drums

March 31, 2016

Roland and BOSS at Southwest Invasion

Jim Bybee [Roland US] Artists AIRA, Austin, BOSS effects, drums, EC-10, EL Cajon, Gingger Shankar, guitar, Jamie Kent, keyboards, MSTRKRFT, pedals, Piano, South by Southwest, Stompbox, SXSW, Talib Kweli, The Heirs, TR-808, TR-909, vocals

VIP Green Room and Jam Space at SXSW in Austin

SXSW-Marquee

Roland and BOSS had a fantastic time at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, where we partnered with Quantum Collective to host a VIP green room tent and jam space for performers during the 5th Annual Southwest Invasion live music event. Taking place over three days, the event featured performances by great artists like Talib Kweli, Gingger Shankar, Jamie Kent, Third Eye Blind, and many others. Before and after their sets, all the performers hung out at the private Roland/BOSS VIP lounge, talking about music and checking out our latest gear, including new BOSS effects, Roland AIRA instruments, and the ELCajon EC-10.

January 19, 2016

New Roland Accessories Lineup Launched

Jim Bybee [Roland US] Product News accessories, AIRA, bag, barstool, BOSS bar stool, cable, cables, clip light, cover, drums, guitar, guitar cable, instrument cable, keyboard stands, keyboards, LED light, light, mic cable, microphone, MIDI cables, Piano, recording, Roland bar stool, Roland drum mat, stand, vocals

Premium Cables, Bags, and More

Marquee_Accessories

Roland has just introduced an all-new line of premium music accessories available through authorized dealers. The initial Roland Accessories launch presents more than 100 different products, including audio and MIDI cables, keyboard carrying bags, lifestyle gear, and more. All the accessories carry the official Roland brand, and many more selections will be added over the coming months.

April 29, 2015

Five Reasons Why the Roland TD-1K is the Ultimate Electronic Drum Kit For Beginners

Jim Bybee [Roland US] Tips & Tricks acoustic drums, beginner, drum pads, drums, entry-level, TD-1K, V-Drums

The Best Value in Entry-Level Electronic Drums

Roland TD-1K V-Drums.

Authors: Jim Bybee, Roland UK Features Team

Have you always wanted to play the drums, but haven’t taken the plunge yet because of concerns about noise, setup space, or cost? If so, you should really reconsider—the recently released Roland TD-1K makes getting into drumming practical, cost-effective, and most of all, fun. As the new entry-level member of the mighty V-Drums lineup, this kit punches well above its price tag to put aspiring drummers of every age behind a serious instrument that will last through years of playing.

Want to know more? Consider these five great reasons why the TD-1K is the very best choice to get you started with drumming.

April 15, 2015

New Products: TD-25KV and TD-25K V-Drums Sets

Jim Bybee [Roland US] Product News Behavior Modeling, drums, mesh-head, SuperNATURAL, TD-30, V-Drums, V-Hi-Hat

Impressive Mid-Level Kits with High-End Sound and Playability

Roland TD-25KV V-Drums in action.

With their unrivaled sound quality, playability, and expressiveness, Roland’s top-of-the-line TD-30 V-Drums are the number one choice of pro players around the world. Now, with the introduction of the new TD-25KV and TD-25K V-Drums sets, drummers can access the acclaimed benefits of high-end V-Drums at a more affordable price point. Featuring the newly developed TD-25 Sound Module, a full compliment of mesh-head pads, and easy sound customization, the TD-25KV and TD-25K are perfect for serious players who want to take their electronic percussion to the next level.

November 4, 2014

Percussionist Pete Korpela Looping on the OCTAPAD

Jim Bybee [Roland US] Artists, Tips & Tricks drums, electronics, Josh Groban, looping, Octapad, pad, Percussion, Sampling, SPD-30 0 Comments

Video Demo: How to Use the SPD-30’s Onboard Phrase Looper

Pete Korpela on stage with Roland’s OCTAPAD SPD-30.

Percussionist Pete Korpela seems to be everywhere these days, heavily in demand as a touring sideman and studio session player with artists like Josh Groban, Robbie Williams, and Melody Gardot, to name a few. At the center of his percussion setup is Roland’s OCTAPAD SPD-30, which plays an important role alongside his large selection of traditional acoustic instruments. Pete visited the Roland AR office a few months back for an in-depth discussion about how he uses the OCTAPAD on stage and in the studio. While he was here, we also captured a great video of the percussionist demoing the OCTAPAD’s built-in looping function—check it out below.

September 2, 2014

New Product: Roland TD-1K V-Drums

Jim Bybee [Roland US] Product News drums, entry-level, practice, student, V-Drums 1 Comment

V-Drums Playability and Education Features in an Affordable Entry-Level Kit

Roland TD-1K V-Drums.

Pros, educators, and drum fans everywhere agree—Roland’s V-Drums are second to none in the world of electronic percussion. They sound great, they’re built to last, and they feel great to play, with a musical response that fully supports authentic acoustic playing techniques. Now, the newest member of the respected V-Drums family has substantially raised the bar for entry-level drum sets. Offering true V-Drums quality at an incredible price, the TD-1K brings an all-new level of playability and performance to beginning players, students, and home-based drummers everywhere. More

August 20, 2014

Adjusting Pad Sensitivity for TD-15 V-Drums

Drew Armentrout [Roland US] Tips & Tricks drums, TD-15K, TD-15KV, V-Drums 1 Comment

Customize V-Drums to Your Drumming Style

All drummers play drums differently. Some play soft, others play hard. Using different dynamic levels while playing can not only distinguish a drummer’s style, but also has an immediate and audible result on the sound that is produced. Adjusting the sensitivity of electronic drum pads allows you to customize them to fit your particular playing style. For example, if you’re mainly a soft player, then you may want to increase the sensitivity, so the lighter taps trigger more easily. The reverse is also true, by lowering the value you will decrease the sensitivity of the pad. Adjusting the sensitivity is not the same as adjusting the head tension, but rather how the sound module receives and translates information from the pads. In other words, increasing the sensitivity will make softer strokes louder, and decreasing the sensitivity will require a stronger stroke to produce accurate triggering from the pads. Adjusting pad sensitivity is a feature on the TD-15 and other Roland Drum and Percussion Sound Modules.

Find a V-Drums Dealer

July 29, 2014

Nate Morton: My TR-8 Setup for The Voice

Drew Armentrout [Roland US] Artists, Tips & Tricks ACB, AIRA, drums, MIDI, Nate Mortone, NBC, The Voice, TR-8, V-Drums 4 Comments

How to Trigger the TR-8 from Your Drumset

Nate Morton: My TR-8 Setup for The Voice

Nate Morton’s hybrid kit for The Voice includes acoustic drums, V-Drums and a TR-8

EDM has definitely become part of the pop musical lexicon and is the backbeat to much of today’s music. So much so, that I recently received a call from Nate Morton, the drummer for NBC’s The Voice, who told me that more and more contestants where competing with EDM tracks. As a result, Nate was looking for a convenient way to be able to add EDM sounds alongside his acoustic rig. Nate, and his drum tech, Steve Morrison (of Drum Tech Services) had brought an original TR-808 into rehearsals, and were determined to integrate these classic sounds. Because space was an issue, along with needing the most realistic 808 sounds possible that could be triggered by MIDI, we decided to experiment with a TD-15K V-Drums Kit, triggering an AIRA TR-8 Rhythm Composer. What we discovered was that the AIRA engineers had not let us down, enabling the TR-8 to easily integrate as a sound module for V-Drums. For V-Drums enthusiasts, adding a TR-8 to your rig is easy, inexpensive and gives an edge to your sound that you won’t find anywhere else.

Nate Morton TR-8 Setup Step-by-Step PDF

June 26, 2014

Play Anything with Your Drum Set, Anything…

OV Valle [Roland US] Contests, Tips & Tricks drums, recording, TD-4KP, V-Drums 0 Comments

Mickey Hart Plays the Sounds of Outer Space

Play Anything with Your Drum Set, Anything…

If we said that you could play the sounds of outer space with your drum set, would you believe us? We had a hard time believing it ourselves, but that’s exactly what Mickey Hart did at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival with Skrillex. Actually, Mickey plays the sounds of the universe all the time through RAMU (Random Access Musical Universe). RAMU is Mickey’s personal sound library that he’s collected over decades. It includes rare and unique percussion instruments from around the world, historical sound bites, speeches, and the sounds of planets. According to Mickey, the planetary sound vibrations are captured from radio satellites, which he then treats for “sonification” to be playable music tones in Ableton Live. Technically, RAMU could be triggered from any MIDI device, however the V-Drums make the articulation of real drumming possible.

April 8, 2014

Make the Perfect Kit with Drum Effects

Drew Armentrout [Roland US] Tips & Tricks drums, Octapad, Percussion, Sample Pad, sound module, SPD-30, SPD-SX, TD-30 4 Comments

Apply These Rules to V-Drums, Percussion Pads, & Sample Pads

Drum Effects on the TD-30 Sound Module

Author: Roland UK Features Team

A drummer’s sound is not just down to the tone of the drum itself. By using the built-in drum effects, it’s possible to just about recreate any drum sound you like and perform it with V-Drums.

Think of your favorite drummer. Now think of a favorite track (or album) they performed on, one that you know well. When you listen back to that track, it’s different to other tracks or albums they performed on, right? Sure, the drummer’s style, groove, and playing ability all define their sound – but that’s not what we’re discussing here. Part of the drum sound on that track is down to the actual kit they used, where it was recorded, how and even when they recorded it. More

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