Affordable Electronic Drum Sets: Top 5 Budget e-Drum Kits
4,4 / 5,0 | 
Millenium MPS1000 · Source: Millenium
Alesis Nitro Max · Source: Alesis
Roland TD-02K · Source: Roland
Millenium MPS750X · Source: Millenium
Yamaha DTX402 · Source: Yamaha
Whether you are searching for an affordable electronic drum set that won’t annoy the neighbours or something for the budding drummer in your life, these five kits give you a wealth of features without busting your budget.
The world of e-Drums can seem an expensive one but that really isn’t the case. And there is no need to trade off quality against price. There really is something for every budget and every level of capability. I’ve chosen four drum kits that all come under €/£/$500 and one that is a little bit more. My reasoning will become clear. Let’s dive in…
Millenium MPS-1000 e-Drum Set
Ok, let’s start with the most expensive kit on my list. I say “most expensive” but it still comes in at less than €1000. So why have I included it in this list of affordable electronic drum sets? Well, just take a look at it…
Source: Millenium
That’s a full-size-shell kit, 2 up, 1 down configuration, hi-hat, two crashes and a ride. All metalwork is included, including a proper hi-hat stand! An alternate arrangement of 1 up, 2 down toms is also available if you prefer. The MPS1000 is also available in a range of finishes including White, Grey Line and Natural. Each of the drums have wooden shells and double-layered mesh heads. The snare and toms feature dual zones (Head and Rim) and the cymbals are all dual zone too. The crashes and ride also feature chokes on the front edge.
The drum brain has a really nice and clear UI. Each drum and cymbal has its own fader and there are separate master volume and headphone volume pots. A nice, clear, backlit LCD screen gives you all the information you need, under which lies a jog wheel for fast navigation through the various kit lists and menus. The rear of the unit is equally well specified. A 25-pin D-SUB connector connects all drums and cymbals via a convenient cable snake and there’s an additional input for another trigger if you wish.
Insane in the Drum Brain
MIDI is available via USB and there is a second USB connection for storing samples, kits and settings. As well as a stereo out, there are also 8 direct TRS outputs making it super-flexible when recording. A 3.5mm line input allows you to play along with your favourite songs.
The module contains 820 drum sounds, with 40 preset kits and space for 40 user-configured kits. There are 23 effects, compressors, EQ’s and 335MB of on-board storage for user samples. It even has Bluetooth audio connectivity.
What Makes This Affordable Electronic Drum Set Great?
e-Drum kits are often lacking in stage presence. This cannot be said of the MPS-1000! It not only looks the part but has a solid set of hardware and a ‘proper’ hi-hat mechanism which makes the whole kit very familiar to a drummer used to an acoustic kit. And all of this can be had for under €1000! I want one!
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Alesis Nitro Max Kit
Alesis Nitro Max · Source: Alesis
When it comes to e-Drums, Alesis are always a name to seriously consider. They manage to blend the latest technology with good solid hardware and all at a really great price. Their latest entry-level offering is the Nitro Max. Rather than being a budget kit with rubber pads, the snare is a 10″ dual zone mesh head and the toms are all single-zone affairs, again with mesh heads. These are all mounted on a stylish aluminium rack system that can be easily folded away for storage and transportation.
There are three cymbal pads one for each of the hi-hat, crash and ride with the crash featuring a choke. The drum module features samples gleaned from the BFD library and has two extra trigger inputs. MIDI is over USB and there is an auxiliary input or Bluetooth for playing to your favourite tracks. It also features a very useful device holder that can easily support a tablet or mobile phone, great for taking one of the included lesson packs from Drumeo and Melodics.
What Makes This Affordable Electronic Drum Set Great?
This kit gives you the great feel of mesh heads, coupled with a proven library of sounds from BFD. It’s light yet sturdy and can be packed away flat without having to dismantle the entire kit. Great for storing or moving from gig to gig.
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Roland TD-02KV V-Drums Kit
Source: Roland
Roland have been synonymous with e-Drums since they launched the V-Drums range in 1997. During that time they have built a reputation that is second to none. Not only are their mesh pads incredibly playable, but many of their drum modules feature composite object sound modelling (COSM) technology for hyper-accurate drum and percussion sounds. However all of this does often come at a price, so Roland have always offered more affordable ways to enter their world.
The snare features dual-zone triggers and Roland’s great mesh head, The toms are rubber pads and the kick drum is a pedal only type, with the trigger built inside. There are three cymbal pads and all of these are clamped to a sturdy 4-post aluminium frame. MIDI and audio can be via Bluetooth when used with a Boss BT-Dual or via a more traditional USB and TRS socket.
The drum module contains 16 drum kits, 5 coaching functions and a metronome for practising. The user interface is uncluttered and has a small, 2-line LED display.
What Makes This Affordable Electronic Drum Set Great?
Whilst this kit might seem quite basic, what you get for your money is a sturdy, compact kit with some great built-in sounds. The mesh-head snare is a real bonus and allows for much more nuanced playing and accurate flams and rolls.
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Millenium MPS-750X E-Drum Mesh Set
Source: Millenium
If the Roland or Alesis kits swayed you, you might want to hold fire until you’ve checked out the Millenium MPS-750X. For just a little more outlay, the MPS-750X delivers quite a jump in features over its similarly-priced competitors. For starters, you get 5 mesh-head, dual-zone drum pads and a mesh-head kick drum. Another killer feature is the hi-hat with proper hi-hat stand. Then there’s the dual-zone 12″ crash and triple-zone 14″ ride, both with choke. All of these are mounted on a sturdy 4-post aluminium frame.
Whilst the drum module isn’t quite as nice as the one in the MPS-1000, it’s still very well specified. Stereo and headphone outs sit alongside 3.5mm audio in and two extra trigger inputs. MIDI, as you might have guessed, is over USB. There’s a 2-line LED display with half a dozen faders and numerous useful direct access buttons.
What Makes This Affordable Electronic Drum Set Great?
Quite simply, it’s things like the all-mesh heads and proper hi-hat that really swing this for me. You’re getting an awful lot of good stuff for your money here and similar kits from bigger name brands will cost you almost twice as much! This kit really is the epitome of affordable electronic drum sets.
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Yamaha DTX402KRL E-Drum Set
Source: Yamaha
Last, but by no means least, we have a kit from another stalwart in the e-Drum world. Yamaha have always backed up their acoustic drum offerings with a solid range of e-Drums. This kit, the DTX402 is aimed fairly and squarely at the beginners market with a minimal footprint and feature set, but all done with typical Yamaha quality and design.
The pads are all 7.5″ in diameter and single trigger. Three cymbals are included to fulfil the role of hi-hat, crash and ride. The kit is completed by a silent kick pedal and hi-hat controller and mounted on a 4-post frame.
The drum module is packed with 287 sounds and space for 10 user-defined kits. It also comes with 10 coaching programs built in and a metronome. It has the most minimalist user interface you’re likely to see on an e-Drum module but that’s because it relies a lot on mobile apps. But we all know that’s how the kids rock and roll, these days!
What Makes This Affordable Electronic Drum Set Great?
If you’re looking for a basic, entry level kit that takes up as little space as possible, this might just be the one for you. Accomplished players will probably find it toy-like and not up to par with other kits in the price range, but if you have a budding drummer in the house and maybe want to test the waters, you can’t go far wrong with the DTX402.
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Conclusion on Affordable Electronic Drum Sets
I hope this collection of affordable electronic drum sets whetted your appetite and inspired you to do some more research of your own. Remember that there are plenty of makes and models out there to suit all skill levels, styles and wallets.
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7 responses to “Affordable Electronic Drum Sets: Top 5 Budget e-Drum Kits”
I’ll get the Alesis Nitro when I finally move my studio. Not very soon but I can wait and drool over it in the meantime.
I always wanted to play drum but I am on disability live in apt and can’t afford one on my wages thank you anyway
I have a carlsbro kit which was about 290 pounds that came with a stool and sticks and headphones! I would recommend it to everyone!!!!
Loox nice; sure like my EF Note 5!
Being a single dad on budget, this works for me! I will be ordering soon. Thanks for introducing.
a major detractor from the Yamaha kit, is the fact that none of the toms, or the snare are mesh heads.
Mesh heads have the advantage that they feel more like traditional acoustic heads when you play. They are also is more shock absorbing, like acoustic heads, than rubber pads.
Simmons Titan 70 is a beast of a kit that should be in thia list.
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