Roland HPD-10 (Hand Sonic 10)
As I mentioned in a previous review, I am an old-school conguero. I still cringe when I hear electronic percussive breaks in early-70s music, TV and movies...the early electronic drums were as similar to acoustic congas and bongos as that aerosol cheese in a can is to aged Cheddar.
But, being basically nosy and having heard many things about Roland percussion from drum_chick and other DrumChat members, I heard someone playing the HPD-10 during a recent stopoff at a Guitar Center, and...you guessed it...I had to try it.
Roland describes the HPD-10 (aka HandSonic 10) as "more affordable and streamlined" than the original HandSonic. More streamlined? Definitely. The whole unit, which can be mounted on a stand or rack, is only a bit larger than the head and rim of an 11 3/4" LP acoustic conga. More affordable? At the price shown ($699 at Guitar Center on the day I played it), it's debatable.
The working surface features 10 individual pads; five of them make up an area the size of a 10" conga head and the other five are arranged in a row at the top (picture a woman's wedding band with a row of diamonds and you have the idea). An LCD screen shows which of the 400 sounds and patterns are available (and as you touch each pad, it darkens and shows the sound you're playing, such as "Hi Conga Open" or "Lo Conga Slap").
I thought I was a hard-pounding hand-slammer, but I soon discovered that I wasn't strong enough for the HandSonic 10. When I played the pads with my hands as I would an acoustic conga, I didn't hit the pads hard enough to trigger them. every time. I tried tapping them with my fingers the way you would play a piano and the results were only slightly better. I finally got the sound I wanted when (horrors!) I played them with sticks, drum-set style. (Of course, if you're playing them drumline style, that's cool.)
Having said that, however, the HandSonic10 makes a good addition to a conventional drum kit. Each of the round pads--in bongo and conga modes, at least--can re-create open, muffled and closed tones on large and small drums. Hit the edge of the pads, and you get the slaps and rimshots you expect--and they don't sound too bad, either. The pads on the outside provide such effects as maracas, vibra-slap, cowbell, and claves.
One feature I tried--and loved--is the D-Beam controller, which enables you to bend the pitch and get that "dooooOOOOO" effect that guys like 1DrumBum and I have worked on for years! There are other features for backing rhythm and metronome, neither of which I was able to try during my visit.
While I have seen some hand percussionists play the HandSonic10 with hands, the HandSonic 10 is better suited as an adjunct to a conventional acoustic drum kit or--Roland players take note!--a cool addition to your existing equipment.
keep the beat goin' ... Don't keep it to yourself!
Charlie
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." --Henry David Thoreau, "Walden," 1854
"There's a lot to be said for Time Honored tradition and value." --In memory of Frank "fiacovaz" Iacovazzi
"Maybe your drums can be beat, but you can't."--Jack Keck
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