“When I see the Roland name on a product, I’m relieved,” says Kelly McGuire, a Roland V-Studio power user. “I know that all will be good on whatever project I’ll be working on.” Kelly runs Midnight Sound in Redlands, California, a successful studio that has served a diverse and impressive list of clients, including Universal Studios City Walk, Knott’s Berry Farm, Fender Guitar Museum, and the Steve Miller Band, to name a few. “The [Roland] VS-series recorders have been probably the best thing that has happened to me in the past number of years,” says Kelly. “They have changed how I work, and have elevated my results.

Kelly currently uses a trio of VS-2480s. “I have one here at my studio and two at the Fender Center Studio FM [pictured]. I also still have my VS-1880 and a VSR-880. There’s even an original VS-880. Everything works together really well, and never gives away any quality.” Scattered about at both studios are other Roland instruments, including “Roland drum machines, keyboards, monitors, etc. Roland always works, always sounds good. Beyond that it’s up to me!”

To get pro-caliber results, Kelly adheres to the following principles: “Start with great music, good sound sources, and a simple clean signal path. My most valuable assets are my ears and ability to quickly decide what a song, sound, or track may need in terms of tone shaping and massaging to make it work. What a track doesn’t need is perhaps just as important as what it does. It’s really about the music, the song, and the artist. The recording process itself shouldn’t be what someone hears when listening to a song; it should be transparent as much as possible.

“I always start a production with an artist by listening to the music,” Kelly continues, “becoming familiar with what they’re trying to do. I often visit rehearsals. I think being able to play different instruments and sing well has helped me in the studio, at the minimum to communicate with someone more on their level. I seem to get better performances out of an artist or player with subtle coaching or producing.”

As successful as Kelly has become, he still finds value in interacting with and eliciting opinions from the recording community. “Getting help from the recording community, such as www.VSplanet.com, is a fantastic way to broaden your world and gather information from people that have been down the same road you have, and can share wisdom with you. I spend time nearly every day at VSplanet.com, it helps to get me thinking about recording and other related topics.”

Currently on Kelly’s plate? “I’m very lucky to have fantastic projects all the time. Right now I’m working on four complete album releases, and a handful of other demo projects as well. A couple of my own songs were picked for the VSplanet Premium-Artist Compilation. Some of the artists I produced are seeing success and airplay. If I can get around to it, I’ll finish something of my own in the not-too-distant future.”

Visit Kelly online at kellymcguire.com. For info on the Fender Studio FM, browse to fendermuseum.com.