Denis Loncaric
The market has numerous electronic drum pads, from budget-friendly to high-end ones. Thus it can be challenging to find the best one that will suit your drumming needs even if you are a pro. That’s why I am here to help.
I picked the best electronic drum pads that rule today’s market. These are the only pads I was able to find behind a professional drummer’s drum set. I will review their key features, their sound, their pros and cons, and how they work. Let’s start.
Things to know before buy
Sample pad VS Percussion pad – Sample pads like Roland SPD-SX come with no or very little pre-built sounds and are made for playing long samples before or along with the song. Percussion pads like Roland Octapad come with great amount of pre-built sounds so you don’t have to deal with cutting and sampling.
What you get with more expensive pad – Higher quality pads, more sounds, faster processor. Cheap sampling pads may skip to play the sound when you hit the pad. They have slow processors and tend to “confuse” when you play several pads at once or fast notes.
the 7 best electronic drum pads
6. Nord Drum 3P
- Extreme levels of sound customization
- Great sound quality
- Additional effects
7. Alesis Sample Pad Pro
- Budget friendly
- Amazing design
- Expendable triggering options
Roland SPD-SX
Performance
The SPD-SX from Roland has a wide range of dynamic sounds that respond well to the nine velocity-sensitive pads. Snare rolls sound realistic, and cymbals respond fast to the very light stroke you make.
As for the percussion sounds, they have a lifelike feel that is very difficult to find on other drum pads. Also, the pads are very fast, and the speed of it is just incredible.
Roland SPD-SX has a kit chaining feature that saves the kits by your desired order. A very useful feature for live situations.
Switching between samples is smooth; the first sample doesn’t stop when you play the second, except if you want to. Also, the red lights show you exactly what pad is on.
The overall feel of the pads is just incredible. However, the SPD-SX isn’t wholly ergonomic. The zones are close together; thus, it may take some adjusting and practice to become used to the pad. But this is something that is expected from smaller pads.
Last but fairly not least, on the contrary, very important, is the programmable LED light strips. They are there not just to help in the differentiation of pads in low light conditions but also to allow for the color coding of specific pads. This makes it easy to remember where the samples were assigned.
Built quality
The built quality is very sturdy, and it can stand up to hard-hitting, practicing, and performing. Many satisfied users have stated that they have been using these pads for many years now, and nothing has changed so far.
Who it’s for
For those drummers who want to get more creative with sounds and samples and love experimenting.
Yamaha DTX MULTI 12
Performance
In terms of performance, the DTX-Multi12 has a lot to offer. The DTX multi-12 drum comes with 12 rubber pads that you can play with sticks or your hands.
There’s a fair selection of percussion, 50 presets and 200 user electronic and acoustic kits, and endless novelty sounds or countless clanky ‘rock’ kit variants.
The M12’s overall playing response is extremely good. However, don’t expect it to be a flawless acoustic sound replicator. Instead, it combines large, useful tones with the type of ‘control center’ attitude that makes for a versatile on-stage helper.
Also, it has a stereo audio output only. This implies that it lacks independent outputs, owing to the rammed back panel. But overall, it is simple to use and play.
Built quality
The Yamaha DTX MULTI 12 is very light but still very functional. There is no wasted space in the design. It is an excellent size with a solid striking surface. It is built well, very firm and stable, but with soft pads.
Who it’s for
If you’re searching for the occasional sub-bass boom or shaker to spice up your drumming, the Yamaha DTX MULTI 12 has everything you need right out of the box.
Alesis Strike Multi Pad
Performance
The MultiPad has nine velocity-sensitive rubber pads, six of which are big and three of which are smaller. It also has a thin LED light located beneath each of them.
The MultiPad boasts 32GB of internal memory, which should be more than enough for most sampling requirements.
The pad comes with over 8,000 sounds, and there are many amazing ones, including electronic, acoustic, symphonic, world, and other styles. They work well with the looping feature.
When you power up the device, you’ll see 30 preset-loaded kits and 70 empty user kits for you to modify.
Also, it is very simple to record your own samples. You can do it from your iPhone or any other device you have with ease. However, editing them takes a bit more time.
The ability to assign two distinct samples to one pad, activated by a selected velocity, is a game changer for the MultiPad. Depending on how hard a pad is pounded, this may alter between an open and closed hi-hat sound or snare sound.
Built quality
I was immediately captivated by the Strike MultiPad’s cool appeal. It is significantly superior to its predecessor. With Strike Multi Pad, they decided to forget the past and jump into a higher league. The build quality is excellent, and there’s a reason this drum pad costs more, but it justifies its value.
Who it’s for
Great for everyone that will use it for the live gigs. This is also a great electronic drum pad for any drummer who wants to perform in a seamless manner.
Roland Octapad SPD-30
Performance
The innovative V-Drum trigger technology of the Roland SPD-30 Octapad is amazing. Each pad operates independently, guaranteeing high sensitivity and little interference. This cutting-edge technology enables exact pad sensing. It offers players incredible control and accuracy.
The unit has so many built-in instruments and so many options for playing with different settings and multi-effects. It offers a vast spectrum of tones that should cover almost anything.
This includes 99 onboard kits with 50 kits and over 670 sounds. The sound quality of the pre-loaded sounds and instruments is excellent. This means that professional players will also be more than satisfied with it.
When it comes to tone, this instrument was built with great care and is thus quite beneficial in all of its potential uses.
Built quality
Eight well-proportioned pads provide enough target areas for live performance. They have access to ‘complete kits’ of hi-hat/snare/kick and tom tones or excellent arrays of ethnic percussion tones simultaneously.
The build quality is excellent, and the unit itself is sturdy and appears to be long-lasting. The pads are well-made and can withstand some vigorous drumming and hitting. Thus, this set will survive for many years straight from the start.
The device has a sleek appearance and looks great when playing. It is incredibly small and easy to transport, making it convenient for traveling.
Who it’s for
This Roland Octapod SPD 30 is well-made that is intended for professional musicians. It provides a lot of solid tonal and musical possibilities that should be suitable for drummers and percussionists.
HXW PD705 Avatar
Performance
The unit contains nine velocity-sensitive pads. It also has a built-in metronome for flawless practice sessions. It offers over 600+ percussion sounds with 30 preset kits.
USB, MIDI, and auxiliary input are also included, but you won’t be getting a USB cable, so that will be an additional purchase. But in general, you will get pretty much everything you need to get started.
All nine pads are very responsive and feel great. However, the PD705’s included sounds aren’t the best but are more than satisfactory, especially for beginners. But you will get more than decent creative and dynamic sound output.
There are lots of usable kits, and here are some of the kit presets that are my favorite ones: Rock Kit, Classic Kit, and Modern Pop.
If you don’t like the preset kits and samples offered, you can always use a USB and load more sounds. The PD705 supports up to 20 different user kits.
Editing and altering kits is a little complex, but there is usually some learning curve when learning how to use new hardware.
Built quality
It’s sturdy and substantial; there’s nothing to complain about here. There isn’t much flex, which is a plus. You can hit it hard and even miss it; the unit will stay the same, which means the build quality is pretty good.
There are several ports, the pads are comfortable, and the overall appearance, feel, and design of the unit is sleek and robust.
Who it’s for
For everyone who wants a high-quality electronic drum pad but is on a budget, the HXW PD705 Avatar is for you. There is no better option available for the money.
Nord Drum 3P
Performance
Because of its unique sound engine, the Nord Drum 3P delivers incredible performance and sound quality. It has all these additional features like
- Resonant Synthesis
- Subtractive Synthesis
- FM Synthesis
This provides musicians with a variety of sound possibilities to play with. You can experiment as you like, no matter your experience level. The Nord Drum 3P’s sound engine offers many musical options, so there’s much to play around with.
Importing new effects and sounds can be a bit complicated. However, it is worth a little effort if you want to experiment with the new effects. And also, getting used to the new hardware is always a bit challenging.
The pads are very sensitive. It delivers quality and high performance. The first thing that comes to mind when playing Nord Drum 3P electronic drum pad is how awesome it sounds. I often forget that I am playing another drum pad instead of real drums when I am using these pads.
Built quality
It is very well designed with sturdy quality to withstand your playing. The premium quality guarantees years and years of usage. It is satisfying to hit, the pads do not feel too rubbery like on the cheaper models, and the hit sounds simulate the real deal perfectly.
Also, Nord Drum ensures us that this electronic drum pad can be played using only your hands. This is not the most desired feature you would want to have on your e-drum pads, but it’s always good to have such an option.
Who it’s for
Thanks to its compact size and lightweight construction, the Nord Drum 3P is highly portable. This is ideal for musicians who are constantly on the road.
Alesis Sample Pad Pro
Performance
The Alesis Sample Pad Pro is pre-loaded with over 200 different drum and percussion sounds. Those sounds are of outstanding quality and are a good starting point for someone new to the world of drum pads.
Also, the Alesis Sample Pad Pro comes pre-loaded with 10 complete drum kits. These are of reasonable quality and can be entirely customized via the unit interface.
The pad’s playability and sensitivity are adequate. However, they have a duller feel and less feedback when compared to more expensive options.
The device also includes an SD card port and can read cards up to 32 GB. You can use it to expand the unit’s sound library by installing custom sounds and samples.
As a result, Sample Pad Pro can be used as a loop-playing device in addition to a traditional drum set. The SD card option makes it extremely functional, with endless possibilities for sound diversity and usage as a sampler.
Built quality
This unit is very light and small. It’s compact and portable, making it an excellent choice for gigging drummers who don’t want to lug a lot of gear. The device is also as durable as much more expensive models.
This model has a modern appearance and is completed in black. It can look great on stage as well! This is especially because it has blue lights that turn on when you trigger the drum pads, making it noticeable even in low-lightning.
Who it’s for
For those musicians that are often on the road but also the ones who do not want to spend an arm and a leg for their e-drum pads but still receive a decent drumming experience.
Conclusion
All these 7 best electronic drum pads are just incredible. But if I had to choose my overall winner, it has to be the Roland SPD-SX.
It has everything one modern electronic drum pad needs to have. I am not saying that other pads are not as good, but for me, this one definitely has more advantages.
I think it is because of Roland’s experience in making multi-pads. As a drummer, I want all important features like headphone volume, click settings, check button, and sound off button to be near and easily accessible. And that’s what this drum pad has.
The speed and usability go in favor of the Roland sample pad as well. It is an option that is hard to beat!
My name is Denis. I am a drummer, percussionist, music enthusiast, and blogger. Drums have been my passion for 15 years now. My idea is to write about the things I like and I am interested in. I want to share my drum passion with fellow musicians who walk, talk, and breathe drums.
muito boa a materia!…so completando sobre o alesis sample pad pro, a questao do carregamento ao vivo eu usava kits realmente pesados como loops, trilhas e efeitos, o kit levava um pouco mais de 50s para carregar, mas para isso era preparado um set list e tudo era montado de acordo com o kit do alesis, portanto, com profissionalismo e sabedoria, nao soa relaxado!