The V-Combo VR-09 is an easy-to-transport rig for performing keyboard players, with dedicated piano, organ, and synth engines. It’s built around a single idea: playing live. Because you don’t need any distractions onstage, the V-Combo VR-09 is all about getting the exact sounds you need as quickly and simply as possible, with a well-organized panel layout and a ton of intuitive real-time controls. It also features USB song playback, onboard rhythms, battery-powered operation for mobile playing, and much more.

Check out the V-Combo VR-09 at RolandConnect.com.

Related links and articles:

• New Product: Add Triggering to Any Drum Set with the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad
• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM
• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE 16×10 Audio Interface with 12 Mic Preamps

Compact and easy to use, the SD-2u and CD-2u are your go-everywhere companions for recording, music practice, and education. Both devices offer built-in stereo mics and high-quality recording to SD media, while the CD-2u adds an onboard CD drive for burning and playing audio CDs. Other features include integrated stereo speakers, inputs for external mics and other devices, and a host of great functions for practice and learning, including high-fidelity key/tempo change, Center Cancel, the new Center Focus, and others.

Visit RolandConnect.com to learn more.

Related links and articles:

• New Product: Add Triggering to Any Drum Set with the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad
• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM
• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE 16×10 Audio Interface with 12 Mic Preamps

Combining Roland’s top piano technologies in one attractive instrument for the home, the new HPi-50 brings the joy of playing and learning the piano to your entire family. SuperNATURAL® Piano technology and the Acoustic Projection audio system fill your living space with gorgeous sound, while the latest DigiScore® interactive education features make learning and practicing fun for all ages.

Visit RolandConnect.com to learn all about this impressive new instrument.

Related links and articles:

• New Product: Add Triggering to Any Drum Set with the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad
• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM
• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE 16×10 Audio Interface with 12 Mic Preamps

Roland’s all-new CUBE Lite series introduces a fresh concept in amplification. The CUBE Lite Guitar Amplifier (for guitarists) and CUBE Lite MONITOR (for keyboard/synth players and vocalists) are compact, home-based amps with stylish looks and built-in iOS audio interfaces, making it easy to integrate with music apps on your favorite Apple mobile devices. Featuring awesome 2.1 Channel sound, the CUBE Lite series works equally well for playing instruments and enjoying your digital music library in the comfort of your living space.

CUBE JAM, a free companion app, turns your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a fun command center for jamming, recording, and learning. Play songs and backing tracks from your iTunes library through the i-CUBE LINK interface in the CUBE Lite, then jam and sing along with the music with great sound and effects. You can even record your performances in CUBE JAM and share your mixes on the web! The app also has cool features for music practice, including Center Cancel, tempo/key adjustment, and more.

Learn all about the CUBE Lite amps and CUBE JAM at RolandConnect.com.

Related links and articles:

• New Product: Add Triggering to Any Drum Set with the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad
• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM
• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE 16×10 Audio Interface with 12 Mic Preamps

Looking for a compact, affordable, and great-sounding audio interface for your iPad or laptop? Then check out the all-new DUO-CAPTURE mk2. It’s the ideal companion for music recording and production on the go, with a versatile selection of inputs, dual headphone outputs, and more.

Find out more at RolandConnect.com.

Related links and articles:

• New Product: Add Triggering to Any Drum Set with the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad
• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM
• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE 16×10 Audio Interface with 12 Mic Preamps

BOSS has just released three compact effects pedals equipped with an exciting new technology called Multi-Dimensional Processing (MDP). A breakthrough in tone for guitarists, MDP delivers fresh, bold sounds with a previously unattainable range of expression.

DA-2 Adaptive Distortion
Unlike normal distortions pedals, the DA-2 creates distortion tones that adapt in real time to different registers and playing dynamics. The result is truly amazing—dialed-in distortion that sounds killer wherever you play on the neck, plus incredible clarity on chords, even with high-gain settings.

MO-2 Multi Overtone
The MO-2 uses your guitar’s rich harmonic characteristics to morph your sound into a wide range of unique and expressive tones. You’ve got to check it out—it’s truly an all-new voice for your axe.

TE-2 Tera Echo—The 100th BOSS Stomp!
With the power of MDP, the TE-2 produces a rich and dynamic new ambience effect that goes way beyond normal delay and reverb. In addition to its impressive sound, it holds the distinction of being the 100th model in the long history of BOSS compact pedals.

For more info about MDP and the incredible new BOSS stomps, visit RolandConnect.com.

Related links and articles:

• New Product: Add Triggering to Any Drum Set with the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad
• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM
• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE 16×10 Audio Interface with 12 Mic Preamps

Roland’s acclaimed VG Stratocaster® guitar is now available in a limited edition model made at the Fender® factory in Corona, CA. Featuring a gorgeous Candy Apple Red finish, it’s an authentic American Standard Stratocaster guitar through and through, with Roland’s amazing COSM technology onboard to give you fingertip access to a wide range of modeled tones and instant alternate tunings.

Learn more at RolandConnect.com.

Related links and articles:

• New Product: Add Triggering to Any Drum Set with the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad
• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM
• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE 16×10 Audio Interface with 12 Mic Preamps

STUDIO-CAPTURE is Roland’s new flagship USB 2.0 audio interface for computer-based recording. It delivers no-compromise, 24-bit/192 kHz audio performance, abundant I/O, and a flexible, mobile design that’s ideal for use both in the studio and out on the road.

Top features include:

• 16 inputs, including 12 premium-grade mic preamps—take on large-scale live recordings with ease
• Ultra-low-latency driver performance with VS Streaming technology
• AUTO-SENS—sets perfect input levels automatically in seconds
• Dedicated level meters, onboard DSP effects, flexible monitor mixing, and much more!

Visit RolandConnect.com for all the details on this hot new interface.

Related links and article:

• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM
• New Product: Add Triggering to Any Drum Set with the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad
• New Product: G-5A VG Stratocaster, Built in the U.S.A.

The new BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad makes it simple to add electronic triggering to any acoustic drum set or additional triggers to a V-Drums® set. With a compact, curved shape, it mounts quickly and easily to nearly any drum or V-Pad with the included hardware.

Plug the BT-1 into a trigger input on a Roland V-Drums module or SPD-series percussion pad and open up a world of new possibilities—play sounds, trigger custom samples, and control a variety of functions like start/stop of song playback, kit selection, and effects on/off, to name just a few.

Find out more at RolandConnect.com.

• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM
• New Product: G-5A VG Stratocaster, Built in the U.S.A.
• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE 16×10 Audio Interface with 12 Mic Preamps

Roland Corporation U.S. is happy to announce 18 new products and several new multi-media tools that provide immediate access to the very latest product-launch news from Roland, BOSS and Cakewalk. Roland CONNECT, Roland’s online portal for new product releases, is live several days prior to the opening of the 2013 Winter NAMM show this year, giving Roland gear aficionados an exclusive preview of Roland’s new product lineup. Amongst the new gear debuting here is BOSS’ 100th compact pedal, the TE-2 Tera Echo, featuring BOSS’ new Multi-Dimensional Processing, the V-Combo VR- 09 Live Performance Keyboard, plus several new electronic percussion, recording, and digital piano instruments.

Virtual conversations about Roland’s new gear can be followed on Twitter via @RolandCONNECT and #rolandCONNECT, providing social media fans convenient real-time updates as the Roland CONNECT 2013 new product information becomes available.

Fans can also download the new Roland CONNECT Mobile App in the Google Play and iTunes app stores to stay in touch with all of the latest Roland news and information from the NAMM show.
• Get all the information about the new products from NAMM
• Watch videos from the official Roland channel
• View photos from the NAMM booth
• Watch the live stream of the Loop Station World Championship
• Live Twitter updates
• Social links to all Roland social media sites from around the world

Registered attendees of the 2013 Winter NAMM show, taking place January 24–27 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, can experience the Roland CONNECT 2013 product unveiling in person at Roland’s new booth located on Level 3 #302 A.

For more details, please visit www.RolandCONNECT.com.

Related links and articles:

• New Product: STUDIO-CAPTURE 16×10 Audio Interface with 12 Mic Preamps
• New Product: G-5A VG Stratocaster, Built in the U.S.A.
• New Product: Add Triggering to Any Drum Set with the BT-1 Bar Trigger Pad

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.