REVIEWED
ROLANDTD-9KX2 V-Tour Series
Roland’s popular V-Drums receive an upgrade to deliver a more realistic playing feel…
Words: Tim Slater
Electronic drum kits have come a long way since the notorious Simmons kits of the 1980s, whose futuristic-looking hexagonal drum pads and dubiously reliable electronics nevertheless paved the way for today’s compact and very convincing-sounding modern electronic kits of which Roland’s latest V-Drums can lay claim to represent the cutting edge. The
ROLAND TD-9KX2
SRP £2,119.00
All prices include VAT CONT
ACT
Roland UK T:
W: 01792 702701
www.roland.co.uk 26 3pickup
Roland K2 and higher-spec’d KX2 represent the new generation of Roland’s V-Drum technology, the entry level TD-4K2 and TD-4KX2 now come fully equipped with the all-new KD-9 kick drum pad and V-cymbals, whilst the TD-9K2 and KX2 includes these upgrades alongside the latest Roland TD-9 sound module. Roland’s V-Drum system helped
to change many drummer’s minds regarding the validity of electronic drum kits. Its introduction of mesh heads not only helped to improve the overall feel of the electronic drums compared to the unyielding rubber pads fitted to earlier electronic drums but the springy mesh surface is also virtually noise-free, making them as environmentally friendly as they are practical.
TD-9KX2: Tour ready… The Roland TD-9KX2 five-piece kit is the latest version of Roland’s V-Tour series and its specifications include a 10-inch snare, three eight-inch toms
and the new KD-9 kick drum pad. The kit also comes with two new cymbal upgrades: the CY-12C crash and CY-13R ride cymbal, whilst the hi-hat remains the same heavy-duty VH-11 from the previous KX series kit. Whilst a hi-hat stand isn’t included with the kit, the packaged hardware is still very generous and the KX2 comes complete with the superb MDS-9 drum rack, plus clamps and arms for all of the cymbals and drum pads, enabling the player to get going more or less straight from the crate, as it were. All the player needs to complete the kit is a standard acoustic hi-hat stand, their favourite kick drum pedal, plus a drum throne and sticks, of course! Those already au-fait with setting
up a drum kit should find that the MDS-9 is a very compact and convenient rack that can help to reduce setup and tear-down times compared to a conventional drum kit, although that will also depend on how many extra bits of hardware the drummer chooses to mount alongside the core KX2 setup. As it goes, the KX2 presents a very compact setup whose fairly modest footprint still leaves plenty of room for the drummer to work unhindered. The hardware itself feels top-notch, the tom and cymbal arm ball joint mounts offer plenty of choice for positioning toms and cymbals and the general build-quality feels very solid indeed, you really get the impression that this kit is able to
The mesh drum heads feel very tough and can
withstand a heavy battering!
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