Frustrated percussionist, me. I dabble in bass and guitar, but my friend has a drum kit that I like to beat the hell out of on occasion. I think I want one myself.
Here’s the issue, though. I am seriously considering a digital set up, simply because the wife and kid would probably lose it if I went and wailed on the skins on a daily basis. Also, the idea of drumming with headphones on seems like the best home-preserving option out there.
So if you’re a purist and you want to argue that I should drum elsewhere, don’t bother. It’s either a digital kit or nuffink. Those who have wisdom, please share!
What’s your budget? There are some really nice kits using mesh heads instead of rubber pads. They bounce better and feel more natural. Also, most of your money will go into the processing unit making the sound.
I have one of these using this drum module. It’s a very nice setup and there’s no problem with playing in the house. The mesh drums are very quiet. Roland also make full V-Drum kits that you might take a look at as well. I prefer Roland’s cymbal pads to the plastic cymbals that Pintech offers. I purchased the whole thing about 7 or 8 years ago from zzounds. Looks like they don’t carry the Pintech stuff anymore. My nephew has a Roland set that’s also very nice.
Head down to Tommy’s Drum Shop. They will set up you up with a decent kit that you can afford. There’s lots of people to talk to down there and get a sense of what you’re interested in.
I don’t have an electronic kit, but I still bang on my Tama kit that I got at Tommy’s about twenty-five years ago.
I played on an electronic kit for a while after moving into an apartment, and I thought it was perfectly fine (just make sure you get a decent one that’s pressure-sensitive, etc., so it mimics playing a real drum set). I’m considering getting another one now that I’m in a condo. It’s great to be able to put the headphones on and not annoy your housemates.
I have the 2003 version of this Roland kit plus I added another cymbal pad so it’s laid out like my acoustic kit. One benefit of the electronic kit is that I can put it through my monitors at a low volume and my daughters can sing along or make whatever other noise to my killer groove.