Another "new to edrums" thread.. help convince me.

[madmax]

Hey everbody, I'm new 'round these parts. Both this board and to edrums in general . I'll try and keep this post nice and concise, but that's probably just a fantasy! This first part is a bit of an intro.

I need to get back into drumming. I started when I was around 10, and ended playing a kit sophomore year of high school, as I got really into rudimental drumming (drumline).. and found less and less time to sit at a kit. Eventually I sold my Tama kit (wish I had kept the double pedal now!), and now am looking to get back into it, but I need an electric kit as I live in an apartment. I've been listening to a lot of my favorite drummers lately (Pridgen and Vinnie to name a couple) and it pushed me over the edge. I need a kit!

I've been looking closely at the TD-9SX as I've found it new for ~$1999. I do have a few questions, which I'm sure are answerable by other threads, but I haven't really seen too many. If anyone could point me in that direction, that would be great.

I am interested in the TD-9SX as it is all mesh (minus the kick) and the brain seems to be pretty decent, although the TD-12 is obviously much better (I've played on both, and the TD-10 as well). I'm looking for the full mesh, as I'd like to be able to get the most realistic feel out there so if I ever need to play on an acoustic kit I wouldn't have problems (@ a bar, etc).

Some specific questions I have are:

--If I were to find a TD-10/12 brain, and "cobble together" a set, does it generally run more or less expensive? I figure if I pick up a couple of nice used pieces I could put together a better kit for around the same price (and I'm not scared to experiment a bit).

--I'd like to do some sort of midi/"line out" for drum & bass Jojo Mayer type stuff on a computer, since I'm uh, not quite as good as him.. My roommate makes a lot of trance/house music but none of the software seemed to cut it for the technical stuff I want to do. Which unit would be the best for me?

--Or, should I just go for the new kit?

Thanks in advance for all the help (Guitar Center was really helpful ). I'm sure I'll think of some new questions while I decipher all the acronyms!

Max

[V(ader)DRUMMER]

First of all, welcome aboard. We're always happy to see someone else giving electronic percussion a look.

When it comes to putting together a kit piece-by-piece with all new equipment, it's generally cheaper to buy a new, complete kit all at once. However, if you're looking to go with used gear, you can certainly save a ton of money picking up your pieces as you find good deals. Keep an eye on ebay and Craigslist. If you're patient and do your homework, you can find some very good deals.

Another option for you to consider is building a DIY kit - converting a cheap acoustic kit into an e-kit. That way you'll get the look and feel of an acoustic with all the advantages of an electronic kit, saving a lot of cash in the process. See the DIY section of this site for more information.

There are other people around here who are far more accomplished in the software area than I am, so I'll leave that part of your questions to someone else.

Best of luck!

[madmax]

Thanks for the quick response!

I don't think I can make an akit into an ekit. I'm under some space and sound constraints in my apartment and I don't know if I could make it work. It sounds like an interesting idea. Without the brain, around how much (ballpark) does the conversion take?

Also, what are the main differences that I will "use" or "notice" between the TD-9 and TD-12?

Thanks again,
Max

[wolfencopter]

Hey Max!
I am a long time drummer and I started my "E" life on a TD-6 all rubber pads and I loved it for what it was... Moving from that to the "A" kit wasn't a big deal.

I went back to "A" drums for reasons unknown and am happily back at the "E" kit. I really wanted the TD-20 but just couldn't produce the cash... I didn't want to buy it on credit either. What I found was a very nice condition TD-10 with the expanded memory, the triggers are all PD100 and PD120 (the same that is on the TD20 if I am not mistaken) and the kick is the KD120. I paid around $1700 if memory serves (I forget easily). So basically I have the same trigger set as the TD20 for way less (sans the cymbal sets) and am very much enjoying them, though I would say playing the mesh heads is very different in feel in my opinion.
The drum store did have to repair the module for me (approx 2-3 weeks) but that was under their warranty.