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Roland Debuts Official Synth Tone Libraries – Axial

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The Portal to New Sounds for Your Music

Axial - Roland Synthesizer Sound Libraries

Axial - Roland Synthesizer Sound Libraries

Today is the debut of Axial, our official sound library for Roland synthesizers. Now, more than ever, musical styles and tastes seem to change by the minute, and it was only yesterday that Dubstep and Electro were on every TV commercial and hot remix (only to be replaced by Moombahton and Trap). Roland’s top programmers are now giving you access to this fresh new stream of creative tools that will keep you ahead of the curve! More

How to Set Up a V-Drums Kit for Lefties

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A Step-by-Step Guide

V-Drums kit for lefties

V-Drums kit for lefties

Author: Roland UK Features Team

As in the acoustic drum world, it’s easy for left-handed players to feel that they’re forever made to adapt to playing on a kit set up for right-handed players. We show you how to setup a V-Drums kit for lefties.

Wich V-Drums kit is right for you? More

Amp Modeling is Not Just For Software

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Get a Tube Amp Tone Without the Tubes

amp modeling

Author: Roland UK Features Team

Due to constantly advancing digital technology, even the most die-hard tone masters enjoy the benefits of amp modeling products. Even famous artists now rely on the convenience and range of tones available from amp modeling while performing, practicing or writing. If you’re looking for a modeling amp, here are a few things to consider.

Hardware with Amp Modeling technology: The VG-99 Inspires More

V-Drums Friend Jam Improves Your Drumming

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 Have You Tried V-Drums Friend Jam?

First, a bit of a disclaimer and a short story. I work for Roland as a sales rep and have been playing electronic drums since 1994. I was first introduced to V-Drums Friend Jam in Los Angeles at a Roland sales and product meeting. Steve Fisher, V-Drums innovator and drummer extraordinaire, showed us this innovative drumming program, which was already fairly popular in Japan. I immediately wanted to try it, so I jumped right in. After it was over, a number came up, something in the 600s. “What is that?” I asked. Steve said, “You’re ranked 600.” “600 what?” I asked. “600th best drummer,” said Steve. “Out of how many?” I asked. “Oh, I dunno, a couple thousand.” That’s all I needed to hear to light up my competitive chops. More

BOSS Your Tone: Overdrive and Distortion

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Overdrive and Distortion: What’s the Difference?

What’s the difference between overdrive and distortion? Learn the difference and how to get great tone with either stompbox.

Get Great Tone OverDrive and Distortion

Get Great Tone With OverDrive and Distortion

As guitar players, what are we all after? What do we struggle to describe, work to attain, but always know when we hear it? And what is all that gear out there for? The answer to all three of these questions is the same: great tone. With so much equipment available today to help in creating tone, how do we go about making it do what we want? Let’s take a look at some simple and effective ways to get killer tone with overdrive and distortion. More

Recording with AUTO-SENS Technology

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Roland AUTO-SENS sets recording levels automatically

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. More

Get Great Tone With BOSS Distortion

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BOSS Distortion – The Orange Ones

BOSS Distortion

BOSS Distortion

A distortion pedal usually goes beyond the amount of gain and harmonic crunching typical of an overdrive. They tend to get more distorted, are usually (but not always) louder than typical overdrives, and often have multiple gain stages for abnormal amounts of sustain. The BOSS MT-2, probably the best selling distortion pedal ever, is a good example of a distortion pedal with those features. Since distortion pedals tend to be louder and have more inherent distortion than overdrives, it is a little trickier to use them in conjunction with the amp’s own distortion sound. It might be what you want, especially if you’re after a nu-metal, super heavy, or very grungy sound. If you use your pedal this way, you are distorting distortion. This can get pretty ugly, but sometimes it’s just the thing. Set your pedal similarly to using an overdrive to use it this way: For example, set the BOSS DS-1 level up, the distortion somewhat down, and the tone for neutral.

What’s the difference between Overdrive and Distortion? Find out! More

5 Tips For Choosing an Audio Interface

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Author: Roland UK Features Team
Roland Studio-Capture

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. More

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