Has anybody played the new Roland Cymbals?

[Mick Wade]

Originally posted by criewe:
Mick
Thanks for the info,

Do you know if midwest has alot in-stock?

I asked them if they were going to carry the V-cymbals, and the answer I got was "We're still looking into that" (translation: they didn't have any in stock and they weren't sure if they were going to order any V-cymbals as stock items in the future). The kit itself was sold just as soon as it hit the floor, so maybe that's a good sign, but I thought they were a little vague about the price ("250.00-$300.00 per"), and that's not a good sign.....

[sepdrums]

I played them at NAMM a few times. They respond naturally and feel pretty good for an electronic cymbal. They (crashes) swivel on some type of ball joint in the center so that they actually move when struck.... There is definitely some well thought engineering there....gotta respect that.
I did feel that the choke function was a bit slow...but that is in the module.
The ability to play the edges was a great addition, but I am fairly certain you need the TDW-1.
Overall I like them...unfortunately they will come with Roland's price tag. They are certainly the most advanced e-cymbals to date. I would expect a company the size of Roland to set the stage for the next generation of e-cymbals which I beleive they have just done.

Erik

[criewe]

Mick
Thanks for the info,

Do you know if midwest has alot in-stock?

[cliff]

Hart Hi Hats do not open and close. Visu-lites are the only e-cymbal hats I know that do that. There have been reports that the new Roland crash and ride sway naturaly and are quiet. If those claims are true, then Roland leads in the race.

[puttenvr]

Originally posted by Mick Wade:
They're really just glorified, cymbal-shaped PD-7s.

Like I already thought!! They already looked so stiff to me on the pictures that I presumed it was a re-shaped pd-7. But, okay there are still Hart and visul-lite cymbals.

[Mick Wade]

Hey, ReedR:

No, the V hi-hat cymbal does not open and close. It's in a stationary position just like a regular trigger pad. I think some of the other electronic hi-hat triggers out there (Hart ECymbals, Visu-Lites, etc.) are set up in such a manner, though. There are some other posts on this site discussing them. The V hi-hat does have a good feel to it and I like the way they designed the L-rod mount, but I'm not so sure it's worth $120.00 or so more than a PD-7/9. But, like I said before, if you've got the money to spend......

[ReedR]

Okay, maybe a dumb questions-- but do the hats actually open and close via any foot control or are they just a stationary (and more bendable) suface? Specs say this works with FD7 so I would expect that later, but it seems like this might add some playability if they acutally responded a bit more like the real thing. Dying to try all these out...

-Reed

[Mick Wade]

Well, much to my surprise, I went into Midwest Drum and Percussion here in Wichita (of all places) today and there sat a complete V-Pro Session kit plugged in and ready to go! The new V-cymbals were what I was most interested in, and after giving them the business for about 15 minutes, here's my opinion: they look cool, feel great, are too damn expensive, and don't trigger any better or worse than PD-7s, PD-9s, etc. If you need that visual/physical reference point of a large circular object that rebounds and sways as you strike it, then the V-cymbals are just the ticket. You could probably literally close your eyes and not be able to tell much difference between these and real cymbals if you were to play them in a light jazz or similar context. As far as I'm concerned, it's the feel that sells these V-cymbals moreso than anything else, because I quite honestly don't think they're the be-all/end-all cymbal trigger we V-drummers were hoping for. They're really just glorified, cymbal-shaped PD-7s. The V-cymbals are not going to deliver a solution to triggering issues such as smooth cymbal swells, crash riding, and playing on bells. Keeping this in mind, I still think that anyone that wants and has the money to purchase the V-cymbals should definitely do so, and I'm sure I'll be counting myself in that group quite soon. Bottom line: if you don't expect too much from the V-cymbals you won't be let down, and I mean that in a good sense. Now on a related note, what I thought was REALLY kick-ass was the red finish on the Session Kit pads. Beautiful! Believe me, the pictures you've seen don't do it justice. It's a graduated finish like a fade or sunburst and has a subtle metallic flake sheen to it. You've really got to see it for yourself; it's just gorgeous (red is my favorite color, so I guess I'm a little partial...). Normally I'm not too crazy about colored racks, but the anodized red finish on the Session Kit rack was just unreal. And, just to confirm something that I believe feefer mentioned on a previous thread, the new rack clamps are a huge improvement over the old ones in terms of durability, construction, and even their appearance.......

Cheers!

[This message has been edited by Mick Wade (edited March 01, 2001).]

[Arriguy]

Not in stores yet, I think I heard April which probably means August. A couple of guys played them at NAMM (Sep?) and reports were positive. Maybe do a search for Cymbals-NAMM and read their posts.

[criewe]

and what do you think of them. Better than the current pd-9? Are they worth the money?

I am assuming they are available for purchase.. maybe I'm wrong..

Chuck