What’s the Best Drum Pad for Me?
If you want to expand your electronic drum kit with an extra drum pad, then you’re likely to find what you’re looking for in our range of snare and tom pads. But what’s the right drum pad for you and your kit? In this specially made Buyer’s Guide, we take you through the answers to your most frequently asked drum-pad-based-questions. If you can’t find the answer to your question here, feel free to contact us!
If you want to expand your acoustic drum kit with electronic sounds, then you’re more likely to find what you need in an electronic percussion pad. Even more digital drum gear can be found included under electronic drum kit parts.
1. What’s the Difference Between a Drum Pad and a Percussion Pad?
A drum pad is a part (the snare or tom) of an electronic drum kit. To get any sound out of a drum pad, it needs to be connected to a drum module since the pad triggers a sound that’s stored inside the module. With percussion pads, this is different. No external module is needed, since a percussion pad has its own internal module loaded with a number of different sounds. In this way, a percussion pad can be compared to a keyboard (which also uses internal sounds) and a drum pad can be compared to a MIDI keyboard (which has no internal sounds). Another important difference is that a drum pad is literally a single pad while a percussion pad usually comes fitted with multiple pads.
2. What Drum Pad Do I Need?
This is difficult to answer immediately since it depends on the drum module you use. Not all drum pads are connected up to the module in the same way. Some pads are hooked up via a mini-jack cable, while others are hooked up using a USB cable. Always check what kind of drum module you have and if it actually supports expansion – so, does it have any extra inputs? You can usually find a list of drum pads that would be compatible with your module included in the user manual. You don’t always have to stick to the same brand either. For example, Yamaha and Roland electronic kit components work perfectly with each other.
3. How Many Zones Should My Drum Pad Have?
Drum pads detect a drum stick hit via ‘triggers’. These triggers convert every hit into an electronic signal which is then sent to the drum module where it’s translated into the right sound. There are drum pads that have just one trigger (single zone pads), two triggers (dual zone pads), or even three or four triggers. The more triggers, the more accurate or varied the sound. Most drum pads come fitted with two triggers: one beneath the batter head and one beneath the rim (for sounds like rim clicks and rim shots). But please note, not all drum modules are able to support pads with multiple triggers so it makes no sense to get a dual-zone pad when your module can only handle single trigger pads, so always check the manual!
1-Zone Drum Pads
2-Zone Drum Pads
3-Zone Drum Pads
4-Zone Drum Pads
4. Mesh or Rubber Heads?
To make as little noise as possible and keep your housemates and neighbours happy, you’re better off going for drum pads fitted with mesh-heads. The playing feel of mesh-heads also comes closest to that of real acoustic drum heads. While drum pads with a rubber batter head are generally a bit cheaper, they do make a lot more noise. There are also drum pads available with heads made of TCS; a special kind of silicone that has a really natural playing feel to it. A lot of electronic drum kits will have a snare pad fitted with a mesh-head, while the toms come fitted with rubber heads since they’re played less than the snare. More expensive kits will often have mesh-heads fitted on every drum pad.
5. What Do I Need To Connect Everything Up?
To connect up one drum pad, you don’t need that much, since it just needs to be hooked up to the module. Most drum pads come with a compatible cable included, but this is not always the case! Always double check the specifications to be certain that a cable is included and that it’s it’s compatible with your module. The drum pad also needs to be mounted on a rack or stand. Often, a compatible holder will come included with the pad, but again, this is not always the case, so always check. The holder can then be mounted onto the rack of your electronic kit or on a stand.
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Electronic Drum Hardware
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