Roland V-Drums Quiet Design: Silent Drumming?
Can You Hear The Beat? Apparently Not!
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Roland VQD106 · Source: Roland
Roland VQD106 · Source: Roland
Roland PDQ-8S · Source: Roland
Roland VQD106 · Source: Roland
Roland VQD106 Quiet Design · Source: Roland
Roland has announced the latest in their V-Drums range, the V-Drums Quiet Design, which allegedly is a revolution in e-Drum and home drumming design.
I recall justifying to myself, and the first Mrs. P., why I should invest in e-Drums back around the turn of the millennium. My dearly beloved step-grandfather had recently passed away, and he had left me a sum of money. I’d not been in a band for a few years and had sold my beloved 8-piece Tama Swingstar kit some years previously.
Knowing that a full-size acoustic kit would only exacerbate the already deteriorating marital harmony, and having built up a well-kitted-out MIDI studio, e-Drums made perfect sense—smaller footprint, a vast array of sounds AND much, much quieter. If only that latter one were true. Ok, so not quite as loud as an acoustic, but the tapping of sticks on rubber was equally annoying.
The Roland V-Drums Quiet Design
Not a lot has changed in that regard, until now if we are to believe Roland. Rather than taking any of their existing range of V-Drums, they have designed this new range from the ground up. Roland quote a dramatic 75% reduction in noise with their VQD kit. But at the same time, they assure us that the legendary feel and feedback of V-Drums remains.
This noise reduction capabilities of the V-Drums Quiet Design, in part, is achieved by using noise-absorbing honeycomb rubber inserts in the snare and toms, covered by the traditional mesh head. Specially placed vents allow air pressure to dissipate with soft rubber on the snare rim for quieter rimshots.
Quiet Design Cymbals
The cymbals feature a very similar design, with honeycomb inserts, mesh heads and venting, plus independent bow and edge triggers and cymbal choking sensors. Of course, the worst offenders for noise can be the pedals, especially if played on a wooden floor.
The kick drum and pedal are mounted on a dense, triple-layer cushion in a double-ply mesh material and housed in a floating frame to reduce vibration drastically. Rubber feet all round help to isolate the whole kit and keep the thumping to a minimum.
Hopefully, the only noises this kit makes are the ones emanating from the TD-07 drum module, with all of its sounds, editing capabilities and a broad range of audio and MIDI connectivity.
More Information
The Roland V-Drums Quiet Design kit is available for $1,799.99 or you can buy the complete set of pads for $1,599.99. You can also buy the pads, cymbals and pedals individually.
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One response to “Roland V-Drums Quiet Design: Silent Drumming?”
This is the most exciting innovation for e-drumming since e-drumming.
I wish they could come up with a more budget-friendly model but it’s great. The few sound comparisons online are really stunning. (and there’s a lot of really clever tech inside)