E Q U Roland VS2480 I P Roland’s Virtual Studio gets another refit. Scott Christie takes control. M here’s no question that the last few years have seen 24-bit audio input, a 96k sample rate option and has also E the personal computer become the centre of the provided surround sound panning functionality. N Tuniverse in terms of digital audio production. The For those unfamiliar with the VS series it’s worth men- PC’s mouse, ASCII keyboard and large screen interface tioning the 2480 employs a number of data compression T has made the complex task of multitrack audio editing a recording modes that balance the bit rate of the recorded much friendlier place compared to the ‘wild west’ of two- audio against the resulting audio file size and maximum number of tracks available. These modes include the top- T inch tape and a razor blade, or the ‘flying-in’ of vocal parts across a couple of multitrack recorders. end 24-bit/96k Mastering mode (which provides a E However, the downside of this desktop audio revolution maximum eight tracks of recording/playback) and the recommended MTP Pro mode (Roland’s proprietary R- is that there are so many compatibility issues associated S DAC encoding technology, which provides the full 24 with putting together a rock solid computer-based audio tracks of playback and16 record tracks). Think of the T system at a reasonable price. You only need to hang out quality of the R-DAC compression encoding as somewhere in the realms of Sony’s latest ATRAC com- pression they use for MiniDisc – i.e. more than acceptable. The 2480 also employs a powerful system known as Virtual Tracks of which there are 384 per project. Virtual Tracks are basically alternative takes or additional audio files which may be arranged anywhere across the 24 physical tracks in order to create arrangements far more sophisticated than those achievable on a 24-track tape- based system. Ins & Outs In terms of analogue inputs, the VS2480 provides eight phantom power-equipped XLR mic inputs along with 16 TRS line ins and a handy high impedance guitar input that effectively makes the use of an external DI box redundant. The 2480 also features two of Roland’s propri- etary R-Bus digital audio interfaces that allows the in a few audio user groups on the web to discover a pro- transfer of audio to and from ADATs, Tascam DA portionally large number of very frustrated PC/Mac recorders and ProTools 888 I/O interfaces via the Roland owners all wondering why their particular VM7200/7100 digital audio interface (via DIF-AT, software/hardware combination doesn’t live up to the AE7000 & ADA7000). SMPTE and word clock inputs are marketing blurb. also provided. One solution to this problem comes in the form of Physically the VS2480 provides 17 motorised channel Roland’s VS2480 – VS standing for Virtual Studio, as in faders (16 channels plus a seventeenth stereo master). In an all-in-one unit that acts a mixer, recorder, audio editor, true digital console style, these 16 channel strips are patchbay and effects rack. The VS2480 utilises computer switchable to provide access to either channels one to 16 technology but builds the concept around a dedicated or channels 17 to 32 of the mixer. When Input mode is piece of computer hardware that isn’t confounded by selected these 32 channels provide 24 channels of input third-party driver incompatibilities or the vagaries of just with the last eight faders acting as eight auxiliary master how many tracks and plug-ins you may or may not be sends. Switching to Track mode provides 24 channels of able to run with your particular CPU/hard drive. playback with the remaining eight channels acting as FX returns. All up, there’s a lot of channels compacted into a 24 Tracks Guaranteed relatively small and very mobile unit that weighs in at What you do get with the 2480 is a guaranteed 24 tracks around the same as your average combo guitar amp. I of playback, 16 tracks of simultaneous recording, a 64- would suggest that never has so much studio been carry- channel mixer (every channel has its own dynamics pro- able under your arm. cessing and four-band EQ), 17 motorised faders and provision for eight stereo internal effects processors Also Noteworthy (although, two processors come as standard). Roland has The VS2480 also employs Roland’s COSM software also updated the VS digital audio specs to now include modelling architecture. This allows a guitarist plugging 70 directly into the 2480 to access a Manny’s catalogue’s worth own built-in LCD. Furthermore the mouse cursor is also of software-modelled guitar amps and speaker emulators. only visible on the internal LCD screen itself and not to be It’s basically a highly sophisticated guitar effects unit conve- found anywhere on the VGA screen, and therefore unable niently built into the 2480. The COSM architecture can also to provide on-screen manipulation of controls. be applied to the stereo output of the 2480 during the mix in If you’re a seasoned VS series user then the addition of order to emulate a variety of popular studio monitors and the mouse+keyboard+screen options will come as a playback scenarios, such as clock radios or TV sets – thus bonus and certainly speed up many aspects of the music assisting the translation of the mix. production process. If you’re coming across from a PC- based system then you’re up for bit of a learning curve in Design School terms of interface interaction. This criticism applies Roland has obviously modelled the VS2480 on established almost exclusively to precise waveform editing operations, digital mixing console designs, but has also acknowledged as opposed to the basic recording and mixdown tasks. Per- the indisputable benefits of editing audio in the desktop sonally I’d hope the up and coming v2 software update environment. Hence the VS2480 comes equipped with will go further with the mouse+screen editing. PS/2 ports for mouse and ASCII keyboard input, along with a VGA monitor output for hooking up a standard Control computer screen. The inclusion of these features makes The VS2480’s dedicated mixer control surface is one area data input functions, such as character input or virtual that excels in comparison to screen-only based desktop button pressing, a vastly simpler task compared to the systems. The motorised faders provide obvious benefits in previous cursor/scroll wheel method. terms of simplified automation. A dedicated row of knobs It has to be said, however, that the mouse+keyboard+ is also provided just above the faders that make up a screen interface employed in this version of the VS2480’s complete set of an individual channels dynamics and EQ operating system doesn’t pretend to offer the sort of access controls, making for quick and easy tweaking of critical to functionality that your standard desktop software systems settings. In addition to the VS2480 control surface, Roland do (such as ProTools, Logic and Cubase etc.). Whereas has also released the VE7000. The VE7000 provides a ProTools et al offers almost complete control via the ASCII complete control surface for an individual VS2480 channel keyboard, the VS2480’s keyboard is limited to character from input to output, and also includes a joystick control input and function key controls. for advanced surround sound panning. Other interface Another issue in this department is that the VGA functions worthy of note are the EZ Patching and Quick monitor is limited to displaying only a few core screen Patch modes that allow for quick and intuitive displays – not the entire range as displayed on the 2480’s channel/track assignment and general patching for Roland’s founder and president, Mr. Kakehashi, lets Christopher Holder in on the secret of his success. In a day and age where big audio companies Fortunately, or unfortunately, I never touch it’s a huge leap forward. In the past, the human are just as likely to be run by Wall Street-types products that are introduced too late... but voice couldn’t be touched once it was on tape. and corporate hard heads, it’s refreshing to sometimes they can be too early. Take the Now, with Variphrase we have that power. And, know that there’s still leaders like Mr. Roland guitar synth, for example. That started unlike a product like other software packages, Kakehashi. Ikutaro Kakehashi is Roland. He life 23 years ago! As a product it was intro- we have real-time control over three parame- established the company, he personally duced too early, and only now can I see the ters for that vocal – that’s why it’s called developed many of the classics and while he’s results. But it’s always better to be too early ‘Variphrase’. And now there’s a keyboard that aged in his mid 70s he remains remarkably than too late. incorporates Variphrase, while the Variphrase active and interested in the market that he Striking a balance between investment and Producer software makes it much easier for helped to create. Mr. Kakehashi is Roland return is very difficult. But with Roland the people to understand. because it’s the philosophy that he espouses proof is in the fact that in the past 30 years we AT: Speaking of software, is Roland consider- that makes the company what it is. So what is have been making money, so that’s the ing PC-based software products like the that philosophy? Well, it’s ultimately a deep evidence.