Roland Rhythm Coach RMP-5

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!
Back when I was just getting started playing the drums, most afternoons would find me practicing my rudiments and sticking exercises on a steel snare with a pair of marching sticks that seemed as big as billy clubs. That was a long time and a few million beats ago, but the learning process hasn't changed much for young players these days.

My drum volume faded when my dad got home. After working around heavy equipment in the woods all day I’m sure the last thing he wanted to hear was a drum set in full throttle out in the garage. From him seldom was heard a discouraging word, bless his heart. But I got the hint and slapped my Gladstone rubber vacuum pad on the snare, which would muffle the drum, but also made it sound like a cardboard box.

If only I had the Roland Rhythm Coach back then. Now electronic drums make silent practice possible for players who can pay the price, but the Rhythm Coach is a digital drum that's affordable for students. And with the training exercises that come with it, it's like getting an on-call drum teacher for free!

Fresh mesh
The RMP-5’s Mesh Drum Pad is derived from the famous V-Drums. The mesh head has a natural, bouncy feel to it that's very easy on the wrists and effectively mimics the rebound and action of an acoustic snare head. Eight lugs provide precise tensioning to tune up the head. The pad is nearly silent, as the mesh capably dampens the stick sound. The sensitivity is adjustable for the most comfortable feel and response.

One pad, many sounds
The RMP-5’s sound module contains 54 diverse drum and percussion sounds, including kick, snare, cymbals, and percussion instruments.
Having all these sounds under your drumsticks makes learning to play and practice a lot more fun and involving than the dull thump of a rubber pad. I would have loved to hear those sounds during those long solo practice sessions when I was a kid! The headphone option allows you to practice anywhere, anytime, with a world of sounds.

Inspector clave
The metronome in the Rhythm Coach provides five sounds. The list of rhythms includes all the standard note values, plus three different varieties of Afro-Cuban clave rhythms. The RMP-5 is a particularly valuable tool for Latin percussionists as well as drummers who want to work on their groove.

The time-keeping machine in the RMP-5 contains a range of exercises to develop critical skills of timing, speed, and endurance. Time signatures up to 17 beats per measure, using 18 different rhythm types.

Time Check tests accuracy by measuring players' beats against the metronome, and uses visuals to display whether beats are placed before, on, or after the tempo. Quiet Count develops internal timing by playing at a set volume for the first eight measures, then playing the second eight measures at a reduced volume. Speed Check gives you a workout that advances the metronome five beats per minute whenever a rhythm is played for eight measures.

Quiet Count drops out for selected durations while you work on keeping the beat going.

Gradual up/down builds playing endurance by increasing or decreasing the metronome one beat per minute until the maximum/minimum tempo is reached. It's a great way to cultivate speed and precision. Step Up/Down enhances endurance by increasing or decreasing the metronome's tempo five beats per minute every eight measures until the maximum or minimum tempo is achieved.

Rhythmic Notes breaks down rhythms into many different note variations, from half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes, all the way down to quintuplets, sextuplets, and even septuplets.

Stroke Balance evaluates how evenly your left and right strokes are.

The timer function plays the metronome for a length that you program, from 1-60 minutes. Tap tempo allows you to march to your own drummer by tapping in the time.

Only connect . . .
Additional inputs on the back of the RMP-5 allow you to connect kick and cymbal pads, in effect giving you a basic electronic drum set. These could be used to attach a bass drum pad for bass/snare exercises. An additional pad could also be used for snare drum duets. Drum teachers will find the Rhythm Coach has a lot of interesting possibilities for giving lessons, with both teacher and student having the ability to play their own pads simultaneously.

An audio input for CD, MP3, or tape player allows you to mix the signal from your player and drum sounds. This lets you practice along with the music. It’s a great way to learn new material as well as refining your sticking skills.

The RMP-5 is ideal for young players and beginners who need to practice without disturbing family and friends, developing players who want to polish their technique and time-keeping skills, and working players who like to warm up before shows and hone their chops on the road. It’s a portable percussion professor and tempo teacher rolled into one very cool drum pad.