Cheaper compact drum kits are either made from hardwood or poplar. These are inexpensive woods to use, and the drums made with them aren’t as musically responsive as higher-quality woods. The type of wood that the drum shells are made of determines the sound of the drums. It also determines how much they cost. The New Yorker (are you spotting a theme with the names here?) echoes some of the features of the Pearl Midtown: all-poplar shells and cut-out wooden bass drum hoops, while the riser mounts externally. When you have smaller shells, the drums will produce higher pitches tones. If you’re looking for a compact kit that provides deep and warm tones, getting the smallest shell sizes possible won’t be a good idea. Although originally designed for children, it’s also found favor amongst experienced adult drummers as a compact, gigging kit.

Pearl has long been a serious name across every budget, and the Midtown comes with a number of features that extends this into the compact drum kit market. The shells are made of poplar, which was (and still is) frequently used as the middle ply in classic/vintage drums from Ludwig and Gretsch. As well as its sonic qualities, poplar is known for being lightweight, which adds to the efficiency of a small setup like this. We take a look at 5 of our favourite budget-friendly drum sets that won’t break the bank. These are our top 5 best options.Included in the set, you receive a 16×12 bass drum, 10×6 and 13×10 toms, and a 12×5 snare drum. You also receive all the hardware, including stands, a bass drum pedal , and even a drum throne. The included hi hat cymbals and crash cymbal are not amazing but are adequate for beginners. We show you how to mic a drum kit and offer and offer a beginner’s guide to drum mic placement featuring the Shure PGA microphones

This compact kit looks and sounds fantastic, with a real old school charm thanks to its distinctive sizes, vintage-inspired hardware, and particularly eye-catching finishes with matching wood bass drum hoops. This drum set was so enjoyable to play. And as you would expect from DW, the standard of the build is virtually flawless. This miniature drum set sounded astonishingly good, and it makes the perfect travel companion or space-saving kit. The Pearl Midtown Series drum set delivers premium quality at a really great price. This is certainly one of the best compact drum kits available, and these drums are incredibly enjoyable to play.If the bass drum is small enough, the toms and snares will fit nicely around it, no matter their size. Some compact kits have 12-inch snares, while others have 14-inch ones. In terms of sound, both are great, but the 12-inch snare will be easier to transport around. Wood Type If you’ve ever wondered who the best drum brands are or which brand makes the best drum sets, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favourites. Gretsch’s Brooklyn line of drums is a reference to the original USA factory, and gives a clue to the types of players these kits are aimed at. But the Brooklyn Micro is by no means just for jazz. This is another upper-end kit, despite its scaled-down sizes and, as with the rest of the Brooklyn series, it has some premium features. This is one of the best sounding and most affordable compact kits I’ve tried. The mahogany shells are superb, so I found this kit offers plenty of value.

The vintage-flavored Gretsch Catalina Club drum set is another strong contender for the best mini drum set on the market. These drums are constructed with Mahogany wood for rich and deep tones and feature 30-degree bearing edges for added warmth. DW’s sister brand is now 23 years old, and one of the stand-out kits we’ve seen from Pacific Drums & Percussion in recent times is the New Yorker. It’s so good, in fact, that it stands up well against a similar (but more expensive) configuration from Dee-Dubs itself! The supplied riser slots into a hole in the bottom of the bass drum, making sure that it’s firmly supported from the batter side as well as the front, and Pearl has cut a groove in the batter-side hoop to ensure that your pedal chain doesn’t get caught. It’s a simple, but nice addition that adds to the Midtown’s no-fuss design. First up is the classic Gretsch 6-ply maple and poplar construction, the 30-degree bearing edges, 302 double-flanged hoops and that all-important Gretsch silver sealer on the inside of the shells. The Micro is available in Silver Grey, oozing with contemporary class, or White Marine Pearl for authentic retro charm.The DW Design Series Mini-Pro drum set is a professional standard mini drum set that delivers incredible tones and serious playability.