KJ Sawka playing Roland Drums at 'The NAMM Show' January 2020
Expanded Roland TD-12S V-Stage set

V-Drums (Virtual Drums) are a line of electronic drums by Roland Corporation Introduced originally in 1997.

Trigger types

V-Drums trigger devices are of four major types: mesh-head drum pads, rubber pads, cymbal pads and acoustic drum triggers. Mesh-head pads look very similar to acoustic drums, and attempt to emulate their feel. The simpler, more generic type is a rubber pad, which is less expensive, but also looks and feels less like an acoustic drum. There are several models of cymbal pads (also called V-Cymbals). The more expensive ones attempt to emulate the physical properties of acoustic cymbals of various types (e.g.: hi-hat, crash, ride), while the simpler, less expensive cymbal pads are less realistic. Acoustic drum triggers can be used to provide trigger signals from standard acoustic drums.

From an electrical point of view, trigger pads can be of the following types:

  • Mono pads, using one Piezoelectric sensor for the head. Usually kick-drum pads or older and less expensive pads.
  • Stereo pads, using one piezo sensor for the head and an additional switch for the rim. If the rim switch is triggered, the signal strength is determined by the head's piezo sensor. Mostly rubber pads and cymbal pads.
  • Stereo pads using two piezo sensors, one for the head and one for the rim. Mostly mesh-head pads.
  • Three-way pads using one piezo sensor and two switches. Roland's three-way cymbal pads (CY-12R/C, CY-13R and CY-15R) work this way, the piezo triggers the bow, and the switches trigger edge and bell.

Rubber pads

Round rubber pads were introduced with the TD-7 drum module in 1992 (previous Roland pads were polygonal) and were universally used as trigger pads for drums and cymbals. Since the introduction of mesh-head drum pads and cymbal-shaped trigger pads, standard rubber pads are only used as tom-tom and (until recently) bass drum trigger pads on Roland's less expensive drum kits. More expensive kits no longer include any rubber pads.

The downsides of rubber pads are their less realistic rebound and their relatively high ambient noise level (compared to mesh-head pads), but their lower price and increased durability still makes them a better choice in some cases.[1]

Cloth-head pads

Cloth-head drum pads were introduced with the KD-9 in 2011, using a cloth-like material as the drum head with an underlying, relatively thick layer of foam. These pads are softer than rubber pads and feel more realistic, while producing less ambient noise. However, they are only available in small sizes, and the head tension cannot be adjusted like on mesh-head pads.

Mesh-head pads

Roland V-Drums mesh-head triggers resemble acoustic drums in both appearance and feel. The striking surface is a two-layer taut woven mesh of fibers fitted with several electronic sensors. This allows the mesh-head trigger to respond to the play of a drumstick in a manner that feels more like real drums than their earlier rubber predecessors. Roland developers have stated that the design of the mesh-head V-Pad was inspired in part by a small toy trampoline.[2]

In 1997, Roland developed and patented an updated version of mesh-head drum triggers, a key feature of the V-Drums line. As such, the name "V-Drums" sometimes refers specifically to Roland's mesh-head based drum triggers. The company began marketing the mesh-head triggers under the "V-Drums" name in 1997, in conjunction with the TD-10 drum module.[3]

Most Roland mesh-head V-Drums have a playable rim which have their own electronic sensors (and corresponding sounds) - exceptions being the PD-100, PD-80, and mesh head drums on the HD series of kits, which only have a single head sensor. V-Drums and other electronic drum products have taken substantial market share from acoustic drums[4][5] due to advances in electronic drum technology that have improved the value proposition of electronic drums over acoustic.[6] Electronic drum kits, especially mesh-head based ones, make significantly less ambient noise than acoustic drum kits[7] and mesh heads provide a playing feel more similar to acoustic drums than non-mesh electronic pads (typically rubber).[1]

Mesh heads used in V-Drums kits today are made by the American drumhead company Remo.[8]

List of Roland drum and cymbal pads
Pad Name Type Years

Available

 Diameter Zones/

Channels

 Trigger Positional

Sensing

 Colors Notes
Head/Bow Rim/Edge Bell
BT-1

In Production

 Bar-shaped Rubber Pad 2013- – 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black/Gray Needs to be connected to a stereo input, despite being a mono pad
CY-5

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (fixed) 2006- 10 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black, White No edge trigger on pads that shipped with the HD-1
CY-6 Cymbal Pad (fixed) 2001–2003 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black
CY-8

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (fixed) 2003- 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black
CY-12C

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (movable) 2011- 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black
CY-12H Hi-Hat Cymbal Pad (fixed) 2000–2004 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black
CY-12R/C

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (movable) 2001- 12 Inches 3 (Three-way) Piezo Switch Switch Yes Black
CY-13R

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (movable) 2011- 13 Inches 3 (Three-way) Piezo Switch Switch Limited

(TD-50, TD-30, and TD-25 only)

 Black
CY-14C

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (movable) 2000- 14 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black, Silver, Metallic Gray
CY-14C-T

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (movable) 2020- 14 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black Thinner version of CY-14C
CY-14R-T

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (movable) 2022- 14 Inches 3 (Three-way) Piezo Switch Switch Limited

(TD-50, TD-30, and TD-25 only)

 Black
CY-15R

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (movable) 2000- 15 Inches 3 (Three-way) Piezo Switch Switch Yes Black, Silver, Metallic Gray
CY-16R-T

In Production

 Cymbal Pad (movable) 2020- 16 Inches 3 (Three-way) Piezo Switch Switch Yes Black Thinner, larger version of CY-15R
CY-18DR

In Production

 Digital Cymbal Pad (movable) 2016- 18 Inches 3 (Digital) Digital Yes Black
KD-5 Kick Drum Pad 1994-199? 2 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
KD-7

In Production

 Kick Drum Pad 1992- 2 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black Piezo polarity can be switched
KD-8 Rubber Kick Drum Pad 2003–2011 5 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black No dynamics when connected to HD-1
KD-9 Cloth-head Kick Drum Pad 2011-2020 6 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
KD-10

In Production

 Cloth-head Kick Drum Pad 2018- 6 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
KD-80 Mesh-head Kick Drum Pad 1999–2003 8 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black, White
KD-85

In Production

 Mesh-head Kick Drum Pad 2003- 8 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black, White
KD-120 Mesh-head Kick Drum Pad 1998-2021 12 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black, White, (Red), (Purple)
KD-140

In Production

 Mesh-head Kick Drum Pad 2008- 14 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Silver, Black Chrome
KD-180

In Production

 Mesh-head Kick Drum Pad 2018- 18 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
KD-220

In Production

 Mesh-head Kick Drum Pad 2018- 22 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
KD-A22

In Production

 Acoustic Kick Drum Conversion Kit 2016- 22 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
KT-9

In Production

 Kick Trigger Pedal 2016- – 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black/Silver
KT-10

In Production

 Kick Trigger Pedal 2014- – 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Silver/Black
PD-5 Rubber Pad 1994-199? 8 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
PD-6 Rubber Pad 2001–2003 8 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No White
PD-7 Rubber Pad 1992-???? 7 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – Yes White Piezo polarity can be switched
PD-8

In Production

 Rubber Pad 2003- 8 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – Yes Black
PD-8A

In Production

 Rubber Pad 2012- 8 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – Yes Black Pad not available separately, ships with the TD-11K and TD-17K drum sets
PD-9 Rubber Pad 1994-???? 10 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – Yes White Piezo polarity can be switched
PD-80 Mesh-head Drum Pad 1999–2003 8 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – Yes Black, White
PD-80R Mesh-head Drum Pad 1999–2003 8 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Black, White
PD-85

In Production

 Mesh-head Drum Pad 2003- 8 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Black, White
PD-100 Mesh-head Drum Pad 1997–2003 10 Inches 1 (Mono) Piezo – – Yes Black, White, Red, Purple
PD-105

In Production

 Mesh-head Drum Pad 2003- 10 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Black, (White)
PD-105X Mesh-head Drum Pad 2008–2012 10 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Silver Replaceable shell wraps
PD-108

In Production

 Mesh-head Drum Pad 2012- 10 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Black Chrome Replaceable shell wraps
PD-120 Mesh-head Drum Pad 1997–2003 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Black, White, Red, Purple
PD-125

In Production

 Mesh-head Drum Pad 2003- 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Black, (White)
PD-125X Mesh-head Drum Pad 2008–2012 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Silver Replaceable shell wraps; Also available as PD-125XS for snare stands (without rack mount)
PD-128

In Production

 Mesh-head Drum Pad 2012- 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Black Chrome Replaceable shell wraps; Also available as PD-128S for snare stands (without rack mount)
PD-140DS

In Production

 Digital Mesh-head Drum Pad 2016- 14 Inches 2 (Digital) Digital – Yes Silver
PDX-6

In Production

 Mesh-head Drum Pad 2006- 8 Inches

(6 inch head)

 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – No Black
PDX-8

In Production

 Mesh-head Drum Pad 2006- 10 Inches

(8 inch head)

 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – No Black No rim trigger on pads that shipped with the HD-1
PDX-12

In Production

 Mesh-head Drum Pad 2018- 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – No Black
PDX-100

In Production

 Mesh-head Drum Pad 2012- 10 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – Yes Black
RT-3T Acoustic Tom-Tom Drum Trigger 2003–2006 – 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Silver
RT-5S Acoustic Snare Drum Trigger 2003–2006 – 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – No Silver
RT-7K Acoustic Kick Drum Trigger 2003–2006 – 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Silver
RT-10K Acoustic Kick Drum Trigger 2006–2015 – 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
RT-10S Acoustic Snare Drum Trigger 2006–2015 – 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – No Black
RT-10T Acoustic Tom-Tom Drum Trigger 2006–2015 – 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
RT-30H

In Production

 Acoustic Drum Trigger 2015- – 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
RT-30HR

In Production

 Acoustic Drum Trigger 2015- – 2 (Stereo) Piezo Piezo – No Black
RT-30K

In Production

 Acoustic Kick Drum Trigger 2015- – 1 (Mono) Piezo – – No Black
VH-10

In Production

 Integrated Hi-Hat Cymbal Pad and Controller (movable) 2018- 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black
VH-11

In Production

 Integrated Hi-Hat Cymbal Pad and Controller (movable) 2005- 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black Only limited support of controller part by some drum modules (see list of hi-hat controllers below)
VH-12 Integrated Hi-Hat Cymbal Pad and Controller (movable) 2004–2012 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Black, Silver Controller part only compatible with the TD-50, TD-30, TD-20 and TD-12 drum modules
VH-13

In Production

 Integrated Hi-Hat Cymbal Pad and Controller (movable) 2012- 12 Inches 2 (Stereo) Piezo Switch – No Metallic Gray Controller part only compatible with the TD-50, TD-30, TD-20 and TD-12 drum modules
VH-14D

In Production

 Digital Hi-Hat Cymbal Pad and Controller (movable) 2021- 14 Inches 2 (Digital) Digital –

Acoustic drum triggers

Roland also makes acoustic drum triggers, which can be mounted on the rims of standard acoustic drums to provide trigger signals from those drums, effectively turning them into trigger pads. The acoustic drumhead can either be left on the drum, to get the acoustic sound as well as a trigger signal, or the drumhead can be replaced with a mesh-head to lower ambient noise, if only the trigger signal is needed.

Cymbal pads

In the early 2000s, Roland moved away from using standard rubber pads as cymbal triggers and introduced new cymbal-shaped trigger pads with a rubber surface, which they call V-Cymbals.

The more expensive cymbal pads can swing freely after being hit (only rotation of the pad is prevented by a special cymbal mount), so they feel more like real cymbals, while the less expensive cymbal pads are not movable and always stay in their fixed position, thus feeling less realistic. Some of the movable pads also feature a third bell zone, which is triggered when hitting the bell area of the cymbal pad. These cymbal pads are called three-way cymbals because of their three trigger zones (bell, bow and edge).

Electronic hi-hats

Electronic hi-hats are always made up of two components: a trigger pad to detect hits, and a variable resistor-based hi-hat controller to detect the foot position, so the drum module can determine whether the hi-hat is supposed to be open or closed (or somewhere in between).

The simpler, less expensive solution uses a simple fixed V-Cymbal pad in combination with a separate foot pedal controller, which allows the drum module to replicate the sound of a hi-hat, but does not emulate the feel and scope of expressiveness of acoustic hi-hats.

The more expensive V-Hi-Hats integrate trigger pad and controller into a set of two opposing pieces, designed to be mounted on a conventional hi-hat stand. Because the hi-hat pad moves with the position of the pedal and can swing freely when the hi-hat is opened, this solution is more similar to a traditional acoustic hi-hat. The most complex and most expensive VH-13 V-Hi-Hat and the older VH-12 can also detect different amounts of foot pressure in the closed position, but they are only compatible with the TD-30 and the older TD-12 and TD-20 drum modules. The simpler VH-11 can be used with more modules, but it cannot sense foot pressure in the closed position.

Roland drum modules

Roland drum modules range in features and price from the top-of-the-line TD-50X to the TD-50, TD-27, TD-17, TD-07, and TD-1. Higher model numbers denote more advanced models, while lower numbers are used for less expensive ones.

Available drum modules

Availability Timeline

References

  1. 1 2 "Rubber Pads vs. Mesh Drum Heads - Which are Better?". Andertons Blog. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Roland Drums & Percussion Resource Guide, rolandus.com
  3. ↑ V-Drums History: How Roland Became the Biggest Drum Company in the World, Roland Users Group
  4. ↑ "Electronic drums retail sales value US 2020". Statista. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  5. ↑ "Drumsets retail sales value US 2020". Statista. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "The History of Electronic Drum Sets - 1960s to the 2020s". Electronic Drum Advisor. 18 November 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Electronic Drums vs Acoustic Drums - Drumming Basics". www.drummingbasics.com. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  8. ↑ "Roland V-drum Replacement Heads". Retrieved 15 March 2022.
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