Cascio Opens Roland Planet X Drum Center with V-Drum Contest and Chad Wackerman Drum Clinic

Cascio Interstate Music is pleased to celebrate the Grand Opening of its Roland V-Drums Planet X showroom at its New Berlin, WI retail store on Saturday, September 22, 2012. V-Drums Planet X showcases the complete line of Roland V-Drums electronic drums and percussion products and — along with highly trained sales staff and cutting edge interactive technology — promises drummers and percussionists a hands-on shopping experience like no other.

With nearly 1,000 square feet of dedicated retail floor space and seven fully equipped electronic drum kits, the Cascio Interstate Music V-Drums Planet X display enables customers to fully experience the sound and feel of the Roland V-Drums line. Renowned drummer, composer, and recording artist Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa, James Taylor, Allan Holdsworth) will be appearing to present a special in-store performance and drum clinic featuring Roland’s flagship TD-30KV V-Drums V-Pro® Series electronic drum kit. The evening will also feature the Midwest Semi-Final of the 2012 V-Drums National Championship, where 6 of the nation’s top drummers will compete for prizes and a chance to compete in the 3rd-annual US V-Drums National Finals.

The Roland V-Drums Planet X Grand Opening / V-Drums Contest Semi Finals featuring Chad Wackerman will be held at Cascio Interstate Music SuperStore at 13819 W. National Ave. in New Berlin beginning at 12 NOON on September 22, 2012 (doors open at 10AM), and will include product demonstrations, contests, prizes and all-day special pricing on Roland percussion products. The V-Drums National Championship Semi-Final competition will begin at 3 PM followed by Chad Wackerman’s in-store performance on the TD-30KV at 5 PM. Admission is free.

Cascio Interstate Music is the first retail location in Wisconsin to install a Roland V-Drums Planet X, and one of only eight Roland V-Drums Planet X shop-in-shop installations currently in the United States.

“V-Drums Planet X is an elite space for learning about and experiencing Roland V-Drums,” said Tim Root, Roland US Drum and Percussion Product Manager. “It combines a top-level environment for evaluating products with a highly knowledgeable staff who know how to demonstrate the sophisticated features of the Roland V-Drums line.”

“Understanding the current offerings in the electronic drums market can pose a challenge for customers who can easily be overwhelmed by the technical specifications of each product.” said Root. “By putting drummers behind complete drum kits, including kick drums, snares, toms, and a wide array of electronic cymbals from hi-hats to crash and rides, they can get a sense for the amazing feel of this highly-evolved technology.”

“A lot of electronic drums look similar,” says Root. “But you have to play them to understand and experience what sets them apart.”

Roland V-Drums Planet X enables drummers to do this with its custom-built sound stage, multiple computers and widescreen video monitors, and a live connection to Roland V-Drums Friend Jam, the first social networking tool designed explicitly for drummers, allowing them to connect, share and compete with other V-Drums users in real-time over the Internet. “Planet X provides this opportunity in a very cool space,” said Root. “Drummers can move around from one set to the next, and hear and feel the difference. Truly a unique and inviting environment for drummers.”

In addition to sitting down to evaluate the latest offerings from the Roland V-Drums line, drummers who visit Planet X can expect to learn about the technology that brings the sound and feel of acoustic drums to life, whether listening through headphones or plugging into an amplifier. Kits range from the entry level Roland HD-3 V-Drums Lite to the professional quality TD-30KV kit powered by Roland’s flagship TD-30 drum sound module. Roland V-Drums feature SuperNATURAL® sounds, behavior modeling and V-cymbals that respond to the way you play them — including rim shots, rolls, swells — to produce and a drumming experience with superior realism and playability.

For more information about the day’s events, call: 262-789-7600 or visit http://www.interstatemusic.com/. For more information about Roland’s V-Drums National Championship, please visit: http://www.rolandus.com/go/v-drums_contest/For more information about Chad Wackerman, please visit: http://www.chadwackerman.com/.

Cascio Interstate Music is among the nation’s top independent musical instrument retailers, and is the 12th largest musical instrument dealer in the United States. Cascio celebrates 66 years as a music retailer in 2012, and is headquartered in the suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin marketplace, which houses its retail Superstore, Call Center, Web Center and corporate offices. Its Distribution Center in Waukesha, WI handles over 60,000 items. Cascio Interstate offers a wide selection of musical instruments, accessories, sheet music, private music lessons, free in-store educational clinics, rentals, repairs, and more. More information on the Company is available at www.interstatemusic.com, or visit www.facebook.com/Cascio.Superstore.