Roland TD-17 V-Drums Sound Module

Roland TD-17 V-Drums Sound Module Overview

Roland TD-17 V-Drums Sound Module

The module that powers the mid-level range of Roland TD-Series kit from their V-Drums range. Ideal for drummers that want to create their own sounds, record easily and require more from their pads set.

The TD-17 “brain” is packed full of features, including great sounds, teaching aids and groundbreaking technology such as Sample Import/Layering and Bluetooth.

The TD-17 Module features 50 Preset/50 User drum kits, ranging from Acoustic Drum Kits, Electronic Drum Machine Samples and World Percussion sounds. There are also 310 Internal Drum Sounds, allowing you to create your own customised Drum Kits.

Prismatic Sound Technology

The TD-17 Module is powered by Roland’s Prismatic Sound Engine, which is the same that features on the flagship TD-50X.

With Prismatic, each drum sample has been made up of the integral components of the Acoustic Instrument it is replicating. This means that the essential “acoustic” characteristics of each drum are not only heard but also felt.

For example, a Snare Drum’s sound is made up of the size and depth of the drum shell, as well as what material this is made from. Even the material and amount of strands in the Snare Wire will transform the tone of an Acoustic Snare Drum. Prismatic ensures that all these aspects are included in the sample, as well as giving you the option to edit these individual components to ensure you have the perfect drum sound.

Prismatic goes further than that still, as the microphone used to record a drum, the environment the drum is placed in and even how much “bleed” you hear from the other drums in the same room are also included in the sound. It is this level of sonic detail that makes Roland V-Drums so realistic sounding.

Your Own Personal Studio/Sound Tech

As well as the immense variety of internal drum sounds and editability, the TD-17 Module comes with an exceptional array of built-in effects.

Choose between 25x Ambience Types, placing your drum kit in a custom environment, such as a studio, live stage or even stadium/arena. You can get creative with the 30x Multi-FXs, ranging from Compression, Modulation, Overdrives/Distortion, Reverbs/Echoes and Delays, each with a tonne of customisable parameters. There is also a global 3-Band Pad EQ for maximum control.

All the extensive array of editable parameters can be easily manipulated with the useful knobs/buttons on the module, as well as displayed on the LCD screen, which can be seen in the darkest of stage lighting.

Use Your Own Sounds With Sample Import

If the internal 310 sounds in the TD-17 Drum Module aren’t enough for you, Roland has also added Sample Import, meaning that users can load their own custom sounds into the Module.

With Sample Import, you can load in any WAV Audio File from SD Card (sold separately) at 16/24 Bit and 44.1Khz, with a maximum memory of 24 minutes (mono) and 12 minutes (stereo). Each sample can be 180 seconds in length, so plenty of one-shot sounds can be stored.

One of the most interesting and fun parts of loading in your own sounds is the TD-17’s ability to layer these with an internal one. This means you could load in a sample of your Acoustic Snare Drum and then layer it on top of a Prismatic Snare Drum sound. You can even pitch-match your imported samples to an internal sound, enabling you to have the dynamic range and behaviour of an Acoustic Drum, derived from your Acoustic Snare Drum.

Jam Along To Music - Without Any Messy Cables!

One of the biggest issues for Drummers is being able to play along to music or jam with other musicians. With the TD-17, Drummers can connect a media player to the Aux In to play along to your favourite songs as if you were in the band. What’s even better, is you can completely do away with a cable, and connect your compatible Bluetooth Media Device to the TD-17 Module wirelessly with Bluetooth Audio!

To make the Bluetooth Audio feature even more useful is the ability to sample the audio from an external device via Bluetooth in real-time. This means you can quickly capture audio clips and store them straight onto an SD Card (sold separately).

If you would like to jam along with other musicians, check out the Roland Drum Monitors.

Seamlessly Connect With A Computer Or Other Devices - Even Wirelessly

Connect your TD-17 Module via a USB cable (sold separately) to your computer and you can use your chosen TD-17 V-Drums Kit as an Audio Interface with 2 channels and as a MIDI trigger to play your favourite external sounds. This means you can record drums without needing a dedicated soundproof drum room, microphones, a high-end desk and interface as well as a plethora of messy cables. Simply plug a USB Cable (sold separately) into a computer and you can start recording.

You can also use the USB output to connect to teaching apps, like Melodics. Melodics is an interactive educational app. Roland is also giving TD-17 users 40 free lessons with each purchase to get you on your way too!

Bluetooth MIDI enables TD-17 users to achieve wireless connectivity to compatible devices for even more recording options.

The TD-17 has the same latency as the flagship Roland TD-50X, which is the lowest of any electronic kit at just 2.6ms.

The TD-17 Is Your Own Personal Drum Tutor

The TD-17 Module comes with 3 great lessons to help you improve as a Drummer, no matter what stage you are at.

The Lessons:

• Time Check (Easy & Hard) - The accuracy of your playing will be checked against the metronome.
• Change Up - The play along to the rhythm type, which will change every two measures.
• Warm-Ups - A selection of different Warm-Up exercises, consisting of:
• Auto Up/Down - The tempo of the metronome will increase in steps, then decrease.
• Quiet Count - The metronome alternates between “sounding and not sounding” at every four measures, and the cycle will repeat.
• Tempo Check ( Easy & Hard) - Practice playing at a steady tempo without relying on the tempo sounded by the metronome.

There is a built-in Metronome, which can be easily read on the LCD screen, so you always know what tempo you are playing at. You can also set your own custom BPM so that you can practice at any tempo you like.

If you would like to practise without disturbing your neighbours or those around you, partner your TD-17 Module with a pair of Roland Headphones (sold separately).

Expandability

The TD-17 Module can cater for users that wish to expand their drum set up, as it has space for one additional Dual pad (*x2 on the TD-17KV).

You can use this Auxiliary Trigger In to add either an additional Drum Pad with Head & Rim assignability or Cymbal Pad with Bow & Edge. You can even split the Aux Trig In to connect two mono triggers with a Stereo Jack to Dual Jack Y-Cable.

For users wanting to Digital Pads, transmit 28 audio channels over USB and larger pads, check out the TD-27.

Kits Powered By The TD-17 V-Drums Sound Module

The TD-17 Module powers some of the most popular Roland Electronic Drum Kits that sit in both the TD or VAD Series.

• VAD306 - The introductory kit in the VAD Series, offering the traditional acoustic drum aesthetic in a more compact size.
• TD-17KVX - The first V-Drums Kit in the TD-Series range to feature premium quality cymbal pads and a VH-10 V-Hi-Hat System that is operated by an Acoustic Hi-Hat Stand.
• TD-17KV - The first V-Drums Kit in the TD-Series range to feature the Roland PDX-12 Mesh Snare Pad, 12in.