Kenneth H.
Great fast-acting drum pads
Steve Lister
I bought this kit for both my daughter who just started percussion in band and wants to learn to play the drumset and for myself. I found this fairly simple to build taking me less than an hour. The directions were simple and easy to understand. After I finished putting it together I was quickly able to plug in some headphones and start playing! The control unit did take a little time to figure out how to switch between drum kits, songs, metronome, etc...but with a little practice it became pretty easy. I would definitely recommend this to parents who have a kid who is interested in taking up the drums. It has a small footprint, it’s light so it can be moved easily, and can be easily folded up and stored. Since it is electronic and can be played while wearing headphones it makes very little noise so it can be practiced anytime!The different sounds will keep a kid interested. This kit can also be connected to a computer or iPad via USB so if you or your child are technologically savvy, connecting the kit to your iPad or computer allows you even more sound options. Plus, it is cheaper than a traditional acoustic set making it a smaller investment.
sarah miles
I did a lot of research before buying and I’m extremely happy I went with this kit! It’s fun to play and does everything I need it to. It works great with a double base pedal. I can plug it into my guitar amp or use a set of headphones to get better audio quality and to keep the noise level down! I was surprised to find out that the symbols cannot be choked. My one other complaint is that out of the 360 or so sounds there are only 20 or so that I really like and that work well with rock and metal. However, you can use the same cymbal or tom sound and then just change the pitch to your liking. This is what I did for multiple cymbals and the toms, and it sounds freaking awesome! Any sound can be mapped to any trigger point, so you can add cymbal sounds to the rims of a tom, or have two different cymbal sounds on the edge or on the center of a cymbal pad. Even though the useable sound choices are limited, the ability to modify and arrange those sounds are endless!!!
Damien D.
Great service with quick delivery.
Looks good and sounds good.
This was really easy to set up also and does not take up much space. Can be folded up as well when not in use.
Gary H.
Another more than I expected from price,moving from acoustic to electric seemed a bit difficult at first,but soon got the hang of it would definitely recommend as module gives you the chance to change every aspect of pads to suit your own playing style also you can add another tom and cymbal at your own discretion, base drum also fantastic, all with mesh pads ,takes a bit of getting used to but once you are you are hooked,nice and quiet when headphones plugged in and as loud or even louder when amp plugged in,very easy to store you can even move the whole thing without disassembled fantastic for home use,no more time limits with neighbours and donner fantastic with customers on any question you might have,fantastic value at price, expected a lot less but got a lot more.
Viktoria K.
Donner DED-300 is a solid and fully-featured electronic drum set at an entry-level price. It is surprising that there's almost no video reviews of this set, as it is a fantastic deal as of early 2022. It plays well, the built-in sounds are fine for practice (though not as good as in dedicated drum software). This set is easy to record on PC via MIDI, it has lots of adjustments and way more features than most other drums in this price range (and above it). If you'd like to buy Roland e-drums with similar specs you could easily spend over $1500++.
The mesh bass/kick drum pad works well with double-kick pedals, you can play blast beats etc. (just make sure to adjust the settings in the module to your liking). Sensitivity range is wide. Toms, snare and cymbals are all dual zone (except the hi-hat), which is important, and of a good size. You can program each zone to an individual sound (I mapped the toms hoops triggers to an extra tom, china and ride bell) - so all dual zone pads have added value. The hoops on snare and toms are of a perfect height, they don't get in the way. All cymbals are chokeable (you have to firmly squeeze their silicon front edge for that).
The hi-hat has 3 positions (controllable though pedal) - open, half-open, closed (though half-open has a very small range were the pedal triggers it, so you have to get used to that). The module sounds decent for practice and has lots of settings. The mesh tension on toms and snare is adjustable by rotating the hoop. For a drummer with a regular acoustic drums background, the playing dynamics with mesh heads are similar to real drums. The silicone cymbal pads don't feel the same as real metal cymbals of course, but that is to be expected, and they play just fine dynamics wise.
The DED-300 works well for recording MIDI drums on PC to use with DAW and drum software - basically, plug and play (but depending on your PC hardware you might have some latency - that's the PC issue, not the e-drums kit itself), no ghost note tails. The module has definitely enough volume output to headphones (some other e-drums lack in that, according to reviews).
The rack is adjustable, is high enough for tall people and is sturdy enough to hold the kit in place (including the snare). The rack bars are metal, but the joints/connectors are plastic, though they do work. Longevity wise it is yet to be seen as I had this kit for only about a month so far.
The drum module has two extra inputs for expansion (you can add one extra cymbal and one extra tom, dual zone, though you could probably plug any compatible pad and map it to the sound you want). I bought and added an extra cymbal from Donner, so that works.
The manual is fine, but could be more informative. There were no issues when assembling the kit (it might take 30 to 60 minutes). The module menus are also more or less self-explanatory, though more detailed manual on that would be helpful. The only issue I had so far is that I couldn't get the reverb effect to work even though I switched it on in the module - but that is not a deal breaker. This kit also looks good, I like the light-gray mesh pads.
Tip 1: better use the drum sticks with nylon heads as they don't leave any marks on the pads surface, unlike the wooden ones.
Tip 2: a common question - how loud it this e-kit acoustically? The answer is it is not loud (the mesh pads are relatively quiet, the silicone cymbal pads are more noisy - they sound more like as you would be hitting a tire or a practice rubber pad or a book, but still way way less noisy compared to regular acoustic drums). You would have to figure out a way to dampen/absorb the vibrations from hits (especially from the kick drum and pedals). You can find lots of videos on YouTube on how to build a DIY drum noise/vibration isolation platform using tennis balls, wood panels etc. If you live in a house this kit is fine as is, but for an apartment you need to have vibration isolation. Otherwise your neighbors will feel your playing through walls (playing at night is a no-no anyways). So the e-drum kit would work in an apartment if you play it in the daytime and isolate the vibration (and if you are lucky with your neighbors).
Tip 3: as it is an electronic product made with plastic, nylon and silicone - don't place it near the heater, high humidity or in a direct sunlight (UV).
Overall, the DED-300 is a surprisingly great kit, especially considering the price (under $500 in early 2022). It would work well both for budget-conscious pros and for beginners. Highly recommended.
Nhat Anh Nguyen
I'm a beginner drummer. There's a learning curve on the sound module, but I'm getting there. Instructions are pretty good for kit set-up and module options. I'm a guitar player/song writer trying to learn drums. I have several drummer friends that come over on occasion, now I have a kit so we can jam when they're over. Hoping to get some decent sounds out of the DED300 thru my M-Track Eight to record my next project. So far, I like the options of a preset kit and the option of editing individual drums & cymbals to get the sound I'm looking for.
Gergina Panaiotova
I Love this kit!!!! It arrived on time, it took me no time to set up. As I've played drums in the past I was up and playing in no time. A great investment that I can bang till my heart's content without bothering a soul!!!! Thanks Donner
Christina S.
Great service. Definitely use again
Keeley Stokes
Firstly this kit is great for a beginner or kids starting to get into drumming!
It's an upgrade from the DED-200 the module is a little more involved but has more functions and you have the option to add an additional floor tom and crash cymbal. So the kit can grow with your advancement.
Lightweight, compact build quality is great and at the price point what's not to like!
Overall a great kit! Worth every penny!
James O'Brien
Settled for the Donner kit after doing a lot of research and I am not disappointed. Easy to follow instructions for assembly and the whole set has a great solid feel to it. First time playing the drums and I am absolutely loving this.