Efnote Pro Electronic Drums: Who Are They for?

Efnote Pro 700 Electronic Drums: What Are They?

Efnote Pro 700-series electronic drums use full-size acoustic drum shells with dual-layer mesh heads to create a familiar and confident feel for traditional drummers. The stage box with 12 XLR outputs send your sound straight to the mixing board, for consistent drum tone every performance and without microphones. The focus is on world-class acoustic drum sounds without excessive processing: there aren’t even reverb and delay effects onboard, that’s for the performance hall and the sound engineer to take care of. While you can load your own drum samples and map sounds to your kit however you wish, the best way to experience Efnote Pro 700 drums is to use the factory presets to create your ideal acoustic kit, while enjoying consistent tone and no microphone hassle.

Best Efnote Pro 700 Kit Configurations

There are a lot of different ways you can configure your Efnote Pro 700-series drum kit, and it can be a little overwhelming to start comparing them from scratch. Below are what I think are the three best 700-series configurations, from a compact and minimal setup to a full-featured 7-piece kit. Keep in mind that you can configure practically any type of Efnote Pro kit that you want, these are just starting points to help you dial in what you’re looking for.

Efnote Pro 702 Modern Kit

Efnote Pro 702 Modern Kit

Efnote Pro 702 Modern Kit

$10,042.00

View at E-Drumcenter

What it is: classic two up/one down tom configuration, snare, and four cymbals

What you get: 14-inch x 5.5-inch snare, 8-, 11-, and 15-inch toms, 14-inch hi-hat, and ride/crash/FX/splash cymbals

Who is it for: this is a classic kit configuration that practically any drummer will feel at home with. This would make the ideal house kit for small clubs, cruise ships, and any other professional application that needs an easily-approachable kit.

Efnote Pro 704 Technical Kit

Efnote Pro 704 Technical Kit

Efnote Pro 704 Technical Kit

$11,095.00

View at E-Drumcenter

What it is: three up/one down tom configuration plus one more cymbal than the 702 kit

What you get: everything listed in the 702 kit above, plus an additional 10-inch rack tom and 18-inch crash cymbal.

Who is it for: this configuration is similar to the 702 above, adding a rack tom and crash cymbal without significantly increasing the footprint on stage or in the pit. This is the kit to choose if you want maximum percussive creativity with a standard kit footprint, ideal for house of worship and community theater applications.

Efnote Pro 707 Complete Kit

Efnote Pro 707 Complete Kit

Efnote Pro 707 Complete Kit

$11,095.00

View at E-Drumcenter

What it is: full-featured 7-piece kit with five toms and seven cymbals

What you get: everything listed with the 704 kit above, plus an additional 15-inch floor tom and two additional 18-inch cymbals (crash and china).

Who is it for: this is the full-featured kit for performance theaters, music schools, and touring acts that need maximum performance versatility.

Efnote Pro 7 Series Electronic Drum FAQs

Q: How does the Efnote Pro stage box function?

A: The Efnote Pro base unit (stage box) has inputs for your drum and cymbal triggers, and XLR outputs for each trigger’s audio. Connect the XLR outs directly to audio inputs on the main sound mixer. The Efnote Pro base unit has a headphone output for monitoring, and you can send a monitor mix from the main mixer back to the base unit’s monitor inputs for personal headphone monitoring. To control everything, the Efnote Pro control surface connects to the base unit with a data cable, and can be positioned for easy access by the drummer.

Q: How many direct outputs does the Efnote Pro have?

A: The Efnote Pro base unit has 12 XLR outputs for individual sounds. It also has unbalanced stereo outputs to connect to a powered stage monitor, but those are not intended to be used as additional individual audio outputs.

Q: Does the Efnote Pro module have monitor outputs?

A: Yes; the Efnote Pro has a headphone monitor output (with 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch ports), as well as unbalanced 1/4-inch monitor outputs to connect to a powered monitor speaker or distributed monitoring system. The drummer can control levels coming out of the Efnote base unit via the Efnote control surface.

Q: Can I import my own WAV samples?

A: Yes; the Efnote version 2.0 update added the ability for users to create their own drum kits from their own samples. You can store up to 80 user drum samples with up to 32-bit/48kHz resolution.

Q: How realistic are the hi-hat and cymbal triggering systems?

A: Looking at user reviews that specifically mention the hi-hat, drummers are highly pleased with the feel and response of the hi-hat’s swing, vibration and acoustic realism. They also praise the cymbals’ 360-degree choke capability (“no dead zones”) and the accurate weight distribution that makes them move like real bronze cymbals.

Q: Are the cymbals multi-zoned?

A: Yes; the Efnote Pro 700 series cymbals feature bow, edge, and bell zones. Using all three zones requires two separate cables per trigger, which is a friction point for some drummers.

Q: Which shell configuration is right for my space and budget?

A: I’ve covered my three favorite shell configurations above; keep in mind that the Efnote 7 series uses full-size birch shells intended for performance applications, while the 5 and 3 series use compact shells that are more appropriate for home use and smaller production studios.

Q: What hardware do I still need to buy?

A: With the Efnote 7 series kits you will need to purchase a hi-hat stand, a snare stand, a kick pedal, and a throne. Efnote 7 series kits include the cymbal stands you’ll need for the cymbal triggers. A module mount set is included to position the control surface on a cymbal stand for easy access.

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