Best eKits Under $3,500

So, you know you want an eKit, and you want one that’s mid-tier or even a flagship model. The next question is, where to begin? It’s a big investment. Fortunately, there are many offerings sure to please even the most discerning drummers or studio owners. Join Sweetwater as we look at a selection of great kits under $3,500 and dive into what makes them such accommodating choices. We’ll inspect their capabilities for practice, studio tools, and live performance as well as look under the hood at their modules to compare patches, sample rates, editing functionalities, and more. By the end, you’ll have a better idea about which eKit is the perfect one for you.

Note: At Sweetwater, we know there’s no such thing as “best” when it comes to music gear. Every player and artist has unique tastes, which is what makes selecting gear so fun! The items on this list feature some of our favorite products from top manufacturers to help you start your buying journey! Explore these recommendations and dive into Sweetwater’s massive collection of gear on our online store. For personalized picks and expert advice, please contact our knowledgeable Sweetwater Sales Engineers at (800) 222-4700!

Alesis Strata Prime

Alesis Strata Core

Roland V-Drums TD-17KVX Generation 2

Roland V-Drums TD-27KV2

Yamaha DTX8K-M

Zildjian ALCHEM-E Bronze EX

Alesis Strata Prime

Let’s begin with an absolute banger: the Alesis Strata Prime. Actually, this kit and the next one, the Alesis Strata Core, were recently compared in this article, but let’s recap here. Coming in just under $3,500, the Alesis Strata Prime is currently the flagship Alesis eKit. Summarily, the Strata Prime features a 6-piece configuration plus four cymbal pads, 75 preset kits, and 440 sounds powered by the BFD sound engine. Honestly, it goes much deeper than that. First, if you play acoustic drums and are considering an eKit, then the Strata Prime makes a superb candidate. Its tunable mesh heads and dual-zone playability will make you forget that you’re playing an electronic kit! Additionally, the cymbals feature a tri-zone design and 360-degree triggering, and both 16-inch crashes and the 18-inch ride respond with bow and bell sounds. It’s got a wonderfully designed hi-hat cymbal, as well, and it features a full-size 20-inch kick drum with 8-, 10-, 12-, and 14-inch toms plus a 14-inch snare.

On to the module: The dynamite Prime module, with its BFD sound engine, features a multicore processor, 128GB of internal storage (40GB of which is preloaded with 440 kit pieces and 1,092 articulations), and a generous number of slots to create your dream drum sets. The BFD Player desktop app lets you add to an already impressive collection of stock sounds, and the module’s massive 10.1-inch screen makes it easy to navigate on even the most dimly lit stages. Plus, the included USB-A slot lets you load your own sounds and backing tracks onto the module. For the studio, the Strata Prime’s connectivity is just as impressive: USB-B computer connection, MIDI I/O, and balanced XLR outputs plus individual 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch headphone outputs. Finally, if you’re in need of a practice tool, then the Strata Prime is hard to beat. It provides an onboard metronome, a 90-day Drumeo subscription, and a 30-day/60-lesson Melodics Premium subscription. All in all, the Strata Prime is an aptly named eKit with a rich, comprehensive set of features for any application.

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Alesis Strata Core

Next, let’s look at the Alesis Strata Core. At first glance, it might seem like the Strata Prime — which is a good thing! There are a few key differences, however. First, the pads and overall configuration are smaller with a 12-inch snare pad, two 8-inch toms, one 10-inch tom, and an 8-inch kick drum tower. Cymbal-wise, we find two 12-inch crashes, a 14-inch ride, and the stand-mounted 12-inch Active Magnetic hi-hat, which feels wonderfully responsive! Everything is held in place by a sturdy steel rack. With dual-zone pads and tri-zone cymbals, the Strata Core plays pristinely by way of tunable mesh heads and choke-able cymbals that acoustic players will appreciate.

Moving onto the Core module itself, the BFD sound engine also powers the Core, and on it we find 75 kits with more than 370 kit pieces, adjustable microphone channels, and more than 800 articulations among the 25GB of preloaded content. The rest of the specs are very similar to the Prime: Bluetooth 5.0, stereo 1/4-inch outputs, MIDI I/O, 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch headphone outputs, an 1/8-inch aux input, USB-A for receiving flash drives, and USB-B for connecting to your computer. Additionally, you’ll get the same expandable module via the BFD Player desktop app and the same 90-day subscription to Drumeo. It’s worth mentioning that the Core has a 7-inch touchscreen display compared to the Prime’s 10.1-inch display, but the Core remains very easy to navigate and configure. Essentially, when comparing the Prime and the Core, Sweetwater drummers have concluded that if your apartment, dorm room, practice space, or studio is short on floor space but you still want to have a powerful eKit, then the Alesis Strata Core could very well be the perfect drum set for you.

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Roland V-Drums TD-17KVX Generation 2

Now we dive into Roland territory! First is the V-Drums TD-17KVX Generation 2. It’s centered around the TD-17 sound module, which Sweetwater drummers love for its ability to import custom sounds. This, in conjunction with the TD-17’s fantastic effects engine (with EQ, reverb, compression, and more), has awesome implications not only for drumming but for composition and sound design, as well. What’s more, by connecting to the powerful Roland Cloud library, you have access to even more kits than the 70 that come stock on the TD-17. Once you’ve found or created the kit of your dreams, it’s time to play along with your favorite tunes, which can be streamed directly from your smart device to the TD-17.

Likewise, if you prefer to craft your own unique beats and build custom grooves, then the TD-17 enables you to send wireless MIDI data. You’ll also benefit from audio/MIDI over USB and a standard 5-pin MIDI output as well as time-tested Roland pads: a PDX-12 tunable 12-inch dual-zone snare pad, three dual-trigger PDX-8 toms, and a KD-10 kick tower that you can really bury your beater into like a real drum. For cymbals, you’ll love the thin CY-12C-T crash and CY-14R-T ride, and once the VH-10 hi-hat pad is mounted onto your hi-hat stand of choice, its dual-trigger system will wow you with its sensitivity and playability. Finally, the free Melodics software, Coach mode, and Time Check are going to supercharge your practice sessions. For drummers who double as producers, songwriters, or composers, the Roland V-Drums TD-17KVX Generation 2 is worth serious consideration, especially at its price point!

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Roland V-Drums TD-27KV2

Next in line is the Roland V-Drums TD-27KV2 electronic drum kit, and it is a beast. To describe it in one word, it is inspiring. Roland’s Prismatic Sound Modeling and PureAcoustic Ambience Technology make for robust editing capabilities along with 75 preset kits, custom WAV samples incorporable via SD card, professional-grade pads, and the ability to use it as a USB MIDI interface... oh, my! The TD-27 features the amazing CY-18DR ride, KD-10 kick, PD-140DS snare, and three PDX-100 toms as well as one CY-12C-T crash, one CY-14C-T crash, and VH-14D hi-hat cymbal pads that have all been made thinner and more expressive. Let’s talk about the ride and hats for a moment. Not only is the CY-18DR choke-able, but its sound and attack can even be softened by using your finger, thanks to its multi-touch technology. And the VH-14D nearly feels and plays like a pair of bronze hats! Paired with PureAcoustic Ambience Technology, which simulates lifelike rooms and reverbs, it all adds up to a whole new level of electronic-drum potential in the Roland V-Drums TD-27KV2.

Regarding its editing capabilities, Roland’s Prismatic Sound Modeling lets you adjust seemingly every aspect of each individual drum/cymbal sound, including tone, shell or cymbal size, and even mic placement. You’ll also get studio-quality compression and reverb plus 28 channels of multitrack audio so that the stock TD-27 sounds are ready for radio right out of the box. Should you wish to pair your TD-27 with software (say, Superior Drummer 3), then it’s more than ready to rock. You can use the TD-27 as a USB MIDI interface and lay down tracks using sounds from your favorite virtual instruments. Finally, the TD-27 also has an integrated Bluetooth transceiver, so you can stream the songs you want to learn directly from your device to the module.

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Yamaha DTX8K-M

With 40 kits, 400 assignable voices, and a three-knob Kit Modifier section that handles ambience, compression, and effects, there’s a lot to love about the Yamaha DTX8K-M. Yamaha’s DTX-PRO drum module gives you 40 total drum kits, each one offering amazing acoustic character. Additionally, users can create custom kits for stage and studio, and due to the DTX-PRO having 400 assignable voices, that makes almost 80,000 possible dual-voice combinations! The aforementioned Kit Modifier knobs have some seriously awesome utility. Put simply, the Ambience knob adjusts your room sound; the Compression knob adds just that, and it’s incredibly easy to get great results; and the Effect knob controls the customizable effect for each individual kit. Sweetwater drummers think it’s an excellent idea to have these Kit Modifier knobs right on the brain without needing to dive through menus to achieve the same effects, as on other kits. For practicing, the DTX-PRO lives up to its name by providing a programmable metronome, 37 training songs, and 10 onboard training functions including a record function.

Yamaha didn’t skimp in the pad category either. From top to bottom, two PCY135 13-inch crashes, one PCY155 15-inch crash/ride, and a 13-inch RHH135 hi-hat controller. Each one offers a tri-zone design with bell, edge, and outer-rim tones. Continuing, we find three XP105T 10-inch mounted toms, a dual-zone 12-inch XP125-SD snare pad, and a 7.5-inch kick drum pad (pedal not included) anchoring the set. We also love that the DTX8K-M comes with separate snare and hi-hat stands, three boom arms, three ball-and-socket clamps, and the always sturdy RS8 drum rack. Just add your favorite single or double kick pedal, and the DTX8K-M is ready to rock!

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Zildjian ALCHEM-E Bronze EX

Without knowing anything at all about the Zildjian ALCHEM-E Bronze EX electronic drum kit, would you assume there must be something special about the cymbals? If so, then you would have assumed correctly. Those looking for an eKit stocked with 400 years of actual Zildjian cymbal sounds combined with actual perforated-metal cymbals for incredible playability have met their match in the Zildjian ALCHEM-E Bronze EX. This baby sports full-size cymbals in a 16-inch crash, an 18-inch crash/ride, and a pair of 14-inch hi-hats that make the transition to an eKit (or back and forth between the two) as seamless as any electronic solution that Sweetwater drummers have encountered. While the cymbals might be the show stoppers, Zildjian pulled out all the stops to make sure the drums and hardware were also up to snuff. Both the shells and the cymbals feature tri-zone playability as well as 360-degree choke-ability all fueled by the Zildjian Trigger System. Another thing we love about this kit is the standard hardware. You get three tom mounts, a pair of double-braced boom cymbal stands, a dedicated double-braced E-VAULT sound module stand, and all necessary electronics plus a 32GB flash drive.

The E-VAULT sound module powers everything. And although it’s among the smallest modules we’ve looked at, don’t be put off by its diminutive, 5-inch size — there’s a lot of firepower inside! As stated, you’ll have access to 400 years of Zildjian cymbals as well as a proverbial gold mine of other drums and percussion instruments all sampled to Zildjian’s exacting standards. Finally, Zildjian thoughtfully includes other goodies that will be of use: a microfiber polishing cloth, a pair of ALCHEM-E drumsticks, a pair of bass drum patches, a dampening pillow, and a rubber protector for the bass drum hoop.

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Ready to Take the Leap?

We know premium eKits can be pricey, but hopefully we’ve shown you that it’s possible to get top-tier features and quality without completely breaking the bank. Every electronic kit featured here is one that will serve your tracking, songwriting, and practice sessions for years to come. If you’ve been inspired to take the leap into the wide, wonderful world of eKit drumming, then Sweetwater is always here to help you along your journey. Simply call your personal Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700, and we’ll get you started on the right foot!
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