Roland HD-1 HD1 Review & Tutorial: How to modify and stiffen pedals

Update 12/22/11: I have been using my drums for about a year now with my pedal mod with no problems. The springs have lost some tension so I am about to do the spring mod for the second time. I honestly think the pads will wear out before the pedals.

This is my review of the Roland HD-1. I try to cover things not answered by others. Bonus Tutorial: Instructions on how to modify the springs on your Roland HD-1 so they are stiffer, rebound faster, and perform more like real pedals. Review is first, skip ahead to 9 minutes if you wanna hear it, skip ahead to 9:23 is you just want the pedal tutorial.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Roland
• HD-1
• HD1
• tutorial
• review
• kick
• drum
• fix
• modify
• foot
• stiffen
• pedals
• instructional video
• howto

[tigerdmitry86]

Ok, i made this upgrade, cut 8 coils. It become more stiffer, but not so good that i wanted)

[mxbmx930]

@tigerdmitry86 If it's too stiff grab your spring and stretch it out a little before re-installing or play a lot and it will eventually break in and get looser. If it's still too soft you can cut more coils off. But at this point only do a couple at a time.

[TheGeeza6]

Thanks dude, I'm undecided between the HD-1 and the Yamaha DTX500K at the moment.

[mxbmx930]

@TheGeeza6 Thats tough. I will say the snare on the Roland is better than regular pads in my opinion. The biggest thing is size/portability versus more sounds/kits and the use of real pedals. If you are more about the size/portability and not having to carry multiple parts(drum set,pedals,kick trigger) to your car then get the Roland, if you are more interested in sounds/kits and the ability to use real pedals and less interested in portability, I would say get the Yamaha.

[Shooooooooooooooooop]

if you have a different drum brain/module can you use that for this to get more sounds or add more cymbals/pads?

[mxbmx930]

@Shooooooooooooooooop

It's possible but the way it's design there isn't a lot of room for a brain to mount, the original is super small and mounted in a specific spot made for its size. You would also need all new cables cause they all go into one plug that hooks to the brain. It would be a headache and a lot of work. If you want those options just go to the next set up.

[TheGeeza6]

@mxbmx930 I finally went with the Roland TD-4K2 and i'm loving it :D

[TheGeeza6]

@mxbmx930 Thanks for your reply dude, it helped :). i wont be moving the kit around so i think i will go for the Yamaha. Also i believe the Yamaha DTX500K is more upgradable right from the start, also i can add an extra crash or whatever with no probs.

[MetroUnderground1]

I have the same kit as this guy i got it for christmas because i wanted drums...but the guy at the store told me when i went to get another crash he said id need a new mudule! so i looked it up and found that i also needed a plug for everything else since its one plug! so u'd need a mudule that has a plug like the roland one and extra outlits for the other accesories you want. i hope that made since and helped too.