Roland RMP-5 Rhythm Coach

Better than your brother's head
Better than your brother's head

Banging on your brother's head may be fun, but when it comes to drumming, it has its limitations. If you want to practice like a pro, you need a pro practice device. The Roland RMP-5 Rhythm Coach is what we're talkin' about.

The RMP-3 made headlines when it was announced in early 2005. Today, Roland builds on its winning rhythm line with the new RMP-5. Sharing a few key features in common with the popular RMP-3, the RMP-5 has a great-feeling, tunable mesh drumhead, and a convenient one-piece molded body with integrated pad and brain. The RMP-5 strides to the front of the class, however, with its 54 onboard PCM sounds (including snare drums, kick, cymbals, and percussion instruments; the RMP-3 has no built-in sampled sounds) plus an external dual trigger input so you can add a kick and cymbal pad for drum kit practice.

The RMP-5 also features an advanced, expanded Rhythm Coach mode. When activated, the Rhythm Coach challenges drummers in a fun and friendly way with functions such as Time Check, Auto Up/Down, and Stroke Balance to help develop consistent stick technique. As an added bonus, the Time Check and Stroke Balance exercises can be used simultaneously for a dual-power workout. The Rhythm Coach can even grade your performance, so you can chart your progress. (But no cursing the Rhythm Coach -- it's only doing its job.)

U.S. list price is $279.00.

The MusicRadar team

MusicRadar is the number 1 website for music makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, djs or producers...

GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high- quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts. TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars. STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music making that no other music website can.