Best Practice Drum Sets for Quiet Drumming

Last Updated on November 2, 2021 by Danny

Drums are, without a doubt, one of the most attractive instruments for beginners. However, if you live in an apartment, you’ll definitely have a better time practicing if you use a practice drum kit. For a reasonable price, you’ll be able to set up a regular drum kit and practice as much as you’d like day or night without disturbing your neighbors or flatmates.

These specialized practice kits are also pretty compact and could even fit a small or medium-sized bedroom. With all this said, we’ll be looking to help you find the list of practice drum sets for apartment practice that will suit your needs and sounds the best.

It might be an electronic drum kit, drum practice pads, or something else, but we can safely say that each of these provides a great realistic feel and can come in handy for both lessons and practice sessions. And if they have a good sound module, you can even use them for recording and live shows or as a spare kit.

Top 7 Practice Drum Sets

---

1. Alesis Nitro Kit – Top Pick

However, some might prefer to have a full version of a drum set with all the necessary components in there. And if you’re also looking for the quietest electronic drum kit, then Alesis Nitro Kit is the perfect choice for you.

Focusing on samplers, MIDI controllers, electric drum sets, and other electronic instruments, Alesis comes up as one of the biggest names in this category. This product is no exception to their greatness, offering quality practice and tuition features.

We have three 8-inch toms, and there’s also an 8-inch snare with dual-zone action and a very realistic snare drum feel. There’s the bass drum with a pedal, and all of this is accompanied by three cymbals. There’s a crash with a “choke” feature, as well as a ride cymbal, both featuring great dynamic response. We also have a hi-hat with its pedal.

These components are mounted on an aluminum rack where you can set them up according to your needs. On there, we also have the Nitro module. It comes with a total of 40 different drum kit models, a metronome, and 60 backing tracks. You can use this silent drum set with headphones for live gigs or studio sessions.

You can even use it as a MIDI controller with its USB connection, and add any kind of virtual drum set or a plugin to it. It’s more than just a quiet practice drum set, but rather a full-on versatile electronic kit. A great option for everyone looking to practice their technique at home.

---

2. Roland TD-1DMK – Runner-Up

Another great electronic drum set is Roland’s TD-1DMK. It falls into a higher-class and comes with some amazing features. It’s not like you’d expect anything else from Roland since they’re well-known for their electronic instruments.

Compared to lower-priced electronic drums, we have an amazing addition of dual-ply mesh drum heads for individual components. This not only gives a great feel but increases the dynamic capabilities, which are accompanied by its module and drum set electronic. And although it’s for entry-level and intermediate musicians, it still provides amazing qualities.

We have three toms, all with 6-inch diameters. The snare drum is 8 inches, while ride, crash, and hi-hat cymbals are 10 inches. The kit also comes with one pedal for the hi-hat control. Although there’s no pedal for the kick drum, the pad is designed to work with double pedals. This means that you can do all those double bass drum parts that you want.

Of course, we have a sound module that comes with realistic presets and is quite simple to use. We have 15 drum kit simulations and 256 notes of polyphony. With headphones, you can jam at home without bothering anyone.

It’s also an amazing drum kit for studio sessions and live shows. It’s one of the best practice kits for the money and can be used as a great MIDI controller and has mesh heads instead of rubber ones on main components.

---

3. Drum Workshop DWCPPADTS5 – Practice Oriented Value for Money Quiet Drum Set

Drum Workshop is a company well-known for making some of the best drum sets and drum components of all time. So it’s not a surprise at all to see one of their products on a list of practice kits. Their quality work can also be seen with DW Workshop Go Anywhere, which is a fairly simple 5-piece kit.

Aside from a very quiet practice kit, the feel of its pads makes it pretty realistic compared to an actual drum set.

Two 8-inch pads serve as a cymbal and a tom drum, and two 10-inch for a snare drum and a floor tom, plus a small part on the bottom serving as a bass drum. It’s all rounded up with a very practical and ergonomic stand. It feels like you’re playing an actual drum set.

Its biggest advantage comes down to the combination of price and quality. It’s also pretty useful for travel in some cases. When disassembled to its basic components, it can fit a normal traveling bag. For this price, there’s hardly any chance that you’ll find a better practice drum kit with the same drum heads and good quality of sound.

---

4. Roland TD-17KL-S

In the same series as the TD-1DMK, TD-17KL-S brings this same concept to a new level. It’s a 5-piece set with mesh heads instead of rubber pads, which will give you a very realistic feel.

Whether it’s just simple quiet practicing, jamming, or studio work, this is the one set that every drummer of higher intermediate or advanced skill level should check out.

TD-17 comes with 5 basic parts – 3 tom pads, 1 snare, and one for the bass drum, each with a mash-head. The snare is 12 inches in diameter, while the toms are 8 inches. We have two rubber pads for the crash and ride cymbals and another one for a hi-hat.

You can also add components, like a snare drum or a crash cymbal. The set is accompanied by an amazing kick pedal, as well as a hi-hat pedal FD-9.

The greatness of this kit is felt with its hi-hat. You get the impression almost as if you’re playing an actual hi-hat of an acoustic drum set. And although it’s attached to the mounting rack like any other cymbal, it comes with more detailed “open” and “close” features for great realistic performance, and you can even use it with a regular hi-hat stand.

Its module comes with detailed controls, 100 drum kit models, and WAV samples with a total of 24 minutes in mono. There are also USB and MIDI features for some extra-detailed sound-shaping on your computer. You can also use it all as a quiet set, or a regular electronic kit.

---

5. Carlsbro CSD120XXX – Budget-Friendly Quiet Drum Set

If you need a simpler kit, we would recommend Carlsboro CSD120XXX. It’s sometimes difficult to put electronic drums in a smaller room. However, this set gives you all the basic components without taking much space. Although it has rubber pads, it’s still worth the price.

It comes with a kick and a hi-hat pedal. What surprised us the most is the module quality – 250 individual sound samples, all organized into 20 different drum kits. You can also make 10 user presets, and there are 20 backing tracks onboard.

You can get a really quiet practice session with Carlsboro CSD120XXX. Whether you’re planning to play it in quiet mode just as a practice pad kit, or with speakers on lower volume, you definitely won’t be bothering any of your neighbors.

Quiet drum Set for Kids

If your kid wants to practice at home don’t yell at them just let them play. We highly recommend you choose any one of the drum kits mentioned below for your child to practice drumming.

---

6. Pyle Pro PTED01

If you want to practice without having to mute the sound of acoustic drums, there are very simple and effective tabletop kits worth checking out. Such is the case with Pyle Pro PTED01 smaller size kit. This is one of the simplest practice drum kits for beginners and intermediate drummers.

It’s somewhat of a downside to seeing it all on one flat surface, but it still offers a great drum practice kit substitute. You also get two pedals, so it can function like any other electronic drum kit.

It comes with 7 touch-sensitive rubber pads and its module has 25 different preset kits. Although the sound might not be as convincing for some components, you still have 215 percussion voices, as well as 5 user kits and 100 song backing tracks for practice.

Looking at this drum set, it’s designed as a standalone unit with its own speakers. However, you can use it as a MIDI controller via USB or MIDI connection.

If you’re looking for great drums for practice as an entry-level player, this can be an amazing substitute for a simple acoustic drum kit. Pyle Pro PTED01 is simple and reliable and offers a decent sound quality. Furthermore, you can also record your playing.

---

7. Alesis CompactKit 4

But if you’re looking for alternatives that are great for absolute beginners or hobbyists, then there’s one great piece by Alesis to check out. Called CompactKit 4, it comes with just four pads and no bass drum or hi-hat pedals.

Nonetheless, it’s a very potent platform for practice with decent rubber velocity-sensitive drum heads, solid sound quality, and four pads in total.

Considering its price, it’s extremely cheap for what you get. There’s a total of 70 percussion voices and 10 different effects. You can also jam along to any of the 50 songs in its database. And it all comes with a very simple interface, sound module, and even some coaching features.

Interestingly enough, there’s also a “game” function, that lets you learn simple rhythms and concepts through games. Although it can work on batteries, it comes with a power adapter.

Alesis CopactKit 4 is something that every drummer that’s just starting out should have. Yeah, it’s not like these other quiet practice drum kits, it might seem like a more expensive toy to some players, but it’s intended as a simple and extremely cheap practice solution with pretty decent-quality drum pads. Good learning features, too.

You also don’t have to bother with any of those robust racks or other stands, but just get a simple practice surface. What’s more, you even get a pair of good electronic drumsticks which are just about enough for your quiet jam sessions.

7 Ways To Make Drums Quieter

---

In the following section, we’ll talk about muting drums and how you can make your drums sound quieter. We’ll cover electronic drums, as well as your regular drum set for practice. Let’s dive in!

1. Use Electronic drum kits

Electronic drum kits are already pretty silent on their own. Whether the main components feature mesh heads or rubber pads, they most likely won’t be bothering your neighbors. It’s always a good thing to either use headphones for silent practice or practice along in a completely silent mode.

But if you’re experiencing noise louder than usual, or if you’re bothering anyone near you, you can always use clothes or old t-shirts to cover individual components. Rubber cymbals most likely won’t need any covering as they’re not as loud compared to the basic components. This is also a great option for professional and beginner drummers with limited space.

2. Low volume cymbals

There’s nothing that could replace a jam or a practice session on a regular acoustic drum set. However, we all know how loud individual components might get. And while you can mute the snare drum or tom drums a little, there’s hardly anything effective against the loud noises of crash and ride cymbals.

But for a great practice session, you can use silent cymbals. Shaped like the real thing but featuring special design features, these are significantly quieter compared to regular cymbals and can help you have a good practice session with a realistic feel, without bothering your neighbors. This way we’ll be able to hone our skills and learn new techniques without disturbing our neighbors or housemates.

3. Mesh drum heads

Just like we have mesh drum heads on electronic or practice kits, there are those made for regular acoustic drums. By implementing this material, the sonic output is reduced significantly, and you’ll keep things as quiet as possible.

These are not that expensive and can fit any regular drum set, fitting all the basic component sizes. This solution is, without a doubt, the best way to practice as it gives you a realistic feel.

4. Sticks

As for drum sticks, the only way to keep things under those undesirable noise levels is to equip them with silent tips. These are pretty simple tools, made from rubber and fitting virtually any type of drum sticks.

Combined with either practice kits, electronic drum kits, or acoustic kits, these will noticeably reduce all the noise. Pair them up with mesh heads, and you have a super-silent practice session.

Another method also includes using brushes instead of regular sticks. However, this is a more costly option and rubber tips should do the trick.

5. Reducing Bass Drum Volume

One of the ways to make a quiet drum set is to dampen your kick drum so it can’t make a lot of noise. Remove the resonant head from the bass drum and then fill up the entire cavity with any kind of dampening material. Old rags or any kind of spongy material will help you do the trick.

However, no matter how much you stuff it, kick drums will always be too loud for apartment use. So the best option here is to either go with an electronic or a silent drum set.

6. By using Drum Practice pads

The most effective way is to use practice pads or entire practice pad kits. However, these sometimes also need to be dampened, in case you want to be super-silent. The same methods that we mentioned in the electronic drum section apply here.

7. Soundproofing your Practice Room

Whatever is the instrument that you’re playing, soundproofing your walls is always useful. However, if you want to have effective soundproofing, it’s not going to be cheap. The most effective way is to have thicker walls, while also adding a layer of gypsum boards and any kind of insulation material in between the wall and the boards. Read our complete guide on soundproofing room for drums.

Conclusion

And that wraps it up! We hope you’ve learned something new on the topic of drum sets and what makes a good quiet drum set. Feel free to browse around a bit more and then make the big purchase. Overall, a quiet electronic drum kit might be the best option for you to get the full sound but do not underestimate the efficiency of drum pads for home practice. Stay safe and rock on, guys!