Roland SPD-SX | Drum Hybrid Sampling Pad

Roland SPD-SX | Drum Hybrid Sampling Pad

 

The Industry Standard Hybrid Sampling Pad

Since 2011, the SPD-SX has been a mainstay on professional stages worldwide, its distinctive profile regularly seen beside both digital and hybrid drum kits. This landmark Roland instrument sparked the sampling pad revolution with a wide range of tracks, clicks, loops, and one-shot sounds stored inside. Drummers and performing musicians can record, store, and trigger any type of sound on command—easing the burden of making live performances sound like the original recordings. Along with its sampling and import features, the SPD-SX comes with versatile preset kits and a large pre-loaded sample library, including loops, one-shot sounds, and melodic phrases to spark ideas and create music right away.

 

 

Features

• 16 GB internal memory provides onboard storage for up to 25 hours of stereo samples
• Nine responsive rubber pads with velocity sensitivity
• Two dual-trigger inputs for up to four external pads (Y-cable required)
• Supports 16-bit/44.1 kHz WAV/AIFF audio for crystal-clear sound
• Real-time audio sampling directly into the pad via mic or line inputs
• Tweak samples with powerful onboard audio editing tools
• Three effects engines: Master Effect and two Kit Effects
• Control effects in real-time with two knobs and dedicated preset effect buttons
• Dynamic LED indicators show individual pad status and audio levels while performing
• Support for up to two external footswitches
• USB Memory port for importing sounds and saving settings via flash media
• USB Computer port for audio/MIDI transfer and sound import/export
• Wave Manager software (macOS and Windows) for importing, assigning, and organizing samples and kits
• Large backlit LCD

 

 

Roland SPD-SX Sampling Pad Overview

Since its release in 2011, the SPD-SX can be found in setups ranging from mini kits in the homes of social media streamers to the stages of sold-out stadiums. And the pad fits seamlessly into hybrid and electronic kits alike.

 

 

Built to Perform

Building on the capabilities of its trailblazing SPD-S predecessor, the SPD-SX set the bar as the industry-standard sampling pad. Filled with pro features, this powerful pad has become an essential companion for drummers and all sorts of creative stage performers. It’s also built to thrive on the road—taking a beating night after night, on and off stage. Whether you rock out locally on the weekends or perform in sold-out stadiums, the SPD-SX won’t let you down.

 

 

Unlimited Sounds

Sample, Import, and Trigger Audio

The SPD-SX puts a universe of sounds under your sticks. Trigger an entire track, song part, effect, click track, or one-shot sound with a single pad strike. Then take control over how the audio plays back. From playing covers at clubs and functions to reproducing original song tracks on concert stages, it’s easy to bring studio-level sounds to your live performances.

 

Instant Hit

Velocity-Sensitive Pads

The SPD-SX has nine velocity-sensitive rubber pads, and any sound can be assigned to any pad. When you play the pads lightly, the sound plays back quietly. And when you’re ready to wail, play heavier hits for more volume. Alternatively, you can set a pad to fixed velocity, so the volume stays the same no matter how hard you play.

 

 

 

Light the Night

LED Indicators

Each SPD-SX pad features a red LED indicator for onstage visibility and pad status. And to meet your performance needs, you can set the LEDs to behave in different ways. Assign them for fixed on/off status or make them appear only when the pad’s audio is playing. Or set them to illuminate dynamically with audio activity, similar to level meters on a mixing console.

 

Under the Surface

Storage and Sounds

You can never have too many sounds, right? With 16 GB of storage, the SPD-SX supports up to 25 hours of stereo audio (50 hours of mono) in 16-bit/44.1 kHz WAV/AIFF format. The pad comes pre-loaded with 210 samples to get you started, including loops, one-shots, and melodic phrases. And there are 100 kits for storing your custom layouts, including 16 presets. And when you’re ready for more, visit Roland Cloud to dive into an ever-expanding range of samples and loops for every musical style.

 

 

Instant Creation

Powerful Sampling Features

With the deep sampling features in the SPD-SX, you can easily capture your own unique sounds. Connect a mic or mono/stereo line-level device to the analog inputs or plug in a computer via USB. Then use Basic Sampling to capture a sound to the pad of your choice or Multi-Pad Sampling to record audio to multiple pads. It’s even possible to re-sample a performance within the SPD-SX, complete with effects processing.

 

 

Run It Back

Playback Types

Once your sounds are loaded in, control how they play back with three customizable modes: Single, Phrase, and Loop. Choose Single for basic percussion sounds like drum hits and claps, and select Phrase for longer files that need to play once and stop at the end. Or choose Loop to play a file from start to finish and seamlessly loop the audio again.

 

 

Take Control

Trigger Types

Want even more control over audio? No problem. You can select the trigger type when a pad is played. Choose Shot to play the audio each time a pad is struck. Alt plays or stops the audio each time the pad is hit. When you need maximum flexibility, trigger types can be used in conjunction with playback types. And lightning-fast triggering will keep you on the beat.

 

 

Ride the Wave

Onboard Audio Editing

Life on the road moves fast, and sometimes you need to edit sounds on the fly. Thanks to the SPD-SX’s onboard editing tools, you can tweak samples without using a DAW. Trim samples, set start/stop points, adjust volume and pitch, and more. It’s also possible to splice multiple samples together or split a single file into individual samples for assignment to different pads.

 

 

Start Your Engines

Adding Effects

Harness the power of the three effects engines within the SPD-SX. You can use two effects engines simultaneously: master effects and kit effects. The master engine applies to all kits and has 21 different types to amp up your performance. Three common master effect presets on the front panel apply filters, delays, and short loops to any audio playing from the pad at that time. The two assignable kit effects will sound when you play a pad within a chosen kit patch, and you can turn them on and off for full control.

 

 

In and Out

Playing live requires many connections, and the SPD-SX makes getting sounds in and out of the pad simple. Dig into a range of outputs for easy mixing and monitoring. Load, organize, and record sounds with a USB connection and SPD-SX Wave Manager software. And expand your rig with up to four external pads, two footswitches, and accessories.

 

 

Get Connected

 

Audio Outputs

With a range of flexible output and routing options, you can seamlessly send pad sounds to different locations for mixing and monitoring. Use the master left/right outputs to send stereo audio or two mono feeds to the mixing desk. Send sound to the monitoring engineer or band members with the left/right sub outputs. And keep tabs on your setup or monitor a click track via headphones.

 

 

Plug It In

USB Audio/MIDI

Connect the SPD-SX to your computer via a USB cable for effortless recording with any DAW. You can connect with MIDI using a USB cable too. With legacy MIDI in/out, take control of software instruments, other gear on stage, and automation software like Ableton.

 

 

Load It Up

Easy Sound Import

There are two ways to quickly transfer audio files to the SPD-SX. Load the files onto a USB flash drive and copy them across. Or use the free SPD-SX Wave Manager to drag and drop audio from a computer to individual pads. The software also includes intuitive tools to back up your work and organize kits for different gigs.

 

Adding Extras

Essential Accessories

The SPD-SX plays well with accessories. Mount the pad to a PDS-20 or PDS-10 stand for gigging. Or grab an APC-33 clamp and mounting plate to attach it to a cymbal stand. Expand your trigger options with up to four external pads and two footswitches. And protect your instrument on the road with the CB-BSPDSX carrying bag.