Carlsbro CSD130 Digital Drum Kit, CSD130XXX

Product Information

Like the Alesis Nitro, there is connectivity to a PC or MP3 player to access more drum sounds via third party drum software. 16 drum kits are included. Longer review. A complete drum kit, of surprisingly high quality: the pads are perfectly good to get the feel of real drums but without all the noise and bulkiness.You can set this up practically anywhere and play away to your heart's content. Obviously it isn't silent for someone in the same room, but in most places it will not be too annoying if you keep the door shut. OK, mesh drums are physically quieter and slightly more represent the feel of a real drum kit, but...well, this is so inexpensive and well-specified that it makes its own argument at its price point. The bass drum pedal in particular is outstanding. You can really learn to drum on this thing! We actually slightly preferred the sounds on the Yamaha DTX 402K to the Nitro Mesh but there’s not a lot in it. There are several nice things to commend about the playability of this kit. First, the sound is good enough for this price range. The cymbal stand should be higher than any other item in the setup. Fix the pads, cymbals, and the module to their relative positions. The crash cymbal and the ride cymbal should be on the long tubes, while the drum module should be below the hi-hat, which is at a lower position of the cymbals.

Carlsbro are a well-established British company, better known for their guitar, bass and keyboard amplifiers than they are for electronic drum kits, but let’s not hold that against them!

At a Glance – Our Initial Thoughts

The snare, which is often the most important drum for many players, comes with dual-zone functionality. The rim sounds just as great as the center. The kit contains a bass drum controller pedal, a hi-hat controller pedal, and three single-zone cymbals for hi-hat, ride, and crash. It also features a stereo line output and MIDI in/out. Electronic drums, on the other hand, don’t produce audible sounds. You only hit the electronic drum pads, which represent the drums of an acoustic set. These pads are virtually silent. You can, therefore, play in your room while everyone else is first asleep. The lingering question is, as always – is it worth it? It’s already moderately priced compared to some of the other electronic drum kits on the market, so we were excited to put it to the test and see what this small wonder can do. The sound module features an auxiliary input, stereo line output, and a headphone output. The module offers MIDI in and out via 5-pin DIN connectors as well as USB MIDI. Adjustable sensitivity, crosstalk, and trigger curve settings are provided to customize the module to any player's style. Connections between the drum pads and the module are made via a DB25 to 1/4" cable with each connector clearly labeled.

One of the most interesting aspects of this kit is its compatibility and portability. You can be sure this will not leave a lot of footprints, as many drummers have loved it. The TD-02KV is every inch a deserving part of Roland’s V-Drum series. Complete with the TD-02 module, it ships with 16 kits inspired by its higher end siblings in the range and as you would expect, the sounds are excellent. The Carlsbro CSD130 comes as an 8-piece e-drum set complete with hardware. This should get you playing right away. The Carlsbro CSD130 5-piece electronic drum set features 20 preset and 10 user assignable drum kits, 250 drum sounds (with reverb) and 20 demo tempo adjustable demo songs with mutable drums. The ‘brain’ behind the kit is the Commander 130 sound module.This kit is roughly 3 x 1.5ft when set up, making it a very small kit that can fit into rooms where extra space is hard to come by. The nice thing about it is that the collapsible size is even smaller at 2.3 x 1.5 feet, making it ideal for storing out of the way – in corners, closets, or under the bed. This compact design also makes transporting it relatively easy, as it is light enough to carry, and you can load it in and out of your car with no trouble at all. Built For The Modern Drummer If you get a student asks about a cheap, yet functional electronic drum kit, this might be a good recommendation. Besides, there are some professionals always looking for a small e-drum kit for practice purposes. Another issue with acoustic drums is their weight and size. If you have a small room at home, you may not have enough to keep your gear. Also, small stages present a huge challenge set up.