Another replacement screen option for Roland TD-12, TD-20 and TD-20X drum modules
UK online e-drums supplier Love Drums is the latest to offer replacement screens for Roland TD-12 and TD-20 modules.
Until recently, Love Drums, which sells used modules and drum pads as well as e-drum
accessories, was a reseller of the two replacement screen options which have been on the
market since 2021.
As reported by digitalDrummer, Roland TD-12 and TD-20 owners were increasingly frustrated as their LCD screens began to die. The display tended to dim and fade and eventually die completely.
Roland stopped supplying replacement screens and many owners had to resort to desoldering and resoldering troublesome displays in a last-ditch attempt to prolong the life of their modules.
All that changed four years ago when two tinkerers independently cracked the “TD-12/20 screen code” and produced reverse-engineered boards fitted with 21st century displays.
Both of these, Brazil’s Freedom Studios and American WotTech, are still available. The former has been heavily discounted ($149 including shipping), while WotTech displays are available from Blake’s Drum Shop on Reverb for $199 plus shipping.
Love Drums owner Mark Barker, not totally satisfied with the products he was supplying and keen to revive the original look of the displays, set about building his own, and the result, he claims, is “the only replacement display on the market that fits perfectly in all TD-12 and TD-20 modules with no modifications”.
The slick-looking board requires no washers, spacers, bezels, board filing, and “Unlike other aftermarket displays, our LCD is a faithful reproduction of Roland’s original, maintaining identical dimensions and functionality, while incorporating modern technology for enhanced reliability and stability,” he adds.
Speaking of reliability, Love Drums stands by its product, offering a three-year money-back
guarantee against manufacturing defects, valid when professionally installed.
But Barker stresses that the screens are suitable for DIY installation: “If you’re confident with basic electronics, self-installation is straightforward, with many customers having done so successfully,” he says.
The Love Drums screen sells for £115, or around US$170 plus shipping. And it comes with a “LD-TD12/20LCD Installed” sticker, “allowing you to showcase the upgrade on your module – great for adding value if you decide to sell”.