Best Cheap Drum Pad for Amateurs and Pros

A drummer who is serious about their profession or hobby usually has an urgent need to systematically exercise to hone their playing technique. However, this is much more difficult because of the bulkiness and volume of the instrument. Since not everyone can afford to play drums at home or on the road, the training drum pad was created. Finding the best cheap drum pad is not as easy as it may seem at first.

Nowadays you can find so many different models of drum pads on the market that selecting one may be confusing. My pick for the best affordable drum pad is Evans Realfeel Practice Pad. It is a durable, quality, and portable pad. Of course, there are other quality models that deserve your attention. So I hope this article will not only help you find the cheapest drum pad but also answer all of the questions you may have about this item.

Top 7 Best Cheap Drum Pads

The variety of great drum pads on the market makes it difficult to decide which one is worth buying. Since I consider the affordability of the product to be an important factor, I’ve decided to make a list of the top 7 best cheap drum pads.

1. Evans Realfeel Practice Pad: Best Cheap Drum Pad

Evans is a world-known subsidiary company of a famous music instruments manufacturer D’Addario. Evans specializes in drum sets, drumheads, drum keys, and practice pads. It’s probably the most popular drum pad and the best sampling pad cheap is the Evans Realfeel Practice Pad.

This practice pad is available in 3 different sizes: 6”, 7”, and 12”. There is also a possibility to choose between one and two-sided models. The pad is made of natural gum rubber with a little texture on one side and harder recycled rubber on the other. The top side of the pad is quieter while the bottom one produces more sound.

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2. SLINT Practice Pad: Durable Two-Sided Sampling Pad

The runner-up of inexpensive electronic drums and analog drum pads is produced by a well-known musical instruments provider called Slint. The Slint drum pad is available only in the orange color and in one size with the dimensions of 13” x 12.75” x 2.5”. But it is still pretty portable with a weight of 3.64 pounds.

The pad is two-sided. One side is made of natural gum rubber, which is a little textured and non-toxic. The other side is made of softer rubber. So you get the surface with a drum-like rebound and with less rebound. However, most people prefer using the orange side to the black side. They are mounted on a wood frame of high quality. Due to the quality of all the materials, the pad is pretty durable.

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3. SLINT Practice Pad & Snare Stand Bundle: Premium Drum Pad with a Stand

This premium-quality product is produced by the same SLINT brand as the previous one is. Moreover, this is practically the same pad. However, this particular set includes a snare stand and some more accessories.

The materials of the pad are all the same: one side is a natural gum rubber; another is softer rubber. The first one has the rebound of the real drum; another one has less rebound. The quality of the pad is very good too, which means a longer lifespan.

The portability of the pad is at a high level. The size is small enough (13” x 12.75” x 2.5”), but the additional snare stand takes a little space. The stand itself is very adjustable and suitable for most kinds of drums. It can hold drums with sizes of 8″ – 15″.

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4. Kibaga Double-Sided Drum Pad: The Pad of Great Value

The Kibaga pad is an amazing example of a lightweight, quality practice pad. With a weight of 2.5 pounds, its dimensions are 12” x 12” x 1.2”. This size is perfect for both practicing your skills and letting your child play. The pad comes in gray color only.

The top side of the pad has a silicone layer, and the bottom side features a polymer mat. The wooden part also is of high quality. The sturdiness of the item provides a pretty high level of durability.

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5. Remo Practice Pad: Quality Tunable Model

Remo is one of the world’s largest drumhead companies, and it has been on the market for around 60 years. One of the most popular products of this brand is Remo Practice Pad. This pad is available in three sizes: 6″, 8″, and 10″. So even the biggest pad available is pretty small and portable, especially since it’s also lightweight. For example, the 8” model’s weight is only 1.25 pounds. You can also choose the color: red/ebony or gray.

The materials of the pad are high quality. It also features a rubber bottom for protection. Playing the pad feels like a real drum.

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6. Kat Percussion Electronic Drum: Customizable Electric Drum Pad

Kat Percussion is a popular American electronic percussion brand. I consider their Electronic Drum to be one of the best ones. It’s bigger than the previous models I have mentioned.

You can play the instrument using sticks or hands. The pad offers a variety of tones. 2 additional inputs are included so that you can connect the bass drum trigger and hi-hat controller pedal. The quality of the sound is very high for cheap electric drums.

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7. Pyle Portable Drums: Great Digital Drum Pad

Pyle is a popular brand that specializes in-car audio, home audio, pro audio DJ speakers, etc. The Pyle product that deserves our attention in the nomination of best digital percussion pad is its Portable Drums.

The kit is pretty portable since you can run it on batteries and use it wherever you want to. You can connect the pad to your PC or MAC. There is also an option to connect your headphones. The Pyle pad also allows you to set up the sound or save the presets. You can write songs with this instrument by adding some additional sounds or noises.

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Tips for Buying Cheap Drum Pads

It is usually pretty easy to choose a drum pad for a professional drummer. However, buying a pad for an amateur may be challenging because of lots of different types of models and various prices. In some cases, low price means low quality, so finding a balance is what you need to do. Hopingly, the guide below will help you find a perfect pad to enrich the world of music.

Price & quality of a drum pad: Find a balance

To select the right item among all the cheap electronic drum pads and affordable analog ones, you need to know what features to look for.

Portability and sturdiness

Portability is obviously one of the most important features of drum pads since they were basically created to replace bulky drums. So while looking for the pad, think about when you are going to use it and whether you’ll move it a lot.

At this point, it may seem to you that the smaller and lighter the pad, the better. Not really. In order for the pad to be sturdy, it should be moderately weighty. There is a big difference in the bulkiness of 6” and 12” pads, and the size doesn’t usually influence the price. So before purchasing, think about the importance of portability.

Loudness

The noise level is often a critical aspect. You have to make sure that the item that you choose will have the minimum noise level so that you will not disturb anyone nearby while practicing.

The noise reduction of every drum pad is different, and you should consider it before making your choice. Lots of people like to practice during the nighttime or have neighbors with kids and want to keep the loudness to the minimum.

But if you think about it, there are also some advantages to having louder pads. At least you can hear what you are playing and can notice the differences in your strokes. And this is extremely beneficial to your technique.

Material

The material of a drum pad is very important as the sound, feel, and durability of the item depend on the quality of the material. And, of course, high quality usually costs more money. The goal here is to get the drum-like feel. Some of the pads do a good job with this task due to gum rubber with some texture. And the prices of these models are pretty decent.

Amount of surfaces

The number of surfaces provided by the pad you are buying might also be important. This is definitely a feature that greatly influences the price. So if you don’t need lots of surfaces and 1-2 is enough for you, you won’t pay much. There are lots of affordable one or two-sided models on the market.

But if you want to practice on a few different surfaces, you need to look for some more advanced and, therefore, more expensive models. The amount of surfaces is totally up to you.

FAQ About Drum Pads

So I’ve established the most important features you need to take into consideration when choosing an affordable drum pad. But there also are lots of interesting questions about this product that need to be answered. Therefore, I have gathered the most frequently asked questions here and answered them as clearly as possible.

How do play a pad?

There are no strict rules about how to play the pad. You might play just with your hands if you wish. But if you want to learn how to play more professionally, here are some pieces of advice for you.

Develop a sense of rhythm

Except for practicing, you can read some literature about this topic. But practicing is a priority. You need three things to practice: drumsticks, a practice pad, and a metronome.

Improving self-control

You have to learn to control all four limbs. To develop self-control, start learning basic rudiments (techniques that form the basis of playing any drum and are used by drummers to develop coordination).

Play along with your favorite songs

This exercise will develop your hearing. If the song is familiar to you, you know how it should sound, and you can get the rhythm right.

How to make a drum pad?

To make your own pad, you’ll need soft foam rubber, a piece of plywood, some glue, a jigsaw, a knife, and some sandpaper. First of all, you should cut out the base of the future pad of any desired shape from plywood using a jigsaw. Eliminate irregularities with sandpaper. Secondly, you cut out the foam rubber of the same shape as plywood using a knife. Degrease the surfaces to be glued. Apply glue evenly to the surface, glue it, and place it under the press for several hours. And that’s it!

Enjoy Inexpensive Drum Pads

If you want to practice your playing technique or you’re just learning how to play, a drum pad is a great solution. Finding a nice quality drum pad for cheap is not easy. Personally, I find Evans Realfeel Practice Pad to be the best one in this category. The quality of the materials, portability, and durability of this product is amazing. Hope these cheap drum pad reviews were useful to you. Do you play the drum pad or do you plan to buy one? What is your favorite brand and model? Share your experience in the comments section!