V-Drums On Stage!...Exit Stage Left

Roland.com, November 19, 2010


RUSH is out on the road with their enormously successful TIME MACHINE Tour, playing songs from an inspiring set list that travels back to the past and through to the present, including the whole Moving Pictures album in its entirety. Wow, the tour of 2010 that shouldn't be missed! What this means, of course, is a new extraordinary and over-the-top drum kit for legendary drummer, Neil Peart.

Within his monstrous kit, Neil plays Roland V-Drums (has been for almost 10 years now) in various combinations of current modules and custom hybrid V-Pads designed exclusively for him. His preference of keeping the look of the kit a complete and exact match, finds the Roland V-Drums kick, snare and tom trigger technology housed into DW shells. The V-Cymbals and V-Hi-Hat system remain standard Roland designs. The V-Drums have been a staple within Neil's highly anticipated drum solos during the concerts each night and have provided him with a creative palette for ideas both sonically and rhythmically. The V-Drums also provide the system with which Neil triggers samples from some classic Roland samplers, supporting the band's detailed and complex song structures.

Neil's drum tech, Lorne Wheaton, adds his confidence indicating that the V-Drums have fulfilled their expectations in terms of ruggedness and reliability that long and enduring pro-tours like a RUSH tour demand from equipment.

To check out Neil's current gear list, click on the BAND tab at the following link: www.rush.com. You can also visit Neil Peart's personal website: www.neilpeart.com.

The current TD-20X is at the heart of Neil's electronic rig, responding to all that he throws at it each night. This module, along with the V-Drums pads, play unlike any other and can keep up to the best that the greatest players can give it. With 100 drum kits and over 1000 sounds onboard, the inspiration that the TD-20KX V-Pro Kit offers is only limited by the player's imagination. For everyone, like Neil, who enjoys having their own look or finish to their drums, can now do so with the new V-Pads and their inter-changeable shell wrap design.

Watch our video and learn how to easily change the shell wraps on a TD-20KX V-Pro Kit

Check out Roland Canada's very own selection of innovative and classic finishes that were available in limited quantities, as an exclusive one time offer

"I first introduced Roland V-Drums into my setup in 2001, during the writing and recording of our Vapor Trails album. On the subsequent tour, they became a fixture in my drum solos, as well as to trigger samples throughout our live show. I also played the V-Drums on our 30th Anniversary tour in 2004, on the Snakes and Arrows album and tours in 2006, '07, and '08 (thus they appear on the Rush in Rio, R30, and Snakes and Arrows Live DVDs and CDs), and now on our 2010 Time Machine tour. Over the years, the V-Drums have continued to improve in touch sensitivity, and in sound quality and variety, and I still find them not only fun to play, but a great creative addition to my percussion world." -Neil Peart