TM-6 PROTrigger Module

TM-6 PRO
Where to Buy

The Professional Way to Trigger Sounds and Complement Your Acoustic Drums Onstage

Life as a working drummer is not without pressure. From one job to the next, you’ll be expected to move fast and find the perfect drum sound, satisfying your audience, fellow musicians, engineers and the all-important paying client. But that’s a big challenge when you’re playing a traditional kit. Acoustics can vary drastically from venue-to-venue. Mixing engineers all take a different approach. You could be presented with unknown material with moments to spare, or asked to replicate the drum sound from a studio recording. Life gets much easier when you add the Roland TM-6 PRO to your favorite acoustic drum kit. Smart, simple and discreet, this new trigger module gives you instant and reliable access to every drum sound in the book, on every stage you play.

Standard Features
  • TM-6 PRO

    TM-6 PRO Hybrid Drum Module—Introduction

    In this video, drummer Bob Hall of Catfish and the Bottlemen uses the TM-6 PRO to trigger samples from his kick and snare drum using RT-30 acoustic drum triggers, while playing back melodic phrases and samples via BT-1 trigger pad, and expressive tom sounds via V-Pads.

  • TM-6 PRO

    Using TM-6 PRO with Acoustic Drum Triggers

    In this video, drummer Bob Hall of Catfish and the Bottlemen explores the TM-6 PRO by triggering samples from his kick and snare drum using RT-30 acoustic drum triggers, to enhance acoustic drum sounds for greater dynamic range, increased clarity and performance.

  • TM-6 PRO

    Using the TM-6 PRO to Expand Your Drum Kit

    In this video, drummer Bob Hall of band Catfish and the Bottlemen uses the TM-6 PRO with electronic drum pads to add expressive acoustic V-Drums sounds to complement his acoustic drums. Cowbell, toms sounds and a second snare are also incorporated using V-Pads connected to the TM-6 PRO.

  • TM-6 PRO

    Adding User Samples to the TM-6 PRO

    In this video, drummer Bob Hall of band Catfish and the Bottlemen loads his own user WAV samples into the TM-6 PRO and assigns them to the kick drum trigger and BT-1 trigger pad, to perform with his unique sounds.

  • TM-6 PRO

    Artist interview: Chris Whitten

    Chris Whitten and Peter Henderson show the range of acoustic drums sampled and recorded in Real World Studios and Rockfield Studios.

  • TM-6 PRO

    Artist interview: Michael Schack

    Michael Schack explains inside view of the sampling session and how acoustic and electronic one-shot samples were produced for the TM-6 PRO module.

  • TM-6 PRO

    Artist interview: Kaz Rodriguez

    Kaz Rodriguez explores the kind of sounds he needs when touring and how his experience inspired him to create sounds and samples for the TM-6 PRO.

TM-6 PRO

Choose the Perfect Tone for Your Drumming Style from 500 Premium Sampled Sounds

Every drummer feels the pressure when the clock is ticking, the band are waiting and your kit doesn’t sound quite right. The TM-6 PRO lets you walk into any gig and find your sound fast. Designed for hybrid drumming, this trigger module is preloaded with 500 new sampled sounds, from electronic and processed tones to acoustic drum sounds and sound elements. Drummers who dart between jobs can switch between a libraries of sounds in seconds. Try electronic sounds including fat-synth kick, vintage drum machines, claps and SFX, alongside processed sounds like compressed snares and kicks that cut through onstage. Get the best of the old-school, with exceptional-quality preloaded acoustic drum sounds, recorded at world-renowned studios like Real World and Rockfield. Enhance the attack of your snare and bring low-end power to your kick using sound elements. It’s all at your fingertips.

Watch the Movie
TM-6 PRO

Bring Expression to Your Playing with Onboard V-Drums Sounds

As a working drummer, it’s vital that nothing kills your swing. You’ll make yourself even more employable with the TM-6 PRO, which supplements its onboard sound library with a selection of natural and expressive V-Drums sounds. For drummers yet to explore the hybrid concept, this feature is hugely reassuring, letting you use the same playing technique as you would on acoustic drums – even open/closed hi-hat control is possible using the V-Drums sounds and the hi-hat control connector on the module.

TM-6 PRO

Recreate Signature Drum Tones from Studio Recordings

Whether you’re playing in a covers band or touring with a major artist, pro drummers will often be asked to recreate the signature drum tone from a famous studio recording – and your reputation depends on getting it right. Rely on the TM-6 PRO to nail any tone, thanks to the user sample feature that lets you import the exact sounds from the recorded track via SD card and play them using your acoustic kit. And that’s just the start. When your bandleader asks you for a fresh take, it’s easy to customize those imported audio samples, combining them with the module’s built-in sounds, adding powerful onboard effects or switching and mixing layered samples according to the strength of your stick-hits.

TM-6 PRO

The Ambitious First Step towards a Hybrid Kit

As you evolve as a drummer, it’s vital that your kit can grow, too. The TM-6 PRO is the jump-off to an ambitious hybrid kit that could help you win more varied commissions. It’s easier than you think to expand your acoustic kit, simply adding a selection of Roland’s pads, triggers and pedals via the module’s six trigger inputs (max 12 pads with optional Y-cable) – then enjoying a kit that offers swing, style and lightning-fast sound response. For flexibility, the TM-6 PRO’s four direct outputs work as four mono channels or two stereo channels to process the sound individually (it’s also possible to set six mono channels or three stereo channels outputs when you set the main outputs to direct outputs). You could even assign a song track or click track to specific direct outputs. This is your kit – and you’re in charge.

TM-6 PRO

Switch Sounds Fast in the Heat of the Gig

Plans can change fast onstage – and that can spell headaches for a drummer playing a traditional kit. With the TM-6 PRO, you can relax and rely on this trigger module’s easy and intuitive operation. Using the front panel’s three Sound Modify knobs, you have fast and flexible editing options (without getting into deep menu editing), directly controlling common parameters like Volume, Pitch and Decay, alongside the variable +/- 2-octave pitch rate that means it’s easy to tune with acoustic drums. If you change the control knob group, then transient attack/release or MFX can be modified using these three knobs. And when you modify the parameters of the 30 MFX types, the most effective parameters for each type are pre-assigned to a knob for intuitive editing. The TM-6 PRO also gives you the edge in the studio, with the newly developed Transient effect that offers flexible control of attack and release. Whatever the musical director demands, you’ll be ready to deliver.

TM-6 PRO

LED Indicators Give At-A-Glance Status and Complete Control

For live drummers, there’s nothing more frustrating than troubleshooting your setup when you should be focused on your performance. In the heat of the gig, the TM-6 PRO gives you all the information you need fast, with LEDs that flash in response to each head/rim of 6- independent triggers, and LED indicators around each sound modify knob that let you know the parameter value at a glance. It’s a reassuring feature that means you’ll feel in complete control of your kit – leaving you free to put your heart into the drumming.

TM-6 PRO

Improve Your Gigs by Playing Along With Backing Audio and Click Tracks

Backing tracks and click tracks are invaluable to drummers in countless situations – and the TM-6 PRO makes it easy to use them for live work and rehearsal. Backing audio tracks stored on SD card can be played direct from the memory – so you could store a whole song for a live show, or jam along with the set list, whether the band is there or not. When exporting backing tracks from your DAW, create an accompanying click track at the same time. Then, place the backing track and the click track WAVE files on an SD card and they'll play simultaneously and in sync routing the click through the headphone output (although you can send the click through any output you want, or send it to other band members).

TM-6 PRO

A Flexible Partner for Computer-Based Music Production

As a modern music-maker, any new addition to your rig needs to play nicely with your computer setup. Highly flexible, the TM-6 PRO works as trigger to MIDI convertor with audio interface, so you can play backing and click tracks from your computer via a USB cable. Audio/MIDI interface functions offer 8-in/8-out (max) audio with an impressive sampling rate of 44.1kHz/48kHz/96kHz, plus MIDI in/out capability. Each audio in/out is assigned to each TM-6 PRO’s Phones L/R, Master Outputs L/R and Direct Outputs 1-4. The possibilities are open-ended: you could output the backing track from your computer to the specific direct output, or record the audio from the specific direct output to the DAW via USB audio.



Specifications
Drum Kits
100
Instruments
Preset instruments: 268
Factory preloaded user samples: 500
User Sample Import
Number of user sample: Maximum 1,000 (includes factory preloaded 500 user samples)
Sound length (total): 48 minutes in mono, 24 minutes in stereo
File formats that can be loaded: WAV (44.1 kHz, 16/24 bits)
Effect Types
Pad Equalizer: each pad (HEAD/RIM independently)
Pad Transient: each pad (HEAD/RIM collectively)
Pad Compressor: each pad (HEAD/RIM collectively)
Pad Multi-Effects: 30 types: each pad (HEAD/RIM collectively)
Reverb Type: 5 types
Master Compressor
Master Equalizer
Song Player (SD Card)
Audio file: WAV (44.1 kHz､16/24 bit), MP3 (*1)
Display
Graphic LCD 128 x 64 dots
External Memory
SD card (SDHC supported)
Connectors
TRIGGER IN jack x 6: 1/4-inch TRS phone type
PHONES jack: Stereo 1/4-inch phone type
MASTER OUT jacks (L, R): 1/4-inch phone type
DIRECT OUT jack x 4: 1/4-inch phone type
HH CTRL jack: 1/4-inch phone type
FOOT SW jack: 1/4-inch TRS phone type
MIDI OUT connector
USB COMPUTER port: USB B type (USB Hi-Speed AUDIO/MIDI)
DC IN jack
Number of USB Audio Record/Playback Channels
Sampling rate (Original): 44.1 kHz
Sampling rate (with Sampling rate converter): 96 kHz, 48 kHz
Record: 8 channels
Playback: 8 channels
Power Supply
AC adaptor (DC 9 V)
Current Draw
453 mA
Accessories
AC adaptor
Quick Start
Leaflet "USING THE UNIT SAFELY"
Screw x 4 (*2)
Options (sold separately)
Acoustic drum trigger: RT series
Pads: PD series, PDX series, BT-1
Cymbals: CY series
Kick: KD series
Kick pedal: KT series
Hi-hat: VH-11
Hi-hat control pedal: FD series
Footswitch: BOSS FS-5U, FS-6
Personal drum monitor: PM series
Pad stand: PDS-10
All purpose clamp: APC-33
SD card
Size and Weight
Width
228 mm
9 inches
Depth
233 mm
9-3/16 inches
Height
66 mm
2-5/8 inches
Weight (excluding AC adaptor)
1.0 kg
2 lbs 4 oz
*1: Audio files must be saved on an SD card.
*2: Used when attaching the mounting plate.
TM-6 PRO

Video Library

Careers in Music: Jon Theodore of Queens of the Stone Age

Careers in Music: Jon Theodore of Queens of the Stone Age

Meet the man on the throne for the Josh Homme supergroup and learn how he uses V-Drums with traditional percussion to create sonic landscapes.Read more…

Hybrid Theory: Noah Hyppolite with Mick Jenkins

Hybrid Theory: Noah Hyppolite with Mick Jenkins

Noah Hyppolite discusses hybrid hip-hop drumming and how he navigates the intersection of touring with Mick Jenkins and a career in aerospace.Read more…

Hybrid Theory: Glastonbury Scene Report

Hybrid Theory: Glastonbury Scene Report

From the Glastonbury Festival grounds, hybrid drummers share their setups and offer advice to aspiring musicians.Read more…

TM-6 PRO Quick Start

TM-6 PRO Quick StartStep-by-step instructions

These Quick Start Videos contain step-by-step instructions that will quickly introduce you to its major features.Read more…

TM-6 PRO Introducing the Kits

TM-6 PRO Introducing the KitsStep-by-step instructions

These Videos contain step-by-step instructions that will quickly introduce you to its major features.Read more…

Hybrid Drums

Hybrid DrumsHybrid Drums — Your Sound. No Limits.

Hybrid drumming combines technology with acoustic drums, so you can reinforce and complement your acoustic drum sound by adding electronic sounds.Read more…

Support

If you have questions about operating your Roland product, please check our Knowledge Base for answers to the most common questions.
In addition, we have a library of Owner’s Manuals and Support Documents that you can download and reference.
If you require further assistance, all Product Support questions are handled via BACKSTAGE which can be accessed via www.rolandeurope.com

Owner's Manuals

Support Documents