voxpops
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Hallelujah! The piano that shall not be named has been named!! (Ducks in case of imminent nuclear attack) I really do hope that this is as good as it appears on paper. The whole stage piano sector needs a major shakeup, IMO.
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Scott, I'm using the Event Processor (plus the power supply). I can't remember all the things I needed to filter, but I know that I needed to be able to adjust organ registrations while playing synth lead, and so I filtered out the drawbars. The Numa's mod wheel would send both a rotary control change message as well as a modulation command when in MIDI mode (which is dumb), so I needed to filter out the rotary command. I think I did a similar thing for the sustain pedal (which could be reversed, and therefore always on, depending on the module). There were a few similar issues, such as problems if you had selected an organ split patch, and I think I used nine out of the ten available commands in the Event Processor. To be fair, a number of them were to do with the particular module, but the lack of internal filtering of organ-centric controls when using the "Fatar dynamic TOUCH," required addressing.
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I have not yet found a foolproof way of using the Numa Organ as a controller without sticking a MIDI Solutions box between Numa and module - in fact two MIDI Solutions boxes, as the Numa's MIDI voltage is insufficient to drive the MS box. I did manage to get an old BOSS Dr. Synth to work (most of the time) without the additional items, but every now and then it would throw a hissy fit, which it never did with any other board. As for my Plugiator, that is already one seriously quirky MIDI unit, and if you couple that with the Numa you're going to run into issues straightaway without the MS box.
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The work around, I suppose, would be that you have to duplicate (or more) the settings, but you'd soon chew through the available slots. I would hazard a guess that there are very few players who don't need to return to a basic patch after, say, playing a synth lead. This design quirk is possibly just another small example of the effect Roland's remoteness has on the design process.
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Liking this board more and more. Played it on a small gig last night, coupled with the PX-5S, and it sounded great. Not so fond of the keybed, but I can live with that. Also used the synth section for some recordings last week - all good. Very glad I had second thoughts and bought one.
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That's the whole point, isn't it? Everyone's situation is different, and this is a niche instrument. It works for me, too, in specific contexts. So why should I return it? I knew what I was buying. It will be even better if Roland steps up to the plate with the requested fixes, but it's a valid instrument as it stands - at least from my perspective. I also think that Dave has contributed a useful counterbalance from the negative end of the spectrum, even if his "button pushing" has been a little extreme, not to mention like a stuck needle (for those who remember vinyl/wax) . At the other end of the scale, Craig's commitment to the VR has helped a lot of new owners find their feet with the board. All I would say to Craig is, don't rise to the bait as there's absolutely no need to defend your position - we hear ya! The voice that's absent from all this is Roland's! I've just been discussing the PX-5S over on the Piano World forum, and Mike pops up to offer a customized patch to help with a specific concern. How cool is that? A representative from the manufacturer (who's inundated with work by the sound of it) actually takes the time to offer something specific for a customer's needs: that's Rolls Royce service at Yugo prices! And I've had similar service from Kawai James. I know that the Roland VR blog is active, but I haven't yet read anything that doesn't appear to be a "holding operation." Maybe things will change soon...
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Well, I have to say, you guys are more entertaining than the VR-09 will ever be!
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"Lukewarm" is precisely the response that I had to it, and yet I still bought it (after initially dismissing it). Just a few minutes ago I was using it to work out some parts for recordings that we're doing at the moment, and it was useful on a recent gig. I don't think it will go down in my personal musical-endeavors history book as the greatest keyboard I've ever owned, but it's proving to be a handy tool, and can be fun to play due to the live controls and sound that cuts through nicely. To be honest, I really don't think it warrants the extreme views at either end of the spectrum, as it's an OK board at a realistic price - very middle-of-the-road in fact.
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I, too, love to read all opinions when I'm searching for a new board. Naturally, I tend to mentally filter out or downgrade those which are not based on direct experience with the instrument in question, but sometimes even those can add a perspective that hasn't occurred to anyone before. All threads tend to become diffuse as time goes on and there's little new information coming out, and then, usually, they die a natural death. Problems seem to arise if people become too invested in the thread itself, and perceive sharp responses as personal attacks, even if they weren't intended that way. Hyperbole can also be a bit of a red rag to some people. I think we should all take a step back if we think a post is inflammatory, and ask ourselves if we're possibly becoming a little proprietary about a thread, or a bit too precious about our own contributions. On the other side of the coin, I think it's good to recognize when someone is offering a lot of valuable insights, and devoting a good deal of their time to helping those that come here for advice. If you sift through the banter and thread-rage above, there's a host of really useful stuff here, and that's principally down to two or three main contributors. Thanks guys!
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Not really the right thread for discussing the RD, but I just sent mine back. I liked the main piano sound a lot, I also liked the raw Vintage EP sound, and I could live with the action. However, although I could get by with 64 notes for band gigs (making some use of the octave switches), I found the span a little too cramped. The lack of control over effects was also limiting, and the Clavs/Wurli sounds were not very good, IMO. I may get an FP-50 instead.
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I agree with a lot of the comments about Roland. They used to be great innovators, but of late they seem to be masters of regurgitation, and of reducing specs wherever possible. That said, although the VR may not be particularly innovative, sound wise, it is quite a bold move to gather all the components that keyboard players need into one easy-to-operate keyboard, and market it at an affordable price. They obviously haven't done themselves (or us) any favors by (deliberately, IMO) hobbling certain aspects of the board, but kudos at least for the good things on the VR, such as drawbars, VA synth and plenty of hands-on control. As for the silly teasing on the Roland Blog with regard to the new synth library, only for it to amount to nothing for VR owners, it just seems to be indicative of this rather disdainful attitude toward customers. I would advise anyone considering a purchase to base their decision SOLELY on what the VR is, and can do, right now - flaws and bugs included - as I don't trust Roland to necessarily deliver anything further for the board.
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With all due respect, no one has been censored. They may have been criticized, and had suggestions made that they should not make repetitive comments, but everyone's views have been clearly visible for all to see, and will surely remain so, as long as the site owners and moderators permit it.
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This is what OV Valle wrote in response to my own complaint about retriggering et al: "Very valid point, weve addressed these issues with our product development team. I dont have any more news besides that, but I will report as soon as we learn something new. "
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My comment seems to have been moderated into oblivion - unless it takes time for it to appear. I hope the First Amendment is still functioning at Roland US.
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It's not so much the input jack, but the cable/plug. There is often less solder due to the smaller connecters, and the plugs can't usually take as much wear and tear.
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I understand. But, take the Roland FP range as an example: the FP-7F had 1/8" and 1/4" inputs; the FP-80 only has 1/8". That seems like cost cutting. (Not talking about the mic input here.)
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Did you use a 1/4 mono to 1/8 mono cable? To B3, no, I used a stereo RCA (phono) to stereo 3.5mm cable, with two gold 1/4" to RCA adapters. If you don't have access to a mono cable, this is how you would use the stereo cable. Keyboard A: "L" 1/4" (mono) output receives cable's "L" RCA plug (using 1/4" adapter) Keyboard B (VR-09): 3.5mm stereo input socket receives cable's 3.5mm stereo plug "L" 1/4" (mono) output receives 1/4" plug for cable to PA or amp In this case, the "R" RCA plug remains unused.
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You're welcome, Craig.
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OK, just hooked up my Numa (grounded) to the VR using a Mediabridge cable. No noise or hum. The only thing to be aware of is that the Roland's volume pot is a master controller, and will affect both incoming and onboard signals. Also, hooking up one side only (for a mono signal) from the Numa's mono output simply results in the signal remaining on the selected side through the Roland's circuits. You would need to select the side that you're using to send to FOH.
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I hate having to use 3.5mm (1/8") jacks - notoriously unreliable, and more and more keyboards are dumping 1/4" aux inputs for these. However, I discovered that the Mediabridge range of cables from Amazon are very good indeed, and have used them successfully linking synth modules to my primary boards. I'll plug one into the VR and report back.
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An awesome and wholly viable rig... for a different environment than the one I'm dealing with. For the particular needs of this particular gig, it's hard to imagine a better match than the VR. Isn't that the whole point? Only you can know what works for you. Other people can make suggestions as to how to achieve a particular end, but we all have to deal with different circumstances: environmental, anatomical, financial, experiential, and even psychological. There's no one size fits all.
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I've been thinking about this (bolded) statement since you made it, Dave. I decided to do some research. According to Wikipedia Casio: 11,336 employees, $4.616 billion revenue (2010) Roland: 2,699 employees (2010) According to their corporate info pages (and I hope I'm comparing apples to apples here) Casio: ¥48,592 million capital, ¥301,660 million net sales Roland: ¥9,274 million capital, ¥74,825 million sales Overall, Roland is a much smaller company. That said, I don't know how Casio's EMI division compares to Roland. That would tell how much of Casio is in this business vs. all of Roland. Although I don't think that the capitalization/sales info is particularly relevant (albeit interesting), I do think Dave makes a good point about the benefit of having a public - and responsive - presence. You only have to spend a little time on the various keyboard forums to understand just how much the input from a rep affects the perceived standing of the company, and people's willingness to trust putting their money into that company's products. Now, forum participants/readers make up only a fraction of the market, but it's a growing fraction, and their purchase decisions may easily influence other buyers indirectly. If you go to see a band play, and they're using Casio products, and they sound good, what's to stop you following suit?
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Remember that Roland themselves market the VR-09 as an organ: it is listed in the combo-organ section of their website, along with the VK-8, not in the synth or piano section. That's this marketing that makes us focus on its organ "abilities". Good point.
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You're not? Why not? I'll probably get there one day, but I would have preferred that Roland made their editor cross-platform, so I didn't have to go out and buy yet another new device. Good luck with the project, rien! I'll be very interested to hear how it progresses.
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You're not? Why not? Because I'm an old dinosaur who is always last when it comes to adopting new technology. I'll probably get there one day, but I would have preferred that Roland made their editor cross-platform, so I didn't have to go out and buy yet another new device. Ironically, one of the reasons I bought the VR-09 was to have a good palette of sounds without recourse to a PC or similar, as I prefer my boards to be self-contained, and I don't really like gigging with a computer. That said, I do enjoy using VB3...