The Flagship Sampling
Sidekick
Flagship Roland
sampling pad with nine playing surfaces, eight external trigger inputs, color
display, customizable pad LEDs, onboard effects, and more.
The SPD-SX PRO is
the ultimate sampling pad for the most demanding gigs. With years of road
testing and extensive user feedback from the SPD-S and SPD-SX, the top-tier SPD-SX
PRO raises the bar again. Harnessing the advanced sample pad technology of its predecessors, the SPD-SX PRO boasts an array
of requested professional enhancements and is built for life on the road.
Illuminate dark stages with a large color display and customizable multi-color
trigger lights. Expand your performance
setup with more audio outputs, additional trigger inputs, and hi-hat and FX
expression pedal control. And go further with a massive 32 GB memory, 48 kHz
audio playback, increased pad sensitivity without crosstalk, and a dedicated SPD-SX
PRO App for easier kit editing.
Highlights
-
Nine pads with Roland’s advanced trigger technology, including six large pads and three top-row shoulder pads
- High-visibility, horizontal and vertical LEDs with multi-color customization
- Increased shoulder pad sensitivity and improved crosstalk performance
- 4.3-inch color display for easy navigation and viewing during performance
- Import 48/44.1 kHz (16-/24-/32-bit) WAV/AIFF files and MP3s (32–320 kbps) with automatic conversion to 48 kHz/16-bit upon loading
- Stereo main output, four direct mono outputs, balanced for easy mixing on stage
- Connectivity for up to eight external individual triggers/pads (four stereo triggers or eight mono triggers with Y-cables)
- Dedicated SPD-SX PRO App for Windows/Mac for easy importing, managing samples, and deep kit editing
- 32 GB of internal storage for samples, backing tracks, and click tracks
- Input for hi-hat or footswitch expression control
- Connect hi-hats, kick, and snare for a ‘mini drum kit’ setup
- Up to 200 kit patches (43 erasable preset kits and 157 user kits)
- Over 1550 pre-loaded, high-quality samples and sounds
- 16-step pad sequencer function
- Onboard effects engine with up to four effects in parallel, plus side chain with output routing
- Built-in click/metronome
- Create in real time by recording performances as WAV files and assigning them to pads
Reliability/Durability
Built to Hit
the Road
Equipment on the
road takes a beating on and off stage. Since 2011, pro drummers have put the
SPD-SX through the ultimate trial by fire, from packed clubs to sold-out
stadiums. The SPD-SX PRO adds to that legacy, incorporating years of feedback into
its upgrades. With customizable LED lights, a large color screen, and triggering
you can count on, this bulletproof package is ready to rock night after night.
Light It Up: Customizable
Pad-dividing LED Lights
When the lights go down, the PRO lights up. Customizable
pad-dividing LED and trigger lights let you see all nine pads on dark stages—goodbye
gaffer tape! Assign any vertical or horizontal light to one of ten preset
colors or create and name your own. Group together kicks, snares, backing
tracks, and clicks with their own assigned color. And set the horizontal pad
lights to be on constantly, light only when a pad is struck, or flash
dynamically with its assigned WAV.
On Display: Color LCD Screen
Playing in the
dark just got easier. The SPD-SX PRO features a large 4.3-inch color
screen with backlit function buttons, tabs, and a jog-dial for lightning-fast sound
selection. The display shows essential real-time information such as A & B sample
layers, WAV sample names, sample playback progress, and more.
Hit It: Ultra-responsive
Pads
The SPD-SX PRO
has nine super-durable pads. The top three shoulder pads include a revised
sensor structure for increased sensitivity and even-sounding hits when the pad
is played—no matter the mounting angle. You also have increased crosstalk
protection to prevent accidental triggering of other pads. And if you
already own an SPD-SX, the SPD-SX PRO size is so close in size that you can use
your existing carry case and accessories…no need to repurchase any extra gear.
Sound Quality
All the Sounds You Need
The crowd roars. The pressure is on. You need the
right sounds at the right time. The massive 32 GB memory will hold your entire music
catalog for multiple gigs. With 1,550 onboard samples, 200 lock-and-loaded kits,
and balanced outputs, you can put the SPD-SX PRO to work right out of the box. Plus,
easily sort and search your sounds with sample tags—no more searching for a
needle in a haystack.
Under the Hood:
Storage & Sounds
Storage worries are
now a thing of the past. With 32 GB of internal memory, the SPD-SX PRO holds
nearly 44 hours of crystal-clear 48 kHz/16-bit stereo audio. And there’s no
need to fuss with converting your source formats. You can load 48/44.1 kHz WAV,
AIFF, and MP3 files with varying bit rates, and the SPD-SX PRO will
automatically convert them to its native 48 kHz/16-bit audio format—a huge time
saver.
Send
It: Expanded Audio Outputs
The SPD-SX PRO has two-channel balanced stereo
master outputs—left and right. Combine those with four fully assignable mono
audio outputs for six individual audio feeds, so that any pad can be sent to
any output for mixing flexibility. And there’s also an assignable stereo
headphones output for custom monitoring scenarios.
All Aboard: Loaded
Samples and Sounds
The
SPD-SX PRO comes loaded with 1,550 high-quality sounds and 200 kits (43
erasable preset kits and 157 user kits). And in the heat of battle, the SPD-SX
PRO’s processing power lets you swap to a new kit without cutting off the sound
of the existing kit—so as the audio decays at the end of the last sound that
you played, you’ve already changed kits ready for the next track in the set.
Need even more options? Dive into Roland Cloud sample libraries and explore the
ever-expanding selection of sounds.
Stack Sounds: A/B Layering
It’s easy to create
custom sound layers when you assign two sounds to a pad. You can assign a sound
as the MAIN layer within the pad menu and then select another sample to layer
with your original sample—resulting in MAIN and SUB sounds on the same pad.
Then alternate between MAIN and SUB layers. You even have separate volume,
pitch, transient attack, and release control for each sound, so you get the
perfect blend of layers.
Performance
and Production Tools
A Creative
Force
Putting
on a killer show takes some prep work. The SPD-SX PRO is packed with features
to lift the weight of pre-gig planning. Download and organize sounds with a
dedicated app. Get creative with four effects engines and connect a hi-hat
controller or an expression pedal. Then mix in some magic with expanded trigger
inputs and the onboard 16-step pad sequencer.
Deeper Editing:
Dedicated app
With nearly
unlimited sounds under your sticks, you need to stay organized. Using the dedicated
SPD-SX PRO App from Roland Cloud, you can easily import audio, and edit sound or
playback parameters via USB on your computer. Drag and drop samples, create
kits, adjust settings, and name as you go. The same USB connection allows you to send 8-channel
audio and MIDI to the computer for recording with a DAW.
Pedal to the Metal:
Expression Control
With expanded trigger inputs, there are even more
playing possibilities at your fingertips…or feet. You can play with up to nineteen
surfaces when you max out all pads, external triggers, and footswitch inputs.
Connect a hi-hat controller, like the Roland VH-10 V-Hi-Hat, and play with open
and closed pedal expression or add snare and kick pads to create a mini drum
set. Alternatively, you can connect an expression pedal for real-time effects
control as you play.
Effortless Engines: Effects and Sidechain
Embrace a vast selection of high-quality
processing to enhance and color your sounds. Four MFX provide everything from
mod, distortion, and filter effects to delays and reverbs, and you can assign
them to any pad or external
trigger input within each kit. Master comp, EQ, and effect options are also
available to process the overall output. Sidechain compression is included too,
ensuring that kick drums and other punchy sounds never get buried in the mix.
Make a Connection: Inputs for Easy Mixing
Mixing from the stage has never been easier with a
balanced main stereo output and four balanced direct outputs. Connect up to
eight mono, single-zone triggers or four stereo head and rim triggers. With external
dual trigger inputs, hi-hat, and footswitch inputs, you can let it rip on up to
nineteen different playing surfaces.
Step It Up: 16-step
Pad Sequencer
Streamline your
performance prep with the onboard 16-step pad sequencer. Assign from 2 to 16
steps to a pad within each kit. Then coordinate playback of different pads in
your chosen sequence. There’s no need to remember where each sound is on the
pads—once programmed, hitting your chosen pad will trigger the sequence, making
live-show production simple.
In Sync: Increased Pad Link
Have an audio
backing track and audio click track that need to start together? When you use
pad link, you can hit a single pad and start audio from two pads at the same
time. And you can pad link any combination of pads and external triggers. Then
use mute group to silence a previous pad as you strike the next, so only one
pad is playing at a time. Together, full pad link and mute groups create
unlimited track, loop, and audio combinations within each kit.
On the Beat: Click Track
As the drummer,
it’s your job to drive the beat behind the performance. Thanks to the flexible onboard
click, staying in time has never been easier. The internal click is fully
editable for sound and note value, and you can assign any sample as the click
sound. Then start the click from a pad, button, or external trigger pad hit. And
even when it’s playing, you’re still in control— the click can be set to
alternate on/off via stick hits, to sound one time upon a hit, or to retrigger
each time you hit it.
Take Control: Pad Editing
Pad Edit
controls are within easy reach when you need to tweak samples on the fly.
Adjust volume and pitch with dedicated controls in real time. Or press a button
to adjust the attack and release for the pad’s transient settings. And when you
need to go deeper, the color display gives you clear access to many advanced
parameters.