With Roland's patented, tuneable, dual-ply heads across the snare and toms, plus a standalone kick drum pad, the TD-07KV is one of the most affordable, no-compromise setups in the V-Drums family. Amongst the myriad sound-editing options, building a ‘signature’ sound has never been more thorough - with tuning and muffling adjustments available at the push of a button, as well as drumhead types, cymbal diameter, cymbal thickness, shell sizes and shell depths all up for customisation. However, the new module on the Alesis Nitro MAX features 32 new professionaly-recorded presets from BFD, a long-time player in sampled drums. Despite this, the TD-50X still falls short of beating out drum VST software like EZ Drummer 3 and Superior Drummer 3 in terms of realism. The TD-07DMK proves that Roland’s main concerns are playability and feel - with the double ply mesh heads providing a real-feel playing experience.

Having an e-kit that feels and sounds like an acoustic drum kit is particularly beneficial if you play both types of kit regularly, so you can switch between them seamlessly.They started off as music tech giants, and after releasing the SR-16 drum machine in 1990 - the all-time best selling drum machine, by the way - they ventured into electronic drum sets. Your e-kit module should also feature an auxiliary input for connecting a smartphone or music player, enabling you to jam with your favourite music. Therefore, it’s best to keep your acoustic drum set sticks and your electronic drum set sticks separate. The money you save could be spent on new sticks, an upgrade to your bass drum pedal, or a quality pair of headphones. Build quality and durability: Here we assess the physical feel of the pads/cymbals and the response of the playing surfaces.

While it isn’t a gigantic drumstick, it strikes a good balance between providing a whole lot of power, without being impossible to move around the drum set.The DMK has been discontinued and the 02KV is an ideal replacement for those looking for a beginner-friendly kit from Roland. I caught myself getting a little too used to it, as they are a bit bouncier when compared to actual drums. After all, why not choose a pair of sticks that are preferred by some of the greatest drummers out there?

Partnering the kick is a chunky kick pedal together with essential assembly key, drumsticks and manuals. The 9-piece DM-8 is even more appealing when you take into consideration the compelling hardware offering - in the box you get 3 tom pads, a stand-mounted snare pad and kick drum tower, plus stand-mounted hi-hat, two crashes and a ride cymbal. The latter boasts an additional tom pad and a KD-180, 18-inch bass drum, while the former comes with a weighty KD-140 pad.

Hi-hat pedals are notoriously fake feeling and do not provide a drummer the same experience to an acoustic drum kit. As such, there are a few things to consider when setting up your electronic drum set, and we’ve also compiled a guide to ways to make your electronic drum set quieter for further reading.

Roland leads the game when it comes to these more complimentary electronics, with the SPD-SX being a staple in the professional hybrid drummer’s arsenal. It’s still not a massively common occurrence, but increasingly drummers are using full e-kit setups for their live shows. Now, the Alesis kit isn’t going to hurt as much as a high-end Roland kit, but you’re still going to shell out a considerable amount. Using a hybrid setup can turn your basic acoustic kit into a powerful performance tool - and it’s so much fun. There are a few ways you can go about it - but the easiest and most efficient way is a USB cable - which is often supplied with your kit - from your e-kit straight into your computer.The best electronic drum set for you depends on a number of factors, including your playing level, your budget and what you'll be using the kit for. For this reason, it’s important that you’re aware that most manufacturer warranties won’t cover re-sold items - meaning that even if your used kit is within the manufacturer warranty period, you won’t be eligible to use the warranty. On the side of the drum module, you can plug in headphones, output sounds left and right to a PA system or speaker, plug in an aux to play along with music, add two additional pads, and send MIDI data out of the unit. There are two sensors on these pads, only offering the ability to play on the edge and the bow of the cymbal.