The Best Electronic Drum Amps / Drum Monitors
CoolMusic DM100
This is Chinese made and packs in quite a good set of features given it's comparatively low price for a 100 watt amp.
It comes with Bluetooth connectivity which allows you to play music from your phone, or any other bluetooth enabled music playing device, to play along with when practicing.
Specifications
- Output Power: 100W
- Number of Channels: 2
- Inputs: 2 x 1/4" jacks for drum set input
- Outputs: 1/4" D.I. output - it is unclear whether or not this is a balanced output
- Speakers: 1 x 12" Woofer, 2x 1" Tweeters
- Tone Control: 5-band EQ
- Frequency Response: Not Specified
- Size: 20" x 17" x 17"
- Weight: 30.2 lbs
- Manufacturer Warranty: 1 Year from purchase date
Pros
This amp has been well received by owners with its bluetooth capability featuring prominently in reviews. It's considered a good amp for both solo practice and loud enough for jamming with bands.
Cons
Most reviews and comments about his amp come from beginners and/or their parents so we really can't say how well it performs in a professional context - it you need a road-worthy amp then we'd suggest going with one of the more established brands on this list.
Overall
This amp offers good value as an amp to practice or jam with, but probably not the best option for professional use.
KAT Percussion KA1
The KA1 showcases responsive and clean amplification for monitoring electronic drums in a small environments such as rehearsal rooms and home studios.
It features a large carry handle for easy transportation, three band EQ for mixing, and other inputs for plugging other sound sources or instruments.
Specifications
- Output Power: 50W / 8 Ohms
- Number of Channels: 2
- Inputs: 2 x 1/4" jacks for drum set input
- Outputs: 1 x 1/8" stereo headphone jack
- Speakers: 10" Woofer, 2.5" Tweeter
- Tone Control: 3-band EQ
- Frequency Response: 20-20KHz
- Size: 15.5" x 15.5" x 16.25"
- Weight: 31.4 lbs
- Manufacturer Warranty: Not Specified
Pros
Users were satisfied with its overall sturdy construction. They found it to be loud with enough power even at a low volume. One user also mentioned that it provided a great separation and response of kick drum and cymbals whenever they play their electronic drum kit.
Cons
One user mentioned its highs sounded a bit thin. They end up adjusting the EQ settings and eventually made a bit of a difference.
Overall
At an affordable price, this drum is ideal to use for practicing at home or small gigs.
Roland PM-100
The Roland PM-100 is a drum monitor built to match Roland's V-Drums but works with any electronic drum kit.
It showcases a full-range speaker system and rugged cabinet for clean full-range reproduction of electronic drums.
In terms of design and build, its angled construction provides direct sound coverage for the seated player while its bar handle is made for carrying around and easy floor adjustment.
Specifications
- Output Power: 80 W
- Number of Channels: 2
- Inputs:1/4-inch Stereo phone type V-Drums INPUT, 1/4-inch Line-in Stereo phone type, 1/8-inch Stereo miniature phone type
- Outputs: No Output
- Speakers: 1 x 10" Woofer, 1 x 2" Tweeter
- Tone Control: 2-band EQ (Bass and Treble)
- Frequency Response: Not Specified
- Size: 15-5/16" x 16-1/16" x 13-15/16"
- Weight: 29 lbs
- Manufacturer Warranty: Not specified
Pros
It started gaining a lot of positive reviews immediately upon its release, and that's a trend that has continued over time, particularly in relation to sound quality. Reviewers mentioned it's loud enough, provides great response and authentic reproduction of their drum kit. The construction overall is high grade and durable as expected from Roland.
Cons
Some say this isn't loud enough for gigging - if you play in a loud band then this probably won't be loud enough for you. There are a few reports of the tweeters failing within a year - something to consider if you like to drive your amp hard.
Overall
This a great drum monitor to use for live performances.
Alesis Strike Amp 12
At publication time this was the Highest Rated Drum Amplifier.
I find it a bit surprising that it took Alesis until the summer of 2019 to release a serious drum amp, particularly given how successful they have been with electronic drum sets, but once they finally got their act together they came in with a bang!
It has been so well received that several drummers report they've bought a second one.
One interesting feature is that it has an XLR out which you can use to daisy chain two of them together for stereo imaging.
They're built more like a powered stage speaker than a drum amp, and this extends to them being able to be pole mounted in addition to using them as a floor wedge.
Specifications
- Output Power: 2000 W Peak - we have asked Alesis for a continuous power rating and we'll update once we have this information
- Number of Channels: 2
- Inputs: 2 x XLR/TRS 1/4-inch combo inputs
- Outputs: 1 x XLR line out
- Speakers: 1 x 12" Woofer, 1 x 1" Tweeter
- Tone Control: Contour EQ Switch
- Frequency Response: 46Hz-22kHz (-10 dB)
- Size: 23.76" x 13.68" x 13.92"
- Weight: 35.12 lbs
- Manufacturer Warranty: Yes
Pros
Although Alesis chose to promote the amp's peak power rating instead of the more common continuous rating for pro gear, many users report it being loud enough to play with a band and even use no additional amplification in small venues. One user even said he used it as a monitor for an outdoor event successfully. Owners say that it does a good job of providing the low end punch needed for kick sounds while still producing crisp highs on cymbals. Satisfied user reports come from owners of all brands of electronic drums, but particularly Alesis and Roland players.
Cons
It has no forward facing controls, they are on the back of the amp, so it can't be adjusted as easily as other drum monitors while playing, so if you want to adjust the volume you'll have to do it in between songs. A couple of owners were disappointed to find the 2000 watts was only a peak rating with the amp only being about as loud as a 200 watt powered PA speaker, and not the 2000 watts they had hoped for.
Overall
The Strike Amp 12 is more similar to a Powered PA Speaker than a typical drum amp, however it provides better value than most powered speakers in this price range. Get it if you don't need additional features like more flexible EQ or if you don't need to adjust it while you play.
Roland PM-200
Roland released the PM-200 drum monitor amplifier built to match their V-Drums electronic drum kits but it can be used with any brand of electronic drums.
Its two XLR direct outputs are made for routing and sending sounds to a mixer, interface or recording device, which makes it flexible to use for studio applications and monitoring on stage.
It also has dedicated independent controls for volume, line input, and EQ. Similar to the PM-100, its constructed in a way that's directly angled to the seated player and has bar handle for floor adjustments and to easily carry it around.
Since it powers on at 180W, It can produce good amounts of volume that's loud enough to use for live gigs in bigger venues. In addition to that, the XLR inputs are also useful for both live monitor or recording purposes. Demonstrations from users, who have uploaded videos on Youtube of them testing it out, show how responsive and clearly it reproduces drum sounds.
Specifications
- Output Power: 180 W
- Number of Channels: 2
- Inputs: 2 x 1/4" TRS Input jacks: 1 x V-Drums INPUT: -6 dBu (10 k ohms) + 1 x LINE INPUT: -6 dBu (10 k ohms)
- Outputs: 2 x XLR (direct out)
- Speakers: 12" Driver, 1" Tweeter Horn
- Tone Control: 2-band EQ: Treble + Bass Knob
- Frequency Response: Not specified
- Size: 18-1/16" W x 18-1/2" D x 16-9/16" H
- Weight: 46 lbs 5 oz
- Manufacturer Warranty: Not specified
Pros
Most user reviews are quite positive. The quality and clarity of the sound have received positive reviews with reports of it having clarity is right across the frequency spectrum. Most people who talk about its low frequency response say it's surprisingly good for a 12" woofer.
Cons
A small number of owners say that the 12" woofer isn't quite big enough to produce as much bottom-end as they would like. This probably depends on the style of music played and how much it relies on big thumping sounds.
Overall
This is a good and loud option for gigging as well as rehearsing.
Things To Consider When Buying An Amplifier For Electronic Drums
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Alternatives to Drum Amps
It is quite common for drummers to opt for alternatives to dedicated drum amps. Other systems can provide more versatility - here are some of the other options often used:
- Keyboard Amps - this is probably the most common alternative. They can handle both the transient attacks and wide frequency range of electronic drums quite well, come in higher power ratings, and can also be used as general purpose small PA systems.
- Powered PA Speakers - although these generally only have a single channel they have the added versatility of being able to be used at different times as part of a PA system including main speakers or as stage monitors. An added benefit is that you can get many more watts per dollar spent.
- Portable PA Systems - These provide the benefit of having multiple channels with mixers and can be used by the whole band. The downsides are that there are more pieces to carry around and some don't have frequency response ranges above 12kHz.
It is not recommended to use a guitar or bass amp due to their emphasis of high and low frequencies respectively and because they tend to color the sound rather than faithfully reproducing the input signal. -
How Much Power Do You Need?
If you're only intending to use your amp as a personal drum monitor playing on your own then any drum amp will do the job. If you're going to play large venues then you still don't need a really powerful amp because you'll only need the people on stage with you to be able to hear it due to the PA system doing most of the amplification for the audience - for this purpose 50 to 100-watt amps with an XLR out are all that's usually needed. The times when you need more powerful amps, such as the 200-watt options above, is when you are playing small to medium venues or rehearsing with a loud band and not using a PA system to amplify your electronic drums.
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Weight / Portability
It's best to find an amplifier that is easy to carry when bringing it around to different gigs or rehearsals. Find one that has the features that you need that still has a light-weight or has a handle grip.
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Channels, EQ, and other features
Factors to keep in mind are what kind and how many input and output channels are built in. Most have 1/4" stereo drum inputs and some have more than one auxiliary input. Having auxiliary inputs when connecting external devices such as percussion pads is taken into consideration if needed. Output channels can come in forms such as XLR line outs that provide balanced, noise-free signal flow to connect through a recording or live console. Some amplifiers have multi-band EQ that you can independently adjust based on your preference of tuning your sound. There are extra features that cater to live settings such as slanted cabinets and battery-powered options. CD or MP3 inputs are a bonus feature for players to jam with backing tracks or songs. The headphone jack can be used for plugging in headphones for practice or for in-ear monitoring.
Best Drum Amplifier Selection Methodology
This guide was first published on March 27, 2017 written by Denise Azucena. The latest major update was published on by Jason Horton with contributions from Denise Azucena.
For this 2020 revision we began by looking at all of the drum amps listed by music gear retailers in the USA. We short-listed the 15 most promising options for detailed analysis. We analyzed over 500 customer and expert reviews as well as forum discussions to learn what the pros and cons were for each amp and we also fed the collected data into the Gearank Algorithm to produce rating scores out of 100 in order to select the highest rated amps to recommend above. For more information about our methods see How Gearank Works.
Comments
As a result of our April 2020
Submitted by Jason Horton on
As a result of our April 2020 update, the following came off our recommended list but you can still read our analysis of it: Simmons DA25.
Hi. In late 2019 you removed
Submitted by Conrad (not verified) on
Hi. In late 2019 you removed the ddrums and kat amps, but I still see them in the list above. Does this mean they were added back to the list? Thanks!
We currently don't have any
Submitted by Jason Horton on
We currently don't have any amps from Ddrums in the recommended list above.
The KAT Percussion KA2 was removed from the recommended list also - it's a different model to the KAT Percussion KA1 that we currently recommend.
Hi all, has anybody on this
Submitted by Jonathan Lyle (not verified) on
Hi all, has anybody on this forum tried either the Alesis Strike amp 12-2000 or the Traynor DW10 drum amps? If so, what is your opinion on their respective sounds and features? THANKYOU!!!
The Alesis Strike Amp 12 is
Submitted by Jason Horton on
The Alesis Strike Amp 12 is currently the highest rated option on the market, so that's the one I'd recommend you go with.
Unfortunately, although we did look at the Traynor DW10 for the update we published today, we weren't able to gather enough information about it to publish a rating or provide any useful advice about it. The little bit of feedback I've seen is very positive and it's on our short-list to be looked at again when we next update this guide.
Update: We have now published
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Update: We have now published a rating for the Traynor DW10 - you can see it here.
It's not quite rated high enough for us to recommend it right now, but if the reviews continue to be positive it has a reasonable chance of receiving our recommendation in the future.
As a result of our October
Submitted by Jason Horton on
As a result of our October 2019 update the following amps came off our recommended list above:
I'm looking to replace my
Submitted by Ivan Hendricks (not verified) on
I'm looking to replace my Alesis Transactive Drummer with the Roland PM-200. The Alesis has the headphone jack input while the Roland does not. The headphone sound is great when plugged directly into the Alesis as opposed to the Roland TD-17 Module. How can I get that great sound via headphones directly from the PM-200
Many drum amps, including the
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Many drum amps, including the PM-200, don't have a headphone out presumably because electronic drum modules do.
If you really wanted to, you could use the DI outs (XLR connectors), put them into a mixer, and take the headphone out from the mixer.
What is going on with the kat
Submitted by Don williams (not verified) on
What is going on with the kat 400 hd 2.1 percussion sound system i can't hardly find one to purchase and if I do find one is it a good choice for electronic drums,maybe it is not being made any more,would like to know the history,who makes it and where , I need help in making a decision on what to do please educate me
Read your comment from 2019.
Submitted by Leonard Steven Meyer (not verified) on
Read your comment from 2019. I have the 400 watt Kat amp with satellites speakers. It is a great system for e drums, plenty loud and the system has plenty of controls to custom tailor your sound. In fact, with a mixer you can use it on acoustic drums and play cd's to play with, and it sounds like a live band. The only problem is that not shortly after I purchased mine, I believe they discontinued it, and only make the 200 watt version without satellites. It was expensive I guess, that is the only reason I can see. Keep checking around to find one, you won't be disappointed if you do
Hi!
Submitted by Sepultura (not verified) on
Hi!
First of all, thanks for all the info - really interesting!
I have come accross the Roland CM-220, with a pair of satelite speakers.
Do you know this one? Do you have any opinions on it, please?
I want to use for small gigs with friends and the speakers do appeal to me since I can have more than one source of sound out of the speakers, in a way I can possibly direct them to me if needed.
Thank you so much!
Roland discontinued the CM
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Roland discontinued the CM-220 Cube Monitor System a few years back so we haven't analyzed them for Gearank.
You can still get information about them from the Roland website.
Is it recommended to use
Submitted by Jason Harvey (not verified) on
Is it recommended to use cross Brands for electronic drums and amplifiers? Say like the Roland TD-17KVX set with maybe a KAT 2 amplifier?
I use a Td11kv & a Kat2 200w
Submitted by Kelly (not verified) on
I use a Td11kv & a Kat2 200w amp.. great together..
That's perfectly fine - you
Submitted by Jason Horton on
That's perfectly fine - you don't need to use the same brand of amplifier and drum kit.
This is the worst list I've
Submitted by Reality Speaks ... (not verified) on
This is the worst list I've ever seen. No mention about Simmons DA350, it smokes all of them. Although it's nothing to "write home to mom about". Drum amps are the most disappointing pieces of equipment in technology. In comparison to headphones the sounds through an amp sound laid-back in a background (very flat and muffled. The sound needs to be brought more forward. Sounds like wet ass-slap. Snares do not sound good at all. Very disappointing to say the least. That's the reality of "drum amps".
You can see our rating for
Submitted by Jason Horton on
You can see our rating for the Simmons DA350 here.
Unfortunately it's no longer available so we don't include it in any of our recommended lists.
funny how you picture a
Submitted by tim (not verified) on
Funny how you picture a Simmons DA200S in your front page intro and then don't include it in the list of top amps.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Thanks for pointing that out.
The image was only meant to illustrate the theme of the guide rather than the content, but I see your point so I've updated the image.
I have a alesis crimson 2
Submitted by Andy Mahon (not verified) on
I have a alesis crimson 2 electronic drum kit. Will the Rolland pm 200 reproduce a good solid rock sound.?
I have checked the latest
Submitted by Jason Horton on
I have checked the latest reviews and although I didn't see anyone who said they used this amp with the Alexis Crimson, most people only had good things to say about the amp including several who said the Roland PM-200 is better than amps they've used from other brands, so I would think it would be a good option for rock sounds.
I use a pair of Mackie Thump
Submitted by Gra (not verified) on
I use a pair of Mackie Thump 15" speakers and am still looking at adding a 15" subwoofer. Plus you don't use a monitor with Edrums you use reasonable headphones, not great ones as they may be too bassey. Playing live requires quality and quantity of sound if you want to replace the sound of an acoustic kit.
This sounds like the best
Submitted by montz (not verified) on
This sounds like the best option recreating the acoustic sound in the snare toms and cymbals is very important to me as its RnB hip hop i will definitely get a sub for those super low 808 as well
I am a Drum student and have
Submitted by Vinu Peter (not verified) on
I am a Drum student and have Yamaha 450 digital drums, my children plays digital piano and have Yamaha Digital piano they are also into Vocals. Could you please recommend a Monitor to use for home usage to connect all these requirements, would the idea of all purpose will help and do you have any recommendations. Thanks in Advance.
If only one of you will use
Submitted by Jason Horton on
If only one of you will use the amp at a time, then a basic Keyboard Amp like the Peavey KB 1 would be a cost effective solution.
If you all want to play through it at the same time, then a multi channel amp like the Behringer K450FX will let you do that but both the electronic drums and digital piano will only be able to provide a mono signal.
If you all want to play at the same time and in stereo, then a small PA system like the Behringer PPA500BT will do the job.
I agree the Simmons DA200S is
Submitted by Dave Smith (not verified) on
I agree the Simmons DA200S is by far the best amp choice. I solved the weight problem by adding set of swiveling castors to the bottom using bolts into T nuts. Works great.
I bought the Simmons DA200s,
Submitted by Mark (not verified) on
I bought the Simmons DA200s, because of all the positive comments I read, but never actually heard it. It is a solid and great sounding amp, but tried to use it to practice with my band, and it just wasn't loud enough to keep up. Great amp to use by yourself or use it as a monitor in a band situation.
Thank you for the review!
Submitted by DrumSquatchPNW (not verified) on
Thank you for the review! This was very in depth and enlightening. The "Things to consider..." section was very valuable. Thanks again!!!
No problem. Thank you for the
Submitted by Denise Azucena on
No problem. Thank you for the feedback.
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