Revisiting this video, None of these devices have stood the test of time for me for the following reasons - lack of proper sensitivity and serious angle drift issues which just get really annoying after a while (you'll see that in 10:38 of this video). They've all been sitting in a drawer here for about 2 years at this point. If you're looking to learn drums then get a practice pad, acoustic drum kit, or electronic drum kit, i.e. something that you can physically hit and practice your rebound. I'll be putting a lot more thought into future videos and I'll be a lot more critical of products where necessary in the future.
Thanks for this review and the comparaison! Here are some additionnal points: - We do support Heel up. The sensor on your feet is not well mount on the video ;-) - You can change the sensibility of all your sensors to more precision if you prefer - you can play with the sensor on the top or under the drumsticks, both are working even if your sensors are turning when you play. We gonna launch, as we used to, new updates with a lot of improvments soon. Stay tuned!
Fantastic video mate!For me it be fusion of Freedrum and Senstroke be the ultimate! seems like sensors on Free are best but I like the physical contact with the Senstroke.On both cause even though they have been out a while but still fairly new products that the software/firmware side of things is where they are all lacking due to small teams I don’t know.I think 2 gen even 3rd gen is where you are going to see these products really shine when they get to grips with everything if I was to pick it be Freedrum double bass peddle is important for me and it sounds the best.
Thanks! Yeah, it will be interesting to see how the technology develops... though the good thing about software/firmware updates is that they can be pushed out to existing sensors and apps as they come out (e.g. both Freedrum and Senstroke can push updates to the sensors via bluetooth from your phone). Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on new hardware versions and review them as they come out!
thank you so much for making this. i was having some buyers remorse on freedrum when i read a few extra details but your video gave me more confidence. i'm excited while waiting for them in the mail now :D
Hi Max, I'm glad you found the video helpful! Hope you enjoy playing Freedrum. Make sure to update the sensors if necessary using the Sensorware app, and try to start off with a small kit so you can get used to the motion of playing the virtual kit... it can take a bit of getting used to at the start!
@@electronicdrumadvisor thanks! I'm an experienced aerodrum player so I've hammered out tons of tunes on a virtual kit. I just don't like the limitation of having to haul around my windows laptop and trying to set up in a spot with no lights or reflective surfaces behind me. I'm hoping an app based solution will be my answer
Cool. When you get started with Freedrum, if you have time at any stage to leave another comment, I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts about how they compare!
so i received them in the mail and spent several hours on them so far...i have to say, i'm pretty darn disappointed. Aerodrums is still the gold standard for me. I don't have a problem with my purchase though because Freedrum has already funded and completed a kick starter campaign for version 2 which actually addresses all of my negative opinions about version 1. I like supporting companies as they grow if it means they can continue pushing out products that I'll eventually buy and enjoy :D
@@theological1127 Thanks for the update, Max. Good to get extra opinions on this. I'm going to try to get my hands on Freedrum 2 as early as possible and I'll be posting a video about it. If you're disappointed with Freedrum 1 then maybe consider their return policy (14 days I think) and you could even preorder Freedrum 2 on one of those crowdfunding sites. It will be interesting to see how well Freedrum 2 will perform in addressing the issues. For some of the shortcomings of Freedrum/Senstroke/Aeroband products as a whole... I'm really wondering if they are just a technology limitation of gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc, or if they can iterate on what they've done to make a really solid product out of them. Time will tell!
1st, I'm not a drummer. I'm a 68yr old retiree looking to learn to play drums in my spare time (emphasis on play). I don't have any room in my house, so I bought AeroBand Pocketdrum 2. after 2 weeks I'm returning them. by the time you get to level 3, song 4, they are pretty much unplayable. I really liked the app they have, though could have used more songs at each level. but the connection issue drove me crazy! my choices for drums were the Aeroband or Hyperdrum. I chose the Aeroband because of the app. Hyperdrum comes with no app. So, though Aerobands App is good for a beginner like me, the Drums are so bad as to make you not want to play..
I have both Senstroke and Freedrum. They are quiet differences between the two, but I like the fact that you must hit something with Senstroke. It feels more natural for me in some ways. Not really sensor related but Freedrum customer service is terrible, just check out the forum for example. Had only issues when trying to tall with FD... too bad 😑
My advice, if you want to learn to play drums, start with a practice pad and a pair of sticks, learn rudiments, single, double strokes, paradiddles, etc. This is just for fun purposes and that’s it. Impossible to develope technique if you don’t have a rebound.
Freedrum has a blog on their website talking about wifi headphones as a good wireless option, as you’ve suggested and widely discussed Bluetooth headphones don’t work due to the additional lag. I simply use short cable between my phone and Bose S1 Pro and roam wherever I want. Or wire up my Bose headphone for realistic sounds. I also find a lot more flexibility and great range of sounds using Freedrum connected to GarageBand via iPhone as it is very stable and easy to connect. Drifting can also be improved by additional elastic band or tape to help secure in place so it doesn’t twist when you get a bit excited and start playing more wildly. Can’t wait for Freedrum 2 which will have embedded sensors within the stick.
@@electronicdrumadvisor thanks for the videos. I’m glad someone’s given a fair review overall. There are a few people that have struggled with Freedrum, either in setup or apparent major drift, but after some practice I don’t experience drift like they describe. Once you understand how the sensors actually work, and adjust your playing to suit, it only gets better. As you can see in some of my clips in TH-cam, from playing as a novice 2-3 years back, to now I feel a big improvement in my drumming. Can’t wait for Freedrum 2 next year.
Love the idea of these things. Like to get them out at a party or something. But as s serious tool for drumming? I'd sooner just play a practice pad kit.
I mainly play the electric guitar but I'm looking for a decent quiet and small electronic drum set that has MIDI capabilities and some level of sensitivity. I don't care how it looks and I will be fine as long as it has some amount of rebound. It'd be great if it is under $200. And It'd be great if I can control the kick and the HI Hhat with my feet instead of my hands or fingers. Anyone have any recommendations? Thank you all in advance.
Aerodrums' tracking technique seems to be superior (optical motion tracking on aerodrums, compared to inertial motion tracking on these products), at the cost of being a bit more awkward to set up. Aerodrums are planning on sending me a set for review but I'm still waiting on it. I'll do a review video and comparison when I receive it.
Can't tell. Think you're playing the room audio rather than the direct-out audio from the systems? If not, there's something wrong with all those systems 'cos they all sound horrible and tinny :( Actually I know they CAN sound better, as I did watch another vid with Aeroband's system, where they captured the audio directly and it sounded pretty darn good - but the guy couldn't play drums, so the video was worthless. Was really hoping to hear some cool actual audio ....
@@MadhuAmborummal I would say it is a legitimate tool for practice, recording when space constraints and/or noise is a concern. Fully MIDI compatible, highly customizable. Their customer service and clear belief in their product are other big positives.
You couldn't route them through a DAW, and a neutral kit there, and capture that audio? They all sound like garbááááge because we're hearing them from what sounds like an in-camera mic off some speakers in an untreated room. That's not me being a dick-what I'm hearing is demonstrably terrible, so I'm interested in none of them.
Revisiting this video, None of these devices have stood the test of time for me for the following reasons - lack of proper sensitivity and serious angle drift issues which just get really annoying after a while (you'll see that in 10:38 of this video). They've all been sitting in a drawer here for about 2 years at this point. If you're looking to learn drums then get a practice pad, acoustic drum kit, or electronic drum kit, i.e. something that you can physically hit and practice your rebound. I'll be putting a lot more thought into future videos and I'll be a lot more critical of products where necessary in the future.
What about Aerordrums or the new upcoming Aerodrum 2? That seems to solve your complaints, except no rebound due the air drumming.
Thanks for this review and the comparaison!
Here are some additionnal points:
- We do support Heel up. The sensor on your feet is not well mount on the video ;-)
- You can change the sensibility of all your sensors to more precision if you prefer
- you can play with the sensor on the top or under the drumsticks, both are working even if your sensors are turning when you play.
We gonna launch, as we used to, new updates with a lot of improvments soon. Stay tuned!
hi, how did open and close hi hat works on senstroke?
Fantastic video mate!For me it be fusion of Freedrum and Senstroke be the ultimate! seems like sensors on Free are best but I like the physical contact with the Senstroke.On both cause even though they have been out a while but still fairly new products that the software/firmware side of things is where they are all lacking due to small teams I don’t know.I think 2 gen even 3rd gen is where you are going to see these products really shine when they get to grips with everything if I was to pick it be Freedrum double bass peddle is important for me and it sounds the best.
Thanks! Yeah, it will be interesting to see how the technology develops... though the good thing about software/firmware updates is that they can be pushed out to existing sensors and apps as they come out (e.g. both Freedrum and Senstroke can push updates to the sensors via bluetooth from your phone). Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on new hardware versions and review them as they come out!
thank you so much for making this. i was having some buyers remorse on freedrum when i read a few extra details but your video gave me more confidence. i'm excited while waiting for them in the mail now :D
Hi Max, I'm glad you found the video helpful! Hope you enjoy playing Freedrum. Make sure to update the sensors if necessary using the Sensorware app, and try to start off with a small kit so you can get used to the motion of playing the virtual kit... it can take a bit of getting used to at the start!
@@electronicdrumadvisor thanks! I'm an experienced aerodrum player so I've hammered out tons of tunes on a virtual kit. I just don't like the limitation of having to haul around my windows laptop and trying to set up in a spot with no lights or reflective surfaces behind me. I'm hoping an app based solution will be my answer
Cool. When you get started with Freedrum, if you have time at any stage to leave another comment, I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts about how they compare!
so i received them in the mail and spent several hours on them so far...i have to say, i'm pretty darn disappointed. Aerodrums is still the gold standard for me. I don't have a problem with my purchase though because Freedrum has already funded and completed a kick starter campaign for version 2 which actually addresses all of my negative opinions about version 1. I like supporting companies as they grow if it means they can continue pushing out products that I'll eventually buy and enjoy :D
@@theological1127 Thanks for the update, Max. Good to get extra opinions on this. I'm going to try to get my hands on Freedrum 2 as early as possible and I'll be posting a video about it. If you're disappointed with Freedrum 1 then maybe consider their return policy (14 days I think) and you could even preorder Freedrum 2 on one of those crowdfunding sites.
It will be interesting to see how well Freedrum 2 will perform in addressing the issues. For some of the shortcomings of Freedrum/Senstroke/Aeroband products as a whole... I'm really wondering if they are just a technology limitation of gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc, or if they can iterate on what they've done to make a really solid product out of them. Time will tell!
1st, I'm not a drummer. I'm a 68yr old retiree looking to learn to play drums in my spare time (emphasis on play). I don't have any room in my house, so I bought AeroBand Pocketdrum 2. after 2 weeks I'm returning them. by the time you get to level 3, song 4, they are pretty much unplayable. I really liked the app they have, though could have used more songs at each level. but the connection issue drove me crazy! my choices for drums were the Aeroband or Hyperdrum. I chose the Aeroband because of the app. Hyperdrum comes with no app. So, though Aerobands App is good for a beginner like me, the Drums are so bad as to make you not want to play..
I have both Senstroke and Freedrum. They are quiet differences between the two, but I like the fact that you must hit something with Senstroke. It feels more natural for me in some ways.
Not really sensor related but Freedrum customer service is terrible, just check out the forum for example. Had only issues when trying to tall with FD... too bad 😑
My advice, if you want to learn to play drums, start with a practice pad and a pair of sticks, learn rudiments, single, double strokes, paradiddles, etc. This is just for fun purposes and that’s it. Impossible to develope technique if you don’t have a rebound.
Exactly what I needed thanks
would like to see this redone with Pocketdrum 2
I ended up backing an early bird Kickstarter for Free drum 2, hoping it ships out this quarter after the delays it's had releasing.
Freedrum has a blog on their website talking about wifi headphones as a good wireless option, as you’ve suggested and widely discussed Bluetooth headphones don’t work due to the additional lag. I simply use short cable between my phone and Bose S1 Pro and roam wherever I want. Or wire up my Bose headphone for realistic sounds. I also find a lot more flexibility and great range of sounds using Freedrum connected to GarageBand via iPhone as it is very stable and easy to connect.
Drifting can also be improved by additional elastic band or tape to help secure in place so it doesn’t twist when you get a bit excited and start playing more wildly. Can’t wait for Freedrum 2 which will have embedded sensors within the stick.
Hi Robin, hugely helpful info here. Thanks for the comment!
@@electronicdrumadvisor thanks for the videos. I’m glad someone’s given a fair review overall. There are a few people that have struggled with Freedrum, either in setup or apparent major drift, but after some practice I don’t experience drift like they describe. Once you understand how the sensors actually work, and adjust your playing to suit, it only gets better. As you can see in some of my clips in TH-cam, from playing as a novice 2-3 years back, to now I feel a big improvement in my drumming. Can’t wait for Freedrum 2 next year.
Very useful review. Thank you
Would be nice to add PocketDrum2 to this review or at list compare PocketDrum1 vs PocketDrum2
If get my hands on PocketDrum 2 then I'll do a separate review/comparison of it!
thank you for the review.
Thank you. Still not sure which one I will go with. Just a novice drummer without a lot of room or interest in making novice anyone can hear but me.
Airdrum sounds like it's hitting a metal pan in your demo here. Is there a way to set it so that it sounds like "real" drums?
Love the idea of these things. Like to get them out at a party or something. But as s serious tool for drumming? I'd sooner just play a practice pad kit.
hi, how did open and close hi hat works on senstroke?
super helpful thanks mate
Can Freedrum be used with some sort of hitting or landing pad like Senstroke?
Question, since you’re a drummer…. Do you know what foot tapping is?
How does the kickdrum adapter work exactly?
I mainly play the electric guitar but I'm looking for a decent quiet and small electronic drum set that has MIDI capabilities and some level of sensitivity. I don't care how it looks and I will be fine as long as it has some amount of rebound.
It'd be great if it is under $200.
And It'd be great if I can control the kick and the HI Hhat with my feet instead of my hands or fingers.
Anyone have any recommendations?
Thank you all in advance.
Can you set the swing distance?
does Freedrum allows to use midi to trigger vsti or sound modules ? thks
Yeah it's MIDI over Bluetooth and can connect to your computer to trigger Vsts
Freedrum sounds the best
Some ok samples but much better when using with GarageBand and all the available DrumKits I there. NeoSoul or Slow Jam are my favourite.
Thanks for the comment, Scott! Keep on Rockin' 🤘
so, Aerodrums (not shown in the video) seems to be better than all of those
Aerodrums' tracking technique seems to be superior (optical motion tracking on aerodrums, compared to inertial motion tracking on these products), at the cost of being a bit more awkward to set up. Aerodrums are planning on sending me a set for review but I'm still waiting on it. I'll do a review video and comparison when I receive it.
Can't tell. Think you're playing the room audio rather than the direct-out audio from the systems? If not, there's something wrong with all those systems 'cos they all sound horrible and tinny :( Actually I know they CAN sound better, as I did watch another vid with Aeroband's system, where they captured the audio directly and it sounded pretty darn good - but the guy couldn't play drums, so the video was worthless. Was really hoping to hear some cool actual audio ....
Bro you should have thrown in there Aero Drums.
I'll cover Aerodrums in a separate video at some stage!
@@electronicdrumadvisor looking forward to it
Aerodrums is in another league. The samples and dynamic range are incredible. Just got mine this week!
@@suprchickn7745 Is Aerodrums is the best for professional use?
@@MadhuAmborummal I would say it is a legitimate tool for practice, recording when space constraints and/or noise is a concern. Fully MIDI compatible, highly customizable. Their customer service and clear belief in their product are other big positives.
Nevermind
Lol that's funny
You couldn't route them through a DAW, and a neutral kit there, and capture that audio? They all sound like garbááááge because we're hearing them from what sounds like an in-camera mic off some speakers in an untreated room. That's not me being a dick-what I'm hearing is demonstrably terrible, so I'm interested in none of them.
Freedrum is not 100% sure when theyll shippp so i would rule them out and go with other brand
Senstroke
Aeroband sounds like they sampled the drums off a cheap keyboard
8 ads just to watch this. Just dumb.
All of them sound HORRIBLE!!!
Pls use better sound and someone that can drum, sounds like kids messing on 1 of my kits