Roland V-Drums just won a Grammy! Well, maybe not exactly a Grammy, but in our industry (musical instrument industry), a MIPA award is just as prestigious. MIPA stands for Musikmesse International Press Award, and it’s determined by more than 100 members of the music industry press from all over the world.  They get together each year and vote for the best musical instruments and audio equipment in more than 40 categories. This year, Roland’s TD-4KP V-Drums Portable drum kit was honored with a MIPA award for the electronic drums category.

Watch U.S. Champ Pat Kennedy train for the V-Drums World Champion 2

TD-4KP V-Drums Portable earns a MIPA at Musikmesse

The TD-4KP V-Drums Portable is one of Roland’s newest and most unique members of the V-Drums family. Unlike any drum kit, acoustic or portable, the TD-4KP features a small footprint and an innovative folding design for fast set-up/breakdown and easy transport/storage, and it is perfectly suited for mobile drumming and small spaces. When you want to play, simply unfold everything and adjust the pad positions, and then you’re ready to roll! With it’s custom-design case, shoulder strap and detachable pouches, drummers can now break down just as fast as the guitar and bass players in the band. Its powerful TD-4 sound module is equipped with a wide range of expressive, editable sounds and essential practice features, and its integrated pads provide a very natural playability.

“Even though this drum set is pint-sized compared to some of the others in the category, it doesn’t mean it can’t pack a punch,” said Roland Corporation U.S. Vice President of Sales Brian Alli. “It’s spectacular to be able to offer a kit that can be used pretty much anywhere and still deliver premium sounds and playability.”

TD-4KP V-Drums Portable

Related links and articles:

• Choosing a Roland V-Drums Kit is Easier Than You Think!
• The Benefits of Electronic Drums
• Learn to Play Electronic Drums
• What are Drum Triggers?
• SPD-SX Vs. SPD-30: What’s the Difference?

Meet the United States’ first digital accordion orchestra, the New England Roland V-Accordion Orchestra. Organized by Springfield, MA Roland V-Accordion dealer Sam Falcetti, this unique digital orchestra features more than 25 accordion players with a wide range of musical perspective, including accordion contest champions, semi-professional accordionists, students and accordion hobbyists. The orchestra’s premier performance is scheduled during the 51st annual New England Music Festival, the weekend of April 5, 2013 in Newton, MA at the Newton Marriott.

In 2011, after adjudicating at Roland’s 5th International V-Accordion Festival in Rome, Sam was convinced that an instrument this incredible was deserving of an entire digital accordion orchestra. Harnessing this inspiration, Sam set out to create the first group of its kind in the U.S. After many months of planning and recruiting musicians, Sam finally kicked off rehearsals for the orchestra in February 2013, just in time for the New England Roland V-Accordion Orchestra to make its April 2013 debut. The orchestra features four Roland U.S. V-Accordion Festival champions, Daniel Pavlotsky and Ollie Luey, Junior Division winners, and also Christopher Gorton and Danielle Renzi, Senior Division winners. A talented roster of drummers, percussionists, guitarists and vocalists will also accompany the orchestra.

During his career, Sam Falcetti has conducted many different groups, including the Springfield Accordion Orchestra which toured in Japan, Italy, New Zealand, and the United States. He also directed this orchestra on the nationally televised David Frost Show with Roberta Flack. The Westfield State College Accordion Ensemble performed twice at Carnegie Hall under Sam’s direction, and he and his son Michael conducted a 50-peice orchestra in celebration of the the Accordion Teachers Association of Massachusetts 50th Anniversary and his store, Falcetti Music.

For more information about the debut performance or about joining the group, please call Mike Falcetti at 413.543.1002 EXT 105 or email peggyf1944@gmail.com.

Related links and articles:

• Special Edition Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camps, Powered by Roland Gear
• BOSS Loop Station World Championship 3: International Finals
• MIDI: The Essential Standard Turns 30

American Idol season 12 is underway with a new slate of contestants vying to reach the top spot and international stardom. Led by music director Ray Chew, the American Idol house band backs up every performer on live television, covering an enormous range of musical styles to perfection throughout the year. Working without a net before TV audiences of 20 million and beyond is a pressure-packed gig, for sure. To help get their jobs done, keyboardist Russell Graham and drummer Rex Hardy Jr. rely on Roland instruments to instantly deliver the top-level sounds and versatility they need every time, without fail.

In his duties as second keyboardist on American Idol, Russell Graham uses two JUPITER-80 synthesizers, plus a VP-770 Vocal & Ensemble Keyboard for vocoder sounds. “Over the course of the past year I’ve come to lean very heavily on the JUPITERs, not only for their sound quality and sonic richness, but also for the speed of programming,” he says. “I find the touchscreen navigation to be extremely intuitive and well thought out. I can do simple tweaks quickly, or I can go a few levels deeper and really get ‘under the hood’ of the sound.”

The impressive sounds that Russell achieves with his Roland rig are regularly noticed at rehearsals and on the set. “Without fail, every time we begin the rehearsal process for a TV show or live artist performance, someone asks me what these keyboards are and how I’m getting the sounds I’m getting,” he relates. Russell appreciates the great versatility of his Roland keyboards, and also their ability to achieve unique sounds. “As general-usage keyboards, the JUPITERs and the VP hold their own against anything else out there,” he says. “But aside from that, I’d say it’s about once a week that I do something keyboard-wise that simply wouldn’t have been possible with any other keyboard currently available.”

Drummer Rex Hardy Jr. employs the flagship TD-30KV V-Pro Series V-Drums set while working on American Idol. In addition to its great feel, he loves the ability to have quick and easy access to an incredible variety of drum and percussion sounds. “Using the Roland TD-30 gave me more versatility with sounds,” he says. “Considering we play so many different styles of music on American Idol, the TD-30 allows me to explore all types of sounds and feels that make each song sound authentic.”

Rex has expanded his TD-30KV with an additional PD-108-BC V-Pad for a side snare, plus a PDX-8 V-Pad for even more triggering options. “I have three to four main kits that I’ve set up to fit what we normally do on American Idol,” he says. “There are a few times where I may have to set up an ‘80s rock kit or an electronic disco kit, depending on the songs week to week. Being able to have options is amazing! When the kit is going through the house mains, it sounds killer.” Rex also plays an SPD-SX Sampling Pad, which he loads up with custom drum loops and auxiliary sounds that he triggers for song intros and other applications.

With his success using V-Drums, Rex readily encourages drummers to discover their many benefits. “Other pro players should definitely get into the TD-30 because it’s limitless,” he relates. “There is nothing you can’t do with this kit. I even implement it within my acoustic setups as well. The sounds are amazing, and you can tweak them to what you feel works. My advice is to try it and see what you think—you’ll love it.”

Russell is equally enthusiastic in recommending Roland gear to other keyboardists. “Playability, sound quality, versatility, reliability. They sound great, they play great,” he says. “Especially in TV situations, where deadlines are tight and everything is moving fast, they can be programmed and edited very, very quickly.”

Related links and articles:

• Russell Graham Interview on Roland Users Group
• Russell Graham Talks About His Roland Rig at the BET Awards
• Learn to Play Electronic Drums

At their permanent home in Las Vegas this spring, Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp will be hosting two special edition camps featuring some legendary names in music. Brit rockers Def Leppard will lead a four-day camp from April 4-7, 2013, while renowned guitarist Jeff Beck and Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson will guest star from April 18-21, 2013. A wide selection of top-line Roland musical instruments and recording gear will be featured as well, at the ready for campers to use as they explore their inner rock star yearnings.

In a rare event involving one entire band, Def Leppard fans can spend four days with members of the group, jamming out to their biggest hits. Two weeks later, campers will have the opportunity to meet and play with Beck, one of the most influential guitarists of all time, and Wilson, writer of some of the most celebrated songs in American music history.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas gives music fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to jam nightly with legendary rock stars, write and record original songs, and perform on stage before live audiences at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. Campers also have an exclusive opportunity to use world-class music equipment from Roland and BOSS.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp main facilities are located two minutes away from the MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip. There are 12 rehearsal studios, plus a “Big Room” with a professional stage, large-scale sound system, and concert lighting. Each space features Roland instruments, including TD-30KV and TD-15K V-Drums, GA-212 and GA-112 guitar amps, BOSS ME-70 and ME-50B multi-effects, and the RD-700NX stage pianos. Additionally, the studios all feature pro recording setups with SONAR X2 Producer music production software and Roland OCTA-CAPTURE audio interfaces.

RRFC Rehearsal Room

The camp also has two professional recording studios, located on the main casino floor at the MGM Grand. These are outfitted with Roland gear throughout as well. The studios feature large windows that allow casino visitors to watch as campers record tracks and jam with famous rockers.

RRFC Recording Studio at the MGM Grand

RRFC Recording Studio at the MGM Grand

Both the main facilities and the studios at the MGM Grand feature a full slate of professional sound gear from Roland Systems Group. This includes V-Mixers, REAC Digital Snakes, and M-48 personal monitoring systems. An M-300 V-Mixer and Digital Snake setup is also in use at the Rouge Lounge in the MGM Grand, where campers perform nightly during their stay.

RRFC “Big Room” (Roland M-480 V-Mixer in the Foreground)

Stop by our Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp Flickr gallery to see more of the camp’s impressive facilities.

For more information about Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, including the upcoming special edition camps, visit RockCamp.com.

For details about Roland and BOSS gear used at the camp, check out our Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp gear list.

Related links and articles:

• Roland Insider: Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp Giveaway Winner
• Behind the Scenes at Rock Camp
• Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis on the RD-700NX
• Rock Fantasy Camp’s New Home
• Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp Gear List

Attention iPad users—there’s a great new way to get inside info on the latest Roland and BOSS gear, industry insights from pro musicians, and more. And best of all, it’s free! With our PowerOn digital magazines, you can keep up on the gear and artists you love, right from within the Apple Newsstand app on your iPad.

Packed with rich multimedia content and interactive features, our PowerOn mags offer lots of cool and interesting stuff for musicians:

• In-depth interviews with pro players, with info about how they use Roland and BOSS gear in their rigs
• Hot music industry news
• Detailed profiles of Roland and BOSS equipment
• Tips, tricks, how-to articles, and much more

Two different versions of PowerOn are published by Roland U.S. Both are available as free downloads at the Apple App Store.

Click a title below for a direct link:

• PowerOn Roland Users Group Magazine
  
• PowerOn BOSS & Guitar Edition
• PowerOn Global Version available for download outside of the U.S.

Screenshots

Screenshots: PowerOn Roland Users Group Magazine

Screenshots: PowerOn BOSS & Guitar Edition

A Continuing Tradition

If you’re a longtime Roland and BOSS user, you might remember the Roland Users Group and BOSS Users Group print magazines. Each of these titles was published for over 20 years, with new issues coming out about three times annually. They were available for free at all Roland and BOSS dealers, and were also sent directly to subscribers via mail. Around 2005, both Roland Users Group and BOSS Users Group moved to the web, where they’re still going strong today.

Blast from the past

PowerOn magazines from Roland U.S. are digital versions of these two popular print mags, reborn in paperless form for easy, portable access from your iPad. Of course, the iPad format also brings a huge range of hip, modern features, including audio and video content, interactive options, and lots more fun stuff.

Visit the Apple App Store and get PowerOn now!

Related links and articles:

• PowerOn Roland Users Group Magazine at the Apple App Store
• PowerOn BOSS & Guitar Edition at the Apple App Store
• Roland Users Group on the web
• BOSS Users Group on the web
• PowerOn Global Version available in the Apple App store outside of the U.S.

Back in 1983, Roland’s Ikutaro Kakehashi and Dave Smith of Sequential unveiled MIDI, a standard that motivated the cooperation of an entire industry and propelled music technology into a new and exciting era. An inescapable new technology was born when two electronic keyboards from different manufacturers were connected, enabling them to “talk” to one another using the new communication standard. The announcement revolutionized the music world and thirty years on MIDI is ubiquitous in the musical instruments industry, and is a standard feature on virtually every electronic music product.

Reflecting on the announcement, Mr. Kakehashi commented:

“It’s already been 30 years since the debut of MIDI protocol in 1983, but it seems to me that those years have passed so quickly. Electronic musical instruments have become very popular all over the world through this time, and it is my great pleasure that MIDI played a significant role in their prevalence. This year’s Technical GRAMMY Award is the result of the cooperation by the companies who worked towards the same dream – growth of electronic musical instruments. I would like to share this acknowledgement with Mr. Tadao Kikumoto, former R&D manager of Roland Corporation, the engineering staff and all who were involved in creating and designing the MIDI concept and system.”

For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organisation’s social networks:

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/thegrammys
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegrammys
• YouTube:  www.youtube.com/thegrammys

The V-COMBO VR-09 live performance keyboard debuted last week at Winter NAMM 2013 with great enthusiasm across social networks. Many questions were brought to the attention of Ed Diaz (our resident synth ninja), which he will address in the following weeks. In the meantime please check out this coverage of the VR-09 by Keyboard Magazine. Please note, these video recordings were taken from a live trade show environment.

Keyboard Magazine demos the new Roland VR-09 at NAMM 2013

Published by Keyboardmag1

“Roland’s new VR-09 V-Combo stacks up SuperNatural drawbar organ and rotary modeling, synth, piano and more in an “ensemble” keyboard intended to get you through the gig with little or no other gear. Weighs in at 12 pounds and has a $999 street price.” -Keyboardmag1

Additional Keyboard Magazine coverage of the VR-09 at NAMM 2013: Roland Introduces V-Combo VR-09 Mobile Keyboard

New Keyboards at Roland Press Conference [NAMM 2013]

Published by MusicPlayerNetwork

Additional Keyboard Magazine coverage of the VR-09 at NAMM 2013: Roland Introduces V-Combo VR-09 Mobile Keyboard

Related links and articles:

• New Product: V-Combo VR-09 All-in-One Stage Keyboard
• Classic Roland Synths
• MIDI: The Essential Standard Turns 30

Thursday, Jan. 24th

The 4th Annual Night of Worship will be at the Hilton Hotel – Pacific Ballroom. This free concert will feature Brenton Brown, Peter Furler, Norm Stockton and special appearance by Al Perkins.

• Location: Hilton Hotel 777 W Convention Way, Anaheim, CA.
• Time: 7:00pm
• More Details: Night of Worship at NAMM on Facebook

Saturday, Jan. 26th

The H.O.T. Zone will feature the Christian Musician Mini-Summit with special presentations for house of worship audio techs, media directors and musicians.

• Location: Room 203 A-B
• Time: 1:00pm
• More Details: Christian Music Mini-Conference

Sunday, Jan. 27th

Worship Musician! Magazine will host the first annual Musician’s Chapel event with special music by Bob Bennett.

• Location: Hilton Hotel, Avila AB Room 777 W Convention Way, Anaheim, CA.
• Time: 8:30am
• More Details: Musician’s Chapel on Facebook

In the early 1980s, Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi and Sequential Circuits founder Dave Smith had a dream—a simple interface that would allow all electronic musical instruments to communicate with each other and with computers. To make this dream a reality, these pioneers brought together an unprecedented coalition of manufacturers from the United States and Japan, and soon the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or “MIDI,” was born. 30 years ago, the 1983 Winter NAMM Show hosted its landmark public unveiling, where Roland and Sequential Circuits demonstrated the first two MIDI-equipped synthesizers “talking” to each other via this new universal communication standard.

The immense promise of MIDI was immediately apparent, and soon dozens of devices began appearing on the market outfitted with this new interface. In the ensuing years, the capabilities of MIDI have grown along with the incredible advancements in electronics and computing, unleashing a universe of creative power that continues to influence the way artists make music three decades later. Today, nearly every type of electronic musical instrument and device incorporates MIDI in some way, and it’s an indispensable component in computer-based music composition and production, live performance, and beyond.

For their visionary efforts in the development of MIDI, Mr. Kakehashi and Mr. Smith were recently honored by The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY® Foundation with a 2013 Technical GRAMMY Award. “Each year, The Academy has the distinct privilege of honoring those who have greatly contributed to our industry and cultural heritage, and this year we have a gifted and brilliant group of honorees,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. “Their exceptional accomplishments, contributions, and artistry will continue to influence and inspire generations to come.”

“It’s already been 30 years since the debut of MIDI protocol in 1983, but it seems to me that those years have passed so quickly,” said Mr. Kakehashi. “Electronic musical instruments have become very popular all over the world through this time, and it is my great pleasure that MIDI played a significant role in their prevalence. This year’s Technical GRAMMY Award is the result of the cooperation by the companies who worked towards the same dream—growth of electronic musical instruments.”

Throughout 2013, the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA)—the group that maintains and develops the evolving MIDI specification standard—is celebrating the 30th anniversary of this essential technology. In the first of many activities planned for the year, they’ve created an entertaining and informative video that explores the past, present, and future of MIDI.

On September 24, RolandUS.com launched its newly redesigned website. In charge of this facelift is Joe Sparacio, Web Manager for Roland US. In this video Joe explains some of the technologies and exciting new features integrated into the new redesign.

According to Joe, when planning the redesign our goals were to:

• Modernize the site with a wider layout, larger fonts and new technologies
• Increase promotional areas with new homepage layout and more banner space
• Increase personalized content
• Simplify navigation
• Improve accessibility on mobile devices by eliminating Flash and using web standards for audio and video playback

Thanks to the web team, we are now able to engage our end users in a way that we haven’t been able to in the past. Our top five features are:

• Responsive, mobile-friendly design
• New top-level Artist section
• Application-based product categories
• Comprehensive Support search
• Integrated WordPress blog

It was a long haul, for the web team but it was definitely worth the wait. Everyone at Roland is very proud of their accomplishment. Congratulations!