Roland Recording Class – STUDIO-CAPTURE

On June 11, at 3:00 p.m. PST Roland clinician and recording artist, Brandon Ryan, and Guitar Center invite you to sit in the Roland recording class. Portable recording solutions for singer-songwriters and live recording using the latest Roland gear are both on the agenda. Topics will include everything from monitoring and mixing, to connecting mics and instruments to the I/O, to production techniques that even novices can master using SONAR’s fast and fluid ProChannel.

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Portable Roland Recording…

For the portable recording portion of this webinar, singer-songwriter Sarah Vee will use the DUO-CAPTURE EX with an iPad running Garageband to record a song. See how the tablet feature turns her iPad into a professional recording device.

Live Roland Recording…

For the studio-recording portion, Brandon will demonstrate the power of the STUDIO-CAPTURE. He’ll demonstrate how to plug in a full band, with a full band, live in the studio, including keys, drums, guitar, bass, and singers for recording. In addition to capturing audio,  he’ll demonstrate how the STUDIO-CAPTURE handles headphone monitor mixes for individual players. With all of this gear plugged in, this is the perfect opportunity to find out just how good the AUTO-SENSE feature really is. If you’re a skeptic, here’s your chance to find out and ask questions.

Mixing…

SONAR X2 will then be used to bring this band’s freshly recorded music to life during the mixing session. In addition to showing how SONAR X2 can handle recording 15 tracks at the same time, a quick overview of this powerful DAW will be provided. The mixing section of the webinar is also a great opportunity to learn the extent of SONAR X2′s touch-screen feature. You’ll be able to get a sense for the nostalgic, yet futuristic feeling of interacting with a mixing board on a flat screen surface.

About the Band…

SouLiance describes their band as rock and soul with a funk edge. This young four-piece band is made up of three gals and a guy. If you’re wondering about their musical chops, they’ve got them. They are all highly trained musicians that have attended reputable schools such as Berklee, Musicians Institute and the LA Music Academy. Not only are they highly trained, but they also come from musical families. (Bassist Sarah Acosta’s father is Grammy award-winning guitarist Al Petteway.)

Members:

• Sarah Vee: Lead Vocals / Guitar
• Sarah Acosta: Background Vocals / Bass Guitar
• Caitlin Moss: Drums / Percussion
• Joe Quattrocchi: Piano / Clavi

With so much talent and powerful gear, what will stand out the most? Could the gear carry the band or the band carry the gear? You can make the call when you join us.

Related links and articles:

• 5 Tips for Choosing an Audio Interface
• See What’s New in SONAR X2 Producer
• VS PREAMPS Truly Capture Your Performance

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

Electronic dance music DJ and producer Richard Vission discusses his use of the INTEGRA-7 in his remixes and original music productions.

Richard Vission has been a preeminent house DJ and producer in Los Angeles since the late ’80s. His musical career started when DJ culture was first taking flight in Los Angeles, becoming known for a freewheeling mixing style that cycled through dozens of records per hour. He took the same frenzied sound into his production career, scoring big in 1992 with the sports-anthem classic “Jump” as a member of The Movement.

Static Revenger’s First Look at INTEGRA-7

Since then, Richard has produced and remixed top dance tracks for artists such as Donna Summer, Radiohead, Todd Terry, Lady Gaga, RuPaul, Ace of Base, Taylor Dayne, Crystal Waters, The Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, and many others. In 2001, he earned a GRAMMY nomination as Remixer of the Year. For over two decades, Richard’s hosted Powertools, the longest running mix show on U.S. radio. Powertools airs weekly on KPWR (Power 106 FM) in Los Angeles, and is syndicated in other markets.

As a busy producer who works on up to ten songs at any given time, Richard needs fast access to great sounds. That’s why he’s recently turned to the INTEGRA-7 SuperNATURAL® Sound Module, calling it Roland’s “best sound modules, all in one.”

We recently talked with Richard about his long career, current projects, and how he’s integrating his newly acquired INTEGRA-7 into his everyday production process.

INTEGRA-7

How many projects do you work on at a time?

In the studio, I’m working on nine or ten songs at one time. Usually, the norm is about seven in the pop world and about three in the EDM world. There’s just a constant flow. For good or for bad, I’m one of those tweakers—I’m never, ever done until it’s done done. You know, sometimes we’re writing pop stuff and we’ll be editing those vocals and working melodies out, and then at night I’ll be working on an EDM track. We’re also developing new tracks at the same time. It’s just ongoing, like nonstop here for us.

How does the INTEGRA-7 help you with your workflow and the demands of your schedule?

What’s cool about the INTEGRA-7, what I really like about it, [is that] it’s going to cut down on my time that I have to go searching for sounds. Right now, in the computer, we probably have 50 [virtual instruments] to choose from. But it’s very nice to know that I can get a lot of answers for what I’m looking for in my head [faster from the INTEGRA-7 hardware]. The INTEGRA-7 is going to make things really, really cool and help the workflow work faster.

Also, working from the INTEGRA-7 Editor for the iPad just makes it a little cooler. Looking at a sound module, sometimes it’s just difficult to get your head around it. The way [Roland has] laid it out in iPad form is very, very simple—touch here, press here, touch there—as opposed to [going] into different pages. An iPad just makes it [more fun].

How do you think other musicians and songwriters will use the INTEGRA-7?

I think the INTEGRA-7 is going to be used by a lot of different people, from studio rats like myself to live musicians. I can see every band wanting to have access to all these different synths when you’re on the road; you’d probably have to bring 20 different synthesizers to bring what’s in that box on the road. I think for songwriters, too, they just want access to a lot of different sounds to get their ideas out.

You’ve been ahead of the curve for a long time with EDM groups like The Movement and Stranger Days. Could we possibly see you forming a new group in the future?

I always like to look at history; history always repeats itself, but with a twist. And I think it’s really cool to see DJs play music, and I think the next thing for an EDM fan is to actually go and watch the person play the music. I mean, the best EDM show in the last 20 years is Daft Punk. So I think there’s going to be an evolution of that. Kids are going to be like, “There are a million DJs out there, but I want to play my stuff live.” I think you’re going to soon see four, five people on stage. I think that’s going to be the next thing. I think an electronic outfit having access to all the sounds that the INTEGRA-7 has is going to help them. If you’re doing your records live, you’re going to need access to a bunch of different sounds.

INTEGRA-7

How does the INTEGRA-7 inspire your creativity?

The INTEGRA-7 is great for inspiration, because it has so many different sounds, from brass to synth sounds to live piano, and a lot of new sounds, which is really cool. I mean, it’s just amazing to get ideas down or take your production to the next level. Anytime there’s something new that comes out, it’s definitely inspirational. [The INTEGRA-7] has old sounds too, and a lot of people have never discovered those old sounds, so to bring them back in the mix is very cool.

One other thing I think is dope about the INTEGRA-7 is the history of sounds that it has, especially a lot of the old drum sounds that I’m always searching for. One of the first drum machines I ever touched was a Roland TR-909. So to have access to that history in the INTEGRA-7, and their history of all their synths from the old JUNOs on down, it’s just pretty amazing and cool to have all that at your fingertips. It’s a JP-80, and it also has every SRX board. It’s like your best sound modules, all in one.

Related links and articles:

• Static Revenger’s First Look at INTEGRA-7
• Kurt Kesedar on How to Create the Electro Wobble Bass
• The Making of “Egypt, Egypt”
• 5 Tips for Choosing an Audio Interface

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

If you’ve outgrown your audio interface and want to replace it with something more flexible, you’ll need to look beyond the number of inputs and outputs offered. To help you choose the best audio interface for your needs, we’ve put together a list of five things to consider.

1: You’ll need more than eight inputs
How many inputs do you need? This isn’t as simple as counting your audio sources and making sure you have enough inputs:

• Many musicians consider an eight-input interface to be sufficient. But this is actually the minimum number of channels needed for recording a live rock band: four mics for your drum kit plus guitar, bass, vocals and a mono keyboard.
• If you want to record with maximum clarity and control, a drum kit could easily require eight inputs. So it’s much better to have the extra inputs if you can afford them, so you can expand when you need to (and that point always comes sooner rather than later).
• Remember that although some recording audio interfaces advertise a lot of inputs, they often only include two preamps. If you want to record with microphones you’ll need as many preamps as you have microphone sources – leading to additional cost, cables and connection headaches.
• Check the phantom power situation. Many interfaces have a ‘global’ phantom power switch that either applies to all channels at once or applies to groups of four. Ideally, individual phantom-power for each channel gives you more flexibility, so you can use different mixes of condenser mics, ribbon mics, etc. without accidentally torching a ribbon microphone with phantom power.

Roland STUDIO-CAPTURE

2: Multiple outputs: can you send sound to different parts of the room?

The ability to hear your mix on different speakers (or monitors) is one of the most common reasons for having multiple outputs, but there are many other uses too:

• If you’re recording a band, you’ll need to route a click track to a pair of headphones, while playing the music out of your main monitors.
• Most interfaces with two outputs also feature a headphone output, but the headphones will usually receive the same signal that goes to your speakers. If you send the click track to headphones only, you’ll need an interface that can route independent channels to the headphones.
• For live work, you may want to route the music to a number of different PA speakers, some angled towards the crowd and others used for on-stage monitors so the band can hear their playing.
• To sum up, if you use more than two speakers, you’ll need an interface with more outputs.

Related product: OCTA-CAPTURE Hi Speed USB Sudio Interface

3: Portable audio interfaces are far more practical

If you’re recording or live mixing a band, you’ll need an audio interface that is easy to carry and easy to use once the session begins.

Many multi-input interfaces are designed to fit into a 1U rack – not particularly easy to carry to a gig or put down on a table once you get there. Audio interfaces which are more compact, such as Roland’s STUDIO-CAPTURE, have a smaller footprint so can be carried around easily and are far quicker to set up.

You should also choose an audio interface with level meters, so you can see the level of incoming audio signals and prevent clipping.

4: Flexible monitoring gives your band members their own monitor mix
Separate monitor mixes are essential for studio and live recording. Imagine having different cue mixes for different musicians – more vocals for the vocalist, more bass for the bass player or different monitoring for wedges or in-ear monitors.

Some audio interfaces can even send the sound coming from your DAW or instruments to as many as four separate mixes, which can in turn be sent on to any pair of outputs. This handy feature essentially means you have four separate mixers built into your audio interface.

Related product: DUO-CAPTURE EX USB Audio Interface

5: Build quality matters – the cheaper option can be more expensive
If you plan on taking your interface on the road, it’ll inevitably get knocked around.

Make sure you look for an interface that is well built – cheap plastic casing smashes easily when dropped.

Likewise, poor quality knobs and switches are unlikely to cope with life on the road, so it’s worth paying a little extra for a quality audio interface that is built to last.

Finally, remember that an audio interface will be constantly hooked up to all manner of different input sources. The housings supporting the various inputs and outputs need to be robust and sturdy, and they also need to facilitate high-quality, low-noise signal transfer, ensuring that the audio is of premium quality – which is what it’s all about.

Related links and articles:

• See What’s New In SONAR X2 Producer
• Static Revenger AKA Dennis White – First Look at INTEGRA-7
• Jason Freese: Soft Synths Versus JP-80

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

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

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

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

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.

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

To ensure delivery on the Windows 8 release, Roland’s engineering team has been building and testing the new drivers alongside the Windows 8 beta releases.

If you own any of the products below and have Windows 8 please download the drivers using the links below.
All CAPTURE series interfaces including the OCTA-CAPTURE USB Audio Interface and QUAD-CAPTURE USB Audio Interface have Windows 8 drivers available in both 32- and 64-bit formats.

The A-PRO series is also fully supported including the A-800PRO MIDI Keyboard Controller and new A-49 MIDI Keyboard Controller.

Here is a full list of Roland products that already have Windows 8 driver support: www.RolandUS.com/Win8

We hope you enjoy Windows 8 and the new drivers!