Every drummer knows that Zildjian is known as one of the biggest brands for cymbals. But producing electronic drum sets has never been done by Zildjian before. With the Zildjian Alchem-E series, this has changed.
In 2024, three models will be released on the market: Zildjian Alchem-E Bronze E, Gold and Gold EX. In this blog we tell you everything you need to know about these high-end drum sets that are serious competition for brands like Roland , Yamaha and Efnote .
Latest innovation
The kits from the Zildjian Alchem-E Series are designed for serious (professional) drummers who value quality and appearance. As you can see, the kits are barely distinguishable from the real thing. This is also due to the bronze-colored cymbals, something that we have not seen before with electronic drums.
Within the series, three models can be distinguished, although they all contain the same Zildjian E-Vault module. Zildjian has approached this differently than, for example, GEWA or Efnote , where more expensive kits often also contain modules with more functionalities and sounds.
Zildjian Alchem-E Bronze EX
The Zildjian Alchem-E Bronze EX is the basic model of the series and distinguishes itself with a more compact bass drum and less deep shells from the other two models. The Bronze EX consists of the following parts:
- Toms: 18″, 14″, 10″ (2x), 12″
- Cymbals: 14″, 16″, 18″
- Stands: Boom cymbal stand (2), module stand
This kit is the only one supplied in one Matte Black design. In addition, the bottom of the toms are open, instead of covered with a drum head. This will make no difference to the sound, but it will look a little less realistic.
The Zildjian Alchem-E Bronze EX is the most space saving option and is therefore mainly recommended for drummers who want to set up the kit in a place where space is limited.
Zildjian Alchem-E Gold
The Zildjian Alchem-E Gold goes one step further aesthetically: the toms are deeper and the floor tom also has a larger playing surface of 14″. The kick drum also has a dark gray edge. The kit consists of:
- Toms: 18″, 14″, 10″, 14″
- Cymbals: 14″, 16″, 18″
- Stands: Boom cymbal stand (2), module stand
The Zildjian Alchem-E Gold, like the Gold EX, comes with a Black Gold Foundry Shimmer design. The kit contains one less tom, but compared to the Bronze EX it comes closer to a real drum set.
Zildjian Alchem-E Gold EX
The drummer who wants the total package of the Alchem-E Series will be very satisfied with the Zildjian Alchem-E Gold EX. Due to the extensive setup, this kit is suitable for any genre and it also has the overall look of an acoustic drum set.
The Gold EX also comes with 20″ kick drum and an extra 20″ ride cymbal.
Zildjian Alchem-E Vault
As indicated, all three models contain the same drum module. The module has a steel housing and fits seamlessly into the whole in terms of design.
The module contains both buttons and a 5″ touch screen, which is similar to a smartphone.
are on the back of the drum module 12 inputs present (6 for the toms, 6 for the cymbals). This means that with the Bronze EX and Gold you get no less than 3 extra cymbals can connect.
The E-Vault has integrated Bluetooth, so you can easily connect your smartphone and play along with music via Spotify or YouTube.
Differences
There are a number of differences between the Zildjian Alchem-E Bronze EX, Gold and Gold EX, clearly shown below:
| Module | Kick | Tom 1 | Tom 2 | Tom 3 | Crash | Ride | |
| Bronze EX | E-Vault | 18″ | 10″ | 10″ | 12″ | 16″ | 18″ |
| Gold | E-Vault | 18″ | 10″ | – | 14″ | 16″ | 20″ |
| Gold EX | E-Vault | 20″ | 10″ | 12″ | 14″ | 16″, 18″ | 20″ |
What sets the Zildjian Alchem-E apart?
Compared to other electronic drum kits with an acoustic appearance (such as kits from GEWA, Efnote or the Millenium MPS-1000,) Zildjian distinguishes itself with a number of aspects:
Very realistic cymbals
Unique to the Alchem-E Series is that the cymbals move and even bend in a very natural way, just like acoustic cymbals. Moreover, the cymbals can be muted in any way, for example by resting your hand on them.
It is also striking that not only the ride, but also the other cymbals contain 3 zones (and therefore a bell).
8 audio outputs and 32 GB of storage space
The E-Vault features 8 audio outputs, making the kit perfect for live to use. All instruments (kick, snare, cymbals, etc.) can therefore be adjusted in volume separately in the mix.
High quality samples take up a lot of space. That's why there is 32 GB of storage space added to the module so that you always have enough space for the best sounds.
Unparalleled realism
It looks like Zildjian has developed a kit that almost emulates the feel of an acoustic drum kit. You can see the quality for yourself in the video below:
Conclusion
All in all, the Zildjian Alchem-E series kits look promising. Never before has a manufacturer managed to produce a kit that comes so close to reality.
With its realistic look, premium hardware and bronze cymbals, the Zildjian Alchem-E gives you a kit that can hardly be distinguished from the real thing.
At the time of writing, the price of the Zildjian Alchem-E Bronze EX starts at 4999 euros. The price may drop the longer the kit is on the market. Do you want to find the best deal? You will discover the prices below at Thomann and Guitar Center
All the videos available for the Zildjian Alchem-E drum set focus on the feel of the reduced volume cymbals. The only reason I'm considering getting an electronic drum set is for the reduced noise factor so that I can play without driving my wife and neighbors mad due to the noise. Do you have a video available to show what the Zildjian Alchem-E drum set and cymbals sound like when played acoustically without an amp or headphones? What is the decibel level? Can you put Evans Db One mesh heads on the drums? And what if you also added Black Hole drum heads, what are those two noise levels? I'm looking for a very low volume drum set that feels good playing, looks decent, and sounds great with headphones or amp, but mostly, they need to be quiet. And I don't like rubber cymbals. Suggestions? It's very frustrating trying to buy drums online. There just don't seem to be any drum stores in my area where I can demo drums. Drums are an afterthought at Guitar Centers. I've been to two in my area, and both haphazardly put together floor models of drums where they cymbals didn't work properly, especially the hi-hats. One of the stores only had one thrown to use so I couldn't really try them out very well. It's obvious they are not a drum store and probably should just give up even trying to pretend to have or sell drums.
Hi Rich, thanks for your reply! I haven't played the Alchem-E yet, so I don't know how noisy it is.
Have you checked out the brand new Roland VQD106? It is focused on noise reduction: https://e-drums.nl/en/product/roland-vqd106-drum-kit/