The Open in New Window electronic drum kit (sometimes referred to as electric drums) has a number of unique advantages. You can plug in headphones for near-silent practice. In the recording studio, you can feed the signal directly from the Open in New Window electronic drum kit to the mixing console, making it easy to get a good drum sound quickly.

Another advantage of an electronic drum kit is the ability to call up hundreds of different drum and percussion sounds. Electronic kits use rubber or mesh pads to trigger the various sounds contained in the digital drum module. Acoustic drummers who prefer an acoustic kit but want to be able to play alternate sounds can do so with drum triggers open in a new window. These little sensors attach to the drum heads and trigger sounds from an external electronic drum module.

Keep in mind that an electronic drum kit requires a connection to a sound system for audible sound unless you are using headphones exclusively. You’ll also need an electronic speaker and amplifier to monitor the drum kit, which will open in a new window so you can hear yourself on stage if you’re performing with a band.

They require two sets of components: transducers, more commonly called pads or trigger pads, and a trigger interface or module. Pads can range from a rubber playing surface with a transducer built into the body, such as the toms found on the Simmons SD200Opens in New Window, or a drum shell with a mesh or woven head and an interchangeable trigger mounted inside.

Trigger pads or woven heads can have up to three sensors. Heads with one trigger trigger one sound, while heads with two or three triggers can trigger multiple sounds, depending on which part of the drum or cymbal is struck

Regardless of the type of pad, they function in the same way. When the pad is struck, the transducer sends a pulse to the module and plays the note assigned to that channel. A harder hit sends more of a signal to the module, increasing the volume, while a lighter hit produces a softer sound that mimics the dynamics of an acoustic drum or instrument.

The most sophisticated modules create extremely nuanced sounds that accurately reflect the drummer’s technique, even when using brushes. Hybrid kits are also becoming commonplace as the cost of quality trigger modules has dropped and the technology has gotten better. More and more drummers are incorporating a multipad into their acoustic drum kit, such as the Yamaha DTX Multi 12Opens or the Roland SPDSXOpens in New Window, or adding an acoustic trigger kit such as the ddrum Red Shot Trigger PackOpens and one of the many trigger modules available.

Electronica means that today’s drummer is no longer limited to playing the usual percussion sounds. Drummers can now trigger a funky bass, a screaming lead guitar, thunder and lightning sounds, and a Brazilian drum section, all with a pair of sticks or their hands and some electronic drum pads. The only limitations are the sounds in the drum module you choose, also referred to variously as sound module, drum module, or “brain.” Using MIDI, you can also trigger sounds from any device. More advanced modules allow you to load huge sound libraries.

The Open in New Window drum module is the brain of the electronic drum kit. Modules vary in the type, quantity, and quality of sounds they include, and most have a variety of instrument and special effects sounds, as well as drum and percussion sounds. Some offer independent volume levels for each trigger to create custom live or studio mixes. Modules usually offer a set of preset drum kits that are optimized for specific musical genres, such as jazz, rock, Latin, hip-hop, and many other musical styles.

Electronic hi-hats have also made great strides. Multi-zone hi-hats are now available that produce a wide range of sounds and allow realistic and expressive playing, responding to open and closed position techniques.