Drum Kits: History and Types
The drum kit owes its origins to our prehistoric ancestors who stretched animal skins over shells to form an object that, when struck, could carry sound over a large area. In the 1700s, drums became popularised as instruments by orchestras, as musical development picked up.
Fast-forward to the 21st Century, and we now have all kinds of drum kit available in all manner of shapes, sizes and configurations. We even have electronic drum kits that can be used as practise pads, or as digital drum kits for live performance and studio drum kit recording when plugged in.
Drum Kit History
The era of the drum kit really began a lot further back but the drum kit we know today was brought to bear by drum kit pioneer William F. Ludwig in the early 1900s. He was a percussionist himself, but it was his invention of the bass drum pedal (kick drum pedal) that turned the whole notion of the drumming on its head.
Until that point, it took several people to produce the lower and upper sounds from the drums. With the kick pedal it was possible to centralise the kit around one man and the modern drum kit was born.
In the 1920s, the hi-hat came along and with it the first inkling that a musical revolution was underway. By the 1930s, the 5-piece arrangement of snare, bass, toms and floor tom with stand-mounted cymbals arrived, signalling the start of the modern music era.
Types of Drum Kit
There are numerous types of drum kit available on the market today, be they full drum kit setups or drum kit components to upgrade your existing drum set. Let’s focus on the top three drum kit configurations -acoustic, hybrid, and electronic- and look at the pros and cons of each kind.
Electronic Drum Kit
Electronic drum kits have gained popularity over recent years due to advances in digital music technology, offering drummers a versatile alternative to acoustic drum sets. These kits, which typically consist of rubber or mesh drum pads, triggers, and a sound module (brain), can offer a highly responsive and customisable playing experience. However, there are significant pros and cons to consider before opting for an electronic drum kit.
Roland TD-02K V-Drums | Entry-Level Compact Electronic Drum Kit with Expressive Playability
Alesis Nitro Max Kit Electric Drum Kit with Quiet Mesh Pads, 10″ Dual Zone Snare, Bluetooth
ROLAND TD-07DMK Electronic V-Drums Kit, Legendary Double-Ply All Mesh Head Kit
Pros of Electronic Drum Kits
Cons of Electronic Drum Kits
Electronic drum kits offer numerous advantages, especially for those in need of quiet practice, easy recording, or diverse sound options. Volume control, space-saving design, and integrated training features make them a practical choice for home use. However, they fall short in areas like playability, sound quality, and live performance dynamics compared to acoustic kits. Ultimately, the decision to use an electronic drum kit will depend on a drummer’s specific needs and preferences—whether prioritising versatility and technology or the feel and authenticity of acoustic drums.
Acoustic Drum Kit
Acoustic drum kits are the traditional choice for drummers, offering an authentic, rich sound that has been central to many genres of music for centuries. These kits are composed of natural or synthetic drumheads stretched over a shell, along with metal cymbals, all played by hand or with sticks. Acoustic drums have a natural, organic sound that’s difficult to fully replicate with digital or electronic alternatives. However, while they are prized for their feel and tonal variety, there are also some significant downsides to consider.
Pros of Acoustic Drum Kits
Cons of Acoustic Drum Kits
Acoustic drum kits are celebrated for their authentic sound, dynamic range, and playability, making them the preferred choice for live performances and drummers who value tradition and expression. Their organic resonance and natural feel are unmatched, providing an immersive playing experience that electronic kits struggle to replicate. However, acoustic kits also come with significant drawbacks, including volume control issues, space requirements, maintenance demands, and transportation challenges. For drummers with the space, soundproofing, and technical setup, acoustic kits offer a rewarding and deeply engaging musical experience. However, for those who need convenience, portability, or quiet practice, these instruments can pose real challenges.
Hybrid Drum Kit
Charlie Benante of Anthrax talks about Hybrid Drumming and the kit he uses.
Hybrid drum kits combine the elements of acoustic and electronic drum kits, providing drummers with the best of both worlds. This type of setup typically involves a traditional acoustic drum kit integrated with electronic components, such as drum triggers, pads, or sound modules. This allows the drummer to achieve the natural feel and dynamics of an acoustic kit while also tapping into the versatility and technology of an electronic kit. Hybrid setups are becoming increasingly popular in both live performances and studio environments, but as with all instruments, they come with their set of pros and cons.
Pros of Hybrid Drum Kits
Cons of Hybrid Drum Kits
Hybrid drum kits offer a compelling blend of acoustic realism and electronic versatility, making them a popular choice for drummers who need to cover a wide range of musical styles. Their ability to provide both natural dynamics and customisable sounds makes them ideal for live performances and studio work alike. Layering acoustic and electronic sounds, or switching between the two, opens up new creative possibilities that are difficult to achieve with purely acoustic or electronic kits.
Drum Brands
The world of drumming is rich with a diverse array of brands that cater to the unique needs of every drummer, whether they are beginners or professionals. These brands have developed their reputations through innovation, craftsmanship, and a deep understanding of what makes a drum sound and feel great. From companies that specialise in acoustic drums and percussion instruments, to pioneers in electronic drum technology, each brand brings something distinct to the table. Below is a comprehensive list of some of the most iconic and influential drum and percussion manufacturers, highlighting their contributions to the world of drumming.
Adams
Adams is a renowned drum kit brand specialising in high quality concert percussion instruments.
Alesis
Alesis make drum kits, multipads, drum machines, modules and amplification products as part of their drum kit range.
American Drum
American Drum are a well known manufacturer of percussion and drum mallets in the USA. They’ve been making and selling drum mallets since 1965.
Avedis Zildjian Company
As the world’s leading maker of cymbals, drumsticks, and percussion mallets, Zildjian products are sold across the globe, under the Zildjian, Vic Firth, and Balter brands.
Axis Percussion
Axis Percussion is a proud United States company specialising in the manufacturing of precision drum pedals and drum hardware since 1990.
Ayotte Drums
Ayotte Drums are a drum kit manufacturer based in Bedford, Canada responsible for the manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution of Ayotte products worldwide.
Brady Drums
Brady Drums were a renowned drum kit manufacturer in Australia from 1980 to 2015. Their Facebook community lives on and remains pretty active.
D’Addario
You would be forgiven for thinking “huh?” because the D’Addario name isn’t the first that springs to mind when thinking about drum kit. Guitar strings, yes. Drum kit? No way… However, they own Evans and Promark so are pretty much market leaders in drumheads and drumsticks, globally.
ddrum
ddrum, a 21st Century addition to the world of drum kit, designs acoustic drums, electronic drums, industry standard triggers and high quality hardware that deliver the performance & innovation desired by today’s drummer
Dixon Drums
Dedicated to the idea that all drummers share the same quest, Dixon has paired its reputation for quality manufacturing with its high regard for the drumming collective.
DW Drums
After more than 40 years of innovation and tireless dedication to improving the way drum products are made, DW drums, pedals and hardware are the standard by which all others are measured
Evans Drumheads
Evans Drumheads are an industry favourite drumhead brand owned by D’Addario. They have pioneered a UV coating to stop drum heads looking so battered after playing, among other things.
Gibraltar Hardware
Gibraltar Hardware has been around for years and are renowned for their range of high quality, innovative drum hardware and kit racks that are very popular in the drumming world.
Gretsch Drums
Gretsch Drums is an American drum brand based in South Carolina. For more than 130 years, their award-winning company has been providing “That Great Gretsch Sound” to drummers around the globe.
Hayman Drums
Hayman drums have been updated and redeveloped, blending the tradition and innovation of the original designs (60s/70s) with the benefits of the very latest production techniques and processes.
Latin Percussion
For over half a century, Latin Percussion has crafted classic percussion instruments for musical instruments that meet the exacting standards of professional musicians. Cowbell anyone?
Ludwig Drums
100+ years go into the product range of Ludwig Drums, a name synonymous with quality and used by professionals throughout the music industry.
Majestic
Majestic is a brand of thoughtfully designed instruments for the professional, the educator, and student using carefully constructed ideas born from both traditional percussion instrument heritage and a culture of innovation.
Mapex Drums
Mapex are relentless in designing and producing drums and hardware that can endure performance after performance. The result is a drum that you take on stage or into the studio with complete confidence.
Meinl
Meinl is a family-owned manufacturer & distributor of drum kit, percussion and musical instruments based in Germany. The brand portfolio of Meinl comprises Meinl, Nino Percussion and Ortega Guitars.
Natal
Natal is owned by Marshall (the rock and roll amp people) and produces a range of drum kits, percussion, snares and drum hardware.
Noble & Cooley
Founded in 1854 by Silas Noble and James Cooley, Noble & Cooley has been sustainably producing hand-crafted drums for over 160 years.
PDP
Founded in 1999, PDP is a progressive drum brand created to provide drums, pedals and hardware that feature boutique-inspired, player-friendly features and best-in-class build-quality to drummers around the globe.
Paiste
The principle of Paiste’s family business is to continually create new sounds with cymbals, gongs, and bronze percussion instruments according to the creative needs of drummers and percussionists.
Pearl
Pearl is a Japanese multinational corporation specialising in drums and percussion. HQ’d in Chiba, Japan, Pearl has manufacturing facilities in Japan, Taiwan, China, & the US and distributes products to most countries around the world.
Pork Pie
Pork Pie Percussion are an American drum manufacturer established in 1987 and producing a range of custom-made designs of drum kits, snare drums and hardware.
Premier
A long-established company that is rich in history and tradition, Premier’s name has been associated with a wealth of star performers in many musical genres not only at home in England but all over the globe.
Pro-mark
Pro-mark drumsticks are a long-standing product of great repute and one of the leading products on the market, aimed at drummers of all types with their expansive range of drumstick styles.
Remo
For over 60 years, Remo, Inc. has consistently broken new ground when it comes to industry firsts. Ultimately, nothing can touch the technical and musical advantages that Remo Drumheads provide.
Rogers Drums
Rogers Drums are known to many as a renowned and sought after vintage drum kit brand. After a long hiatus, it’ been revived in the UK – Rogers Drums UK and US Rogers Drums USA to continue the legacy.
Roland
Roland is a musical instrument manufacturer based in Japan who produces some of the most popular electronic drum kits among many other things. They also offer an acoustic drum kit and percussion instruments.
Sabian
Founded by Robert Zildjian in 1981, Sabian Cymbals was one of, if not the most aspirational cymbal brands in drumming. Sadly, he passed away in 2013, leaving an amazing legacy to the musical world. The company lives on.
Sonor
Sonor is a drum kit manufacturer of note, being used by professionals for hundreds of years. Since its foundation in 1875, SONOR always strived for innovation and the highest possible quality percussion instruments. A lot has changed since then, but the goal always stayed the same.
Soultone Cymbals
Soultone Cymbals was founded in 2003 by drummer Iki Levy and aims to offer a superior sound, feel and performance with excellent artist support for today’s most demanding performers.
TAMA Drums
TAMA Drums is a longstanding Japanese drum kit and percussion manufacturer offering high quality products for the professional drumming community around the world.
Vater Percussion
Vater Percussion are a popular manufacturer of maple, hickory and speciality drumsticks, mallets and percussion sticks, based in the USA.
Vic Firth
Vic Firth is an American drumstick manufacturer, established in the 1960s and now owned by Avedis Zildjian. It produces over 200 various sticks and mallets and pursues a sustainable business model.
Yamaha Drums
Yamaha Drums are a Japanese manufacturer of drum kit and percussion instruments. They also make musical instruments, consumer electronics and motorbikes under the Yamaha brand.
Zendrum
Zendrum Corporation is an American manufacturer of electronic drums that you play like a guitar. Established in the late 80s, Zendrum offers a wide range of handheld electronic drum kits on their website.
More from Fresh Kit
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