Pros:
- Simmons SD600 comes at an affordable price. It is an electronic and well-rounded drum kit that can be used for home recording or practice your chops. If you prefer quieter pads, you will love the fact this kit comes with mesh pads. The snare is larger, 10”, and is dual-zone. The 8” floor toms and rack can be adjusted for angle and height.
- You can also customize pad response and sensitivity. Both crash cymbals with choke and hi-hats are 10” wide, and the supplied ride cymbal is 12”. As this size is close to most acoustic kits, it gives you a feel of playing on the real drum kit.
- Simmons SD600 also comes with hi-hats trigger pedal and kick drum trigger pedal. They support for picking close or open nuances. The SD600 model is superior in its kit and sound selection than the previous models. It comes with a whopping 325 snare customizable drum sounds and 25 full drum kits.
- The great part is that you can also create your kit by mixing and matching your drums. Simmons Basic iOS App and USB/MIDI port make it easier to record your drum sounds.
- Pocket friendly
- Loads of drum sound options to choose from
- Allows you to customize your kit with the help of the app
- Play along and practice modes in the iOS App
- USB/MIDI for recording
- Feel of acoustic kits
- Amazing construction
- Tension-able mesh pads
Cons:
We couldn’t find any significant flaws with this model. However, the Simmons Basic App is only for iOS users and not for android users. Moreover, many percussionists have complained that the pedals tend to slide.
The plastic knobs also tend to come off, and you may need to adjust them with pliers. The height of the snare drum is not adjustable. This may be a problem, especially for tall people.
No App for Android users
Pedals tend to slide
Throne not included
Looking for an electronic drum set with kick-ass features, high-quality materials, and one that is budget-friendly? If yes, Simmons SD600 can be an excellent option for you.
Simmons SD600 comes with tension-able mesh pads that give you feel of a real snare drum. Moreover, the size and features of other instruments in this kit are built to resemble a real acoustic drum.
But is it really the right option for you? We are doing a detailed review of this kit to help you in making this decision. Let’s begin.
Benefits of The Simmons SD600:
Electronic drum sets are compact, and thus you can carry them anywhere you want. Real drums or acoustic kits are noisier. While we all musicians may love it, our neighbours and family members may be tired of the loud sound.
So, a compact footprint and noise suppression are two significant reasons for using an electronic drum set. Moreover, these kits offer unparalleled customization and flexibility as you can create a wide range of sounds that are usually difficult to play on a traditional kit.
Having said this, there is a noticeable difference between mid-level, entry-level, and professional-level drum kits. The differences may be the quality of sound, construction of the kit, ease of performance, comfortability, the response and sensitivity, and the features they include.
Simmons SD600 is an entry to a mid-level electronic drum set. The primary question every drummer would have is about the feel and features.
So, without further delay let’s understand more about Simmons SD600.
Why Should You Pick The Simmons SD600?:
Simmons introduced SD600 after the success of the SD2000 mesh-head electronic kit. The pieces get more prominent in this model, and it is thus not a compact kit as compared to previous versions.
SimmonsSD600 is a mesh-head and full-sized electronic drum set. We believe that tension-able mesh pads are the most fantastic feature of this kit. These heads, along with variable attack response features, offer nuanced playing and expressive performance.
The ultra-realistic drum configuration supported by this electronic kit is usually reserved for expensive kits. Moreover, features of Simmons SD600 make it ideal for practicing, learning, gigging, and recording.
With this drum kit you can now enjoy advanced functionality through a dual-ply snare drum, a 10” crash cymbal with choke, 10″ dual-zone, three 8″ dual-ply mesh toms, no-slip grip on the kick pedal, 12” ride cymbal, and 10” hi-hat pad with pedal. It also comes with extra-stable rubber feet and custom T-fitting.
What’s more? If you are looking for versatility, power, and value, Simmons SD600 can be an excellent option for you. This is because the Module also comes with 371 drum sounds across ten user kits and 25 preset drum kits. So, it is ideal for all musical genres, such as jazz, blues, pop, and rock.
The sound module also sports easy navigation, sleek design, a 16-character blue, backlit LCD screen. It offers eight trigger inputs, for cable management, on a multi-pin connector, which attaches to the computer through MIDI/USB connection. A 1/8” TRS input can connect audio from media players, such as an MP3 player.
There is more. The free Simmons Basic iOS App provides sound-editing capabilities and effective teaching, features that are rare in this price range.
This App also supports game-like learning, kit selection, and editing, and play along with functions. This makes using your kit easy and fun to use.
Simmons SD600 is also touted for an exceptional Variable Attack Response (V.A.R.). This technology improves your performance and playability. The V.A.R. offers pads that respond uniquely according to dynamics and quick sample payback. Furthermore, it also supports round-robin samples on ride cymbal and snare.
Here you can listen a live preview:
About Simmons Drums:
The brand behind this electronic drum set is Simmons. Founded over 40 years ago, this company is one of the first companies to offer drums to the music industry.
Even with several iterations, it is one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality kits that are comparable with acoustic drums. Its stellar reputation is proved by a list of their notable users, such as Queen, Depeche Mode, NIN, Pink Floyd, Genesis, NIN, and Van Halen.
Features of the SD600
The dual-zone snare is 9” and toms are 8”. The crash and hi-hat are 10” and the ride is 12”. The Simmons SD500 pads have Variable Attack Response (VAR). This feature allows you to hit those pads at different velocities. So, now instead of increasing the volume of your favorite drum sound, you can produce a mixed sample using the sound module based on the force you apply.
Simmons says they use Round-Robin altering samples on the ride cymbal and the snare. So, for instance, if there are two samples, you will get one sound every time you hit the snare. The second sound will be present in between hits.
Finally, the sound module comes with 50 drum kits out of which user kits are 10. It also has 60 songs in all, and 10 are for you to create.
Let’s have a look at all features:
Controllers and pads
- Realistic feel, sleek look, and stay in place design
- 10″ tension-able dual-zone
- 10″ crash cymbal with choke function
- Dual-ply snare drum
- 10″ hi-hat pad
- Three 8″ tension-able tom pads
- 12″ ride cymbal
- Kick pad module plus integrated kick pedal
- Hi-hat pedal
SD600 Module
- 16-character blue LCD screen
- Sleek look
- Easy navigation
- High-quality custom Simmons drum library that includes 64 voice polyphony and 64MB sample ROM
- 10 User Kits
- Detachable stick rest
- 371 drum sounds
- 25 Preset Drum Kits
- 2 demo songs
- 60 songs out of which 50 are for customized for practice
- (V.A.R.) technology for better performance and playability
- Pads that respond differently depending on dynamics
- Intelligent sample playback
- Round-Robin alternating samples on ride cymbal and snare
Other features
- MIDI/ USB connectivity for computer
- Stereo 1/8″ TRS input for audio from players such as MP3 player
- Rugged steel rack
- Sturdy custom T-fitting
- Extra stable rubber feet
- 8 total trigger inputs for cable management and single multi-pin connector
- Simmons Basic iOS App that is free, downloadable and interactive
Pros:
- Simmons SD600 comes at an affordable price. It is an electronic and well-rounded drum kit that can be used for home recording or practice your chops. If you prefer quieter pads, you will love the fact this kit comes with mesh pads. The snare is larger, 10”, and is dual-zone. The 8” floor toms and rack can be adjusted for angle and height.
- You can also customize pad response and sensitivity. Both crash cymbals with choke and hi-hats are 10” wide, and the supplied ride cymbal is 12”. As this size is close to most acoustic kits, it gives you a feel of playing on the real drum kit.
- Simmons SD600 also comes with hi-hats trigger pedal and kick drum trigger pedal. They support for picking close or open nuances. The SD600 model is superior in its kit and sound selection than the previous models. It comes with a whopping 325 snare customizable drum sounds and 25 full drum kits.
- The great part is that you can also create your kit by mixing and matching your drums. Simmons Basic iOS App and USB/MIDI port make it easier to record your drum sounds.
- Pocket friendly
- Loads of drum sound options to choose from
- Allows you to customize your kit with the help of the app
- Play along and practice modes in the iOS App
- USB/MIDI for recording
- Feel of acoustic kits
- Amazing construction
- Tension-able mesh pads
Cons:
- We couldn’t find any significant flaws with this model. However, the Simmons Basic App is only for iOS users and not for android users. Moreover, many percussionists have complained that the pedals tend to slide.
- The plastic knobs also tend to come off, and you may need to adjust them with pliers. The height of the snare drum is not adjustable. This may be a problem, especially for tall people.
- No App for Android users
- Pedals tend to slide
- Throne not included
Does this drumming kit come with a headphone?
No, headphones are not included in the kit. It has a 1/8” input.
Can I use a double bass pedal with this kit?
No, this drumming kit if made for a single kick. You can buy a Simmons kick pad to use a double bass pedal and replace it with the foot controller that is included in the kit. However, it also depends on how comfortable you would be able to use a double bass pedal with this kit.
Is the module programmable? Does it come with memory slots for customizable kit sounds?
Yes, the module is programmable. And yes, it does come with memory slots for customizable kit sounds.
Final Thoughts on the SD600:
Simmons SD600 is an upgraded version of older models. The tension-able mesh pads support expressive performance. With high-quality materials and instrument features, it is an excellent option for beginners and mid-level professionals.
Overall, it is an amazing electronic kit with features that are usually present in high-end drumming kits. So, it’s value for money.
We hope the guide and review helped you in making your decision.