Roland Electronic Cymbals

The history of musical instruments is centuries old, which makes electronics incredibly new in the grand scheme of things. But the amount of progress they've brought to the music community in just a few short decades goes far beyond what ancient craftsmen took centuries to accomplish. Roland electronic cymbals are the perfect example of that: it's only been about 40 years since Roland introduced their first electronic drum set, and in that time, electronic cymbals have gone from simple devices with limited sounds to one of the most versatile instruments in the entire realm of percussion.

Paired with a good drum machine, modern electronic cymbals are so realistic that the untrained ear would be hard-pressed to tell them apart from acoustic ones. They're even designed to fill the same roles, with specialized triggers such as the Roland Dual Zone Hi-Hat Cymbal Pad. This two-part electronic cymbal is specifically designed to replace traditional hi-hats. The same thing is true for the Roland V-Cymbal Ride and V-Cymbal Crash, so choosing Roland cymbals is going to feel a lot like choosing acoustic ones.

One important difference to take into account, though, is the drum machine you plan to use the cymbal with. For example, the CY-15R-MG version of the Roland V-Cymbal Ride is built for use with the TD-30 Drum Sound Module, so if you're using a different setup, be sure to do your research and choose the Roland electronic cymbal that's the best fit for the electronics on your rack.

It's impossible to put enough emphasis on how far electronic cymbals have come since Roland's earliest models in the late 1970s. Today's V-drum and V-cymbal instruments are designed to look and feel as natural as any of their acoustic ancestors, and they do that while still offering all the power and customizability of an electronic percussion setup. Whether you're expanding a set or building one from scratch, Roland electronic cymbals are definitely top picks.