Roland V-Combo VR-09

[marcmarc]

Hi, I had completely discarded the overdrive knob because of the same reason as you : not usable past the first millimeters.

 

But I've found that if you lower the volume of your program's sound, let's say to 6, you have a far more better usability from the overdrive effect.

 

It's just proper gain structure and it's a shame that Roland have set all the stock's sounds to a high volume which leads to a misuse of the effect section.

[Piattica]

I am a new owner of VR-09.

 

Is there a site to share (download/upload) registrations?

[tgeorges]

Great tips about the program sound volume and the twin rotary effect - I will try those. Thanks!

[tgeorges]

Piattica - Other than the Roland-sponsored registration set, I don't know of a user site where these are available. Most of my registrations are for specific songs with specific bands. If I ever get any general-purpose ones, I will share them here.

[tgeorges]

Hi, I had completely discarded the overdrive knob because of the same reason as you : not usable past the first millimeters.

 

But I've found that if you lower the volume of your program's sound, let's say to 6, you have a far more better usability from the overdrive effect.

 

It's just proper gain structure and it's a shame that Roland have set all the stock's sounds to a high volume which leads to a misuse of the effect section.

 

I just tried this - and it's a great tip. Even lowering the organ level down allows you to crank the overdrive knob for a finer control. THANK YOU!

[iluvchiclets]

This is a very interesting point - using the program level to change the distortion quality?

 

To confirm, the way you lower the program level is by sliding the farthest right drawbar up (the dark red one) to, say, the number 5 or 6? I tried this, and it didn't do anything to the quality of the distortion...it still sounded the same to me.

 

Please let me know if there is another way to adjust the program volume, or if I am doing something differently?

[tgeorges]

This is a very interesting point - using the program level to change the distortion quality?

 

To confirm, the way you lower the program level is by sliding the farthest right drawbar up (the dark red one) to, say, the number 5 or 6? I tried this, and it didn't do anything to the quality of the distortion...it still sounded the same to me.

 

Please let me know if there is another way to adjust the program volume, or if I am doing something differently?

 

For the organ, that's the way to do it. For the other blocks, there are volume up/down buttons.

[iluvchiclets]

Thanks tgeorges - will try some more experimenting...

[brenner13]

The Yamaha FC7 with Ashby adapter to switch the ring and tip is the best volume pedal option I've found to work with the VR09, and the volume swell control works like it should bringing in that overdrive as one sweeps it open. I still find it perplexing that Roland's own EV5 barely functions with this board.

[Piattica]

question about looper:

once a loop is created and saved in Usb you cannot load and repeat as loop, right? it is a pity

[tgeorges]

question about looper:

once a loop is created and saved in Usb you cannot load and repeat as loop, right? it is a pity

 

Sounds like you know more than most. I've used the looper a couple times - it's kind of fun, but I've never tried to save anything to USB drive.

[borntohang]

Done a few gigs with my VR-09 now and thought I'd share some thoughts. I'm a distinctly mediocre keys player (mostly coming from the organ side rather than piano) and I'm doubling up on guitar for a funk/pop/reggae band at the moment, using the VR as my single board.

 

In that respect it's perfect for my needs - it does a lot of sounds reasonably well, it's light and portable and the learning curve is pretty shallow. I have a fairly portable guitar setup so I can do my entire rig in two trips from the car now.

 

- The organ sounds are just OK, bordering on flat at times. I'm comparing it to the Hammond XM1 and an analog Elka X50 clonewheel. The sounds on the Hammond are far more editable and realistic; the X50 sounds chunkier and grittier, and the key-bed is so far beyond the VR-09 it's barely worth comparing. That said, the XM-1 means bringing a second controller board and the X50 weighs about 3 times what the VR does, so I'm comparing apples and organs there maybe. I'd like a more useful overdrive and leslie simulator with a brake function, but the on-board sounds are great within the context of a band. Disappointed the combo organ sounds aren't slightly more aggressive but they're mostly an afterthought for modern boards at the best of times so I'll take what I can get. There seems to be a faint hint of the top footage at all times regardless of how you set the leakage or drawbar settings. It gets more noticeable with distortion and Type 1 Leslie but I've only really heard it through headphones so I can live with it.

 

- Piano sounds are adequate for my purposes and I'm not a connoisseur by any means. Found the basic grand piano sound can be a bit dull so I set up a dual layer with the same sound an octave above; I keep this low in the mix and bring it in and out for sparkle as I feel.

 

- I'm not as put off by the keybed as I thought I would be. I miss the waterfall keys for percussive passages and smears but have got by so far, even in the bubble-reggae parts. I think the high trigger action helps in that respect. I've never been much of a piano player and have terrible technique on non-organ boards so can't say I miss the hammer action. The compressor balances out my jerky dynamics a little, and while I don't want it to become a crutch for bad technique it's nice to have as an option.

 

- I'd like more control over the effects and delays, even if it had to be through a separate interface like the iPad synth. Doesn't have to be complicated and depth/rate options would be perfect for my needs. At the moment the phasers and auto-wah are quite flat sounding to the point of being useless.

 

- The looper is a toy, useless for live performance. Only 20 seconds and if I want to set up a new loop I have to jump through eleventy button presses to come out of looper and reset a fresh one. It's ok for setting up a rhythm vamp to practice over.

 

- Using the VR-09 with a second controller board is a bit of a mixed bag. I've got a stage piano in the studio that I have hooked up as a second controller, and while I liked being able to do an organ/piano split I didn't like not being able to play layered sounds off the hammer-action board. I have some pianos set up with dual octave sounds and it would be nice to have the option of choosing which action I want for different registrations. I'm going to investigate into this further but don't think it's possible.

 

- Setting up splits is a pain. It's not difficult but in the heat of the gig I always seem to end up with the sound I wanted on the bottom instead of the top because I pressed the buttons in the wrong order. Not a deal killer because of the registrations, but I'm wary of trying to set up a split in the middle of a show and resent that slight impedance to spontaneity. We aren't an improv heavy band but I like to switch things up according to how we're playing, so having functions and FX available without menu diving so I can play it like a self-contained instrument rather than just a soundboard is important.

 

Overall I'm pretty happy with it. I'd consider upgrading to a Nord Electro at some point as I feel it would cover my organ needs better and I love the big red cheese look (probably because I also have one of the Yamaha combo organs in that colour scheme) but it's more than I need right now.

[tgeorges]

borntohang,

 

Thanks for the review. Spending some time tweaking the organ to sound less flat would be a good idea. I've played with the treble and bass gain, and that seems to help quite a bit. Also the TONE can give you some additional control over that.

 

The looper is indeed not for live performance, at least not how I would use it. But I could see it being used to set up an inpromptu jam session if you don't have a drummer.

 

For piano, in the bands I've played with, Rock Piano seems to cut through well in the horn band. The EPs sound great with headphones, but don't have as much punch, it seems, when playing in a group through the PA, although they're decent enough and still sound good.

 

As I've used the VR-09, I've come to really like the keys. The short travel and solid feel at the bottom of travel are great for me. I'm a piano player (not organ) so I don't miss waterfall keys. And I don't really care about weighed action, since I've been playing synth-style keys so long that I can adapt to almost any keyboard feel, and the VR-09 feels great to me.

 

Things that make me happy with the VR-09 include the price and portability, as well as the ease of use - especially for organ. I recently had to use a Nord Electro 2 (I think that's what it was) during a rehearsal, and was AMAZED it didn't have a rotary switch where you'd expect (although its placement does make sense), and I couldn't get the hang of the drawbar buttons. The newer Electos have real drawbars, but you could buy three VR-09s for the same price. For my needs, though, with some time spent setting up registrations, I can use my VR-09 in almost any setting as my only keyboard - so one trip does it, which I love.

 

-Tom

[borntohang]

borntohang,

 

Thanks for the review. Spending some time tweaking the organ to sound less flat would be a good idea. I've played with the treble and bass gain, and that seems to help quite a bit. Also the TONE can give you some additional control over that.

 

I've dabbled with the gain boosts, found the leslie model had more effect to my ears. With the overdrive as it is it can be really easy to boost into an unpleasant flabbiness with only a bit of bass. Would have liked a two band EQ on the front a la Nord Combo Organ, but the tone works nicely for quick adjustments.

 

Maybe 'flat' was the wrong adjective to use, 'polite' might be more suitable. Even with the leakage up high and overdrive on it seems fairly restrained, and then flips straight over into unusable after a quarter of a turn on the drive. It's a work in progress getting used to the settings right now, so maybe it'll grow on me.

 

The looper is indeed not for live performance, at least not how I would use it. But I could see it being used to set up an inpromptu jam session if you don't have a drummer.

 

It's not that bad really, I just do a lot of looping and would have liked to be able to lose the pedals if needed. Have found a use for it by recording a phrase on piano and leaving it playing through the PA while I wander round to check the sound.

 

For piano, in the bands I've played with, Rock Piano seems to cut through well in the horn band. The EPs sound great with headphones, but don't have as much punch, it seems, when playing in a group through the PA, although they're decent enough and still sound good.

 

The rock piano has had some use but the basic Grand cuts quite in this five piece lineup. Sounded great for recording last weekend. I do play with a full latin band with horns et al so may try something different for that. The filter sweep can act like a tone control just to cut and boost the edge on the top end too. Gives you a bit more control in conjunction with the Tone dial for mids.

 

EP isn't one of my favourite sounds in general, but I do like the Pure EP model in the V3 update. I know I criticised some of the FX but the panning tremolo is a lot of fun with a stereo setup. Not really delved into the Wurlys much, found the tip about setting up a rotary patch with 0 movement really helps to give it more of an amp feel.

 

As I've used the VR-09, I've come to really like the keys. The short travel and solid feel at the bottom of travel are great for me. I'm a piano player (not organ) so I don't miss waterfall keys. And I don't really care about weighed action, since I've been playing synth-style keys so long that I can adapt to almost any keyboard feel, and the VR-09 feels great to me.

 

I can certainly live with them. Adjusted to it fairly quickly but then I never had chance to get used to a hammer action anyway. The edges of the keys are kinder to my hands for smears than my previous MIDI controllers too.

 

Things that make me happy with the VR-09 include the price and portability, as well as the ease of use - especially for organ. I recently had to use a Nord Electro 2 (I think that's what it was) during a rehearsal, and was AMAZED it didn't have a rotary switch where you'd expect (although its placement does make sense), and I couldn't get the hang of the drawbar buttons. The newer Electos have real drawbars, but you could buy three VR-09s for the same price. For my needs, though, with some time spent setting up registrations, I can use my VR-09 in almost any setting as my only keyboard - so one trip does it, which I love.

 

-Tom

 

Roughly the same as my thoughts. Lucky enough to share a studio with a Nord Combo 2D, with the drawbars, but while that's a beautiful sound it's too big and limited for what I do. Trying to avoid moving to a 2 manual setup for now, unless I drop the guitar altogether.

[brenner13]

This funny thought occurred to me today: I wonder if there was a breakdown in communication when the designers designated that they wanted the rotary to "stop" with a push of the lever and the programmers mis-interpreted that the sim should be turned off rather than engaging the brake? :idk

 

However, there is a proper brake function, but only with the D-Beam. This can be assignable per registration so you can still have a slow speed on the rotary, too.

 

Yep, great real-world review, borntohang. Thanks for contributing your experience.

[borntohang]

This funny thought occurred to me today: I wonder if there was a breakdown in communication when the designers designated that they wanted the rotary to "stop" with a push of the lever and the programmers mis-interpreted that the sim should be turned off rather than engaging the brake? :idk

 

However, there is a proper brake function, but only with the D-Beam. This can be assignable per registration so you can still have a slow speed on the rotary, too.

 

Yep, great real-world review, borntohang. Thanks for contributing your experience.

 

Might be misunderstanding you there but the 'brake' setting on the D-Beam is actually for the Tonewheel Brake, so you get the Emerson Divebomb sound. There's no way to put the rotary on stop without setting the slow speed to 0, which does work if you're ok with just having two speed Fast/Off. I've done some playing around with different patches and it can be useful; particularly setting the slow woofer to 0 but keeping the tweeter like the old memphis sound.

 

I think it must just have been an oversight on their behalf because they seem to have included everything else you could want in the way of weird noises like divebomb and spring shocks. It's a shame they haven't considered putting it in an update but I doubt it will happen now V3 is out. Normally I would be able to live with it but the tonal change is so obvious it puts me off; if you set the keyclick high enough to be noticeable when the rotary is on it becomes horribly overpowering when you turn it off. C'est la vie.

 

Edit: Slight afterthought perhaps but I'd like to say how helpful this thread has been since I bought the board. I've enjoyed reading the reviews, positives and negatives alike, got a lot of tips out of it that have encouraged me to tweak the deeper settings and I'm a lot happier with the sounds than I originally was.

[brenner13]

Sheesh! I must have dreamed the rotary stop function...or disassociated the memory of way back when I used an RT-20. I am shocked this board does not do it. Apparently, I never use the technique but now all-of-a-sudden want to. Fast and slow speeds are priority for me, though.

[borntohang]

Sheesh! I must have dreamed the rotary stop function...or disassociated the memory of way back when I used an RT-20. I am shocked this board does not do it. Apparently, I never use the technique but now all-of-a-sudden want to. Fast and slow speeds are priority for me, though.

 

It's listed as 'Tonewheel Brake' so entirely understandable. I do miss having it there; use the RT-20 myself and there's a part in one track where I hold a chord with V1 and then spin the rotary down to brake so the subtle vibrato 'fades' in that just doesn't sound the same without it. I always have the option of using the XM-1 for that, but that defeats the point of having a single board. Might just have to set up a registration for that part.

 

The other quirk that I've noticed is having to be careful about switching registrations between verses/choruses. If I'm sloppy with the sustain pedal I get the awkward triggering as I switch. Something that's been raised in this thread already I think. I can live with it and suspect I will get used to making the changes eventually. I'm already allowing too many of my technique flaws to dictate the way I play so perhaps it will help with my discipline.

[WesG]

Are you on 1.0 firmware?

[borntohang]

Are you on 1.0 firmware?

 

Nope, up to V1.03. As far as I can tell it doesn't play the previous sound, but the held notes are triggered in the new sound. Only noticed it once or twice live.

[Bossbandbob]

When using batteries with this board, is there a drain on them when the unit is plugged in using the power adapter? I used it for an hour or two with just batteries, then later, while using it plugged in for maybe another hour, I started getting "low Battery" flashing on the screen which also momentarily disables the board. I had to take the batteries out to stop it from doing that. Is there a command somewhere in the menu that switches from battery to AC power?

[WesG]

I used to kill batteries because I'd forget to plug the adapter in....now I keep five batteries in the unit and one under the USB key hood.

[Bossbandbob]

The adapter was plugged in at least for a 1/2 hr before this started to happen.

[Soul Forever]

Is it possible to move existing registrations to other banks?

[brenner13]

It will only save all 100 registrations to a thumbdrive however there is an option to load just one registration at a time back into a registration of choice. Have to have the latest firmware version.

[LX88]

I played the VR-09 the other day for the first time since it came out.

 

The basic organ/ drawbar sounds work pretty well on slow chorale ( with no chorus vibrato) . The fast leslie seemed a bit choppy, but slow was real nice overall.

 

I liked the feel of the keys BETTER than I liked the keys on the Nord Electro 5, which was much too stiff.

 

I wasn't wild about the EP sounds. Roland could have done better on this.

 

It's too bad that the percussion has vibrato when the C/V is used. That was a deal breaker for me.

 

But overall, a pleasant organ sound at a low price and low weight.

[tgeorges]

Is it possible to move existing registrations to other banks?

 

Yes - and I'm assuming you mean, for example, move registration 18-1 to 20-4. Navigate to registration 18-1. Then press and hold one of the four registration button, and then use the arrow buttons to select the bank/registration value, and change it to 20-4, then press the ENTER button or the MODE [sYNTH] (Write) button.

[staticstate]

Hi everyone. I'm hoping someone can give me an overview of the "transistor organ" section of this particular keyboard - I can't find any clips on youtube that show anyone using it - it seems to get skipped in all of the video reviews. I'm looking for something that can do the 60's style / inspiral carpets madchester farfisa/vox tones? I'd really love to listen but I can't seem to find anyone having recorded anything using it.

 

Can the VR-09 pull off a decent farfisa / vox or should I continue to stash my pennies for one of the Hammond or Nord units that has specific farfisa/vox settings? thanks everyone!

[xKnuckles]

Hi Staticstate. I can highly recommend the transistor organs. Among other things, I play in a ska band, so I use them a lot. They are brilliant - very authentic... .absolutely perfect for my needs. I tweaked them a bit (based my tweaks on some settings which I read somewhere in the murky depths of this of this very thread) and my band - and everyone else - absolutely loves the sound.

 

Hopefully someone else will point you to some recordings, but if nobody does, perhaps I might be able to get something for you in the next week or so.

 

By the way; I have never played a Hammond or Nord, but I was under the impression that they do not include decent transistor organs. I would be interested to hear what the situation is with them. (Not that I am thinking of swapping - am very happy with my vr-09 at present. )

[staticstate]

awesome! I've been stashing money for a while now and I'm pretty close to the VR-09. The Hammond XK-1 is another 600 bucks and the Nord even more. I'm really hoping this one can do what I want!