Roland HD1 Electronic Drum Kit

OCTOBER 2007 RHYTHM 93
ROLAND HD-1
ELECTRONIC DRUM KIT
I
n the world of computer software,
wherever there’s a good product to be
found there will (eventually) be a ‘Lite’
offshoot. Stripped of some of the more
complex features of the full version, the Lites
are conceived to hook punters into the line
and deliver them, fl apping with excitement, to
the doors of local retailers a while later,
begging to be sold the fully-featured product
for several hundred pounds more. The
reasoning is simple: give consumers a taste of
what the product can do for them, dangle the
carrot of extra functions, and watch them
crack open the piggybank once they’ve
exhausted the potential of the Liteware.
Roland’s V-Drum line, while consisting of
hardware products, is very much a range built
on the capabilities of seriously hi-tech
software. The mesh head pads and sexy
tubular racks of gear like the TD-12K and TD-
20K are all well and good, but without the
processing power of the software within,
they’d be a pretty but useless assemblage of
rubber, nylon and metal.
Bearing in mind this reliance on boffi n-
created software, it’s perhaps in keeping with
the thinking of the day that Roland has
recently come up with its fi rst V-Drums Lite
package. The HD-1 bears the slogan on its box
(so it’s not just me poking fun) and the bijou
little kit adheres closely to the ethos of the Lite
world. Bereft of many of the features of the
upscale V-Drum line, it still offers a teaser
experience of the bigger TDs. The question, as
with all such Lite gear, is whether it’s a valid
product in its own right, or a kit crippled by
corners cut too far...
Build
Whatever the fi nal verdict on the validity of
the HD-1, there’s no arguing that it’s an
impressively cute little thing. But it’s cute in a
serious rather than silly way. From the
diminutive little module sited atop the
compact silver rack to the pod-like pedal
housings, there is (as with all V-Drum
offerings) clear evidence of some heavy-duty
design having been brought to bear on the
new kit.
And while it might be Lite in nature, the HD-
1 is no fl imsy toy. In fact its solidity is one of
the most remarkable things about it. Sure, it’s
not as stable as a full TD-20 rig, but the kit is
heavy enough to stay put during use, and
build quality (another Roland trademark) is
suffi cient to assuage any fears that it’ll only be
good for the occasional tap-around. Even the
hi-hat and kick pedals – often the least
Did the design team face any
particularly diffi cult
challenges in translating the V-
Drum ‘concept’ into such a
compact and more affordable
little package?
Yes, there were some
diffi culties: the basic design of
the drum kit, including each pad
and pedal, was a challenge. We
also had to consider carefully
how to keep the basic
playability as an instrument
while designing a ‘new concept’
drum kit for everybody.
Finally, there was the issue
of improving the acoustic noise
of the tom pads and kick pedal.
The fi nal solution, of course,
was the cushioned tom pads
and beater-less kick.
What aspects of the design of
the kit and module are you
particularly proud of?
I’m proud of the fact that we
provided a new drum kit to the
world that we have never seen
before, and that we have a new,
stylish design with two vertical
pipes, which is patent pending.
I’m also very proud that we
managed to balance the
specifi cation to satisfy both
drummers and non-drummers.
Was the primary aim to offer
existing drummers a compact
practice kit, or to appeal to a
‘lifestyle’ audience who might
not otherwise consider an
electronic drum kit like the
HD-1 for use at home?
Our original aim was to appeal
to everybody!
We did not exclude existing
drummers, because they could
also use and enjoy the HD-1 in
their home, and we are trying to
have more non-drummers start
drumming, instead of only
dreaming of doing it.
Hiroyuki Nishi: Roland Percussion Product Design
From the Horse’s Mouth!
Hiroyuki Nishi with the
Roland development team.
SPRUNG UNITS
aren’t as responsive as regular
pedals, but this kind of compromise is
to be expected in pursuit of
compactness and wallet-friendliness
THE BUILD QUALITY
is suffi cient to assuage any
fears that the HD-1 is only
good for the odd tap-around
THE TACTILE
RESPONSE
of the HD-1’s playing
surfaces is fantastic
RECOMMENDS
£527.58 If smaller is often better in hi-tech circles, is that
so for Roland’s new HD-1? Jordan McLachlan fi nds out
RHY143.gear_rol 93 12/9/07 1:22:51 pm