Good morning, and thanks a lot for joining me on Midnightdrummer.com again!
Today you are reading the Donner DED 200 review – probably one of the best electronic drum kits under $420,- which I have tested and review so far.
Looks good – what do you think? 😉
Donner electric drum kit
In this DED 200 drum kit review, you will learn, why this electronic drum set is so great and why I recommend it for anybody who is on the brink of spending money on a music instrument like this.
Donner DED 200 Sale
If you are looking for the best price of this great electronic drum kit, please click here to get the best price available for the moment.
Let's start!
The in depth Donner DED 200 Review
What would you expect from an electronic drum set for the price of less than $400,-?
I wasn't too sure either, and my expectations weren't high.
Then the day came, the doorbell rang, and the postman delivered a huge parcel containing the Donner DED 200 drums.
Here are my thoughts – in short.:
Donner DED 200 electric drum set
Why would anybody buy the Donner DED 200 electric drum set and prefer it over a more popular brands like Roland, Alesis, Yamaha, DDrum etc.?
The Donner DED 200 costs less than $400,- and it is a great alternative to all the other electric drums which are out there.
Why?
Because every single drum of the DED 200, including the kick drum, is equipped with a mesh head.
Playing on mesh heads is quite similar compared to conventional drum heads. You can also change the tension of a mesh head, like it is possible on a normal drum head.
Important: The popular brands don't use mesh heads on all drums – if any – at this price point!
Quality
To my big surprise, the Donner DED 200 is very well-built, and also the mesh heads are working great.
Here you can find an audio sample of what it sounds like playing on mesh heads.
Even the kick drum pedal is of a decent quality, which can't be taken for granted at this price.
The DED 200 sound module has 15 drum kits on board, which sound great.
In addition to the drum kit presets, there are hundreds of drum sounds which you can create your own drum sets with.
Contents
The huge parcel contains several smaller boxes. This allows a very secure transportation of each drum part to your house.
Inside, you will find 2 drumsticks, snare, hi-tom, mid-tom, floor-tom and kick drum with mesh heads. The sound module, the hi-hat plus a foot pedal, a kick drum pedal, crash and ride cymbals complete the Donner DED 200 e-drum kit.
If you need help or instructions, there is the DED 200 manual included.
Cost
$400,- isn't much money for a decent electronic drum kit like the Donner DED 200 and what you get is a lot! If you are on the brink of buying this drum set, you can use the following 15% discount code [Midnightdrummer12] for your purchase here.
Summary
The Donner DED 200 is a fantastic electronic drum set for the money.
In comparison to popular brands' drum sets at this price point, you'll get a lot more. The most important thing to know is, that each drum is equipped with good mesh heads – even the kick drum module. This allows a very natural feeling while playing the drums.
Pros
Cons
The Donner DED 200 is also available here.
How to assemble the Donner DED 200
Assembling the Donner DED 200 is easy, and it only took me about 30 to 45 minutes. Every single part of the drum rack is signed with a letter so that it becomes clear, which parts belong to each other:
The Donner DED 200 manual helps
Donner DED 200 manual
Why buy the Donner DED 200?
As mentioned above, the Donner DED 200 is a very good entry-level electric drum kit with many advantages over its competitors at the same price range.
Here are the main advantages:
#1 What are mesh heads?
Mesh heads are synthetic drum heads created for electronic drums. They are quite different in comparison to conventional drum heads and don't cause as much noise as normal drum heads would do when you hit them.
Donner DED 200 Mesh Head
Still, these kinds of drum heads feel similar in comparison to normal ones. The great thing about these drum heads is, that you can “tune” them and modify the amount of rebound they produce.
#2 Kick drum pedal and drumsticks included
Another great thing is, that also a kick drum pedal and a pair of drumsticks is included. All you need to start playing is a drum throne, which is not included.
Donner DED 200 Bass Drum Module with Pedal
I was skeptic about the kick drum pedal first, but after a few weeks playing it, it's better than supposed.
Of course, this bass drum pedal isn't anything special. Still, it works fine, doesn't seem to be cheap by any means and every single part of it and the mechanics are quite sturdy and work smoothly.
I would say, you will have a good and long time using this kick drum pedal.
Donner DED 200 double bass
Another great thing about the kick drum pad is, that it also can be played using a double bass drum pedal!
Yes!
That means that you can also practice blast beats and any Metal related double bass drum techniques!
#3 The DED 200 doesn't cost a fortune!
Yes, there are decent and (even) cheaper electronic drum sets than the DED 200, which you can find here.
But before you leave this page and hit the buy button, please compare all the drum parts which are included!
So, the DED 200 Donner isn't really cheap, but for all the features it brings to the table, it's a very affordable and serious e-drum kit for beginners!
Go for it and claim your 15% discount, clicking here.
Donner DED 200 sound module
This is the sound module of the DED 200.
If you want to listen to its sounds, please click here.
Donner DED 200 Sound Module
It has 15 full drum kit presets on board, which are the following:
Besides these drum kit presets, there are a lot more single instrument samples, which you can create your own drum sets with.
Sound module connection ports
There are several ports which you can use to connect your devices.
Ports of the DED 200 sound module
USB: The great thing is, that you can connect the DED 200 to your computer via USB. This allows recording your playing directly into your DAW.
Audio In: If you want to play to your favorite Spotify playlist or any other music coming from your smartphone, the audio in port is here for you.
Headphone Jack: Here you can connect your favorite in-ears to the sound module and practice the quietest way possible.
Audio out: This port is the main out to connect the sound module to an external amp, mixer and other devices.
Audio samples
Here are a few audio samples of the Donner drum set:
Drum Kit 1:
Drum Kit 4:
This is what it sounds like playing on mesh heads and cymbals:
Donner DED 200 dimensions
The Donner DED 200 dimensions could be described as:
Compact!
Neither it is tiny nor it is huge, and there's a lot of flexibility to determine its dimensions.
The following image will give you an idea about the size of the DED 200:
Dimensions of the DED 200
- Blue arrow: 8.661 inches (ca. 22 cm)
- Top Yellow arrow: 21.65 inches (0.55 m)
- lower yellow arrow: 30.71 inches (0.78 m)
- Left red arrow: 19.69 inches (ca. 50 cm)
- Right red arrow: 19.69 inches (ca. 50 cm)
The height of the DED 200 is also pretty flexible, so that children, teenagers, and adults will find a good playing position.
Are Donner electric drums good?
I must admit that my expectations weren't high before I got the Donner electric drums. Now I have tested the Donner DED 200 for nearly 3 months, and I am super happy with it and I can even recommend it for beginners.
In comparison to other drums at this price point, this Donner e-drum set is equipped with mesh heads on every drum. That's really exceptional for the price.
You can also read the Donner DED 400 review, if you are interested in getting to know another electric drum set made by Donner.
Conclusion & final thoughts
For less than $400,- the Donner DED 200 is one of the best electric drum sets at this price point and doesn't have to hide behind its competitors.
If you are new to playing drums, you will enjoy playing on mesh heads, which will make it easier to get the same impression as on acoustic drums.
I hope that this Donner electric drum set review helped you make a well-thought-out decision whether this e-drum kit is the one you should aim for or not.
If you like it, you can buy it here.
If there are any questions, please leave a comment below and l will answer as soon as possible!
FAQ
Should i get an electric drum set?
An electric drum set is a great alternative for drummers who can't play during the day or need to play quieter, as an acoustic drum set can be played. Due to modern mesh heads and very sophisticated drum modules, playing on an electric drum kit becomes more and more comparable to conventional acoustic drums.
Is an electric drum set loud?
An electric drum set offers many advantages in comparison to acoustic drum kits. The most important advantage is the loudness, which the drummer can regulate like it is possible on any other electric audio device. In addition to that, the sound modules of electric drum sets also allow inserting either headphones or loudspeaker systems, so that any loudness is possible.
Where can i buy an electric drum set?
You can buy electric drum sets in music stores and on the internet in your preferred online stores.
Are electronic drum kits noisy?
Whether electronic drum kits become noisy or not depends on a few aspects:
1st. Have you plugged your electronic drum kit into a pa system and loudspeakers?
2nd. Are you using headphones when playing on your electronic drum set?
3rd. Does your electric drum kit stand on a noise isolating rug so that pedal work can get absorbed?
4th. How hard are you hitting the drums and cymbals of your e-drum set?
These are a few important things to keep in mind, how noise an electric drum set can become.
Donner DED 200
The Donner DED 200 is a great entry-level electronic drum set. It is equipped with high-quality mesh heads which create a very authentic feeling when practicing on this e-drum set.
Product Brand: Donner
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 399
Product In-Stock: InStock
5
Pros
- Mesh Heads on each drum
Absolute rubbish dont waste your money, no support Chinease garbage
Hi William,
thanks for your comment.
Have you ever tried these drum sets, and would you please let us know why you don’t like them?
Just because these are built in China isn’t reason enough (for me) to disqualify them right from the start.
Enjoy playing drums!
Keno
I am needing a new sound module for my Donner DED 200 kit, It got fried. I cannot find one to purchase by itself. Do you know of another kit module that would be compatible. I'm looking on Ebay but I've heard mixed comments
Hello James!
Thanks for your comment.
Have you tried to get someone from Donnerdeal.com for support?
How old is your Donner DED 200?
Maybe there’s still a chance to get another module within the warranty claim.
Here you can contact them.
Another idea is the following:
Try connecting the drum pads using a trs cable to another drum module (alesis, roland etc.). Maybe you can ask your local music shop to try out a module.
Hope this helps.
Enjoy and talk soon!
Keno