Living in a small space won’t stop you from practicing when you have an electronic drum set. Both Yamaha and Roland have great-sounding kits. Let’s look at them both to see which one will be the best for you.

Yamaha DTX522K Electronic Drum Kit with Free iOS Apps

The Yamaha DTX522K is about as close to a real drum kit as you can get with electronics at this price point. It’s very responsive, even to subtle nuances. This comes from Yamaha’s fine attention to detail. They used lasers to analyze actual drum strokes so they could improve the sound of the DTX522K.

This kit doesn’t come with a foot pedal, but it contains an excellent drum module, the DTX502. The DTX502 comes with 50 kits plus practice features. It has twice the memory and 250 more sounds than the previous drum model. Those 691 sound samples are created by some of the best VST developers in the world.

Besides the drum itself, the kit also has 3-zone silicone cymbal and snare pads. The cymbal pads are better than many other brands on the market because you can do things like mute them before you strike them. You can also choke them when you grab anywhere on their edges. When the cymbal sound swells, it sounds like the real thing.

The snare pads let you practice and play rimshots. That’s something you can’t do with the Roland kit we’ll review below. The silicone pads are cushioned with air bubbles so it feels nice to play them and it doesn’t tire your arms and wrists as fast.

Yamaha offers free apps for the iPhone. These apps let you import songs, customize the kit, and train techniques. The training program scores your playing and shows you what needs improving.

More features of the Yamaha DTX522K electronic drum kit:

• Comes with 5-piece drum set programmed with 50 drum kits for 128 instruments, cymbal/snare pads, rack system for easy set up and tear down
• Ports include 1/8” stereo and USB
• Yamaha offers 1-year limited warranty

Roland TD-11K V-Drums Electronic Drum Kit with Drum Stick Sampler, Audio Cable, and Austin Bazaar Polishing Cloth

If the Yamaha DTX-522K kit looks great to you, you may also love the Roland TD-11K. It comes with a foot pedal, something the DTX-522K lacks. But the Roland kit includes three PD-8A tom pads that aren’t compatible with rimshots.

The sound module on the Roland TD-11K lets you play the equivalent of fifty different drum kits and 190 instruments because of Roland’s SuperNATURAL sound engine. This sound engine also lets you adjust natural ambience effects, tune the drum pads, and muffle kick, snare, and toms. This drum set sounds so acoustic it’s hard to tell you’re playing electronically.

Use the sound module’s Coach Mode and Tempo Check to help you perfect your skills. You can record your performances or line in your favorite music to add to the mix. Instead of your own tunes, you can select from a library of professionally-recorded backing songs.

The PDX-8 snare pad has a mesh head for a realistic feel and bounce when you play it. The kick pad has cloth striking surface that cuts down on trembling for purer sound. If you want, you can add other Roland accessories to the TD-11K, like a bass pedal.

More features of the Roland TD-11k electronic drum kit:

• Roland offers a 1-year warranty with 90-days parts warranty
• Comes with TD-11 Sound Module, PDX-8 Snare Pad,PD-8A Tom Pads, CY-8 Cymbal Pads, CY-5 Cymbal Pad, KD-9 Kick Pad, FD-8 Hi-Hat Controller, and MDS-4V Drum Stand

Recommendation

Choosing an electronic drum kit is about more than the sticker price. This is your instrument and it should fit your style and goals.

While the Yamaha DTX-522K does not come with a kick pedal, you can add one. With the Yamaha, you can practice rimshots all you want. Their set has an immense variety of 691 sound effects and 50 drum kits to choose from. With an app on your iPhone, you can add music and train in techniques. If rimshots and versatility are important to you, get the DTX-522K.

The Roland TD-11K offers a kick pedal, but you can’t practice rimshots, and that’s a big part of rock, pop, and gospel music. But if you listen to the Roland, it has a beautiful, realistic sound. If the kick pedal is important to you, and rimshots aren’t, get the TD-11K.

Click here to purchase Yamaha DTX522K on Amazon.com!

Click here to purchase Roland TD-11K on Amazon.com!