NEDD Roland V-Drums content

Legionreturns

Having been using my old Carlsboro kit for nearly a year, it's struggling to keep up with the daily routine of being chucked in the car, driven to various youth groups or schools, then bashed by teenagers before being folded up and chucked back in the car.

Those who came to the Huddersfield jam will attest that it sounds pretty good through my little PA, and still does. It's just that the frame isn't designed to cope with that much movement and abuse. So, I've cleaned it up, tightened and lubed all the connectors, and put it in the cupboard ready for it's next owner, who's collecting it from me at Quad next month. Hopefully, Ed won't abuse it as much as I have and it will enjoy retirement! 

For the upgrade, I'd been looking a while, but when Roland recently launched their new full mesh kit, added to the ever popular but reasonably priced TD1 brain, it was a significant step up that was a no brainer. 

So here it is, the Roland TD-1 DMK (double mesh kit). With a mapex kick pedal, as the other one is going with the kit. 



The quality of the components is mind blowing for a £600 kit. 

Here's a few pics before assembly.




Now built, which was very pleasing, and it's absolutely bomb proof compared to the V style frame on the old ones. Particularly good for me is having a kick pad mounted to the frame, meaning one less component to pack whilst transporting it about.






As for sounds, the TD1 is fantastic, the built in kits are great, especially through a decent speaker, but it also does Midi via USB so I can use it for recording using my own samples. 

Big step up, and with a 3 year warranty I feel like it should do me great for sessions. Still folds / strips down enough to be easy to transport. 

Legionreturns

These things are so good! Way closer to a full kit than I thought they'd be and some fantastic sounds. 

strumjoughlamps

I remember liking my V Drums but I really miss my Allesis DM10 module with large upgraded triple mesh heads. It was just too big for my space...

I currently have a Yammy kit which is pretty good, the sounds IMO are better than those I remember on the Roland but doesn’t feel as nice to play. It’s not horrible tho. 

DannyP

Mine only has the mesh snare, but I reckon I'll up grade the toms as and when budget allows.

Handsome_Chris

I saw Garbage the other week, I did not realise that Butch Vig was using a Roland kit until the end.  

I've quite fancy getting a Roland kit, but I've ordered another guitar instead.

Legionreturns

DannyP said:

Mine only has the mesh snare, but I reckon I'll up grade the toms as and when budget allows.

I think upgrading individual components is prohibitively expensive...probably by design so you just buy a new kit! To upgrade the cymbals on this was £120 per cymbal! 

I like the bigger snare, not overly bothered about having slightly smaller toms.

blobb

Roland mesh heads are ace, and they can take some punishment. If you have midi out it's well worth looking into something like superior drummer. One you've gone samples you can't go back.

Legionreturns

blobb said:

Roland mesh heads are ace, and they can take some punishment. If you have midi out it's well worth looking into something like superior drummer. One you've gone samples you can't go back.

It's mostly for out at my kids sessions, and will be plugged into the PA. 

For recording at home I've got some decent drum samples for midi 

uncledick

Has anyone found a way to fix the standard Roland Hi-Hat pedal issues?  TD6KV if it makes a difference.

bingefeller

Is it really quiet when you hit the actual snares, cymbals etc?  

Legionreturns

bingefeller said:

Is it really quiet when you hit the actual snares, cymbals etc?  

It's not *really* quiet...

Here's a clip where I'm just running into two small studio monitors, so you can just about here the sound of the actual pads. Mesh is definitely quieter than rubber, but there are still rubber cymbals.