Acoustic Drums vs e-Drums

Electronic Drum Kit vs Acoustic Drum Kit

You’ve recently taken up the drums, you’re getting into it, but you don’t have a kit, so you only have the chance to play during your drum lesson or at your friend’s house —in case you have a friend who owns a drum set. Or if you tag along with that friend of yours at his band’s studio rehearsal and they let you play a bit during their break.

But you’re fed up being restrained, or feeling like a beggar or an intruder. You gotta buy your own set. You wanna be king of your castle.

However, you live in an apartment and you know very well that the neighbors aren’t going to be so happy to hear you practice, even on a Sunday evening, when you’re supposedly allowed by law.

And so the question arises: should you get an electronic drum kit? Sounds like a good idea. Is it though? Let’s examine the pros and cons of playing on an electronic drum set, instead of an acoustic one.

1. Natural Sounding Drums vs Sampled Drum Sounds

No matter how well they’re sampled, the electronic drums will never match the natural sound of an acoustic drum set. That’s because, in my opinion, when you hit a “real” drum or cymbal, the rest of the drum pieces around it resonate as well, creating beautiful sounding overtones which travel through the room.

However, tuning the drums so that they don’t sound “oinky” is a skill you need to acquire if you want them to sound good. Also, hitting each drum exactly on the same spot and with the right amount of force every single time can be a “life’s goal”. And electronic drums can be very forgiving on those two elements of drum performance and thus quite satisfying to your ears.

2. Dynamics: Drummer’s Range vs Digital Range

Although technology keeps advancing at an ever-increasing tempo and the latest e-drum kits have a tremendously wide range of volume and stroke sensitivity, the dynamic response still corresponds to that fixed range of the dynamic spectrum (soft to loud) and the in-between increments. You can think of it as the volume range on your sound system: it goes from zero up to 100 and no more than that. Also, the least you can turn it up from 23 is 24 and the least you can turn it down from 24 is 23, not 23.5 for example.

What I’m trying to say here is that the dynamics of the electronic drums are still kinda far from encompassing those of the human ear —because that’s what it comes down to, our ability to hear better and thus produce a better sound on the drums. Yet, the latest advances on electronic drums’ dynamics are quite impressive and can most possibly cover the needs of an amateur or beginner-level drummer.

3. Playing with Sticks, Brushes, Mallets & Rods vs Playing Only with Sticks

You may have listened to some jazz records and —in case you have— you may have noticed that delicate swooshing sound when the drummer is playing with brushes on the snare. Or maybe you’ve listened to your favorite rock band performing live and “unplugged” where the drums sound softer, yet still punchy, as the drummer is playing with rods. And in a more atmospheric part of the song may be playing with mallets on the toms and cymbals.

These sound textures can hardly be produced when playing only with sticks. However, you need to invest quite a lot of money to acquire an e-drum kit with that kind of features —and it may still sound “close, but not there”. So keep in mind the style of music you want to play and the overall drum sound you’re aiming for before you make your final decision.

4. Your Drum Sound Comes From You

It sounds poetic, I know. But what I’m trying to say is that the most determinant factor of the quality of your drum sound is your perception of exactly that. To be more specific, it depends on your ability to listen closely and distinguish the subtlest of nuances in the sound you produce when you play any instrument.

And to prove that point, think of the first time you heard your voice back after being recorded. I bet you were not 100% happy with the color of your voice. That’s because when you speak you tune your voice according to how it resonates in your head as it reaches your ears, not according to how it sounds in the area around you.

So, when you’re playing any musical instrument, you’re constantly calibrating your motions according to how much you like the sound you produce from the instrument. Thus, the better you can hear, the better your drum set will sound, not the other way around.

The reason I’m saying the above is that when you play on an electronic drum set, which is sound-forgiving, your sound perception will be less challenged and over time you will partly lose the ability to “tune” your drum sound. And this will be obvious to you if you happen to play on an acoustic set after you’ve been long playing solely on an e-drum set —I bet you won’t be so happy with the overall sound of the drums that day.

Of course, that will only concern you if you will be eventually called to play on an acoustic drum kit, or if you’re aiming at becoming a professional drummer. If on the other hand, you’re taking up the drums as a hobby or if you know you’ll be playing on e-drums exclusively, your main focus should be to sound good on an electronic drum kit.

5. Make Your Life Easier and Stay Away From Trouble

All these points I’ve negotiated so far may sound legit, but is there an actual dilemma for you?

I mean, if you live in an apartment, even if you don’t share it with a roommate, are you able to set up an acoustic drum set and start banging without unsettling the neighborhood? The last thing you want is to be frowned upon by an angry neighbor, not to mention getting a visit from a police officer.

To avoid that sort of trouble you will therefore have to fill the kick drum with pillows, place a piece of cloth or sheet on each drum and cymbal and thus have the whole set muffled. And on top of that, you will have to make sure you’re not disturbing anybody when you decide to grab your sticks and start grooving.

If these are the conditions in your home, then I would recommend going for an e-drum set so that you are free to play at any time without making anybody’s life harder —yours included, of course— and then, every once in a while maybe booking a studio that’s equipped with an acoustic kit, just so you keep in touch with the “real thing” under favorable conditions.

So this is my two cents on that subject. I hope I gave you some perspective.

I know I’ve certainly struggled in the past with the volume —in sound and size— of the drums, however, I wouldn’t trade the experience of playing the drums for any convenience in the world —I’d rather Stick to the Groove than miss the life-changing experience of taking up the drums.

Since you’ve read that far, you should know you are most welcome to give me your take on the subject, ask me any questions, or raise any objections —not that I wish you had any, yet well-meaning criticism is nonetheless useful.