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For some, buying new music making gear is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. For the inexperienced, though, it can be a stressful experience. There's so much choice, and, depending on your skill level, buying the wrong gear could seriously stunt your progression.

To make it easier, we've put together a buyers' guide, which includes our top product picks and essential buying tips. Here's how to buy a budget electronic drum kit…

4 buying tips

1. At the cheaper end of the electronic kit spectrum, playing experience is not going to be much like that of an acoustic kit, so don't get het-up about the difference. Instead, these kits exist to give you tools to work with at home, sharpening your technique and trying new ideas.

2. At the higher end of the market, kits from Roland and Yamaha offer some very fine sounds stuffed into their modules. If you're interested in more serious studio applications these are definitely the ones to look at.

"Quality of racks vary - the most basic are fine for bedroom practice, but if jams with mates or even performance is on the cards, you'll need to aim slightly higher"

3. Getting into electronic drums has never been cheaper, and even the least expensive of those listed here has something specific to commend it. Mesh heads typically make for more rewarding playing, and if you 'grow out' of the sound of the stock module you can always upgrade it to a better unit later on.

4. The quality of the racks used in the entry-level section vary somewhat. The most basic are fine for bedroom practice, but if jams with mates or even performance is on the cards, you'll need to aim slightly higher to get a kit that'll take the abuse. Things like quality of clamps, rack design and ease of setup become important factors here.

5 budget electronic drum kits from £399

1. Roland TD-4K
£969

Roland has done it yet again with the TD-K. While the functional focus is on practice, it's not a sterile learning tool but the most organic-sounding, dynamic set Roland has ever produced at this price. It has velocity-sensitive toms, mesh head for the snare and cymbals with choke capability.
Read the full review

2. Yamaha DTXplorer
£649