Buying a complete electronic drum set new is the easiest and safest, but can be quite expensive.  Buying the set used is almost as easy and can save you a bundle; you just need to be aware that your warranty protection is reduced or nonexistent, and you need to verify function before the sale is final.  Building a set ‘from scratch’ using new parts will probably cost you much more than getting the set complete.  Building your own set from used parts is educational and fun, but does require great patience and you probably will end up spending more than the complete set would have been, bought used.  But you can end up with exactly what you want (and a box of spare parts :-)

Of course, the cheapest way to start out is to find a used, discontinued version of what you want, and upgrade it as your needs and the availability of funds and parts dictates.  In the Yamaha line, the biggest difference between a discontinued module and its replacement is often how advanced the trigger handling is (number of triggers and number of zones each trigger can handle).  I’m not up on what the differences are between discontinued Roland modules and their replacements, except for the trend towards a single multi-pin trigger connector.  In any case, check the manuals or detailed comparison charts so you know what you are ‘giving up’

Before going to buy, you need to figure out what it is you want.  There are two parts to this:  1) how much you want to spend, and 2) which brand or brands you want to go with.  Once you have settled on these, it is just a matter of shopping for what you want at a price you can live with.  Note that it would be a bit unwise to decide on a brand without actually comparing a couple of your top choices in person.  This can be tricky because most stores seem not to have a good display of e-drums (at least the ones around here don’t).  Going through the phone book and calling ahead may pinpoint who has an example of what.  Or if you have a friend or belong to an organization which has a set, you may be able to try it out or at least look at it.  And even if you can’t find an example of the exact set you want, you might be able to find another model of that brand to look at.

‘Mixing’ brands can provide a way to get closer to what you want.  Just keep compatibility in mind.  Single zone pads should work adequately with any controller, and I don’t know that dual zone pads will have much trouble as long as both brands use the same connection.  Triple zone pads and hi-hat pedals/controls are the things you want to take the most care with when mixing, as the formats of these vary widely.

Many module manufacturers have their user manuals online.  It is a very good idea to read through the manual before you decide that any particular module is ‘the only one for you’.

Once you decide what you want, then you can buy it at a local store (can be the most expensive) or an online store (your local store may price match, so searching online is always a good idea even if you don’t plan to buy there).  Or you can go to eBay or Craig’s List or the Dandy Dime or the bulletin board at your favorite music store or hangout.  Or any combination of these for parts to build or enhance your set.

Choosing the module is probably the most difficult part.  You really can’t tell everything you want to know just be looking at it, or trying it in a store for 2 minutes.  Looking at the manuals can help, or at least a comprehensive comparison chart.  Note that if you ‘make a mistake’, changing modules can be expensive.  Not only is the module itself relatively pricey, but you may need to replace some of your other parts if they are not supported by the replacement module.  In particular, often the hi-hat controller and the module are tied fairly closely.  For instance, the hi-hat controller from my DTXpress IV can be used on a DTXplorer module, and on a DTXtreme IIs module.  However, it does not work at all on a Roland TD-6V module.

Easier is choosing the hardware and pads, since you can tell a fair amount by looking at them, and a couple minutes of trying them can tell you much of what you want to know.  And generally the replaced part can be used elsewhere or readily disposed of without too much of a loss.  For instance, triple zone Yamaha pads work fine as dual zone pads on a Roland module.  And they can also be used as single zone pads on a module which only supports single zone.

Whether you plan to buy a complete set, or build you own, the best way to choose what you are getting is from the parts, up.  In other words, find the module you like and the pads you like, and then look for the kit which most nearly includes these.  These choices must be subject to your budget, of course.

There is not really much more advice which can be given about which module to get.

When looking for pads, you want ones which are sturdy and mount reliably (for cymbals, this means a good anti-rotation system), make little noise when hit, ‘feel like a real drum or cymbal’, have appropriate rebound, trigger reliably, have a good range of velocity sensing and the most ‘zones’ which your drum module will support.  Note that multi-zone pads can almost always be used as a single zone pad by using a monophonic cable or a stereo to mono adapter.  Thus, you can get pads which are more advanced than your module and upgrade the module later.  Or, most multi-zone modules will recognize and support single zone pads attached with a mono cable, so you can get the module first and upgrade the pads later.

As for hardware, a flimsy stand or inadequate mounts may not be fatal, if spare parts are available.  I had a DrumRocker stand which I strengthened up considerably by buying some used stand parts and adding the bracing which was missing from mine, so this may not be a deal breaker for a particular set.  Still, a flimsy rack is a warning sign about the rest of the set.

Inadequate pads will haunt you forever (or at least until you replace them).  A module which has been expanded as much as practical puts a top end on your set.  To progress, you can replace the module with a more advanced model compatible with your pads, or it is possible to add a second module to the set, although the hookup gets trickier in this case.  The simplest hookup would be to run the outputs from the two modules into a small mixer, but the modules would have no communications between them.  This would not be a problem as far as producing sounds (the primary purpose, after all) but may hamper some of the more advanced functions.  Thus you want one module to be the ‘main’ module, and use the other just for additional, non-standard, sounds.

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