AnotherScott Posted January 2, 2021 Share Posted January 2, 2021 Below is the chart I'm using. Can anyone confirm whether it is or is not possible to change the keyboard-playable synth section sound to BluesHarp using the figures on the bottom row of this chart? I think it's possible that changing keyboard-playable section sounds (not registrations) via MIDI Program Change works in the Synth section, but not in the Piano section (this sound is in the Others category of the Piano section). Maybe someone can confirm? 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...
brenner13 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 4 info (for those who don't follow FB): expression pedal modd. We recently 'discovered' the reason for the 'on/off' behaviour of expression pedals attached to the VR09/730. The biggest issue: the VR uses only 1/2 of the pedal hub (electrically speaking, the VR reaches full volume at ca. 2.5 V out of 5V of the voltage divider) This is valid vor ALL pedals (even the legendary Yam FC). If interest is here, we can publish a little modd (finally 2 resistors soldered into the pedal or the jack). The modd turns even short hub pedals like EV5, M-Audio etc into something very usable Hmmm...if I hadn"t already given up on Roland, this sounds very intriguing. It"s probably been September since I"ve looked at FB. I"m a total novice with a solder gun. Can this mod be done on the keyboard jack or is it more recommended to mod a pedal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Alpha Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Hi all, I just signed up to get some help with my VR09. I should point out that I'm very new to the world of keyboards and being a bit long in the tooth find it all rather confusing! My first question is, how do I upload the registrations from the Roland Axial site to my keyboard? I've down loaded and opened the zip file and assume the new sounds are contained in the UPG file (an extension I've never heard of). How do I open this file to extract the sounds? Thanks in advance & I look forward to learning from the experts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggypants Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Hi all, I just signed up to get some help with my VR09. I should point out that I'm very new to the world of keyboards and being a bit long in the tooth find it all rather confusing! My first question is, how do I upload the registrations from the Roland Axial site to my keyboard? I've down loaded and opened the zip file and assume the new sounds are contained in the UPG file (an extension I've never heard of). How do I open this file to extract the sounds? Thanks in advance & I look forward to learning from the experts. Firstly you can't "extract the sounds" they are synth setting definitions for the built in not-quite-a-roland-gaia synth part of the VR09. To use them copy the files to a usb stick, jam it in the board. Then follow the steps on P29 of the manual to load the saved registrations. https://www.roland.com/uk/support/by_product/v-combo_vr-09/owners_manuals/2fcb8b2f-ea0f-4443-94f4-df5608efb433/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Welcome to KC, johnny Alpha. I don't have a VR09, but as you're not getting help yet, check the Owner's Manual you may find the answer on Page 29. You'll need a USB flash drive. Hope this helps! OOPS - Baggypants to the rescue as I was posting this! Quote ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggypants Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 4 info (for those who don't follow FB): expression pedal modd. We recently 'discovered' the reason for the 'on/off' behaviour of expression pedals attached to the VR09/730. The biggest issue: the VR uses only 1/2 of the pedal hub (electrically speaking, the VR reaches full volume at ca. 2.5 V out of 5V of the voltage divider) This is valid vor ALL pedals (even the legendary Yam FC). If interest is here, we can publish a little modd (finally 2 resistors soldered into the pedal or the jack). The modd turns even short hub pedals like EV5, M-Audio etc into something very usable I'm interested! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Updating my earlier post... I have Program Change working. I don't know what the issue was, but I'm using an (unfortunately discontinued) app called MIDI Breakout Box to send the Program Change info, and it's working fine. 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...
johnny Alpha Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Thanks for the replies regarding loading the new registrations. I know what to do once the files are on a stick but I'm struggling with how to get them on the stick! Do I just put the complete unopened UPG file on the USB or does the file need to be opened first and then put the individual files on? Sorry for being feeble, this is all new to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky46 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 just copy the entire upg file to the stick, plug the stick in VR compartment and use the VR menu 'Media' to either load the complete registration set or individual registrations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky46 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 @ Baggypants / expression pedal modd: sorry, did not find the time to take photos and write a manual. Hope to do it this month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky46 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 EDITOR new minor upgrade v1.12.12: Most work has been done on 'help' menus (QuickInfo). There are some stabilizing bugfixes and a few new exotic features like 'V-Piano damper noise' (yeah, VR piano gets damper noise and improved sound), 'Chord Intelligence', Midi-TX channel editing with upg-editor, etc. V-Organ section got a new 'default' setting for Leslie parameters (close to the 'real thing') and shows 'rpm' and 'seconds' for Leslie speed and de/acceleration instead of abstract numbers.... The upg-editor received a function for preparing the VR for playing the 'hidden' GM sounds using VR registrations. For technical reasons it's actually not possible to publish the new version on ctrlr.org but you can download the 'standalone'-exe and the 'panel' plugin (zip-file) from here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-b8H_k9iyuWwrCm2gsX-9guoV9zg7lPT?usp=sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky46 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 V-Combo 09/730 website: https://v-combo.webspace.rocks Note the latest post about how to use VR registrations for playing the 'hidden' GM2 sounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky46 Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky46 Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 Hi, the website progressed: VR09 'keybed mod', 'Leslie jack mod'. More stuff about VR-midi, 'VR gear', VR bugs+workarounds etc https://v-combo.webspace.rocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenner13 Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 Wow, again! Just finished skimming through most of the website. An absolute wealth of information on Roland"s VR series. Well worth bookmarking for any owner and potential buyer of these machines. An excellent read, abounding with general consensus opinions and comparisons. Spotlights most all of the high points and hold no punches with the shortfalls of design. Also many tips and work-arounds. Well done. I"ve a re-found admiration for the quirky capabilities of my first gen VR09 after installing a new pitch paddle, finding the Nektar NX-P to work far better than any other expression pedal, reworking registrations for my band, and now revisiting franky46"s wonderful editor and expanded website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenner13 Posted May 30, 2021 Share Posted May 30, 2021 Below is the chart I'm using. Can anyone confirm whether it is or is not possible to change the keyboard-playable synth section sound to BluesHarp using the figures on the bottom row of this chart? I think it's possible that changing keyboard-playable section sounds (not registrations) via MIDI Program Change works in the Synth section, but not in the Piano section (this sound is in the Others category of the Piano section). Maybe someone can confirm? Hmm, what do the black stars indicate on the sound chart? My first gen -09 does not have these sounds. I"m pretty sure I have the latest firmware as I do have the sounds marked with *1. Particularly interested in the Y2K Concerto. Is it any 'better' than the stock GrandPianoV & V2? Those short sample loops are still distractingly grating to my ear. Perhaps those black star items are only available on the B and 730 models? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted May 30, 2021 Share Posted May 30, 2021 what do the black stars indicate on the sound chart?...Perhaps those black star items are only available on the B and 730 models? Close. Those sounds are only on the VR-730. (Once you have the latest firmware on your VR-09, it's the same as the VR-09B except for the cosmetic differences.) 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...
franky46 Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 finding the Nektar NX-P to work far better than any other expression pedal Hi, that sounds interesting because there's an idea that pedals with high resistance (500 kOhm) could work better on VR (not yet 'simulated'). So I looked for the resistance data of the Nektar: it's ca 11-12 kOhm - which is identical to my M-Audio pedal. As there is no mystics about simple 12 kOhm voltage divider potentiometers, VR09 for sure behaves the same with both pedals. My M-Audio became 'usable' only after the 'mod' described on the website. It now uses its entire 'theoretical' travel (ca 3cm at toe side - before the mod it was 1 cm). So if you wan't your Nektar to be a good VR09 exp pedal, do the 'mod' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_fungi Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 I haven't read through this whole thread quite yet and please let me know if there is a better spot for this type of question but I am a happy owner of a VR-09 as of Jan 2020. However, over the past 8 weeks something strange has been happening at band practices - after about 90 min of playing, the slightest bit of pressure touch to the plastic panel area surrounding the pitch/mod wheel will trigger the modifying the drawbar levels to unpredictable settings without actually touching any of the physical plastic slider drawbars. It happens across all engines (organ, synth, piano) with the ASDR parameters or organ drawbars moving around at random depending on the instrument selected. It gets worse the longer I practice to the point that even hitting the keys at all will trigger this error. Has anyone dealt with this? Turning it off and on seems to do the trick but it would be frustrating if that was the only workaround. I haven't tried opening up the unit and dusting inside but I am not super tech savvy and would hate to make new problems for myself without turning to the community for answers first. I last updated the firmware to the latest version in Feb 2020 and this was purchased used on Reverb with the sweetwater sounds usb stick. I'm really liking just about everything else about this keyboard and love how compact it is to carry around to practice and gig. Thanks for any advice or resource you can offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggypants Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Never had that issue but I did wonder briefly if it you were accidentally triggering the D-Beam. Sounds more like dirt though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_fungi Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 Confirming that I tested the D-beam function and that seems to be working and not the root issue as far as I can tell. I am now realizing the organ draw bars have become unresponsive and there is intermittent functionality with certain other global buttons (enter and exit buttons seem most affected). I am frustrated because aside from these glitches this keyboard has worked so well for my needs. I want to be able to rely on this rig! I assume this is a solid state circuitry construction so I can't imagine there could be much I could gain by taking off the cover panels and dusting the inside but I will begin by blowing the whole board carefully with compressed air to see if that improves anything. Welcome any other insight if anyone has experienced anything like this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 Sounds like a loose connector might be the culprit. If it were me, I would definitely open it up and reseat everything. Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggypants Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 Don't forget the guide to opening https://v-combo.webspace.rocks/open-vr09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_fungi Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Thank you all for the input and thanks for the link Baggypants! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_fungi Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 update, I have opened up the VR-09 and reset as many of the connections as I could seamlessly access without dismounting any individual circuit board. I carefully cleaned (thank you for the link to V-Combo webpage again @Baggy Pants) the inside as well but the problem persists. I thought perhaps if I updated to the latest firmware this could solve it problem but I can't even get the board to update now. Wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas before I drop it off at a repair shop about 20 miles from my house. Thank you Video of the issue: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky46 Posted August 25, 2021 Share Posted August 25, 2021 Hi, here we are from YT That all does not sound too good Hmm, some things to try though .... 1) Question: is your VR principally able to read-write from/to the USB stick? (Audio-Files, upg-files etc?) 2) You might first try this ( just put the 2 housings together without mounting all the screws): run VR on (fresh) batteries instead of the power unit : there are some reports that a defect power units caused dropouts and 'bizzarre behaviour' f Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted August 25, 2021 Share Posted August 25, 2021 We're still talking about this board? Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggypants Posted August 25, 2021 Share Posted August 25, 2021 If @one_fungi still has a problem, why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted August 25, 2021 Share Posted August 25, 2021 This thread got people banned. I can't believe it's still here. Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_fungi Posted August 25, 2021 Share Posted August 25, 2021 @Franky 1.) The board can still read the USB stick - it loads my user registration files and saved audio loops. 2.) I've been running this board on batteries only all morning and the issues I've had seemed to have disappeared. I'm thinking a defective power unit may be the root cause of my problems. THANK YOU! Just to clarify, would the power unit be the actual cable with the adapter on it that plugs into DC in port in the back of the board or is the power unit you referred to or an internal power supply component of the keyboard? @Outkaster Apologies if this belongs in a different thread. I hope this doesn't result in my banning...I can start private messages with Baggy & Franky if that is preferred. I am learning a ton from this thread but understand if this conversation is in the wrong spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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