Acoustic vs. Electric

A lot of people ask me about my opinion regarding electronic drums and it’s this: I generally advise against them.

Now, before all the electronic-drummers get all uppity, I must say that playing on electronic drum sets is fun as hell. With a good one, you can literally have hundreds of different sets in one, interchangeable with the touch of a button. If you’ve ever been to a warehouse store (Guitar Center comes to mind), then you’ve probably had a chance to play Roland’s V Series, which have amazing response and feel. Electronic drums are also excellent for drummers who live in close proximity to others; because the sound has to be amplified, it’s possible to drum away without bothering roommates, neighbors, etc. For these cases, and electronic set makes perfect sense.

With that said, think back to the day you stood in the music shop and decided that you wanted to play drums. Most of us didn’t care about response time or how many settings/doodads something had–we just wanted to be LOUD! We didn’t mind being relegated to the back of the stage because we knew that the sounds we produced were going to be the backbone of the music. We love the cathartic thrill of being violent in a world that that requires quiet.

Electronic drum sets muffle this experience. An electronic cymbal will never have the bright timbre of a real, metal cymbal. Acoustic sets have a warmness that no machine can never replicate. Not to sound too cheesy, but I don’t think I could feel as connected to an electronic drum as I do my wooden set.

Of course that’s my opinion. To me, it’s the difference between nutrition and candy: candy is sweet, but where is the substance?

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