I'm new to the forum (today) and have been reading all the great info on here all day....... Great Forum !!!

I was wondering why it seems that every audition I go to they bands seem to shy away since I play on an E-Drum set. I played professionaly when I was just 16 (Now 38) and I haven't played in almost 20 years since. I am a disabled police veterern of 13 years and suffer from many major surgeries on my spine, shoulder feet, broken bones in both wrists etc. So 15 months ago I decided to pick the drums up again and went with a Roland V-Custom set because with my many pains it was easier to strike and get good results. 15 months later of 3-5 hours practice a day 6-7 days a week I felt I was back in the saddle, they don't complain about my playing but the fact I play e-drums.... Is there any hope for me to get into a working band on e-drums folks??

 

This is true.


This is true...sort of.  

Yes, I'm in 100% agreement that the best use of e-instruments is to access sounds that acoustic drums aren't capable of, but in terms of functionality - being an instrument that a drummer can play on a gig - I think the biggest hangup is in the perception of the instrument, in the eyes of other musicians and drummers alike.  Look at the number of electric keyboards being used to play "piano" sounds.  Is it the same as a piano?  Clearly not.  Would I want to hear Herbie Hancock or Keith Jarrett play a trio date on a Kurzweil keyboard?  Not if they're using it for piano sounds.  However, there are plenty of situations where it makes more sense to use a MIDI keyboard rather than arranging for the use of an acoustic piano.

In my mallet synth work, I tend to favor e-piano and synth sounds rather than vibe/marimba patches, just because most synthesizers' vibe and marimba patches are unadulterated crap.  However, I just picked up a sampler and some pretty good vibraphone and marimba samples for use with my mallet synth.  I'm going to have to wait for my next "general business vibe trio gig" to see how I like playing those samples with a mallet synth - to see how it compares, from my perspective as the player, to playing an actual vibraphone.  For a really heavy straight-ahead jazz gig, I suspect I'll still want the vibraphone, but for restaurant gigs, fusion band gigs, etc., the portability of the e-instrument does have its attractiveness.

Keyboard players have accepted the functionality and practicality of using electronic instruments in lieu of a piano (or a Hammond organ) in certain circumstances.  I wonder, however, if that primal "something" you referred to will keep e-drums from gaining comparable acceptance.  If drummers (generally speaking) can't or won't accept e-drums as a viable option, then other musicians won't as well - it has to start with the drummers.

I totally agree. I've been playing V-drums for church services for a while, and it works great. My only peeve are the cymbal pads. They arn't always consistant. Each cymbal pad can allow up to 3 different sounds depending on where you strike the pad, but vibrations will often trigger the sound I wasn't hoping to get.  Is a bit annoying. I would rather use my own cymbals and have full control of my sound.  Other than that, edrums arn't so bad.

not at the expense of your health i hope!  

bands come and go (alllllll the time )  but you wont be in any band if you cant play.  

Exploit the prejudice.  Advertise yourself as an "electronic drummer".  That's exactly what some people are looking for.

Then they'll be complaining if you want to use acoustic snare and cymbals to have the best of both worlds.

Or you could get a killer keyboard amp.  When your electronic bass drum makes their internal organs shake, other musicians are more likely to be impressed.  (Just get a good dollie to carry the thing with.)

As I've mentioned on a couple ocasions in in here now. I've been playing e-drums for 6+ years now.

The guys I've been playing with have really come to like the sound, especially with the upgrades I did this past winter. Although we haven't giged yet, we've got contracts signed to play to nights at a local establishment. So we're on our way!

To let you know my experience, I half heartedly mentioned to my lead guitar player one day about how the acoustic sets seem to have more apeal in live bands. He simply said to me "don't you even think about it!". He seems to be more impressed with the versatily of the e-drums and less concerned with what they look like.

So maybe you need to keep looking, or maybe you need to impress them with the sound of your system as my fellow band members have become with my setup. And I think amplification has a lot to do with it. I started playing with a 60 watt Peavy keyboard amp and it did pretty good with the drum sounds. But the two Mackie SRM-450 powered speakers that I use now, with a combined power of 900 watts, has made the sound really killer.  

It's a shame there's that bit of prejudice towards the e-kits out there. In the end the sound is what counts. I think the newer drum modules are also getting better an producing realistic drum and cymbal sounds with every generation.

I assume Louis, you're asking Zrated since I just mentioned what I use. I would use a headset if I were practicing by myself and didn't want to disturb the wife & kids, otherwise I use my Makies for practice and stage. I just set the output from the module at the appropriate level for each situation, leaving the settings on my mixer the same.

Hey psycht....Check these out man....
http://www.hartdynamics.com/products/ecymbal/index.html
I have the ecymbal II's and it has made a huge diffrence in perception as well as playability. My only gripe is the crashes are a tad like hitting a frisbee  , but the ride and hats make up for it when you spin them to play only on the metal surface. It has a great cymbal feel ( IMHO) and again looks like a cymbal so it feels more naural to play....Again...In My Humble Opinion.  
-RHSquonk