Surely no working drummer would seriously entertain the use of drum pants or t-shirts to make the burden of transporting and setting up a kit a little easier, but even conventional acoustic skin bashers might give electronic drums a whirl. The e-drumkit takes up much less room in the back of the band's van, is always in tune and can sound just like the real thing, or just about anything else you might want the various pads to sound like. In the case of Roland's new TD-4KP V-Drums Portable, the whole setup can be collapsed down and carried under the arm.
At 12.5 kg (27.5 pounds), it will still require a bit of lugging around but folded dimensions of just 11.8 x 19.6 x 27.5 inches (30 x 50 x 70 cm) make it a very attractive portable proposition for frequent rehearsals, spare room/garage studios and small stage gigs. The TD-4KP V-Drums Portable set can be carried as is or with the aid of an optional CB-TDP Carrying Case, which includes detachable pouches for hi-hat and kick pedals and pockets for sticks and beaters.
In playing position, the e-kit expands to 43.3 x 47.2 x 49.2 inches (110 x 120 x 125 cm) and comprises a TD-4 percussion sound module, a kick pad, four pads for snare/toms, three cymbal pads for hi-hat, crash and ride and a hi-hat control pedal. Roland says that the sound module "delivers a wide range of expressive drum and percussion sounds that can be easily edited, allowing players to quickly customize their kits." A kick pedal and a drum throne (DAP-3X) will need to be added to the set by the user, though.
A built-in Coach and recording/playback lend the system to effective practice, and accessories like mesh drum heads for the snare make for a more realistic and natural playing experience than the cushioned rubber pads alone.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing there's no official word on pricing.
Product page: TD-4KP V-Drums Portable
There's a video demonstration below showing just how portable this system can be.
