Last Updated on November 21, 2021 by Danny
Over the past few years, more and more drum manufacturers have started making compact drum kits. While a full-size drum kit occupies quite a lot of space and is heavy, a smaller drum kit will be able to save space.
These mini drum kits are ideal for people who have only limited space for practice. Gone are the days where small drum kits were limited in the market, you can now get high-quality mini drum kits that can be used by professionals to play gigs.
Right now, there are plenty of different mini drum kits available in the market. The biggest decision you would have to make is whether you want an acoustic drum or an electronic one. With plenty of options available in either category, you would not have a hard time finding a mini drum set that is perfect for your budget needs
What is a Compact Drum Kit?
Compact drums are one of the latest and hottest revolutions to hit the drum scene. These kits are ideal for anyone short on space and needing a smaller kit for practice. The small size and weight make these excellent options for anyone wanting portable drum kits.
With a portable kit, you would be able to easily pack and move between your gigs without any effort. Having a smaller drum set also benefits your band. Drums usually occupy the most of rehearsal spaces and gigging stages, having a smaller sized kit will reduce the space you occupy thus allowing your band members more freedom to move.
If you want a drum kit that can be quickly transported and can be played without any issue on a small stage, compact drum kits will be perfect for you.
6 Best Portable Mini Drum Set that you can Travel with
Editors Pick:One of the best sound in this list but expensive for a small kit.
Runner-up: Best for small shows and intimate gigs. Fit at any small venue.
Value for Money: Looks nice, sounds incredible, & easy to tune.
Easy to Set up, Comes with Remo heads & Velvet storage bags
Matches any high end kit. It’s a must for beginner gigging drummer who records or tours.
Foldable: Easy to transport and storage. Sounds good and has several built-in training functions.
Here is a review of the best compact and portable drum sets available in the market. Each of these drums has their own advantage and are best suited to a specific need.
1. Traps Drums A400 Portable Acoustic drum set
This drum is a great choice for anyone who needs a compact kit. The kit can be set up very quickly and tuning it is very easy due to its traditional multi-screwy tuning system. Once you have set it up, the kit just has an incredible professional sound quality. The kit has a lot of steel tubing, making it quite robust. It also has four large rubber feet, making sure it doesn’t move even when you are pounding it hard.
The drum’s quality is great and setting it up is a breeze, so it is a great kit for rehearsals and gigs. If you re in the market for portable drum kits, you can buy this without much thought.
2. Tama Club Jam Mini
This is an amazing mini drum set from the house of Tama. The shell pack is extremely compact and only consists of a kick drum and a snare drum. The Mersawa/Poplar hybrid shells make them great for small spaces. The drum has high-quality snare wires and throws off for their price range.
Their drum heads are pretty quiet, making them a great kit for low-volume environments. Both the snare drum and kick drum come with mounting clamps. The kick drum lets you attach a shell mountable cymbal holder while the mounting clamp on the snare drum allows you to attach the drum to a cymbal stand.
The drums have gull-wing spurs, which might be hard to use at the start but once you get the hang of it you will be able to set your gear in a breeze.
3. Tama Club-JAM
This is a four-piece shell pack from the house of tama that has taken inspiration from vintage kits. It has a cymbal holder that is directly mounted on top of the bass drum shell and bass drum spurs that are curved. The shell as is made from Mersawa and Poplar, making them great for small gigs.
The kit is extremely easy to tune and sounds incredible once properly tuned. If you want a kit that is lightweight and you could move it around without any effort, this will be great for you.
It will also fit on any small stage without an issue. While the sound of the drums cannot compete with more expensive drums, it is great for its price range.
4. Ludwig Breakbeats shell pack with Rise Wine Sparkle
This 4 piece shell pack is one of the best compact drums in the market. The drums have a nice and deep sound considering their size. The kit includes a 16” kick drum that sounds really good even with the stock head. This kit would be one of the best choices if you want to play at small venues. The drums are made of quality parts and will last you long if treated right. The kit is also portable enough that you could easily fit in the back of the cab.
The badges on the drum are actually metal, so they should look way better than others. They also have beautiful velvet bags that make it look cool.
5. Mapex Mars Series Rock shell pack-Bloodwood
These drums offer one of the best deals for your money. This is a 4 piece set that comes with an extra deep 24” bass drum that has an amazing tone. The shells are made from birch and offer an incredibly clear tone that has a fast rebound too.
The drums are also configured so that all your tom heads are easily within your reach. The factory heads are great for this price and come pretty much in-tune directly from the factory. However, if you spend a little time tuning this drum set to perfection you will be able to rival even more expensive kits.
The snare drum that comes with this kit is simply just too good for this price range, the floor tom is also very good. If your budget ain’t too big, this is the best drum for you.
6. Roland TD-4KP Portable electronic drum set
This is one of the smallest drum sets from Roland. This portable drum set has snare and drum pads that are made from rubber which are very comfortable. The kit comes with the TD-4 sound module which has many great features, like coaching functions that will help you practice better.
The kit is also very compact and easily foldable, making it great for storage, transport, and playing in small venues. The kit also comes with 8 pads. If you are looking for an electronic drum for silent practice, this is the best drum set for you. It is also a great portable drum kit.
How to Choose a Compact Drum Kit
With the huge list of mini drum kits, it is crucial that you choose the drum kit that is best for you. There are many different factors you will need to consider before finalizing as getting a mini kit that is perfect for you is crucial to reach your dreams. Here are some of the most important factors you need to consider
Type of Setup
There are plenty of different drum setups available in the market. From a simple two-piece drum kit to a complex nine-piece kit, the options are many. However, it is best that you stick with a four or five-piece drum kit. These will help you to improve your basic technique before you start taking on more complex drum sets. You should also be aware that a mini drum usually ships as a shell pack, you will have to purchase the cymbals separately.
Space Considerations
Since the primary purpose of a mini drum kit is to save space, this is an important factor. If you have the smallest of spaces, it is best for you to use an electronic drum kit as it tends to be the smallest drum set you can buy. An electronic drum will also not be affected by the poor acoustics of a small room. If you have a room that is not particularly small, you could look at acoustic kits. Do make sure that you compare the dimensions of your room and the set of drums you want to purchase before you place an order.
Material
The material used to construct your drum plays a crucial part in deciding which style of music it is best suited to. A shell made from mahogany or birch is perfect for a music genre that has low frequencies while a shell made from maple will be perfect for ones that need a slight boost in their high and low frequencies.
Benefits of Investing in a Quality Compact Drum Kit
When you do decide to buy a compact drum kit, it is crucial that you do not compromise on quality. A low-cost mini drum kit will not last you long nor will it sound good. By investing in a small drum set that has good quality you will be able to reap a lot of benefits. Here are some of them.
Practice Anytime
As a drummer, you will need to keep practicing every day to keep improving yourself. With a good quality mini drum kit, you will be able to practice anywhere and anytime. If you decide to save money on a drum set, the drums will be fragile and will become bent and useless pretty soon. With a quality drum kit, you could keep practicing without worrying about ruining your set.
Also Read: Best Practice Drum Set for Quiet Drumming
Storage and Transport
This is the place where a min drum kit will beat a full-sized drum kit without any issue. These drum kits will save a lot of space for you. The small size of the drum set would mean that you won’t have to move around a lot of things to make space for it in your storage closet.
You also would not find a better choice if you need a portable drum kit, these mini drum kits occupy very low space and are much lighter than full-sized ones. This will allow you to carry your drum to and from gigs without any hassle. You could easily pack them into the back of your car without having to scientifically plan out the orientation of each drum.
Increases Comfort and Confidence
If you want to be a part of the drumming scene, you will have to keep practicing constantly. A badly made drum will not be able to handle this grueling task and would deform. A well-made drum, however, will last you very long, you will be able to play it for long while being fully comfortable.
Having a drum that sounds great and does not threaten to deform if you hit it too hard is a great boost to your confidence. You will be able to concentrate just on the song you are playing rather than if the drum set sounds good.
So Which is the Best Portable Drum Kit?
Well, the best portable drum kit for you would have to be decided based on your needs and budget. However, if you have the money to spend, you cannot go wrong with a Ludwig breakbeats drum set.
These drums sound as good as full size-kits and do not sacrifice their tone for size. Whether you need a drum for your home studio recording session or to perform in live gigs, these drums will be perfect.
If your budget isn’t big enough for a Ludwig, you could get a Tama kit. Both the Tama JAM and JAM mini are great options for people on a budget.
If you are solely looking to buy a drum kit to practice in a small space and perform informally, the Roland TD-4PK should be perfect for you. It occupies a very small space and is extremely portable. So before you decide on a drum set, look at what your needs are and what your budget is before making the final choice.
Mini Drum Set Conclusion
Compact drum kits are amazing. They are able to be small without having to compromise on their quality. It is quite astonishing to have portable drum kits that have kick drums that still produce a boom in our hearts. The small drums don’t necessarily have to be a two-piece or three-piece set, they can have a floor tom, a snare drum, and a giant kick drum in addition to the standard tom heads.
A compact drum will be able to save you a lot of space while storing and allow you to comfortably play on small venues with your band. The perks of owning a compact drum kit are many and there is a good chance that these drums would be perfect for you,