Roland V-Drums - Opinions?

Tony Trout

Senior Member
Anybody own a set of Roland V electronic drums? FWIW, I absolutely love them and wish I could afford a set!
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

I had a TD-4k2 a while back, pretty sweet set!
But I got tired of it since I only could expand it with another cymbal so I sold it and got a Tama superstar set instead.

But overall I was really happy with it! :)
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

That will be my next kit, either 12's or 20's. I have been loosing gigs to drummers with an E kit due to the convenience of portability and controlled volume for small venues.
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

Hi Tony,

I've had v-drums for about 4 years now. I still use them as my practice and home recording kit with the following setup:

Roland td-6v, pd-80r snare, pd-8 toms and hat, cy-8 and Pintech cymbals, kd-8 kick
Addictive Drums samples midied via a laptop, Tascam US-122 usb-audio interface, Behringer 4 channel mixer.

The td6v is a dinosaur, but using samples from Addictive, Superior Drummer or another drum production software will give you incredible sounds and better response from an inexpensive kit. I think I bought my base td-6v for $600 in 2008, then added two cymbals and a few other upgrades.There are ways to expand a limited-input brain such as the td-6v. The new kits are nice and a lot more stable than the external software setup I'm currently using, but they're also really expensive. IMO the VST (software)-based kit sounds are still way better than the newer stock Roland samples.

From a weekend warrior perspective, I've spent a good amount of time working with v-drums in both recording and gigging situations. For a while I played them exclusively. Here's my two cents, both pros and cons:

Pros
..Silent practice. This is the biggie for me.
..Flexibility with sounds and kit layouts
..Ease and quality of recording
..Reduced stage volume

Cons
..Response. Although the technology gets a little better each year, electronics just don't feel or respond like an acoustic kit. You can't play brushes with them, and side stick playing is clunky at best.
..Contrary to popular belief, they are NOT easier to set up. Wiring, amps, monitors...
..In a live situation, if your kit brain or VST rig fries you're done for the night.
..You need really, really good amplification. The frequency range of drums is wider than any other instrument, so you have to have the amplification to support that.
..The constant question from the great unwashed. "Why don't you play a REAL kit?"

I hope this is of some help. Let me know if I can offer further information.

Todd
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

..Contrary to popular belief, they are NOT easier to set up. Wiring, amps, monitors...

Sure looks easier, the guys I have seen just unfold the rack with the wires already attached, stick the pads and cymbals on and plug in to the PA and they are done.
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

I had a set of Yamaha DTxtreme (1st gen) for a few years and at my church I play on a Roland TD-20. For the most part, they are good for practice or learning groves but not for on stage use, IMO. Just like another post said, you need to have VERY good amplification for it to sound "convincing", for lack of a better term. The cymbals are the worst part of it to me as far as response and sound. As far as setup goes, if you have a full 6pc kit and a drum rack, it may not be as heavy and take up as much room (maybe) but it's still the same amount of equipment to set up. Plus you still have a the cables and such to deal with. For me, I love the feedback, feel and control you get with an acoustic kit but for practice, sound control and different sound options, you can't beat an E-kit I guess.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1277.JPG
    IMG_1277.JPG
    655.7 KB · Views: 11,402
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

I had the big TD-10 kit even with the big bass drum pad. I considered it the most expensive practice kit I ever owned. I quickly got out e- drumming and concentrated what I did best which is sounding good on acoustic drums. I'm a product of the 80s MIDI generation and played my share of Octapads, DrumKats, and Zendrums. Nothing can replace the real deal. I ca 't recommend them for practice, either because it feels very different.

I think it's cheaper and easier in the long run to be nice with your neighbors and invite them over for a barbecue every now and then. If you're gonna gig with the real thing, you have to practice on the real thing.
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

Here's a great resource for all things v-drum. http://vdrums.com/forum/forum.php

Thanks, I will check it out, but what I said earlier is what I have seen. I own a 8000 watt pa and do sound for a couple bands as well as a couple venues. Plus I check out any out of town bands palying at any of the other clubs around and what I see is some guys own their E kits but other guys go into Long & McQuade and rent a set of td9's with the wires are zip tied to the rack and they all just plug them into the house pa and they are done, the guys that rent take them back to the store in the morning. The guitar players even make jokes that something is not right when it takes the drummer less time to set up than them. Also I have yet to see any of these guys bring any kind of amp or monitor to a gig. Some bring in ears and others use the house monitors but either way they are fed from the board. There is actually one band I saw playing a lot of gigs and no one is using any type of amp, guitar player uses a v synth , bass is direct to the board, e kit, & keyboard, all using in ear monitors and they basically show up with their instrument in one hand and a gear bag in the other and plug into the PA , they are set up in 10 min and tear down in 5, they even do live fade in and outs and some times play 2 gigs in one night.
 
Last edited:
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

I think it's cheaper and easier in the long run to be nice with your neighbors and invite them over for a barbecue every now and then. If you're gonna gig with the real thing, you have to practice on the real thing.
I'm working on that. I moved into a new neighborhood 6 months ago and have been doing what I can to make nice. I even took my neighbor's dog to the vet last week - a 3 hour ordeal!
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

Thanks, I will check it out, but what I said earlier is what I have seen. I own a 8000 watt pa and do sound for a couple bands as well as a couple venues. Plus I check out any out of town bands palying at any of the other clubs around and what I see is some guys own their E kits but other guys go into Long & McQuade and rent a set of td9's with the wires are zip tied to the rack and they all just plug them into the house pa and they are done, the guys that rent take them back to the store in the morning. The guitar players even make jokes that something is not right when it takes the drummer less time to set up than them. Also I have yet to see any of these guys bring any kind of amp or monitor to a gig. Some bring in ears and others use the house monitors but either way they are fed from the board. There is actually one band I saw playing a lot of gigs and no one is using any type of amp, guitar player uses a v synth , bass is direct to the board, e kit, & keyboard, all using in ear monitors and they basically show up with their instrument in one hand and a gear bag in the other and plug into the PA , they are set up in 10 min and tear down in 5, they even do live fade in and outs and some times play 2 gigs in one night.
Hi Tard. It looks like you've got way more exposure to this stuff than I do, in a very different situation. I live in a very rural area and there isn't even one club with a decent PA. I have my cabling labeled and loomed with flexible conduit, but for some reason could never get it set up in less than 30 minutes. Then again, as I mentioned in my previous post I was dealing with a little more equipment than a stock kit. I can tell you that the e's gave me a thirst for bigger, better, faster, more, which in turn complicated transportation and setup. I'd really like to hear an e-kit through your 8,000 watts. I bet it would part hair!
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

I use an oldish Yamaha DT Xpress 2 which I find the pads quite hard on and tends to give you blisters so am thinking about changing / upgrading as I use it a lot.
One of the bands I was in I was elated when he said he had a Roland kit in his basemment and I could use it for rehearsals as I wanted a proper try with one and used it for many weeks.
I wasn't as blown away as I thought I would be and personally I didn't really like the mesh heads as they that bit too much bounce which I didn't find very realistic.
If I was upgrading now personally I think I'd go for one of the new Yamaha DTX's with Gel Pads as I think they're the most realistic to play compared to an acoustic kit.
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

I don't own any, but every chance I get I like to lay sticks to Roland V drums. Particularly their 9, 12 and 20 series.

Dennis
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

I've been playing drums for over 30 years and Up until recently have been against electronic drums. However, after having to the UK and having a few years break from music, I've changed my mind. Having been talked into going to a open mic jam session, for the first time I found myself sitting behind a cheap electronic kit. The kit wasn't great, but the sound was impressive. After attending the jam the phone started raining off the wall. Had several drumming offers including replacing the drummer at the jam. The problem was I didn't have a kit anymore, and was out of practice. An electric kit seemed to be the most practical solution. I went and spent about 4 hour trying out different electric kits. Roland definitely stood out. I had a budget of about £1500. I went with the TD 11kv. After getting it home I immediately desired to replace the two smaller pdx6 pads with pdx8. This made a huge differance. I've since added another crash and upgraded the pdx8 snare to a pdx100. I added the pdx8 as a 4th Tom via a splitter. This kit is great! The only thing I would consider replacing it with is Roland's flagship 30. I would like an acoustic kit as well, but there is no way to beat the sound and versatility of a roland kit.
 
Re: Roland V-Drums - Opinions??

I had a TD-4k2 a while back, pretty sweet set!
But I got tired of it since I only could expand it with another cymbal so I sold it and got a Tama superstar set instead.

But overall I was really happy with it! :)

This is exactly why I chose the Yamaha option. Plus, the additional pads for the Roland don't come with lube and the price point for them should be considered rape.
 
I own a couple of electronic kits, namely a pieced-together "home studio" kit with a TD-12 module, PD-100/120/125 pads, Yamaha cymbals, and it running to my Macbook Pro with Addictive Drums. I also own the newer TD-4-KP portable kit.

Adding to some pros/cons already, probably the BIGGEST difference overall is the dynamics you can do on acoustic drums vs electronic. It really takes a LOT of time and patience to tweak all the various module parameters for the pads and cymbals to get them close to the real deal.. To the audience, for example, won't really tell the missing strokes in your cymbal swells but it'll sometimes drive you completely bonkers and frustrate you lol.

However, some of the newer modules like the TD-20X and TD-30 have all sorts of juicy parameters you can use and technology to make them more "real" sounding. Still a bit digital sounding IMO but getting there.

They are worthy investment for apt/condo practicing and home recording, especially when using VST like Addictive Drums. (One of the best purchases I've made!)

Also, with the little TD-4-KP kit and the way it's designed, it's really expanded my availability to play smaller bars/restaurants with my band that I ordinarily could not have done bringing real drums. Sometimes these places don't want drums at all but when we convince the owners to let me bring the TD-4 and give a go once, they are blown away by that little thing! More money for me at the end of the week too, hehe.

Final words - there's a lot of companies that produce e-drums, some are very good and some suck. Roland is towards the top of the list - you really do get what you pay for in the end. You're best bet in the Roland endeavor is to scout eBay and Craigslist for gently used and well-cared for pads and modules. NEVER pay full price from GC or other online retailers. I will agree Roland stuff is overpriced. Quality but overpriced.
 
I have had a Roland TD-4 but my current Yamaha DTX-7** is considerably better in every way. But then others will tell you that Roland are better, so try both at the store and see for yourself.
 
I played a TD-6 with a modified acoustic kit for a long time.....................but to me, the only advantage is the "quiet" level you can play at. This can be a necessity for drummers in apartments or with close neighbors.

For sound, besides a $3000 PA system, I found the Roland keyboard amps to be the best. I bought a KC500 series and it sounded real good.

Good luck finding an e-kit and let us know what you end up getting
 
I bought the Roalnd TD10 when it came out, and eventually sold it and got a TD20S, and I made large kits out of them, played all types of music, recording and live and I ended all that in Dec of last year when I sold the TD20S... Simple reason: mesh heads, no matter how loose you tune them will mess up your technique. Playing mesh is too much like a trampoline and will make you think you are faster than you are, especially when doing doubles and Moeller technique.

Now (since Dec. 2011) I play acoustic drums for a few bands/artists and that's what I mainly record for my live band. But, based on recommendation, I tried the Yamaha DTX560 (or 7XX series) and I was sold, plus they are much much cheaper ($1,500 in Feb, this year). I expanded my 560K kit to be similar to my acoustic setup and I use Toontrack EZDrummer (or Superior Drummer) through Ableton Live. I don't bother with the Yamaha internal sounds, but use a few EZX expansion packs and I record at home based on requests from artists I know - they send me an MP3, I send them midi files back as they use the Toontrack. When I practice with Toontrack Solo (has a metronome), it really helps me get my chops and timing in check, so when I rehearse with either of my bands (2-3X's weekly) using REAL drums, it's not that big of a transition, in fact I think it helped with my doubles since the Yamaha TCS pads require a bit more effort and feel more like laying into a drum rather than the trampoline effect of Roland mesh. As for playing live, I only use acoustic. I did electronics once (with Roland TD20S) and the hihat was an issue all night - so, never again, plus there's really no substitute for acoustic drums, even with the advance of multi-sample, multi-layered libraries.

It's amazing what we can do with acoustic drums - a timeless art-form.

Well that's my 2 cents, hope it helps - do yourself a favor and try both types of heads, cymbals and etc and figure out what works best for you. Good luck.
 
I came back from drumming after a long absence and when I decided to get a drum set after a couple of decades of not having one, I knew a e-drum solution was the answer. You see, I live with this woman who is related by marriage who wouldn't dig the loud sounds from an acoustic kit. That woman would make it difficult to play with any regularity if at all if I played an acoustic. (That woman has a 97 year old mother who lives with us) The neighbors might not like it either but owning my house, they weren't my primary concern.

I had seen a older TD-20 (black) a couple of years ago on craigslist and knew that's what I wanted. When I finally got it together to buy one, I found a used TD-20SX that was in minty shape and bought that.

In my opinion, the differences between my TD20-SX and an acoustic are irrelevant. I wouldn't probably playing at all if getting an acoustic was the only option. As it is, I have one of the nicest e-kits available, so I'm good.

Chris
 
Back
Top