Electronic drum sets are catching on en masse, and Sweetwater is thrilled! Long renowned as incredible practice tools for band rehearsals and individual woodshed sessions, electronic drum sets are now recognized by bands, solo artists, DJs, and many others for the creative firepower they bring to composition and live performance. Electronic drum sets’ flexibility regarding setup, sound customization, and MIDI integration makes them extremely useful (and fun!) for both the studio and the stage. There’s never been a better time to investigate everything an electronic drum set can do for you; to get you started, Sweetwater has created this list of the best electronic drum sets for under $1,000. Drumroll, please!
Note: At Sweetwater, we know there’s no such thing as “best” when it comes to music gear. Every player and artist has unique tastes, which is what makes selecting gear so fun! The items on this list feature some of our favorite products from top manufacturers to help you start your buying journey! Explore these recommendations and dive into Sweetwater’s massive collection of gear on our online store. For personalized picks and expert advice, please contact our knowledgeable Sweetwater Sales Engineers at (800) 222-4700!
- Alesis Nitro Max Mesh Electronic Drum Set
- Roland V-Drums TD-02K Electronic Drum Set
- Behringer XD80USB Electronic Drum Set
- Alesis Surge Mesh Special Edition Electronic Drum Set
- Yamaha DTX452K Electronic Drum Set
- Alesis Command Mesh Special Edition Electronic Drum Set
- KAT Percussion KT-300 5-piece Electronic Drum Set
- Roland V-Drums TD-07KV Electronic Drum Set
Alesis Nitro Max Mesh Electronic Drum Set
Puts the “max” in “maximum value”
First up is the Alesis Nitro Max mesh electronic drum set; it has small pad sizes, cableless kick drum and hi-hat pedals, and a streamlined profile that makes it handy as a discreet device for live performance. However, Sweetwater drummers think the Alesis Nitro Max is ideal for the beginning drummer who needs a quiet practice tool. Several features confirm this latter point, such as an integrated smart device holder (a very “smart” addition, indeed), built-in Bluetooth connectivity for playing along to your favorite tunes, and 60 onboard practice songs, plus a metronome for polishing your pocket. Purchase a Nitro Max kit, and Alesis even throws in a Melodics drum lesson subscription free of charge! Finally, budding drummers can record themselves into their computers and hear exactly where their playing needs improvement, thanks to the Alesis Nitro Max’s USB and MIDI connectivity.
Roland V-Drums TD-02K Electronic Drum Set
The gateway drums to Roland V-Drums
Frankly speaking, Roland’s exceptional V-Drums series of electronic drum sets has been the industry standard for quite some time and is a favorite of many Sweetwater drummers. Although it’s the smallest of the V-Drums kits, the Roland V-Drums TD-02K electronic drum set isn’t diminutive at all regarding quality. This Roland TD-02K makes an excellent beginning drummer’s practice tool (and still has a sleek profile). The TD-02K has a built-in metronome with five rhythm types and a tempo range of 20 to 260 beats per minute (bpm). There are also five different coach modes and a fantastic Time Check function with both easy and hard modes for really dialing in your rhythmic accuracy. Record yourself onto your computer with USB-B connectivity, and jam to songs by connecting your smart device however you’d like: a wireless Bluetooth adapter slot or a wired 1/8-inch aux input.
Behringer XD80USB Electronic Drum Set
Excellent entry into electronic drums
The Behringer XD80USB electronic drum set checks all the boxes as far as what Sweetwater drummers look for in an entry-level electronic set. It’s got 175 excellent sounds and 15 kits (10 factory plus five user-defined). Its rack system is easy to set up, so you can get right to rocking. And it comes with everything you need, including hardware like hi-hat and kick drum pedals (you’ll only need to supply your drum throne). The Behringer XD80USB also feels great to play, with an 8-inch snare pad and 12-inch cymbal pads that respond well to different strokes and velocity levels. Finally, with USB and MIDI connectivity for recording, an aux input for playing to music, a headphone output, and stereo line outputs for performing, the Behringer XD80USB has enough versatility to take you from your living room to the stage and everywhere in between.
Alesis Surge Mesh Special Edition Electronic Drum Set
Play electronic drums your way
The first thing that stands out to Sweetwater drummers about this Alesis Surge Mesh Special Edition electronic drum set is its tunable mesh heads. This makes the Alesis Surge Mesh Special Edition a fantastic option for the drummer who already plays an acoustic kit and wants to add electronic sounds to their tool kit without completely changing how they play. Speaking of those sounds, they’re superb: 385 percussion and drum sounds, 24 complete kits, and 16 customizable kits will keep you inspired and experimenting for weeks. Plus, you can easily capture your muses via USB and MIDI connectivity into your DAW and a 1/8-inch aux input to play along to your selected playlists. The Alesis Surge Mesh Special Edition electronic drum set is an excellent (and budget-friendly) choice for practicing beginners or performing pros.
Yamaha DTX452K Electronic Drum Set
Practice more effectively with this kit/app combo
The Yamaha DTX452K electronic drum set is the first kit on our list that utilizes companion apps, and they make a huge difference. Firstly, the free iOS and Android DTX402 Touch app offers 10 training and challenge modes to supercharge your woodshedding sessions. Sweetwater drummers particularly praise the Song Score Gate and Rhythm Gate modes, as they help you up your drumming game by turning your drumming into a game! Then, the Yamaha Rec’n’Share lets you do exactly that: record the audio and video of yourself playing along to any song from your iOS library and then easily share it with the world on YouTube or other similar platforms. However, the apps aren’t the only appealing factors about the Yamaha DTX452K. Stereo drum samples, 415 drum and percussion (and keyboard) sounds, great-feeling drum and cymbal pads, and audio/MIDI over USB make this kit a serious powerhouse.
Alesis Command Mesh Special Edition Electronic Drum Set
Serious depth at a seriously tempting price
Like the Alesis Surge Mesh Special Edition kit mentioned above, this Alesis Command Mesh Special Edition electronic drum set features tunable mesh heads, making it an obvious option for the acoustic drummer looking to enter the electronic drum set domain. Where the Command Mesh really differs, though, is in the depth of its Command module: a massive 671 sounds, 54 complete kits, and 20 custom kits make this set a stunning value — but Alesis doesn’t stop there! One of the best ways to improve your drumming is to record yourself playing, and the Command Mesh facilitates that greatly. An internal performance recorder coupled with a thumb drive slot means you can capture anywhere from five to 99 performances (with an external drive). Play along to WAV or MP3 files of your own or any of the Command Mesh’s 60 onboard tracks, and hear your drumming improve in no time.
KAT Percussion KT-300 5-piece Electronic Drum Set
Ideal practice tool for drummers of all levels
Long revered for its incredible MalletKAT percussion controllers, KAT Percussion’s foray into electronic drum sets has been very successful. Case in point: the excellent KAT Percussion KT-300 5-piece electronic drum set. Adorned with Remo mesh heads tested to more than one million strokes (yes, one million), the KT-300 is quite possibly the most natural-feeling kit on this list, and its heads are built to last. The 30 factory kits and 20 practice tracks sound awesome. Plus, it has 18 slots to create custom drum sets. The KT-300 is a fantastic practice tool; its “Coach Function” with four modes (Accents, Time Check, Quiet Count, and Change Up) will keep even seasoned pros on their toes. An aux input plus a record function means you can play along to your chosen tracks, listen back, and hear exactly where your drumming needs improvement.
Roland V-Drums TD-07KV Electronic Drum Set
A potential recording necessity for your studio
Next up on the Roland V-Drums totem pole is this TD-07KV electronic drum set, and it’s a considerable step above Roland’s TD-02K kit mentioned earlier. It features all-important tunable mesh heads that facilitate natural performances as well as quiet practice sessions. But what Sweetwater drummers really love about the TD-07KV is its MIDI over both USB and Bluetooth functionalities. Pair this kit with a virtual drum sample engine (such as the renowned Toontrack Superior Drummer 3), and immediately hear the drum sounds in your mixes go from “just good” to radio-ready. The TD-07KV is no slouch on its own, though — it features 140 sounds across 25 factory kits plus another 25 slots for creating your own custom user kits. And, as Sweetwater’s Nick D’Virgilio demonstrates in the video below, the TD-07KV feels amazing to play.
Ready to Get Your New Favorite Drumming Tool from Sweetwater?
Do you want a silent way to practice? How about triggering exciting new sounds for the stage? Want to get adventurous with MIDI and virtual instruments in the studio? Well, no matter what you’d like to do, electronic drum sets — even entry-level kits — can handle all that and more. Many drummers who primarily play acoustic drums also have an electronic set in their homes and studios because of the incredible flexibility they provide. If you want to tap into that potential, then call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 today!
