An average acoustic drum kit can take up around 5-6 by 5 feet, or 1.5 to 1.8 meters, including space for the drummer. Meanwhile, an electronic drum kit can often be set up in a space as small as 4 by 4 feet or 1.2 by 1.2 meters. Read on to learn more about how much room you need to set up ad play an electronic drum kit!
How much space does an electronic drum kit really need?
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to electronic drum kits (also known as eDrums) and the floor space they need. That’s because they come in all shapes and sizes, from the most compact on the market, such as the new Roland TD-02, which only requires a small nook in a room, to the largest eDrums which can be sized the same as an acoustic kit – such as the Roland Acoustic Design 504 or 507.
Our recommendation? Here are some roughly estimated sizes for a few different types of electronic drums to serve as a ballpark figure of how much space to allocate. Remember a lot of this depends on your preferred set-up – some drummers prefer a compact rig, others prefer their gear spread out, and also your size – a taller drummer will likely need a lot more space than a smaller drummer.
| Size | Floor Space | Example eDrum Kits |
| Compact | 1×1 metre (3.2×3.2 feet) | Roland TD-1, Yamaha DTX402 |
| Standard | 1.2×1.2 metre (4×4 feet) | Roland TD-17, Alesis Nitro, Yamaha DTX6 |
| Small-Acoustic | 1.5×1.2 metre (5×4 feet) | ATV aDrums, Roland VAD 506, Yamaha DTX10 |
| Ultimate | 2×1.5 metre (6.5×5 feet) | Roland VAD 706, TD-50KV2 |
Maximise space by facing your drums against a wall
Yes, it might be cooler to face into your room while you’re rocking out on the drums, but if you’re tight on space, then there really isn’t a more compact set-up than having your drums facing a wall. That way, when you’re not using your kit, you can move your drum stool aside and have more free floor space available.
Contrast that to having your drums facing into the room, where you’d need to add around an extra meter or 3 feet to the depth needed behind your kit, plus space to get in and out.
Facing a wall might not be quite as enjoyable, but you can get creative. If you have the budget, why not wall-mount a TV or computer screen to display your sheet music, or to play along with YouTube videos or online drum lessons?
Drum stands vs drum racks
Another variable is whether you want to mount your electronic drums from stands or a rack. Historically, electronic drums have been sold with racks, however, modern, acoustic-style drum kits like the Roland VAD series or ATV’s aDrums come with stands, to match the acoustic aesthetic.
As you might expect, smaller and cheaper electronic kits will come with smaller racks – a TD-17 kit is much more compact than a TD-50, for example. But if you’re looking for a larger kit, then it might be worth considering investing in some drum and cymbal stands, giving you much more flexibility with your setup.
How many drums and cymbals do you actually need?
Finally, if you’re really tight on space, then think about how many drum and cymbal pads you actually need. Yes, a drummer’s primal instinct is to have lots of different things to hit – but in truth, this won’t make you a better drummer.
If you use your electronic kit as a practice aid, then it may be better to see if you can slim down your set, for example with just one crash and ride, and just two toms instead of three. You may even find the minimalist approach will help you develop your drumming in other ways, for example by focusing more on the basics such as rudiments, or forcing you to get more creative with what you have.
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