Roland SPD SX

We moved to a new flat last year, which meant I lost my man cave bomb shelter :( I've really missed playing drums, I still have the kit (a yamaha DT xpress 4) but it's too big to leave setup in the new place.

One way around this is getting the SPD SX - sure it's not a real drum kit, but it would get me back to writing my own drum loops. I've been really lazy of late and using session drummer for every thing. A side effect would be that I could add some real drums and loops to my duo gig, without massively increasing footprint.

So, anyone using one and any other options out there?
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Comments

  • StrangefanStrangefan Frets: 5845
    I have the roland spd octapad, (same sort of thing) and they are amazing, so flexible, I also have the old spd which I use for jams and gigs they are truly brilliant at what they do, get one! 
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    @strangefan might fine endorsement. Whats the difference between the older SPD and the new one? I see the old ones come up for sale from time to time, so would save me cash if the features cover what I need.

    Will also look at the octapad as it's a new one on me. Literally just started thinking of this today.
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  • StrangefanStrangefan Frets: 5845
    The older ones don't have the seperate pads, which means you have so e cross over talk if you're not careful with hits, plus the new one has a sequencer where as the old one is purely a drum machine with no way to record, sound wise the octapad has about 200 sounds (they doubled the original 100 with the v2 software, 
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    Thanks, good info. Sounds liw the new one is what I'd like as the sequencer would be useful.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    They are great but supplement with a mesh snare.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    Hmm. I wonder if the snare and hi hat would work from my current kit...
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Hmm. I wonder if the snare and hi hat would work from my current kit...
    Worth a go.
    if not then check out the V Drums forum or FB group to see if anyone is selling.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    octatonic said:
    Hmm. I wonder if the snare and hi hat would work from my current kit...
    Worth a go.
    if not then check out the V Drums forum or FB group to see if anyone is selling.
    Might be the better route anyway. I could sell my xpress 4 and then just buy the roland bits I need. Otherwise the yamaha is going to be a very difficult sell.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    Now discovered the Yamaha DTXM12 too..
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14324
    edited May 2017
    I thought about getting an SPD SX for entering MIDI performances into my computer DAW sequencer. I decided against after boggling at a Neil Peart tutorial video. Somehow, tapping away on a tea tray is not the same as reaching for the individual parts a physical kit.


    Be seeing you.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    I thought about getting an SPD SX for entering MIDI performances into my computer DAW sequencer. I decided against after boggling at a Neil Peart tutorial video. Somehow, tapping away on a tea tray is not the same as reaching for the individual parts a physical kit.


    Yup. But time, money, family, space constraints means SPD > nothing :) Agree, I'd much rather have a physical kit, but I hate tapping on a keyboard even more.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    I thought about getting an SPD SX for entering MIDI performances into my computer DAW sequencer. I decided against after boggling at a Neil Peart tutorial video. Somehow, tapping away on a tea tray is not the same as reaching for the individual parts a physical kit.


    It can be pretty unsatisfying with an electronic kit too though.
    I've sold my V Drums kit- it is being collected tomorrow.
    It is a combination of things- firstly the hi-hats on electronic kits are completely unlike real hats.
    You lose all the subtlety you get with a regular set of hats.

    The ergonomics are much tighter- a real kit is much more spread out- so I was practicing a lot on the V drums only to then have to unlearn that when going to a real kit.
    Over the last few months I've been slowly moving over to mesh heads on a real kit with Zildjian low volume cymbals for my practice rig.


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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    Yes, the ergonomics are quite a shock if you are not used to playing a real kit. I've only ever really played an e-kit, but I occasionally have a go on the drummer's kit. Feels huge and the angles are all wrong.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Yes, the ergonomics are quite a shock if you are not used to playing a real kit. I've only ever really played an e-kit, but I occasionally have a go on the drummer's kit. Feels huge and the angles are all wrong.
    Yup, horses for courses, I guess.
    I only bought a V Drums in order to be able to do silent practice- the focus has always been to get out gigging.

    I liken it to the difference between acoustic or electric guitar.
    I can almost always tell an electric only player when they pick up an acoustic guitar.
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    @octatonic how flexible are the SPDs from a midi point of view? 
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    @octatonic how flexible are the SPDs from a midi point of view? 
    It is pretty comprehensive.
    What sorts of things would you want to do with it?
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    octatonic said:
    @octatonic how flexible are the SPDs from a midi point of view? 
    It is pretty comprehensive.
    What sorts of things would you want to do with it?
    Send midi note data to a VST - to trigger VST drum samples? Send cc to control a pigtronix looper perhaps or even a sequencer. not really sure.

    But I know that some midi implementation is really restrictive and others is quite flexible. Boss tend to be quite good at midi (at least the ES5 and DD500 are). 

    All kind of new to me this, but I'm trying to buy once... :)
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Would you want it to do all this at once?
    You can assign midi notes to pads fairly easily.

    https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/roland-spd-sx-assigning-midi-note-numbers-pads/

    I believe you can set it to spit out a CC to a pad as well, although check the manual.
    The trick is going to be splitting these up to send to different devices.
    I reckon you will have to use computer as a master- you can easily do this in a Logic environment, although you need to know how to do it which is usually where people fall down. :)
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    @octatonic - thanks fo rthe info,  interesting. I will go and study the manual, traditionally Boss are awful at manuals, so lets see how this one is. Helpful info though. I'm worried that I might have to rely on a laptop to sync it all up - either using Live or Logic.. would be nice If I could get around that.

    Lots to ponder and think about, but I reckon I need to take baby steps with this. Get the SPD, get it talking to a synth or my mac and taking it from there...
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