E-Drums, Millennium MPS 850... why is it so cheap?

How is this only £520?  It seems you get a lot for your money... so what do we think is naff?  I'm really after an eDrum kit.  And it's hard to justify (and afford...) £1500 for a Roland, when this is for sale 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/millenium_mps_850_e_drum_set.htm?o=4&search=1545776321




0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14320
    Do you mean cheap in the sense of inexpensive or cheap in the sense of shoddy?

    Roland, Yamaha, Alesis et al have research and development costs to recoup on their e-drum products. Millennium's R&D costs were one of the established makers' drumkits, a few hand tools and a PCB etching kit. (I am oversimplifying for comic effect but you get my drift.)
    Be seeing you.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • It really depends on what you want it for - if you're just after something that will let you practise in lieu of a full kit then this will perform admirably.  If you're after something that will accurate mimic the 'feel' (both audibly and physically) then it will fall slightly short of the higher-end stuff.

    I went Alesis after agonising between spaffing crazy money on the Roland or going cheap-cheap by going 'unbranded'.  There are days when I wish I'd gone Roland but I need to spend more time drumming and less time obsessing over gear - only one of those things will actually make me a better player!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • joeyowenjoeyowen Frets: 4025
    Do you mean cheap in the sense of inexpensive or cheap in the sense of shoddy?

    Roland, Yamaha, Alesis et al have research and development costs to recoup on their e-drum products. Millennium's R&D costs were one of the established makers' drumkits, a few hand tools and a PCB etching kit. (I am oversimplifying for comic effect but you get my drift.)
    Cheap in the way that it is £520, which is so much less than other brands for similar spec (notably an actual hi hat). The reviews seem pretty good, but it's always hard to judge reviews because there is a big different between good, and good for the price
    It really depends on what you want it for - if you're just after something that will let you practise in lieu of a full kit then this will perform admirably.  If you're after something that will accurate mimic the 'feel' (both audibly and physically) then it will fall slightly short of the higher-end stuff.

    I went Alesis after agonising between spaffing crazy money on the Roland or going cheap-cheap by going 'unbranded'.  There are days when I wish I'd gone Roland but I need to spend more time drumming and less time obsessing over gear - only one of those things will actually make me a better player!

    Tbh, I drummed for years before getting my own house and having 2 kids. Miss it like bloody crazy. It will be in the house, and used to trigger Steven Slate. Think it will suffice? I can be a bit like animal and hit hard, partly bad discipline, partly influences. And yep, the gear lust is never ending. I actually want an acoustic kit again, but the neighbourhood probably isn't ideal.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I looked at them before getting the Roland Td1dmk, which, at £600, is a very good price for a full mesh kit with a Roland brain. The drum sounds on Roland stuff just sounds so much better to me. 

    My Trading Feedback    |    You Bring The Band

    Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I made the same decision recently and went for the Alesis as it had good reviews and full mesh kit, but it's 4 mesh heads, bass mesh with beater, a high hat and two cymbals. 
    Feels a little budget but can fold up small and didn't take hours to set up, the sounds are decent and it has midi out, USB, and aux in.

    I'm using mine as a starter kit and as a midi interface and love it so far.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • joeyowenjoeyowen Frets: 4025
    I looked at them before getting the Roland Td1dmk, which, at £600, is a very good price for a full mesh kit with a Roland brain. The drum sounds on Roland stuff just sounds so much better to me. 
    Hi hat is a must for me, which is a shame!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • joeyowenjoeyowen Frets: 4025
    I made the same decision recently and went for the Alesis as it had good reviews and full mesh kit, but it's 4 mesh heads, bass mesh with beater, a high hat and two cymbals. 
    Feels a little budget but can fold up small and didn't take hours to set up, the sounds are decent and it has midi out, USB, and aux in.

    I'm using mine as a starter kit and as a midi interface and love it so far.

    I think I read that Alesis and Millenium are using the same hardware, although I can't remember where I read it... (ha, it might have been reddit.... geddit?)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Which Alesis kits are people using?

    We're using the Alesis Strike. It's not too bad. I prefer it to the TD-20 we've got. I've not played any of the more modern Roland kits.

    Bye!

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I've got a 2nd hand Yamaha Dt-Xpress 4 special (with a hi-hat) for £200, hooked up to Native Instruments studio drummer. It serves a purpose, which is to home practice, was super cheap and has now taken 7 years of abuse.

    The biggest thing I find, when I go to a real kit, is just how different the spacing is, I always feel like I'm reaching.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • andy1839andy1839 Frets: 2197
    I've got a Roland TD25K and a Yamaha 720, both are excellent. The Yamaha feels a bit better made than the Roland fixtures and pad wise, but I prefer the Mesh heads on the Roland.

    The Roland has great stock sounds but the Yamaha brain edges it on sound quality, layering sounds and learning programmes. 

    I have tried the Gear4Music WHD sets and they're fine for beginner kits, their mesh heads feel good but a but bouncier that the Roland heads.
    The problem is the sets with the bigger heads go up in price dramatically with Roland and Yamaha.
    I've added bigger heads I found cheap on gumtree and eBay.

    Definitely try the hi hat if you can, some cheaper sets feel like an on/off arrangement rather than a gradual progression. 
    The Yamaha hi hat is miles behind the Roland one (both are stand alone on a full hi hat stand rather than pedals).

    I've been wanting to try the Alesis Command/Crimson/Strike kits, they seem excellent value for money.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I've never found the hihats that have physically moving pads to be particularly accurate. At least with the flat pad and sprung expression pedal type of approach you get instant on-off-on behaviour. Works great for choppy funky hihat work. But the ones that try to mimic a real hihat just aren't fast enough for me.

    Bye!

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • joeyowenjoeyowen Frets: 4025
    I've never found the hihats that have physically moving pads to be particularly accurate. At least with the flat pad and sprung expression pedal type of approach you get instant on-off-on behaviour. Works great for choppy funky hihat work. But the ones that try to mimic a real hihat just aren't fast enough for me.
    Fair point.

    Really wish I could try before I buy, returns might be a pain/costly
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • joeyowen said:
    I've never found the hihats that have physically moving pads to be particularly accurate. At least with the flat pad and sprung expression pedal type of approach you get instant on-off-on behaviour. Works great for choppy funky hihat work. But the ones that try to mimic a real hihat just aren't fast enough for me.
    Fair point.

    Really wish I could try before I buy, returns might be a pain/costly
    Yeah it's the same thing that has stopped me from getting one in the past; a personal one I mean. Also the really high prices that I just can't quite stomach (despite the numerous £2000 valve amps I've gone through!!) - being only 'half' a drummer.

    RE: The Alesis Strike kit. Here are a couple of videos we did for some BFD products where we used the kit.




    Not gonna lie. The midi needed tidying up quite a bit! Lot of junk coming from the brain, and not even in the form of cross-talk really. The cross talk performance of the whole thing is very good - at least across the different drums. But more the brain just putting out duff data. Where you clearly hit the centre of the drum, but it triggers the rim at the same time.

    Also if I have the thresholds open all the way, I'll get a constant stream of low velocity notes - some sort of jitter or noise that is being converted to midi on the output. I don't know if it's common to e-kits or the Strike in general, certainly never had it with the TD-20 or the 2Box brain we've got.

    So it's not a terrible kit, once you dial in all the parameters properly. Out of the box though it wasn't setup particularly nicely. I spent a long time dialling in my settings.

    Bye!

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • The reviews of the Millenium kit paint it in a fairly good light to be honest. 

    Bye!

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • joeyowenjoeyowen Frets: 4025
    The Alesis does look good, but it's a lot of money for what is a gamble for me.  Be it Roland, Millenium etc... there is still a good chance I will dislike an electric kit, so I'm hoping for the best.  I'm due a payrise in Jan, so hopefully will be able to get one soon after!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Ive got an Alesis DM10 X, its pretty decent, certainly does the job, I augmented mine with some Zildjian gen 16 cymbals which are totally badass additions
    ဈǝᴉʇsɐoʇǝsǝǝɥɔဪቌ
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.