Roland Musical Instruments & Accessories | Spears Music
The Roland Corporation has been at the forefront of electronic musical instruments and equipment since the early 1970s when they released their first drum machines. Here at Spears Music, you'll find a huge range of Roland V-Drums drum kits, amps like the classic Jazz Chorus and Cube series, as well as accessories and equipment such as instrument cables, headphones and more!
If you're looking for more even gear designed especially for guitarists, check out our separate page for Roland's specialist guitar amp and effect brand, Boss!
Roland Musical Instruments & Accessories FAQ
Where is Roland based?
The Roland Corporation is based in Hamamatsu in Japan. Known as Japan's "Music City", it is the same city where other Spears Music favourites Yamaha & Kawai are based, and is also the home of the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. The city's tallest building, The Act Tower, is even shaped like a giant harmonica!
What makes Roland electronic drums different from other brands?
Roland have been pioneers in electronic drum technology for over 50 years. Their very first product was the TR-77 drum machine, the first in the TR series that would go on to spawn the legendary TR-808 and TR-909, among others. Think of a song you love that features an electronic drum sound, and odds are that it's a Roland you're hearing.
They remain the definitive experts on electronic drums today. Every Roland product carries with it decades of Roland's top-flight research and expertise, resulting in kits and drum machines that have the best drum sounds with the easiest usability of any product in their class.
Which Roland V-Drums kit is best for beginners?
Roland offers a huge range of digital drum kits, and any one would be great for a beginner - a more advanced kit will not be "too much" for a beginner, and in fact the added realism of the higher-end kits will stand you in good stead if and when you move on to an acoustic kit. The right kit for you will depend not on your level of playing ability, but on your own aesthetic tastes and musical style, the room you have available in your practice space, and your budget.
If you're a new musician looking for a kit to begin learning at home, take a look at the TD series. These are Roland's most affordable kits, and their streamlined design makes them ideal for saving space at home. We highly recommend getting one of the models with all-mesh drum heads such as the TD07DMK. The mesh heads create less acoustic noise than the less expensive rubber pad drum heads found on entry-level models, and give a more realistic feel and bounce to the sticks, preparing you better as a player to move onto acoustic drums later. The TD07DMK also features a bass drum pad operated by a real kick pedal, which again gets you closer to the feel of playing an acoustic kit.
If space and budget are less of a concern for you, check out the VAD V-Drums Acoustic Design series. These kits are made to look and play just like an acoustic kit, but have all the great features of a digital kit; the ability to practice quietly with headphones, tons of alternate drum kit sounds, and USB and Bluetooth connectivity making it easy to jam along to your favourite songs or record yourself at home.
Can Roland electronic drum kits be used for live performances?
Yes! Roland V-Drums modules have outputs that can be sent to mixing desks, interfaces, or plugged directly into a computer via USB, giving you tons of options for playing live and recording. You can even send them through outboard effects units - something that would be impossible with an acoustic kit.
Are Roland V-Drums quiet enough for apartment practice?
Roland V-Drums are very quiet when played with headphones; this is one of the main benefits of electronic drums, and part of the reason they have become so popular. All Roland V-Drums kits will be much quieter than an acoustic kit. Kits with all-mesh drum heads will be even quieter still than those with rubber pad drum heads. The quietest of all would be the Roland VQD series, which features shock absorbtion technology to reduce acoustic noise even further!
Does Roland offer drum amps or monitors designed for their kits?
Yes, Roland has a range of drum amplifiers and personal monitors designed to work with the full frequency range of your kit.
What other musical accessories does Roland make?
Roland makes a huge range of musical accessories, from instrument cables and footswitches to headphones and drum thrones. They even make audio interfaces to connect your instrument to your computer and record at home!
Where can I find other Roland products such as keyboards and digital pianos?
Our sister site, Rimmers Music, stocks a huge range of digital pianos, synthesizers, arranger workstations, and other electronic keyboard instruments, as well as tons of accessories and equipment such as keyboard amplifiers, piano benches, headphones and more!