Can you record electric drums with real cymbals?

[C.Thep]

With pleasing results?

I am really GASing for a drum set, or DASing rather, but they are just too dang expensive.

I was instead of a whole drumset, with mics and everything, just to get an electric kit, and use real cymbals and snare. That way, i would just have to mic the snare, hi hats, and overheads. I kinda like the sound of triggered bass drums, and i probably wouldn't even notice the toms.

Only problem that i think is that the overhead mics would pick up the sound of the sticks hitting the pads, but after the sound for the pads are put into the mix, do you think it would really matter?

[michblanch]

I think it depends on how you record. If you are tieing the Elec. Drums straight into the board, then you will have to record the cymbals seperatly and add them in later, (Overdub).

If you go with recording thru mics, and you use a monitor to process the sound of the Drums and cymbals you should be able to record. But you may lose some of the tones due to the amp having some say in the tone of the bass and snare.

I have a set of ED's and I actually hook my guitars BBE Sonic Stomp in the process from drum to amp and it does wonders. It brings everything back together.

BBE should market a stomp for electronic drums.

[losgatosrg350dx]

i played drums for like years from hs to like mid college for a couple metal bands before i get intor guitars, and i rememebr being able to play faster and smoother with electric drums, but lacked the charachter and sound of real drums and those were better live and stuff

but like some musicians like buckethead, he will track over and over and over and record ton and snare and cymbal sounds and would add them on a timeline himself with brian the brain, and they would make really complex realistic sound right out of a computer just using really good recordings..all different for songs....and then buckethead does his tracking over that

so for sounds i say electric is fine, but for stage nothing beats the aura of a nice tama starclassic...and without paying bux drumsets suck

i had a starclassic maple origional 8 ply with matural finish on it with a green stain, and i had db and 4 toms and two snares, and i had lots of cymbals, and let me tell you those matter for recording, i had a customs k customs, k constantinople rides and a couple k custom dry rides and older k rock..and i tell you what, they sounded great...compared to some cymbals...id say your better off with the electric set! some cheap cymbals they make dont sound good at all

[albee1952]

I have used a Roland TD10 kit for years and the cymbals were the sore spot for sure. Now I just replace them either with real samples that I record, or I use ezdrummer (played from the Roland kit).

[Ekim]

If you're good with a soldering iron, you can buy plastic cymbals meant for practice and rig them with mics and use the signal as a trigger for sampling. I keep telling myself I'm going to rig up my Pearl Rhythm Traveller practice kit that way, but I'm a lasy azz.

OR, for more $$$$, Roland makes some higher-end electronic cymbals. They're much better than the old pads, but spendy.

[jemjem]

Yes, you can record perfectly with electric drums and cymbals. I've done it many times...in fact that is in my opinion the only way to make electronic kits sound decent because the cymbals are always the weakest sound for whatever reason. You dont hear the sound of the pads coming through the mics necessarily because remember you have the actual electronic drum sound that is occurring at the same time within the song...so the only way you actually hear the pad sound is if you solo it on the recording system itself. Once in the music you never hear the pads.

I hope that helps.