Roland VAD503 4-Piece Acoustic Design Electronic V-Drum Set

V-Drums Acoustic Design is a brand-new V-Drums experience, blending the physical presence of acoustic drums with Roland’s world-leading digital percussion technology.

When you need the glamour and presence of a full acoustic drum set on stage—but with the convenience and control of electronic drums—the VAD503 is the perfect solution. This premium ‘one-up, one-down’ kit features wooden shells with full depth and diameter, exquisitely finished and mounted on double-braced chrome stands for a look that will have the audience convinced you’re playing acoustic drums. Roland’s advanced digital sensor technology and dynamic TD-27 drum module provide the sound and response to match, making sure every stroke, ghost note, roll, and swell is fully expressed in incredible detail.

With the impressive looks, familiar layout, and inspiring playability of a high-end acoustic kit, the VAD503 makes any drummer feel instantly at home. There’s a 14" stainless steel snare, plus 10" rack tom, a 14" floor tom, and a 20" kick constructed with full-depth wood shells, adding to the authenticity and providing genuine acoustic feel under the stick and beater. A full complement of cymbals includes a 12" V-Hi-Hat, 14" crash (with thin profile and textured finish), and an 18" ride for superior playability and natural appearance on stage.

Roland’s cutting-edge digital pad technology brings even deeper realism to the V-Drums experience. The digital snare and ride pads connect to the TD-27 module via USB cables, working together with the sound engine to deliver the most natural expression, allowing your drumming skills to be heard in incredible detail. Multiple sensors and lightning-fast processing provide amazing response, enabling you to play genuine techniques in the most natural way. Ghost notes, rim shots, and cross stick playing on the snare are precisely detected and translated, while the ride offers wide tonal range and the ability to subtly mute with just a touch of the bow or bell.

Roland’s legendary multi-ply, tension-adjustable mesh heads contribute significantly to the authentic playing feel, giving you stick rebound that’s customizable for your individual playing style. And when you bury the beater into the specially designed kick drum, you physically move air inside the shell, creating air pressure and resistance that feels remarkably like playing an acoustic kick.

Derived from the flagship TD-50, the TD-27 sound module is filled with drums that live and breathe like acoustic instruments. We start by sampling the finest drums, percussion, and cymbals—both vintage and modern—in world-class recording studios. Roland’s unique Prismatic sound modeling is then applied to the samples, bringing them alive with proprietary behavior modeling refined over two decades. Every time you strike a drum or cymbal, you’re not simply triggering a canned sound—you’re playing a full-bodied instrument that responds like its acoustic counterpart in every way, with an unprecedented sonic range at your command.

With acoustic drums, you make the sound your own by swapping head types, adjusting the tuning, applying damping, tweaking the snare wire tension, changing out the kick beater, and more. This is all possible with the TD-27 module, allowing you to craft customized kits for any situation. Just strike a pad to select it, and then use the hands-on controls and intuitive editing tools to get the sound just how you like it. Your edits are saved automatically too, so you always stay focused on playing. It’s even possible to load your own samples and layer them with the internal sounds to personalize kits even more.

The way acoustic drums and cymbals are mounted not only projects a classic image—it also influences the playing feel. The tom pads mount on the same stands used for acoustic toms—so they feel just right when they’re hit. Newly developed thin V-Cymbals also attach to the stands with a special pivot mount, for a natural acoustic-style ‘swing’ when played. And every stand is double-braced for rock-solid stability, and easily adjusted to suit your preferred layout.