What’s the Best Electronic Percussion Pad for Me? |
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Whether you’re a drummer looking to expand their acoustic kit with electronic sounds or a percussionist in need of more variety, electronic percussion pads are a great investment. In this Buyer’s Guide, we answer the most frequently asked questions about this versatile digital instrument. If it doesn’t answer all of your questions, feel free to contact us! Tip: Want to expand an electronic drum kit? Get a special snare or tom pad. 1. What’s the Difference Between Percussion Pads and Drum Pads?Percussion pads have built-in sounds and can be used on their own, so without the need for a drum module. In addition, percussion pads usually feature multiple zones or pads so you can easily trigger different sounds at the same time. Drum pads, meanwhile, require a drum module and typically feature only one playing surface. In a way, you could compare drum pads to MIDI keyboards (no built-in sounds) and percussion pads to standard keyboards (loaded with various sounds/samples). Another difference is that percussion pads can often be played using your hands, while drum pads are usually played using sticks.
2. How Many Pads or Trigger Zones Do I Need?When you want to expand an acoustic drum kit with a digital snare, bass drum and other electronic drum sounds, it’s best to go for a percussion pad that has at least four trigger-pads. If you’re a percussionist, you’ll probably want something you can play using your hands. While such models typically have fewer programmable pads, they’re usually more pressure and/or velocity sensitive to ensure an enhanced playing feel. Percussion Pads With Less Than 4 Pads
3. Do I Need Extra Trigger Inputs for Expansion?Many percussion pads feature inputs for hooking up additional triggers like drum pads and bass drum or hi-hat pedals. While extra trigger inputs essentially give you the option to turn a percussion pad into an electronic drum kit, you really don’t need that many if you’re only looking to add a couple of extra sounds like cowbells and snare effects. Percussion Pads With Less Than 2 Trigger Inputs
4. Do I Need Any Accessories?Most percussion pads only come including a power supply, but you also need a set of cables. Normally, you need two mono jack cables to connect a percussion pad to an amplifier or PA system to play the built-in samples, while MIDI cables are used in case the percussion pad needs to communicate with a sampler or a computer so that external sounds can be triggered. It’s also worth noting that percussion pads feature a jack or mini-jack headphone output, and most models can be mounted on a purpose-made percussion pad stand or a standard snare drum stand. Mono Jack Cables
5. What About the Built-In Sounds?Once you know what kind of percussion pad you need, you only need to figure out what kind of sounds or samples you need and how many. Lots of percussion pads found on the internet include sound samples to give you an idea of what you’re getting, and keep in mind that one model may come loaded with only 50 sounds while the next one has over 500. In short, always ask yourself what, or how much you really need.
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