[NAMM] Roland HD-3

The HD-3 is intended for students, hobbyists, project studios, and suited for family music spaces, schools, dorm rooms, studios, offices, and more. All of the set’s components are mounted on a single stand for easy setup and transport, and assembly requires just a screwdriver and a standard drum key (both included).

From an acoustic perspective, the HD-3 set is described as “incredibly quiet, ” thanks to the beater-less kick pedal, cushioned tom pads, and mesh-head snare. When monitoring with headphones, apartment dwellers and drum students can play without bothering neighbors and family members, Roland assures.

New features brought with the HD-3 include cloth-head toms over the previous rubber design, as well as new dual-trigger snare and crash/ride pads. Users can now play rim shots on the snare, triggering edge sounds on the crash/ride, and choking crash/ride sounds by grabbing the pad.

The updated sound module in the HD-3 includes 20 new drum kits with dedicated select buttons. The HD-3 module also includes a 16×2 character backlit LCD, along with a new metronome with a wider tempo range and variable sounds. The HD-3 is equipped with an input for connecting an external music player, so users can jam with their favorite songs and control the blend of music and live drumming through headphones or an amplifier.

The optional PM-03 Personal Drum Monitor can complement the HD-3. This 2.1 monitor integrates with the V-Drums Lite.

Roland offers resources to help HD-3 players build their drumming skills. The DT-1 V-Drums Tutor software is designed to make learning fun, with interactivity, play-along patterns, and more. V-Drums Lessons offer a library of free online instructional videos from pro drummers, while the free V-Drums Friend Jam software application provides practice workouts and interaction with other players.

Availability:

The HD-3 V-Drums Lite will available in February 2012.

For more information, visit www.RolandConnect.com.