TBS228  ©2005 Roland Corporation U.S. 
www.RolandUS.com
  Faxback #20261  Page 1 
Welcome 
Congratulations on your purchase of the Roland 
TD-12. This TurboStart contains step-by-step 
instructions that will quickly introduce you to a few of 
the TD-12’s major features. 
Note: This TurboStart discusses the use of the TD-12 
as part of the Roland V-Stage Series TD-12S. 
Selecting and Auditioning Drum Kits 
There are 50 drum kits in the TD-12, ready to go. Use 
the following steps to select and try out a few: 
1.  Press KIT so it’s lit. 
2.  Turn the VALUE dial or press the +/- buttons to 
select 19 UNIVERSE. 
3.  Play the pads—try performing some rim shots 
with the toms. 
4.  Now turn the VALUE dial clockwise or press the 
+ button to select 21 Rock Band. 
5.  Play the pads. Strike the bow of Crash 1—this 
starts one of the patterns in the TD-12 using the 
Pad Pattern feature, which is described later in 
this TurboStart. Hit some of the other pads to 
trigger additional tap-type patterns while the 
original pattern keeps playing.  
6.   Strike the bow of Crash 1 again to stop the 
pattern. 
Selecting Instruments in a Kit 
Any of the TD-12’s drum kits can be customized. 
Tuning an instrument, changing the apparent shell 
depth of a tom or adding the sound of rivets to a 
cymbal are just a few of the things you can do. 
Choosing your own instruments for the pads in a kit is 
a good place to start. Here’s how it’s done: 
1.  Press KIT so it’s lit. 
2.  Turn the VALUE dial to select the kit you’d like to 
edit. 
3.  Press INST so it’s lit. 
4.  Press F5 until “H & R” is not shaded. 
5.  Hit the pad—or a portion of the pad, such as the 
head or rim—that contains the instrument you 
wish to change. 
6.  Turn the VALUE dial or use the + / - buttons to 
select the desired new instrument. 
7.  Repeat Steps 5-6 for the remaining pads. 
8.   When you’re finished, press KIT—your 
customization is stored automatically. 
Playing the Patterns 
There are 150 preset patterns in the TD-12’s 
sequencer. Use the following steps to select and play 
them: 
1.   Press PATTERN so it’s lit. 
2.  Turn the VALUE dial to select one of the preset 
patterns. 
3.  Press PLAY. 
4.  Press STOP when you’re finished. 
Note: If you select a TAP pattern, press the PLAY 
button repeatedly to move, or “tap,” through the 
pattern. Tap patterns are identified by “||” 
shown below the “P” in the display. 
Pattern Recording 
You can use any of the 100 user pattern locations in 
the TD-12’s sequencer for recording your playing on 
the pads. Use the following steps to record a basic 
pattern: 
Note: By default, the TD-12’s pattern time signature 
is set to 4/4. To learn how to change it, or to adjust 
other pattern parameters, refer to the TD-12 Owner’s 
Manual. 
1.  Press PATTERN so it’s lit. 
2.  Press F5 (NEW). 
3.  Press REC—the metronome starts. 
4.  If you wish, turn the VALUE dial to adjust the 
tempo. 
5.  Press PLAY. 
The TD-12 provides a one measure countoff. “-1” 
appears in the display for the duration of the 
countoff measure. 
6.  After the countoff, play the pads in time with the 
metronome. 
7.  When you’re finished recording, press STOP. 
8.  Press PLAY to hear your new pattern.