Drummer-types - Alesis DM-5 kit?

[Newc]

Ok, I remember years ago when an electronic drum kit cost thousands. Even the beginner "trap kit" was over $2000, and it did not include the sound module.

Now I'm seeing these kits on Ebay that include an Alesis DM-5 module for $500.

I'm not an experienced drummer at all, and I've got an Alesis SR-16, QSR, and QS6 that I normally use for drums, but being notationally-challenged, the patterns I come up with on the computer or program into the SR-16 pretty much suck like there's no tomorrow.

But, the few times I have been behind a real kit, I liked what I came up with (but wished I had the hand/foot coordination to play REAL drum pattens rather than just atmospheric stuff).

Anyhoo, are these $500 electro kits anywhere near good enough to learn on? Do they break easily if you get too carried away? Can you smack the pi$$ out of one and not have to chase it around the room? Do they track as well for soft, medium, and heavy hits, or do you have to maintain a specific amount of pressure, no more no less?

[hippietim]

The DM-5 is really a weak drum brain. It is nowhere near as good as the Roland TD stuff. The DM-5 doesn't handle basic things like variably/partially open hi-hats worth a crap.

I have an old electronic drum setup with a Roland TD-6 I'm getting ready to move since I picked up a TD-20 kit. PM me if you are interested.

[markD]

i like the DM-5 a lot, but i use real cymbals. i have a tama starclassic kit with mesh heads an ddrum triggers into the DM-5. i mic up real cymbals because the ones in the DM-5 suck. if yuo really want a good ALL electric sound you have to go roland, IMHO.

[m2pmd70]

My girl wanted to get into drums, so I bought her a Yamaha DD-20.

I'm a cheap bastard. LMAO

[OnlineStageGear]

The drummer in my old band got one and I forget the model, but it was a cheapy. It did have a lot of settings and he thought it was great but I thought it sounded like ass. The crash's were crap because you could only do one crash at a time and it would cut off if you hit a second one. They wouldn't ring out for shit.

[hippietim]

The drummer in my old band got one and I forget the model, but it was a cheapy. It did have a lot of settings and he thought it was great but I thought it sounded like ass. The crash's were crap because you could only do one crash at a time and it would cut off if you hit a second one. They wouldn't ring out for shit.

That sounds like an Alesis.

[Endrik]

I'd rather get real drums and fill 'em with pillows and shit if they are too loud.

[sl2lover]

Ya I'd rather get a drummer!

[Newc]

Getting a real drummer and/or real kit is not currently an option.

As for drums/cymbals cutting each other off, that's a setting you have to adjust, although it's buried deep within the menu structure.
I had a kit in the SR-16 that was set up to do that so I could do cymbal chokes: first hit was normal volume, second hit was volume=1. The low volume on the second hit gave a slight reverb effect, which was cool.

It was an interesting workaround for the lack of functionality of the machine, but it's still got so many other limitations - can't program tempo changes, can't step backwards in the pattern editor, etc.

But I haven't been able to make it do is cymbal swells because the ring options are limited, even on the PC.

How realistic do the Roland TDs sound? I'm sure Roland's website has tons of dressed-up samples to listen to, but I'd rather hear stuff done by Joe Public since I no longer have a local store to try it out first.

[gemini8026]

iM JEALOUS OF tIM AND HIS tD-20. tHEY ARE VERY COOL!!! Oops, caps lock.

Anyhow, if you want to go an economical route...

http://www.kainziw.com/pictures/studio/stud2.jpg

TD-3 with some PINTECH and Yamaha pads. It was a low cost setup but I trigger thru DKHS on the PC. So it sounds great, I paid 200$ for the module and I can do my recording with it simple and easy. No, it's not perfect, but for my needs it does a pretty good job!

[Somnuszoth]

moneywise it will work for you...I use a DM-5 but I only trigger my kicks. and if you wanted to really go into it, reason makes a stand alone drum program which you can use the dm-5 as a brain to map out the sounds in reason. Im not totally sure how it works, our vocalist/keyboardist is the midi geek. but as far as the alesis set itself goes, it isnt as sturdy and forgiving as the roland mesheads are. Pintech also makes mesheads that are quite a bit cheaper also.

[hippietim]

iM JEALOUS OF tIM AND HIS tD-20. tHEY ARE VERY COOL!!! Oops, caps lock.

That was a typo - I have the TD-12 - my bad.

[hippietim]

Newc, the Roland TD stuff sounds great.