Why are Electronic Drums So Expensive?

*DrumSector.com receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We receive a commission if you click the link and make purchases. This is no extra cost to you, the purchaser. Thank You.*

When you’re looking for a decent electronic drum kit or even a single pad, you might be surprised at the cost. Electronic drums are pretty simple technology, so why are electronic drums so expensive? We’ll look at the why and how these drums cost so much money.

The cost of electronic drums is quite shocking to many would-be purchasers of electronic drums. If one is shopping for electronic drums due to housing noise requirements, i.e., one has no alternative, then it can seem quite the despicable situation to be stuck in.

The consensus is that the cost of electronic drums is relative to what consumers will pay for them. Due to current technologies, the cost to manufacture the electronic drums is much less than the required margins of profit would dictate.

Therefore, it is much more a case of market demand and consumer willingness to pay a higher price, making electronic drums so expensive.

In other words, if people stop buying electronic drums at the current market prices, they drop due to a drop in demand.

Are Electronic Drums Worth It?

The question often arises as to whether or not electronic drums are worth it. The answer is quite simple. To answer this question, one must ask if they are willing to pay the price for electronic drums. And to answer that question, the pros and cons must be carefully investigated, and the options weighed for their value. Let us take a look at the four key benefits of having electronic drums.

Electronic drums are significantly less loud than traditional drums. One does not necessarily need to practice in a soundproofed room at the end of a long and barren road to avoid the neighbors’ complaints about the noise.

Electronic drums offer the ability to change, tune, add effects to, and adjust the sound produced. That is, depending upon the controller and, or the software involved. It can be a fun and creative tool for creating new beats, music, and the like. If one could make any pad sound like any drum or even an audio sample, the possibilities for creativity are endless.

Electronic drums often offer the ability to record studio-quality drumming without the need for a professional recording environment. When recording drums for an album, if playing a traditional kit, the drumming will need to be recorded in a location where the environmental acoustics are the most beneficial to the recording.

Electronic drums typically have an audio out, which allows a person to plug them directly into a recording device and record beats in whatever practice environment the drum is located.

Some Cheaper Electronic Drums Brands

Depending on where one lives, there may be readily available cheaper electronic drum kits. For example, in the United Kingdom, it is easy to acquire a Tourtech electronic drum kit. These kits range from about 200 Euros and up (about $225), depending on the number of pads and features.

There are dome decent, cheap e-kits, but be cared about what you buy:

Yamaha Cheap Electronic Kits

Another brand that makes some reasonably inexpensive models of electronic drums is Yamaha. Yamaha electronic drum kits start at around $500 and are readily available in North America and worldwide via some of the big online sellers.

Yamaha has been making electronic drums for some time, and even cheaper kits and pads are known to be relatively decent instruments. They are well worth the price. And considering what a package with the same number of drums and equipment as the Yamaha kits have, the electronic kits are priced more than fair. They are often cheaper than a traditional kit of the same number of pads vs. drums and cymbals.

Another relatively inexpensive brand, although maybe not as well known as Yamaha, is the Alesis brand. This brand can be found in select stores worldwide and is readily available through online retailers. The electronic drum kits are in the same price range as the beginner Yamaha kits.

Donner Cheap E-Kits

Donner is a similar brand offering electronic drums at a fairly reasonable price point. The cost of a basic Donner electronic drum kit is $400 through their online store. These drums come with some reasonably decent ratings, despite not being well-known brands like Yamaha. The new Donner DED-200 electronic drum kit, which is at the time of writing in pre-sale order, looks to be an up-and-coming contender at the top of the beginner electric drum market.

Carlsboro Budget E-Kits

Carlsbro is another electronic drum maker whose drums can be found online at some of the significant e-commerce seller stores. The brand comes in at only $300 for a basic setup. Although this brand comes in as one of the least expensive, the kit appears to be nowhere near the quality of its competition. The kit is elementary and doesn’t come with the extra components such as the drum throne and more, which means the savings may not add up to much once one has purchased the other necessary parts.

Behringer Cheaper Electronic Kits

The last budget brand mentioned here is Behringer. This company is a well-known name amongst DJs and electronic music artists. They are well known for their recording and effects equipment. Their products always seem to have excellent reviews and have stood the test of time for many years now.

The Behringer line of electronic drums comes in at between $450 and up with standard beginner kits coming it at around $500 to $600 depending on the model and where you purchase.

Quality is apparent in any Behringer product, and their electronic drum kits are no exception. These are one of the best of the budget-friendly electronic drums and are readily available in most areas.

More Expensive High-End Electronic Drum Brand

If you’re serious about getting electronic drums, then you know you get what you pay for, right? There are a few industry leaders when it comes to high-end electronic drums. Let’s take a look at a few of the more expensive high-end electronic drum brands.

Alesis E Drums

Alesis does not just make a budget-friendly electronic drum kit. They also make some fairly decent higher-end models. Models like the Strike Pro Kit 11-piece professional electronic drum kit is an excellent example of a quality electronic equipment. This model of kit retails for between $2,000 and $3,000 depending on where you buy it and the model edition.

Alesis makes a pretty decent product. Even their budget kits are still of satisfactory quality. However, the higher-end kits from Alesis are no exception to the rule that you get what you pay for, as is said. And if one compares the price to a traditional quality kit of the same number of components, the electronic kit price comes out fair.

Roland Electronic Drums

Roland is a reliable name in the music industry. It is not easy to imagine a musician who has not heard of Roland Corporation. The company is known for its professional electronic equipment. It is primarily known for its synthesizers and keyboards.

Roland makes some charming high-end electronic drum kits and, through their professional-grade equipment, has come to be known as a leader in the electric drum segment.

Like the keys on a quality Roland keyboard, the velocity sensitivity of their electronic drum pads is second to none. The professional models, for example, the TD-27KVS, retail for $3,500 to $5,000, depending on where you shop and which model, of course.

The quality of the Roland products is evident when you get to sit down and play on their electronic kits. They are well worth the money and truly define the industry standard for excellence.

Yamaha E-Kits

Yamaha doesn’t just make budget electronic drum kits. They also have a higher-end collection of packages, which come with some relatively stable reviews.

A well-known name in many industries, the music industry is no exception for Yamaha. Known as a decent brand for multiple electronic products and even acoustic products like drums and guitars, Yamaha has been making instruments for some time.

The electronic kits such as the DTX900K or the DTX760K are both contenders to Roland products. These kits sell from $3,500 to $5,000, depending on the kit and where one purchases it.

Reviews for the high-end Yamaha electronic drums are a testament to the quality of their products. Very few negative reviews seem to be floating around as compared to the positive review counts. Again, you get what you pay for as they say. And with Yamaha’s quality, you always get a little extra.

Sources

Admin