The V-Drums Advantage: Innovation & Value
Roland has been designing groundbreaking electronic percussion products for decades. With the introduction of V-Drums in 1997, a new era of electronic percussion was born. By combining innovative technologies with the dynamic playing experience that drummers expect, Roland V-Drums have become the standard by which all other electronic drum kits are measured.
Here is an overview of the superior technologies and playability you’ll experience with Roland V-Drums.
Why Electronic Drums?
A look into the unique benefits provided by electronic drum sets and percussion, especially Roland’s V-Drums.
Quick Access to a Wide Variety of Sounds
Electronic drum kits allow you to change the sound of your drum kit with a touch of a button. Studio-quality acoustic kits, huge arena rock kits, world and orchestral percussion, electronic and techno kits, funky hip-hop kits, and more, are all immediately accessible. With hundreds of drum, percussion, and effects sounds at your fingertips, an electronic kit will let you play authentic sounds in wide variety of musical styles.
Volume Control
One of the main challenges with acoustic drums, cymbals, and percussion is the extreme volume levels these instruments can produce. An electronic drum kit’s drum and cymbal pads make very little acoustic noise when played, and the volume of the sounds can be easily controlled with the volume knob. This makes electronic kits a great choice for small stages, churches, or anywhere stage volume may be a problem. At home, the sound can be monitored with headphones making late-night and apartment drumming practical. And for recording enthusiasts, electronic drums make it easy to achieve professional sounding tracks by eliminating the need for multiple microphones and preamplifiers.
Practicing, Play-along, and Recording
Roland electronic drum sets include valuable practice, play-along and recording tools. All models feature a built-in metronome with adjustable tempo, and an input jack for connecting an MP3 or CD player so you can jam with your favorite songs. Some also include Roland’s Rhythm Coach®, a unique tool that helps improve your drumming skills with challenging exercises and drills, then provides feedback on your performance to help you improve. With some models, you can explore different drumming styles by playing along with onboard songs and musical patterns, and record and playback your drumming performances with easy-to-use recording features.
MIDI
You can also expand your sound palette and recording capabilities by connecting your electronic drum set to computers and software, external sound modules, samplers and other electronic musical instruments via MIDI. MIDI is the worldwide standard for connecting electronic musical instruments and computers.
Familiar Playing Feel
You’ll experience a great acoustic drum feel when playing Roland V-Drums, and all your acoustic drumming techniques translate seamlessly to V-Drums, from rim shots on the snare to grabbing a cymbal to choke its sound. Even nuanced techniques such as buzz and press rolls, brush play, hi-hat heel splashes, and more are easily performed on virtually all Roland electronic drum sets.
Take the V-Drums Challenge
We invite you to play Roland's V-Drums. Compare the feel, responsiveness, and sound quality to other brands of electronic drum sets. We're confident that you'll agree that Roland makes the finest electronic drums and percussion available. PERIOD.
Patented Multi-Layer Mesh Heads
Roland’s mesh heads accurately reproduce your drumming techniques with outstanding responsiveness and sensitivity, and are easily adjustable to fit your individual playing style. This unique multi-layer design is only available on Roland V-Drums. Watch the Mesh Head Advantage intro.
A Quiet Innovation
The unique design of the V-Drums’ mesh heads results in a drumhead that produces very little acoustic noise when struck. (The same is true when you play rim shots on the V-Drums’ rubber-coated rims.) This gives you a tremendous advantage in venues where the sound level of acoustic drums is an issue. With V-Drums, you can play with all the intensity you like, yet easily control the sound level with a twist of the volume knob. And for those late-night practice and recording sessions, just plug in a set of headphones. Watch the Video
Superior Playing Feel
You’ll experience a great acoustic drum feel when playing Roland V-Drums. Roland’s patented multi-layer mesh drumheads play and react similarly to the drumheads on acoustic drums. Designed to respond to the subtle nuances of your playing, they ensure that your drumming techniques are accurately reproduced. The multi-layer mesh head design allows a much wider tension range than single-layer mesh heads, so you can easily tension the heads for exactly the right feel to fit your playing style with a standard drum key. Watch the Video
Quality & Durability
Roland products are known for quality and durability and Roland multi-layer mesh heads are no exception. Designed to respond to the subtleties of your playing, Roland’s mesh heads are also extremely durable and can handle even the most aggressive drumming. Watch the Video
Take the V-Drums Challenge
We invite you to play Roland's V-Drums. Compare the feel, responsiveness, and sound quality to other brands of electronic drum sets. We're confident that you'll agree that Roland makes the finest electronic drums and percussion available. PERIOD.
Expressive Sounds
Roland has been on the forefront of cutting edge drum and percussion sounds for decades. With V-Drums, these sounds respond to the drummer’s playing techniques just like acoustic drums:
Dynamic Expression
Of course, Roland drum and percussion sounds change in volume when struck with increased strength, but like an acoustic instrument, they also change tonal characteristics. Take an acoustic crash cymbal, for example: as the cymbal is struck harder, not only does the volume increase, but the tone of the sound changes as well. On most models, the cymbal pads can also be “choked” by squeezing the lower edge of the cymbal pad after is struck, letting you instantly mute the cymbal sound just as you would by choking an acoustic cymbal. Watch the Video
Expressive Hi-Hat Control
Every V-Drums drum set includes the most expressive hi-hat control available, and gives you all the subtle tone colors an acoustic hi-hat. Not just open and closed - but all sound variations in between as you move the hi-hat pedal while playing the pad. Even hi-hat heel splashes are accurately reproduced. Watch the Video
Positional Sensing
Advanced TD-series sound modules feature Positional Sensing for acoustic like response and dynamics: the tonality of the sound changes depending on where the drum pad is struck. Playing the snare from near the rim toward the center produces a smooth natural change in tone. Playing the ride cymbal across its surface, moving toward or away from the bell, also produces those subtle cymbal tonal changes. Watch the Video
Interval Control
Advanced TD-series sound modules also incorporate Interval Control. From a sharp snare back beat to a rapid double-stroke, to a blazing buzz roll, Interval Control allows for a seamless sonic response as you play faster, without the staccato, “machine-gunning” style repetition of early drum machines. Play a dramatic cymbal crash and smoothly transition into a sustained cymbal swell with acoustic-like response and dynamics. Watch the Video
Take the V-Drums Challenge
We invite you to play Roland's V-Drums. Compare the feel, responsiveness, and sound quality to other brands of electronic drum sets. We're confident that you'll agree that Roland makes the finest electronic drums and percussion available. PERIOD.
Easy Icon-Based Editing
Customizing sounds is simple and easy with the V-Drums’ intuitive icon-based editing. Instead of complicated parameters, you can intuitively modify sounds by changing shell materials, drum shell depths, drumhead types, and more with ease. With pictures to guide you, adjust a drum’s tuning, add or subtract muffling, modify room ambience, and more. This uncomplicated interface makes customizing your drum kits quick, rewarding, and fun, and only Roland V-Drums have it. Watch the Video
Practice Companion
All Roland V-Drum modules include headphone jacks for quiet practice, a metronome with adjustable tempo, and a mix-input jack for connecting an external audio source (like an MP3 or CD player) so you can jam with your favorite songs.
Some also include Roland’s Rhythm Coach® features that helps improve your drumming skills with intuitive and challenging exercises, and provides feedback on your performance to help you improve.
With other modules, you can explore different drumming styles by playing along with onboard songs and musical patterns, and check your progress with built-in recording features. You can also expand your recording capabilities and sound palette by connecting V-Drums to home computers, external sound modules, samplers and other electronic musical instruments.
Rugged and Reliable
Roland is known for designing products that are not only innovative, but also rugged and reliable. Whether on the stage, in the studio, in the rehearsal room, classroom, or church, Roland V-Drums are built for long life and dependability.
Award-Winning Support
Roland’s free technical support—the best in the music industry—is just a phone call away. Whether you want to discuss with an expert before you buy, or need assistance with a brand new instrument or your favorite classic, Roland’s team of friendly specialists is ready to help. Another great resource is our website, www.RolandUS.com. Available 24/7, you can view product demos, instructional videos, and specs, and download owner’s manuals, software updates, and more.
Take the V-Drums Challenge
We invite you to play Roland's V-Drums. Compare the feel, responsiveness, and sound quality to other brands of electronic drum sets. We're confident that you'll agree that Roland makes the finest electronic drums and percussion available. PERIOD.
