The Best Tabletop Electronic Drums (Are They Worth Buying?)

[@GodslayerXUL]

The most important advantage in my opinion with the Yamaha devices is that they have 8 pads instead of 7. And the pad arrangement makes more sense. You can have both hi-hat and ride while still having two crash cymbals. Can't really do that with the cheaper devices. They only have two cymbals and this awkwardly positioned pad in the front middle. That's why I went for the DD-75. That was more important to me than having more sounds and presets. That information I thought was missing in the (otherwise nice) video.

[@markguilbeau4404]

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[@carlosfilho9404]

This is a critical advantage of the Yamaha. It surprised me that the reviewer missed that.

[@axelroller2000]

You are absolutely right bro, I just bought the DD-75 with the pedal add-ons for more comfort and efficiency to play it. And I chose this model because it has 2 crashes and also the hi hat is played with the arm crossed and not open as in the other models mentioned by the guy in the video. I could easily invest a little more budget and buy the Alesis Nitro but I just needed something easy to move and already assembled to make it easier to transport, especially to rehearse with my band or practice at home by myself, as well as to have control of the sound and not disturb the neighbors or stun me. I will only use my acoustic drums to play live or record in the studio, so I think it was definitely a good investment, I spent approximately 422 dollars including pedals, while the Alesis Nitro costs approximately 530 dollars in my country, that's more than 100 dollars difference!

[@pcallas66]

I'm not a drummer, but I wanted the DD 75 so I could record. I got it as a birthday gift. I've written a few songs. I'm not crazy about the pedals that came with it, but I did use it on an old analog 16 track recorder and the kit sounds absolutely huge when recorded to tape. I am going to go for the pedal upgrade. I'm fairly limited in space, but I think as a non drummer, I'm having a lot of fun with it. Great video.

[@Petteblubb]

This is why I like your videos.. You don't only shows your own kit, you want to spread the world about there's a lot of options for beginners as professionals to drum. Godd job :)

[@65Drums]

Thanks Pette!

[@zynel413]

(: boj ddoG .murd ot slanoisseforp sa srennigeb orf snoitop fo tol a s'ereht tuoba dlrow eht daerps ot tnaw uoy , tik nwo ruoy swohs ylno t'nod uoY ..soediv ruoy ekil I yhw si sihT (I need to get a hobby)

[@stephenrally2432]

I have had the Yamaha DD65 since about 2007. It has seriously held up well! I recently got an Alesis Nitro mesh, which I do like a lot, but the DD65 served me well for many years and I still use it as an ultra portable set.

[@yaketyyakumo3315]

Just a little PSA about the pedals on the Yamaha: if you’re on a budget, you can use any standard keyboard sustain pedal, or a Rock Band kick pedal and a 1/4” adapter, as the hi-hat pedal. And you can use a Guitar Hero kick pedal and a 1/4” adapter as the kick pedal. (I don’t know if this still works on the 75 but it definitely works on my 55.)

[@paohaus6482]

The Yamaha DD 65 was my first “drum kit”, it was amazing while learning and afterwards for having some good fun and experimenting. You don’t need anything but passion to get jamming!

[@gankeepoon5647]

That time DD75 model not sale in my Country. But ok.DD 65 the only different is cymbal sound a bit weird.

[@drummerboypoyntz87]

I've had one of the Medeli type sets for over 2 years, mainly because of space in my house. My real kit spends most of its time stored in the loft unfortunately. But the tabletop kit keeps me playing, enables me to record midi on my DAW, and is quick and easy to take to church and play through the PA system on Sunday morning. Obviously it takes some getting used to, but I bought a second hand 'Rock Band' game pedal from ebay and it really improved the bass drum aspect of playing. One thing I will say though, these things are sometimes sold with the phrase 'beginner kit' or 'for those who are learning'. These table top kits are the worst thing to learn on: The pads are to small; the layout is wrong; the feel is completely different. Their real benefit is that they are cheap and convenient. Thanks for all you videos Justin, I find them enjoyable and helpful.

[@65Drums]

good analysis, thanks for talking about how you use these :)

[@ThatTimDenham]

I got the DD-65 used to play at my office. Perfect. Have them in a corner and when I feel like playing I go over and play. Awesome. I wish I had the DD-75 because I could use the extra custom kits and more voices always gives you more options. Nice review.

[@Falasi4]

I learned drums on a dd-55 and then dd-65. Great learning options for many styles of music but the biggest weakness is the touch sensitivity is pretty hard to modulate. Fine if you are just banging out a rock tune but tricky for anything requiring more finesse. Actually sound really good on recording, especially if you spend just a little EQ time. Midi out lets you keep using it as a trigger pad after you upgrade to a full size set.

[@mathewm.3699]

I have a Yamaha dd55, it was my first "drum set". Fired up my love for drums, and I plan on using it as a sample pad now.

[@wolfetteplays8894]

@New York adventure yep, custom sounds ain’t just modifying the existing drums

[@ryoaev]

I have a Yamaha dd65 and I really recommend it, it's great for just sitting on my desk for making music, it's great fun and you actually can hit the pads surprisingly easily! Speakers are great quality and the option for midi is really useful. Would suggest you buy a dd65 or 75 if you wish, they're well worth the money

[@ryanglick4597]

I have the Yamaha dd65. I love it personally and it lasted me for a long time and also great for my small bedroom to practice. I enjoy the Yamaha dd65

[@bummerdrummer1902]

Holy crap! You actually made the video! Thanks so much.

[@65Drums]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@joshuastraus4453]

@istoleyourwaffles are you my brother?

[@theblackknight870]

@@joshuastraus4453 what a beautiful moment

[@edpatch2778]

@@joshuastraus4453 family Reunion

[@gavin.cichello6165]

I asked for an electric drum set for Christmas and.............my parents got me the petod1 thing and I was kinda disappointed. Not what I was expecting but I couldn’t exactly expect them to spend 400$ on an alesis. But I’ve saved up money and now I’m getting the alesis surge so I have both. So not the end of the world😁👍

[@charlessamuel5184]

I bought a Yamaha dd65 for church use. I used it for a year and I upgraded to Roland spd 30 with kd8 kick and fd8 hihat. The best tip i can give is save it up for Roland series.

[@65Drums]

totally agree

[@arnaldocambraia8681]

Other price... not compare.

[@Afflict8dGaming]

I actually have a hatchback and my whole drum set fits in it

[@greg4272]

Thank you very much for the detailed and useful information, you saved me a lot of research! I was just looking for a simple tool to record drums to my songwriting, where no drumkit would fit.

[@golcese]

I live in the Netherlands where the population density is high and shared-walls and row houses are the norm. I built a small sound proof room in my house so I can play drums there without bothering neighbors, but it's small, dark, and my drum kit is terrible. So a few months back I stumbled upon the KAT KTMP1multipad and I realized it was so small and portable I could play it anywhere in the house with head phones or through speakers with the volume at a reasonable level. I decided to get one and test it out to see if the KAT could be an adequate replacement for my terrible physical kit. Long story short - It can, and I highly recommend it. It's like 99 bucks. It's one pad divided into four smaller pads. You get 50 build-in sounds, and it's very portable. Downsides are it has no internal speaker and the add-on kick pedal and hi-hat controller for it are pretty bad, especially the hi-hat pedal. I tried using a Yamaha silent-kick and a few other pedals, but the KAT multipad doesn't recognize them. If you live in an apartment, and have noise issues and space issues it is an ideal multi-pad. Though four pads for drum sounds may not be enough for you. It wasn't for me, so I got two. I have two, (99 bucks a piece). One angled slightly above the other. I run them through a small passive mixer (75 bucks) and out to speakers. The kick pedal and hi-hat trigger cost like 160 bucks. I mount the two pads on the bases of two cheap cymbal stands (50 bucks for both). Total price tag for this very portable and versatile kit its less than 500 bucks. Keep in mind it's 500 for my suped up kit, but you can use one multi-pad on a kitchen table and its cost with the pedals is around $250 Though it's a great space saver, and I love being able to use headphones, and it's so portable, the thing I actually like best about and recognize gives it great value is that the on-board sounds are pretty good, and the tune / reverb / volume / sensitivity / balance controls allow you to get much better tones then you would get out of a standard cheap drum kit. Let's face it, even with new drum heads perfectly tuned, you can only make a cheap Tama or Pearl kit sound so good. And cheap cymbals sound terrible. Even the first few grades of Zildjian cymbals can be pretty underwhelming. So often, if you don't have more than a grand or, when you get a kit, you can end up with some pretty lousy sounding gear. For a while, when I was first starting out I had a snare drum that sounded like a bag of Doritos. So, having tried the KAT and having had a lot of time on very average low to mid range kits, I think the KAT sounds better and feels better (except for ride cymbal and hi-hat). Which is why, when I sold my Pearl kit and snare and cymbals, I kept the hi-hat and the Ride cymbal. The multi-pad just isn't sophisticated and nuanced enough to allow you to do the full range of things you can do with physical cymbals. For super intricate hi-hat work and / or nuanced ride cymbal work, it's good to have the real things on hand. To go backwards and ramble about portability, I wish I could go back in time and hand myself this thing 20 years ago. When I think of all the hours spent lugging huge drum sets around to gigs and band practices, and think that I could have carried my whole current KAT setup in a messenger bag instead, I feel bad for my younger self. Back to main point - try the KAT KTMP-1 Multipad. It's really, really good value for price. SUMMARY The mutli-pad is great. Very good velocity and sensitivity. Not a lot of cross-talk issues. Occasional failure of pads to trigger, but not more than once or twice in a song max. No way to put additional sounds on, but the onboard ones are pretty good. It's solidly build. Can withstand a significant beating. Super portable. As for the accessories: The KAT bass drum trigger isn't half-bad once you get your pedal all set up just right with that weird inverted beater. The KAT hi-hat trigger, not so great. In fact it's noisy, cheaply built, and not dynamic at all. The depth of the pedal on the hi-hat clutch is way to much. You have to push down and pull up too much to trigger the open / close sound. Here's what you do to make it better. Open the pedal and figure out how to adjust the depth. Either add additional foam, or put a bolt in the mechanism to shorten it's maximum possible open position. Once you do that, it becomes bearable.

[@predicate]

the ads are getting smarter!

[@rhythm-t3023]

I have the DD-65 that's for my studio recording project and I also have the DD-75 for practicing and for a little small gig like a small church and café or outside by the train station making some money.

[@jampopoy18]

Can you make a update version of this? Thanks! Really want to buy one for our church

[@passiton3801]

I can recommend any of these Medeli built products. Put them thro an amp, it sounds like a drum kit, miked up..

[@thatoneguy3332]

I think they're great for beginners to learn the basics of drumming. I'd say after a good few months people starting off can move onto a proper drum set

[@Jtdubbzz]

Hey man, nice video! I am very new to the tabletop drum scene, as in the past few days lol. But I just picked up off Craigslist a “like new” DD65 for $100 and from the same guy, brand new with tags on, the Yamaha hi hat and kick drum pedals for $80 and I’m happy I did! I feel the more realistic design pedals are a given for playing stationary at home and will last a lot longer than the stock pedals, but the stock pedals will be great for travel. With that said, I am thrilled with my purchase, this is EXACTLY what I wanted! Something to sit next to my desk for quick drum beats to record, and to play along too with guitar. Before this week I had no idea these even existed, I’ve been playing drums for 20 years, and for what I’m doing right now at home, this is perfect. I must say, I am amazed at how natural they feel, within reason of course, but you use the same coordination. I jammed on these for a while today (btw you can record and save 5 of your own songs up to 10,000 beats) literally swiveling my drum throne between these and my guitars and amp, and I didn’t think once I wish I was playing my kit. Will I ever play out with it? No lol. Will I take it to my buddies to hook into the PA and loop a beat to jam keys and guitars to? Abso-freakin-lutley! All-in-all, I would easily recommend these to someone with reasons similar to mine, and for someone who wants to come up with cool drum and percussion sounds and doesn’t want to spend a lot of dough, and basically only take up as much room as a snare drum while doing so...

[@BeniRoseMusic]

I just need some MIDI drum pads for the studio and I don’t feel like dropping 800 bucks on a Roland multipad and don’t have room for a cheaper Alesis kit. I have the Alesis Samplepad Pro and I hate it. So much crosstalk and missed notes and for live usage the pads are SO LOUD! Would a DD75 be a downgrade from the Samplepad Pro in terms of MIDI control for studio drums?

[@karmalord]

The DD65 over Medelli (sp) would be the go to as you can add the upgraded foot pedals to the DD65. Not sure you can upgrade with other brands. I have an old DD55 which I play around with and did upgrade those pedals, but not with the same ones you mentioned.

[@aldorthegreat5267]

You see i have a different view on these than most people. I bought one of those lap tables for in cars and put mine on that and had my road kit

[@CoreysReviews]

I personally have a tabletop drum set that I've been trying to practise with, because I'm trying to get into drums. I have a Livingstone DD-305, and honestly, the kit sucks. For such a cheap set, the sounds in the module are okay. The best thing I can say about this drum set is that for such a cheap set, some of the sounds are actually half decent. It has about 30 kits, but there's only a small handful of sounds in the entire module I actually like. I have been able to cobble together my own custom kit with my favourite toms, favourite cymbals, and my favourite snare from each kit, which has made things a little better, and I'd be fine with the drum set if the sounds were my biggest issue. Unfortunately, the sound of the kit is the least of my complaints with the set. I can't stand the way the drum set feels. Compared to how the hi-hat and the snare is usually placed on a drum set, the way the snare and the hi-hat is placed on a tabletop is just weird. What makes things feel even stanger is how your hi-hat is placed where the snare would realistically be, but your pedal for the hi-hat is placed where your hi-hat would actually be, which can get quite disorienting. Another issue I have is since it's so confined being a tabletop, bouncing your arms up and down in a confined space is nowhere near as much fun as playing on a kit that's surrounding you. Like you said in the video, tabletops are nowhere near as fun to play on as a proper kit, and it's even worse for me since I'm a beginner. My biggest problem with the kit though is the kick pedal. Again, like you said in the video, the pedal isn't really a pedal at all, but more of a button that you stomp on. Let's just say even the pedal from the Roland TD-1K would probably feel better than this. It's nothing like using a proper kick pedal with a proper kick drum tower. The button is extremely finicky, and impossible to use. It sounds okay when using the right kit, but that's nothing when the thing doesn't even work half the time. It has an extremely cheap feeling, and it moves around way too much. It's also pathetic in terms of response. There have been countless times where I press the pedal once, and the sound initiates twice, times it doesn't work at all, and the set being so finicky makes staying in time literally impossible. It's not just a result of me being an amature drummer either. I've played proper electronic drums in stores that have way better kick pedals, and other people who've played the set say the pedal is complete crap. It doesn't help that I'm trying to learn how to do hard rock/metal, such as Skillet, Nirvana or System of a Down. It's so bad I literally had to use one of the custom kits to replace the floor tom with a bass drum. I know it's cheating and I really don't like doing it, but doing this immediately improved my timing, and the kit isn't as unplayable as it used to be. However, I'm aware that it's an extremely bad habit, and it's seriously limiting me. Basically, the kick pedal is so problematic, not to mention the restriction of using a tabletop, the poor quality of the drum set is actually affecting my drumming. This is why my father and I have been looking to get a better drum set. If any beginners are out there who are looking for a relatively cheap electronic drum set to practise on, from personal experience, I strongly would not recommend starting with a tabletop unless you absolutely have to. The one I've got sucks, and it's impossible to use. I'm looking to get a better electronic drum set, and in my eyes, the sooner I upgrade, the better.

[@theswime945]

Thanks dude. You're absolutely right about space constraints, that's the whole point. For me it's all about getting MIDI signals into a computer in a very confined space, with consideration for my neighbours in the wee small hours. What I really want is an acoustically silent but responsive USB kick pedal and same for hi hats. Come on, inventors! Cheers, Simon.

[@Eric-dd8bk]

You are in the exact same shoes as I am. Have you found anything that works for your and my needs and requirements yet? All I care about is the MIDI connectivity and sensitivity to different velocity since Im stuck in an apartment second floor with a grumpy neighbor downstairs, and I only use one of those drum VSTs to track my drums. Don't care for the looks nor the feel of it as long as there's some rebound on each pad and comes with at least 2 pedals that work, as well as are velocity sensitive.

[@CookinBeatloaf]

​@@Eric-dd8bkany luck?

[@ronaldzeoli7528]

Have a Yamaha dd65 use it when I go to Florida for 2 months in the winter for practice and it works great I've had it for 10 years. Only the snare pad has come a little loose. When I'm back at home I have a acoustic kits that I play

[@MichaelJohnsonGeek]

I have a DD-50 that I am using to learn how to play drums on. I found it at a pawn shop with no pedals, so I 3-D printed new ones. It works great!

[@kennynvake4hve584]

I settled on the DD65, because I just today(4.27.2020) found them on the side of the road, in a house clean out...so yes, for me, the cheapest and best set is the DD65...nice video...thanks...

[@PanasonicTooth]

Whaaaat? Did it all still work?

[@bisaiya87]

Hi, is there any new Tabletop Electronic Drums at the moment. I love the layout of DD75, wonder if there any upgraded model with less noise from the pad

[@paulstockmasterjr1777]

I have an older DD-55 that was my test bed for deciding on getting a acoustic set. Still use it as a tie in to my Alesis Forge.

[@jmarkashe660]

Nice thing about the Yamaha kits is the positioning of the drums. For instance, the snare and the high hat are positioned correctly where as they are not on the Madelli.

[@JonDeth]

I have a really old Casio that was comparable to the Yamahas of the day, and it's still up to date compared to the ones around today. I think for recording and practice needs on the road, they make sense for a drummer. I'm a guitarist, and sometimes I go through bouts of playing the drums a lot every few years, but mine never got a tremendous amount of use. I can also sequence top notch drum tracks, so that makes them a novelty for me. *I suppose with that point made, if you're going to be on the road or somewhere you will be deprived of your kit for a significant length of time, then for the dedicated drummer, they're a must.* You also made a critical point, they're really not all that fun to play! lol. I love playing my full sized electronic and acoustic sets, but when it's not a staple in your daily life as a musician, these tabletop sets are fairly awkward.

[@MichaelStoneham]

Have you done review of roll-up drum kits like the Rock Jam drumkit and others

[@FatRakoon]

The thing with the various companies all using Midelli pads, but have different sounds... I dont know, but the sounds can be the difference. For example... I used to have a DD50 and a DD55 and they were identical in most ways, the 50 was dark grey while teh 55 wwas silver and the Kick pedal on the 50 worked with a simple switch while the 55 needs the touch sensitive piezo thingy, but the sounds were worlds apart... The 55 sounded fairly decent and the 50 sounded totally synthetic / robotic. I think if anything, that was the difference... Synthesized sounds vs sampled sounds. It will be a similar thing with these that you are showing... They may all look the same ( difference = colour ) and play the same, have the very same pads by teh very same makers, but as you said the sounds will be different... The only way you can truly know, is to actually compare the sounds. I still have the 55 but for the desktop, I upgraded to the DD65 and for my main kit I am stil using an old Alesis DM5 Pro. I did recently go to buy the DD75 but I realised that it sounds pretty much identical to the DD65 and realised that I would simply be wasting money on just having a black DD65 that loos shiny and new, but nothing else.

[@lairdsky4604]

Watching the Yamaha DD55, evolve to the DD65 and now the DD75 is fascinating.......I can see 👀 why so many kids are using them, the real sound sampling and playability just keeps getting better.

[@gregt5150]

I still have a Yamaha DD-55. I switched to a Simmons kit 2 years ago. The DD-55 has held up to major abuse and still sounds good.

[@laskholt]

I see there is a few old timers like my self that restarted their drumming with one of these. I bought a dd65 to go back to drumming after 30 years. You are right that the 'pedals' are no fun, so those where quickly switched to better ones. I later sold the unit and got at least half of my money back. I bought a Roland TD-9, which I now use for practice and trigger SP3 for recording. Recently I bought the dd65 back again, planning to use it for travelling and playing with old band buddies, then using a jamhub unit to connect their vocals, keyboard, guitar and bass. No problems to bring along and setup is super easy and relatively quite. I also own a SDP-30 which I don't find any use for. One of the things that differs the Yamaha from the others is the placement of the hi-hat. It's placed very clever, giving you the right "right hand over the left hand' practice. For those looking into these for a start because of the budget, small space or easy to bring - go for a used one. You will get most of your money back by reselling if you choose to, and much more fun experience than banging on anything else. By far not perfect, but a very good start.

[@sambelton4321]

I'm interested in a set that is easy to set up and use for small venues. What tabletop set would you recommend that you can use better foot pedals with bass and hi-hat kicks?

[@rcapparela8942]

Really helpful. Many thanks. I've had one of those Medeli/Pyle Pro table tops (DD308) for a while and I enjoy it except for the kick drum pedal, which I've gotten comfortable with. Anyone have a recommendation for a kick drum pedal substitute that won't break the bank?

[@passiton3801]

With the pedals, u can make ur own holders, by using a piece of wood shaped like a foot pedal or even a coffin shape, with a slot cut for the pedals. This stops the pedals going walkies...Used them for years.

[@TehDeejus]

i used a dd65 for kick triggers with the KP65 kick pad for quite a while so i didnt have to mic a kick drum and it took way less room than a 22x20 kick drum i had. it also gave me the ability to have tamborines and other accessory sounds that i didnt have to worry about messing with the cymbals in the overheads. Some of the bar stages are quite small and my kit would barely fit even without the bassdrum.

[@daviator4720]

I have used the Pyle ( Medli ) version now for the last 2 years… Works great… I am using it for recording in a space limited environment. I find unless you are a drummer, most don’t even realize it’s not “real “ kit . For the money good value 😊

[@sultanofswing2974]

Great video like always, keep up the good work

[@olejakob9216]

I got the dd65 last week and after lots of work to get it working with SD3 I love it, would I like a bigger “real “ e kit? Yes but I have no space right now, I find it pretty fun to play but I agree that the pads could have been softer but it’s the only option for me now, with the SD3 I almost forget it’s not that great, I’m also going to buy a snare stand and new pedals 😅

[@norcicoso]

I have a Yamaha DD65 , i use it for multipler purposes , but beware that it has a midi issue that Yamaha did not ever fix, the midi out of the hihat is only closed, the open HH does not work. All the 65's have this problem, i don't know if this has been fexed with the 75. The dd65 has some very decent built in sounds and the kits are good too. I have heard some cheap edrums that sound much worse than the dd65. I've used the dd65 even live in some very very small pubs. You can hook the dd65 up to a computer and use any drum software like ezdrummer. I have also been using the dd65 as a percussion module , i use the latin kits from the box and also from ezdrummer. i has lot's of nice features. It also has hand sensitive function so you can use it as a bongo set. I 'm using a Yamaha KP65 with a pearl pedal for the kick and a Yamaha HH65 as the Hi Hat pedal, they both work a charm. I have the thing in the studio with all the other drums. Sometimes my son has also used it on the go at school.

[@sue08401]

I've had the dd65 for close to a decade. I just like the more human sound of someone using sticks. I had to chose between an 88 key piano or a drum kit -- the piano won - So I'll keep the DD65 in my cartage room and bring it out when needed

[@Zer0nuke]

Hi, have you ever had some damage in your kit? Mine starts to fail when I plug it to an External amplifier! The sound is not clear, and suddenly it's volume decreases until absolute silence.

[@thephilosopher5799]

Which piano do you use? Alesis Nitro Mesh is pretty compact. Get a Daw and you’re good to go.

[@RenanAlmeidJr]

Hi!! Don’t you think is a good option for pocket shows? Setting up a full electronic drum is quite difficult and also won’t be very good for the health of your kit, or not? Thks for the content as always!!!

[@AdvancePlays]

I'm looking at getting one of these for writing the drum parts to my music. I'm not a drummer, so I don't have any reservations about it feeling weird or not working as I expect or anything like that, I just wanna hit it and hear a noise lol. I also don't have the space for a full kit, and of course they cost a whole lot more, so I'm definitely in the target audience for devices like this.

[@djsilent01]

This is me in a nutshell. I’ve been on MPC’s my entire musical journey. I haven’t a clue on playing drums. But I want something fun and different. Something I can just pick up and play. But also trigger my vsts when ready.

[@nytrayfl2]

Justin, can you please make a video on how to quiet the stick-to-pad noise when using these with a worship band in church? I cannot afford an edrum set right now. Thank you so much.

[@parasiteunit]

The DD65 is the one I have Am giving serious consideration to getting an RCA output array (like the ones you used to see on old stereo units) so I can retrofit some external pads. Know of a few people who have used similar items as simply "a brain + trigger kit" for MIDI.

[@mikesom9452]

Hi, thanks for the review. Can you set it up for a lefty player with hi-hat on the right side?

[@rohanregmi8112]

I want to know when the DD 85 or something like that comes out so I can know if I make a mistake buying the DD75

[@rhpmpp]

Exactly. Me too

[@Action_Sloth]

Thanks for the video, dude. I live an hour+ from the friends I jam with the most, so I've been looking for a table top kit I can leave in my car for when we don't have an acoustic kit available and I don't want to pack up my my regular electronic kit. The video helped a lot, I subscribed so keep up the good content 👍

[@acerbt]

I got my dd75 a year ago now. The main thing is that many of the sounds are just the standard xglight and other standard awm drums used on their home keyboards. This includes the xg drum kits used for playing rhythms and midi files, but it also includes the higher quality multi layered power kit found on yamaha's psr-e 3 and 4 series keyboards which are their higher end home keyboards. All of these sounds are on the dd65 and 75, but the 75 has the advantage of some sounds being taken from the dtx 400, 500, etc lines of kits to augment that. I will admit they did slide back a little on the 65 and 75 xg sounds though, since the 55 had the higher quality xg light/ xg drum kits that were available on things like the first tiros keyboards, and the psr-640/740. The 65 and 75 use the lower quality standard xglight stuff. Over all though, I like mine. i'll be going to school soon away from home, so I'll probably take my dd75, the ku 100 kick unit, and the hh65 high hat controller to play in my dorm room.

[@batphink2655]

Hi Justin do any of these come with ability to record what you play and if so can you 'Quantize' or tidy the performance? I'm an ex pro drummer with no room to set up and mic a kit. Can you plug these into a DAW? Thanks much for info!

[@Frontier2000AnoDomin]

Back in the 90s I used the Yamaha DD-50 to record drum and percussion parts for video game scores. I´d never use the internal sounds, but use it as a controller to record midi for GM in-game music. This was a hell of a lot a quicker and more "natural" sounding than tapping away on a MIDI keyboard or step programming. In fact I would play the drum parts with sticks and the percussion parts using my hands. The pads were sensitive enough for hand percussion. Since the good old days, the DD-50 has been replaced by a full Roland V-Drum kit for drums and (recently) a Yamaha Multi DTX 12 for hand and timbale stick percussion. Even with these 2 devices I never use the onboard sounds (unless live). I still only use them as MIDI controllers. I´ll be giving my son the DD-50 to practice as it still works fine. I will in fact be recording all of the sounds off the DD-50 to add to my "vintage" UVI BeatBox Anthology 2 collection. They might all ways come in useful for some kind of retro project. All in all, if you purchase one of these "table top" drum sets with reasonable quality pads it´s a useful composing and DAW recording tool and you can also start to explore the world of drumming at the same time.

[@domjones5465]

Hey Jason. I am a composer (not a drummer) looking purely to have something compact in the studio to trigger superior drummer 3 plus big orchestral percussion etc and it sounds like these are quite good for that although annoying as regards the hard rubber and associated noise! Was wondering if there are any other options? You've got smaller pads that you can play with your fingers but for me I think that would be like playing it on a keyboard which is what I do currently?

[@Eric-dd8bk]

I just don't understand why people over look these electronic compact kits when they have MIDI capabilities with which you can control real professional sounding vsts and record professional grade drum tracks. Especially the professional drumers. Maybe they are like the tube snobs of the guitar world that refuse to play anything but tube amps.

[@tinderbox218]

But these tabletop sets aren't really meant to be a substitute for a full sized e-kit, or even to be played live at all, are they? They're more for electronic/synthesizer musicians who just need some pads to tap out rhythms to a programmed drum machine or as part of a MIDI/sequencer setup.

[@PanasonicTooth]

That might be the case. But honestly I find them to be a fair substitute for a full sized e-kit, aside from the pedals that come with them which can be switched out. The only things I can think of that you can't do on a tabletop that you can on a full size is cross sticking and cymbal chokes.

[@nicklyne184]

I bought the Alesis for my wife, who is an absolute beginner. I was puzzled as to why the snare drum is on the far left and the high-hat in the middle, which is not how a drum kit is laid out. it's a bit confusing, because the way she's being taught is to use the right hand for the snare and the left for the high-hat, so to practice on the set she has to use the side drum as her snare!

[@WillisZzz]

Hey thanks, we've been enjoying your videos! We picked up a CompactKit 7 and love it, especially for the price. Does anyone know if the Roland KT-9 is a compatible replacement for the cheap foot switch that comes with the unit? 3 things we don't like: 1) the "pedals" double trigger often 2) you can't tune the pitch of the drum voices up/down (making most of the kick drum sounds unusable to us, as they are). 3) the cymbal pads have plastic that goes up quite high; it can be tough not to hit the plastic part Other than that, it's super fun and addicting, and small enough to fit in tight spaces.

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

Which one of these drums have a foot support that I can connect to it and a foot port so I can use an external foot pedal? Great video. Thank you for posting this.

[@jesusjacome838]

I wonder if those have sensitivity if you hit from soft to hard, or hard to soft

[@jeffreypowell1656]

Excellent, no nonsense review Thanks.

[@PanasonicTooth]

I got a second hand Yamaha dd65 a couple of years ago. It was probably already 5 years old when I got it, everything still worked at the time, but after 2 years of daily use it has started to shit itself (my favourite pad stopped working bout a year ago, the China pad, which is a great addition that the 7 pad tabletops don't give you). The selection wheel stopped working all together too bout 6 months ago, and in the past month it just started randomly changing through the different drum sets every minute or so. I can't complain as it has probably had a good 5-7 years of frequent playing which is pretty good for a tabletop set. Now I'm thinking of getting a brand new dd75, which I'm hoping to last me 3-5 years of daily playing (anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours a day). I've really become a fan of the tabletop kits, they are so straight forward, portable, fun to use and a legit "giggable" option. The Yamaha pedals are weird but something you can get used to, although they do this double hit thing sometimes depending on how you play them, hard to explain but those who own them will know what I mean. I will be looking at the additional foot controllers this time though as I think that would make for an awesome setup.

[@tokyohokyo1717]

This was so helpful dude Tysm

[@rockbottomstudioofny9230]

I used to use the DD-55 on my acoustic kit. Found it in goodwill for $20. I was never able to connect via midi when I played on an electronic kit but but as a device for extra sounds it sounded good! Very cool slash cymbal on it which I used a lot. If I had it now I would use it with my drum kit powered my the Roland TD-7 but I run EZ drummer 8. I’ll have to check thrift stores. I’d buy the TD 55, 65, and 75.

[@trevellellis4176]

My friend, I have to say this that I own Yamaha DD-65 & DD-75. And I don't have any issues of neither one of them at all. The reason why I have those 2, well I did use the DD-65 quite awhile until I saw the DD-75 that has more features than the DD-65 ok no I don't like those pedal triggers that came with it it was a pain in the ass to use those triggers so right now I'm using the Yamaha KP-65 kick pad, well I had the Yamaha HH-65 it went off track so I'm using the Aleses HiHat real feel controller. Those are are on my DD-75. And my DD-65, I'm using Yamaha KP-65 kick pad, and KAT Hi Hat foot controller. I'm mainly using the DD-75 for practicing and I'm using my DD-65 for my little studio work.

[@armin.nerraka]

Thanks for this review! I bought one of this and it fits in my small room perfectly! I even recorded some drum covers ;)

[@utubehound69]

I have the Alesis table top but an older one those kick & HH buttons these are square I wonder if I could use a Kick petal & HH petal w/the older one. It's got slots to sit on a Snare stand. It has MIDI out so I was thinking of using it w/EZ Drummer.

[@trippasnippa5093]

I'm buying one today used and cheap is there anyway at all to get double kick or add like your Roland kd8 etc and therefore use your double pedal

[@muaythai193]

I would like to get the 75 in silver as well...

[@Frontier2000AnoDomin]

Back in the 90's we used a Yamaha DD-50 to score the whole soundtrack from a not-too-unknown PC game in the UK. Back then many games still used MIDI for in-game music. The game had around 8 themes that were fairly drum/percussion intensive. Recording these parts using the DD-50 (plugged into the PC with a MIDI cable) was infinitely faster than tapping away on keyboard controller or step-writting. The DD-50 could also be played with your hands, which made conga/bongo parts natural to record. As I remember, we recorded via an AWE 64 interface. Each user who played the game might hear it a little differently though, depending on which MIDI chip their PC used. The game also had guitar parts which were also recorded using a Casio Electric/MIDI guitar. This again made for more natural and quicker performances and recordings. We've since replaced that DD-50 with a full-scale professional Roland kit, but until around 5 years ago, we would still occasionally use the DD-50 for triggering hand-percussion parts. We finally purchased a Yamaha DTX12 for that purpose. Ultimately, we never use the built in sounds from either of our pro Roland or Yamaha hardware on any studio recording. We simply use them to trigger software libraries (normally Superior Drummer). The quality and expanse of sounds simply can't be compared. The moral of the story... a cheap electronic percussive surface can be a viable small-studio solution if you are just using it as a MIDI controller. The biggest problem I remember having was missed triggers/strikes which would then have to be corrected in the DAW. Obviously, playing on a table-top MIDI surface is not going to inspire the same type of performance as using full-sized professional surfaces, but if you're on a budget and don't have a lot of space... we'll it worked for us back in the day.

[@JesusJIMSreps]

I'm trying to decide between the Yamaha DD-75 or the Millennium MD-100. What do you think?

[@mrcolinwee]

weird question would a keyboard sustain pedal work to trigger kick?

[@stevenlightfoot5175]

I am still using the old DD55 Yamaha for practising with my band in an informal acoustic setting. What I like about this one is the ability to assign different volumes to each pad, which Yamaha confusingly ditched with the DD65. I agree with the criticism of the foot “pedals” that come with the Yamaha sets, the one I’m using just now plays a kick beat when I lift my foot up which drives me crazy!! So I would definitely think twice about getting another Yamaha. I’m looking to move on to another set now and I found your video very helpful.

[@panhandle-123]

I got the Medeli one an use it every Sunday. I've also got 3 Yammy DD-55's as spares. You need to put them thro a pa, to get the best sound. I mount mine on a heavy duty music stand (modded to take the extra weight). You need to mount the pedals on shaped wedges, so they wont run away when ur playing them.

[@gibbonschip]

Lots of great information in this video! Thanks.

[@josephineromeo7106]

Bro i need help..i want to buy one for our church..please can u suggest what would i choose? Alesis Compact kit or Yamaha DD75? and whats the advantage to choose that?

[@zacrahman2241]

can you review medeli 325? Because most of the pads are mesh

[@dylanschad7207]

Good thinking reminding everyone about the different midi port types. Good work!

[@65Drums]

Thanks Dylan! I wanted to mention it because some people need the USB midi port, and there isn't one on this

[@bradscholz4139]

@@65Drums Note that if you use MIDI on DD-65 to trigger something like EZdrummer, the hi-hat function doesn't work correctly. They miscoded the MIDI. It works correctly on the DD-55, and I'm not sure if Yamaha fixed it in the DD-75

[@KawaiiKittyKat79]

I am interested in a Drum Machine long-term, and I play electronic music, and I am wanting lots of customization. I saw the Pyle DM pad, but is the Yamaha my best bet?

[@no9484]

Nice video, it gave me more info about e-drums. I would like to know, is it possible for a yamaha kick trigger or a yamaha kickstand kp65 to work on medeli dd515/alesis kit 7? Because I would like to upgrade my footswitch into that, to have the feel of a kick pedals. Kindly let me know your thoughts about it, thanks!

[@jorgenbrouwer6460]

Thank you for your video. What about using a Medeli drumkit by a 6yo girl? Is such a music device suited for children? I am hoping for a nice Black friday deal in time for Xmas. German grocery store Lidl sells such drumkits too (with completely different lay-outs) from the brand SHEFFIELD. Though almost everything I bought from Lidl was great, I am not impressed by the reviews of the SHEFFIELD drumkit

[@mrnitin6057]

Very nice review, it helped. Ordered the Pyle drum kit, it's in mail. Also try the Nekter foot pads. It's all metal with rubber pad and only $16 There is also the Rock Band foot pedal.

[@johnjanero3869]

Justin Hi; I bought a Yamaha DD55 waaay back when they first came out. I still use it as a stand alone kit for very small stages, and as an add on with my accoustic kit these units are a lot of fun to play. The sounds are pretty good and very easy to set up. I thought about also using it with my e=drums (DTX 450) as an add on. I really think there are a ton of uses for these types of units..Keep up the great video's

[@johndef5075]

I have full acoustic and electric kits and a Dd65. All are fun.

[@franzandrew68]

Hi, very nice video. I ended up buying the Medeli table top. One question, is the Yamaha footpad (KU100) compatible with Medeli?

[@Christophe_L]

But did you try them? I have the Medeli and the polyphony sucks. I can't get a d-beat while playing ride or toms because the kick chokes. I would not recommend it.

[@cresshead]

cool video would also be interesting to hear views on octapad, spdx, yamaha dtx m12 and the alesis sample pad pro then maybe a separate vid on 'finger drumming: mpc, controller pads, maschine etc

[@verstrahlt1907]

nice drums, informative video, handsome guy, and beautiful T-shirt. You could aslo compare the DD50 / DD-55 / DD-55C (or is it to old?)

[@anggazulfiawan1954]

really helpful for beginners like me that just start to play drums..consider the space and loud (since i will have my 2nd baby), should go for yamaha dd75 ...thanks bro..regards from indonesia

[@cthulhugravios499]

With the Alesis compact 7 I have two questions. 1 can you buy foot pedals for it? 2 can I use it as an ableton Midi controller for drums?

[@sliderman213]

Hei there! I own a Medeli DD305 (similar to DD315) and my pedals broke. What pedals should I buy or use and from where because I asked the producer and they told me that they will send the pedals from the factory from China but it will cost me around 72 dolors (shipping included) and thats about half of a new set of drums. By the way, I am from Romania. Thanks!

[@SeymourFTW]

Are the DTX400 foot controllers compatible with the older Yamaha DD55. There's one on my local craigslist for $80, I'm wondering if that's a good deal? especially if I can upgrade the cheap plastic pedals to learn drums on

[@Escapism-for-everybody]

Thank for the video, can you replace the Kick pedal from the Alesis drum kit 7 with a random E-drum Kick pedal or has it to be a specific one ? I have the Alesis drum and don´t like the Pedals that come with it.

[@steve1774]

Do any of these have the ability to record what you play so I can pre record and jam along with my guitar ?

[@hecbiz75]

QUESTION: I need to be able to play double bass pedal patterns. I'm into metal , especially death metal, so that's essential. Can any of those kits do that?

[@iylahsfidgets5857]

Hi there .do U think a kp65 kick pad would work with Alesis compact7....cheers

[@FatRakoon]

I got the DD65 and I lucked out on mine. I have a DD50 and DD55 too, and the DD50 sounds more synthetic while the DD55 sounds more real. They seem to be identical otherwise, and, like the 65/75, the DD50 is dark grey while the DD55 is silver. Now, I moved home and the 50 got broken and the 55 sort of went missing? - I have an Alesis full sized Electronic kit, and so I was not that bothered about the smeller kits. Anyway, I was in a local cash converters / second hand shop and I saw the DD65 and the price was £90 and there was a £60 sticker on it too! I asked the lady about it and said that I will have it at 60 but not at 90 and so she asked the lad in the back about it and he said I could actually have it for 50! Cool I said... So he went into the back and had a look for the sticks and pedals and power supply, but he could not find them and so he said ah, I cannot find any of the extra bits for it, do you want to make an offer? - I said that without the sticks its only a tad pad and without the pedals its no even a drum kit and withotu the power supply, I dont know if it even works proerly, so I said £20 and I wont return it if its broken? - the guy said ok. The thing is, that I got the pedals and the sticks and the power supplies at home no problems... It worked just fine. What really makes me giggle, is that I have pulled down the unit in my utility room ( My garage turned into a music room ) and I found the DD55 in there.. .Dusty but fully working ) and so I now have both a DD55 and a DD65 in my setup and the Alesis hardly gets used at all.

[@milesmayes]

Hey I just found the dd 65 dirt cheap and can you use like a rock band kick pedal on it. They both have an aux cord on the end

[@jesusjacome838]

Hear them in action is better than just the review comments. To me my opinion.