Benefits of the Electronic Drum Set
In a band ensemble, the instrument that arguably ties everything together, the instrument that is essentially the center of the stage is the drum set. Drummers can be mesmerizing to watch, showing almost perfect hand to eye to foot coordination, and of course, very entertaining to listen to.
But for people interested in owning a drum set, there are a couple of complications and problems that can arise. Traditional drum sets are large and bulky, causing space issues to people living in smaller areas. And its sound can barely be regulated, if at all.
A good alternative to this is the electronic drum set. Electronic drum sets work almost exactly the same as a traditional drum set, except that the sound from the electronic version comes from an electronic waveform generator, as opposed to the vibrations of a membrane over a shell.
The way the electronic drum works is that when a pad is struck, it triggers a change of voltage that sends signals to a “brain” using cables. This brain then translates it into digital waveforms, which produces the desired percussion sound.
This poses a lot of advantages over the traditional drum. First, because it is electronic, percussion signals can be recorded directly into a computer or machine, eliminating any other possible distortions caused by outside noise.
The second is a more practical reason. The electronic drum allows the musician to be able to play the drums and not disturb the neighbors, by plugging in headphones or earphones instead. Lastly, creative percussionists can substitute different sounds to the drum pads, allowing for more creative music.
But it’s not all positive. Critics and “purists” say that electronic drum sets can sound too mechanical, reducing the “spirit” of the drummer and passing most of the responsibility to a machine. Problems can also occur with delays when the pads are triggered. But these problems were mostly isolated in the earliest forms of electronic drums, and have now been solved by modern drum sets.
Yamaha electronic drums among the most preferred by users. Popular models such as the DTXtreme IIS and the Ddrum4SE create a unique sound and playing experience for drummers. In fact, the sound produced and the feel of the drums is almost indistinguishable from a real acoustic set.
Roland sets are also very popular. The TD-20 and the TD-12 share Yamaha’s innovations, producing high quality digital sounds, dynamic impact and position detection, multiple outputs, and multiple triggers, among others.
Electronic drum sets are poised to step out of the shadow their acoustic brothers to share center stage in the music industry.
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