The majority of the pads allow you to connect with a PA system or an amplifier as all the sounds are internally generated.
But with a myriad of options, how to select one?
This review will make this decision easier for you.
You also check our guide for the best drum practice pad here.
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10 Best Electronic Drum Pad
🏆 Roland OCTAPAD SPD-30 🏆
The original Roland Octapad was launched in 1985 and had instantly become revolutionary. Since then, the features are updated with modern sync and connectivity options. Various triggering technology and sounds are also added.
The only flipside of the drumming pad is the inability to add your drumming samples onto it. So, you are restricted to the in-built 50 drum kits and some extra percussion sounds.
However, it does include a wide array of onboard sounds along with multiple percussive sounds to explore. It is just that you cannot add your own samples.
This can be challenging with high demands on modern live performances. They require you to set layered samples, which could be effects or extra layers of a song
Talking about onboard sounds, the pads have an excellent playing response and are smooth to play. They feel good and are sensitive to play. The whole unit is of high-quality and is road-tough.
All in all, this sample pad is a great option for you if you are looking for a variety of versatile percussion sounds in a single unit. But if you are planning to use it for live performances, it is not the right option for you.
Features
- Eight responsive pads
- Four external trigger outputs
- 50 on-board drumming kits
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🏆 Roland SPD-SX 🏆
It is one of the best and most innovative pad found today. This electronic pad allows you to get most of your playing.
Roland SPD-SX is very popular among modern drummers because of its multiple sampling capabilities.
You can trigger individual pads to initiate and end samples. It comes with about 900 on-board drumming sounds.
The sample pad has three units of multi-effects and 4GB of internal memory along with four dedicated effect buttons and real-time control knob. This feature allows you to add samples of your choice, and they can be triggered through various pads.
It also comes with dual input sockets and nine playable pads. You can thus add four external triggers or pads.
Out of nine, six pads are square and take the majority of the playable surface. The rest three are placed on the edge and played with drumstick shoulders.
The sample pad is so versatile that it can be a perfect addition to a percussion set up, recording studio, acoustic drum set, DJ rig, or dance club.
With multiple sync and connectivity options and routable sound outputs, it offers ease of performance.
Overall, Roland has built a dependable and fun electronic drum pad, which has become a hit with many contemporary drummers.
It also comes with an intuitive and user-friendly guide, and the pads are also extremely fun and smooth to play.
Features
- Nine responsive pads
- 4GB internal memory
- Four external trigger inputs
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🏆 Alesis Strike Multipad 🏆
This is a high-end entry made by Alesis in the electronic drum pad market. It comes with multiple features in one single device.
While it is a step ahead from the Alesis SamplePad Pro, it is more expensive too.
It comes with pads that are better velocity-sensitive, better looping and sampling features, and a variety of additional effects. It also has excellent LED lights.
You can use it for on-the-fly sampling and changes. While it comes with tons of in-built samples, it is easy for you to add your own.
You can also directly record audio that can be adapted on the screen with the help of knobs, which allow you to control where to begin and end the loop.
So, this sample pad is an excellent all-rounder with multiple benefits and ease of use.
Features
- Nine velocity-sensitive pads
- Built-in Looper
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🏆 Alesis Sample Pad Pro 🏆
This is again versatile multi-pad drumming too, which is much more pocket friendly. It is thus an extremely useful and affordable option for a modern drummer.
The Alesis Sample Pad Pro comes with eight fully responsive rubber pads. It also comes with a blue LED light that offers endless sampling and percussive possibilities. You can also add two additional external drum triggers or pads.
There are over 200 drumming sounds loaded. Besides, with a 32GB SD card, you can further add 512 sounds. So, if you are looking out an option to diversify your performance to suit multiple styles, The Alesis SamplePad Pro can be an excellent option for you.
Wondering about the response of the pad while playing?
Well, the pads are thick and responsive. The interface is also easy to use. The in-built sounds are also of good quality. It also accommodates sample playback through a standard card.
This electronic pad offers you to play pop, disco, folk, R&B, and bass. Pretty versatile, isn’t it?
There are various connectivity and sync options that make this product the most suitable for studio and live performances.
All in all, it is an excellent value product that delivers high-quality performance at an affordable price.
Features
- Pocket friendly
- Over 200 in-built sounds
- Excellent for studio and live performance
- Eight rubber pads
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🏆 Alesis Sample PAd 4 🏆
This percussion pad is curated for maximum creative expression. It comes with four pads that are velocity sensitivity. The pad also includes a dual trigger input for better performance potential.
The LED-illuminated pads offer ten preset and dual-zone trigger input. It allows you to allocate two samples per trigger input or pad, and each pad can be tuned to six modes.
Alesis Sample Pad 4 includes 25 most-commonly used drum and percussion sounds that can be used across eight ready-to-play drumming kits. You can also add samples through a standard SD card.
You can add and tune reverb to your sounds, and you can even assign them to the four pads or the input.
Besides, MIDI output acts as a controller for modules, triggering sounds, and software.
The easy to read and intuitive screen offers easy navigation to your in-built library.
Features
- You can shape your sound
- Includes 25 most-commonly used drum and percussion sounds
- Four pads
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🏆 Yamaha DD75 🏆
The stylish design and drummer-friendly properties is an entry in the versatile and professional digital-drumming instrument.
This Yamaha DD75 comes with two drum pedals, eight velocity-sensitive pads, and aux to play with songs of your choice.
This sample pad includes 30 phrase voices, ten user drum kits, 570 drum voices, 75 preset drum kits, and 105 preset songs.
The aux input offers you to connect this portable sample pad with a headphone output and musical device. So, you can connect it to a computer or an Mp3 player and hear it through the speakers.
Besides, the MIDI connectivity offers connectivity to other MIDI devices, such as computers, external tone modules, and portable devices.
The panel also includes easy to use and intuitive features, which makes it easy to operate.
Ah, and the best part is you can carry this electronic drum pad anywhere you plan to play it.
Further, the kit also supports volume control. So, you can plug in your headphones when you don’t want to disturb those around you.
The hand percussion mode allows you to play a range of ethnic percussion kits, such as Middle Eastern, Indian, Chinese, and Latin. It also includes multiple genres from all around the globe.
Lastly, it comes with a pair of drum sticks and two assignable pedals.
Features
- Eight velocity-sensitive pads
- Hand percussion mode
- 570 drum voices and 105 preset songs
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🏆 Kat Percussion KTMP1 🏆
Next in this list is an entry-level and affordable electronic pad. It is curated to do its job with minimal hassle on a budget.
Kat Percussion KTMP1 is sleek and compact, which makes it easier to use without set-up and also perfect for traveling. It comes with four velocity-sensitive pads with 50 percussion and drum sounds.
This sample pad is easy and straightforward to use. You can program your sounds on the four pads. Besides, you can even adjust the volume of each pad if you wish to, as well as the sensitivity and reverb.
The only flipside of the electronic drumming pad is the size of the pads. They are extremely responsive but are close to each other and small. So, there is a risk of hitting the wrong pad accidentally, especially while playing quick rhythmic patterns.
All in all, it is a comfortable sample pad with multiple functions to choose from. It is surprisingly functional at the price which it comes. The best part is that you can alter the levels of each assignable sample, and the quality is also fair.
It also comes with MIDI and USB connectivity along with stereo output that supports live performance.
Features
- Four velocity-sensitive pads
- Entry-level sample pad
- 50 onboard sounds
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🏆 Pyle 7 Pad 🏆
Are you looking for a complete drum set sound? Pyle 7 Pad can be an excellent option.
Pyle 7 Pad comes with seven velocity-sensitive drum pad and kicks and hi-hat digital pedal controller to offer a full drum set sound with hi-hat snare, toms-toms, ride cymbal, and crash. This makes it suitable for beginners as well as professionals.
It is a portable and tabletop drum machine with ten in-built custom drum kits, 55 preset, and above 300 drum and cymbal sounds. The sample pad also comes with a learning mode for beginners.
Pyle 7 pad includes an LCD screen and audio configuration controls at the top panel control center, which offers you to record, create, and edit customizable and unique music.
Besides, this portable kit is powered by an AC adaptor. It also allows you to go wireless as it can also run on (6) x ‘C’ battery. So, want to play at a garage or friend’s place? No worries. You can use this drum pad wherever you want to go.
It also includes drumsticks, which makes it an excellent choice for drumming practice.
You can connect the sample pad to any other device with the help of a USB cable. It also has an AUX for connecting to headphones.
Lastly, you can play it easily in the dark or not so well lit areas. Light-up buttons and display allow it easy to press, view, or tap.
Features
- Seven velocity-sensitive pads
- Offers to play a drum set sound
- Above 300 cymbal and drum sounds
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🏆 Alesis Compact Kit 4 🏆
As you may have guessed, Alesis Compact kit 4 comes with four velocity-sensitive pads. It includes dedicated headphone output and speaker. So, you can decide the volume at which you want to play.
It is an authentic kit with sensitive pads that guarantee to catch all subtle nuances of your performance.
Alesis Compact Kit 4 includes 70 acoustic and electronic voices, 50 play-along songs, and ten effect voices that allow you to explore your drumming skills.
It also comes with a musical coach feature that displays notes on the LCD screen for an excellent learning experience. The game function makes learning fun.
Lastly, it can be powered with an AC adapter and 6 C cell batteries. So, now you can play wherever and whenever you want.
Features
- Built-in game function
- Four velocity-sensitive pads
- Music coach feature
- Ultra-portable
- 70 kit voices
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🏆 Pyle Portable Drums 🏆
Last in the list is Pyle portable electronic drum pad. It is a versatile digital kit curated to sound, resemble, and play like an acoustic drum set. The best part is that the features are available at a fraction of size.
It is a lightweight, super-customizable, and portable tabletop drum pad for all the on-the-go drummers. You can use it from 25 pre-recorded drum kit samples or record your own. You can even create your own kit from selecting among 215 percussion voices.
The seven velocity-sensitive pads offer an accurate response. It is powered through AC adaptor and 6C batteries.
As with most other electronic drum pads, you can connect it to other devices using a USB cable.
It comes with a headphone jack. So you can play for a crowd, or go silent using your headphones.
Lastly, LCD screen and audio configuration control are present at the top panel, which allows you to play customizable and unique music.
Features
- Seven velocity-sensitive pads
- USB and headphones output
- 215 percussion voices
- Two digital foot pedal controllers
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Related Post:
Electronic Drum Pad: An Overview
Electronic drum pads, also known as sample pads, are an extremely versatile tool to be added in a drummer’s arsenal. They help to add dynamic and expressive layers of music to your drumming.
Ah, and the best part is…..
Electronic pads are suitable for a variety of musical genres.
The majority of the time, the sample pad is used in pop music, where you need you to play it live.
It is a kind of a hybrid set-up where a drummer combines the use of cymbals and acoustic drum set along with an electronic drum pad to play a variety of sounds.
You can take advantage of on-board effects and loops features of drum pads to boost your live performance.
Benefits
Modern music expects too much from a drummer. The drummer is needed to replicate sounds, which were used on records, and the majority of the times, they are electronic samples.
Electronic pads offer the modern drummers an opportunity to load their curated samples and play music the way it would be heard on the album.
This is really important for music lovers as they identify the songs while they are played and want to hear the same during live performance.
They have also made it easier to get a hybrid set-up of cymbals, acoustic drums, external triggers, and sample pads.
Sample pads also offer drummers to play infinite sound possibilities, allowing them to play a variety of musical styles that suits the atmosphere.
The best sample pads can allow external trigger inputs, which is extremely practical while playing at larger venues.
They also support realistic and authentic performance with lifelike playing or nuances of a real drummer in addition to unmistakable and consistent snare sound replication.
All in all, the sample pad can allow you to expand your present set up and even work as a standalone tool.
You can connect them directly to a PA system or an amplifier as all sounds are internally generated.
Are electronic drum pads any good?
The answer is both yes and no. Yes, they are good for drummers looking to expand their existing kit. And No, if you just started playing drums.
What is the best electronic drum kit for beginners?
Pyle 7 4 is an excellent choice for beginners.
Is Alesis a good brand for drums?
Yes, it is an excellent brand for drums. It manufactures high-quality products and is famous among contemporary drummers.
Final Thoughts
An electronic drum pad is an excellent tool to enhance your kit and add versatility to your playing. While buying one, you should consider if you are going to play it along with your present kit or as a standalone tool.
Have questions or suggestions? Feel free to comment below.
