Thinking about the best drum kit to start with? Nervous about noise but need a practice buddy? Wonder which kit matches your needs? Here’s the showdown: **acoustic vs electric drums**. Uncover their **similarities, differences, pros and cons** all in one spot.
Acoustic drum kit vs electric drum kit
Similarities
The number of components on the drum kit is usually the same. On a standard 5 piece drum kit, there will be a bass drum, snare drum and three tom toms. You would also have the hi hats, a crash cymbal and a ride cymbal. The layout of the set ups can also be the same.
You can use each drum set in the same settings. Both are good for personal practice, rehearsals, performances and recordings. Which one you choose is down to personal preference.
Differences
When talking about the feel of the kit, we refer to how it responds when we strike a drum or cymbal. We often compare electronic drum kits to acoustic drum kits when talking about the feel. Electronic drum kits have come a long way in this respect, and you can now buy pads that have mesh heads. These provide a closer feel to acoustic kits than rubber heads. It’s worth noting that this could impact your technique as an electric kit will often cover up bad habits.
The size and layout can vary quite a lot. Electric drum kits can be very compact and, to a certain extent, fold away. They tend to take up much less depth. At the other end of the spectrum, they can take up just as much space as a full size acoustic drum kit; it all depends on which make and model you choose.
The ability to control the volume is one of the more obvious differences. With electric drums, you can plug in your headphones, which takes away most of the sound. However, what the rest of us can hear is a dull tapping as you play, which can irritate some.
There is much greater flexibility with the sounds available to you on an electric kit, as you can change the drum sounds with one press of a button. Whereas with an acoustic kit, what you have in front of you is all you have. And to add to that set up will cost you more money and of course, you have to carry it all to your gigs.
Acoustic drum kit
Advantages of an acoustic kit
There’s no arguing that if your choice of drum set was down to the aesthetics, then an acoustic kit is the way to go. Nothing can beat the shimmer of the cymbals and the boldness of the drum shells; they look incredible. One of my favourites is the DW Performance Series; it truly is the rolls-royce of acoustic drums. Or, for a less expensive option, the Tama Superstar Classic is a winner.
COMES WITH: Innovative Hybrid HVX Shells
FEATURES: DW Heads by Remo USA
DW Drums
Performance Series
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- One of the best brands money can buy
- Is a dream to play
- Expensive - but you get what you pay for!
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
COMES WITH: Tama's Star-Mount System
FEATURES: All-maple shells
Tama Superstar
Classic Exotix
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- Amazing tone
- Well built
- Great brand
- You'll be paying for the brand name
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
Acoustic kits are more responsive and allow for more sound control. You will always get a better result when playing a real drum. Although they are improving, an electronic kit does not always pick up when playing particularly quiet.
There is much more choice in brands, materials and colours. The shells can be wood (of many different kinds), metal, and acrylic. The shells are also often wrapped in other effects and colours. This is a great way to express your personality or the genre of music you play.
Disadvantages of an acoustic kit
In the long term, maintenance is a factor to consider to maintain the playability of your kit. Taking care of your kit is super essential, so it can continue to produce the best sound possible and keep looking at its best. Arguably this can be seen as an advantage because you will get to know your drum kit well in the process. The drum heads will need to be replaced every six months (maybe more or less, depending on how much you play).
Electric drum kit
There is a big difference between most drummers’ first kit and the top end kits that a pro would use. The differences are in the feel of the rubber pads and pedals in terms of how close they are to an acoustic drum kit and the quality of the sound module (or brain) that delivers the sounds. A sound choice for a beginner is the Alesis Nitro Mesh; it has everything you need and a bit more. But if you are looking for something special, you’re not going to beat the Roland VAD-506 V Drums.
Electronic drum kits have come a long way in this respect, and you can now buy pads that have mesh heads. These provide a closer feel to acoustic kits than the rubber heads.
COMES WITH: Built-in coaching
FEATURES: 350+ built-in sounds
Alesis Nitro
Mesh Complete
Expansion Bundle
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- Headphones, drum sticks & stool included
- The cozy sponge and leather pads also cut down on outside noise
- Everything you need to get playing right away
- The trade off for having everything you need is that this is a large electric kit, so you will need a good size space to set-up before playing
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
COMES WITH: Smart midnight finish
FEATURES: Unparalleled dynamics and accurate positional detection
Roland VAD-506
V-Drums
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- Advanced sensor technology provides perfect responses when playing
- The glamour of an acoustic drum kit, with the convenience and control of electric drums
- A premium price-tag for a premium product!
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
Advantages of an electric kit
There are some advantages when playing live on electric kits. Live gigs are notoriously loud, but there is no reason why the volume on stage needs to be overly loud. Each player can take control of the sound in their own monitors. On the other hand, where you may be performing in a much smaller environment, but you don’t want to hold back on the energy front, again, an electronic drum kit is in its element as you can strike it as hard as you like and still have the volume turned down.
When it comes to recording, electronic drums are a particular advantage. If you recorded a track into a digital audio workstation and, after listening to it, decided that you did not like the sound, it is straightforward to completely change the sound in the mixing process. This is similar to a MIDI recording. Instead of taking a direct line out from the kit, you can also use the pads to trigger samples.
The variety of different drum sounds available to you on an electric kit is endless, as not only do you have the preloaded sounds, but you can often add your own samples. Many drummers want to be able to chop and change the drum kit’s sound in the same set, which is perfect for function bands, as they may like a 50’s style for one song and an acoustic sound for the next.
There are also built-in practice features such as a metronome to help you play in time and demo tracks in different styles that you can play along to. Here is a video offering some great tips to make the most of your electronic drums:
Disadvantages of an electric kit
Unless you go for a higher-end kit, there are limitations such as not producing certain sounds such as a rim click or a different sound for the bell of the cymbal.
The feel is often not on the same level as an acoustic set. A professional drummer in a studio has recorded the sounds available to you on an electronic drum kit, so no matter how well or not you strike the cymbal pads, it will sound really good. This can impact your technique negatively. For example:
- The rebound of your stick reacts differently, particularly between a rubber pad and a standard batter head on an acoustic drum. If you leave your stick on a rubber pad, the sound would not be any different; however, you would get a choked sound if you did this on an acoustic drum.
- If you are used to playing an electronic drum kit, it is straightforward to turn the volume down if you want to be heard at a quieter volume. However, on an acoustic kit, you have to build a solid technique to produce a varied dynamic range – a vital tool if you want to go professional.
- Very little maintenance is needed. This prevents you from getting to know the ins and outs of how everything works, which if you then go on to an acoustic drum kit can throw a spanner in the works.
Cost comparisons between acoustic and electric drums
On a like for like basis, there is not a huge difference. Whether acoustic or electric, the build quality, features, sound quality, and set up of the different level kits is reflected in the price.
Mid range
COMES WITH: Complete with high quality chrome wear and cymbal pack
FEATURES: Optimum projection
Pearl Roadshow
5pc Fusion Drum Kit
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- Perfect for beginners
- Everything you will need to get going!
- Although this kit is perfect to get up and running, you may need to look to upgrade later done the line
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
COMES WITH: Responsive mesh pads
FEATURES: 350+ built-in sounds
Alesis nitro
mesh complete
expansion bundle
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- Headphones, drum sticks & stool included
- The cozy sponge and leather pads also cut down outside noise
- Everything you need to get playing right away
- The trade off for having everything you need is that this is a large electric kit, so you will need a good size space to set up before playing
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
These drum kits are excellent value for money and would serve you well for a beginner to intermediate player.
Experienced player
COMES WITH: STM™ allows the drums to vibrate freely
FEATURES: Exclusive 21'' chrome-plated steel floor tom legs
DW Drums
Performance 22''
4pc Shell Pack
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- Excellent build quality
- A seriously good-looking kit
- Includes a bass drum, two racks toms and a floor tom - other elements will need to be purchased separately
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
COMES WITH: STM™ allows the drums to vibrate freely
FEATURES: Exclusive 21'' chrome-plated steel floor tom legs
Roland TD-27KV
V-Drums Electronic
Drum Kit
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- Super realistic, acoustic-like playing experience
- Hands-on & easy-to-use interface
- The best about: So much fun to play!
- Nothing to say here... A stunning instrument!
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
Although there is a more significant difference in price between these drum kits, the acoustic option does not include drum hardware and cymbals, so the price difference would soon be matched.
Is acoustic or electric drums better for the beginner?
This is simply down to your preference and circumstances. Neither option is a lesser option; they are just certain aspects that make them a better choice for you. If you are limited for room and need to keep noise to a minimum, then an electronic kit maybe your best option. If these are not issues for you, then get an acoustic set.
If you can, spend some time in your local drum shop or recording studio and try out a few kits, see what you feel more comfortable with and get to know what each type of instrument is all about.
Acoustic vs Electric drums
Summary
There are many factors to think about which can seem somewhat overwhelming. Make sure you have a kit that can do everything you need it to do. Most importantly, it is all about enjoying yourself when you’re sitting down playing your drums, and this will come down to having the right kit for you.
Best Electronic Drum Kit for Beginners
Alesis Turbo Mesh
Best Electronic Drum Kit for Intermediate
Roland VAD-506
V-Drums
Best Electronic Drum Kit for Professionals
Roland TD-27KV
Acoustic is always better, in my opinion. Although, Electric may happen one day.
Well Hudson, electric is happening now!!! And acoustic is of course the best feel, but electric drums are really useful in certain circumstances; practicing in silence, touring etc