Roland VS PREAMP

When choosing an audio interface, preamps are often overlooked despite the significant role they play in determining what a recording actually sounds like. A well-spec’d audio interface with bad preamps will result in a bad recording. Why?  Because preamps are the ears of your DAW. How well a preamp performs determines the sound quality of your recording.

Check out these 5 tips for choosing an audio interface

Ever since digital multitrack recording became accessible to the “everyday” musician in the nineties, Roland has been developing ground-breaking products, starting with the DM-80, the VS-880 and the RAP-10. This deep knowledge and long-term experience of creating digital recording products is evident in Roland’s three latest audio interfaces, the STUDIO-CAPTURE, OCTA-CAPTURE and QUAD-CAPTURE. All three interfaces feature VS PREAMP technology to ensure your music has the best sonic clarity possible.

Roland STUDIO-CAPTURE featuring VS PREAMPs

Preamps are one of the most important components in an audio interface. They provide the ability to connect dynamic and condenser microphones and can supply dedicated phantom power to mics that require it. Basically, a microphone’s signal level is very limited and needs to be amplified to achieve suitable recording levels.

In addition, the preamp has to minimize noise which can be introduced during the amplification process. Preamp design that provides proper gain and avoids noise requires long-term and precise knowledge of circuit design. Quality preamps are essential for high quality recordings.

What are VS PREAMPs?

Roland’s VS PREAMPs are widely acclaimed for their pristine and transparent sound. Developed from the same class A preamp circuitry found in our V-Mixer series of professional mixing consoles, these premium-quality mic preamps deliver an accurate, neutral sound across the entire frequency spectrum, with no bias toward any particular frequency band.

VS PREAMPs also deliver lots of headroom. Increasing the headroom in mic preamps typically results in problems with the signal-to-noise ratio; however, with our latest power supply circuitry, we’re able to minimize noise levels while providing a wider dynamic range. With huge headroom and top-level sound quality, you can easily record sources with a wide dynamic range, such as acoustic drums and percussion instruments, with professional results.

Quality preamps are absolutely vital to quality recordings and an essential part of any audio interface. Roland’s VS PREAMPs provide low noise with high-quality, class A circuitry and huge headroom, bringing pro-quality recording with stunning clarity to your studio.

Roland Capture Series with VS PREAMPs

Related links and articles:

• Recording with AUTO-SENS Technology
• 5 Tips for Choosing an Audio Interface
• See What’s New In SONAR X2 Producer

Have you ever been frustrated setting the input levels for a recording session? Getting the levels “just right” can be time consuming and gets in the way of the creative process. To solve this problem we developed AUTO-SENS technology for our audio interfaces. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to recording, this technology will save you time, headaches and even stream line that all-so-coveted creative process. Roland’s STUDIO-CAPTURE, OCTA-CAPTURE and QUAD-CAPTURE all feature AUTO-SENS technology which automatically sets the recording levels for optimal recording into your DAW.

5 Tips For Choosing an Audio Interface

Before AUTO-SENS you had to manually set the level of each individual input prior to recording. This was both tedious and time-consuming. Now, you simply activate AUTO-SENS and play the connected instruments. AUTO-SENS will automatically set the optimum input levels for each source.

AUTO-SENS on QUAD-CAPTURE

Here’s how AUTO-SENS works…

Initially the level of each input is not adjusted to match the input signal.

• Press the AUTO-SENS button on the front panel or in the software Control Panel, and then select the input channels you want to set.
• When you play the instruments or sing into the mics, the input levels are set automatically. This unique and innovative function is a real-world time saver and makes getting ready for a session quick and easy.
• The latest model STUDIO-CAPTURE has a graphical AUTO-SENS window that lets you adjust 16 inputs simultaneously.

So there you have it; one push of a button eliminates the tedious effort of setting input levels, which allows you to get recording right away with any DAW. Roland strives to develop gear that will work hard for you so that you can worry about more important things like finding your groove. What do you think about this technology? Is it something you’d find useful?

Related links and articles:

• See What’s New in SONAR X2 Producer
• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE Audio Interface
• Windows 8 Drivers for OCTA-CAPTURE
• Roland Synth Chronicle: 1973 Through 2013

Take an in-depth tour of the powerful features of SONAR X2 Producer including R-MIX SONAR, Console Emulation, Matrix, BREVERB and Take Lanes.

Cakewalk recently released SONAR X2a, an update adding touch support and other improvements to this already impressive DAW. Brandon Ryan and Seth Perlstein gave a live demonstration of SONAR X2 a few weeks before it was released last fall. This 1.5 hour demonstration is packed with useful tips, tricks and feature explanations. Whether you already own SONAR X2 or are looking to add this powerful DAW to your studio, this video is a must watch.

R-MIX SONAR

This manipulation plugin is powered by Roland’s newly developed V-Remastering technology in conjunction with VariPhrase. It lets you see the components of a stereo mix as color-coded clouds of energy and harmonic matter as the track plays.  Some musicians have described it  as “visual sound.”

Console Emulator

This plug-in emulates some important analog console characteristics. While these effects are subtle, they’re noticeable; and now thanks to the Console Emulator, they’re controllable as well.

BREVERB

This is a high quality reverberation plug-in modeled on the most acclaimed hardware classics and is the ultimate solution to any recording, mixing and live situation.  It comprises four different algorithms, Hall, Room, Plate and Inverse, each one accurately modeled and engineered with no compromises in sound quality, as well as a global EQ section.

Take Lanes 

The ability to loop, record and then edit multiple takes is nothing new. What is new with Take Lanes is the ability to set independent Edit Filter views for each of the lanes. This might seem insignificant at first, but when you think about it, this opens up a world of possibilities.

Related links and articles:

• The Cakewalk Blog
• Learn to Play Electronic Drums
• Roland Synth Chronicle: 1973 Through 2013

Get Schooled in V-Drums!

There are over 50 video V-Drums lessons available for you to learn and improve your drumming technique. Choose by demonstrator, playing style or even V-Drum kit.

You can start by taking a lesson on single paradiddles and then jump to “Texas” Blues shuffle. You learn at your pace and you choose the courses! Here’s the best part, these lessons are completely free. Owners of the  Handsonic-10 or Handsonic-15 can also participate as there are dedicated V-Drums lessons for you too!

Lessons by artist and clinician include:

• Gregg Bissonnette
• Johnny Rabb
• Brad Dutz
• Mike Snyder
• Steve Fisher

Drum kits featured:

• TD-20SX V-Pro® Series
• TD-9SX V-Tour® Series
• TD-9KX2 V-Tour® Series
• HD-1 V-Drums® Lite
• RMP-5 Rhythm Coach
• HandSonic® 10
• HandSonic® 15

Drumming style and categories:

• Latin/World
• Jazz/Swing
• Rock
• Funk/R&B
• Beginner
• Rudiments
• Hand Percussion
• Double Bass

Here is the first video of the series featuring Johnny Rabb.

Watch Roland Australia’s Joshua Munday take you through an entire set list of songs live on stage. Using the GT-100 Amp Effects Processor, Joshua is able to get the perfect tone for each of the songs with one easy tap of the foot. No need to bring an entire collection of guitar pedals, cables and power adapters to the gig,  just plug-in to the GT-100 and play!

Make sure to visit the GT-100 Tone Room to get 25 free tones from famous songs! Here is a preview.

BOSS GT-100 Amp Effects Processor

Lean more about the GT-100.