Best 12" Roland Drum Pad? | Roland PDA120L vs PD-128
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2024
- Head to head comparison and review of two 12" Roland analogue snare pads. The Roland PDA120L-BK (PDA120LS-BK) vs the Roland PD-128S-BC (PD-128-BC).
Comparing price, aesthetics and design, triggering and playability (response, hot spotting, positional sensing, rim triggering) on different electronic drum modules and their overall value for your needs.
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Compatibility:
► Roland TD-50X, TD-50, TD-27, TD-17, SPD-SX, SPD-S, TM-6 PRO, TM-2, TM-1* & RT-MicS*
► Pearl Mimic Pro
► Alesis Strike module (instrument files included), Strike MultiPad
► Yamaha DTX-PROX, DTX-PRO, DTX-MULTI 12, EAD10
► Gear4Music DD90 Digipad
► dbdrums nPad
► ddrum NIO Percussion Pad
► HXW Avatar PD-705
► Millennium NonaPad
► Ashley DME 705
& any module that supports 44.1kHz, 16-bit stereo .wav samples with a layering function
*TM-1 & RT-MicS may require additional software to load samples
00:00 - The Pads & Prices
01:38 - Build Quality & Aesthetics
03:15 - General Triggering (Roland)
04:44 - Pearl Mimic Pro
05:25 - eDRUMin
06:03 - 2Box DrumIt 5
06:46 - Alesis Strike
07:14 - In-depth Flaws & Features
12:02 - Rim PS Hack (PDA120L)
12:46 - Overall Value
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Superb video. Full of great info! Nice job!
I was still using the old pd120 til I built my own 14" snare with a Convertible Percussions trigger. Both are working great!
Both have hotspotting though. Ive learned to play around it.
Great video! 👍
There’s always informative comments on your videos as well !
Thank you! Absolutely, I often learn things from the comments!
Excellent video, thank you. Going to check out the ATV pads mentioned in comments when I upgrade my PDX8 pads with my new TD-17 KDX kit, if compatible. I love the newer side mounted sensors too, much more logical with todays better technology.
And? What are your findings? I am very curious!
Brilliant work thank you 😊 🙏
Got myself PDA 120 as a snare drum and its fantastic - replaced my old pd125 cuz it was hotspotting AF. I can play everything on it, even tremolos ! New 3 triggers to the side, no hotspotting - brilliant instrument for the money.
Yup, changed my PDX's over to PDA's for toms just because of that dam hot spotting. Love them. Brought an extra 12" PDA which I can use as extra floor tom or side snare when needed.
I have a td-17kvx2 showing up tomorrow. I'm just learning drums and this will be my first ekit. I know I'll want to switch out the toms. I was thinking about going with the pdx-100 for the rack and another pdx-12 for the floor. I keep hearing about this hot spot tho. What better options is there without spend a small fortune?
@@lobbyrobby I could never dial it out. Since your learning, you could just learn to hit off centre and then after time change them if hot spotting drives you nuts. The PDA pads are not that much more expensive than the PDX and can be seen on the VAD-103.
excellent info
I went back to my Roland kit after a long time, so long that the kit has a TD8 module. I find the PD80R pad limiting because of it's size. All things considered is the jump up to PDA120LBK advisable given that I'm using a TD8 or would a PDX 12V be more appropriate despite lack of positional sensing? Not to mention the PDX is cheaper by a fair chunk. Thx
Excellent video as always, Luke! However, I think the ATV pads are even better value. They are all 3-cone and very, very responsive. They come in 10" and 13" sizes and cost about USD 150. ATV was created by Roland's founder Ikutaro Kakehashi, so they share similar design principles and attention to quality.
Thank you! Yeah, totally agreed! I directed a friend to the shallow 13" ATV pads a while back as a Roland alternative and they love them! This video was purposefully just about these Roland pads and the differences between them, since they'll likely fill a similar role for most users of Roland pads.
I'm looking into Roland PDA120L-BK and ATX xD-P13M as a snare for my TD9. The ATV is half the price and even a bit bigger, reviews claim poor sensitivity on Roland modules though so I'm very on the fence.
Hey Luke,
Great Video! How you dial the pda 120 in on a pearl mimic? Can't get a good feel to it... Thanks!
Hi Luke thanks for this video this really helped me a lot. I want to replace my PDA 100s with PDA 120s for tom 1 and tom 2 (Roland td50x) because I keep hitting hotspots on the smaller target. Seems like when I moved the 120s from toms 3 and 4 into position 1 and 2 I get fewer hotspot hits because I’m more likely to hit the drum in the center. And just when I was thinking I was done having to buy more gear :-)
Glad it helped! Unfortunately, gear can become an ongoing addiction 😅
What tom mounts are you using and where did you get them? The standard mounts for the Roland TD25 are horrible and I can't seem to find a better tom mount anywhere. Thanks!
what about compared to a PDX-100? I'm using SPD SX pro as the brain. Thank you!
Thanks for the great Demo! Will the PDA120L work with a TD-12 module? I also use Superior drummer-3. Thanks!
I imagine it should work ok but there won't be a specific preset for it. You'll need to pick another piezo/piezo pad preset and dial it in from there.
Luke, what’s your thoughts on snare positional sensing? I have a td12 and use both SD2 and SD3. Not sure I’m completely sold on the cost benefit of going with the Roland digital snare and new module. Appreciate your thoughts
I really like PS on the snare, but I prefer no obvious hotspots over PS. So I think it's great with the digital snare as there aren't any hotspots. On the flip side, upgrading your module and pad is a big investment and if positional sensing is the only motivation, that would be a hard sell for me if I didn't already have them!
where is the trigger in 120? I have pd125 and cant stand the hot spotting and the trigger in the centre
These would be ideal for side snare's. I plan on getting the cheaper one to use a setup for snare off and special sound snares
Which preset do you use with PDA120?
so whats' the best 3 pad option for toms in your opinion then? Do you notice hot spotting on toms as much as on a snare? I've got a TD-27kv2 coming (bought it for the 3 digital pad/cymbals) and wondering if I should replace my PDx100 that come with it for PDA120's because they have the 3 cone design- I need something narrow shallow since I like to keep my pads close and overlapping at times. Do the ATV e-kit pads have 3 cones? I know their Artist series do.
If I was picking which one to buy without already having either of them, I'd go for the PDA-120L pads. The hotspot on the PD-128/PDX-100 pads would still be quite noticeable on toms for me, but it depends how you play. In your situation, I'd probably try out the PDX-100 pads first and see how you like them before committing to spending more money! Yes, the ATV shallow pads also have 3 cones, as far as I'm aware. They can be found quite cheap in some places.
Hey luke, great video! I have a TD-17 module, wich preset do you think would work best with the PDA120LS-BK?
Hey Martin. Thank you! You can just use the PDA120L preset on the TD-17 module (the latest software version might be required to use that preset). The TD-17 doesn't support positional sensing at all, so there wouldn't be any benefit choosing another!
@@TheeDrumWorkshop thanks man, very helpful. Ragards!
Hey Luke, do older Roland modules support the newer PDA pads? Asking because of the newer ATV Style 3 trigger technology and there are no presets for those on older modules. Maybe they work with some presets, but I don’t know because I don’t own a PDA pad yet.
Hey! They don't have any presets specifically for them, but they should work ok. I would probably start with some kind of side-trigger preset like the PDX-8 or Pad2 preset and tweak the usual settings from there.
As far as the positional sensing on the rim goes though, that would only work on a centre cone preset on an older module that supports PS. Again, it could probably be made to work with a centre cone trigger preset, though you'd want to turn off PS for the head zone. Not sure exactly what the results would be without testing it though and I don't have any older modules.
Ultimately all of these pads are some variation of head piezo(s) + rim piezo, so they should work with a bit of tinkering!
@@TheeDrumWorkshop thanks for this detailed answer, as always I appreciate it very much :)
Did you get one? I'm considering the PDA120L BK for my TD-9, trigger settings would be greatly appreciated.
@@Hamachingo hey no sry, got a TD12 with drumtec diabolo snare atm, works fine though
Hello friend.....I an old dude who just turned 60 and today bought myself a set of vdrums as a birthday present. I have a home studio and play guitar and always wanted to learn drums. It was very difficult choice deciding which model based upon money and wound up with an open box TD-27 KV for $2850 with free shipping. Now I need the hardware and wanted your advice as to what you recommend. I want to go double bass pedal but not sure which brand to use. Just wondering if you are a fan of the Roland Noise Eater hardware for the double bass pedal and also the HHT pedal. Also was wondering if investing in a used Roland KD 120 kick versus the KD 10 that comes with set will make the experience more enjoyable and worth the extra $300? Trying to make my senior years a tad more fun. Thanks!!.
Hi Bob! It's very difficult to recommend double bass pedals because it's really subjective and often comes down to what "feels" right for you. I only have experience with the few that I've bought and used a lot which means that I can't recommend much other than those (I have a Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide and a Tama Speed Cobra 310, both of which play well but are quite different). The ideal situation would be to get down to a music store if you can and see which pedal you like the feel of best. Taking your bass drum pad with you if you can would also be a great idea, so that you can see how it will feel on your own kit (or if they have the same model in stock, ask if you can set it up on that model). Otherwise it's really hard to know what will work for your playing style.
I've actually never used any of Roland's noise eater hardware, so I can't comment on how they feel. They seem to review pretty well from what I've seen, though of course they are quite pricey.
I used to own a Roland KD-120 pad so I can comment on this one! It's got quite a different feel to the KD-10. I actually prefer the surface that's used on the KD-10 - I feel that the 120 has quite a bit of bounce to it and this meant that I was always trying to minimize this with changes of tension and the addition of a patch (which I recommend on any kick/bass drum pad!) However, the pad itself is more solid on the ground than the KD-10 is in my opinion. You also get a bit more surface size for two beaters which is nice, but it is possible to line up a double pedal on the KD-10 with a bit of careful maneuvering.
So they both have their pros and cons - if you feel like it's difficult to get rebound on your KD-10 or you feel like it doesn't feel "solid" enough on the ground, you might prefer the 120. If you're happy so far with the KD-10 and don't find any performance issues for your playing, it might not be worth splashing out on a KD-120. Again, the ideal scenario is trying one out, but I understand it's not always possible to do these days.
Sorry I couldn't be a lot more specific - you'll get a million opinions from questions like this because it's very subjective, but I hope it helps to point you in the right direction!
@@TheeDrumWorkshop Thank you so much for the detailed reply. That was very helpful.
cool. thx!
I have hated the centre cone configuration forever. Build a drumset in 2017 with 3 cones on the edge of every drum. Very similar to ATV that released about a year later.
Thanks! What 2 ply mesh head you could suggest for the Roland PDA120L?
As far as 2 ply heads go, I would just stick with the Roland one that comes with it!
Thanks for ze review. Is the 120L suitable to use with the SPD SX Pro? I'm putting together a little electronic kit for a cover band and am looking for a snare that looks "snarey" if you know what I mean 😂
It should work with the SPD-SX Pro, yes.
@@TheeDrumWorkshop Thankee. I did a bit more reading on the Roland website and they agree with you so I ordered one today. Thanks for the prompt response on an old vid 🙂
hey Luke how do these compare with the drum-tec diablo pads unable to find anything on this?
I've never used a drum-tec diablo pad unfortunately so I couldn't say! Sorry!
Pretty sure the PDA-100L/120L have only single head sensors while the PDA-120LS has three head sensors (based on Roland and Drum-Tec websites). Anyone have opinions re replacement rack/floor toms on the TD-27KV2? I want a 2U2D config, and I'm contemplating: PDA100L/120L, vs ATV xD-P10M/P13M, vs Ef-Note EFD-T10P/T12P. Any firsthand opinions/insights are welcome re best triggering, feel, etc. Thanks.
The 120L has the same internals as the 120LS, as far as I know - the only difference between them is that the L has a tom mount/bracket on it and the LS doesn't. I believe the 100L has a single side trigger, yes.
Any opinion on which would be best with the Mimic Pro?
It's become a bit closer between these pads on the Mimic now because you can use its positional sensing with either of them and it has the side effect of reducing the center hotspot quite a bit on the 128. However, I still generally think that the 120L is much better value and still feels the most even out of the two in terms of response.
Hey, I'm first! Great video, Luc!
Woop woop! Thanks!
pd120l is compatible with roland td 25 ????
It should be. There isn't a preset for it, but you should be able to make it work on a side trigger preset. You might not be able to get the rim positional sensing on it with that module though!
Hey brother!!! I was hoping to use BF2021 for my bundle, no luck!!! Is the code expired?? I’d love to buy the bundle, but a little promo discount would be amazing!!! Please let me know
Hey! Yes sorry, it has expired! It was for Black Friday weekend last year (hence BF2021), was just a weekend deal. Sorry about that!
@@TheeDrumWorkshop no worries, I caught one of your videos on a YT short with the code still on it. Aww, I should of put two together lol. A promo would still be nice though. How about a Cinco De Mayo Weekend Promo Code Special? Lol
The packs are already discounted from the individual kits and the Big Bundle is discounted again! I can't run promos more often than I do, unfortunately. I'm a solo creator and this is my single income.
@@TheeDrumWorkshop You’re the man, brother! I just got my TD27 and tweaking each instrument to sound right does take a ton of work. As far as asking for the discount, I figured I’d have some fun with you and give you a hard time about it lol. I’m still interested in your bundle, thanks again.
I prefer yamaha still hav dtx3 xtreme with blk pads .rite b4 white came out .early 2000s..mdr50 amp wit 2 sat. Speakers mounted on rack..66yo soon n play constanty. .but 4me yam still my brand ..tested rol td 20 at time but yam i liked mor .but all gd
I'm guessing it just felt better to you which is understandable but I cannot imagine it triggered better. I'm a Yamaha guy as well and have an older Yamaha and older Roland electronics that and I'm disappointed to hear from people that even the newest Yamahas and don't trigger quite as good as Roland.
I have a pd128. I found it disappointing. I actually prefer my old reliable pd120. Used the 128 on a td17 and td50x.
Interesting! So, despite the fact that the 120 and 128 are both centre trigger, what differences do you find in the playability? I've not used the older pads enough to know which ones are better out of them.
@@TheeDrumWorkshop I could never comfortable with 128. Constantly fiddling with settings. Pretty bad hot spot. The rim would trigger inadvertently on a strong center hit occasionally. I did enjoy yhe weight and yhe appearance.
It was purchased used. Maybe defective?
Now I have pd140ds. It truely is miles ahead. Fuss free and feels great. Works with td50x flawlessly. The digital hats are a game changer too
I think its a bit on the nose from roland to put a link to the patent they use for the mesh heads on the mesh head lol
😅
that makes sense but if you dont have positional sensing then the pdx-12 is the best
I have a sneaking suspicion that I'd find the PDX-12 to be the "best value" overall if you're on a budget and happy with a slimmer pad, but I've not tried it myself!
@@TheeDrumWorkshop i use it and i must say its good overall and the lowkey rim on it is great
Pdx12 has a single head trigger while the new pda pads have three. Pdx12 is a nice pad, expeccially given the price but the pda trigger setup is significantly more sensitive and consistent. Only reason to to for pdx12 is when you play really close to the edge and would hit the hotspots on pda pads or price...
@@Tom-sd2vi i came to my own comment as im now upgrading my drums and want to get a 12 inch floor tom pad and i wonder if i should drop the pdx12 to floor tom and buy the pda120 or just get a second pdx12 and now im not sure.
@@jezusmylord I'd go for a pda120 as snare and move the pdx12 you have to the floor tom. For a snare the triple cone trigger setup is nice and for a tom a single cone would be fine in my opinion.
The three cone setup that atv did first 👍
Yes.