voxpops Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Love the ending of the predictably crappy overview video when the narrator declares that it "won't put you in the RED!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Paxton Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I can't decide whether the slogan for this thing should be "Timmy's first clonewheel" or "Drawbars on a ROMpler." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Looks pretty darn cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voxpops Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I think it all depends on the price and the actual sound quality. If it comes in at around $1,000 (or half an Electro 4D) it might gain some traction. A lot of people are looking for bread and butter sounds in a lightweight package. Up to now, Roland has rarely delivered on EP samples, so much will depend on how they've done in that department. The organ sounds (from the videos) may be typical Roland VK, but they sound WAY better than Casio's in my opinion. The lack of complete on-board control for the organ parameters is limiting, but possibly not crucial for some players. The synth seems to have some flexibility (more than in the VR-700). The biggest negative is having to buy an iPad (unless you already own one, of course) if you want full control over the sound-shaping parameters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicky Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Hmm, doesn't seem to have a leslie brake switch, hope it's not just fast or slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Yeah, I think they need to market this as an all-in-one first and a hammond clone second. The video is structured that way and it makes sense. Play to your strengths (better overall non-organ sounds than the Hammond or Electro) and it also does organ. I could see it appealing to people who might buy a MOX/Motif but need better organ sounds. After watching the longer demo posted above I agree. It makes a lot of sense as a second tier board. You could put almost any weighted action on the first tier and use the APs/EPs out of the VR. I think the VR name threw me off. Decent clonewheel, good synth and ROMpler sounds, pitch bend, etc. I think the whole thing makes a lot of sense to your average cover band player. Busch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voxpops Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 You could put almost any weighted action on the first tier and use the APs/EPs out of the VR. I thought someone said that it only has MIDI-out - no MIDI-in. Stupid comment. I should have looked at the picture first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Wild guess: No aftertouch? Quote local: Korg Nautilus 61 AT | Yamaha MODX8 away: GigPerformer | 16" MBP M1 Max home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 If the price is right, this could be a great busking tool, all other limitations aside... Quote Yamaha: P515, CP88, Genos 1, HX1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 You could put almost any weighted action on the first tier and use the APs/EPs out of the VR. I thought someone said that it only has MIDI-out - no MIDI-in. No MIDI IN and OUT plus it appears to have PEDAL IN (Roland bass pedals shown in a number of photos). Busch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voxpops Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 You could put almost any weighted action on the first tier and use the APs/EPs out of the VR. I thought someone said that it only has MIDI-out - no MIDI-in. No MIDI IN and OUT plus it appears to have PEDAL IN (Roland bass pedals shown in a number of photos). Busch. Thanks, I've changed my post above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 The RD-64 only has MIDI OUT, but it's more of a controller+a few voices device anyway. Busch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voxpops Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 The RD-64 only has MIDI OUT, but it's more of a controller+a few voices device anyway. Busch. That was where my confusion lay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Keiki Uto is a monster player Killer chops in a wide variety of styles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Wild guess: No aftertouch? Ha...not a chance. Quote Korg Kronos 61 (2); Roland Fantom-06, 2015 Macbook Pro and 2012 Mac Mini (Logic Pro X and Mainstage), GigPerformer 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Keiki Uto is a monster player Killer chops in a wide variety of styles. Agreed. Busch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysounds Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Juno Di with sliders. Check. Entry level keyboard rather than clonewheel. Check. Electro killer? Meh. Quote Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekewaka Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Juno Di with sliders. Check. Entry level keyboard rather than clonewheel. Check. Electro killer? Meh. For budget conscious purchasers it might be their 'Electro'. I don't know how this system sounds in real life (and no NAMM tickets, argh), so I can't personally say how much you lose if you get this one half the price of an Electro 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Towne Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Or you can by a used Electro 3 and have way better sounds. Quote Endorsing Artist/Ambassador for MAG Organs and Motion Sound Amplifiers, Organ player for SRT - www.srtgroove.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekewaka Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Or you can by a used Electro 3 and have way better sounds. As I said I can't judge before I hear this keyboard in real life. Also, it has far more tweaks for synthesizer use than an Electro plus far more effects so for adventurous keyboard players it's a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Towne Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 True...it's synth capabilities probably surpass the Electro. Quote Endorsing Artist/Ambassador for MAG Organs and Motion Sound Amplifiers, Organ player for SRT - www.srtgroove.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Dirk Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Depending on the price, I see this board as more of a Casio XW-P1 competitor. Drawsliders, sub-par Hammond sound (but can pull it off in a pinch), the ability to use the sliders to tweak the VA stuff, bread & butter ROMpler sounds. It's being listed at £729 in UK, don't know what that will end up being in the US market, but it looks like a good 2nd tier board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Or you can by a used Electro 3 and have way better sounds. Maybe, but no splits/layers, no real drawbars, no pitch/mod controls... At any rate, comparing a new product with a used product almost always favors the used one if looked at as nothing but value per dollar. That the Roland might even compete new with a used E3 speaks well of the Roland. (I saw a reference elsewhere to the Roland possibly being $1199, not bad.) Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysounds Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 If it's the build quality of Juno Di, there is no competition. Regardless, meh. I'll take Nord's version of electric pianos and organs over Roland's flagship versions of same, and a flagship this aint. Quote Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 The action is unknown. If this stuff gets too cheap, then you get the unweighted crap. But if it's the same semi weighted action as the Jupiters, that would be a damn nice for $1200. The Krome and MOX6 are unweighted, in roughly the same price range. It's unknown if this is going to feel more like the VRs or a Juno. Busch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Plastic battery powered toy. Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Looks to me like a solid option for many players. Yes, it's lightweight, runs on batteries, etc.. But it appears far from being a toy. I use a JP-50, sometimes covering gigs with that as a single 'board. From reading up on the VR-09, and listening to the demos, it seems to be in a similar league, sonically, to the JP-50. Actually wish I had those mini-drawbars on my JP. Obviously a lot more can be done with the JP series keyboards, but for what it does the VR-09 seems a very attractive option. Granted it's not a Stage 2 Compact, nor a Kronos 61; doesn't appear designed to compete with those instruments though. Chances are I'd take a VR-09 over a Krome 61 though, especially if needing to cover drawbar organs; if necessary the synth engine could always be expanded via module, iPad synth app, etc.. Regarding comparisons made to the XW-P1: I think they're different animals, and 'compete' at different price points. The Modeled/ROMpler engine in the VR-09 is at a much higher level than that in the XW-P1; same with VR-09's VK organ engine 'vs' the organ engine of the XW-P1. Where the XW-P1 is crazy-good is the Hex Synth engine. The combinations and controller features are a big plus, too. A compact, synth rig combining the XW-P1 and VR-09 would be quite strong, IMO. Quote 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
To B3 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Already on Sweetwater, at 999 bucks (the same price as a Juno Gi there). Seems right for what the instrument offers so far. Quote My drawbars go to eleven. Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torhu Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Would be interesting to know if this thing actually contains an updated organ engine. The "Supernatural" part is new, and there's also mention of a new model of a "transistor-type 60's organ tone". So they have clearly been doing some work on their organ simulation. How much, nobody knows yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 12 lbs. 3 oz. Based on the price, weight and photos it appears to be all plastic construction. Is the JunoGI all plastic? How's the Juno's action? I assume unweighted, not Jupiter class. Well with the Nords keep creeping up in price and HS thinks it can sell an 88-key version of the SK-1 for $3,000 (WTF). I think Roland will do really well with this one. Like the Krome some of the sounds are much better than what you'd expect in this price range. The RD-64 is $999 as well. Busch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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