If you your’e more of a percussionist but do not want all of the trouble having to carry around so many types of percussion or renting them then you might want to switch to an electronic percussion machine. One such is the Roland HandSonic 10.
Handsonic Features.
It packs a total of almost 400 amazing sounds and patterns with pressure sensitive pads (10). The LCD is quite large and backlit so you’ll be able to see stuff clearly from there. The metronome function can easily guide you with patterns and rhythms if you’re a beginner at percussion playing, along with the Rhythm Coach function. You can also control each pad’s sound, effect or pitch using the D Beam controller. The HandSonic also comes with 20 multi effects to enjoy.
It measures a comfortable 12 inch on your lap giving you a comfortable position in playing. The 10 pads are made from rubber and are divided just right for your hands. Because this is an electronic percussion machine, you can even load acoustic live drum sounds from the presets and still play with your hands – that’s technology! It is also MIDI compatible so you can use it for creating and arranging beats on your laptop or for a recording studio.
After all, if you don’t have an expensive electronic drum kit (or not even a MIDI keyboard) to play your beats, you can’t stick to using the computer keyboard for any longer, right? What’s really cool about the HandSonic 10 is that it is compatible with the Roland D-Beam which allows you to air shuffle beats like this one rhythm game you often see in arcades where you hover your hands to play the beats.
As with all Roland products, the HandSonic is very tone rich and not just because of its instruments but also because of the way it’s engineered. You can really feel as if you are playing the real ethnic instruments and not patting some electronic pad. Rich tones are important when you are playing percussion instruments, especially if you were to play them on a large hall or big scale open ground event, even if it were just an acoustic event.
The HandSonic’s sensitivity is by far really great. You can easily play chimes as if you’re gently clutching the real thing due to the pad sensitivity that can take the most subtle to the most profound hit on the pads. The sounds that you can choose from here include the usual percussions such as djembe, cajon, tabla, bongos, congas, steel drums and other drum kits. You can even sync with your computer or laptop to get more beats and learn them, as it is MIDI compatible. There are also additional options for a Roland V-Pad and kick pad.
Good and Bad Points.
There is just so much good things about this electronic instrument that there isn’t really much to say about the disadvantages, except that it might get a bit tricky to play for beginners who are trying to play standard patterns. Nonetheless, if you get used to it then it might come off easier later on. The HandSonic 10 was built based on the expectations of professional percussionists so its quality and power should not be taken lightly. After all, even if it is light weight, easy to carry, it packs a lot of tone and power which you can easily go on live shows with.
Conclusion.
The Roland HandSonic 10 hands down deserves a round of applause for all of its awesome features. It’s designed to be more than just a simple electronic hand percussion instrument but also a versatile tiny drum kit for fun or even gigs.
