. Also I loved that Roland keyboard and Baby Grand comparison as I'm also a piano player but use a lot of keyboards too.
Great advice Justin, when I made the switch to e drum a lot of time was spent making sure the e drum set matched up to the acoustic set in the placement of each drum and cymbal, helped with transition process of the e drum playing. Hey did you know the dog is in the video (now its been mentioned for ya)
Great information!! I agree I am always re-adjusting everything so I am not all crammed up!!
I played for years on acoustic set and went to Roland recently and yes the pads are smaller than regular drums but everything is closer that's a good thing it forces you to play with your wrists not flailing your arms like a wild man..I took lessons from Joe Morello and he used to put a belt around my upper arms to force me to use my wrists, this is something a drummer should learn to do to increase speed and endurance
Yay another upload! Mom get the popcorn!!!🍿
Hey Justin! This is a great video and illustrates what I’ve been saying in the 65 Drums Facebook group.
If you want to play both electric and acoustic, you really need to set up your electronic set as close as possibly to your acoustic set up like you said. This means both distance of the pads and cymbals, plus trying to purchase similar pads and cymbals to what you have in your acoustic setup!
Now, my issue with the TD17 and many other compact kits is it’s very hard to achieve this with the small racks they come with. So you may need to spend some money on either buying rack expansion kits or a bigger rack so you can spread everything out more to get close to acoustic distances.
If you are used to playing only acoustic like Sean’s daughter then your muscle memory is locked on those acoustic positions so it’s very important to do what you’ve suggested in this video.
Cheers man 😄👍
Thanks Broc, very good points. It IS harder to get that pad spacing with the TD17 drumrack, but it is what it is :/ we just got to push our gear to the edge of what it can do
65 Drums Hey I was first for once! 😉
That’s true, you can only work with what you have. Someone commented in the group yesterday about a V-Drums rack expansion kit available on eBay for the TD17 and I think it was like only $16-17 + $8 shipping. That would help you space things out more and is very affordable for most people.
That's very interesting, I'd like to take a look at that. Do you have a link?
@@65Drums It was JMLO Music but apparently they only put the listing up monthly for these parts. This is the seller: www.ebay.com/str/Jmlo-Music
@@65Drums I sent you a PM
Justin, great video! I agree whole heartedly that your electric kit or practice kit should be set up as close as possible to your acoustic kit. I have 3 acoustic kits and a TD-50. And I have them set up as similar as I can (I’ve got them set up at different practice spots and the TD-50 at my apt). I’ve learned through the years that if you find you’re having trouble learning a groove or fill, that it may have little to do with lack of skill and more to do with drum placement. And to add that, sometimes too much or too little tension on your mesh or drum heads may have something to do with stunting your progress .
It's very useful to learn to play on different sized setups like edrums etc.. trust me u play a gig where the headliner provides the kit, it will all feel rly weird.. learning to handle any adversity and still make those beats sing is a good skill in itself. Shift them comfort zone settings
Great video Justin. I have been watching your videos for a while and I finally decided to jump in and buy an e drum kit. I have been a drummer for about 60 years. My first top of the line kit wayyyyyy back in the day was a Ludwig kit. I have a question for you. I just purchased an alesis dm10 mkii studio kit. I even splurged and bought a beautiful Tama bass pedal and thrown. I'm making, yes making my son set it up in the basement. Now here is the question. I want to put the kit on an area rug, but I can't find the dimensions of the kit anywhere. I need to know what is the best size rug. And yes I want to spread the kit out as far as possible. Thanks again for your great videos.
My name is Adam and my drum pad by my high hat comes off sometimes how do I fix it your channel is awesome I’m a metal drummer
I've never owned an acoustic drum kit (I'm primarily a Lead/Rhythm/Bass guitarist and singer). I've messed around with drums enough to know I can keep a beat and throw some fills in. The last time I played was several years ago at Edwards Music store in Fayetteville, NC, on a Roland mesh kit. The mesh design was brand new and the kit I played was about $3k. It was just a standard (I think) 8 piece kit. I can't remember if it had a pad for the bass drum. Anyway, I ordered the Alesis Surge kit from Amazon and It should be delivered tonight. Depending on how the setup goes and how the drums feel, I may want to add some additional pads/cymbals and eventually upgrade the module, or vice versa. I realize the Surge isn't a professional grade drum kit, but I should be able to lay down some tracks and get a decent sound out of it. Given that it's been probably 25 years since I touched an acoustic drum kit and I'm going to start out playing an electronic kit, I don't think I need to "touch" and acoustic kit every now and then. However, I do understand the concept behind what you're saying. I'm sure TH-cam is going to be a big help in launching this new hobby. BTW if you have any tips on adding additional pads/cymbals to a Surge Mesh kit, please reply. Thanks for the video!
I started playing acoustic drums in 1972. In the mid 80’s I went electronic Simmons drums and later made some hybrid drums using pearl export series drums. I centered the piezo with heavy duty rubber bands. Everything was single zone of course. Then I went back to all acoustic in 1990. Then 2012 acoustic and Roland TD30 KV. Today I’m buying the Alesis strike pro SE. I went back-and-forth many times and sometimes had both at the same time. The hardest part was getting used to the Simmons drums at the beginning. And then later getting used the Roland at the beginning. Now it’s just second nature..lol
How old are you?
Hey, Justin, one more comment from me and I promise to shut up for the time being. Ha ha ha. I tried out a Roc-N-Soc throne at that new Guitar Center? OMG! You were right! Dang! I didn't want to get up off that fine, fine seat. So comfortable! I am definitely going to buy one! I thought I would never find anything as comfortable as Tama's 1st Chair Wide Rider throne but they discontinued it and no other drum thrones impressed me as much as that one did...until now. As a sufferer of Scoliosis, I absolutely have to have a really good drum throne. From all you've said and from other drummers, the Roc-N-Soc drum thrones are the best. I believe it now!
Awesome tips. As always, thank you for sharing this valuable info!
Thanks Bill! Glad you found the video to be useful!
Wow! This video couldn't be MORE timely!!! I was at a new Guitar Center in Seattle last Thursday and got to "test drive" the new TD-17 kit and an Alesis one...can't remember which Alesis set it was but it was priced about the same as the TD-17.
Anyway, my drumming was lousy on both kits and I got really depressed. One thing I did notice at the time was that I couldn't figure out how to move the tom arm clamps to tilt the tom pads towards me. Instead I was stuck having to play both kits with the tom-pads completely flat, which is pretty darn difficult! Same for the cymbal pads. I'm a left-handed drummer but I also like my ride cymbal to be above the hi-hats. I should have made the left side crash into a ride but then I couldn't have the bell sound. All in all, I left Guitar Center wondering if my time as a drummer had come to an end. After all, I AM 51! Ha ha! Thank you, thank you, Justin, maybe I don't have to quit playing drums!
They are very adjustable. Not hard to figure out once you get it home.
@@johndef5075 Yeah, I would imagine. Too bad I have to try them out at a music store where space is at a premium and they probably wouldn't be happy if I moved things around...
I play on an electronic set, that's mostly fixed (someday I plan on expanding it and making it coser to an acoustic kit). I've been playing with this one for almost 10 years now, and when I stopped having drum classes I didn't had a chance to play acoustic kits very often...
This was not what I was looking for but it was still very helpful
So much of an excellent video. Thanks.
After several decades of playing an acoustic kit, I bought an e-kit 2 weeks ago and it is challenging to be sure. I tried many, and have heard many bands playing live when the drummer had an e-kit, and the weak point of every one of them, in my opinion, is the hi-hats. I may use real hats incorporated into the e-kit.
Oh yeah I just got an edrum and it feels so different. I'm used to stretching out my hands on an acoustic set
I'm dealing with very issue. I'm a beginner drummer who has about 20 hours of practice on an acoustic kit. Yesterday I got a td-17kvx2. The first thing I noticed is the pads are really bouncey. I also don't like the 2 bars around the kick drum. I couldn't get comfortable in that position so I moved it over to the right. The kick drum is also to bouncey. I'll just need to get used to this kit tho.
Excellent video.. well crisp n clear
I ve noticed that after I took my all my electronic cymbals off the rack and put them on stands made a huge difference in playing then just spread out Toms 👍
Getting a Alesis Surge kit. So yeah transitioning back and forth to acoustic and (E) very important. It would be natural for me as a lifetime drummer to set up the (E) kit as close as I can spacing wise as my acoustic kit for sure.
Great information as always! Thanks Justin!
Im new to drumming and looking to buy the td 17kv in around a month. Guitar center had a 15% off last time i was there so once i have the cash i will wait for that discount again. I was thinking to get the cy13r for the 3 zone so id have the extra crash cymbal. Do you think its more cost effective in the long run to just go with the kvx with the 15% off or get the cymbal on the side with everything else. As a begginner I just dont see the need in having a high hat stand. The kit basically spoke to me when i played on it. The kv anyway. Also...maybe you did this already but could you make like a tutorial on your td 17 for absolute begginers? Like where to start after you set up? Good songs to practice etc.
I’ve explained this for years and I always felt like it fell on deaf ears. People would always say smaller pads help with accuracy but they are wrong. I can’t get the TD9 or now TD17 floor toms back far enough to simulate a 16” and 18” floor Tom. It doesn’t allow it on a small TD17 rack. I can get the TD30-50 close but the farthest pad is still short because of the rack limitations.
The cymbals have same problems. Riding the edge of a 12” or 14” cymbal pad is not the same as a 18” or 22” cymbal especially when using the bell. I can place the bell in similar spot but then I have to reach for the ecymbal edge unnaturally so then when I switch to acoustic I used to hit my hand on acoustic cymbals before I could find a compromise.
Another problem I see edrummers do is place all the pads in a line. That is also unnatural but I don’t fault them because they only played edrums and never acoustic.
That's all true Robert, but drummers have to make the best of the drumset they currently own. Even though positioning drums more naturally won't replicate the acoustic experience, it can at least help a bit.
65 Drums I agree, nothing replaces acoustic just like digital pedal boards with simulation amps don’t replace tube amps but it is close.
We can still position the pads close enough to help and make it feel more natural. That is probably what I should have started with to make more sense
I’m running into the same issue with my new TD 17 KVX kit fighting my fat 6’2” frame. I have everything stretched out in a one up two down configuration and have decided to start replacing the tubes with Gibraltar tubes. I am hoping the 30” curved side arms allow more space to stretch out the “floor Tom’s” , a 24” front cross bar clamped to the rinky dink center piece fine additional distance, and mini T legs around the whole kit will give the entire set up a 2” lift. I believe this is called Frankenstein if a rack. If this works with using the Roland equipment clamps, I will then take plunge and match all the clamps with Gibraltar hardware. Having fun every day though!
I used to have a beautiful set of DW acoustics, but had to get rid of them due to the noise level. Then I tried a set of TD-25 electronics last year. Nothing wrong with the drums, but it did not feel right and I lost the motivation to play. Sold them. Got a set of VAD506's ......... that's the answer !!!!
Hey Justin, I have a question for you. I have an electronic drum set that I use for basic practice. My acoustic drums I use for my main practices and to practice songs. On my electronic set, I have an issue with my snare pad constantly moving down as I play. I don't think that I can tighten the clamp any more. Do you have any suggestions?
I understand that there are differences between an acoustic or original version of a musical instrument and its electronic version, although the importance of keeping up with both versions only seems important to me depending on the style or style's the player wants to indulge in.
this was helpful i learn on an acoustic kit but don't have space for one so I got an electronic one and it feels weird
Man if there was a video built for my flaws, this is the one. I too have experience MUCH more "stick dropping". In the last 6 months. I've probably dropped more sticks than the last 40+ years of acoustics. Then when playing on my acoustic set the cymbals/stands seem a mile away compared to the e-drum set. I credit my the pain my left shoulder/delt to the bad/inaccurate set-up of the Floor Tom pads. One day I'm definitely going to be replacing the Roland MDS-compact rack; as I sink more-and-more $$ into this electronic hobby.
Not being funny, but if I connect the foot pedal to the snare drum slot, will the foot pedal play like the snare drum? I've only got one arm so I have to play Rick Allen style!
Excellent topic and well-presented info. This could really help a lot of people so I'll be sharing, and I hope others do the same. Thanks.
Actually, if all I want to do is play electronic drums, cause Ill never need acoustic drums for recording and that's all I'm doing, I'm not going to give a crap if I suck on regular drums or not. I guess I'm THAT guy .
Hey Justin: what are your thoughts on Anti-vibe drum sticks? I've read that they're the best for electronic drums, particularly for hard rubber pads in a sense that its easier on the hands. Any truth to this?
I picked up a pair of anti-vibration sticks and it really made a world of a difference. I was having trouble with the sticks feeling like they were rattling in my hands any time I hit with a bit of power, and was dropping my sticks because of it. In reality the difference between anti-vibe and normal sticks is pretty minimal, but even just the little extra absorption of vibration made a HUGE difference in the feel of playing the kit. I would highly recommend picking up a pair
but you dont need to hammer edrums, up the sensitivity and kiss the pads- save yourself from arthritis later
I must be weird but my 3 sets are all set up differently. Acoustic 2 toms. Large Roland with 4 toms and small Roland with 3 toms. I dont seem to have problems switching back and forth. Now my little Yamaha dd65 IS a bit of a challenge!😂
I just went out and bought 3 MKII 12-inch pads, and 3 10-inch, I have my snare on a stand and split TOM 4 so I have one low rack right and one on a stand on the other side of my high hat..so I have 3 12s a foot apart in a row almost and my 10s are set up the same way I set up my regular set...
I'm that guy that plays electronic exclusively out of necessity but whenever I get to a big kit I shit the bed
I started drumming few months back, at home and on an edrum kit. I'd like to go jamming with some friends though, but the switch to an acoustic kit.. 😱
Ah no wonder I felt it so crampy. I am using Roland TD4 KP. I did not open wide fully. I like how acoustic allow your elbow to be free. I only can play acoustic at the academy. House is too loud sadly.
I used the exact same technique with my alesis. Measured my sweetspots on my acoustic and after adjusting im a fkn beast. I have no speaker but is there a way to record it to your laptop and share the file. Been trying to teach some tool polyrythms to some friends. Any help is appreciated.
Hi Justin, is there a cheap decent way to upgrade my Alexis strike to the pro version, add 2 cymbals and a Tom, the Tom can be 8 "... what's compatible (with dual zones and choke-able cymbals). I like drums as a hobby, no band or studio stuff. Thanks
great video, thanks for the solid information and advice. i approached my e-drum setup the same way you described here! i totally agree with you :-D
Hi Justin
My bell zone is losing sensivity.
I tested the cables and the RDB cable dont receive drum module signal.
The cable itsself its good. It has signal when i tested on multimeter.
Could my drum module have hardware (electronic) issue?
Make a video on how to set up and position the kit please, I have same kit ,been playing on it for months,still felt strange or something is not right.Thanks.
0:27 The query of a despaired father breaks my heart. Hope the kid found her way. Wish it so bad....
Hi can you show how to set.up the XSTICK of Roland TD-17KVX?
Dude your video are amazing.
Hey justin im 16 but what edrum kit do you recommend for $170 - $180
I have a major question about this exact electronic drum set I just put mine together,. but two Tom's are sitting up above my snare on the left and my third Tom is sitting over on my right ........WHAT ,. can I change the position of the pads without screwing anything up??? I have not installed the brain or wires yet,. just stuck because it doesn't even seem playable with a snare between my legs and to Tom sitting up above that and then a third Tom sitting on my far right. I was wishful thinking that maybe we could position the pads and symbols where we want them even on a different bar then what it's on. ....
Hey broo, nice channel, had helped me a lot, I decide to get a td17kv, it’s amazing, it’s been 7months, now I want to use the aux trigger in with a drum splitter and get two mono diferent tones on each pad. Now, I got the splitter and I can’t configure it to be one pad the rim and the other pad the bow, what happens is that each pad becomes rim/bow just depending on how hard you hit! Please help me to make the correct set up pleasee!!
Hi Justin the one thing that caught my attention is all I have ever played is e drums do I still need to go on a acoustic drum kit I have an alesis strike pro
I recently got a frankenkit and I'm having trouble with this same issue. It feels so crammed up.
The middle the drum is smaller with e drums. Good point. Common to think the e-rims need to be where the a-rims are. It's a mini kit yet it's full sized. Think in a fisheye. The one key difference I found, skin feel and response is probably this girl's problem.
i practiced 4-6 hours a day with my yamaha electronic kit for 5 months : Strict rudiments, Hours of work with a metronome,Strict timekeepingetc...i felt like a god with my speed ,power and endurance,enjoyed the fruits of my labor .
First week of May 2020 ,i Took out my Acoustic drums and set it up,I was expecting to be able to play them with ease..long Story short,i was total shit!! i put the Electronic kit Back in the storage.
ill be Focusing on acoustic drums so I can reprogram my brain to play an acoustic kit Again Because I'm really aiming for mastery and high-level playing.
Electronic drums may come close the sound of an acoustic, But we'll never come close to the real feel Of an acoustic kit.
It's amazing that this is a problem, but, the same problem exists when an acoustic drummer has to use another drummer's kit (house kits, line kits or festival set-up etc.) One thing about drummers is they rely HEAVILY on muscle memory. I noticed my left hand getting sloppy over the years and after playing for 30+; took lessons. The first thing I learned, unlearn your process and focus. This is essentially what this young lady is dealing with here. Without actually seeing her, I would imagine that instead of learning 'technique', she's learned 'form'.; It's common (like I said, I had too), but it also isn't a forgone conclusion that you HAVE to stick with it, it can be trained out of you (but as someone who had to undo 30+ years of bad habits, I had a Hell of a time doing so). Luckily this young lady is only 16 and has time to change her ways of doing things if she indeed is dong just that. If so, I would suggest the following.
My first suggestion is getting lessons instead of just wood shedding - she may have talent and timing, but they will catch up with you eventually (I wish I had when I was younger I feel I may have been a better player(and I've played professionally)). Second, breaking down the 'why you move your sticks the way you do' versus 'how you move your sticks' is another key. When Neil Peart took lessons from Freddie Gruber they talked about "economy of motion", doing the same thing with less movement, being fluid in your transitions and such. Neil still sounded like Neil but he didn't have to work as hard to get there (and considering the toll his career has taken on his body, I imagine we would have had his retirement about 10 years earlier if he hadn't) Third, focus on rudiments instead of songs. Her dad mentioned she's playing 'Tool' songs, which are technically complex and very fast, but if the basics aren't strong there will always be cheats that she inserts and not realize it until much later (again, this is experience talking). Moving the drums is a great short-term solution, but digging deeper into the possible root of the issue may yield better and longer lasting results.
Happy bashing!
Upgrading to bigger pads helps too,at least go for a 12" snare.You can find a PD-125 on eBay for $100 if you're patient.
This video was really helpful thanks a lot 65 drums