For some time now, I’ve wanted to review one of my favorite drum sets, and here we are, below you will find the best tabletop drum set on the market this year
And many people have asked me whether or these drum kits are any good.
Well, it does not surprise me since any technology that comes up must arouse interest among consumers. So, you are in the right place to find out for yourself.
Are roll-up drum kits any good?
Tabletop drum kits are also known as roll-up drum kits. This is because of their high portability. You can carry them, and literary play them anywhere and in any space. These drums are the best for those who don’t have a large practice area.
They allow individuals to practice any time they want, and the best part is you don’t even have to be near a power source. They come with rechargeable batteries.
Therefore, the main reason anyone would go for them instead of another great electronic drum sets is to save space. You can roll them up into your backpack and carry them anywhere.
The drums kits allow you to play directly from the tabletop or from a snare drum. Whatever gives you the best height control.
Another benefit of considering these compatible drums is easy transportation. Many times, drummers in bands face a significant challenge carrying their gear around. It is even worse for those who don’t have their own van and have to use the subway. Acoustic drums are heavy and perhaps discouraging for many musicians.
Roll-up drums are easy to set up. In fact, you don’t even need to set them up since they are all ready for playing. The drummer simply puts them on the table, and they are good to go.
They’re also incredibly silent. You no longer need to worry about bothering the neighbors while you play the drums.
Above all, roll-up drum sets sound amazing. There are a few brands professional drummers have found useful. A beginner can invest in a high-quality roll-up drum kit like the PylePro PTED01 and still enjoy the benefits of a full acoustic drum set.
Unfortunately, this drum kit looks like a toy. Many people buy them as a gift for children who are aspiring to become musicians.
However, there are a few products that have made me revisit my earlier thoughts, considering their durability.
These drum pads are readily available. The internet has made the world a better place, and it makes portable drums an easy choice for drummers worldwide.
What is an Electronic Drum Pad?
There are two types of drum pads popular among drummers:
- the electronic drum pad and
- the sample pads.
The main difference is that electronic drums pads come with pads and speakers. In other words, tabletop, or roll up kits are simply drum pads.
The sample drum pads on the other hand are used as an addition to a drum kit. They have the same hardware as a standard set. You can use sample pads with a wide range of acoustic drum sets, or you can still include them in your electronic drum set to add loops and effects.
For example, a kit with 7 drum presets can give the player an immersive experience and allow them to create their own customized beats.
So, it is vital to know the best electronic drum pads. Whether you an experienced player or a beginner, understanding your options can help you grow.
Which Drum Pad is the Best?
In my experience, I have come across a few features that differentiate an excellent electronic drum pad from a disappointing one. Let’s look at some of them. The information can help you when purchasing your next drum pad.
Pads and pedals
I’m assuming that you intend to switch to a full drum kit later – electronic or acoustic. This is because tabletop drums are only best for beginners.
And because of this, you need to go for a roll-up kit that has the same number of pads and cymbals as a real drum set. It is better to practice as though you are playing a full drum kit. Make sure your kit has realistic pedals that emulate a traditional drum kit. Without realistic pedals, it will be tough to get your rhythm mastered.
You’re going to want to look out for:
- Four drum pads – including one snare and three toms
- Three cymbals – including one hi-hat, one crash, and one ride cymbal
- Two pedals – one for the bass and one for the hi-hat
These are the main components of a real drum set. So, when you switch, later on, it will be easier for you to adapt. But you may take some time to understand the new set because the position of the drums may be different. However, the transition will be much more comfortable than when you, say, have never used a ride cymbal before.
Out/In-puts
Two primary reasons make me consider this:
- There are many play-along music sounds in these portable kits. This will give you the inspiration to play along with your favorite music. But to enjoy this, it is vital to plug in your smartphone into the pad. Therefore, choose a kit that can work with a 1.4-inch input.
- You can play your kit without incognito. So, if you are looking to virtually silence your kit to a third party, like your family member, then connecting to headphones should do the trick. Other people will only listen to your hitting, that is when you play. It sounds as though you are hitting an open book with a stick.
A USB or MIDI input is only necessary when you consider recording and modifying your work later. Hence, perhaps you can have a kit with a USB or MIDI output for your PC. Otherwise, you may not need them.
Sound range
What are the individual sounds stored on the electronic pad? These are presets that give the player a wide range of sounds suitable for most music styles.
Some pads come with hundreds of sounds, while others will come with only a few. Perhaps you already know that more sounds mean more creative flexibility. You can change the sound of the kit inside the pad as you wish, enabling you to create your own kits from the ground up.
The electric drum kit allows the drummer to assign the sounds on a pad-to-pad ground. They can also change the sound of all pads a whole. For the first option, you have more room for customization, as well as fine-tuning for sound ranges. Again, this is the way electronic drum kits work, and therefore you have an opportunity to experience everything first hand. This is how you start to learn to play drums.
Sound quality
The most important feature is undoubtedly sound quality. Every drummer expects the incredible output from their kits. It doesn’t matter long you have been playing; it is crucial to have an ear for the best sounds.
So, if the drum pad sounds like crap, you or your child will not enjoy it. Make sure the portable electric kit you are going to but should serve your expectations.
However, sound quality is subjective. Everyone prefers different sounds. So, it may not be a very good idea to give my opinion too much weight.
The best approach is to listen to different drummers. It is through learning from others that you get the motivation to play better.
The best electric drum reviews
Yamaha DD75AD
I find the Yamaha DD75 top of the line of portable digital drums. It comes with eight touch-sensitive pads and drum pedals to give the drummer an experience of a full electronic drum set. Every great drummer knows the importance of quality drum pedals.
You get 245 preset drum kits with the DD75 Yamaha that you can assign to the pad of your choice. Besides, there is room for 50 presets offered between user-defined and presets for varying genres of music.
The drum set includes a pair of headphones that you can use to practice silence. Plugin the headphone port and play without disturbing others.
The “hand percussion” mode on this device allows you to act as if you’re playing the bongo. Strike with your hands, and enjoy the feeling.
Also, it has drum sticks and a power AC adaptor. But if you don’t want to connect directly to the power source, this portable device can use 6 C batteries. Therefore, you can play it from any area. For extended playing sessions, consider searching for the best drum thrones.
The PylePro PTED01
This fantastic portable kit features:
- Seven drum pads
- Touch-sensitive capability
- More than 20 preset drum kits
- More than 200 percussion voices
- 100 different songs
The PylePro PTED01 is another excellent kit for drummers of all levels. It is less expensive than the Yamaha above but still carries great weight.
It is one of my favorites because of its affordability.
Well, I had to try out this kit because many people were reviewing it. They claim it sounds more or less like a traditional drum set, yet cheaper. But I don’t agree, perhaps because of its size.
Pyle is a company with an excellent reputation in the music industry. They have built several home entertainment products with a specialty in projectors, TV, and more with high definition tech.
They also create these tabletop sets, among other drumming equipment and accessories.
The PylePro PTED01 allows the player to create their own music. Many audio controls here will enable you to create and customize your own sounds – and record them.
You could easily create 25 preset sounds to give you room for experimenting with other genres.
It is completely portable, enabling you to carry it anywhere.
The volume control allows the player to turn down the volume to avoid disturbing neighbors or put to full blast rock the house (literally). You can also use the headphone. The MIDI controller allows you to hook up your computer, unlocking more features.
Paxcess Roll Up Electronic Drum Pad
This drum set comes with:
- A roll-up surface with seven drum pad zones ( 1 snare, three toms, one hi-hat, two cymbals)
- 2-foot pedals, (for open and close hi-hat sounds, and bass drum)
- 2-built in stereo speakers
- A 1.4-inch speaker jack output
- MP3 inputs
- USB and charging connection
- Rechargeable battery board
Do you have kids interested in drums, but don’t know which set to get? Well, your best answer may be in the Paxcess Roll-up Electronic drum pad. It may look like a toy, but it is a great way to get them into drumming.
It also has seven pads which can bring out your creativity even better. Something that some drum pads for beginners don’t have, like Alesis Compactkit 4 which only has four pads.
For this reason, I would recommend it to anyone. When they’re ready to get a more sophisticated device, the transition will be much smoother.
Conclusion
Now that you have made it through this review, you should be ready to find the perfect practice kit. But you may have to dig a little deeper because some sources are not reliable. Most importantly, if you are a beginner, or you have kids who wish to drum, expensive drum sets will not help. These can be a great starting point.
For beginners, make sure to find a drum set with a built-in metronome. This will improve rhythm and help you jam with other musicians.
Drum pedals are also crucial when choosing the right kit. You want to ensure you can control and kick drum and hi-hat with the bass pedals.
Though learning to play the drums can seem extremely difficult, it will be well worth the hours you put in when you’re able to pay for all of your favorite music.
