Roland RT 30 Triggers

106
| MAY 2015 WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK
GEAR REVIEW
O
nce the preserve of Stadium
Gods, as the cost of the tech
decreases, the fusion of acoustic
drums with electronics is now
within easy grasp of the semi-pro player –
welcome one and all, to the world of the
hybrid. The advantages of a hybrid set-up
are clear; you can play your beloved acoustic
set while also producing electronic and ‘real’
sampled sounds – any sound you can
possibly imagine – and combining them with
your acoustic kit. How exciting is that?
Build
We have all three of Roland’s brand new
RT-30 triggers which now replace their
decade-old RT-10s. While the new models
have a sleeker appearance, they are not
only reduced in size but in price too. There
are many refi nements including a more
reliable clamp which allows the triggers to
fi t a wide range of hoops including those
with an inward-facing top fl ange such as the
S-Hoop. Also, each unit adjusts automatically
to the distance between sensor and drum
head – no tweaking necessary, simply plug
and play!
Roland has now suffi xed the new RT-30s
with an H for ‘head’ (single trigger) and HR
for ‘head’ and ‘rim’ (dual trigger) – making it
clear that both triggers are suitable either
for toms or snare. However, the RT-30K
(signifi cantly deeper than the other two), is
specifi cally designed for the kick. This
features “mistrigger cancel” technology
which prevents double triggering by utilising
two piezo transducers in a similar way to
Roland’s BT-1.
Hands On
For review purposes Roland has kindly
included the TM-2 trigger module. I am
using my usual acoustic set and testing with
a selection of snares having different hoops,
including the S-Hoop. Initially I have the
RT-30HR attached to my brass snare (which
is fi tted with a die-cast hoop) while the
RT-30H goes onto one of my toms. This has a
triple-fl anged hoop. However, the clamps are
so quick to swap over that I’ll be doing plenty
of experimenting.
Initially the set-up strangely draws me to
From £45 Roland helps us get trigger happy with a helping hand into
the wonderful world of hybrid drums …
R OLAND
RT-30 TRIGGERS
WORDS: DAVE HOLMES
try a ‘Heavy Metal’ kick sound mixed-in with
my snare which, though outlandish, gets me
thinking about the immense possibilities.
Next, something more ‘sensible’ with the
‘Dance HiLo’ snare sound for the head and
a simple clap for the rim. Without the
electronics, the snare almost appears lifeless
but when slowly bringing it into the mix, it
seems to transform the drum.
With inspiration from the TM-2, I am
layering two sounds on my acoustic kick
– the previously applied Heavy Metal kick
and a tambourine element (not the whole
sound, just a snippet), both of which trigger
each time I strike the drum. The kick drum
is punchy and massively powerful and
happens to sound as if there has been
some compression applied – clever stuff.
PRICES
RT-30H Single Trigger,
£45; RT-30HR Dual
Trigger, £49; RT-30K
Kick Trigger, £55
CONSTRUCTION
Fibreglass reinforced
ABS
TRIGGER TYPE
Piezo
HOOP FITMENT
RT-30H and RT-30HR –
rim height (max): 13mm;
RT-30K Kick Trigger –
rim height: 30–36mm,
rim thickness (max):
12mm
ACCESSORIES
3.5m Stereo Cable
C O N T A C T
Roland (UK) Ltd
Tel: [phone]
www.roland.co.uk
Essential spec
BASS DRUM TRIGGER
The RT-30K uses two piezo
transducers to prevent
double-triggering
DUAL TRIGGER
RT-30HR dual triggers work on
the head and rim of the drum ,
suitable for snares and toms
Even on my comparatively slack toms,
I am impressed with the response from
both the H and HR triggers. On the snare
drum, even when hammering away as
fast as I possibly can, the triggering
appears to be accurate with no noticeable
latency – impressive.
VERDICT: The vision of reliably
transforming an acoustic set into a
fully fl edged hybrid has now become a
cost-effective reality – the best of both
worlds just got better.
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
RATING
RHY241.gear_roland.indd 106 3/18/15 3:40 PM