Ok, time for a proper Roland HD-1 thread methinks 
So first my huge massive caveat:
Yes they can not be upgraded*. If you want to upgrade at all you should buy a secondhand TD3 or TD4/TD9XX/TD12/TD20, you're essentially stuck with a stock kit - ponder that! My thoughts are purely as a newby PS3 Rock Band Hard difficulty gamer. I'm not a drummer and never used the HD1 on the 360 (i own a Xbox, hence i lurk...)
That done, what's good about the HD1? Well you get Roland quality components, geekoids have pulled them apart and they're the same as big-brother bits, but sometimes the sensors dont have all the components for multi-triggers/rimshots etc. The three cymbals are CY5s, the three rubber toms are PD8s and one snare PDX8 (mesh). The form factor is very compact, and it's much easier to pack away, pull out, carry up down stairs very quickly compared to rack kits. It provides MIDI out so you can use it as a trigger kit, and let a PC program handle all the drum kit noises you might want, removing the "limited brain" issues. You can use both kick pedals as bass pedals, getting double bass built in can save a lot compared to the massive premiums rack kits seem to need. The feedback and precision from the toms and cymbals are far beyond stock GH and RB kits. For me, it's almost the perfect gaming eDrum kit.
Bad things: well not upgradable easily*, you get the dubious fun of "proper" rack eDrum kits like cross-talk-doubly-hitty stuff, its much bigger than say a GH:WT drum toy. To really get benefit you may want a drum monitor. Limited built-in drum sounds in brain. Oddities of the kick pedals. You will be mocked a lot by people with "proper" eDrum kits
Here's a few reviews for people that cant google:
Roland HD1
Roland HD-1 Electronic Drum Kit | Reviews | MusicRadar.com
YouTube - Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite Review Part 1 from the Live 2 Play Network.
(Old pic, i really need to take a new one...)
My own setup is to a PS3 via a custom MIDI adapter called a "SethBox". It's just like the new RB3 MIDI adapters i believe, but it also allows for some custom mappings, hence i can map the left (hihat) pedal to bass kicks - im not certain if the RB3 one allows this. I use a DR-30 drum monitor, which is cheaper and louder than the official HD1 monitor. I use Zildjian 7A Anti-vibe drum sticks, with Vater grip tape - i highly recommend burning any drum sticks from stock game-kits and buying real sticks! Been using the HD1 now for well over two years, and i bought it secondhand for £300, so durability has been good. The hihat gives me double hit issues now, might be a sensor issue, but as im not too hung up about scores i don't mind the odd score-break because of the kit. I'd really like to see Roland do a HD1KX mesh kit, or allow other Roland parts to be swapped in easier, but oh well.
To Summarise: i find the HD1 a very good gaming eDrum kit. It's not perfect, but if you just want a decent quality eDrum kit for videogames to improve the experience it's worth considering.
SethBox vs old GHWT module, which i hacked out of the kit:
Why you might want an eDrum kit, try playing this on a stock GH/RB drum set:
YouTube - Through the Fire and Flames Played on a Roland TD-9KX V-Drum Kit (GH: Smash Hits Expert+ Drums)
* at least easily by normal people. There are things that have been done, but only by the obsessive drum geeks with electronic skills. For most just buy a bloody TD3/4 already!
So first my huge massive caveat:
Yes they can not be upgraded*. If you want to upgrade at all you should buy a secondhand TD3 or TD4/TD9XX/TD12/TD20, you're essentially stuck with a stock kit - ponder that! My thoughts are purely as a newby PS3 Rock Band Hard difficulty gamer. I'm not a drummer and never used the HD1 on the 360 (i own a Xbox, hence i lurk...)
That done, what's good about the HD1? Well you get Roland quality components, geekoids have pulled them apart and they're the same as big-brother bits, but sometimes the sensors dont have all the components for multi-triggers/rimshots etc. The three cymbals are CY5s, the three rubber toms are PD8s and one snare PDX8 (mesh). The form factor is very compact, and it's much easier to pack away, pull out, carry up down stairs very quickly compared to rack kits. It provides MIDI out so you can use it as a trigger kit, and let a PC program handle all the drum kit noises you might want, removing the "limited brain" issues. You can use both kick pedals as bass pedals, getting double bass built in can save a lot compared to the massive premiums rack kits seem to need. The feedback and precision from the toms and cymbals are far beyond stock GH and RB kits. For me, it's almost the perfect gaming eDrum kit.
Bad things: well not upgradable easily*, you get the dubious fun of "proper" rack eDrum kits like cross-talk-doubly-hitty stuff, its much bigger than say a GH:WT drum toy. To really get benefit you may want a drum monitor. Limited built-in drum sounds in brain. Oddities of the kick pedals. You will be mocked a lot by people with "proper" eDrum kits
Here's a few reviews for people that cant google:
Roland HD1
Roland HD-1 Electronic Drum Kit | Reviews | MusicRadar.com
YouTube - Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite Review Part 1 from the Live 2 Play Network.
(Old pic, i really need to take a new one...)
My own setup is to a PS3 via a custom MIDI adapter called a "SethBox". It's just like the new RB3 MIDI adapters i believe, but it also allows for some custom mappings, hence i can map the left (hihat) pedal to bass kicks - im not certain if the RB3 one allows this. I use a DR-30 drum monitor, which is cheaper and louder than the official HD1 monitor. I use Zildjian 7A Anti-vibe drum sticks, with Vater grip tape - i highly recommend burning any drum sticks from stock game-kits and buying real sticks! Been using the HD1 now for well over two years, and i bought it secondhand for £300, so durability has been good. The hihat gives me double hit issues now, might be a sensor issue, but as im not too hung up about scores i don't mind the odd score-break because of the kit. I'd really like to see Roland do a HD1KX mesh kit, or allow other Roland parts to be swapped in easier, but oh well.
To Summarise: i find the HD1 a very good gaming eDrum kit. It's not perfect, but if you just want a decent quality eDrum kit for videogames to improve the experience it's worth considering.
SethBox vs old GHWT module, which i hacked out of the kit:
Why you might want an eDrum kit, try playing this on a stock GH/RB drum set:
YouTube - Through the Fire and Flames Played on a Roland TD-9KX V-Drum Kit (GH: Smash Hits Expert+ Drums)
* at least easily by normal people. There are things that have been done, but only by the obsessive drum geeks with electronic skills. For most just buy a bloody TD3/4 already!
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