Best electronic drum pads according to redditors

You know, the thing is, this isn't a musical instrument, it's a toy. It's kind of like one of those teddy bears, where you pull a string, and it says "Hello". He would probably be amused by it, and would think that you were very thoughtful, but I don't see him actually seeing it as a musical instrument.

If you decide that you'd rather want a real musical instrument, there are some options:

If your price range tops out at the ~$60 the roll up drum mat would cost, then you can maybe get a cheap cajon, something like this. It won't be professional grade, but it will be a reasonably versatile instrument. This is probably something like the drum equivalent of the acoustic guitar one would play next to a campfire. If he's the tinkerer / DIY-er type, maybe a "make your own cajon kit" is an option too.

If you are willing to stretch the budget to a bit over $100, then you could obviously afford a much better cajon, but also some sample pads start to come into the picture. The KAT KTMP-1 is reasonably well regarded, and pretty cheap. It can be extended with a kcik pedal, and a hi-hat controller, so it can somewhat feel like playing a drumset. There are some other options, like this one from Alesis but those are starting to get expensive. Some drummers actually use sample pads as part of their acoustic setup for additional effects, so something like this is not necessarily just a temporary thing until he gets a kit, but maybe something that would see some use even in conjunction with a kit.

$599 or, you know, $350

I use that same set and can tell you at least one upgraded pad (start with snare for sure) would be such a good present. Looks like she's using PDX-6 pads, check out PDX-100's
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007DS8E1O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_oYgywbWCCBTTX

I know it's probably a long shot, but this kit from DDrum is only 2 ft x 1ft.

http://www.amazon.com/Korg-Wavedrum-Dynamic-Percussion-Synthesizer/dp/B002OLK5UI

It's the Alesis sample pad. Basically just a little machine that can play any noise you want when you hit one of the pads with a stick.

You'll often see live drummers use them to expand the range of sound they can make beyond the standard kit. It can be useful for space saving when you just need a cowbell, tambourine, hand clap but don't have the space or resources to set all of that up on stage. It can also let you do pretty whacky things, like playing a bassline or synth riff as the drummer.

I thought this thread was going to be about the foam pads you can put on your cymbals and toms :(

Anyone actually use those? Are they worth the investment?

I've thought about getting something like this and just hitting the pads with my feet.

I don't know if you can upload samples to this particular model though. You'd probably want to look at something more geared towards DJ's than drummers, would be my thought. At one point I saw a model that was basically the Roland Octapad without the ability to sequence for like, $150, but I'm having difficulty finding it.

How about this?

I'm not the OP, but I'm pretty happy with my DM10. The brain module is alright for the price and it's compatible with sampling programs like Superior Drummer 2.0 and AddictiveDrums. The mylar heads are also replaceable with mesh heads to make the whole kit a lot more quiet and responsive. If you're interested I can link the DIY mesh head conversion I used.

Edit: you can buy individual Alesis components of Amazon, but by the time you buy the brain, shells, cymbals and rack you may be better off buying a pre assembled kit.

I mean, a DTXplorer isn't top of the line (that would probably be this) but it doesn't seem bad as far electronic drums go. There are always drum / cymbal mutes for acoustic sets: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Firth-Prepack-Inches-Hi-hat/dp/B000SSMJG2/ although Silentstroke heads are probably even quieter. The best thing to convince your parents would be to get someone like a drum teacher to explain to them the benefits of learning on acoustic drums.

I know if you put acoustic drums in a basement, they won't be that loud throughout the rest of your house (although this can depend on the basement too, lol).

Fuck it I don't like my odds but I may as well try since I really need one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0079DIF58/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RfGgybBTZ3XWA

1. Many kits don't even have a kick pedal, you need to buy one yourself. Some has one-kick pedal, but I don't think there's one with double kick.
   
   
2. Yes, real mesh heads. Like this one. Real drum kit will be too loud for apartments, I think.

Like dis https://www.amazon.ca/Alesis-SamplePad-Percussion-Sample-Triggering-Instrument/dp/B00IOQADYU/ref=asc_df_B00IOQADYU/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=293026835438&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7884241171722848290&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000121&hvtargid=pla-428767546994&psc=1

Would a more basic kit like this work?

https://www.amazon.com/Roland-TD1KV-V-Drum-Compact-Electronic/dp/B00N9VMCAI

this is what i have

$600, and the snare is most of what you need to worry about, as the other drums will be hit a negligible amount of times in comparison