Roland has announced its new flagship model in the long-running SPD series. Born of user feedback fueled by extensive road testing of the touring-standard SPD-SX, the high-performance SPD-SX PRO Sampling Pad instrument raises the bar with a full array of professional enhancements.
Offering customizable trigger LEDs, increased audio outputs and trigger inputs, massive onboard memory, and much more, the rugged and reliable SPD-SX PRO sets a new standard for stage drummers and all types of creative performers.
The SPD-SX PRO features 9 durable pads with Roland’s latest sensing technology, including 3 shoulder pads with revised sensor structures for increased sensitivity when the instrument is mounted at a shallow angle. In addition, improved crosstalk protection throughout prevents accidental triggering of other pads.
Pad-dividing trigger LEDs increase visibility on stage and help players organize kit setups. Custom colors can be assigned to any of the horizontal or vertical LEDs. Going further, colors can be renamed and combined with tags to group kicks, snares, backing tracks, and other sounds for easy identification. The horizontal LEDs can also be set to light in various ways to suit the performance application.
The SPD-SX PRO’s inviting interface includes a large 4.3-inch color LCD and hands-on controls with backlighting for easy operation on stage. The LCD provides access to deep parameters and shows essential info such as A/B layers, WAV sample names, sample playback progress, and more.
With 32 GB of internal memory, the SPD-SX PRO holds nearly 44 hours of crystal-clear 48 kHz/16-bit stereo audio—more than enough for multiple gigs. Users can load 48/44.1 kHz WAV, AIFF, and MP3 files with varying bit rates, and the SPD-SX PRO will automatically convert them to its native audio format, greatly simplifying the process of importing sounds.
The SPD-SX PRO comes with over 1,550 high-quality sounds and 200 user kits with 43 pre-loaded presets. It’s also possible to connect a line-level device and sample directly to pads. Kits can be switched with complete sound carryover thanks to speedy processing power. And for more creative options, Roland Cloud membership provides an ever-expanding selection of sample libraries and sounds to explore.
Users can create A/B layers and quickly adjust volume, pitch, and transient parameters via dedicated panel controls. Sounds can also be adjusted at deeper levels with waveform editing and other tools. Multiple high-quality effects engines are available to color individual sounds and enhance the overall output.
The SPD-SX PRO flows easily into any stage setup with balanced stereo master outputs, four assignable mono outputs, and an assignable headphones output. Four dual-trigger inputs support up to eight external Roland pads, and up to two footswitches can also be connected to trigger sounds. Additionally, a special control input supports a Roland hi-hat controller or an expression pedal for real-time effects control.
The SPD-SX PRO App from Roland Cloud makes it easy to import, edit, and organize sounds on a Mac or Windows computer via USB. The USB connection also supports DAW music production with the ability to transfer MIDI data and up to eight channels of high-quality digital audio.
The Roland SPD-SX PRO will be available in the U.S. in October for $1,199.99 USD.
More information: Roland
