Yamaha DD-75 Mobile Drum Review

One of the reasons to choose an electronic drum kit is because it takes up less space than an acoustic drum kit. But for some drummers, even a regular electronic drum kit is too big.

For that group of drummers, there is the Yamaha DD-75 Mobile Drum Kit. This is a portable e-drum kit that allows you to easily bring the feeling of a drum kit into your home without it getting in the way. Ideal for small rooms or apartments!

I recently tested the Yamaha DD-75 and discuss its pros and cons in this review.

Pros and Cons of the Yamaha DD-75 Mobile Drum

The advantage of the Yamaha DD-75 is that it is a kit that is so compact that it fits in almost any space. Do you live in an apartment? No problem, you can put this kit anywhere. Also because the kit can be attached to a snare stand, it is easy to position.

What also struck me is the good response of the kick and hihat pedal. This in contrast to the Millenium MD-100, which sometimes picks up signals twice or not at all. The foot pedals can slide a bit on a carpet while playing.

Also read: Mobile Drum: Good alternative to an electronic drum set?

8 Rubber pads

The Yamaha DD-75 features 8 velocity-sensitive pads, positioned just like a real drum kit. Because the kit has 8 pads, you can play with 2 crash cymbals (instead of 1, as with most electronic drum kits).

All pads are velocity sensitive, meaning the volume adjusts depending on how hard you hit them.

Hihat and kick pedal

The hihat and kick pedal are both the same pedals and are good in size for any size foot (even adults). The pedals are not too heavy to press, so that children who can use less force can also play well. The pedals respond in a realistic way.

Despite the anti-slip mat, the pedals shift slightly when placed on a carpet. On a hard surface, the pedals stay in position better.

Tip: Connect a real kick pedal

As you can see in the picture I tried to use an Alesis kick pedal as a kick pedal. Good news: it works perfectly! I have the Alesis DMPad Kick Drum used, but other models may work.

Overall playing feel

Playing a mobile drum always feels different than playing a regular electronic drum kit, let alone an acoustic kit. So I'm not going to pretend that it feels exactly like a real drum kit, because you definitely notice a difference. But that doesn't mean that the Yamaha DD-75 is not a suitable kit for recording drums or learning to play drums.

Sensitive pads

The DD-75's rubber pads are velocity-sensitive and respond well to both hard and soft hits. You can also easily adjust the sensitivity yourself using the "Sensitivity" knob.

Good distance between pads

The distance between the pads is a bit small, so this takes some practice. In the beginning, especially during fills, I missed a few times, causing the stick to hit the plastic. After a while, you get used to it.

To be mounted on snare stand

You can place the Yamaha DD-75 on a flat surface, such as a side table. However, it is much more convenient to mount the kit on a snare stand, which allows you to position it exactly as you want.

The kit is not too heavy for the stand and stays in place while playing. Because the kit is heavier than an average snare drum, it is advisable to purchase a good quality snare stand, such as the TAMA HS80W Snare Stand.

User-friendly module

All sounds are input to the integrated module of the Yamaha DD-75. The module features:

• 570 Sounds
• 75 Preset Kits
• 10 User Kits
• 105 Songs

Useful features

The kit has a number of nice and useful features:

• Metronome (including tempo tap, which allows you to tap the module yourself to recognize the speed)
• Recording function: This allows you to record your playing and listen back
• Hand Perc: Mode that allows you to play the kit with your hands, like a djembe or handpan
• MIDI Connection: Import your sounds directly to your PC

Integrated speaker

Are you considering purchasing a drum monitor for the Yamaha DD-75? You can, but it is not immediately necessary because the kit itself already has a speaker. The volume range of this is quite high, which makes it easy to use the kit during jam sessions. If you want to use the kit live or in the rehearsal room, then a drum monitor highly recommended.

Connections

The kit has the following connections:

• MIDI in/out
• Kick pedal input
• Hihat pedal input
• Headphone jack
• AUX connection
• Power supply

What alternatives are there?

If the Yamaha DD-75 isn't quite what you're looking for, there is an alternative you can consider.

Millennium MD-100 Mobile Drum

The Millenium MD-100 Mobile Drum is a mobile electronic drum kit with the same number of pads as the Yamaha DD-75. One difference is that the snare and 3 toms are mesh heads, which is a bit quieter. Also, in my opinion, the MD-100 looks a bit nicer.

Conclusion

All in all I am quite happy with the Yamaha DD-75. The kit stands out in terms of overall quality and stability, but comes with a slightly higher price. In return you get an electronic drum kit that gives you the opportunity to drum wherever you want.

From the category of mobile drums the Yamaha DD-75 is in my opinion definitely the best. The possibility to mount the kit on a snare stand and the connection of a real kick pedal are big pluses.

Besides the DD-75, the Millenium MD-100 is also a suitable choice if you attach less importance to the responsiveness of the pedals. Do you find this important? Then I would definitely go for the Yamaha DD-75.