PEARL E-PRO ELECTRONIC DRUMS:
How Are They Different?
Before buying a drumset it’s a very good idea to play it or hear it played by someone else. This is true for electronic sets as well as acoustic. It’s the best way to evaluate the kit’s sound quality.
I can’t give you that experience in this written piece, so I do not claim to give a definitive review here. But without playing the Pearl E-Pro, we can still learn a lot about what this drumset offers.
For starters, this electronic kit looks like a regular drumset. No rubber or mesh pads here. Unlike other electronic sets, the regular-looking heads and drums are full-size. The set features 10" x 6 1/2”, 12" x 7”, and 14" x 8” rack toms, a 14" x 4 ½” snare drum, and a 20" x 12” bass drum. The wood shells are 6-ply poplar, and the shells come in the Quilted Maple Fade finish below or in a black wrap.
There are two cymbal types, rubber and brass; both types are electronic cymbals. The brass eClassics are said to feel and respond to your playing just like real cymbals, because they are brass cymbals. The cymbals are a 13" chokeable crash; 3-zone 16" chokeable ride; and a 12" hi-hat. With the wood shells and brass cymbals, it’s by far the best lookin’ electronic set I’ve seen!
The foundation of e-Pro Live starts with the modified DR-80E Icon e-Rack. The tom arms, shells, cymbal holders and rack are all covered under Pearl’s Lifetime Warranty. The rack is expandable to add more drums and cymbals for larger configurations.
Pearl claims that its Tru-Trac electronic heads provide “real feel and response” and reproduce “all of the intricacies the drummer is used to hearing when you play an acoustic drum.”
The red sound module is called the r.e.d. box, with r.e.d. standing for Real Electronic Drums. The r.e.d. box has a 128MB capacity and accommodates 1,000 high definition sounds, 100 high definition drum kits, and space for 100 user-created drum kits. The sound library includes acoustic and vintage drums, and electronics from beat machines to modern digital drums and a variety of orchestral, concert and world percussion instruments. In addition the r.e.d. box features 8 volume sliders, USB connectivity, many popular global effects, MIDI in/out, 2 main outputs, and 2 Aux outputs.
The r.e.d. box also has a “Memory Switch” which gives you the ability to flash the memory and substitute a lush, super high-end drum set for the original acoustics. You'll be playing premium kits on your e-Pro Live from the best drum sampling software companies in the world, including Toontrack, Sonic Reality, Ocean Way, Steven Slate Drums, Virtual Drumline, and BFD2 to provide the lush kits through a new website,
Pearl's Redbox Soundshop - Coming soon!.
In addition the r.e.d. box has a built-in sequencer, allowing you to record and loop yourself.
The E-Pro can actually be used as both an electronic and an acoustic drumset. Shift from the electronic to an acoustic drumset in these simple steps: 1) Remove the top hoops and the Tru-Trac heads from the drums. 2) Put on acoustic drumheads (which you buy) and replace the top hoops 3) Tune the heads. 4) Add regular (non-electronic) cymbals (which you buy or own).
Because the E-Pro is both electronic and acoustic, you can use the electronic kit for practicing in an apartment and then play a gig by adding the regular drumheads and cymbals.
What’s the price tag on this drumset? Somewhere between $3000 and $3500.
Of course, the biggest question is how they sound. Time to head for the store and try them out. Before you do, though, here’s Joey Jordison playin’ a set. Take a look and listen.
Linear Mode
