Anyone sharing a home with a musician will appreciate advances in technology that make for quieter practice. Wearing headphones while playing electronic drums is already a good way to keep the noise down, but Roland's latest release is claimed to deliver "the lowest playing noise in the history of electronic drum kits."
Roland has been making its V-Drums line of electronic kits since 1997, offering pro players and students the sound and feel of acoustic kits without the bulk, plus granting access to a world of pro-grade sounds and tones. In the years since, the company's engineers have also looked at ways to reduce the noise levels from pad strikes and kick thumps – and now claims to make "some of the quietest electronic drums available."
But as any roommate of the a future Greg Bissonette or parent of the next Nandi Bushell will no doubt attest, quiet could be a whole lot quieter. Though not completely silent, the latest innovation from Roland is reported to reduce plugged-in playing noise levels by 75%, compared to existing V-Drums.
The appropriately named V-Drums Quiet Design set can be optioned to play with Roland's existing TD-07 control module or to add another V-Drums module of choice. The system snare and tom pads feature a noise-absorbing honeycomb rubber insert topped by a mesh head, along with strategically placed vents under the playing surface that "allow air pressure to dissipate." The snare's rim is also triggered independently from the head, and is covered in soft rubber for quieter rim shots.
Similarly, the three included cymbal pads benefit from honeycomb rubber, mesh and venting as well. The crash and ride cymbals offer independent bow and edge triggering, and boast natural swing and support for chokes. The hi-hat is operated using a foot pedal "for detailed response and ultra-quiet operation."
The 8-inch-diameter kick drum features a triple-layer cushion covered by double-ply mesh and is housed in a floating frame sat on rubber feet to keep vibration and noise transfer low. The setup supports single and double-kick pedals, and comes with a specially developed low-noise beater. All of this is designed to essentially confine the thunderous low-end to the player's headphones.
The kit is mounted to a noise-dampening stand with isolating rubber feet, and when played acoustically or plugged into the headphone port of the control module, sound levels in the room are said to be "similar to an average conversation" while the "sound-absorbing materials isolate drumming energy to prevent its escape into adjoining spaces."
The VQD106 version that comes with the TD-07 module is available now for US$1,799.99, and includes a bunch of "acoustic and electronic drum sounds captured in pro studios." Players can create custom kits by mixing and matching different drums, adjust tunings, tweak EQ and add dampening. Jamming to backing tracks or following video lessons is made possible via the module's Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, and there's a USB out for cabling to a computer running music production software.
The option without the module – the VQD106PADS – is priced at $1,599.99. The promo video below has more.
