We're already familiar with acoustic drum sets. These are what you would consider traditional drums, with wood shells (or often metal concerning snare drums) and metal cymbals. Electronic drums are pads with rubber, plastic, or mesh drumheads, and the sound is produced from a small box that we call a sound module. We then hear the sound through a headset or a speaker.
We first started to see mass-market consumer-level electronic drums in the late 1990s, with brands like Yamaha and Roland leading the way. Given this was somewhat new technology, the production and development costs were high, and the average price of an electric drum kit was beyond the reach of most beginner drummers. In the early 2000s, these two leading brands finally started to release models that came in at under $1000 US dollars for the first time. Since then, drumming as a hobby and the arrival of solid brands like Alesis have kept the market innovative and competitive, which is great news for beginner drummers.
