Best Electronic Drum Sets Under $1000

Simmons Titan 70: Overview

The Simmons Titan 70 gives Roland a run for their money. The new flagship electronic drum set is not only massive, but packed with features and incredible sounds. The kit features 314 professional recorded samples, a large LCD screen, MIDI connectivity, Bluetooth, and six large drum pads.

One of its standout features is the detachable, padded tablet shelf, that makes it easy to follow-along with YouTube videos or Drumeo lessons with your phone or iPad. The kit feels realistic, and for it being under $1,000, it’s one of the best options for drummers wanting an e-kit on a budget.

Another standout feature is the triple-zone ride cymbal. No matter where you strike—the bell, edge, bow—you’ll hear a different sound, making it more realistic than any kit on this list.

Note: drum throne (seat) not included with the Simmons Titan 70.

Roland TD-07KV: Overview

Roland V-Drums are known for their fantastic playability and how expressive they sound. The goal with e-drums is to feel and sound as natural as possible, and here Roland hits the snare on the head!

The TD-07KV is one of the more affordable V-drum models with the standard 5-piece, two cymbals, and a hi-hat. It feels like playing a real kit, except it has the added Bluetooth and MIDI out technology.

Naturally, I prefer acoustic drums most of the time. The lack of the stand-mounted hi-hat is a little disappointing, but Roland makes up for it with sounds and Bluetooth compatibility. The pads feel awesome to play and the kit even supports double bass drum pedals for anyone wanting to play metal music.

The included KT-10 kick pedal is much quieter than most rubber-style electronic kick pads—keep that in mind if you’re playing in an apartment.

Note: drum throne (seat) and kick pedal not included with the Roland TD-07KV.

Yamaha DTX6K-X: Overview

Yamaha is a known and trusted brand of nearly every instrument, and they also make electronic drum sets for under $1000. The kit is great for social media drummers and is by far the most expandable kit on the list thanks to it’s 11 trigger inputs, allowing a monster kit size of up to 14 pads in total.

The TCS snare drum pad is the highlight of the DTX6K-X. It’s quiet, feels incredible to play, and has incredible durability. The snare pad has three separate zones allowing for maximum expression. You can play normal hits, rimshots, and even cross-sticks.

The triggering is superb on this pad, in particular, and though the rest of the kit features rubber pads, the snare pad may be the one part of the instrument that beats out the rest of the kits on the list. The three-zone chokable ride cymbal is another highlight worth mentioning. There are distinct edge, bell, and bow zones, making this ride cymbal close to Roland’s flagship digital ride cymbal.

The kit, like a lot on this list, has a more compact feel. It used the famous DTX-PRO module with 40 preset kits and 200 user kit slots, along with onboard training functions. This module also gives you control over your sound with effects like ambiance and compression.

The DTX-PRO can be connected to your phone for recording and control via Yamaha’s proprietary Rec’N’Share app. I’ve used it with the EAD10, and while it can be a little wonky, it does make it easy to make quick social media videos without having to worry about using a computer for audio recording and syncing audio to video.

Not everyone has a good experience with the kit however. One user at Sweetwater notes that they had significant cross-talk issues between the toms and the cymbals. While I didn’t experience this, you would be able to solve this issue by using separate cymbal stands instead of mounting them on the rack.

Note: drum throne (seat) and kick drum pedal not included with the DTX6K-X.

Roland TD-07DMK: Overview

Here we have another newer V-Drum kit by Roland, and this one’s about $200 cheaper than the TD-07KV. The main differences being smaller cymbals and a smaller kick drum pad. Both kits feature the same TD-07 drum module, so both have the exact same sounds.

The cymbals on this kit are 10″, instead of 12″ on the TD-07KV. The kick pad is mounted to the rack, so you won’t have the freedom to move it around, unfortunately. It does, however, support double bass drum pedals, despite being so small.

A model like the TD-07DMK gives us the Roland sound and technology, with just a little less fine-tuning ability. In some cases, the streamlined features are more suitable for those who want something simple.

As I mentioned, users like the kit, but hate the location of the kick drum pad mounted to the drum rack. Others, however, love the fact you can edit the kits, which was not an option on the prior TD-1DMK.

Note: drum throne (seat) and kick drum pedal not included with the TD-07DMK.

Donner Beat Electronic Drum Set: Overview

Donner is another large instrument maker that has entered the electronic drum kit market, and their newer Beat kit is reasonably priced. I’ve reviewed several of their e-kits, and they range from outright terrible to surprising (the Donner BackBeat was quite impressive).

As with some of the other quality kits, they also have mesh heads, a USB-MIDI audio output, and Bluetooth functionality. And they also have a large frame for players that want the extra space. The kit includes 40 free drum lessons from Melodics, which is a nice bonus.

ddrum Hybrid Player Drum Kit: Overview

The ddrum Hybrid 5-piece electric acoustic kit is the best of both worlds. It has the space for acoustic sound but the triggers to manipulate samples. For drummers who want to switch back and forth between electric and acoustic, this kit might be a winner.

The shells are made of birch, and they mix with the sample layer to create great sounds—the best of both worlds! However, this mixture may be more suited for your playing if you are a reluctant drummer regarding the full e-drum experience. The kit comes outfitted with mesh drum heads, so it will be quieter. If you want the full hybrid experience, you’ll need to swap the heads out.

This is only a shell pack, so you’ll still need cymbals, stands, and a drum module to take full advantage of the triggering capability of this kit. A used ddrum DDTi trigger module paired with a laptop with the free MT Power Drum kit software will yield an awesome-sounding acoustic/electronic playing experience, provided you already have cymbals and a laptop.

Outside of my review, most users who have bought the kit seem to have a great experience playing it—one notable example is an apartment drummer who uses the kit with Remo SilentStroke drum heads with Zildjian L80 low-volume cymbals to deal with a shared wall living situation.

Note: this is just a shell pack—hardware, cymbals, stands, a drum module, and a laptop are required to utilize the full functionality of the internal triggering system. Kick pedal and throne also not included.

Alesis Drums Command Mesh SE: Overview

Alesis is a more budget-friendly option for some drummers. Like other e-drum kits, it has the standard 5-piece kit with two cymbals, a hi-hat, and a drum module. The module is packed with drum kits and practice features which can all be connected to your phone. Just like most e-kits these days, you can tune the mesh heads to get a response you like. Alesis’s mesh heads are fantastic-feeling and, while they’re not quite as robust as Roland’s, I think they hold up quite well over time.

The same cannot be said about their trigger wiring. There are users who have complained of snare and kick pads failing over time. Another user notes that Alesis uses a very thin gauge wire for the trigger sensors.

While I am evaluating these drum sets, I simply do not have a time machine to gauge the lifetime durability of any given drum set. And sometimes I only have a month or two to test them. So keep that in mind and be sure to read other reviews on these kits.

The Command Mesh SE is priced similarly to the Titan 70. If we compare the two, it’s night and day. The Titan 70 has far more features, including Bluetooth—which lets you jam to your favorite songs wirelessly with your phone or tablet. While the Command Mesh SE has more sound voices than the Titan 70, the sounds themselves are subpar. I’m rating this kit lower, but if you can find one used, it’s still a great option for under $1,000.

KAT Percussion KT-300: Overview

While KAT is not as popular as Roland, they have been making electronic drum gear since 1985. This KT-300 features a larger hi-hat, cymbal, and tom size than the Roland for those who want more playing space. 

It was built for both the stage and studio and, like many e-drums, has a module that can emulate sounds or send MIDI through USB to control other samples.

The KT-300 is easy and quick to setup—taking less than an hour to get everything mounted and connected. It does feel smaller when playing, but you have to make sacrifices when buying e-drums in this price range.

Having the ability to attach the kick tower to the drum rack would take this drum to next level. A lot of times, kick towers tend to slide forward, even when the spurs are setup properly.

Note: drum throne (seat) not included with the KAT Percussion KT-300.

Yamaha DTX452K: Overview

This Yamaha will be friendlier on the budget, and if you notice, it has a little different look. The cymbals are still made of rubber but so are the drum pads. These are never as good as mesh heads, in my opinion. 

The kit includes Yamaha’s FP6110A kick pedal, which is surprisingly good despite being so inexpensive. You will be able to use this pedal for other drumming applications. Most budget kick pedals included with e-kits, especially from Alesis and Simmons, are not going to be high quality, and I even recommend upgrading right away.

The DTX 402 module doesn’t have as many samples as the PRO. So if you are not worried about tunable heads or too many samples, this model will save you money. However, for around $100, you can pick up a kit with mesh drum heads that’s far quieter, like the Titan 70 or the Command Mesh.

Alesis Drums Surge Mesh SE Kit: Overview

Here we have a more intermediate model by Alesis for those looking for a lower budget set. The cymbals are a little smaller than other 5-piece kits at 10”, but like the Command, it also has mesh heads. It uses the Surge Drum Module, which allows for a USB-MIDI and DAW connection. It has a decent number of excellent e-drum features for the price.

The mesh heads, like most of the other kits, feature tension rods, allowing you to adjust the responsiveness of the rebound. The drum module, while useable, does not have the greatest sounds in the world. It’s perfect for practice, but don’t expect million dollar studio recorded sounds to enter your headphones when playing.

The Surge Mesh SE is a bit outdated now. It’s still an excellent kit under $1,000, but I’d say, if you’re thinking about this drum set, find one used. There’s better options out there new, like the TD-07KV and the Titan 70.

Outside of my review, a lot of users generally have good thoughts about the Surge Mesh SE—one noting how they are now able to practice in their apartment after hours.

KAT Percussion KT-150: Overview

At the sub $600 mark, we have the KAT Percussion KT-150. It’s another excellent electronic drum on a budget. Here the cymbals are also on the small side, but it does have mesh heads. The drum module is nothing special, with 160 samples and 15 presets, but it is suitable for those just looking to play with no frills. Also, as the tech grows, the basic e-drum kits are getting more affordable!

It’s rather interesting, also, that the KT-150 looks an awful lot like the NUX DM-210 (the drum module looks identical outside of the logo). It’s possible that KAT Percussion worked with NUX since they no longer have the same manufacturer that made the original KT line.