What’s the Best Drum Monitor for Me? |
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A drum monitor is an active speaker or speaker system that’s been specifically designed for amplifying the sound of an electronic drum kit, allowing you to drum without headphones. 1. Do I Need a Drum Monitor?While headphones can reproduce the sound of your electronic drum kit perfectly, they don’t make you feel the sound as if you’re playing an acoustic kit. It can also be that you find it uncomfortable to wear headphones when you’re drumming, or that you want other people to hear the beats you’re laying down.
2. Why Not Use a Standard Active Speaker?You could hook a standard active speaker up to your digital drum kit, but you’ll miss out on a number of perks. Drum monitors have been specially designed to deliver tight sound at short range, while standard active speakers are designed to project sound across longer distances. Also, most monitors feature top-mounted ports and controls for easier access. With standard speakers, the inputs, outputs and controls are usually fitted on the back. The only downside is that drum monitors aren’t as suited for live performances at a venue or your local pub. Most monitors lack the required set-up options and people in the audience can easily reach the tone controls.
3. How Do I Hook Up a Drum Monitor?That depends on the outputs of the drum module of your electronic drum kit and the inputs of the drum monitor. The easiest way is to link up corresponding connectors (e.g. AUX output to AUX input, or ‘mono out’ to ‘mono in’). Electronic drum kits are usually equipped with the following audio outputs:
Drum monitors are usually equipped with the following inputs:
» L to L: Mono 6.3mm Jack Cables
4. Can I Play Music or Backing Tracks Through a Drum Monitor?If you want to have the option to play along to your favourite tunes or backing tracks, then you’ll need to go for a drum monitor that either features Bluetooth or at least two AUX inputs: one for your drum kit and one for your phone or another compatible playback device. » Drum Monitors With an AUX Input
5. How Deep and Loud Does a Drum Monitor Sound?That depends on the power capacity and the size of the built-in speaker. The bigger and more powerful the monitor is, the more immersive your drumming experience will be. Most drum monitors pack enough punch for some good drumming, but lack the ‘oomph’ that a real kick drum has, which is hard for the average drum monitor to mimic. There are also several extremely compact monitors available that are purely designed for electronic drumming without headphones. These models can’t shape the big sound you expect to get from a drum kit. A couple of rules of thumb:
6. Can I Also Hook Up Two Drum Monitors?While using a single drum monitor will work just fine, running a pair of monitors comes with a few advantages:
7. Can I Use a Drum Monitor With My Acoustic Drum Kit?A drum monitor can also be useful for acoustic drummers — not to amplify the sound, but to serve as a playback device for songs or backing tracks you want to drum along with. If that’s what you want to do, then you’re best off with a drum monitor that has a high output capacity. After all, it has to compete with the loud sound of your kit.
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