ROLAND SPD6

The SPD6 MIDI percussion pad features 113 internal drum sounds, with six rubber playing pads and can run from an optional power adaptor or from batteries, with a life of up to 20 hours. A sensitivity switch allows it to be played with your hands or fingers, and it comes with 16 preset drum kits and 16 user kits. You can connect two footswitches to trigger an additional kick drum sound and to switch between open and closed hi-hat settings. The pads themselves seem to use piezo transducers and are more sensitive in the middle than at the edge, but they're reasonably forgiving of sloppy playing.

All the connections are on the rear panel. Here you'll find thesensitivity switch, volume control, a MIDI Out socket and a pair of audio outs. The kits are divided into acoustic, electronic, latin and special effects, and most of the sounds come from other Roland products. My only criticism is that there are too many silly special effects, such as creaking doors, thunder, and car skids. Many of the drum sounds are electronic, so if you're after rock, pop or jazz kits, the choice is pretty basic. You can assign new sounds to any or all of the pads (but not edit the sounds themselves) and change the MIDI note number output when a pad is hit. Additionally, the velocity response curves of the pads can be changed, though some of these operations are pretty arcane.

It seems Roland assume that the SPD6 will be used only to trigger other sounds, because there's no MIDI In to trigger its internal sounds. Furthermore, the sound engine has only four-note polyphony; you soon hear note stealing on fast fills. The lack of a MIDI In is a curious omission, but overall, the SPD6 succeeds as a compact, simple and affordable drum pad system that can be used live or to program parts into a sequencer.

pros Easy to play with sticks or hands. Good-quality sounds. Mains adaptor or battery use. cons Limited polyphony. No MIDI In. summary A handy, compact drum pad system ideal for programming percussion parts into a sequencer or for taking along to jam sessions.

information

£249 including VAT. Roland UK +44 (0)1792 515020. +44 (0)1792 799644. www.roland.co.uk www.roland.co.jp

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