Tag: roland

Industry

Roland to open store in Tokyo

Roland Corporation will open a retail outlet in Japan, Roland Store Tokyo, in October. This follows the opening of the music giant’s first “immersive retail space” in London last year. The three-story Roland Store Tokyo will be stocked with Roland’s latest electronic musical instruments and staffed by knowledgeable and experienced Roland product specialists. The first floor will showcase a variety of synthesizers, digital wind instruments, Roland Cloud and DJ-related products, instrument accessories, Roland apparel and more. The second floor will offer a more relaxed atmosphere, with an assortment of Roland’s digital pianos, while the basement level will include a mix of Roland V-Drums kits and BOSS brand products. Located in bustling Harajuku, a trendy scene for fashion, art, music and […]

Gear

10 Tips for buying used electronic drums

When it comes to purchasing electronic drums, used equipment can be a great option. Not only does it provide an opportunity to save money, second-hand gear is also a ‘green’ alternative in the increasingly popular circular economy, extending the use and life of instruments that might otherwise clutter attics or end up in landfill. Used gear also allows drummers to explore a wide range of models and brands that may be discontinued or hard to find in new condition. However, buying used electronic drums requires some careful consideration to ensure a successful and satisfying purchase. In this article, we present 10 expert tips to help you navigate the used market and find the perfect electronic drum set. 1. Set a […]

Performance

How I use e-drums: Xavier Rudd

Australian multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Xavier Rudd recently toured Europe and Australia, performing songs from his latest album Jan Juc Moon. The album came out of the COVID silence, but he had planned to take a year off anyway. “I had a chance to reset and change a few things around, to reassess where I was at, musically and practically. I’ve been able to experiment with some new ideas and new sounds,” he says. While Rudd appears solo on stage in the show and could simply bang out songs on acoustic guitar, he wanted to deliver a full performance – and that means guitar, keyboard, harmonica, digeridoo and, of course, percussion, according to stage tech Aaron Griffin. “We’ve been using a Roland […]

Performance

How I use e-drums: Nick Roberts

Solo musician Nick Roberts uses electronics to layer virtual instruments over the drum kit. I use the stage name Chordsplitter for my solo performances of songs in which I layer up virtual instruments all over the drum kit and sing along to produce synthy soft-rock music. My arrangements feature overdriven guitar chords on the crash cymbals, washy sustained synth arpeggios on the ride, staccato synth chords on the hi-hats, rubbery synth bass on the kick and a whole manner of different instruments/textures across the snare and toms. These are all combined with my vocals, vocoders and harmonisers while I drum live. I am part of that cult-like community of Sensory Percussion drummers. What drew me to the technology was the […]

Performance

Another Roland Super Bowl

The annual Super Bowl halftime show is always a great showcase for Roland electronic drums, and this year’s performance by Mike Reid, drumming for Rihanna, was no different. Reid’s rig included Roland’s new SPD-SX PRO sample multipad, three RT-30H triggers, two RT-30 kick triggers, four PD-8 pads and a KT-10 kick pedal. No stranger to success, Reid has been on tour with Rihanna, as well as several top-tier artists, like Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Demi Lovato and more. Reid’s Instagram post about the halftime show said simply: “Surreal”. In 2021, Canadian drummer Ricky Lewis used a Roland TD-50 module, a Roland SPD-SX and some Roland pads, alongside a couple of Simmons pads in his performance with The Weeknd at Super […]

Gear

New Roland headphones

Roland has teamed up with V-MODA for its latest headphone offering, the VMH-D1 V-Drums Headphones. The collaboration marks a departure from the previous flagship V-Drums headphones, the RH300V, which were in fact rebranded Ultrasone HFI-780s. Roland claims the headphones are purpose-built for the electronic drumming experience. The design includes custom 50 mm drivers offering a wide frequency range. According to Roland, “custom tuning immerses you in high-impact sound, connecting you with the drums as no standard music headphones can”. Features include large memory foam ear-pads and a cushioned headband for extra comfort, extra-long 3 m/10 cables and a special restraint at the back of the headphones to route the cable behind your head and onto the floor behind your drum […]

Industry

Roland history documented

I’ve seen my name in print thousands of times, but for some reason, it was a thrill to see it in a hard-cover book marking Roland’s 50th anniversary – even though I had to look very hard. The book, Inspire The Music: 50 Years of Roland History, includes my 2021 article about the use of electronic percussion in Drummer Queens which made its world debut in Melbourne, Australia. In case you missed it, the theatrical presentation is the creation of Australian drummer Joe Accaria and features eight multifaceted female musicians and heaps of Roland e-drum gear. But this is not an article about me, it’s about the anniversary book. How do you cover 50 years of history about a leader in the […]

Gear

Roland launches new entry-level kits

Roland has replaced the entry-level TD-1 kit with a new TD-02 line consisting of a TD-02K and TD-02KV kit. The sets are powered by a new TD-02 sound module with 16 kits and Roland’s Coach functions to help build and maintain skills. An optional BOSS Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor provides cable-free communication with mobile devices and computers to wirelessly stream music to the module and send data to music production apps. The TD-02K comes with a three-post stand with adjustable height, while the TD-02KV comes with a four-post stand with wider acoustic-style pad spacing. The ‘smaller’ kit consists of four PD-4 drum pads, three CY-5 cymbals, and a FD-1 hi-hat pedal and a KT-1 kick. In the bigger kit, […]

Gear

Roland updates TD-17/TD-27 software

The software enhancements included in Roland’s updated TD-17 and TD-27 kits are now available as updates for existing Version 1 owners. The updates bring trigger compatibility with Roland’s newest pads and cymbals as well as new sounds – and more sound-shaping tools and expanded ambience options. The TD-27 module gets 10 additional preset kits and newly enhanced versions of the three most popular kits from the original release. New pre-loaded samples are also available for combining with preset kits or your own custom set-ups. Layering features have been expanded, while parallel compression options iand transient shaping enhancements provide even greater sound control. The module interface has also been improved for even faster sound selection and drum customisation. The Version 2 […]

Industry

Roland wins patent action against Alesis

Roland has won a legal action against Alesis parent company inMusic over infringement of its patents. A Roland statement says judgment was rendered in its favour by the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida in the lawsuit which Roland filed against inMusic Brands, Inc. Roland filed a patent infringement lawsuit against inMusic in 2016 in the Federal Court for the Central District of California. The case was later transferred to the Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida. Roland alleged that electronic drums and electronic cymbals sold by inMusic under the Alesis brand in the United States infringed several Roland patents. It is understood the action was prompted by Alesis’ launch of its Strike Pro kit. […]