Another positive edrum story.

[Biff]

I wanted to audition for a classic rock cover band and was talking to the leader on the phone. Somewhere in the conversation he asked me "What kind of drums do you use". I told him a use a hybrid kit of Roland edrums with acoustic cymbals.

Silence.

After a few closing pleasantries, the conversation ended.

A few days later I got an email, not a call, an email saying that the band didn't think the sound of electronic drums would fit the style of music they want to play. So, 'Thanks', but 'No Thanks'.

I replied back with some venom, basically saying that "they had no idea what my drums sound like, just like I have no idea what your voice sounds like. You audition me - I audition you. At least give me the courtesy of an audition before you make a judgment."

Surprisingly, I received a response, an audition and after the audition an invite to join the band. The most telling comment after the audition was the lead singer (same guy as before) saying "I even closed my eyes and turned away and I honestly could not tell the difference. They sound awesome."

YBYA - (you bet your ass)

After a few months of going absolutely nowhere with this band, I quit and joined another band that has a lot of gigs booked and whose members already love edrums!

[Biff]

Oh, one more thing

After several rehearsals with the first band, the bass player says, "The only thing I don't like, is I miss the 'feel' of a real bass drum." I (half jokingly) said 'What if I stick my KC500 amp up your ass. Would you feel it then?!'

I've actually have heard that complaint from a few other bass guitarists.

[Michael Render]

As someone who has played both behind and in front of a kit, those bass drums can move a lot of air. Last Saturday I was in front of a kit on a riser and it felt like a mini wind machine.

It is sad that we have to convince people of the merits of eDrums one at a time. But hopefully your story shows that the sound quality will eventually win them over!

[Colquhoun]

Unfortunately we are still in a transitional period. There are simply WAY too many people out there that when they think of electronic drums, the image is the old Simmons sets that have that one classic "electronic" sound.
I had hoped that the "educating the masses" process would be a quicker one...but one at a time will have to do! Great story, Biff.

edit: Thinking about it, I realize part of the blame about the ignorance of edrums lies with Roland. Surely their marketing and PR departments have dropped the ball somewhere along the line. Where is the hype, the product placement, and the general buzz, etc. about V-drums?

Where are the V-drum t-shirts?!?
Look at Zildjian. Even non-drummers (heck, non-musicians) know the logo and that Zildjian is a cymbal manufacturer. Part of the reason is that everyone and their brother has a Zildjian t-shirt!
Roland V-drums need to be more visible, and NOT just among drummers.
Sorry to thread-jack here...

[BarT]

Where are the V-drum t-shirts?!?

I think they ran out 11+ years ago :

"Having experienced the demo, played the kit and even got the V-Drum T-shirt, I think these early buyers will find their faith has been well rewarded." http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997...andvdrums.html

Bruce

[grog]

Let's not dump this entirely on Roland's front porch (although I love nothing more than a good Roland bashing session) but Yamaha hasn't exactly set the world on fire promo-wise for edrums. I give makes like Hart and Pintech a pass cuz they probably don't have the wherewithal to heavily promote edrums, plus, since they're hardware, it's not as if they can promote the "edrum sound" without tacitly helping Roland or Yamaha.

Biff: Your experience mirrors many in here. Bands that have some negative bias toward edrums generally aren't worth pursuing since in most cases, they never do get it. Bands that do get it, well, you found one! Congrats!

https://www.myspace.com/rubberuniverse

[Colquhoun]

Bands that have some negative bias toward edrums generally aren't worth pursuing since in most cases, they never do get it.

I will guarantee these bands that don't "get it" have simply not heard an e-drum in the last 5-8 years. It shows, because experiences like Biff had ARE happening more and more.
I recognize that Roland is not fully to blame here. A big problem is the lack of major live performances that include V-drums. This whole perception thing would steam-roll if a few major touring bands used V-drums exclusively. Hard to say when that will be....and until then, it's likely to be an uphill journey.

[spyder]

the stigma comes from the 80's electronic drum sounds... people don't realize technology changes over 20 years...

[slyone]

I will guarantee these bands that don't "get it" have simply not heard an e-drum in the last 5-8 years.

Just speaking from personal experience, until a few months ago I would have fallen under that same category. My take on e-drums was the rubber mat feel with ring modulator type sounds. I know everything advances in capability (I'm an electrical engineer) but I had not paid any attention to e-drums for a very long time. I had drifted away from my acoustics as I wasn't performing for a few years, but that got reignited last summer. I was in a store a few months ago and found myself amazed at what the Roland mesh drums felt and sounded like. I am now a happy owner of a TD-20 set up to be a practice set that duplicates my acoustics. I may perform with the e-set, there is no resistance in doing so by my bandmates. I still love my acoustics, but the v's can do some wonderful things.

Lyle

[DKaps]

This whole perception thing would steam-roll if a few major touring bands used V-drums exclusively. Hard to say when that will be....and until then, it's likely to be an uphill journey.

I don't think that will happen. Why would they? They (the musicians) don't have to worry about setting them up, tear down, or lugging them from gig to gig. They can have world class equipment mic'd by professionals.

The only thing that I could think of that would encouage their use is huge endorsement deals by Roland. Beyond that, I don't see it happening. Heck, I absoutely love my e-drums and the great sound that's so easy to get from them live (so does my band and our soundguy). But all things being equal, I'd sure prefer to have my dream a-kit set up and wonderfully mic'd and all I have to do is get behind it each time.



What may happen is bar bands and small traveling groups taking another look at what's possible with today's tech. I'm sure there are thousands of drummers out there sick of lugging around and setting up their heavy A's who would convert once given an opportunity to play a modern e-kit. You only know what you've been exposed to.

[Colquhoun]

I don't think that will happen. Why would they? They (the musicians) don't have to worry about setting them up, tear down, or lugging them from gig to gig. They can have world class equipment mic'd by professionals.

I don't think it will happen in the forseeable future either.
Know why? Because the vast majority of e-drums function only to DUPLICATE the sounds of an acoustic.
Look at it this way...when the electric guitar emerged, it was embraced because it could produce sound that an acoustic guitar could not. Same for electric keyboards & synthesizers. In the 1980's, electronic drums and that electronic sound were embraced, but it also unfortunately defined that era's sound...and people's attention moved back to acoustics.
Today, V-drums are embraced almost entirely for their ability to sound acoustic. And until that changes, the true acoustic will widely dominate...along with people's perceptions of e-drums.

[teb335]

I'll own up straight away that i'm actually a guitarist - and have played in many cover bands for some time. (my interest in this site is that ive just bought my son a td12 kit).

I think the previous poster makes a really good point about the edrums duplicating the sound of accoustic kits - however i dont see this as a disadvantage rather THE big advantage - In my experience (granted only playing with cover bands - small/medium venues) edrums actually do a better job of accoustic sounds than an unmiced/poorly mic'd accoustic kit - have seen/played in loads of bands with an accoustic kit and for me the drums usually sound like hell - pityful crack of a snare, no serious thump on the kick, overbearing cymbals, and an extra hour to set up/down - all easily avoided with an edrum kit. Recently have been playing in a band with a td20 - by far the best sounding band ive ever played with - and the most sucessful !

Maybe the stadium type bands will never switch to edrums - they dont need to given the mics/pa/sound guys etc - but for me in the part of the market that i'm in - its no contest....so good luck to you all, and keep the faith.

[grog]

In my experience (granted only playing with cover bands - small/medium venues) edrums actually do a better job of accoustic sounds than an unmiced/poorly mic'd accoustic kit - have seen/played in loads of bands with an accoustic kit and for me the drums usually sound like hell - pityful crack of a snare, no serious thump on the kick, overbearing cymbals, and an extra hour to set up/down - all easily avoided with an edrum kit.

Exactly. Virtually every local band I hear in smallish venues, the drums sound like crap, or all you hear are the drums. Even pro acts that come to our one "real" venue, typically their drums sound like crap cuz the house equipment blows.

https://www.myspace.com/rubberuniverse

[GroovyCat]

I don't think it will happen in the forseeable future either.
Know why? Because the vast majority of e-drums function only to DUPLICATE the sounds of an acoustic.
Look at it this way...when the electric guitar emerged, it was embraced because it could produce sound that an acoustic guitar could not. Same for electric keyboards & synthesizers. In the 1980's, electronic drums and that electronic sound were embraced, but it also unfortunately defined that era's sound...and people's attention moved back to acoustics.
Today, V-drums are embraced almost entirely for their ability to sound acoustic. And until that changes, the true acoustic will widely dominate...along with people's perceptions of e-drums.

I can't say I wholly agree with you. I take your point, of course, that edrums can do a lot more than just impersonate acoustic drums, but you also mention electronic keyboards... guess what most electronic keyboards are doing these days: impersonating pianos.

The truth is that people like the sound of pianos and they like the sound of acoustic drums but both are darned inconvenient. A decent piano is expensive to buy and maintain, takes up a stupid amount of space and is impossible to transport - so folk use electronic keyboards. Acoustic drums annoy the neighbours, take up way too much room and, as we've discussed at length already here, never sound quite as good as people expect them to in live situations - so enlightened folk use electronics.

The real problem with edrums is image. I love my TD-20 and I actually think it looks rather splendid on stage but there's no getting away from the fact that if I'd spent the same amount of money on an acoustic setup it would look so very much cooler and so much more like the setups the big stars are using. There would be massive disadvantages (see pretty much every other post on the forum ever) but in terms of looks and image, acoustics win every time.

For instance. My eldest son is 14 and plays bass in a band with some mates from school. Their drummer was learning on a TD-6 kit and this summer they played their first gig in public. They were all asking me loads of stuff (Dreary Dad briefly became Slightly Cooler Dad because I'd actually, you know, played on stage) and I was giving plenty of encouragement about everything, including how great the drums would sound through the PA (having played my old TD-6 through the same system many times). And then the week before the gig the drummer went out and bought an acoustic kit because there was no way on earth he was ever going to be seen on stage playing anything quite so geeky as an electronic drum kit. The sound was disappointing (too loud in one venue, too quiet a couple of weeks later at another) but they looked fantastic (Yamaha, natural finish, probably Stage Customs) and he's delighted with them.

How many big names play edrums? Loads - take a look at the Roland US site for interviews with loads of top drummers enthusing about the TD-20, for instance, and I also read an interview with Joey Jordison (Slipknot) recently where he mentioned practising on his TD-20 at home. And outside of edrum demos and clinics, how many play them regularly on stage? Er...

How many threads have there been on here from edrummers being turned down by bands because edrums "don't quite fit the image we're going for"?

It's a disappointingly shallow world and music isn't all about the sound. Outside of the world of semi-amateur covers bands (where we don't care what we look like - see previously posted pic of me performing in a penguin outfit) it's all about image, and electronic drums just don't fit anyone's image of what a proper drummer should be playing. I'm amused by the idea seeing video of Jordison playing his TD-20 on the next Slipknot tour instead of his Pearl Reference Series acoustic kit... but I really don't think it's going to happen, do you? And until someone makes it big with an unashamedly electronic drummer, we're always going to be having this discussion.

[Guest]

....And until someone makes it big with an unashamedly electronic drummer, we're always going to be having this discussion.

Okay, a lot you might think this doesn't count but, what about Rick Allen? (of Def Leppard fame) Yes, the drummer with one arm. He uses Hart edrums (started with Simmons) and has for a long time. I know he is no Neil Peart but he is still a pro drummer. (he is also one of the reasons I got into electronic drums back in the late 80's early 90's)

So, I guess it can't be just any band that makes it with an unashamedly electronic drummer, but a drummer that people (more like other drummers) deem as worthy enough, like a Neil Peart, to change there minds about edrums.