Pros:
- Great sound quality
- Gives the real acoustic drum kit feel
- Easy to set up
- Built-in Coach
- Kick Pedal included
Cons:
- Smaller LED
- Lack of built-in drum kits
- Lacks the ability to make custom kits
- Kick drum pedal could be better and is not suitable for wooden surfaces.
Are you looking for an electronic drum kit to kick start your journey? Do you want to buy a cheap electronic set for learning that sounds like the real thing without costing a fortune? Or are you looking for something for your junior? Well, the answer to your prayers is here.
Today we’ve tried, tested, and reviewed the famous Roland TD-1KV.
About Roland:
The TD-1KV is a product of Roland Corporation. Roland is a trusted music brand that has been innovating and progressing the music world since its birth in 1978. Roland is widely known for their works in the electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment, and music software industry. Furthermore, Roland has been hailed by journalists to be the company that has arguably contributed the most to the progress of the electronic music industry.
What’s Included With The Roland TD-1KV:
Roland TD-1KV drum kit includes
- Percussion Sound Module
- TD-1 Snare: x 1 (Mesh’s head)
- Tom: x 3 Crash
- Ride: x 1
- Hi-hat: x 1
- Kick pedal: x 1
- Hi-hat pedal: x 1
Features:
The Roland TD-1KV is an entry-level drumming kit. The TD-1KV’s mesh snare has a natural feel and makes for a more realistic snare action. The TD-1KV’s mesh snare is upgraded and better than its sister, the Roland TD-1DMK. The upgraded mesh snare gives it an edge over its competitors in its range.
The hardware is made of high quality. The structure is easy to set up and can easily fit in small spaces. The structure prevents the pads from moving around for a more comfortable experience.
The kit includes an onboard coach that helps you improve your drumming skills through a built-in guidance system.
The pedals are stable and stay in place when hit hard to the ground. However, it is not as fluid as a real foot pedal.
Ergonomics
The TD-1KV has the usual universal dimensions. The rack is highly adjustable so it can fit the size for both adults and children. The pads are also highly adaptable to suit all age groups. The standard set up is approximately 39 inches wide by 25 inches deep. You can bring the width down to 34 inches if wanted.
The TD-1KV is compact, making sure it doesn’t take up much space than needed.
Cymbals
The TD-1KV comes with three cymbals. Two of which measure at 12 inches in diameter and one that is 13 inches in diameter.
The two CY-12C 12-inch crash cymbals have a natural swinging motion, along with edge sensors and choke control. The CY-13R 13-inch ride cymbal also comes with a natural swinging motion. It includes a bell triggering but no choke control.
Drum pads
The Roland TD-1KV is a 7 piece kit. The model consists of three cymbal pads and four mesh drum pads. The tom pads are 8 inches in size while the snare pad is 10 inches.
The mesh head provides a realistic snare drum feel as it has the rim triggering, a unique feature that supports acoustic drum techniques such as the cymbal choke and advanced hi-hat playing.
The drum kit also includes a KD-9 kick pad that has a cloth head, which gives a great feel and solid playing ability.
The mesh-heads and the cymbals have a noise-reducing design so you can play quietly without waking up your family or making the neighbors call the cops on you at 3 am (Happens quite often with the acoustics, right?).
Sound Module
The TD-1KV kit comes with a sound module. The sound module is not as fancy as other drum kit sound modules, but it is compact and simpler to use.
The control panel lets you access all functions easily and quickly. Information is displayed on the small round LED screen. The metronome flashing tempo indicator helps you adjust your tempo while playing.
The panel mostly consists of rubber buttons with instructions of use given on them, such as volume and power buttons.
The drum module includes a unique feature in the form of a built-in coach. The coach helps you improve your skills and also helps you with rhythm and timing.
The TD-1KV includes 15 drumkits. The drawback of this is that all of the drum kits are built-in, and you cannot add a custom kit. Furthermore, the module includes 15 built-in playable songs to help you play. However, you can also add your tunes through the aux cable.
The TD-1KV comes with multiple inputs and jacks and also a USB and MIDI in/out connections.
Sound and Ease of Use
The TD-1KV is compact and simple to use. The kit can be set up quickly and is straightforward.
The kit shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes to set up and play.
The sound module is easy to use. However, there isn’t much display of information on the compact screen. Sounds are numbered not named, so hence the learning process can be droop.
Roland is the pioneer in the e-drum kit industry, as its advanced innovation in the sector has been revolutionary.
Roland was one of the first to use mesh instead of rubber in their drum kits.
The use of mesh has reduced the noise that regular rubber kits do. Users claim Roland’s kits’ noise is so low that you can be playing it in a room full of sleeping babies without waking any of them up. That is some bold statement, right?
The TD-1KV gives a real feel giving you the experience of playing real drums.
The sound impression is overall solid. The sound note given by the mesh pads is good. The Advanced SuperNATURAL sound engine produces quality sounds that are based on the flagship TD-30.
However, keeping in mind, we still have to remind ourselves that this is an entry-level drum kit; hence we cannot expect it to work as a professional drum kit.
The lack of custom drum kits is a bummer, along with the small number of built-in drum kits.
Pros:
- Great sound quality
- Gives the real acoustic drum kit feel
- Easy to set up
- Built-in Coach
- Kick Pedal included
Cons:
- Smaller LED
- Lack of built-in drum kits
- Lacks the ability to make custom kits
- Kick drum pedal could be better and is not suitable for wooden surfaces.
What do people think about it?
As with every product, the TD-1KV also has its shares of positive as well as negative reviews.
According to owners, everything ranging from the sound quality to the build of the drums was excellent, something that they didn’t expect in such a low price range.
Many preferred this model over its predecessor, the TDK1, because of the upgraded mesh snare. This additional feature gives the kit a very wholly and realistic snare action.
Since this is an electronic drum set, the option to turn the volume on low or attach headphones to the jacks makes it a very efficient product for learners, as well as those around them. Some owners were pleased that Roland TD-1KV has smaller dimensions and is compactable in comparison with the usual acoustic drum sets, which make it easy to own.
On the contrary, the negative reviews mostly complained about the lack of isolation of drum sounds from each other. Another owner was slightly disappointed by the lack of customizable kits.
All in all, Roland TD-1KV had an overwhelmingly positive response.
Is the Roland TD-1KV compatible with a double bass pedal?
No, It is not possible since there is only one bass cord to plug into a pedal.
Will I be able to customize the sound of each cymbal?
No, With the lack of custom kits you are unable to assign different sounds for each cymbal. It’s a bummer.
Which devices can I run the kits’ sound through?
It depends If you want to play loud so everyone can hear or just keep it to yourself. The multiple jacks are compatible with both earphones and amplifiers for gigs and such.
What is the weight and dimension of the Roland TD-1KV?
According to Amazon, the product dimensions are 48 x 49 x 40 inches. The item weighs at around 26 pounds.
Final Thoughts On Our Roland TD-1KV Review:
The Roland TD-1KV is an exceptional drum kit. The kit has all the specs and is able enough for it to be used at your home for practicing. With its mesh quality, it will surely be quieter.
As the Roland TD-1KV is an entry-level drum set, it is favorable towards young drummers who want to learn. The Roland TD-1KV has the edge over the rest of the entry-level e-drums, with its built-in coach who helps beginners adjust their rhythm and tempo check. Furthermore, the built-in drum kits and songs help them play along and learn to use.
Roland’s compact size is suitable for children and makes it easier for them to play.
TD-1KV is exceptional, as it also doesn’t take up much space. The lack of noise keeps families around the neighborhood at peace. The TD-1KV is your Rookie of the year.
Keep on rock and rollin’! But quietly.
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