Have you ever wanted to buy an electronic drum kit but couldn’t rationalize the purchase price? Well, I’ve got plenty of good reasons to make the move now.
Many times in the past I’ve entertained the thought of spending money on electronic drums… but went running back to my acoustic kit when I got a good look at the electronic drum kit price.
Traditional practice pads weren’t cutting it out for me anymore.
I just really wanted a simple option that would allow me to practice quietly in a small space and create some fun without shattering my budget.
Sadly, there never seemed to be any options available to meet my needs. That is until I got a kit for this Roland TD 1KV review.
The Roland TD 1KV has completely changed my thinking about electronic drums. Apart from being a quality product, it’s priced well enough to allow you entry into the world of electronic drums and experience the benefits that they offer.
Roland TD 1KV Review at One Glance
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Table of Contents
What’s in the Box?
- Sturdy drum rack with quick and easy height adjustment for every kind of drummer, from kids to adults
- Mesh-head PDX-8 V-Pad snare provides realistic drum feel with head/rim triggering
- Beater-less kick pedal
- Beater-less hi-hat pedal
- 3 gum rubber tom toms (Rack 1, Rack 2, and Floor Tom)
- Roland TD-1KV Electronic Drum Set Sound Module
- 3 pairs of sticks
- audio cable
- polishing cloth
Features & Specifications
The Roland TD 1 KV has a small footprint of 37 x 18 x 13 inches, which means it is easily transportable at 30 pounds and gentle on your budget without compromising on quality and functionality.
The frame that holds the entire drum set together is amazingly sturdy and it moves forgivingly when you play the kit.
The rack and floor tom pads have a reasonable rebound that I found pleasing to play and the mesh snare provides a different rebound and feel that is both realistic and comfortable.
The kick pedals for the bass drum and hi-hats are super positionable to accommodate players of different ages and sizes. They responded effectively even when I challenged them with more elaborate rhythms for this Roland TD 1KV review.
The hi-hat cymbals can be adjusted for tension and a splashed hit-hat sound can be achieved by simply touching the pedal without hitting the hi-hat pad with a stick. This creates the sound of the top and bottom hi-hat cymbals hitting each other and will accommodate drummers who make use of this technique when playing jazz or 2nd Line drum grooves.
The ride and crash cymbals can be choked and the ride cymbal provides a bell sound when hit with a more aggressive stroke.
All of the toms, the mesh snare, and the bass pedal are velocity sensitive, which is important for a drummer. When you play softly, the sounds are soft. When you dig in for a harder sound, the Roland TD 1KV will respond with more volume as one would expect.
In doing this Roland TD 1KV review, I found the fifteen different drum kit sound options on the Sound Module to be ample. But you can get even more elaborate by connecting via USB to an external Digital Audio Work Station (DAWS). Through the DAWS, you can experiment with extra sound options that you may have available using 3rd party software.
Electronic kits can be useful for certain types of gigs, but I have always wanted to have an alternative to practice pads that would allow me to get the essence of the sound of my playing while not disturbing others. This kit is great if you don’t want to bother your family, roommates or the neighbours, but still be able to play with with as much intensity as you like. Roland TD 1KV is relatively quiet and fits the bill beautifully.
If you have small children or fussy adults who go to bed early, fear not. You can practice endlessly into the night and the kids or the roomates will never notice. With your headphones on you’ll be rocking a major performance in the most unobtrusive way.
Freedrum- Play the drums anytime, anywhere
- Sensors are super accurate
- Good Value for Money
- Compatible with all major music software / DAWs
Sturdy Construction, Durability, & Adjustability
Having a super cool electronic kit is meaningless if it’s not able to withstand constant pounding, hitting, and the endless practice time that I know you will be investing so that you can challenge all the other great drummers out there.
The Roland TD 1KV takes up a small amount of space. It offers the ability to move the components around to accommodate players of many ages and sizes.
I wanted to make sure to have a thorough experience for this Roland TD 1KV review, so I gave this kit a work out and played it as if I were in the middle of a forty-five minute set. Amazingly, this kit sat firmly and took my licks like a pro. The unit moves in a forgiving way in response to your playing, just the way a traditional acoustic set would and should.
Snare & Tom Pads Feel Realistic
The gum rubber pads that represent the rack toms and the floor toms on this electronic kit have a realistic rebound that I found easy on the hands and wrists when I played them.
This is very important, because I’ve found rubber pads on older electronic drum kits to be tough on the wrists after about an hour of playing on them. A real drum skin has enough give to allow you to play without pain but rubber pads of the past always resulted in pain and that indicates to me possible long term damage or injury is on the horizon after extended playing. This seems to have been eliminated with the Roland TD 1KV gum rubber toms.
The mesh snare, which is the predominant drum used when playing a drum kit, is even more realistic and comfortable and can be tension adjusted with a supplied key to match your requirements.
Sound Module Gives You Plenty of Options & Flexibility
The Sound Module provided with this electronic drum kit gives you a useful and varied set of functions. There are 15 different kit sound choices from traditional rock and pop kits, to hip hop, techno, as well as a bongo, and affiliated percussion sound set-up.
You can simply play your Roland TD 1KV along to the on-board metronome or accompany a range of provided songs. This feature is a fabulous change up from woodshedding rhythms and beats on a traditional practice pad. It was a totally gratifying blast for me!
In addition, you can record what you have just performed on the Roland TD-1KV and listen back to hear how if the results are what you were aiming for.
For this Roland TD 1KV review, I was able to make use of the coach function as an advanced player to keep me honest regarding my meter. The Time setting and the Drop Out setting indicated whether I was getting ahead or behind the beat.From an educational standpoint, this function is perfect for new students and even veteran players who want to get their meter locked in.
- Small footprint. Perfect when space is limited
- 15 default drum kit sound options that sound realistic
- Set up is easy (Approx 30 minutes)
- Very durable
- Sound Module provides many options for teaching or just for fun
- Ability to add your own drum sounds via USB connectability
- Forgiving drum pads and mesh snare pad
- Velocity sensitivity
- Perfect for beginners to establish if they really love to play the drums
- Bass pedal and hi-hat pedal may frustrate more advanced players, as they lack a feeling of resistance, typical of a real hi-hat or bass pedal.
- Volume for music and drums when played together cannot be adjusted separately
- Cannot play with brushes on the mesh snare
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you need a speaker to hear this kit?
A: Yes. You can plug in a set of headphones to hear what’s going on by yourself or you can attach an external speaker so that others will hear your kit.
Q: Can you midi this to an external DAWS program such as Pro Tools or Garage Band.
A: Yes.
Q: Does the kit come with a drum stool?
A: No. A drummer’s throne will need to be purchased separately.
Alternative Products to the Roland TD 1K
Roland TD-1K vs TD-1KV
The Roland TD-1K kit is essentially the same as the TD 1KV however the snare pad is constructed of the same rubber substance as the rack and floor toms. This may be a minor issue for the beginner, which means you can still acquire electronic drums even if your budget is as tight as a drum skin.
Roland TD1KV vs Yamaha DTX400K
The Yamaha DTX400K is a respectable alternative to Roland’s TD1 KV.
It also has two rack toms, a floor tom, and a snare pads. However, the snare is also rubber versus the mesh snare on the Roland TD1 KV. The control module on the Yamaha DTX400K is limited somewhat due to a lack of LCD screen versus the Roland options.
Freedrum- Play the drums anytime, anywhere
- Sensors are super accurate
- Good Value for Money
- Compatible with all major music software / DAWs
My Final Opinion
After making this Roland TD 1KV review, I would recommend this kit without hesitation. Roland has a pedigree for electronic drums and they have included quite a few great features into this kit that are useful and will help develop your talent.
The kit provides a great price point to get a young student started and help establish their passion for playing the drums. Best of all, this kit is fun!
Questions? Comments?
Drop them in the box below and I’ll get back to you within a day!
Do you think the Roland TD 1KV would be suitable for a 5 year old? We would prefer an electric kit for volume and space reasons.
Hey Cara,
Thanks for your question!
I’d recommend you check out the Alesis Nitro. It’s cheaper, and it’s set up more like an acoustic kit, so your child wouldn’t have to un- and relearn certain motions when changing to an acoustic kit later on.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Yannick
Hi, first of all thank you for all amazing reviews.
Besides price point (because I live an are where Roland TD1K (not V) is sale and is the same price of Alesis Ntiro. Which would you prefer and why? As a musician, but for a beginner on drumms which would suit me..
Hey Kerem,
I’d still rather go with the Alesis Nitro, since it is set up exactly like an acoustic kit and makes transitioning there easier. Apart from that, the Roland might have a slight edge in terms of sound quality, but this is such a subjective topic that this is rather an impression – while the setup is a fact.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Yannick
Hi Yannick, if I buy a TD_1K can I add the mesh snare drum later if I want to upgrade to the TD_1KV? Thanks
Hey Luke,
You can most certainly do that. This snare pad will work out fine for that purpose.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Yannick
Hi Yannick, i travel a lot and stay in hotels, is it better to own a TD1 KV to set up in my room or what do you suggest?
Hey Rusti,
Thanks for your question! Have you checked out this or that air drumming system? I can imagine one of those would be a good fit!
Or – depending on your skill level and goals – have you though about electronic drum pads as an alternative?
Otherwise, if you want to stick with drum kits, I suggest you check out the Alesis Nitro.
Best,
Yannick
Can’t decide between this and the Yamaha DTX450K. While this has a mesh snare and softer pads, it lacks a kick tower. While DTX450K has a kick tower, it lacks a mesh snare.
Hey Umesh,
Considering your price range: why not go with the Alesis Surge? It has kick tower and mesh heads all around.
I haven’t written up a review yet, but I’ve tested this kit and am very impressed.
Best,
Yannick
How I wish I could. But the surge is not yet available for sale in India.
I see. In that case, I’d go with the Yamaha DTX450K. I think the more realistic setup is more important than the difference in noise and feel. Or what is it that you’re concerned about?
I’m sad that even in 2018, e kit manufacturers aren’t doing much for their low-end kits, which miss either mesh pads or kick drum towers. I think these r a must for any e kit.
Anyways, thanx for ur help, I’ll either go for dtx450k n change the snare to a mesh pad or go for td1kv n add a kick drum tower to it.
Hey Umesh,
Agreed, in an ideal world any e-drum kit would have mesh pads. As for the kick drum towers, I’m not so sure, because some e-drums are “lacking” them on purpose in order to be more quiet than sets with traditional kick towers (the DTX400K for example).
Anyway, I hope you’ll find your kit soon!
Best,
Yannick