Efnote 3 Review

On Monday afternoon, May 6, I tested the Efnote 3 at the new Bax Music branch in Amsterdam .

Efnote is a relative newcomer from Japan to the electronic music scene, offering drum kits with primarily acoustic designs and almost exclusively acoustic sounds.

As soon as I hit the snare for the first time, I remember thinking: this is different. In this review I will take you through my experience with the Efnote 3.

What's in the box?

• 8″ kick pad
• 12″ snare pad
• 3 tom pads
• 12″ hi-hat pad
• 2 x crash pad 14″
• 16″ ride pad
• EFD-3 Drum Module
• Hardware (tripods, tom holders, hi-hat arm, cymbal arms, etc.)
• Cables
• Manual

New Generation

Efnote offers several models of electronic drums, ranging from 2000 to 8000 euros. After having played the Efnote 5 and 5X before, I was curious about the Efnote 3, which however does not come in an acoustic design and also does not have a hihat stand.

The advantage of the Efnote 3 is that it is the most affordable way to enter the brand.

At a glance, the Efnote kits with acoustic design look nicer in my opinion, but the Efnote 3 and 3X are certainly also very design-oriented.

The difference between the Efnote 3 and 3X is that the 3X has a separate hi-hat pedal, which makes drumming feel even more realistic.

World of difference

When you take a seat behind the kit and play a few notes, you will notice that this kit is different than usual. Even when you gently drop a drumstick on the ride, you hear the nuance just like you would with an acoustic drum set.

While playing my first groove, I closed my eyes and tried to distinguish the feeling of playing an acoustic drum kit, but the difference was simply imperceptible.

It feels surreal to say, but even top-end kits like a Roland TD-50KV or Yamaha DTX10K don't compare to Efnote's kits.

Stroke Scope and Accuracy Score

What is striking about the module is that it resembles a modern e-reader with a touch screen. To be honest, I liked that there were not all kinds of lights and colors on the module like with some other kits.

Right away I discovered a number of nice features, including Stroke Scope . With this function your groove is translated directly to sheet music on the screen. Handy for when you have ideas and want to remember them for later.

Another feature called Accuracy Score is also worth mentioning because it will really make you better as a drummer. Turn it on, put in a random beat and the module will analyze your playing. The tighter you play, the higher your score.

The score is measured separately for each element (hihat, snare, kick and ride), so you know exactly where the opportunities lie to improve yourself.

Overall playing feel

As I mentioned before, the entire playing feel of the Efnote 3 is super realistic. In addition to the fact that the module almost only has real acoustic samples, the cymbals also move in a very natural way.

While many electronic kits require you to make do with 8" or perhaps 10" toms, the Efnote 3 comes with a 14" snare, 2 x 10" toms and a 14" floor tom. The cymbals are also realistic in size, namely 12" (hihat), 14" (crashes) and 16" (ride).

Pros and cons

Does this kit only have advantages? No, there are a few minor setbacks. For example, the touch screen does not always respond well to the touch and you sometimes have to press a bit harder. The kit also does not have a separate hihat pedal (the Efnote 3X and other models from Efnote do).

In my opinion, these disadvantages pale in comparison to the advantages that this kit has to offer.

Conclusion

There are few electronic drum kits that can serve as a full-fledged replacement for an acoustic drum kit, but the Efnote 3 (and other models) come very close.

Efnote distinguishes itself from other brands such as Roland, Yamaha and Alesis with its innovative features and is now a serious competitor in the market of high-end electronic drums.

For those who want to get serious about drumming and want to retain the authentic playing feel of an acoustic drum kit, the Efnote 3 is the perfect solution.