For some reason I have a hankering for some drum or sampler pads. I say for some reason as I already have guitars, missus has bass, and I have a couple of synths that I barely play but intend to get around to at some point when time allows.
At the moment I'd like to play about with either a Roland SPD-SX sampler pad or SPD-30 drumpad. Bearing in mind the only drumming I've ever done was on Rockband beginner stuff am I likely to buy another piece of hardware beyond my abilities that will sit and gather dust? How long does it take to be able to string an adequate simple rock beat together to play along with some tunes?
Since it'll be pretty much entirely frivolous, are there other decent not too expensive options for me to consider/research a bit more? I'd love a full kit but space won't allow and I'm not sure my other half would either.
I really shouldn't have watched some Craig Blundell videos recently which has partly brought this childhood wish back to the surface.
Comments
Buy used and you will nab yourself a bargain, particularly if you are willing to go a couple of generations old.
All e-drums are a compromise of sorts.
I have a Roland TD50 kit and I mostly hate playing it compared to a proper kit.
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SPD-30 doesn’t have that many real kits, it’s more biased at percussion- has a good looper though. Do you want it to play drums or give a rhythm backing track?
Ebay mark7777_1
https://www.thediscdjstore.com/alesis-sample-pad-4-percussion-sample-triggering-instrument.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwjZjZBRAZEiwAPeLSKwuTLYjg5Te4-4585zQD9DUEGYTxnKscCPCYFtn1R-Htbj7IKGDc4RoCe9wQAvD_BwE
Are good.
I'd be looking for an all in one standalone unit that I could plug some headphones into or connect up to an amp to hear at volume, so probably a proper performance in a box setup.
Used is where I was thinking, as it cuts budget and resale, if needed, would hopefully be not as damaging. I'd seen a SPD-30 for sub £300 second hand, which isn't cheap, but I would hope that it would retain a fair chunk of that if/when I realised that I'd turn out to be as good a drummer as guitarist and moved on to the next random instrument.
Interesting comment @octatonic that you say you mostly hate playing your TD50 kit. Is that with you having come from proper acoustic sets before going to digital? I've never touched acoustic apart from a very small stint at school, and despite my uncle being a very accomplished jazz drummer with the option of me learning on his kit, my mum poo-pooed that before it ever got off the ground.
@mrkb I was kinda hoping it would stay a small form factor but thanks for the warning of scope creep. At least it would give the family something to buy me for xmas/birthdays but space would definitely be an issue. Being a non-drummer I basically want it to play some drums, standard sort of kit would suit me, toms, snare, cymbals, kick. Nothing fancy, I'm a general straight rock sort of guy.
I'm still mulling it over, it's like one of those itches that needs scratching. I certainly don't need it and I definitely don't give enough time to the other instruments in our house, but that's why I'm very much a hobbyist and not a musician. There's something nice about banging some sticks to make sounds though which is what I think appeals. I'm not looking to become a proficient drummer, just be able to play a nice beat along with some tracks and have a bit of fun with when family is over.
I'll start looking through what's available from the brands mentioned.
Just as some guitar playing dynamics control techniques rely on muscle memory, so do some of the finer actions of drumming. The need to make adjustments can inhibit the freedom with which it is possible to play.
To continue my analogy, a guitarist accustomed to a Stratocaster or a Les Paul could flounder on a Rickenbacker 360. All the fundamental ingredients of an electric guitar are present but some of that hypothetical guitarist's standard licks will either be physically impossible or come out wrong.