There have been quite a few incredible additions to the electronic drum kit market over the last few years. The DWe and Roland VAD706 have arguably been the top picks.
Zildjian recently introduced their own option to the mix, and it aims to compete with those two drum sets.
It’s called the Zildjian ALCHEM-E drum kit, and it looks incredibly interesting.
In this review, we’re going to break down all of its available features. We’ll then explain how valuable it is compared to all of the other options.
This kit was designed with realism in mind. It has full acoustic maple shells and metal cymbals. Typically, electronic kits have plastic cymbals, so the metal cymbals are a great touch.
It comes with the E-VAULT drum module, which is loaded with some great sounds and features. Most notably, it has a whole array of samples from high-quality Zildjian cymbals.
The UI of the module is very comprehensive yet easy to use. It’s a touchscreen system, allowing you to effortlessly move through sounds and modes.
The kit also comes with most of what you need to set it up, including stands for all of the parts. You just don’t get a bass drum, hi-hat stand, snare drum stand, or drum throne.
We’re massively impressed by the quality of this drum set. Firstly, the acoustic shells add a lot of depth to how the drums feel. While the heads are rubber, you still feel like you’re playing an acoustic drum kit.
The heads are also quite responsive to dynamic variation, so we immediately felt the performance quality of this kit compared to other options.
The cymbals are definitely the highlight, though. That’s no surprise, considering this kit was made by Zildjian, which is one of the best cymbal companies ever.
These cymbals feel very similar to Zildjian’s L80 low-volume cymbals. They’re quiet, but they feel great to play. They’re also just as responsive as the drumheads.
Consistency is probably the best word to use when describing each part of this kit. You get a consistent sense of quality across each shell and cymbal.
The design also makes it feel like you’re playing an acoustic drum set, which is massively valuable for drummers who don’t enjoy the slim and light feel of typical electronic sets.
We especially love the snare drum shell design. Playing ghost notes and rimshots on this snare doesn’t feel all that different from a normal snare drum, which is nice!
The module E-VAULT module is also amazing. It has a few classy golden parts on the surface. It also has a touch-screen design, which we really like compared to the typical button and knob design that most e-kits have.
Again, it feels very close to an acoustic set when you play this kit. It’s really great to see how close electronic drum sets are getting in this area.
The metal cymbals are the biggest reasons for this, in our opinion. They have the same responsiveness and playability as typically acoustic cymbals.
Compared to other high-end kits like the Roland VAD706 and DWe, we’d argue that this Zildjian kit feels very similar. The main edge it has are the higher-quality cymbal sounds, but everything else is mostly in line.
There are a few versions of the Zildjian ALCHEM-E drum kit. All of them cost between $4000 and $8000.
That’s very expensive for an electronic set, but you’re getting all the top-end features.
If you’re happy to pay for a Roland VAD or DWe kit, you’d likely enjoy this kit as well. If all of those kits are too expensive, then this won’t be the kit for you.
We think Zildjian has done enough with this kit to differentiate it from the competition, making it a worthy option for drummers with a big budget.
If you’re looking for a high-end electronic kit that feels like an acoustic set and has amazing cymbal sounds, we highly recommend checking the Zildjian ALCHEM-E drum set out!
Founder of TheDrumNinja
I’m crazy about drums, it’s been my passion since I was 12 years old. I played in numerous bands going through different styles like Rock, Progressive, Pop & Jazz-Rock. After being featured in major music publications (Drumeo, Guitar Guitar, AudioIssues, MusicThinkTank) I started this website to share my knowledge and create a resource for drummers of all levels.
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