Upgraded drum kit with full-size wooden drum shells

If you need a drum kit with the look and feel of acoustic drums, but with the functionality and control of electronic drums, the VAD503 is the best choice. This premium drum set comes complete with full-size wooden drums that mount on an exquisite dual-shoulder chrome stand to make your audience feel like you’re playing a real acoustic drum kit. Roland’s advanced digital transducer technology and the deep dynamics of the TD-27 sound module provide superior sound and response, ensuring that every beat, every “ghost” note, every shot is played in detail.

A captivating drumming experience

With its attractive appearance, familiar layout, and impressive acoustic drum kit-like playing capabilities, the VAD503 makes any drummer feel instantly “at home.” The drum set includes a 14″ stainless steel snare drum, a 10″ rack-mounted tom, a 14″ floor tom, and a 20″ bass drum with full-size wood bodies, further enhancing the feeling of authenticity and that you’re hitting acoustic drums with sticks and beater. The complete cymbal set consists of a 12″ V-Hi-Hat hi-hat, plus a 14″ crash cymbal (with a flat profile and textured finish) and an 18″ rider cymbal to provide the response and look of a real acoustic kit when working on stage.

14″ Digital snare drum and 18″ rider cymbal

Roland’s advanced digital pad technology allows for an even more realistic feel when playing V-Drums. Connecting via USB cables to the TD-27 Sound Module, the snare and cymbal-ride digital pads work with the audio engine to deliver a highly realistic feel and allow the musician to demonstrate his or her drumming skills in unparalleled detail. Multiple sensors and ultra-fast processing provide a fantastic response that allows the musician to use familiar playing techniques. Phantom notes, rimshots and cross-strokes are accurately identified and reproduced on the snare drum, while the cymbal rider supports a wide range of timbres and the ability to mute easily by lightly touching the center of the cymbal or its bell.

The natural feel of acoustic drums

Roland’s legendary tension-controlled multi-layered mesh diaphragm contributes greatly to the natural feel of your playing. It lets you adjust the bounce to best suit your playing style. And when the mallet strikes the specially designed bass drum, an airflow moves across its body, creating the pressure and resistance you get when playing an acoustic bass drum.

Achieve more with Prismatic Sound Modeling

The TD-27 sound module, based on the flagship model, the TD-50, is complete with the sounds of multiple drums that “live and breathe” just like the timbres of their respective acoustic instruments. The process begins by recording in world-renowned studios samples of the finest drums, percussion and cymbals, both vintage and modern. These samples are then exposed to Roland’s unique Prismatic Sound Modeling feature, which, using a patented behavior modeling technology that has been perfected over two decades, allows you to “breathe life” into them. Every time you hit a drum or cymbal, you’re not just triggering a static sample, you’re actually playing full-size percussion instruments that respond to your picking technique just like acoustic drums, providing you with an unprecedented arsenal of sounds.

Create your own “signature” set of drums

When playing acoustic drums, you can create your own sound by replacing one type of diaphragm with a different one, adjusting the pitch, damping, back-string tension, changing the beater, etc. All these manipulations are supported by the TD-27 sound module as well, allowing you to create your own percussion sets, adapting them to your specific environment. Just hit a pad to select one and then use the handy controls and simple editing tools to fine-tune the sound. Editing results are automatically remembered, so you don’t have to stop playing. You can even load your own samples and combine them with the built-in sounds to further personalize your drum kit.

Chrome percussion stand with two shoulders

The fact that electronic drums, drums, and cymbals are mounted similarly to acoustic ones determines not only the classic look of the kit, but also the feel the musician gets while playing. Tom pads are mounted on the same stands as used for acoustic toms, so they are positioned exactly where they are supposed to be. The redesigned V-Cymbals flat cymbals are mounted on the stems with special hinge mounts so they swing just like the acoustic ones. All rods have two arms, which provides excellent structural stability and the ability to adjust to the usual percussion arrangement in the space.

PureAcoustic Ambience technology

The new PureAcoustic Ambience technology lets you optimize each drum set for natural, spatial sound in a variety of environments. But you can go even further by adjusting the position of the microphones that surround the drum kit, and customizing the sound with a scalar-simulation algorithm that uses the floor mics. And finally, the ability to use built-in advanced multi effects and mixing provides the musician with a full studio console toolbox of parametric equalizers, compressors, reverbs, and delays.

Powerful switching possibilities on stage and in the studio

VAD503’s fantastic sound in live performance or recording is enabled by a variety of connectivity options. The TD-27 has stereo outputs for cumulative outputs, as well as two direct outputs that can feed your bass drum, snare drum, and other sounds to an audio console for independent mixing. The built-in USB audio interface makes studio work easier, with 28 audio channels sent to your computer over a single cable. There’s also USB MIDI data input/output for synchronizing with other MIDI equipment and sound selection in your computer software application.

Easily expand your drum kit

The VAD503 is not a “thing in itself.” With the TD-27’s three auxiliary trigger inputs, you can easily expand your rig with more tom and cymbal pads. Or you can maximize the bass drum’s breakout power by using a “gimbal.” Whatever your situation, the auxiliary trigger inputs help you make the best configuration.

Bluetooth Connectivity and Built-in Learning Toolkit

Bluetooth support allows you to stream audio wirelessly from your cell phone or laptop to the sound module – an ideal feature for developing improvisational skills using headphones. Play along to your favorite music tracks or mix the sound of your rig with video lessons streamed through YouTube. Built-in learning features allow you to increase your skill level and track your progress, and the advanced metronome feature lets you develop your sense of internal rhythm. In addition, you can record your performance at any time and listen to it to identify problem areas to work on.