Roland U.S. Blog » TD-30 http://www.rolandus.com/blog Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:58:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 V-Drums Friend Jam Improves Your Drumming http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2013/05/07/v-drums-friend-jam/ http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2013/05/07/v-drums-friend-jam/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 08:00:13 +0000 Richard Katz http://www.rolandus.com/blog/?p=4479  Have You Tried V-Drums Friend Jam?

First, a bit of a disclaimer and a short story. I work for Roland as a sales rep and have been playing electronic drums since 1994. I was first introduced to V-Drums Friend Jam in Los Angeles at a Roland sales and product meeting. Steve Fisher, V-Drums innovator and drummer extraordinaire, showed us this innovative drumming program, which was already fairly popular in Japan. I immediately wanted to try it, so I jumped right in. After it was over, a number came up, something in the 600s. “What is that?” I asked. Steve said, “You’re ranked 600.” “600 what?” I asked. “600th best drummer,” said Steve. “Out of how many?” I asked. “Oh, I dunno, a couple thousand.” That’s all I needed to hear to light up my competitive chops.

V-Drums Friend Jam for Kids

In my experience, drummers are obsessed with two things: drumming and other drummers. We learn from other drummers, and we always want to get better. Every drummer wants to get better, but how do you know you’re improving? That’s where V-Drums Friend Jam can help. Not only does it shell out immediate feedback about areas of improvement, the program also monitors your workout time and progress. The thrill for me is when my score is posted, and I can see where I rank against other Friend Jam players worldwide.

V-Drums Friend Jam Explained…

Friend Jam is a free download program for Mac, PC or iPhone that analyzes your drumming while you play to your MP3s or included songs. The program is compatible with all V-Drum kits and measures your playing in five key areas of drumming: Kick, Beat, Stamina, Technique and Variation. Each area has a weight of 120 points for a total of 600 points. Your drumming score is automatically published on the V-Drums Friend Jam website via your Twitter account. See additional V-Drums Friend Jam features.

Become a Better Drummer…

Friend Jam makes you a better drummer by measuring you against the program and other drummers. Friend Jam is not a video game, even though it has cool graphics of your playing in real-time. It’s your own personal drum trainer. One of the most interesting things about Friend Jam is how it stretches your abilities by getting you out of your comfort zone. For example, if you’re a Rock player, try the Jazz Songs. If you’re a Pop style player, try the World Songs.

So there you have it. Now you know what Friend Jam is, who’s is playing it and how to join in the fun. If you already play Friend Jam, or if you have questions, I want to hear from you. My Friend Jam user name and Twitter handle is @RolandSFlorida or drop me a comment below.

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]]> http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2013/05/07/v-drums-friend-jam/feed/ 1 Roland On Stage with American Idol http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2013/03/27/roland-on-stage-with-american-idol/ http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2013/03/27/roland-on-stage-with-american-idol/#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:12:36 +0000 Jim Bybee [Roland US] http://www.rolandus.com/blog/?p=2570 Rex Hardy and Russell Graham on American Idol

Rex Hardy Jr. and Russell Graham of American Idol

American Idol season 12 is underway with a new slate of contestants vying to reach the top spot and international stardom. Led by music director Ray Chew, the American Idol house band backs up every performer on live television, covering an enormous range of musical styles to perfection throughout the year. Working without a net before TV audiences of 20 million and beyond is a pressure-packed gig, for sure. To help get their jobs done, keyboardist Russell Graham and drummer Rex Hardy Jr. rely on Roland instruments to instantly deliver the top-level sounds and versatility they need every time, without fail.

In his duties as second keyboardist on American Idol, Russell Graham uses two JUPITER-80 synthesizers, plus a VP-770 Vocal & Ensemble Keyboard for vocoder sounds. “Over the course of the past year I’ve come to lean very heavily on the JUPITERs, not only for their sound quality and sonic richness, but also for the speed of programming,” he says. “I find the touchscreen navigation to be extremely intuitive and well thought out. I can do simple tweaks quickly, or I can go a few levels deeper and really get ‘under the hood’ of the sound.”

Russell Graham playing the Roland JUPITER-80 on American Idol

The impressive sounds that Russell achieves with his Roland rig are regularly noticed at rehearsals and on the set. “Without fail, every time we begin the rehearsal process for a TV show or live artist performance, someone asks me what these keyboards are and how I’m getting the sounds I’m getting,” he relates. Russell appreciates the great versatility of his Roland keyboards, and also their ability to achieve unique sounds. “As general-usage keyboards, the JUPITERs and the VP hold their own against anything else out there,” he says. “But aside from that, I’d say it’s about once a week that I do something keyboard-wise that simply wouldn’t have been possible with any other keyboard currently available.”

Drummer Rex Hardy Jr. employs the flagship TD-30KV V-Pro Series V-Drums set while working on American Idol. In addition to its great feel, he loves the ability to have quick and easy access to an incredible variety of drum and percussion sounds. “Using the Roland TD-30 gave me more versatility with sounds,” he says. “Considering we play so many different styles of music on American Idol, the TD-30 allows me to explore all types of sounds and feels that make each song sound authentic.”

Rex Hardy Jr and his TD-30KV V-Pro Series V-Drums on American Idol

Rex has expanded his TD-30KV with an additional PD-108-BC V-Pad for a side snare, plus a PDX-8 V-Pad for even more triggering options. “I have three to four main kits that I’ve set up to fit what we normally do on American Idol,” he says. “There are a few times where I may have to set up an ‘80s rock kit or an electronic disco kit, depending on the songs week to week. Being able to have options is amazing! When the kit is going through the house mains, it sounds killer.” Rex also plays an SPD-SX Sampling Pad, which he loads up with custom drum loops and auxiliary sounds that he triggers for song intros and other applications.

Rex Hardy's TD-30KV-Set on American Idol

With his success using V-Drums, Rex readily encourages drummers to discover their many benefits. “Other pro players should definitely get into the TD-30 because it’s limitless,” he relates. “There is nothing you can’t do with this kit. I even implement it within my acoustic setups as well. The sounds are amazing, and you can tweak them to what you feel works. My advice is to try it and see what you think—you’ll love it.”

Russell is equally enthusiastic in recommending Roland gear to other keyboardists. “Playability, sound quality, versatility, reliability. They sound great, they play great,” he says. “Especially in TV situations, where deadlines are tight and everything is moving fast, they can be programmed and edited very, very quickly.”

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]]> http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2013/03/27/roland-on-stage-with-american-idol/feed/ 0 Learn to Play Electronic Drums http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2013/02/20/get-schooled-in-v-drums/ http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2013/02/20/get-schooled-in-v-drums/#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:03:36 +0000 Robin Kelly [Roland US] http://www.rolandus.com/blog/?p=1570 V-Drums Lessons

Get Schooled in V-Drums!

There are over 50 video V-Drums lessons available for you to learn and improve your drumming technique. Choose by demonstrator, playing style or even V-Drum kit.

You can start by taking a lesson on single paradiddles and then jump to “Texas” Blues shuffle. You learn at your pace and you choose the courses! Here’s the best part, these lessons are completely free. Owners of the  Handsonic-10 or Handsonic-15 can also participate as there are dedicated V-Drums lessons for you too!

Lessons by artist and clinician include:

Drum kits featured:

Drumming style and categories:

  • Latin/World
  • Jazz/Swing
  • Rock
  • Funk/R&B
  • Beginner
  • Rudiments
  • Hand Percussion
  • Double Bass

Here is the first video of the series featuring Johnny Rabb.

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