Simmons SD1200 - Review And Playing Examples
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 พ.ย. 2019
- Today I'm reviewing the brand new Simmons SD1200 electronic drumset. Is it worth buying?
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The Simmons SD1200 has a lot going for it and against it. I like the sizes, they are identical to the Alesis Crimson. The sounds are better than the Crimson, but not on par with Roland or Yamaha. The faders, a color screen, Bluetooth MIDI, and unchained zone editing all make this set very appealing. At the same time, the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired, the kick drum and ride aren't my favorite, and it doesn't play as smooth as some of the more established brands. This kit is best for those that just want a large mesh kit to use with Drum software. The extended version also looks interested. It gives you an extra crash and a 4th tom for $100. But that $1200 price puts it squarely in the cross hairs of the Roland TD17KV which makes it a tough sell. Overall: this is Simmons best effort to date, I like a lot of the features. However It would be a bit more compelling at a hundred bucks less because of how similar it is to the Alesis Crimson at $1000. I'm looking forward to more kits from Simmons in the future though. I'm seeing small but steady improvements in ever drumset they release.
(disclaimer: Simmons gave 65 Drums the kit and amps for review, but they did not sponsor the review. They are seeing this video at the same time you are, and the company had no say in the final video)
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People were asking if I made a review of those Simmons drum amps, here's the link to that video! th-cam.com/video/VnJqT_bkMiw/w-d-xo.html
The cymbals i will replaced with the metal version instead of using rubber cymbals.
Will SD1200 cymbals work with the SD600 module?
Good to see simmons actually putting an effort into an electric set again
They've been floundering around for years
I’m considering investing in this kit for a practice kit. This video has been extremely helpful, thank you very much.
I still have the original SDS5. This brings back memories.
I bought this Set for 400 bucks 2nd hand but like new ! It gave me nothing but excitement ever since !
I have this set and I think its a great value for the price. I'm not sure about simmons quality in the past but this set is totally solid. The stand is great. I've used the Roland TD-17KV and KVX and really didn't feel that the extra cost was worth it. Having an ipad wirelessly connected on the provided stand completely changes the experience. Editing is done in real time. The amount of control you have over the triggers is amazing with the app and it is very intuitive. It works really well.
Does this have a mix in input like Roland? I like using the wire than Bluetooth. I play along to songs on TH-cam with my kit. I'm thinking of getting this cause my TD6 is getting old. Some of the kits sound pretty good from what I hear.
@@billdolan4014 not sure if it’s exactly like Roland, but it has a 1/8 inch Jack in the back to run audio in with its own volume control, I’m using for the exact purpose you mention.
Can u add a extra cymbal?
@@georgiecatalano90 yes. they sell it for $79.99. they also have an expanded version with an extra tom and symbol.
Simmons was the original electronic drum manufacturer...
The video quality is a lot better! Keep up the good work.
The ‘Nails’ kit on this sounds great, it’s really gritty electronic nature reminds me of Bands like Nine Inch Nails and Front 242.
Interesting to see Simmons start to take themselves seriously. This is a step in the right direction for them.
And for the money it sounds good and it gives you good size pads
Sounds good Justin!!
Great review, the best i´ve seen. Thanks a lot!
Great review!
Good video about that kit I was looking at the 600 and the one in this video but to much for my pocket so ending up getting Alesis surge ty for posting
Love all of your reviews. I’m surprised when you said you don’t have an iOS device. I always have an iPad on a cymbal stand for a minimum lyrics and notes we all share via Dropbox. However, I also midi in from my TD9 module and use it as a brain with GarageBand or other apps. That would be a good review for you to try with just an iOS device as the module, midi, and any of your kits.
Hi Justin, I know you said "zones aren't chained" so can use splitters.I'm interested in adding a second KP2 kick pad tower and was thinking of splitting the current kick trigger with a stereo to 2 mono y cable or maybe a mono to 2 mono y cable thoughts , possibilities ?
The prices have dropped $100 for both versions. The expanded set seem like the best bargain on the market.
Sounds to me ,Simmons took the large bell area of their sd2000 cymbal pads and incorporated it into these pads,why there is that sound dufference in loudness that extends beyond the bell.
Thank you. Extremely helpful 👍
Great video
Columbus Percussion T Shirt.....from my hometown!
great place!
Shoutout from Bexley! Been shopping there since 80s. Music Go Round nice too.
Hi Justin quick question for you, how do you adjust the tension on the individual drum pads with the drum key? Making sure you don’t over tighten or under tighten? There is no pitch feedback like you would have on a traditional drum that tells you when the tension is balanced across the head.please advise, thank you!
I am new to the electronic drums. Can you upgrade the sounds in this module?
Loved my SD9k. Was my intro set. This is solid for the price.
I gotta be honest im pretty impressed for the price point and I don't pickup on an issues with machine gunning. The sounds I think are better than say a dtx500. And one thing im curious about are those pads. Do they have metal bases?
Can you please review some drum thrones? I have noticed there arnt any with any ball room
im trying to figure out whether to get this or the yamaha dtx 522k
Bud do you know this 10 inch dual zone Tom from SIMMONS WILL WORK as snare in ales is nitro. This expansion Tom is like $100 ty
At the end of the day there's only one company I've found that gives you what you want for what it's worth and that's Yamaha but now they're just not focussing on the electric drum mid-high level consumers like myself looking to upgrade. I'd pull the trigger on this Simmon or Axesis if they weren't built so half-measured as this review clearly points out. Thank you for your opinion on this kit but this should be $500 kit based on today's tech.
I agree with you . See the dated multipad Yamaha has. It has some unique features , ie playable with hands, but on the other hand it lucks of memory and SD memory slot. If they manage to upgrade it with a slight price increase it will keep up the competition
I'm hoping and maybe even praying a little...that Yamaha is going to drop some brand new cooler than shit e-drums into the January 2020 NAMM show. Christmas would be a little later this year but wouldn't it be great if they replaced many of their outdated e-kit offerings?!! I'm still buying an acoustic drum set but want to augment it with some e-kit components.
It sounds good
7:01 Ooh, oh boy, that's... that's uh... that's real crusty. How did they get away with that?
Hello. I have this kit and its great but I noticed that if I hit twice hard on the kick pad its sometime trigger just one. You know this problem?
just got the simmons sd600 6 months ago and i gotta be honest, It wasnt bad at first, but it just recently kicked the bucket on me. It died pad by pad too. I hated how the sensors were setup under the mesh heads, protruding the head. I feel like that design had something to do with the slow death of each tom. This kit seems alright, but its gotta do really well for me to ever buy from simmons again.
Unbelievable. I have 2 Roland sets I bought used. Have been playing them hard for a year and a half and only had a cable fail.
John DeF ride on dude. Wish i had that experience.
@@mdlassel did you buy extended warranty?
how do you associate the sound of the side stick or cross stick on the snare pad? i bought this electronic set but i can't pair
Amazing video! I’ve watched this many times because I can get this for $600 brand new? Should I do it? I really want the Roland VAD306 though. Should I wait to get that instead? Any feedback is helpful!
I tried out a Simmons SD600 and the SD1200 at a music store and it seemed the SD600 had better sounds/kits... Am I just imagining this? I could not get a decent snare sound on the 1200... ?
Nice review on the Simmons. I do believe that they must upgrade their drum module if they want to keep up with competition 'cause most drummers will prefer either Yamaha or Roland in that price range. I see that you also have the Strike Multipad connected to it. Do you see any cons regarding the functionality and firmware version as I read a lot of complaints about it. Also have you test connecting other brand pads to it?
Yeah, Yamaha and Roland are better with their sounds in this price range (but maybe I'm just biased as a Yamaha user).
@@axenledgie1423 As a simmons owner, you're both right lol. If you can afford a Yamaha or Roland, go that route instead. Roland is what I'm going to be upgrading to.
I like the TD 17kvx better. Thanks for the videos. How did Simmons " advanced " drum amp sound? I bought the da 200 and was just wondering how their new amp compared to it.
I'm making a seperate video on that :) should be up later this week
Sadly I didn’t find a review of Simmons SD600. since I rely on your reviews too much, please can you suggest betweet Simmons SD600 & Alesis Command Mesh?
I'd probably go with the Command Mesh, myself. Did you make a decision?
What would you recommend for the kick drum cover? You mention it's good to help the longevity, or is it not necessary on this model?
Also, with the midi over bluetooth, do they give you a usb dongle for your pc? If not, any suggestion on what to get to achieve that set up? I got too many wires as it is. Going to be using directly into the DAW with a vsti only.
Hi,is there a chance to make a review on Millenium MPS-850 E-Drum Set? This e-drum set is rank 1 when it comes to sales,on Thomann.
That drumset isn't sold in the United States music stores so I probably won't be able to play one for a very long time
Sorry I am posting so long after this was posted but I am using an older Roland TD-10 and I want to upgrade to the Simmons SD2000 or SD1200 module. Is there much difference in the two models? And do they support using a Roland mesh snare?
Also does the kit only have three zones on the cymbals that came with these kits. I’m trying to get an idea of what will work From my current kit
The best sounding drum kit for a good price I've found is the TD1kv
Lol I got a used TD-1KV for $150.
TD1 DMK is the best price performance ratio
Are you any putting any computer in the module or is it all the standard monitor
I bought this set a few weeks ago. The module sounded horrible so I am playing it through Easy Drummer which sounds awesome. Only problem with this set connected to Easy Drummer is the hi hat will fire off the ride cymbal when you hit the hi-hat while the hi-hat controller is in between fully closed and fully open. Simmons suggested adjusting the sensitivity but that has not helped. Please let me know if any of you have played this set through Easy Drummer and are having this same issue.
I’ve had this kit for two years, it’s a very decent ekit for the price, sounds are decent if you tweak them a bit, the bass drum/kick pad is awful, screws on the base get loose all the time and no matter the setting you will struggle with double bass drum hits (a pain in the ass).
I did upload some samples (Roland and Yamaha’s samples from 80s/90s kits) and they worked fine until one day they just weren’t there anymore. Bummer
Yes all the samples you can upload are one shot, but there is a way to layer 4 sounds and also you can adjust pitch velocity, so I guess you can fake a fuller sound.
Thanks for the long term review!
What’s your favorite double bass for edrums?
Hi, my friend? Do you prefert Simmons sd1200 or Alesis Crimson 2? Thanks and congratulations for your videos!
I would get the Alesis Crimson 2 SE
@@65Drums Thank u😉
I really just want the Alesis Strike pro but I can’t spend 2600! what’s the most comparable set for about 1k less?
You can't get the exact same thing for a $1000 less, but I'd look at the Roland TD07KVX or the Alesis Crimson II SE
cool
so can you hook this up to another module with better sounds like a roland module
Yes
@@65Drums So do you know if you can connect this to a Akai MPC Live and trigger the sounds from the MPC via USB?
Sounds not bad
Did you have any trouble with the kick and snare pads not working on the sd1200 when using it with a drum sample library in your saw? All of my pads are working except the kick and snare. They work with the module sounds though.
DAW*
You'll have to change the midi note of the kick and snare with this module then
@@65Drums thanks man I tried it and it worked. Still trying to figure out how to get the hi hat working properly with ggd though.
Kool found this in my home feed.
Would this be a better kit then the Alesis strike?
The Strike is much better
@@65Drums Ok Kool. I understand that the strike is more expensive so your paying for what you get. I was hoping this may have been competition at a lower price. Thank you mate.
Can you add a extra cymbal?
In Canada, the Alesis Crimson II SE goes for 1399 $CAD... I had my eyes on that kit for a while, until today when I found the Simmons SD1200 at 1145 $CAD down from 1695 $CAD... Do you think this would be a better choice? I only wish to trigger EZ Drummer 2 with the kit, in Mixcraft Pro 9. *update : just bought the SD1200... will keep you posted :)
Mixcraft is cool, I have Mixcraft 8. I'm looking at this set too, I might get it.
Where did you buy this kit? I live in Canada and I can't find that kit here!?
@@patrickvalentino7365 got it on clearance at Long & McQuade. I would not recommend this kit, it looks pretty much unsupported by Simmons, no real firmware updates, it doesn’t seem to be a commercial success. I wish I had gotten the Crimson II…
@@davidbergewaytogo are you able to connected to a pc boa bluetooth in order to use a vst and avoid the cable? cheers.
@@its_lucos No, the bluetooth is used only for the iOS app that allows to setup the SD1200. Not for audio...
I would rather buy a dtx532k. Much better sounds, layering, one piece hi-hat and overall better build quality.
Yeah, I much prefer Yamaha's e-drum module sounds even over Roland. I just don't care for Roland's fake sounding drum samples.
I think this sounds better than Roland
I ended up buying the Roland TD17-KV, but in retrospect, I wish I bought the extended version of this kit from Guitar Center. 1 extra tom and cymbal and 3 zone ride make a big difference. I added the CY15R to my kit, so I would have saved a lot of money. As a beginner, I could deal with the hot spotting.
bro your facial hair was dope
Thanks dude :) I just got tired of it
Don't you think the snare machine guns a little?
Ouch thats rough
1
Damn i bought a sd600 for like 875$ w tax n (which i like) w tax n all. Id easily have paid 100 more for this better sounding hi hat alone. but damn
Kinda sad to see that Simmons, which was one of the first electronic kits back in the 80s haven't really innovated themselves since. I had the SDS 5 which was pretty dam cool. They're now one of the worst kits you can buy. While Roland, Yamaha, Alesis Kat and even Ddrum have blown them away with sound, quality and design. They don't even seem to be embarrassed about it. So sad
I have an sd600, really wish that I could get those cymbals. Sd600 is a pretty solid set, but the cymbals are absolute trash, and wish the racks weren't so different.
You can get them, just adjust your rack. I've got the same kit as you and mods are possible.
what about the sound system?
I'm doing a separate dedicated video about that next week
Up
Man I have the same exact hoodie. When I was younger at church I would always try to dress like the drummer because I thought he was so cool. I feel like a kid again lol
You don't live in North Carolina, by any chance, do you?
3
2
It's sad Simmons simply can't keep up with sample quality of Roland. Looks like we'll all still be dropping $1,500 + for tiny little cymbals and toms just to get quality sounds (TD-17).
People make fun of Roland, but they are famous for a reason. The TD17 line is very impressive
@@65Drums completely agree. Have played Roland since I got my first e kit in early 2000s. Have looked for opportunities to switch but no one keeps up in overall quality/durability and sample quality. Wish they could just make larger pads at a lower price point. They know they're the best though...hence the $$$. I use my TD-11 for drum covers. Thinking about a used TD-17kvx soon.👍🏻
Yamaha COULD beat Roland...but they still make some half-assed decisions regarding their e-kits. I just don't think Yamaha really cares about electronic drum innovation anymore. They're already huge in making other musical instruments and I don't see them making much effort to compete with Roland. Maybe they'll come out with some new, breathtakingly cool stuff for January 2020's NAMM show...I want this to be true! ;-)
@@DrummerGrrrl hahaha. We can only hope. Roland needs competition to shave pricing down.
@@jasonweidman2614 Alesis strike SE is their best comp
simmons what happened
On sale for 800 sounds like good deal for 1k ehh idk
This drum kit seems a little bit of a disappointment for me. The sounds are on the Alesis Surge level and some of the aspects to this kit, like the hot spotting under the bell and the underpowered CPU or the chocking of the crash, just make you think that Simmons just couldn’t be bothered and are deliberately making the kit worse. When you compare this kit to other options on the market, I can’t really see anyone picking this one up which is a shame because if these simple issues were fixed, it would be a hell of a choice.
SIMMONS " Too cheap to even supply a beater pedal to the Simmons 1200 series. 😒🥁
lmao stock beaters suck anyway
I played this at a shop and absolutely hated it. Kick drum trigger was awful with double bass, cymbal triggering was inconsistent, sounds were not great, iOS only app, for some reason the snare was way too loud... Just so so sooo disappointing
Hey 65 Drums,
I’m a small TH-camr looking to collaborate you about drums.
If you respond thank you.
There not responsive at all
oh wow another digital drum kit with teeny tinny drum head... idk wtf is the deal with all these digital drum companies making tiny little heads. at least alesis is trying....
If you could buy a cheap kit with large drum heads, you could just replace the sounds with an external program.
Larger heads seems a main reason to offer more expensive kits.
Terrible sound
The most sterile sound ever
I have the sd2000.
It sucks so bad.
Simmons is a crap brand.
They didn't used to be. Sad. Very sad.
@@DrummerGrrrl what made them so bad now?
That thing sounds like shit
Just looks/sounds like another cheap toy to me. Simmons is out to disappoint anyone looking for a drum set to last longer than 3 months.
Junk
Don’t buy Simmons. You will regret it. Buy literally anything else. Trust me.
Are you sure?
Great review!