When seeking top quality in mid-range electronic drums, check out the TD-17 series. With a couple configurations to choose from, it’s easy to find the one that precisely suits your needs. No matter the model, each comes with the formidable TD-17 drum module and all its features.
TD-17 Drum Module
The TD-17 drum module uses sound-creation tech from the top-of-the-line TD-50X sound engine. This provides incredible sounds. And with 50 preset kits plus 50 user kit slots, the creative drummer within you will have the utmost freedom to explore. Harness the power of useful onboard sound-editing tools. These include virtual tuning, snare buzz control, and muffling options. You also get to adjust the reverb and EQ on each pad. With this kind of tonal versatility, it’s easy to dial in a kit that sounds and feels completely like you.
One of the highly useful features of the module is Bluetooth functionality. It allows you to stream audio from a smart phone or tablet to the module and to wirelessly send MIDI to a DAW. Follow along with a YouTube lesson. Or tap into the educational potential of Melodics drum education software via USB connection. Either way, you’ll quickly level up your drumming prowess.
The vast opportunities offered in the module keep practice sessions interesting. And with powerful input and output sections, you can turn the TD-17 into a potent recording studio tool. Options make the TD-17 series a chameleon-like instrument and tool. Let’s now check out what component options each TD-17 model comes with.
"With the TD-17 series, get top-tier sounds and tools designed to make every drummer better, faster."
TD-17KV: Big, Bold Drums
The TD-17KV is the most economical option in the TD-17 series, but it comes with a lot of heavy features. PDX-8 mesh pads for toms give you an authentic feel around the kit, offering adjustable tension for customizable stick feel and rebound, just like an acoustic drum set. They’re also softer than rubber pads. This adds the benefit of reduced volume when drumming. On top of this, you get two zones per drum, adding more possibilities to the sound achievable with the kit.
Sporting the large 12” PDX-12 mesh pad for snare drum, this kit feels much more like an acoustic kit ergonomically. The PDX-12 also has a raised rim that matches that of an acoustic snare drum, providing a pleasant cross-stick feel and more accurate rimshots.
With superior drum pads, the TD-17KV fosters a truly awesome playing experience. You can always upgrade pads one at a time on more economical electronic drum kits. However, many drummers see that it saves time and effort to invest in the better kit upfront.
"With 50 preset kits and another 50 user kits, the creative drummer within you will have the utmost freedom to explore."
TD-17KVX: Added Cymbal Upgrades
The TD-17KVX is the ultimate version in the TD-17 series. It comes with upgraded cymbal pads that pair well with the same great drum pads of the TD-17KV.
The included VH-10 hi-hat is a significant upgrade. It’s a highly responsive all-rubber pad that mounts onto a traditional acoustic hi-hat stand. This creates a greater sense of control compared to a pad that links to a separate hi-hat pedal.
This kit also includes two crash cymbals. These CY-12C pads have two trigger zones that correlate to the bow and edge. The CY-13R pad gives you the full ride cymbal experience, including bell, bow, and edge triggering. With the entire group of cymbals, easily choke them like acoustic cymbals by grabbing the edge. This gives you a ton of fun performance options.
These great cymbal and drum pads combine to create an immersive playing experience. It feels almost like an acoustic kit. But unlike acoustic drums, the TD-17 has sound and creative options you just can’t get on an acoustic kit. If you’re looking for the best experience possible with the TD-17 series, consider the TD-17KVX.
A Simpler Solution
If you’re looking for a simpler, compact setup, the TD-07KV is worth consideration. This kit has a few similarities with the TD-17 kits. At the same time, it offers additions in some areas and is more stripped-down in others.
The TD-07KV comes with a full set of mesh drum pads. It has a PDX-8 snare and PDX-6 pads for the toms. These are smaller than the rubber PD-8A toms, but they feel great to play on and provide two trigger zones each.
One consideration is that the TD-07 drum module isn’t as extensive or powerful as the TD-17. It has less preset kits and less-detailed sound editing tools, but know that it’s still got that legendary Roland sound and reliability.
Level Up
If you need a bigger kit with more sounds and features, check out the TD-27KV. It provides a significant jump from the TD-17KVX in what it offers.
The TD-27 drum module gives you more—more sounds, more preset kits, and more power. Edit everything down to the most minute detail with Roland’s PureAcoustic Ambience technology. This feature puts the kit into virtual ambient environments, making it sound like you’re behind the kit in a world-class recording studio or a massive concert hall. If you want to record that powerful drum sound, the TD-27 module also offers multi-channel USB audio, a high-end recording function not available on the TD-17.
No Limits
If the superior module isn’t enough to convince you, then check out the drum pads. You get a digital 14” PD-140DS snare drum that sits on a dedicated snare drum stand and large 10” PDX-100 pads for toms. The digital snare drum produces tone in the highest detail, sensing hand and stick position to dictate accurate head, rimshot, and cross-stick tones. And with a dedicated snare stand, you get to position the snare drum in any way you want. There are no limits when it comes to heights or angles.
The kit also has a CY-12C pad and a larger CY-13R pad for crash cymbals, a VH-10 pad for the hi-hat, and a CY-18DR digital ride pad. The larger cymbals better mimic the size and feel of cymbals on acoustic drum sets. They provide enough trigger zones to foster a playing experience that mimics acoustic cymbals too. The digital ride cymbal produces bow, edge, and bell tones that sound just like acoustic rides, expressing genuine drumming technique. You can even mute the cymbal with your hand.
The Ultimate Upgrade
If you like the sounds of the TD-17 module but want the best playing experience, check out the VAD306. This kit has the same cymbal layout as the TD-17KVX, but the drum pads are vastly different. They’re larger mesh pads and they’re integrated into wood acoustic shells. These shells connect to the same hardware used for acoustic drums. This allows you to get a similar setup and sense of ergonomics to an acoustic kit.
The VAD306 has the power of a Roland electronic drum module with the classic look of an acoustic drum kit. Learn more about the entire VAD series for more options like the VAD306.
"Sporting an amazing sound engine, each TD-17 kit provides amazing sounds that you can tweak until your heart is content."
The great thing about the Roland TD-17 series is that you can pick a configuration according to your budget. Regardless of which setup you choose, the kit includes the powerful TD-17 drum module. With a TD-50-class engine, you get amazing sounds that you can edit until your heart is content using the onboard tools. The mesh pads feel great under the hand, and combining those pads with a powerful module creates one truly cool percussive experience.
