Least expensive E-Drums that play well with Superior!?

[halcyo]

We’re looking to pick up an E-drum kit for the project studio. I’ve been using Superior and other Toontrack samples for years now, but never with an electronic kit. Obviously any kit and module we buy will most likely be playing Superior, EZ, and other various sample libraries. So, with onboard sounds not being much of a factor, what do you guys feel is the ‘lowest’ end kit that will still allow us to get the FULL experience of a sample library like Superior 2? We’d like mesh heads, a brain that picks up velocity as ‘naturally’ as possible, and as many articulations/expressions as possible. So what are we lookin’ at?

Do the lower end Roland brains like the TD-6 translate into Superior well enough for real playing purposes? What exactly will we sacrifice picking up a TD-6 or TD-9 kit vs. a more expensive option? I’m very interested to hear some personal opinions on this matter, so bring ’em! Thanks guys!

Topic

[Whitten]

I’m interested too.
The TD20 is great, but $15,000 retail in Australia.

[myron]

I have been on the market for an e-drum kit for 2 years. I am resolved NOT to pay the full price for the top name brand ekits, because
I… don’t have the money.

But I did build my own edrums and now I am looking for a “brain.” If only I had a brain.

M1 Mac Mini • 16GB RAM • OSX 14.2.1 • UA Quad • Logic 10.8 • Kontakt 7 • Toontrack SD3

[halcyo]

Mr. Whitten, I find it surprising that you don’t own a TD-20 already! Or do you mean that you are interested in this topic from just an informative standpoint?!

[pimenta]

Full experience? Humm.. that might entail positional sensing for snare half hedge hits .. tom rim hits … three-way ride ….you are gonna need at least a td10 based kit (like the older v-session)… or  put together a kit around the td10 module – although it will allow tom hits only if used with rim switch rubber pads like pd7/pd8/pd9…. a TD8 will do as well since it offers positional sensing for snare .. tom hits with rim switch  rubber pads  (pd7/pd8/pd9).. and with a small workaround u can get three-zones out of a Cy12R/CY15R with it …
 
Pim

4 year old Dell XPS 410 Intel® Core™2 E6700 4GB XP SP 2
Sony Vaio Core Duo 2 P7450 6GB Windows 7 64 bit
Roland Td20KX/SPD30
Superior 2-all SDX /Ezdrummer couple of packs
BFD2/BFD ECO/Addictive Drums

[Mark King]

It really depends what you want. The more midi you record the more you have to edit. Why not get a good second hand kit like the TD8 or even a ddrum4 (yes i have one) triggers great and has zones. Apart from brushes the ddrum4 works great. I have recoreded many sessions with it now and due to my playing being dodgy it invoolves lots of midi editing. The hi-hat works great by the way. I’m sure you could get away with a good second end kit and not spend huge amounts. After all your not using the sounds in the kit

SD3 with older sdx,s plus Rooms of Hansa and Death & Darkness. Cubase and wavelab current versions. Roland TD50x using all trigger inputs for triggering SD3 only. Windows 11 computer. Various keyboards and outboard gear as well as VST instruments. Acoustic drums: Yamaha 9000 natural wood and Pearl masters. Various snare drums. RME BabyFace Pro FS and Adam A7X monitors

[halcyo]

Exactly – I’m really not concerned about what the brain can do as long as it translates my triggers into all of the nuances and articulations that Superior can offer. I may use the onboard sounds when recording just for the sake of latency, but that doesn’t require much.

Personally, I wish units like the Alesis I/O worked as well as they should theoretically, because that’s all we’re talkin’ about here is getting the performance on some quality pad triggers translated into midi accurately, but I’ve heard it’s fairly dodgy.

[Whitten]

ORIGINAL: halcyo

Mr. Whitten, I find it surprising that you don’t own a TD-20 already!

I’m addicted to acoustic drums.

[BUCK]

You guys don’t like the Alesis USB pro kit with the surge cymbals? I too am only looking for a good trigger. Alesis kills V drums
as far as the pocket goes and if you already have access to quality libraries why would you need roland pre kits anyway?
If you haven’t seen them take a look
http://musicianstools.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/alesis-usb-pro-drum-kit-professional-usb-drumset/

If you’ve already had a personal experience with this kit I’d be interested in knowing what your thoughts are.

[jhpiv4]

The Yamaha DTXpress IV Special is on sale for $1300.  I think that’s a pretty sweet price for what you get, if you don’t mind rubber pads (I actually prefer them).  It plays very nicely, although I’ve yet to hook it up with SD2 or EZD, but I definitely want to.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DXP4SP/?gclid=CKTb8aWc_JwCFQS7sgodmiBxbQ

[magicdog]

Have a look at the Megadrum trigger unit – huge MIDi spec but no internal sounds so pretty cheap for what you get and up to 56 triggers…

[Author]

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