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Roland HPD15 HandSonic Percussion Controller

There are going to be those percussionists that will look at this instrument like it was sent from the great drum god in the sky; while for others, it will require a heroic leap of faith. Read on.

It is pretty fair to say that the Roland boys hit a home run with their V-drums COSM (physical modeling) digital kit. It plays like the real thing, sounds like the real thing, and solves a whole bunch of problems, from space requirements to recording, and from monitoring to hauling. No drummer, of any level of proficiency or financial worth, could haul around the equipment to have the same level of versatility that the V-drums kit gives you. OK, there´s a bit of an adjustment curve, but if you´re skilled at all, you catch the drift of this rig really quick.

So Roland, eggheads that they are, said "If this technology is so cool for trap drummers, why not make it available for the drummers that don´t necessarily sit behind a kit?" And here is the HPD15. Probably even a better idea than the kit, when you get down to brass tacks. Who has to lug around more stuff than a hand percussionist? And that stuff is usually hand made by folks who aren´t exactly "around the corner," if you get our drift. And that stuff isn´t usually easy to mike up, either. The HPD15, like the V-drums, solves a whole bunch of problems.

Here´s a real big one, and we´ll bet that the percussionists who think about this will want this rig based on the solution to this problem alone. You´re a percussionist in a working band. It´s a crap-shoot each week as to the size of the stage you´ll get. You´ve got congas, maybe timbales, and a suitcase or trap-case full of all the little toys that make you the coolest member of the band. When the stage is good, you can set up your table and go to town. When the stage is tiny, you might pass up using your toys, because you have nowhere to put them, or might be afraid to take them out. Are we painting a familiar picture?

Now imagine you get to the gig with your HPD15 under one arm, and its stand in the other. The amount of room needed is about the size of your tumba, plus you. You send a set of cords to your PA system from your HPD15, then sit down with a cool beverage, and watch the keyboard player sweat and curse as he´s making multiple trips back to the van.

Your HPD15 has a 15-segment, touch-sensitive pad that reacts to position, velocity, muting, and pitch. The sound engine has 300 percussion and drum sounds from around the world. An onboard effects unit gives reverb and other multi-effects. Change the programs with ease, and the pads become whatever you want them to be. Use muting and pressure techniques for control, just like real drums. Use alternate controllers like the infra-red D-beam or ribbon for unique effects. When the gig is done, you´re on the road while the regular drummer is putting his cymbals away.

Yes, it´s radical. Yes, it will take a little bit of adjustment. But weigh the end advantages against the short amount of time that it will take you to master this thing. You´ll have every instrument at every gig, "mic´d" perfectly. You´ll never leave a smaller instrument behind, or on the floor for a wayward dancer (or singer) to walk upon, or get stolen.
This is the future of percussion, folks. The time is now.

Features:
- Electronic hand percussion pad with triggering based on V-drums technology; 10 in. rubber pad with 15 parts for triggering up to 15 sounds simultaneously.
- Built-in pressure sensor allows for realistic muting and pitch control of sounds.
- Main pad supports Positional Sensing for realistic timbre changes depending on area of pad hit.
- Built-in sequencer with 300 percussion and drum sounds from around the world.
- Onboard effects include dedicated reverb and multi-effects processors.
- Real-time control via D-Beam* Controller, dual ribbon controllers, 3 control knobs.
- MIDI In/Out plus dual-trigger input and hi-hat control jack.

*D-Beam controller technology has been licensed from Interactive Light, Inc.

Technical Description:
Pad: 10 in. Rubber Pad (divided into 15 parts)
Sound Source:
Instruments: 300
Preset Patches: 80
User Memory Patches: 80
Effect Types: Reverb, Multi Effects
Maximum Polyphony: 64 voices
Patch Chain: 10 chains (32 steps per chain)
Sequencer Patterns:
Preset: 99
User: Maximum 99
Parts: 5
Tempo: 20 to 260
Display: Backlit, 16-character, 2-line
Connectors: MIX In (Stereo), Output (L/Mono, R), Phones, Dual Trigger Input, Footswitch, Expressions/Hi-Hat control, MIDI (IN, OUT)
Power Supply: AC Adapter (DC9V)
Dimensions (L x D x H): 402 x 402 x 98mm (15-7/8 x 15-7/8 x 3-7/8 in.)
Weight: 3kg (6 lbs. 10 oz.)