Whether you’re a beginner in drumming or you’re an experienced drum player having some information about the equipment in your line can be beneficial in multiple ways. This is especially the case when it comes to choosing the drum set of your desire. As you may have read from our top 10 best electronic drum sets review, the Roland TD-50 KV is one of the best drum sets you can find on the market in 2018 and probably quite a number of years to more come unless technological advancements in the world of drumming equipment happen very fast, like supersonically fast! The Roland td 30kv used to be the best on the market, but with this upgrade, it’s no longer the case.
It is, of course, an upgrade of its predecessors in the K and KV series, like the TD11, TD25, TD30, and a few others. Someone may have recommended this drum set to you or you may have encountered it from various sources in your quest to find the best drum set to buy. Either way, it can be helpful to have a glimpse of what this drum set kit is really made of in terms of performance, design, sound, and other features. Considering it is one of the most high-priced units around, you would also probably want to find out if it’s worth the price tag. Well, we’ve got you all covered for these and other question you may be having regarding this 5-piece drum kit from Roland. Here’s is a comprehensive Roland td 50kv review to help you decide if you’re still interested in buying it, or help you narrow down your options.
Features and Configuration
The TD50 KV is a complete electronic drum set with cymbals with a total of 7 mesh drum set pads. Its configuration includes a kick drum pad, 3 tom pads, and 3 cymbal pads. It also comes with a drum stand and an optional KD-A22 kick drum converter. The three tom pads include two floor tom pads and rack tom pad, whereas the cymbal pads include one for the ride, ride/crash, and the hi-hat.
It features a TD-50 module with an LCD display with prismatic sound modeling technology and comes equipped with 30 trigger inputs. Connectivity ports include the headphone jack, USB, and MIDI. USB audio out is the 10-channel type that gives you the convenience of recording multiple tracks through just one USB cable. It also features an XLR stereo output alongside 8 direct TRS outputs. The kit includes a metronome that features a multitude of recording and playback functions to make practice sessions smooth and sensational.
Roland td50kv’s non-complicated assembly
Design and Feel
Just like you might have guessed from its pricing as well as its awesome look and feel, this electronic drum set beats many when it comes to design and build. It is specifically designed to offer the best experience to practicing drummers as well as professionals. One thing that makes this drum kit quite a unique upgrade of the 30KV and previous Roland versions is the fact that it comes with digital triggering capabilities for the ride and snare. This not only makes it capable of handling huge amounts of data being sent to the sound module, it also produces realistic responses when doing so.
Sturdy Piece of Creation
One of the reasons why Roland has gained immense popularity and great reputation over the years is that most, if not all their musical instruments are made to stand the test of time. In addition to quality, durability is a great priority in every unit the company produces, according to Roland’s Drum Product Specialist in the UK, John Pullan. The Roland td50kv is no different. It is made to withstand a great deal of pressure, wear, and tear, especially from the effect of continuous hitting and striking on the drum surfaces. This V-Drum is made to provide impressive service even to the everyday drum player. Hit the drums as hard as possible and all they do is look at you smiling. Okay, not exactly; but you get the idea.
Sturdy Piece of Creation
One of the reasons why Roland has gained immense popularity and great reputation over the years is that most, if not all their musical instruments are made to stand the test of time. In addition to quality, durability is a great priority in every unit the company produces, according to Roland’s Drum Product Specialist in the UK, John Pullan. The Roland td50kv is no different. It is made to withstand a great deal of pressure, wear, and tear, especially from the effect of continuous hitting and striking on the drum surfaces. This V-Drum is made to provide impressive service even to the everyday drum player. Hit the drums as hard as possible and all they do is look at you smiling. Okay, not exactly; but you get the idea.
Sound and Drum Module
The sound modules in the TD-50KV are entirely new. None of the samples in the sound library has been borrowed from Roland’s earlier drum set versions. Thanks to the Prismatic Sound Modeling technology possessed by this kit, drummers get a responsive and reliable experience that other electronic drum sets on the market will barely provide. Of course, TD50KV is not the only drum set with USB connection features but the USB connections make it easier for the drummer to important their own samples and use them to create custom music, which makes the kit even more impressive.
Side By Side TD-50K versus TD-50KV
There are a few similarities between the K version and KV version of the td-50. The main ones include the fact that of these kits include a TD-50 Roland drum module, a PD-140DS snare, and a CY-18DR Ride. From far, the set-up of the two drum kits looks almost similar. There are a couple of differences though. These include the following:
Differences
- Better Hi-Hats: While the Roland td-50k drum set comes with a VH-11 hi-hat, the TD-50KV model comes with a VH-13, whose open/close dynamics are better.
- Bigger, More Impressive Cymbals: Due to the fact that it has a top and bottom cymbal, the TD-50KV tends to bring a feel that is more authentic. The KV version also comes with slightly larger cymbals (14-inch) compared to the 12 & 13-inch cymbals on the TD-50K version.
- Larger Toms: Compared to the K version, the KV kit is also equipped with larger and deeper toms that allow you to change the shell wraps, something that you can’t do on the Roland td50k.
- Bigger Kick Drum: In the KV version, the kick drum is 14-inch, compared to the 12-inch kick drum on the K version of the td50. The KV version of the Roland td-50 also comes with a more impressive look and feel, especially when it comes to the legs and the mounting system that is more guaranteed to make you look professional on stage.
- Rack: As opposed to the black, slightly lighter rack on the TD50 K, the KV drum set features a chrome rack that is also larger and a bit heavier for stability.
- Sounds/New Samples: The newer Roland td50 also comes with a library of completely new sample sounds, which give the feel of an acoustic drum set.
- Digital Pads + USB Connection: The kit also features digital triggering technology with multi-sensory digital pads for the snare and the ride. This makes the kit able to detect positions and in-turns from your hands’ static, which enables a response that is similar to that of an acoustic unit. The USB connection is also an improvement that enables sending of much more information to the module.
- 3-Ply Mesh: Even though both the KV 50 and KV 30 feature mesh heads for the digital snare pad, the mesh head in this new version is 3-ply versus the 2-ply mesh heads the Roland td 30kv used to have. The improved mesh allows the instrument to cancel out any trampoline effect that may have been the case with previous models.
Bigger Cymbals
As you may have noted from the td50k versus td50kv comparison section of this Roland TD-50KV review, the cymbals are bigger in the latter. You might have wondered why Roland decided to make them bigger. It’s a common question on the vdrums forum. Well, the first reason was to improve the feel, as well as the aesthetics. It gives the drummer some more inspiration and mimics the look of an acoustic drumset, especially the ride. The reason I included this section to talk about cymbals in more detail is that how the cymbals sound and look can be a huge factor in separating the wheat from the chaff when it comes to finding the best electronic drum set.
Great Recording Experience
The td-50 KV is created to provide utmost convenience when it comes to recording. Thanks to the SD feature that the kit comes with, you can easily re-create an album live in the studio using samples from an exterior source. Like that is all, the USB feature allows you to pair the drum set with a DAW providing you with the convenience of recording your music at various frequencies.
Recording digital outputs into DAW
What if I Have a TD50K?
The good news is that if you own a Roland td 50, you can use some of its elements and upgrade it to a 50KV. What you will need is an expansion pack, sometimes known as the digital upgrade pack from Roland. This comes with a module, ride, and snare.
Roland TD50KV Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Sounds acoustic
- Stylish and feel
- From a reputed brand
- Can use imported sounds samples
- Works well with DAW and other devices
Cons
- Smaller than most alternatives
- Quite pricey
Conclusion
Despite being a little bit pricier than most other electronic drum sets, the TD-50 KV is for sure a drum set to yearn for. It’s stylish design, the way it sounds, and it’s impressive usability and playability sure offset the concern about pricing. Without any further ado or need to sugarcoat it, it is simply an amazing electronic drum set for professional drummers as well and any other person who appreciates excellent musical instruments. Hope this Roland td-50kv review has shed some light and will help you make a more informed decision.
