Most bands can only dream of having one hit single or a hot-selling album. Only a lucky few are able to accomplish that, and fewer still are able to follow up their initial success with another hit song or record. Rarer still are bands that maintain their popularity year after year after year.

Chicago is a supreme success story. With 30 years behind them, and a new album fittingly called XXX in stores, the band continues to tour the world and fill venues. Musically they are the tightest they’ve ever been, and much of that credit goes to their rock-solid drumming anchor, Tris Imboden.

Tris Imboden has been the rhythmic force of Chicago for 16 years. Before joining the supergroup, he was already well established as a member of the Kenny Loggins Band. Tris was, and still is, a “drummer’s drummer” who can do it all, yet he also knows how to unselfishly lay low when needed, and play exactly what each song requires.

Tris has been a long-time studio user of Roland V-Drums. When he paid Roland US a visit recently, here’s what he told us about his experiences using the world’s most popular electronic drums.

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When you first got into V-Drums, was it your intention to use them as an acoustic-kit replacement or more for non-acoustic sounds, such as electronics and effects?

I got my first set of V-Drums seven or eight years ago, and my initial attraction to it was for “outside” sounds. But as I started experimenting with them, I was just in awe of how close the acoustic-drum sounds were to the real thing. They were virtually indiscernible from acoustic-drum sounds, so I became infatuated with that whole concept. Since then, in recent years, I’ve used V-Drums in recording situations where I would have been using acoustic drums, particularly in home-recording situations where tracking a live acoustic drum set was out of the question.

What was it about the V-Drums that attracted you to them versus other electronic drum kits on the market?

I can’t say enough about the V-Drums’ COSM technology — being able to choose shell material, shell depth, head selection, mic selection, and mic position — is just fantastic.

Drummers have welcomed the V-Drums’ tunable mesh heads and responsive, positional triggering as well.

Absolutely. The response, the sensitivity of the heads, and the ability to play with brushes is just incredible.

You started with an early generation V-Drum kit. Now you’ve upgraded to the TD-20S V-Pro set. What differences have you noticed since upgrading?

The biggest thing I’ve noticed are the cymbals — not just the improved cymbal sounds, but also the responsiveness and the feel of the hi-hat. That’s such a big upgrade. The original was cool, but this [V-Hi-Hat] feels and actually looks like a real hi-hat. Now I can do sweeps with my foot, splashes, and other techniques, and I absolutely love it.

You use V-Drums in the studio, but are you planning to incorporate them into your live set with Chicago as well?

I’ve been pondering it, because I love the sequences inside the TD-20, particularly the montunos, which are great to solo over. I love Latin music, so I’ve been pondering that as a way to spice up my drum solos.

You’ve been a proponent of electronic percussion for many years.

Indeed, I’ve been using electronic percussion for a long time, dating back to the original Simmons-5 kit. Songs like “Footloose” and “Forever” by Kenny Loggins … that was me playing the Simmons-5. I was working with David Foster and Humberto Gatica a lot in those days, and Humberto was the “King of the Simmons.” He wouldn’t even let me touch the brain; he’d have it up on top of the mixing console [laughs]. So, long story short, I’ve been using electronics for many years. And the difference now is remarkable. With the Roland gear you actually have dynamics, you have the feel of a drum breathing when you play it. The positional triggering, where the timbre and the pitch change depending on where you hit the head is just tremendous, not to mention the ability to play buzz rolls, grace notes, and all the little “sauce” that you need. The palette with which to paint from has expanded so much.

In addition to your ongoing work with Chicago, what other musical projects have you been working on lately?

I live on the north shore of Kauai [Hawaii], and I record regularly with a number of people. The greatest thing has happened … there’s a burgeoning recording scene happening on the island of Kauai. So I’ve been doing project after project. I’ve had the honor of working with Todd Rundgren, who lives there. Donald Fagan was there last year finishing his solo album, and I did a live gig with him, which was just a blast.

Tell us about your work with Chicago.

I’ve been with Chicago for 16 years now, which is hard to believe. It’s such an incredible band with such an amazing musical legacy … I’m so proud to be a part of it.

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Keep track of Tris and Chicago online at www.chicagotheband.com.