Roland drum kits have been the envy of the electronic drums world for many years now. Every drums player aspires to have a drums kit of their own, but there are two main obstacles on their way: first one is that, most of them are not very affordable and the next one is that, there is no space to put them. Well, Roland has now come up trumps on both counts with the new Roland HD 1 compact electronic drum kit. It is safe to say that HD-1, the latest addition to Roland’s range, truly is the first of its kind. Being dubbed as the V-Drum Lite, this kit has been specifically designed to be simple, compact and stylish while still maintaining the high end performance of the rest of the V-Drums range. Read on to find all the extras about the kit.
Design:
Smart and Compact:
Roland has shown that looks can be deceiving by packing a powerful punch in a space saving drum kit. The complete kit is small, but sounds quite impressive. The compact style of the kit and the abundance of its features make it just the perfect choice for schools, home use and even studios. The innovative design also makes the kit easy to be transported and also offers a much cleaner look, no matter where it is played. From the diminutive little module sited atop the compact silver rack to the pod-like pedal housings, there is clear evidence of some heavy-duty design having been brought to bear on the new kit. And while it might be Lite in nature, the HD-1 is no flimsy toy. In fact its solidity is one of the most remarkable things about it. Though it is not as stable as a full TD-20 rig, the kit is heavy enough to put while playing, and the built quality is just sufficient to assuage any fears that it will only be good enough for some occasional tap around.
The Kit:
The HD-1 kit comes equipped with 10 drum kits, 10 patterns, and a metronome with various tempos, sounds, and volumes. The configuration includes a kick pedal, a snare, a hi-hat pedal, three toms, a crash, and a ride. Everything is controlled from a state-of-the-art control center that has five control buttons, a variation button, button for the metronome, a volume knob, and a tempo knob. The HD-1’s dedicated drum module is located right in the front with large backlit buttons that makes it easy to read and understand.
Installation:
The Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite Electronic Drum set can be played from day one. As it comes with an easy to understand owner’s manual, a set-up guide, and a DVD manual will make putting everything together a breeze. Since most of HD-1’s components are mounted on one stand, setting up is just so fast and easy. Hence, most of you will not have to follow the long instructions included with the drum kit. Just take the Roland HD-1 out and start playing. Once it is all in place, it provides a decent balance between compactness and playing space.
Instruction DVD:
The instructional DVD included is a very informative and it teaches you how to set up your HD-1 kit and even gives you tips and tricks on how to play the hit. Jonny Rabb, the world famous drum clinician who is also the owner of the world record for the most number of single snare strokes in a minute, introduces the Roland HD-1 from setting up, explanation of how it works and even gives you a quick drum lesson.
Features:
Roland’s V-Drum line, while consisting of hardware products, is very much a range built on the capabilities of seriously hi-tech software. The mesh head pads and sexy tubular racks of gear like the TD-12K and TD-20K are all well and good, but without the processing power of the software within, they would be a pretty but useless assemblage of rubber, nylon and metal.
Just quiet:
The Roland HD-1 is not just for adults, it is a great choice for the kids as well. The proud parents will be able to admire their kids from afar without sharing their new hobby too much. This electronic drums with low noise pads gives you total control of the volume. You are the one to set the maximum noise of the drums and turn them down if it is too loud. You just cannot imagine anything like this in an acoustic kit. Roland’s drum pads are award winning and are extremely comfortable to play. They are acoustically so quite that you will not be disturbing even the person in next room. The snare drum of the HD1 comes with mesh skin, which means it is so realistic to play with authentic bounce and recoil; this again is, far quieter than an acoustic snare drum.
Hi-hat and Pedals:
The hi-hat of Roland V-drums looks and feels more like a proper hat and as it sounds, the end result is that, you will have a much more realistic and enjoyable playing experience. Roland has got just everything perfect by designing even the pedals to be quiet. With a rubber base, the kick drum and hi-hat pedals do not actually touch the floor. This reduces both noise and vibration and even eliminates slide on wooden floors.
Play along:
You will be able to connect an iPod, or any portable music player for that matter to the HD-1. This allows you to jam along with your favourite songs. You will also be able to control the blend of your drumming with the music, which again, is one of the best and most ways to learn drumming. In addition to this, free play along tracks can also be downloaded from Roland’s V-Drums website.
No editing:
However, there is no editing as far as sounds go, what you are given is what you have got. In the main this is no great shame, because the sounds are very solid. But in some cases it would be useful to reduce reverb levels on the acoustic bass drums, or tune snares up for a tighter tone.
Sounds:
There are very few drums in the market that create realistic and expressive electronic drum sounds; Roland tops the list and its HD-1 Kids, Beginners Drum Kit is no exception. The kit is equipped with a dedicated drum module has a world class line-up of drum sounds for you to explore and enjoy.
Comfort:
Playing the HD-1 is a rather different experience than sitting behind a more normal-sized electronic kit. But it is in no way unpleasant or uncomfortable, quite the contrary: everything falls to hand easily and the fact that everything is slotted in close actually means you have to concentrate on accuracy rather than flailing all over the place. The tactile response of the playing surface is just excellent. Players who are already familiar with the V-Drum stuff so far will appreciate the forgiving nature of the snare pad, and the wrist saving softness of the cushioned rubber toms is welcome too.
Performance:
On the grounds of performance, you will find that the Roland’s HD-1 V-Drums Lite is just close to perfect if you are used to playing acoustic drums. The drum pads of Roland HD1 offers you a comfortable feel for all round playing and the rubber pads are so sensitive, that they respond to rim shots. The snare drum gives some great sound and both the drum heads and cymbals respond just fantastic to the adjustments. We appreciate the remarkable performance of the pedal system. Overall, we just feel that nobody creates more realistic and expressive electronic drum sounds than Roland; there are 10 kits at your disposal at the touch of a button, ranging from rock to pop to electronic.
Warranty:
Roland offers its HD-1 V-Drums Lite kit three years warranty.
Verdict:
Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite is one of the best Beginners Drums Kit in the market. To begin with, it has been made to cleverly fit into any corner of a room and the next is the price, we can say without any exaggeration that HD1 is Roland’s best priced electronics drums kit yet. Low price does not mean that they have skimped on the quality anywhere. You also get everything that you will need to simulate playing a 5 piece drum kit. If you are looking for a perfect drum kit for a beginning drummer or a portable drum kit for a seasoned pro the Roland HD-1 is the best bet. Roland’s awesome technology combined with their high-end design gives even affordable electronic drum kits power and great sound.
Roland HD-1 Electronic Drum Kit – Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer |
Roland |
| Model Name |
Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite |
| Model number |
HD-1 |
| Drums type |
Electronic drums kit |
| Colours available |
Black |
| Height Adjustable |
Yes |
| Kit Configuration |
Kick Pedal, Snare, Hi-Hat, Hi-Hat Pedal, Tom x 3, Crash, Ride |
| Controls |
Drum Kit button x 5, Variation button, Metronome button,
Volume knob, Tempo knob |
| Metronome |
Tempo (40–220), Sounds (3 types), Volume (3 levels) |
| Drum Kits |
10 |
| Patterns |
10 |
| Connectors |
Output jack (Stereo miniature phone type)
Headphone jack (Stereo miniature phone type)
Mix In jack (Stereo miniature phone type)
MIDI Out connector (5-pin DIN type)
Trigger Cable connector (DB-25 type) |
| Output Impedance |
Output jack: 100 ohms, Headphone jack: 100 ohms |
| Power Supply |
DC 9 V (AC Adaptor) |
| Box contents |
Owner’s Manual, Set-up Guide, Video Manual (DVD),
AC Adaptor (PSB-1U),
Trigger Cable (Prepositioned in Drum Stand), Drum Key,
Screwdriver, Screws for Sound Module x 4,
Screws for Foot Pipe x 4, Roland Sticker |
| Accessory options |
Personal Drum Monitor: PM-01, V-Drums Accessory Package: DAP-1, V-Drums Mat: TDM-1 |
| Warranty |
Three years |
