Playing drums at home can be a headache. Traditional acoustic shells are impractical for late-night practice, while many electronic kits are disruptive (even with headphones), due to the sound of the pedals in operation. Roland’s new FD-9 hi-hat controller pedal is the smart way to drive down decibels. Designed for ultra-quiet home practice, the unit’s patent-pending link mechanism means dramatic noise reduction when the pedal is depressed.