Roland TD-20 Module vs TD-30 for triggering?

P1970

Junior Member
Hi. I'm new to this forum, and am looking for an educated opinion on this particular subject. I am about to buy some e-drums from a foreign manufacturer (together with the high end Roland cymbals) and then run them through a Roland module to get the best triggering capabilities for Superior Drummer etc.

I'm wondering if anyone on here really knows the differences between the td-20 and td-30 as far as that goes. The td-20 will save me a lot of money if I buy one used, but I want whichever module will provide me with the best control over the drum sounds for recording. What's the big difference between the two? I've read someone on here saying something like: they're newer, so they're better. Haha. I'd prefer a bit more of an informed opinion that that if you've got one, please. Thanks for any feedback.
 
Re: Roland td-20 Module vs td-30 for triggering?

There are a whole swag of differences between the 20 and 30, but for what you want, just save your money and get the 20.

If youre replacing sounds, then its largely irrelevant what sounds are on each module, and both modules offer good control over v-curve and dynamic settings to be able to respond accurately.
 
Re: Roland td-20 Module vs td-30 for triggering?

Thanks. So, when you say "replacing" sounds, you mean not using the sounds within the module but using software like I suggested, right? May I ask: I've been told that that's absolutely the way to go when you're going for realism simply because the power afforded from computer-based software far surpasses the power of any of these modules. Would you agree with that? I've also watched quite a few vids on YouTube that sort of tipped me over the edge in believing that. Case in point: http://youtu.be/SiNhJABnfHc

But what do you think? The only reason I want this setup is to record. Period. So, I am kinda leaning the way you said. Go with the td-20 is my feeling too.
 
Re: Roland td-20 Module vs td-30 for triggering?

Thanks. So, when you say "replacing" sounds, you mean not using the sounds within the module but using software like I suggested, right? May I ask: I've been told that that's absolutely the way to go when you're going for realism simply because the power afforded from computer-based software far surpasses the power of any of these modules. Would you agree with that?

No. It's got little to do with the 'power' of drum modules vs computer systems - Ddrum3 module from 1991 could play wav quality samples with about 3ms of latency, 23 years later you still need a heck of a computer to do that.

It's to do with sounds and the fact that Roland sounds are synthesised - the Roland V-drums concept is that of a digitally modelled drum, they break the drum sound into multiple model artefacts which are then put together to make a drum sound - the V-drums editing controls the artefacts. For example, if you increase the shell-depth parameter, the module mixes the 'depth' artefact higher in comparison to the rest of them; if you change the head type from coated to clear, the module mixes the 'attack' artefact higher. It's VERY clever, but the problem is that it's not REAL, and ultimately it doesn't sound real.

If your motivation is to trigger real drum sounds, you will NEVER be able to do that internally with a current Roland module, they just don't use samples in the way that you've seen computer-based audio programs doing. The video you linked to uses Superior 2.0, which is a very high audio resolution, multi-sample playback platform - the reason it sounds so 'real' is because it IS real - it uses many actual recordings of actual drums in actual studios recorded by actual mics to create the sound.

If you want to use a computer based system, then a TD20/TD30 is a fine trigger interface to use - and I'd also save the money because the TD30 is practically the same as the TD20 in terms of trigger->MIDI, which is what you'd want it for. If you DON'T want to use a computer based system and want everything in one conventional 'brain' box, then check out either Yamaha or 2Box edrums. Ymaha modules uses sample-driven sound sets so they tend so sound more 'real' than the Rolands, but the 2Box in particularly is built on sampling technology, and if you want to use the high-res samples from the audio workstation world, then that's what it is made for.

I do want to repeat that the Roland V-drums sound-generation is conceptually brilliant, and has a lot of fans as an instrument in its own right. But it's not samples, and it doesn't sound as good as 'real' drums to those who want 'real' drums. If it did, you'd hear the TD20/TD30 sounds over thousands of album releases in the last ten years. But you don't...
 
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