Roland Variphrase V-Synth, VP9000, VariOS
– the Roland Variphrase Synthesizer Series
ROLAND SYNTHESIZER | images (click the pic to enlarge it – if available) |
Roland VP-9000 variphrase sampler 6voicesmore on variphrase synthesizers and audio workstations read on here: |
VP9000 pic thanks to plasmatronthis is very much like the vsynth and variOS, but only the „core“ technology, no filters but also with variphrase samples.. means: play samples with no time change ,stop in a sample etc.. use the „vproducer“ software to get some sort of variOS functionality, they are cheap used now… (compare variOS , VP9000 , v-synth) – read on.. |
D-BEAM Controllerdimension beam controller |
D-Beam is produced by Roland under licence from interactive light inc. – D-Beam allows to control any Controller or any parameter to be controlled by moving your hands. it seems less influenced by heat like on the alesis airFX, so the distance is always the same. imo it is very playable kind of controller. The V-Synth has 2 of it, the mc909, the GW7 Workkstation and the Juno-D .. etc. d-beams stands for dimension beam. there are not many other products like it. 1)eyris by synesthesiacorp.com (sold out) 2) alesis x25 remote keyboard with sort of d beam.. |
ROLAND V-Synth – Variphrase Synthesizer (german: deutsche info rechts unter den bildern) released 2003. the Vsynth XT has the same functions and features, but: new in 2005: the VSynth XT , RACK VERSION!! … –> a new software V2 (available for the KB,too!): Sound Shaper function – some sort of „macro quick page like the fm7 has for fast tweaks maybe also cool for synth idiots (harhar) but also for simple having the most important parameters on one page! so it makes sense! enlarge V-Synth XT.. click Multi-Step Modulator gives new life and movement to sound – THIS IS IT!!! since the vsynth has ADSR envs !! english text: transposing without mickey mouse effect and using fomant correction.. also you can use this to make real interesting synthetic sounds!.. the cosm filters are ,where normally the FILTERs are.. here you can use speaker /amp simulation,resonators, filters, and things like that.. also fm or ringmod can be used at the „mod“ postition (eg osc1 and osc2 or same behind the filter set in the structure.. ok- you cannot make your own structures .. so you need to select from 3. but in fact you can do a lot with this using your own samples a 2D touchpad, 2 d-beams (control ANY parameter by the distance of your hands above the d beams controllers!).. there is a „modmatrix“ where you can set any parameter to be controlled by the touchpad, the dbeams, 2 assignable controller knobs, bender oder modlever (bow the bender up, typical roland control element..) for the OSCs: you have an LFO for each OSC to mod formant,pitch or the timebase.. means: if you slow down the TIME parameter you can make „wavetable“ sounds because you can even FREEZE a sample at any position or play it backwards very slowly!!.. the LFO is quite fast.. estimated 40hz.. any COSM section has 2 own ENV ( you can mod RESO and CUToff of a normal filter by 2 independent ENVs..) and LFO any ENV stage (ADR s not moded) can be modulated (say by velocity to shorten decay phase by hitting the key harder!).. if I count right its 9 ENVs, 4 LFOs.. ;) Vsynth has a touch screen to change and select the parameters.. the env sliders can be used for any envelope if selected.. samples: can be xchanged via USB!! (built in!!) latest OS is 1.5 and added subOSCs (same,1 or 2 octaves below main osc and level) to the analog section, also 2 LA waves (saw,square), a TB303 ftiler to the COSM section and some PCM waveforms, also.. it’s 50MB sample RAM, you can use a PCMCIA adapter and add a microdrive for 1GB data.. but the vsynth can manage 50MB as one set. maximum. and now: wavetables by playing the samples in slomo, moving around using the time pad: of course, imo the good ol‘ sampler could be an alternative to create sample-wavetable micro loops. what do you need: a sampler that is able to move sample start/end and/or position.. there is one coming to my mind doing that job PERFECTLY: the ensoniq ASR10 and EPS16+ , both long term discontinued.. some samplers can not do that,thats why these do not work with „transwaves“.. transwaves secret: is simple.. very short loops within a sample.. well, you can move around in some way ,to, but not really stop and go.. anyway.. thats the difference.. btw: you can set the vsynth to event mode to play slices of one sample at the next keystroke.. so you can have some soft of realtime-recycle or the slicer mode of eg. the electribe SX. |
Roland V-Synth click this to see it enlarged.. 2 dbeams & ctrls V-Synth – DEUTSCH / german: der v-synth hat interessante sample-vartiationen (8stimmig) ähnlich variphrase kann man samples vorwärs,rückwärts und auch verlangsamt abspielen und auch ANHALTEN und als wavetableartige soundscape nutzen. formant und abspielgescchwindigkeit ist einstellbar.. cosm: bietet einige filtermodelle, resonatoren, sidebandfilter, compressor und amp simulationen etc.. OSCs: Hat variphrase technik an bord, meint: du kannst samples ohne tonhöhenöänderung oder längenändernung im tempo steuern oder die formanten ändern (oder jeweils die genannten parameter steuern).. Auch modulieren… Damit lassen sich auch quasi samples einfrieren oder gaaaanz langsam abspielen,sodass eine art „wavetable“ eindruck entsteht.. Div. Filter und resonatoren.., fm, ringmod,sync, pwm pro OSC, Filter: es gibt nicht nur diese, neben dual filter und den stadards (lpf,bpf,hpf..) gibt es dual filter , sideband filter,kammfilter und resonatoren, verzerrer, amp simulation, limiter, compressor, pitch shifter und bit reducer, von diesen einheiten gibt es 2 stück und tragen den namen COSM.. generell gehört zu jedem COSM „filter“ ein LFO und 2 ENVs mit modulierbaren segmenten!!, jeder OSC hat ebenfalls 2 ENVs (pitch und „fat“/formant haben eine eigene, time kann sich natürlich durch eine der ENVs moduliert fühlen ;) ..) Struktur: Relativ Roland-tpisch: es gibt 3 Strukturen, welchem an wählen kann: alle 3 bieten 2 OSCs welche entweder variphrase/rom/samples abspielen können oder VA like mit PWM und allen grundwellenformen,welche sich ALLE per PW knopf in ihrer symmetrie verbiegen lassen und somit ein grosses spektrum von grundwaves anbieten können. je OSC gibt es einen LFO ,der jeweils pw,pitch oder „fat“ modulieren kann.. im variphrase mode sind das natürlich pitch,abspieltempo des samples / länge, und formanten, ob und wie tempogesynct werden soll ist einstellbar (!!) das ist die BASIS.. CONTROLLER: es gibt 2 d-beams zum modulieren mit handentfernung, sehr exakt und stabil und berechendbar (nicht so wie bei zB den airFX,wo nach ausheizen schonmal der spielbereich nurnoch kurz über dem gerät ist) , dazu 2dimensionales touchpad, auf dem man per drehbewegung wie eine schallplatte die samplegeschwindigkeit steuern kann (es kommt auf geschwindigkeit und richtung an!), ansonsten natürlich jeder beliebige parameter in X oder/und Z richtung.. frei belegbar.. es gibt eine art modmatrix in der auch die dbeams und bender, sowie 2 freie controller belegt werden können, dabei also auch die obigen parameter aller hüllkurven und auch FX sends etc.. ARP/SEQ: es gibt einen 32step grafischen arpeggiator,dem man auch eine 32step melodie step oder realtime einspielen/geben kann.. und grafisch (!!!) editieren kann, auch controller können hier aufgezeichnet werden und dann transponiert per tastendruck gespielt werden! absolut genial! V-Synth als sampler? in deutsch.. die regler der ADSR amp-hüllkurve werden auch genutzt,wenn eine andere hüllkurve eingestellt werden soll. so kann man also touchscreen oder die env-regler nutzen.. der vsynth hat usb! so können leicht mit mac und pc samples umhergeschoben werden! „Hubschrauberlandeplatz“ – das XY-pad: with a vc-1 card the V-Synth can be a d50 see below:
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Roland VC1 – V-Synth emulates a D-50 |
with this card (pcmcia card) the vsynth transmogrifies into a complete Roland D50the VC-1 does not load some samples into the vsynth, it has another OS that makes the vsynth behave like the d50 with all of its features. you can NOT run them as a vsynth AND D-50 at the same time!!the d50 has 2 layers „upper“ and „lower“ that can be chained together with ringmod, it hass some ROM samples and 3 OSCs per layer with PWM and lots of LFOs. since it is a dual layer it has at least 4 OSC „audio lines“ with filter and PWM, multi stage env for filter and amp and one env for all pitches.
minimum: 3 multi stage ENVs,3 LFOs,1VCF, the difference? well it sounds quite close since both are digital, but the vsynths AD converters are different.. anyway it sounds very close.. |
Roland VariOS variphrase modulecan do this.. beside Variphrase arranging it also has 2 emulation models: 303 and jupiter 8 with extended parameters.. see above.. and FX unit. the more „new school“ thing is to sync audio , some sort of V-Synth’s variphrase but on screen and a bit like todays audiosequencers, most close to ableton live.. you can TWEAK and adjust the samples .. means: you also have more than pitch.. you still got length with no change in pitch and formants just like on the v-synth or the VP9000, that started the VariPhrase technology.. as same for the tb303, you have a special FX section with dist/overdrive, chorus, compressor, delay and also another mode: the slider mode allows easier input of notes and sequences but you still have the traditional way of progging a bassline, of course.. variOS is NOT as noah (creamware) is.. but is is also an USB-engine that allows DSP things ,but they do not have much more in common imo.. also the idea of having an emulated synthesizer in both machines.. roland sites.. variOS: 6 parts, 14 voices, 46MB RAM the variphrase tech can alternatively loaded as an OS to the Jupiter8 and TB303 emulation.. means: not at the same time.. live: you can use variOS somewhere else,becasue you can load from flash rom. but another „model“ needs restarting. it is NOT some sort of an audio interface! it is a RAM based sound generator / arranger!! MEINUNG: alternative: vsynth oder VP-9000,den man bis 136MB aufrüsten kann.. allerdings ist der vp9000 6stimmig. non-roland alternative / extensions: ableton live (software), celemony melodyne (also software) – live is more loop based, melodyne is for monophonic audio elestics .. so check 4 yourself what suits your demands.. |
SEE THE SCREENSHOTs of the VariOS / JUPITER8 see below/weiter unten emulation here!! there are lots more parameters..
das variOS bietet hingegen prinzipiell ist ja auch variOS ein DSP kasten und DAS macht sie so „vergleichbar“.. aber das ERGEBNIS wie du damit arbeitest und was du damit bekommst ist unterschiedlich.. |
the vsynth in action? | see me playing with it: looks like this http://www.dada-inn.de/visual.htmlor like this: http://moogulator.de/video_moogulator.html |
VariOS Screenshots
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this is the window, see the waveforms? it’s just the way to change the above paramters!
find VariOS Videos, mp3s and Demos of the „Jupiter 8 & 303 & the VariOS software..“..
on the Roland Site..
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