If you're not sure whether to upgrade your SPD-SX, or whether you spend the extra on the SPD-SX Pro, our comparison piece will help answer all your key questions. Other nice additions include a crisp 4.3” colour screen, four direct outputs for separate outputting of individual pads, effects or click tracks and an on-board 16 step sequencer. On-board storage is now a massive 32GB, which is double that of the SPD-SX Special Edition (keep reading for more on that), and there’s more than 1,500 kits and sounds built into each unit, covering a range of sounds and styles.Īlso new to the Pro is a desktop app that enables full control of your unit, so you can assign samples to pads, apply effects and so much more without having to deep dive through endless menus and button pushes.Prepping for your next gig has never been easier. Firstly - and most obviously - are the customisable LEDs for each pad, which make it easier to navigate the pads in low stage light, and help you more easily identify which samples have been assigned to which pad. To the untrained eye, the Pro model looks an awful lot like the standard SPD-SX, but there have been some significant cosmetic and performance enhancements that have earned it the ‘pro’ moniker. It’s easy to see how this status was earned, and now the new Pro model has taken things to a whole other level. The Roland SPD-SX quickly became the industry standard for triggering loops, samples and backing tracks. If you’re in the market for a new electronic drum pad, we’ve got all the best offers on our Black Friday electronic drum set deals page.

Looking for epic deals on music gear? Check out all of this year’s biggest savings over on our Black Friday music deals page. Some pads can also be configured into a mini-drum kit by adding auxiliary kick and hi-hat pedals, making them excellent tools for practicing or busking. In general, drum pads are popular with drummers and percussionists, but rhythmically-minded producers and DJs have found homes for them in their studios too, since they also work a treat as MIDI controllers. That’s where the best electronic drum pads in this guide come in. Some opt for an array of triggers or individual pads positioned around the kit, whereas others prefer a more economical approach in terms of space, convenience and affordability. The emergence of hybrid drumming – that is merging acoustic and electronic drums to enhance and expand your sound – has meant everyone from bedroom players to pro drummers are looking for electronic elements to add to their kits.

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