Streamlined kit with full-size wooden shells

When you need the glamour and presence of a full acoustic drum set on stage—but with the convenience and control of electronic drums—the VAD503 is the perfect solution. This premium ‘one-up, one-down’ kit features wooden shells with full depth and diameter, exquisitely finished and mounted on double-braced chrome stands for a look that will have the audience convinced you’re playing acoustic drums. Roland’s advanced digital sensor technology and dynamic TD-27 drum module provide the sound and response to match, making sure every stroke, ghost note, roll, and swell is fully expressed in incredible detail.

An Immersive Acoustic Drumming Experience

With the impressive looks, familiar layout, and inspiring playability of a high-end acoustic kit, the VAD503 makes any drummer feel instantly at home. There’s a 14” stainless steel snare, plus 10” rack tom, a 14” floor tom, and a 20” kick constructed with full-depth wood shells, adding to the authenticity and providing genuine acoustic feel under the stick and beater. A full complement of cymbals includes a 12” V-Hi-Hat, 14” crash (with thin profile and textured finish), and an 18” ride for superior playability and natural appearance on stage.

14” Digital Snare and 18” Digital Ride Cymbal

Roland’s cutting-edge digital pad technology brings even deeper realism to the V-Drums experience. The digital snare and ride pads connect to the TD-27 module via USB cables, working together with the sound engine to deliver the most natural expression, allowing your drumming skills to be heard in incredible detail. Multiple sensors and lightning-fast processing provide amazing response, enabling you to play genuine techniques in the most natural way. Ghost notes, rim shots, and cross stick playing on the snare are precisely detected and translated, while the ride offers wide tonal range and the ability to subtly mute with just a touch of the bow or bell.

The Natural Feel of Acoustic Drums

Roland’s legendary multi-ply, tension-adjustable mesh heads contribute significantly to the authentic playing feel, giving you stick rebound that’s customizable for your individual playing style. And when you bury the beater into the specially designed kick drum, you physically move air inside the shell, creating air pressure and resistance that feels remarkably like playing an acoustic kick.

Go Deeper with Prismatic Sound Modeling

Derived from the flagship TD-50, the TD-27 sound module is filled with drums that live and breathe like acoustic instruments. We start by sampling the finest drums, percussion, and cymbals—both vintage and modern—in world-class recording studios. Roland’s unique Prismatic sound modeling is then applied to the samples, bringing them alive with proprietary behavior modeling refined over two decades. Every time you strike a drum or cymbal, you’re not simply triggering a canned sound—you’re playing a full-bodied instrument that responds like its acoustic counterpart in every way, with an unprecedented sonic range at your command.

Create (and Craft) Your Signature Drum Kit

With acoustic drums, you make the sound your own by swapping head types, adjusting the tuning, applying damping, tweaking the snare wire tension, changing out the kick beater, and more. This is all possible with the TD-27 module, allowing you to craft customized kits for any situation. Just strike a pad to select it, and then use the hands-on controls and intuitive editing tools to get the sound just how you like it. Your edits are saved automatically too, so you always stay focused on playing. It’s even possible to load your own samples and layer them with the internal sounds to personalize kits even more.

Double-Braced Chrome Drum Stands

The way acoustic drums and cymbals are mounted not only projects a classic image—it also influences the playing feel. The tom pads mount on the same stands used for acoustic toms—so they feel just right when they’re hit. Newly developed thin V-Cymbals also attach to the stands with a special pivot mount, for a natural acoustic-style ‘swing’ when played. And every stand is double-braced for rock-solid stability, and easily adjusted to suit your preferred layout.

PureAcoustic Ambience Technology

New PureAcoustic Ambience Technology optimises each kit, creating an incredibly natural and immersive sound field when playing. But you can go deeper too, and adjust the mic position on each drum kit, and dial in the overall sound with the newly developed overhead mic simulator. Finally, advanced onboard multi-effects and mixing capabilities give you the power of a full-scale studio console, with transient, parametric EQs, compressors, reverbs, delays, and more at your command.

Powerful Connectivity for Stage and Studio

The VAD503 delivers fantastic sound for live performance or recording, thanks to a wealth of connectivity options. The TD-27 module features stereo outputs for the overall drum sound, plus two direct outputs for sending kick, snare, and other sounds to an audio console for independent mixing. In the studio, the built-in USB audio interface makes computer music production easy, with up to 28 audio channels available over a single cable. MIDI is also supported via USB and dedicated I/O, allowing you to sync with other MIDI devices and trigger sounds in computer software.

Kit Expansion Made Easy

With the VAD503, you’re not stuck with a static setup. Using the TD-27 module’s three auxiliary trigger inputs, it’s easy to add tom and cymbal pads to bolster your arsenal. Or you may go for maximum impact with an imposing double-kick setup. Whatever you’re thinking, the auxiliary trigger inputs are the gateway to your ideal drum setup.

Bluetooth Connectivity and Built-In Coaching Tools

Built-in Bluetooth lets you wirelessly stream audio from a phone or laptop to the module, ideal for jamming with headphones. Play along with favorite music tracks or mix the sound from a YouTube lesson video with the kit. Onboard coach functions develop skills and track your progress, while the advanced metronome helps improve your inner clock. And at any time, you can record your playing and listen back to highlight what you need to work on.