Roland V-Combo VR-09

[Kevmo]

A used wah pedal is ur best bet ,this VR.is a brillent PITA downtimes

[AnotherScott]

The fact that a bunch of the clones out there don't transmit midi on the drawbars (or at least in a easily-mappable way) is very irritating.

Is there any clonewheel other than the VR-09 whose drawbars do not send MIDI CC?

 

Roland has already done it with the vk series apparently--how hard to add that to the v-combo line? I liked both the v-combo and cx3 for live needs, but I chose the cx3 because it could be a better controller at home with software organs....

I think even the v-combo line sent MIDI CC until they came out with the 09 (i.e. the VR-700 and VR-760 were fine).

[To B3]

A used wah pedal is ur best bet ,this VR.is a brillent PITA downtimes

 

I have a cheap Behringer wah pedal that sounds fine. Thing is I don't want to drag one more thing, especially one that requires batteries or an extra plug and an extra cable... Wish Roland implemented the pedal controlled wah like Nord on the Electro/Stage, Korg on the SV1 and Kurzweil on the PC3/SP4 line... And even like themselves on the Roland Juno G...

 

If it happened on the next OS update I'd be a happy man

 

Thing is, as it did not happened yet, I have to make something work as it is, preferrably without add ons, such as the external wah pedal...

[Delaware Dave]

The fact that a bunch of the clones out there don't transmit midi on the drawbars (or at least in a easily-mappable way) is very irritating.

That is a bummer .....

 

[Craig MacDonald]

Dave, I have to agree.. as would most others I expect.. The VR-09 could easily be an OK DAW controller with start/stop buttons, drawbar/faders and all the other dials and buttons!! I think it's another example of Roland being just a little off the mark (although who knows what the cost might have been to incorporate this functionality)..

[To B3]

A used wah pedal is ur best bet ,this VR.is a brillent PITA downtimes

 

I have a cheap Behringer wah pedal that sounds fine. Thing is I don't want to drag one more thing, especially one that requires batteries or an extra plug and an extra cable... Wish Roland implemented the pedal controlled wah like Nord on the Electro/Stage, Korg on the SV1 and Kurzweil on the PC3/SP4 line... And even like themselves on the Roland Juno G...

 

If it happened on the next OS update I'd be a happy man

 

Thing is, as it did not happened yet, I have to make something work as it is, preferrably without add ons, such as the external wah pedal...

 

Reading the Nord Electro 2 manual, I found this about the wah 2 effect, one pedal-less wah that behaves much like a pedal wah, making it sound like a pedal is moving up and down (very differently from the auto wah):

 

"For the Wah-Wah2 modulation you control the LFO rate

with the RATE knob and the total frequency sweep range with the AMOUNT knob"

 

I know the VR09 has only one knob to control the wah effect, but I'd like to know if it's possible to tweak the Touch Wah of the VR09 to make it control or behave in someway similar to this descrption...

[ToF]

So I just got my WNA1100-RL today and got it up and running on my Wifi using the WPS-functionality. Only problem is my Ipad can't find the VR-09.

I have of course checked that the iPad is on WIFI, not 3G, and done a couple of reboots of both devices, nothing seems to help.

 

Anyone have had similar experiences? Any clues as to what can be the case?

 

It has worked great before, using the camera-connection-kit/USB.

[Sven Golly]

So I just got my WNA1100-RL today and got it up and running on my Wifi using the WPS-functionality. Only problem is my Ipad can't find the VR-09.

I have of course checked that the iPad is on WIFI, not 3G, and done a couple of reboots of both devices, nothing seems to help.

 

Anyone have had similar experiences? Any clues as to what can be the case?

 

It has worked great before, using the camera-connection-kit/USB.

 

It's not working because you've set it up incorrectly. You're not supposed to put the VR on your WiFi network; it creates an ad hoc network between the iPad and your VR.

 

Read the Roland Knowledge Base article here.

[Ken Beaumont]

When I tried it I had to create a new adhoc wireless connection in the VR-09 and then make the ipad connect to that, this is because my home wireless network is not public and requires a very very long password. I only tried it once when I first bought it.

 

BTW, I used the genric Netgear WNA1100 usb wireless device instead of the Roland branded WNA1100-RL works exactly the same costs much much less. And I happened to already have one.

[ToF]

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

 

Sven: It should also work connecting through a router. Have a look at this guide: http://cms.rolandus.com/assets/media/pdf/VR09WS04.pdf

 

Toano88: Nice to know about the Netgear, I tried a DLink and a Netgear N-300 (I think it was called) before ordering the Roland. Now that I got the Roland I discovered that I might just have misunderstood the connection procedure, so maybe the D-Link og NetGear N-300 worked after all. I'll try it if I get the chance again later (just to know).

 

But my question now is whether anyone has succeded connecting throug a router. I have a Behringer X32 incoming and would love not having to switch networks when I want to controll either device. And the manual says it works... Doesn't say anything about ports / firewall issues.

 

Connection using the WPS-button my router worked like a charm and the VR-09 reports being connected, only the app on the iPad doesn't find any device to connect to.

[Sven Golly]

Sven: It should also work connecting through a router. Have a look at this guide: http://cms.rolandus.com/assets/media/pdf/VR09WS04.pdf

 

Interesting, thanks for the link.

 

You don't specify, but does it work with the ad hoc approach?

 

[nadroj]

I'm going GAS crazy. While ultimately I'm saving for a Kronos 61, I need a good clonewheel /w drawbars for May and beyond (I posted that a while back in a thread, the stellar advice I got there has been swirling around in my head since). I won't have the money for the Kronos until well into/the end of gigging season, around August-October, by which point I'll have played most of this year's gigs already.

 

While the sensible option is to buy an Axiom Air 61 or XW-P1 for ~£400, which will give me a good controller for VB3 or whatever software instruments/programmes I may use in future (therefore making it an investment), the VR-09 still haunts me. I was in our local store a few weeks back and fell in love with the MFX knob and it's friends, and all the weird and wonderful things I could do to the board's sounds on the fly. I was there for a while, and practically fell in love with the board. If the VR-09 had MIDI controller capabilities I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

EMI offers a grant that may fund new instruments for students; most guys I know get rejected, but the ones that have their apps approved are usually granted the funds to buy an instrument around the £700 mark - not enough for the Kronos, but it screams "BUY VR-09". I'm rereading through this thread, and man it's temping. My two main boards just now are both recent Roland boards, with the SuperNatural pianos and most current Roland ROMpler patches, so I'll probably have most of the factory sounds the VR-09 has already, meaning regardless of whether it replaces something or is added as an extra board, my rig won't gain much more than the organ - I don't have an iPad, so the in depth editing is out of the question...but still...I can't shake the "wow" feeling got when I played with it in the store...it haunts me.

 

GAS hurts.

[ToF]

Update: connecting though my router works fine now. I'm not sure why I couldn't make it work yesterday, today it just connects. Might have been because of low battery on the iPad? Thats the only ting that has changed since yesterday...

 

Havent tried the ad-hoc, time to go to work now, here in Norway.

 

 

-ToF-

[Kevmo]

Idont get why go wireless when a cable works and the ipad must be within reach of the Vr to be usefull ??

[Bossbandbob]

Dave, I have to agree.. as would most others I expect.. The VR-09 could easily be an OK DAW controller with start/stop buttons, drawbar/faders and all the other dials and buttons!! I think it's another example of Roland being just a little off the mark (although who knows what the cost might have been to incorporate this functionality)..

 

Not sure if I'm comparing apples to oranges, but Korg must have done this pretty cheaply considering the low price they sell the Nanokontroler for.

[ToF]

Well, I'll be the first to admit there is a new-/wowfactor at play when I want to go wireless, allthough wifi is not the reason I bought the VR-09.

 

Then again you could ask: why use a cable If you don't have to? And to make wireless solutions good/better, we have to use them, gain experience and give feedback the manufacturers. Same reason I got a robot-vacumer, not because it is the best at making the house shine.

 

Also there is only one cable-connection at the iPad, and no hub available as far as I know. I now use my iPad for the VR-09, Behringer X32 and the RME UCX. Great to be able to go wireless on the first two when the third one can't.

[Kevmo]

So let me understand you want to add 7 layers of RF SW & drivers

 

timing protocol complication issues to communicate to iPad from vr09 that is 1 ft away & cable ready

 

What. Am I missing

 

Ps

I'm a 30 yr wireless telecom Rf /baseband engineer for a major provider

[Craig MacDonald]

So let me understand you want to add 7 layers of RF SW & drivers

 

timing protocol complication issues to communicate to iPad from vr09 that is 1 ft away & cable ready

 

What. Am I missing

 

Ps

I'm a 30 yr wireless telecom Rf /baseband engineer for a major provider

 

That's funny.. I have to say that I am having difficulty understanding this as well. ;-)

[Kevmo]

So let me understand you want to add 7 layers of RF SW & drivers

timing protocol complication issues to communicate to iPad from vr09 that is 1 ft away & cable ready

 

What. Am I missing

 

Ps

I'm a 30 yr wireless telecom Rf /baseband engineer for a major provider

[Kevmo]

Bump seems i broke this thread

[ToF]

Back, I forgot all about this thread, sorry.

 

My point is hidden in the very last words of my previous post, I use the iPad for 3 devices (RME, VR-09 and X32), and since the RME doesn't have a wireless-option, I want to go wireless with the VR-09 (and the Behringer).

 

Your point, if I understand you correctly, is that I might get in trouble for doing so, and you are probably right. Time will tell.

 

This is all quite new to me, so maybe I'll discover that the RME doesn't have to be connected (to the iPad) at all times and that I really need the VR-09-app to respond more quickly.

 

 

One thing I discovered last night when connecting to my router, is that the VR-09 cannot connect unless your router has WPS. Luckily I found a button for it on my DLink 600, and maybe every router worth using has this functionality nowadays, but still I was suprised. Shouldnt be to complicated for Roland to add the posibility to add a network setup manually, in the wireless settings.

[Kevmo]

Wireless and synth 2 words that should never be in same sentence

[WesG]

I love that Clavinet groove up there.

[Kevmo]

Huh??

[To B3]

Kevmo, I guess he referred to my post, that one that got unanswered in the middle of the wireless craze (thanks for your answer, but I still hope that someone else sees it now and gives some internal solution... I'm already using a wah pedal, just don't wanna carry it everytime):

 

About the VR-09 Clavinet: I easily imitated the sounds I needed, aproximating my Nord Electro 2 pickup simulations. Just tweaked the tone, cutoff and compressor and voilá. Works great with the overdrive.

 

Only thing I don't like: I'm addicted to pedal wah and the touch wahs on the VR-09 definetly don't cut for me. I miss that percussive sound when slapping the keys with the pedal up and opening the sound with pedal down when hitting the notes with pedal down. With auto wah, I always get the wah artificially pronounced when slaping the keys, evrytime, the same way, no matter how much I tweak the knob.

 

Any tip to add some "organic" modulation or t tweak the auto wah to make it more pedal like? Maybe some step phaser responds better to what I'm trying to do... As my VR-09 is on its box as I'm moving from my house I can't try it yet... Anyone can help me to achieve somthing similar (I said similar) to this wiith the auto wah or am I dreaming?

 

[video:youtube]

[Blisstr]

After long soul-searching, I think I'm going to order the VR-09 over the Hammond XK-1C. The price dropped $100 and tilted the scale to Roland. The VR-09 street price is now $900.

Roland coming through with firmware updates and Axial downloads also helps this decision.

 

I need an organ with my PX-350 for practice and jamming at home, but gig-capable. I really like the XK-1C as a pure instrument but it's now $500+ more. If I get back into a band I can justify upgraded gear, but this rig should get me going.

 

No stores nearby to try one, but back in the 90's I had a Hammond XB-2 with diving board keys and didn't know any better. LOVED that organ. Hoping the VR-09 will have a similar feel.

 

[scameron]

Blisstr....you won't be sorry...i played a b3 and cx3 for over 30 years and i'm having a blast with my vr-09...stevec

[HammondDave]

After long soul-searching, I think I'm going to order the VR-09 over the Hammond XK-1C. The price dropped $100 and tilted the scale to Roland. The VR-09 street price is now $900.

Roland coming through with firmware updates and Axial downloads also helps this decision.

 

I need an organ with my PX-350 for practice and jamming at home, but gig-capable. I really like the XK-1C as a pure instrument but it's now $500+ more. If I get back into a band I can justify upgraded gear, but this rig should get me going.

 

No stores nearby to try one, but back in the 90's I had a Hammond XB-2 with diving board keys and didn't know any better. LOVED that organ. Hoping the VR-09 will have a similar feel.

 

I am posting this fully aware that I may awaken the Giant (yes Craig, speaking about you my friend)...

 

I hope you tried playing both as the keyboard actions on the XK1C and VR09 are radically different.

 

(That's all I am going to say... as I sneak back under the table)

[Craig MacDonald]

I've never really been asleep Dave.. ;-)

 

This is a very good question/point, how does one justify the price difference of $500+ between the VR-09 and the XK-1c when you consider the sound/feature/playability of the VR-09 vs the XK-1c.

 

Let's face it, if you're really fussy about your Hammond (sound and feel) you'll use a real Hammond.. However, if you're like the rest of us and you're willing to compromise, to some extent, you choose to play a clone and save your back, but every clone is a compromise to some extent!

 

I don't think that there is any question that from a sound/playability standpoint the HS XK-1c drawbar organ is better.. how much better depends on the individual.. sound is very personal, as is the feel and the interface.. Some players will simply not be willing to compromise on anything but waterfall keys, so they won't even consider the VR-09, but others won't give a crap if it saves them $500!! Personally I always hated the roland VK drawbar organ engine but in the case of the VR-09, I found that with some tweaking I could get it sounding pretty good.

 

So from a drawbar organ perspective the advantage goes to the XK-1c (if you value waterfall keys and you're really fussy about the sound). However if you go beyond the drawbar organ, the VR-09 has a huge advantage over the XK-1c because it comes with Rolands top of the line sampled sounds (strings/brass/AP/EP/Clav and other acoustic and electric sounds) as well as a complete Virtual Analog synth (with free ipad editor). It also has the ability to layer/split any two sounds at once.. This is all way beyond the capability of the much more expensive XK-1c.

 

So if you think that the XK-1c's drawbar organ sound and feel are worth $500 more than the VR-09's and you don't care about anything other than organ sounds, then the XK-1c may be perfect for you.. on the other hand if you're satisfied with the VR's organ sound and you don't care about waterfall keys.. save yourself $500 and get a whole lot more synth power with the VR-09.

[voxpops]

+1