Roland TD-1K 5-Piece Electronic Drum Set

GEARANK

89 out of 100. Incorporating 350+ ratings and reviews.

Street Price: $399.99

Manufacturer: Roland

Roland TD-1K 5-Piece Electronic Drum Kit

Gearank High Notes

2020.04: Equal Highest Rated Electronic Drum Set Under $1000
Tied With:Yamaha DTX532K
2019.10: Highest Rated Electronic Drum Set Under $500
2018.09: Highest Rated Electronic Drum Set Under $500
2018.03: Highest Rated Electronic Drum Set Under $500
2017.05: Equal Highest Rated Electronic Drum Set Under $500
Tied With:Alesis Nitro Kit
2016.02: Highest Rated Electronic Drum Set Under $500

Gearank Recommended

Straying a bit from our hypothetical budget of below $500 is the Roland TD-1DMK. This digital drum set is part of their very popular VAD series of electronic drum kits. For the extra money, you get a great Roland kit with 2-ply mesh heads. It doesn’t come with a kick pedal, drumsticks, throne, or external speaker but you do get a great quality electronic drum set.

The strength of this kit is its quality mesh heads, which feel much closer to an acoustic drum head. It has good bounce and impressive sensitivity, similar to more premium electric drum sets.

The kick pad is also quite good, it’s small and attached to the main rack, but it responds really well for its compact size. It can accommodate certain double pedals.

You also get good control over your sound on the chokeable cymbals and hi-hat. But I’m not a fan of the hi-hat pedal, it would’ve been nice if it used a mechanical hi-hat stand.

Configuration wise it might be similar to the offerings of Donner, I wouldn’t be surprised if Donner patterned it off this and other Roland e-sets, but the quality and robustness of this kit more than make up for the price bump.

The main downer for this kit is the limited features of its module. It only has 15 kits, and you can’t make your own custom sounds. It also doesn’t have a 1/4″ or XLR output. The only audio output is a 1/8″ out for headphones, and even that requires a dedicated headphone amp to work properly. It’s like you’re getting professional quality heads and cymbals, paired with a basic practice module.

Thankfully, the drum samples sound professional and authentic, which at the end of the day, is the most important factor. The module can be swapped to a stage ready one, but they are priced much higher. Even with its limited features, playing feel and sound quality is top-notch. It is the best electronic drum set under 1000 in my book.

It is a bit small compared to more premium electronic drum sets. But this can be a good thing for small stages and rooms. It’s small enough to be a good kid and youth drum set. But it’s not too small to be awkward for taller drummers.

Given that this is from Roland, this music instrument can last you for years. So if the brand means anything to you, it might be worth it to jump up to the TD-1DMK. This is a good albeit pricier option for beginners.

If you want to explore other options at this price range, do check out our guide to The Best Electronic Drum Sets.