The MusicRadar electronic drum set review process is editorially independent and not influenced by any third parties. Our review samples are almost always sourced directly from the manufacturer or via a local distributor. Sometimes review samples are supplied by retailers.

If you’re wondering who Alesis are, don’t be concerned! They have been in this industry since the 80’s and make all sorts of pro quality drum machines and keyboards. So you can trust the brand know what they are doing. If these figures are well out of your price range, a desktop kit like the Alesis Compact Kit 7 is a more cost-effective introduction to drumming. However, you may find it will need upgrading to a full kit sooner, so could be a false economy. How we test kid's electronic drum sets

Ease of use/setup: How easy is the kit to construct out of the box? Once built, how easily can the kit be adjusted to fit the setup needs of the average drummer? Is the module user-friendly? All 3 of these digital tabletop drum kits are a lot of fun. They offer an absolute ton of great features at what has now become an incredibly low price. So if you go for any one of these 3 units you’re not going to be disappointed. Our expert e-kit testers use each featured kit for at least two weeks, evaluating the instrument in the following categories: If space really is an issue, you might want to consider a compact desktop kit. First and foremost it is important to note that these don’t do the proper job of getting a child used to the way a drum kit is ergonomically laid out; since they are flat pads as opposed to a full kit. If this doesn’t bother you, or even if you are looking at introducing your child to percussion as opposed to full kit drumming, definitely keep this option open. What is a good age for kids to start learning the drums?

There are countless kid’s electronic drum sets online, but not all are created equal. The child-friendly options from brands like Alesis, Roland and Yamaha are a great place to start if you’re looking for a respected name with a strong pedigree from child to pro level. Other brands worth exploring include Millenium, Digital Drums and Simmons. How much should I spend on an electronic drum set for my child? The CompactKit 7 however offers 45 preset kits, 5 user kits and 265 drum/percussion sounds. The most out of the 3. It also offers USB-MIDI too, headphones output and has a built-in metronome. Overall, we found the Alesis Turbo Mesh to be an excellent value electronic drum set. All mesh heads feel great and almost as realistic as an acoustic drum head, the drum sounds are great for the price and the coaching modes on-board the module are helpful in helping your child learn their first rhythms and master time-keeping. If you’re on a budget or just looking to have a go at drumming, this kit is well worth your money.

Features

When you don’t have a lot of space. Or want to get something for the kids to start with. Or you just want something you can easily take on the road with you. Electronic tabletop drum kits really are an awesome option. Full-featured drumming fun for drummers just starting out or non-drummers who just want to have fun! The main unit is really nicely portable as it only weighs in at 7.3 pounds, almost 2 pounds less than the Yamaha for example. The pads are good and responsive, you’ll probably find you get the odd missed hit once in a while with really fast drumming. But that’s to be expected with this type of gear. Alesis have made some great drum equipment over the years, and this a step-up from the entry-level Compact Kit 4. It's a great addition to their lineup, and is equally great ifyou're just starting to play, or simply need a portable setup with velocity sensitive pads and a pair of pedals. You'll no doubt find this auseful percussive tool. Play, learn, develop Connectivity: How easy is it to connect pads to the module? Is there an opportunity for expansion with more pads? Is there also USB/MIDI connectivity for recording?

So the Yamaha has 8 pads and two pedals. The pedals are really just buttons rather than any attempt at a digital ‘pedal’– as you can see in the photo above. They work, but just could be better. Note: you CAN upgrade these, but I’d suggest living with them for a while to see what you think.

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In addition to the realistic feel of the pads, the Compact Kit 7 contains100 songs pre-loaded to play along with. They're great for developing your timing. There's evena coach feature that's designed to push your skills and give you a good workout. You may not have heard of Pyle Audio, but if not, don’t worry. Pyle are a serious audio and electronics company. They make everything from pro DJ gear to audio processing equipment, so they know about sound. Which does translate into the PTED01 – it sounds really good, whether through decent headphones or routed to a computer or through e.g. a keyboard amplifier.