Which is “better”, an acoustic or electric drum kit? This is one of the constant debates amongst drummers and probably the most asked question we get here at The Drum Hub.
While some have very strong and formed opinions as to which one is better, this article is not trying to settle the debate. We are simply going to lay out a short list of pros and cons for each type of kit to help you make the best decision for your situation.
Acoustic drums
Pros
These are the “real thing”, physical drums and cymbals you can hit and they make noise. An acoustic drum kit is initially very visually and sonically exciting. It looks impressive and sounds amazing - especially if you’re new to drums. Sitting behind your first drum kit, or any piece of new gear is really exciting. This excited feeling makes everyone want to play and practice. Additionally, a standard acoustic drum kit is also relatively low tech and easy to set up. This means you can easily sit down and go.
Another benefit acoustic drum kits have is that they can generally be added to, repaired or upgraded with ease. It’s easy to upgrade a crash cymbal - you take your old one off and put the new one on. There are also many available parts and used items readily available should they be needed. Even if you can’t do a repair yourself, a good drum teacher should be able to help with most repairs to an acoustic kit. (This is something we offer to all our students at The Drum Hub).
Cons
The obvious problem for acoustic drums is the volume that they produce. Drums are loud, plain and simple. They can not only damage the players ears but also those who love them, as well disturb neighbours up and down your street! This noise pollution can make you very unpopular with the people you live around. It’s always worth a conversation with those who live with and near before bringing an acoustic kit home.
Another challenge that you may encounter with acoustic drums is the amount of space they take up both set up and in storage. A full size acoustic drum kit can easily take over a room when set up. Not every home has the space for this, and setting up your kit every time you want to play can add resistance to desire to practice.
If noise and space aren’t a challenge, sometimes the sound limitations of an acoustic kit can also be a negative for some players. Hearing the same sounds and timbres every time we play can lead some to become uninspired by the instrument. Whilst adding a new piece of equipment is easy enough to do - most acoustic instruments have a narrow range of sounds they produce. This inspiration can therefore be short lived for some players.
Electric Drums
The electric drum kit has come a long way since its earliest versions in the 1970s. They come in a wide range of size and features providing for many musical situations.
Pros
One of the great things about electric drum kits is that they are multiple drum kits all in one. You can play many different sampled drum kits without having to change a physical drum. You can play different materials, drum sizes, head options, cymbals, percussion etc. the list goes on and on, all from one kit right in front of you. Not all of these extensive options are available with every kit, but most electric drums do come with multiple options and drum kit sounds as standard. More professional kits can go into great detail with their customisation options.
One reason many new players favour electric drums is the capacity to play at much lower volume than their acoustic counterparts. Plugging headphones into an electric kit reduces the volume significantly to the volume of the sticks hitting the pads. The benefit of this is obvious for family and friends and is why electric kits are so popular with students starting out.
Another reason for the popularity of electric kits amongst beginner players is the relatively small amount of space they can take up. Generally speaking, electric drum kits consist of a lightweight frame for all the pads and cymbals and 2 foot controllers for the bass drum and hi hat. The pads are typically smaller than actual drums, allowing for a much more condensed set up. This smaller footprint is much less likely to cause a disturbance in a house, making the idea of an electric kit more appealing.
The overall positive of electric drums is less impact and disturbance to those around the player but maintaining lots of flexibility.
Cons
Whilst electric drums don’t have the same noise or space issue as their acoustic counterparts, they do have some issues of their own.
Although the price of electric kits has improved significantly in recent years, buying a kit new can still be a costly investment. There are options to buy used or preowned which can save some cost. However, an electric drum kit is still an electrical item, which when buying used (I.e. eBay, Facebook marketplace etc.) the item doesn’t come with a warranty or guarantee. Our advice when buying used is always personally check what your buying looks and works the way you expect it to, before parting with any money.
In line with the above point, another challenge that can be experienced with electric drums is when they don’t work or, even worse, break. An acoustic kit is simple technology. So when it breaks, it is generally easy to fix for even a novice DIYer. Electric drums, however, can be more of a challenge to repair. Replacing a cable is easy enough, but a faulty socket or sensor can very quickly turn into a fairly complicated and costly job if not done with the right knowledge.
The final possible downside students can experience with electric drums is simply that they aren't the “real thing”. A drum is an acoustic instrument, so having an electric drum kit isn’t quite the same as having an electric guitar, whilst it feels similar, its not exactly the same. This can cause some players to become discouraged.
Summary
Both types of drum kits have their positives and negatives. Some of how things have been catergorised above may not be how others see things, and that is ok. A positive for one drummer might be a negative for another. This article is written from the experiences and opinions our students have had here at The Drum Hub.
Acoustic kits can be really exciting, simple to maintain and fix, but do come with the cost of noise pollution and disturbance for those around. Electric kits can be very versatile and low volume but can be costly and difficult to repair if broken. The important thing to remember when buying a kit though, is that getting the right kit for your situation is the most important thing. If you need something small and quiet, an electric kit is a great option, whereas if you have the space and permission from those who live with/around you an acoustic kit might be the way to go. Whichever instrument you choose, let it inspire you and excite your creativity to play the drums!
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