Electronic Drum or Acoustic Drum Kit

Do you currently have to choose between an electronic drum kit or an acoustic drum kit? It's not an enviable choice as they are basically two different products that excel in different areas. We've prepared a list of points you should consider before making your choice.

• Is this your first kit?
  If this is your first drum kit (i.e. the one you'll be learning on), we'd always say go for an acoustic kit.
  
  
• Do you have to worry about noise?
  You have to have very good double glazing and very understanding neighbours if you want to play an acoustic kit at home. It's not feasible to play an acoustic kit in flats or a terraced house, you might get away with it in a semi, and you should be safe(as long as you get on well with your neighbours) in a detached house.
  
  
• How much have you go to spend?
  If your budget is under �600, get an acoustic, there's no point getting a really cheap e-kit as they're very expensive compared to acoustics and not nearly as much fun.
  
  
• Are you going to be gigging?
  Whilst gigging with an electronic kit is possible (providing you've got a sound engineer who understands your needs), it can be difficult especially in smaller venues that demand a quick change over between bands.

If the choice was ours, we'd always choose acoustic drums over electronic purely because they're more flexible for what we need. Gigging is difficult with e-kits but that can be overcome.

E-Kits are certainly getting better every year and are now becoming increasingly affordable with basic kits starting at around �500. However, these kits leave a lot to be desired and I wouldn't recommend them for everyone. There's still something about a nice loud acoustic kit that brings a smile to everyones face (well the player at least) when they get a basic 4/4 beat going.

However, e-kits are fantastic for recording (check out this electronic drum recording article) and fill a very real void in the market for would be drummers who can't have an acoustic kit for any number of reasons. We have actually put together our own electronic kit using some acoustic shells which is (in our opinion) the best of both worlds, keep your eyes peeled for our series on building your own electronic drum kit.