DWe V71/V51 Bundles – The Inevitable Collab
In the most obvious of collaborations, DWe team up with their parent company, Roland, to give us the flexibility of DWe hardware with the power of the V-Drums modules.
Key Takeaways
- DWe hardware meets Roland sounds
- Alternative to Roland’s own VAD series
- DrumLink for wire-free experience
- Best of both worlds – Choose acoustic or electronic
- Access to Roland Cloud for virtually endless expansion
DWe x Roland – What Took So Long?
In what must be the most obvious of collaborations, Drum Workshop, aka DW, have paired their super-flexible DWe kits with the Roland V-Drum modules to give you the best of both worlds. The DWe kits are unique in that they allow you to choose from a classic DW acoustic kit or an electronic kit.
The switch isn’t simple. You literally have to swap out the internals whenever you want to change, but it isn’t too much of a laborious chore, and you get the benefit of being able to select which kit type you want at any given time.
A Little From Column A, A Little From Column B
Now you can combine this flexible hardware, in 4 or 5 piece forms, with the power of Roland’s V-Drum modules, specifically the top of the range V71 and the next step down V51. As I covered in my review of the Roland TD716, the V71 is by far and away Roland’s best V-Drum module ever.
Rammed full of superb DWe drum samples and more, the V71 represents the current pinnacle of drum module design from the leader in the market. Unparalleled connectivity, superb sound design features and the ability to be expanded over-the-air with Roland Cloud connectivity, it doesn’t get much better.
You may be thinking that these new DWe kit bundles might eat into Roland’s VAD series sales, but the VAD kits, as awesome as they are, do not have the ability to be converted into a boutique-quality maple acoustic kit at the (almost) drop of a hat.
What’s In The Box?
These new bundles come in 4 and 5-piece varieties with the option of DWe or Roland cymbals and V51 or V71 modules. The DWe cymbals feature a metal playing surface for that authentic feel, and are self-powered (2xAA) and wireless.
The kits comprise a 16×22″ bass drum, a 6.5×14″ snare, a 14×16″ floor tom and an 8×10″ tom, with the five-piece kits getting a 9×12″ tom too, all using Collector’s 333 maple shells. Cymbals are two crash, one ride and hi-hats, unless you go for the 4-piece kits, which only come with one crash. Shell colours include Laser Blue, Diamond Nebula, Black Galaxy, White Marine, Black Cherry and Midnight Blue.
All the hardware is included, along with their proprietary DrumLink wireless system, a DW Soundworks licence and a Roland Rubix24 audio interface. Both mesh and mylar heads are also included as standard. These kits definitely seem to be the very best of both worlds!
In Conclusion
If you’ve ever been on the fence about making the move to e-Drums and not wanting to sacrifice your acoustic sound and sensibilities, then these are probably the kits for you. With 4 and 5-piece options, the choice of two great modules and the ability to include either Roland or DWe cymbals, these kits are the perfect all-rounders for stage and studio.
More Information
As these kits have just been announced, price and availability information is yet to appear, so as soon as we have that information, we’ll update our article immediately.
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