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Originally Posted by TNT
but going back to the Pulse or PDP sets, what is wrong with them? sounds? quality (fall apart, poor build, etc)?
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Here's the thing.... The kits at the price range you are looking to buy, are basically Generic kits, made somewhere in east asia, from a huge storeroom full of poor wood shells (basswood usually...).. They are simply money makers for the companies, who stick them with their Lugs and badges, and charge a price premium on the name, mostly. Comparing the pulse and pdp is like comparing a to a... They're basically the same, except the pdp drums have a better known brand, and different hardware, doing the exact same job...no improvement. This not really mattering since they are basically made by the same companies. It's the same with a plethora of entry level kits. Corporate greed's everywhere. Both pdp and pulse probably have better drums (pdp I know for a fact they do) made in a better way, and with more finishing options etc.
The ludwigs, however, are just about a notch above. Those Tama's as well i believe. They maintain their own factories in east asia (taiwan and china mostly), where the wood shells go through a better process of selection... it's like the good basswood or asian mahogany shells are sent to them, and the bad ones, to the pulse etc type companies, for their most simple entry level drums. They manufacture their own, better quality hardware, and usually fit heads that tune properly on their drums. So they sell a little more expensive, but are usually better. The Accent is a surprisingly good sounding kit, and consistently so, too. The Tamas probably sound even better, but in your case, the ludwig + zildjian combo is a great deal.
So, what suffers with the bad shell, hardware and heads on the pdp and pulse models? Well, the sound coming out of your drums consists of a combination of Head vibration, and Hoop and Shell resonance. You can imagine what a shitty shell will sound like, compared to a nicer one. you can further imagine what a drumhead that limits its vibrations due to poor quality will help in making the shell sound better, And finally you can imagine how lugs and hoops which cannot hold tension helps with keeping the heads tense enough to vibrate.....
That's basically it.. But like I said, if you just want to play around with the idea, bash some anger on the drums, then put them aside without worrying to take care of them, or continue to pursue a carreer in music, they'll do fine.
If you do want to take it seriously, though, I'd say this:
Never mind buying a set now. All you need is a pair of sticks, a Practice pad, and a decent teacher. The first two items will probably cost you about 35 dollars total. With the other 365 dollars left from not getting a drumset, you'll be able to pay for about 3 months of lessons, enough to either make you hit or miss (pun intended). In a decent music school, you should have a whole set to practice, and with your practice pad, you'll be able to practice the absolute essentials you'd have to learn anyways, before you could express yourself around the kit without being embarassed.
Hope this clarifys some doubts...sorry about the small essay, but it'll help anyone else who wants to start playing the drums, and just happens to pass by...