The Roland V-Drums TD-17 series
has become the electronic kit of
choice for many drummers, with its
unbeatable combination of great
quality, superior sound, and
practical kit configurations.
Using the same TD-17 sound
module, but taking on a more
acoustic drum aesthetic, is the
VAD307, a club-sized
V-Drums Acoustic Design kit.
In this video, we're going to take
an in-depth look at the kit layouts
and the TD-17 sound module, so
you get an idea of what to expect
when you sit behind one of these
drum kits for yourself.
The TD-17 series of V-Drums has
two models: the TD-17KV2
and the TD-17KVX2.
Both used the same TD-17 sound
module, but are available in two kit
configurations to suit different
needs and budgets.
We'll take a look at both sets here
and show you which pads come with
each set.
The TD-17KV2 has kick,
snare, hi-hats and control pedal,
three toms, plus crash and ride
cymbals.
This is essentially a full drum set
and will give all drummers what they
need to practice and recording
sessions and for hours of playing
along with favorite tracks.
Let's start by taking a look at the
snare pad.
This is the PDX-12 model, which
is a 12" snare that has head
and rim zones.
It's possible to play head, rimshot,
and cross stick sounds with this pad
combined with module settings.
The design itself has some clever
features.
First of all, the double ply mesh
head is tension adjustable, giving
you the control to set the feel and
stick rebound that suits your style
of play.
Secondly, the height of the rim has
been matched to the average hoop
height of an acoustic snare drum so
that the playing feel and technique
is as accurate as possible.
The three tom pads are all
identical.
These are all the PDX-8 pads and
have an 8" mesh head playing
surface.
Like the snare pads, they have head
and rim playing surfaces and are
also tension adjustable.
A nice tip with these pads is that
you can set the tension of each head
progressively lower so that your
first tom is higher, the second
tom is mid tension, and the third
has lower tension, which follows the
feel you would experience as you
increase shell diameters on an
acoustic drum set.
The KD-10 kick pad absorbs most
of the impact noise thanks to its
carefully engineered rubber
components and cushion, but retains
that satisfying acoustic kick drum
thud when a beater is buried
into a full size head.
In addition to keeping the noise
down, it can accept both single and
double pedals.
It's also sturdy and uses velcro
and adjustable spikes to keep it
firmly in place as you play.
The hi-hats use CY-5 10"
cymbal which has bow and edge
playing surfaces, and has edge
choke too.
The hi-hat expression is controlled
by the FD-9 control pedal,
which also reduces the noise and
preparation caused when drumming and
helps to eliminate noise that could
disturb others around you.
Crash and ride use the latest thin
V-Cymbals which flex and swing and
feel natural to play.
The CY-12C-T 12"
crash cymbal has bow and edge
playing areas and a cymbal can be
choked by grabbing the edge.
The CY-14R-T is a 14"
ride cymbal that has both bell
and edge playing surfaces and can
also be choked by grabbing the edge.
The snare, tom, and cymbal pads of
the TD-17KV2 all
mount to the same drum stand.
This is the MDS Compact which
uses solid steel tubes and a series
of multi-adjustable clamps with
a high gripping force, enabling you
to position all the pads exactly
where you want them so that your
setup can be as individual as your
playing and also stay in place
even during the heaviest drumming
sessions.
The next model of kit in the series
is the TD-17KVX2.
This kit configuration shares many
of the same pads and the same
standards as the TD-17KV2
that we've just covered but has two
key differences: the hi-hats and
the addition of a second crash
cymbal.
You'll notice that the TD-17KVX2
uses
hi-hats that are mounted to a
regular acoustic hi-hat stand.
The VH-10 model higher is 12"
in diameter and comes in two parts:
the lower sensor element that
sits on the seat part of the hi-hat
stand and the cymbal top, which
has a clutch which grips to the rod
of the hi-hat stand.
This means that you have up and down
motion of the hi-hats, which feels
more natural to play and the ability
to position the hi-hat stand where
you find it comfortable for a more
familiar layout.
The hi-hats themselves have a fine,
open-closed expression control
and also has choke facility.
Given that the VH-10 is two inches
larger in diameter than the CY-5
that comes with the TD-17KV2
and also mounts to a regular hi-hat
stand, these are key reasons
that many drummers might consider to
upgrade to the TD-17KVX2.
A second CY-12C-T 12"
crash is also supplied with
TD-17KVX2 and has
the same bow, edge, and choke
playing, which is another upgrade
that's popular with experienced
drummers.
Note that hi-hat stand, kick pedal,
and drum throne are not supplied
with the TD-17 series kits,
so you will need those in addition
to the kit itself. So
that's the TD-17 series kits.
Now let's take a look at the VAD307
V-Drums Acoustic Design set.
The VAD307 kit is still
a full electronic drum set.
Don't let the fact that it has
wooden shells or has the look of an
acoustic drum kit deceive you.
It's still quiet and can be played
on headphones like any other V-Drums
set without any noise from the
acoustic drum shells.
You notice that the pads here have a
deeper shell compared to the pads of
a TD-17KVX2 kit,
for example.
That's because the wooden shells
provide that acoustic drum set look
and actually make a slight change to
the resistance and feel under the
stick as well.
All of the shells that you see here
house Roland's V-Drums pad
technology inside, and the shells
are finished in a custom piano black
wrap with a gloss finish.
The shells also feature Roland's
custom designed chrome plated lugs
and shell hardware, which complete
the look.
The VAD307 uses a
12" snare pad, which fits
through a regular acoustic snare
drum stand.
This is the PDA120LS-BK
and has head and rim sensors to play
head, rim shot, and cross stick
sounds when combined with the module
settings.
The tom pads are quite similar.
The PDA100L-BK
pads are 10" in diameter
and also feature separate head and
rim sensors, while the PDA120L-BK
is a 12" version of the same pad
and is used for the floor tom. All
three tom pads have mounting
brackets which mount to regular tom
holders.
The kick drum has an 18" diameter
and a batter side mounted kick pad
within a mylar drum head, and when
you play the kick drum you are
physically moving air.
This provides a satisfying and
instantly familiar kick feel under
the beater, and you can really feel
the resistance of the air inside the
shell.
Dampened front head prevents any
unwanted acoustic overtones as
you play the kick.
The hi-hats are the VH-10 model,
which are 12" in diameter and fit
to a regular acoustic hi-hat stand.
This allows you to position the
hi-hat stand where you find it
comfortable, giving the kit a more
familiar layout.
The crashes and rides use the latest
thin V-Cymbals which flex and swing
and feel more natural to play.
Two CY-12C-T 12" crash cymbal
come with the VAD307. These
cymbals have bow and edge playing
areas and the cymbal can be choked
by grabbing the edge.
The CY-14R-T is used
for the ride cymbal with the VAD307
kit. This 14" ride has
bow, bell, and edge playing surfaces
and can also be grabbed to silence
the edge too.
You'll notice that all of the
cymbals and toms mount to regular
acoustic-style hardware stands.
The double-braced stands come
directly from the flagship VAD706
kit and feature high-quality chrome
finish along with thick tubing and
solid locks.
Tom and cymbal arms can be
height-adjusted independently of one
another and ball joints on the tom
arms and fine cymbal tilters allow
full freedom of movement in setup.
Mounting all of the pads and cymbals
to acoustic-style stands gives a
really familiar look and playing
feel, and also means the spread of
the pads feel close to playing an
acoustic drum set too.
It's worth mentioning here that
hi-hat stand, snare drum stand,
kick pedal, and drum throne are not
supplied with the VAT307 kit,
so you will need those in addition
to the kit itself.
That's all the kit components
covered. So let's take a closer look
at the TD-17 module.
Before we get stuck into the
features, let's just take a quick
look at the concept of a Roland
V-Drums module.
One fixed set of sounds would be
pretty limiting for any drummer.
If we think about an acoustic drum
set, there's a number of things a
drummer can do to change up the
sound: switching drum heads,
changing tuning, adding damping,
changing the room that the drums are
placed in, and putting the miced
sound through processors to add
effects, EQ, or compression.
If you could do it in the acoustic
world, you can also do it virtually
inside a V-Drums module, and the
TD-17 is able to handle each
of these things.
You can also play with wide dynamic
range and dramatic tonal changes
depending on where and how hard you
strike the pad.
From rim shots, rolls, flams,
and ghost notes on the snare to
natural hi-hats transitions,
dramatic crash hits, sustained
cymbal swells, and more, every
nuance is detailed, accurate, and
ultra smooth.
Fusing samples of acoustic drums
recorded in top-flight studios with
advanced behavior modeling, these
drums respond like acoustic
instruments as you play them.
The TD-17 sound module includes
2.0 version software,
and this updated model is standard
with the TD-17 series V-Drums
sets and VAD307.
The latest software has a number of
upgrades over earlier versions of
the TD-17 software.
There's a choice of 70 preset kits
giving a huge range of musical
styles and drum kit types to play
with. There are a number of preset
audio samples loaded into the module
to use within the preset
kits, but that can also be used
in creating your own custom kits.
These preset sounds are there to get
you playing and inspire you, but
every single one can be adjusted
and tweaked for your own preference,
such as swapping out a snare for a
different one or changing the EQ
of an instrument.
Plus, you can also download
additional content for your TD-17
from Roland Cloud.
The TD-17 can store up
to 100 kits at any
one time, so there's also plenty
of space for you to make your own
user kits.
There are over 300 instruments
inside the TD-17.
Think of it like a warehouse full of
great drum kits, snare drum cymbals,
and percussion, and you can mix and
match any of them to create any kit
that you can think of.
There's also dedicated controls for
ambience, bass, and treble on the
TD-17 sound module so
you can quickly dial in your
preferred tone.
The module has over 40 effects
types that can be assigned to any
kit, plus 25 ambient types,
pad EQ and now dedicated
kit, compression, and reverb
all to help you shape and perfect
the sound of any presets
or any kit that you make.
Nailing grooves, rudiments, and
timing are what makes us better
drummers, but no denying that it's a
lot of fun to just jam along with
your favorite songs.
With the TD-17, you can push your
drumming further by playing along
with your favorite bands, including
your own.
Wirelessly stream music from your
smartphone via Bluetooth audio and
play along to the entire performance
through your headphones.
You can use the same function for
watching videos on your device and
listening to the audio along with
the TD-17 kit.
There's even a dedicated space on
the module itself to place your
smartphone.
TD-17 also features a mix
in jack to connect wired devices,
and you can place your own WAV files
and accompanying click track onto SD
card and play them directly from the
card using the song player function.
Listening back to your drumming is
one of the best ways to improve.
The TD-17 module has an onboard
recorder that lets you hear and
evaluate what you actually played,
not what you thought you played.
You can record drums by themselves
or drums plus audio played from
Bluetooth or from SD card
playback, and you can even export
a stereo bounce off your recording
to SD card.
This is a really quick and easy way
to record a stereo drum track along
with a song idea sent to you by a
friend or bandmate and then share it
back with them for a quick demo mix.
You can also use the USB connection
to connect the TD-17 to a computer
to record stereo audio over USB
or MIDI direct to your DAW.
This makes recording tracks or
capturing audio for video
performance really simple and easy.
Every drummer needs to be able to
keep a solid beat before moving on
to the exciting stuff.
Mastering the basics can be
exciting, too, as it builds a solid
foundation for growing as a
musician.
The TD-17 module includes a coach
mode to sharpen your skills with
daily practice tools, complete with
progress tracking that motivates you
to improve.
There are a range of coach tools
within the TD-17 series V-Drums:
a dedicated click tool and
metronome, Time Check, Quiet
Count, and warmups each
designed to develop your sense of
groove, tempo, and timing, and even
work on your stamina.
Roland have also teamed up with
Melodics to give every V-Drums user
even more ways to play along with
tracks and develop their drumming in
a fun and interactive way.
Melodics for V-Drums is a free
application for Mac and Windows,
which features a set from lessons
to develop your sense of rhythm,
timing, and muscle memory.
These lessons are taught through
songs, so you're learning new skills
but enjoying learning and playing
through a song at the same time.
V-Drums users can access 40 free
lessons from Melodics by signing up,
but you can subscribe for more
lesson content too.
So that's an overview of the TD-17
series V-Drums and the VAD307
V-Drums Acoustic Design kit.
Thanks for checking out the video.
If you've enjoyed it and it's helped
you to get an idea of what these
kits can do, please give it a thumbs
up and consider subscribing to the
Roland channel.