Roland V-Drums Acoustic Design: Electronic Drums, Acoustic Sensations
Roland recently surprised us with a brand new series: the V-Drums Acoustic Design Series. At this very moment, the line-up includes a total of three electronic drum kits, each of which is nearly impossible to tell apart from a real acoustic kit: the VAD506, the VAD503 and the VAD306.
Roland V-Drums Acoustic Design: The Real Deal?
No matter how realistic electronic drum kits sound or become, for many, these kits still aren't the real deal. By introducing the new V-Drums Acoustic Design series, Roland clearly show they beg to differ, as an important feature of the series are the real wooden shells included in the VAD506 and VAD503 kits. Besides the fact that this has resulted in an authentic feel, the configuration and distances between the kick drum, snare and toms immediately feel trusty and familiar. In reality, the only things that'll tell you that you're looking at an electronic drum kit are the cables and rubber cymbal pads.
The Three VAD Kits
The Roland VAD Series currently includes three drum kits: the VAD506, the VAD503 and the VAD306. Let's quickly go over the biggest differences. The VAD506 is essentially the flagship model here and boasts a full configuration including three toms and four cymbal pads. The VAD503 comes with one less rack tom and crash-pad, but both kits do feature a TD-27 drum module and a most impressive 18" CY-18DR ride cymbal. Lastly, the VAD306 is the more budget-friendly model of the series and, as such, includes slightly smaller shells. That means you're still getting three toms and four cymbal pads, but the drum module has been swapped for a TD-17 while the CY-18DR crash-pad remains exclusive to the two other kits.