Main advantage
When it comes to drum kits, one of the most important factors, the brain and the heart of the kit, is a performant sound module. This drum set delivers on that and comes with an engine capable of delivering high-quality sounds. It’s clear that Roland put their efforts into creating a powerful sound module.
This device comes with 15 different kits that you can choose from, and the instrument offers the user with many varied options. You get pop kits in the mix, but you can also select rock, techno, and even hip hop drum kits. You can even choose to play the bongo if you feel like so. If you feel that you are limited by these 15 kits (which you shouldn’t), you also have the option to download additional sounds using the USB port.
The metronome function should be a helpful tool for beginners while they learn to keep the tempo. This small detail showcases how the manufacturers take into consideration every small need of the user. But that is not the only reason why this kit is great for beginners; it also comes with a recording function that allows you to listen to yourself and have better practice sessions.
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Main disadvantage
Once again, the fact that this kit is constructed mainly for beginners is apparent, however, this time in the form of a disadvantage. Beginners won’t necessarily feel the harsh response that the pads have. This response is caused by the rubber pads placed on the snare, toms, and bass drums.
If you have played acoustic drum sets before you will feel the difference, and if you’re an experienced player, this difference can be frustrating. Of course, you can never get the true realistic feel in a set of electronic drums, but there are top-end models that manage to do that.
Main features explained
Great kit for learners
When you first start using this drum set you will not be accustomed to it, however, that will change quickly thanks to all the tools that it puts at your disposal to learn as fast as possible. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new drummer or you’re just looking to improve your technique, this set has everything you need to make learning a fun process.
From the built-in metronome to the unique Coach mode, the set has it all figured out. You also get some pre-set songs to help you learn in fun ways, and you also have the possibility of connecting your phone to it and then playing your favorite songs from there so you can drum with them.
It’s also important to mention that you can use all of these features discretely, thanks to how soft the instrument is to touch, and the headphones that it has. Learning at home is a joy with this drum set – your neighbors won’t hear a thing. This set will be able to give you the same playability as others, but with less noise.
The cymbal pads have a noise-reduction design, as well as the tom and snare. Less noise can be equal to better performances for some, and if you’re looking to improve in the future you will be pleased to find out that the set can be tweaked to fit your particular level of play. Changing a few settings you can modify it to suit an intermediate player better rather than a beginner.
Unfortunately, there are some extra features that don’t come with the original set and you will have to purchase them separately. But if you’re looking for customization and improved performances over time, that’s great for you. The set allows you to gradually add new parts to it, as you get better.
Simple and efficient
Looking at this drum set you can see that it’s the type of product that has a simple and clear design. It should give you the impression that everything that makes it is something that has a use. This is one of its stand-out features, the fact that it is so efficient, and it’s another factor that makes it so good for beginners or intermediate players.
When you get your first set of electronic drums, or you’re switching to a new set, you don’t want to be bombarded with new information and new things to learn. You want things to be simple – learning the art of drumming should always be a simple task. This is the kind of drum set that exposes you to many different styles and switching from one setting to another is as fast as you would like. You only need to touch a button and you’re ready for a whole new level of drumming.
Self-thaught musicians will enjoy this device thanks to that. Furthermore, the rebound that the snare and tom pads have is nice and the whole instrument is a comfortable one to play, giving a drumming experience close to the real acoustic drums. Playing these drums for an extended period is not a pain, as the rubber pads will help you keep your playing in comfortable parameters.
Your wrists will be protected, and that is important, especially taking into account that on most drum pads you get rubber that is too tough. After an hour of playing on those rough pads, your hands will hurt. This is not a great thing when you want to practice as much as possible. To enhance the comfort that the drums give you, the snare drum comes with something called mesh head, which should give a more comfortable and realistic feel.
Easy to set up
If you ever had the chance to set up a drum set yourself, you will know how frustrating it can be. There aren’t many things that kill the joy of playing more than putting the whole thing together. It’s like building flatpack furniture but with poor instructions. However, it’s something that you have to do, and when it comes to this model, it’s an easier task than you’re used to.
To make things easier, the company supplies a drum key that comes with the drum set. Fortunately, most of the adjustments are made using a lug bolt and wingnut, so that should come in handy. Putting everything together shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes if you have some idea of what you’re doing.
The good thing is that once you get it set up, the drum set will feel really sturdy. Coming with 15 preset kits, there isn’t much adjustment needed to get to play all of those. Pad sensitivity and panning can be modified a bit but that’s pretty much it. This means you can’t get too wild with how you change the sound, but that is a positive thing for those that don’t want to get tinkering.
Furthermore, the sound engine is intuitive and it has a single button used to switch between functions. Moving from kits to songs to the metronome and all the others is done with this button, and some basic up and downs switches are used to change small parameters. Although you can’t expect the high definition found on drum sets aimed at professionals, sound-wise, this kit offers great quality for practice.
The footswitch that activates the kick drum might not seem realistic at first, as it doesn’t have a beater design, however you shouldn’t worry about that, as it’s not the case.
The pads in detail
Despite the fact that this drum set wasn’t created with mobility in mind, you should still be able to move the components around and position each of the drums in a comfortable position for you. Furthermore, setting the kit up for people who play on their left side shouldn’t be a problem as the kit works symmetrically well.
There are 3 cymbal pads that are assigned to the hi-hat, the ride cymbal, and the crash cymbal, but you can modify that if you wish. They are all the same size, and each of them is made of a piece of plastic that has a playable surface area of ⅓ of their size, and that area is covered in rubber. Hitting the pads in different places should bring out different sounds, thanks to them being dual-zoned.
When hitting the center of the pad you will have a natural “ping” sound, while hitting the outer edge will give you more of a ride bell sound, more volume, and a crashier feel. Choking the cymbals to mute them is something that is hard to do with an electronic drum kit, but this one functions well enough to allow you to do that.
Grabbing the outer edge of the cymbal will mute it, and that’s great for songs where you need precise punctuation. The hi-hat isn’t something that you can describe as usual, because it sits on a freestanding pedal connected to the cymbal pad. It isn’t made of two cymbals as is the case in acoustic drums, but of a single pad.
Getting used to it might take some time if you’re the type of player that likes acoustic drum sets. Fortunately, it is adjustable with the help of a small knob that allows you to tighten or loosen it.
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