When Roland debuted the MV-8000, the dilemma of choosing between hardware or software to produce music was solved — the MV’s studio-proven, pad-laden hardware with computer monitor and mouse expansion capabilities provided the “softer” side of production. Today, with Version 3.5 for the MV, Roland has once again re-written the rules.

Let’s power up our studios, and put the MV-8000 through its paces.

New Features in v3.5

First things first, let's outline the latest additions to the MV-8000:

 

• Audio track and mute automation
• Recordable MFX control-knob movements
• 3-band EQ added to Audio and Instrument parts
• Pencil Tool added to Piano Roll window
• Patch Preview mode added to Import function

Linear or Pattern Recording

There are two primary recording modes inside the MV: Pattern and Linear. Found in less complicated drum machines and production units, pattern-style recording was added to the feature set in version 3, bringing this fast and simple method of working to MV users. After creating a groove with up to one audio and 64 MIDI tracks in each pattern, you can chain multiple patterns together to make a song. But it doesn’t stop there — you can still add 128 MIDI tracks and eight stereo audio tracks of linear computer-style sequencing on top of the arranged patterns. It truly is the best of both worlds.

 

Not only can you use Pattern mode for song creation, but also in live performance with the new “Pattern Play” mode, which lets you jam patterns live just like a Groovebox. Hit a pad to call up a pattern, press Play, and that pattern will loop for as long as you desire Hitting another pad calls up the next pattern, which will start as soon as the current one finishes its loop. This feature is great when performing live, because you’ll never be stuck with the fixed length of a backing track. You can rock the crowd as long as you like, and improvise as you go!

808/909 Inside

Another cool feature is the Drum Grid Editor. This screen allows you to step-sequence drums or even bass lines, just like Roland’s classic TR-808/909 drum machines. The pads can be used to enter notes in a couple different ways. In 16-Notes mode you use the pads to enter the drum sounds you’d like to hear at a particular point in time. In 16-Grid mode you pick a sound, then use the pads to select which of the 16 steps will trigger that sound. If you have the VGA/mouse expansion on your MV, you can enter notes by simply clicking any of the grid boxes as the pattern or sequence loops. This lets you be experimental when writing a beat, because you can try out different combinations of drum sounds without having to play anything in real time.

 

Multi FX

If the sequencer redesign wasn’t enough, we also juiced up the Multi FX processor with a full-blown, built-in analog-modeling bass synthesizer. It’s like getting a powerful 2-oscillator bass synth for free! This synth is stacked with features such as multi-wave selection, cross-mod, ring-mod, multi-mode filters, envelopes, external input, and it even has its own delay and chorus processing.

To use the bass synth, just call up the algorithm in the MFX processor, create a MIDI track assigned to MFX, then play and record it using the pads or keyboard via MIDI. You can tweak all the parameters of the bass synth and save any newly created sounds to the MFX user bank for use in other songs. The bass synth can also be recorded to an audio track, so you can re-use the MFX processor with another effect like “Lo-Fi” or “Mic Modeling” during mixdown.

Something For the Eyes

To completely blow your mind, we’ve included a “Pix Jam” mode that lets you import JPEG and bitmap graphics into the MV, sequence them on a MIDI track, then output them to the VGA port for a cool “Pix Jam” slideshow that’s in time with your music. Images can be imported into the MV-8000 via CD-ROM or dropped onto the MV’s hard drive using the USB port. Now the MV-8000 is all about “sights” as well as sound.

Looking back at what has been added to the MV-8000 since its release, you can truly see Roland’s commitment to the customer by offering new features and functions for existing models.

Roland would like to thank the key members of MVnation.com for their help in beta testing and spreading the news about what makes the MV-8000 more than just a machine, but a community.