the amount of sounds...

Is not a big factor, for me... although, tinkering around at home with it a variety of sounds would be fun. During performance I use only 2 special sounds... cowbell, clap. I currently use a super cheap 'brain' with 4 pads for clap and cowbell, (terrible sound but it works). With my last electronic kit, a Rowland, I also used a latin preset which I could use now as well for a couple of songs. Most of the units, all brands, have enough 'sounds' for me.. I think. More important to me would be the 'feel'... and top 3 I'm considering all have mesh heads all the way around. Mesh wasn't even out yet when I bought my last electronic kit so I have no idea how much mesh changes it.... I only know it's 'the thing'.

Couple reviewers have said mesh on the Toms is 'nice' but far from necessary... so I don't know.

I am only in the beginning stages of my research and haven't tested anything at the music store yet.

These days I am mostly interested in quality 'sound'... I'm long past the days of trying to impress anyone, getting around the kit at light-speed, and I don't play solos anymore. Good backbeat, good meter, quality sound... ease of setting up and tearing down... and I'm a happy camper.

I have three I'm comparing now that are in the $1,000 range... An Alesis, a Yamaha, and a Roland, (actually a couple models of each of those). I'm not concerned with a stool, a bass pedal, because obviously I have those.

Here's the funny, or odd, thing.... I'm opposite of everyone. By that I mean... at home I'd really like the features of the $5,000 + kits.... but for performance I don't need all that extra. Those expensive kits come with a lot of 'extras' I wouldn't use during performance.... lessons programming, recording programming, etc.

So without question I'll have to eventually get to the music store... test them and mostly.... ask a hell of a lot of questions. - Jimmy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2019 11:38AM by JamesJM.