Roland VS-880EX manual

® OWNER'S MANUAL OWNER'S MANUAL Copyright © 1998 ROLAND CORPORATION All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of ROLAND CORPORATION. Roland Homepage http://www.rolandcorp.com/ 01562867 '99-3-E3-41N Concerning Copyright The law prohibits the unauthorized recording, [...]

CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN ATTENTION : RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR CAUTION : TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to aler[...]

• Before using this unit, make sure to read the instruc- tions below, and the Owner’s Manual. ........................................................................................................... • Do not open or perform any internal modifications on the unit. (The only exception would be where this manual provides specific instructions[...]

• Always grasp only the plug on the power-supply cord when plugging into, or unplugging from, an outlet or this unit. ........................................................................................................... • Try to prevent cords and cables from becoming entangled. Also, all cords and cables should be placed so they are out o[...]

In addition to the items listed under “ IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ” and “ USING THE UNIT SAFELY ” on pages 2 – 4, please read and observe the following: Power Supply ● Do not use this unit on the same power circuit with any device that will generate line noise (such as an electric motor or variable lighting system). ● Before conne[...]

Handling the Disk Drive For details on hard disk handling, refer also to the instructions that accompanied your hard disk. ● Before performing any of the following actions, be sure to perform the shutdown procedure. Failure to do so may result in loss of song data or damage to the hard disk. • Turning off the power of the VS-880EX • Turning o[...]

Preparations .......................................................................... 12 About the Package Contents ...................................................................................... 12 Main Features ............................................................................................................. 12 Fr ont and Rear[...]

General Course of the Recording Process ................................................................. 41 Connecting Instruments .............................................................................................. 41 Recording to the Tracks .............................................................................................. 4[...]

Chapter 6 Editing a Recor ded P erformance (T rack Editing) ... 88 About Editing Operations ............................................................................................ 88 Track Edit .................................................................................................................... 88 About the Bar Display .........[...]

Various Operations Related to Synchronized Operation .......................................... 123 Use with a MIDI Controller ........................................................................................ 126 Switching Track Status ................................................................................................... 126 Swi[...]

Sounding the Metronome .......................................................................................... 154 Using an External MIDI Sound Source to Play the Metronome ............................... 155 When the Disk Has Little Remaining Space ............................................................. 156 Deleting Only Unneeded Performa[...]

About the Package Contents The following items are included with the VS-880EX. Please check to make sure you have all the items. • VS-880EX • AC cord • Quick Start • Owner ’ s Manual (this manual) • Appendices Main Features The Latest in Compact Home Studio Environments The VS-880EX retains all of the features of Roland ’ s VS-880 wor[...]

Connectivity There are six sets of balanced input jacks, handling a wide input sensitivity range, from line level (+4 dBu) to mic level (-50 dBu). Besides the RCA phono type (stereo) MASTER jacks, the (mono) AUX A and AUX B jacks are provided. The VS-880EX provides both coaxial and optical digi- tal I/O connectors. With these, you can make digital [...]

Mixer Section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Fr ont and Rear Panels 14 1. PEAK Indicators These indicators allow you to confirm the sound level input at the input jacks (1 – 6). They help you to deter- mine the correct input level when adjusting the INPUT knobs. You will need to specify the level at which the indicators light beforehand (p. 61). The ind[...]

5. ST A TUS Buttons These buttons switch the status of each track. The cur- rent status is shown by the button indicator. SOURCE (orange): The input source or track assigned to the channel is being output. REC (blinking red): Recording is selected for the track assigned to the channel. During playback, the track data is normal- ly output. REC (blin[...]

Recorder Section 1 3 4 2 5 7 9 13 11 6 8 10 12 Preparations 16 1. EDIT CONDITION Buttons The functions and parameters of the VS-880EX are organized within these buttons. To use a desired oper- ation, press the appropriate button. 2. LOCA TOR Button Pressing this button allows you to store or recall Locators and Markers or to store or recall Scenes [...]

4. T ranspor t Control Buttons These buttons are used to operate the recorder. [ZERO]: This returns the current time to “ 00h00m00s00 ” (zero return). [REW]: The current time is moved back only while this button is held down. This corresponds to the rewind button on a tape recorder. [FF]: While the button is held down, the current time is moved[...]

Display section 1 2 3 9 4 5 6 8 7 Preparations 18 1. CONDITION This indicates the current condition. PLY: Normal status (Play condition). INn: Change the input mixer settings (n=1 – 8, a – d). TRn: Change the track mixer settings (n=1 – 8 to a – d). RTN: Change the return mixer settings. MST: Change the master block settings. SNG: Song edit[...]

Rear Panel 1 2 3 4 5 Preparations 19 1. POWER Switch This switch turns power of the VS-880EX on and off. 2. AC IN (AC Inlet) Connect the included power cable here. 3. SCSI Connector This is a DB-25 type SCSI connector for connecting disk drives such as a Zip disk drive or a CD-R drive. 4. MIDI Connectors (IN, OUT/THRU) External MIDI devices (MIDI c[...]

6 7 11 8 9 10 Preparations 20 6. FOOT SWITCH Jack An optional foot switch (such as the DP-2 or the BOSS FS-5U) can be connected here when you want to con- trol recorder operations, mark point settings, and punch in/out operations, and so on with a foot switch. With the factory settings, a foot switch is set to start and stop the recorder. 7. PHONES[...]

This chapter explains basic concepts, internal struc- ture, and basic operation that you will need to know in order to operate the VS-880EX. Please read this chap- ter thoroughly to gain a better understanding of the VS-880EX. Saving and Managing Data Managing Disk Contents (Partitioning) The VS-880EX saves all of the data such as — perfor- mance[...]

Specify the Disk Which will be Used for Recording/Playback (Drive Select) 1. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “ SYS Drive Select ” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. 3. Use the TIME/VALUE dial to select the desired disk drive. The internal hard disk is shown as “ IDE:* ” and external disk drives are shown as “ SC0:* – SC7:* ” ([...]

About Events The smallest unit of memory used by the VS-880EX to store recorded results on disk is called an event . A newly created song is provided approximately 12,800 events. For each track, one recording pass uses two events. Operations such as punch-in/out or track copy also use up events. The number of events that are used up will fluctuate [...]

Mixer Section The digital mixer specifies input or output status of the recorder section. The VS- 880EX contains an Input Mixer located before the recorder section, a Track Mixer located after the recorder section, an Effect Return Mixer which controls the effect return and Stereo In (p. 152), and a Master Block which determines the output jacks fr[...]

The VS-880EX has the following buses. RECORDING Bus: Signals assigned to the RECORDING bus are routed to the recorder section to be recorded. There are eight channels which can be assigned to the output of the input mixer, track mixer, and effects (Return). Signals assigned to the RECORD- ING bus cannot be routed to the MIX bus. MIX Bus: Signals as[...]

Input Mixer Input mixer is placed before the recorder section, and correspond to the external input sources (INPUT 1 – 6, DIGITAL IN L/R). The output of each channel is assigned to tracks to be recorded. Channels not assigned to tracks are output directly from the MASTER jacks. Additionally, the status of tracks with signals assigned to them when[...]

T rack Mixer Track mixer is placed after the recorder section, and correspond to the tracks (1 – 8). All of the tracks are output from the MASTER jacks. Additionally, tracks can also be routed back to the RECORDING bus for overdubbing, or re-rerecording. In this status, the channel faders 1 – 8 correspond respectively to Tracks 1 – 8. Effect [...]

Switching the Fader Functions On the VS-880EX, it is able to adjust Input mixer or Track mixer by switching the function of the channel faders on the top panel. Pressing [FADER] on the top panel toggles between the input mixer and the track mixer. The FADER indica- tor indicates which mixer is currently selected. Master Block This selects the jacks[...]

T rack Minutes and Recording Time With cassette tape recorders, the amount of time you can record on a tape is pre- determined by the length of that tape. Moreover, any unused portion of the tape is wasted. In contrast, with disk recording, although available recording time is determined by the amount of disk space, only the disk space used in reco[...]

For example, 10 track minutes be used for 10 minutes of monaural recording, 5 minutes of stereo recording, 2 minutes and 30 seconds of recording on four tracks, and so on. Auxiliary T racks for Each T rack The VS-880EX provides 8 playback tracks, and allows 8 tracks to be recorded simultaneously. Each track is composed from the features 8 supplemen[...]

Effects Section About the Effect Expansion Board The VS-880EX contains effect. This allows you to use up to two stereo effects (FX1 and FX2) simultaneously. Connecting Effects On the VS-880EX, there are two ways to connect the effects devices. Please read and understand these differences described below. Insert: The effect is directly added either [...]

This chapter explains the basic operation of the VS- 880EX. This covers all of the fundamental processes, including recording and editing, so please read and understand this chapter. Before Y ou Begin T urning On the Power * To prevent malfunction and/or damage to speakers or other devices, always turn down the volume, and turn off the power on all[...]

1. Hold down [SHIFT] and press [STORE (ZERO)]. 2. “STORE OK?” appears in the display. Press [YES]. If the song is saved properly, the initial display reappears. If you wish to cancel the saving, press [NO]. T urning Off the Power The contents of any recorded performance will be lost if you simply turn the power off. This may also result in dama[...]

Basic Operations on the VS- 880EX The VS-880EX features a wide variety of abilities (functions) and settings (parameters). These are orga- nized by type, function, operation, and so on. The major organizational grouping within the song is referred to as a condition . A list of the different condi- tions described below. Play Condition: Here you can[...]

Select the Setting Y ou W ant to Change Use PARAMETER [ ] [ ] to access the setting (parameter) that you wish to modify. If two or more settings are displayed simultaneously, use CURSOR [ ] [ ] to move the cursor. Change the Settings V alues Use the TIME/VALUE dial for this operation. Rotating the dial counterclockwise decreases the val- ues, rotat[...]

Changing the Current Time The current playback time in the display is shown in SMPTE time code. The current measure, beat, and Marker number are also displayed. Use the following procedure to change the current playback time. SMPTE Time Code (Appendices p. 124) Moving in Frame Units • To move in one-frame units, rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. • To[...]

Using the Locator Time locations are stored with the LOC buttons ([1/5]–[4/8]) on the top panel of the VS-880EX. In con- junction with [SHIFT], you can register up to eight time locations, and move immediately to a registered location simply by pressing a button. There are four banks for each button, providing you with up to 32 (8 x 4) locators. [...]

Deleting a Stored Time Location 1. While holding down [CLEAR], press the LOC button ([1/5]–[4/8]) for locate point that you wish to delete. For example, if you wish to delete the LOCATOR 1’s located point, then press [CLEAR] and [1/5] simultaneously. If you wish to delete the time that was registered in Locator 5, hold down [SHIFT] and press [C[...]

Moving the Location of Markers 1. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. 2. In the display, the “MARKER” field will indicate the marker number of the current location. Use CURSOR [ ] [ ] to move the cursor to the MARKER field, and rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Making Fine Adjustments to Marked Locations 1. Move to the marker where you want to change. Press [PRE[...]

This chapter explains the operations necessary for recording with the VS-880EX. Try out each operation as you read these instructions. Recording Items Necessary for Multi-T rack Recording • VS-880EX (1) • Internal IDE hard disk • Audio equipment for the Master Out signal, or stereo headphones • Recording source (electric guitar, synthesizer[...]

General Course of the Recording Pr ocess The procedure for recording with the VS-880EX is roughly as same as record process by multi-track recorders as mentioned before. This general process of recording a song is outlined below. Please take a moment to read through the steps. 1. Connect instruments and microphones to the VS- 880EX. 2. Record the b[...]

Recording to the T racks 1. Select a recording track. While holding down [REC], press the STATUS button for the track to which you want to record. The STATUS indicator blinks red. 2. Switch to the input mixer. Press [FADER (EDIT)] several times to let the FADER indicator light orange. 3. Select source to be recorded to the track. While holding down[...]

Saving a Recorded Per formance (Song Store) The contents of any recorded performance will be lost if you simply turn the power off, or even if there is an accidental power failure or power outage. Once lost, the contents of a recorded performance cannot be restored to the previous conditions . To avoid this from happening, use the following procedu[...]

Recording Over a Por tion of a Per formance (Punch-In/Punch-Out) Sometimes, when listening to a recorded performance, even if you don’t find it necessary to discard the entire song, there may be sections containing mistakes or lyrics that are hard to hear. In such instances, you will find the following procedure convenient for rerecord- ing only [...]

1. Connect an optional foot switch (such as the DP-2 or the BOSS FS-5U) to the VS-880EX’s FOOT SWITCH jack. 2. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS System PRM?” appears in the display. 3. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS FootSw=” appears in the display. FootSw (Foot switch icon) Set the function of the foot switch connected[...]

Using Markers The space between two adjacent mark points can be used to define the segment for Punch-In Recording. 1. Preset Markers where you want to punch in and then punch out. 2. Move to the mark point located at the desired punch-in time. 3. While holding down [AUTO PUNCH], press [NEXT]. 4. Without releasing [AUTO PUNCH], press [PRE- VIOUS]. S[...]

7. Press [AUTO PUNCH]. The AUTO PUNCH indicator lights, and Auto Punch- In Recording is enabled. 8. Move to a previous locate point where you want to re-record. 9. Press [REC]. 10. Press [PLAY] again. Playback of the song begins. 11. The VS-880EX automatically goes into record mode at the point where the punch-in is set. Start the song or performan[...]

Specifying The Points While the Song Plays Back 1. Press [PLAY] to begin playback of the song. 2. When you reach the desired location for the beginning of the loop, hold down [LOOP] and press [TAP]. 3. Continue holding down [LOOP], and when you reach the desired location for the end of the loop, press [TAP] once again. 4. Press [STOP]. Making Fine [...]

Recording to Other T racks (Overdubbing) In multi-track recording, the normal process is to record new tracks while listening to the performance on previously recorded tracks played back. This is referred to as overdubbing . 1. Select the tracks you want to play back. While holding down [STOP], press the STATUS buttons for the tracks you want to pl[...]

Using Effects Applying Effects to the Playback When you playback a song, you will frequently want to apply effects such as reverb or delay. Here we will explain how to apply reverb as you playback previ- ously recorded tracks. Select an Effect 1. Press [EFFECT] several times until “EFFECT-1 PRM?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. The numb[...]

14. Now reverb will be applied. The signal flow will be as follows. 15. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. Return to Play condition. Playback the song and verify that the effect is being applied. Applying Effects While Recording (Send/Return) Now we will see how to add affects to the source at the INPUT 1 jack, and then record the direct sound and the sound w[...]

Specify the Input to Which the Effect is to be Applied 5. Press [FADER (EDIT)] several times to let the FADER indicator light orange . 6. Press the channel 1 [CH EDIT (SELECT)]. 7. Hold down [SHIFT] and press the channel 7 [EFFECT-1 (CH EDIT)]. “EFFECT1=” appears in the display. 8. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. EFFECT1 (Effect 1 Send Select Switc[...]

Specify the Input Channel to Which the Effect is to be Applied 6. Press [FADER (EDIT)] several times to let the FADER indicator light orange . 7. Press the channel 1 [CH EDIT (SELECT)]. 8. Press PARAMETER [ ] [ ] until “FX1 Ins =” appears in the display. 9. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. FX1 Ins (Effect 1 Insert Switch) This sets how the Insert fu[...]

18. Now the setup is completed. In this case, the signal flow will be as the fol- lows. 19. Hold down [REC] and press the Track 1 and 2 STATUS buttons. The STATUS indicator blinks red. 20. Hold down the Track 1 STATUS button and channel 1 SELECT buttons. 21. Hold down the Track 2 STATUS button and channel 2 SELECT buttons. 22. Record and check the [...]

Recording Digital Signals With the VS-880EX, you can record the digital signals output by CD players, DAT and MD recorders, Roland VS-1680, and other digital audio devices as is. * The VS-880EX’s digital interface conforms to S/P DIF. When recording digital signals, be sure to digital audio devices conforming to the same standards. S/P DIF (Appen[...]

Select the Master Clock Synchronize the VS-880EX’s reference clock (the mas- ter clock) with the digital signal from the digital audio device. 1. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “System PRM ?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. 3. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS MasterClk=” appears in the display. 4. Rotate the TIME/V[...]

Assign *** Specify the source/track/effect return which will assigned to each track for recording. If you press [YES] the display will indicate “On,” showing that it has been assigned for recording. If you press [NO], the display will indicate “Off,” and the signal will not be assigned (it will not be recorded). The symbols displayed in “[...]

4. Press PARAMETER [ ] [ ] several times until “EQ Switch=” appears in the display. 5. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. EQ Switch (Equalizer Switch) If you wish to use the equalizer, set this “On.” If not, set this “Off.” When equalizer settings are being made, the equalization curve will be shown graphically in the bar display. If this is ?[...]

EQM (Equalizer Mid) This adjusts the center frequency (200 Hz–8 kHz) and Q (definition: 0.5–16) of the mid-range (peaking) equalizer. 12. Hold down [SHIFT] and press the channel 5 [EQ Hi (SELECT)]. 13. Use CURSOR [ ] [ ] and the TIME/VALUE dial to make the setting. EQH (Equalizer High) This adjusts the gain (-12–12 dB) and the center fre- que[...]

Combining the Contents of T racks (T rack Bouncing) You can mix the performances recorded on two or more tracks and rerecord them onto a different empty track. This operation is known as track bouncing . It is a convenient technique to use when you have run out of free tracks. In this section, we will mix the performances recorded on tracks 1–4, [...]

21. Press [PLAY] to begin playback of the song. 22. Adjust the volume balance with the faders for Channels 1–4. The presently monitored sound (volume levels, pan) will be recorded to Tracks 5 and 6 just as you hear it. You can raise the volume as much as possible without causing distortion. 23. Press [STOP] to stop playback of the song. Record an[...]

EFFECT1 (Effect 1 Send Select Switch) This sets how the signal is sent to the EFFECT 1 bus. Here, select “PstFade” (post-fader) to apply reverb to the sound after the output of the channel fader. Off: The signal is not sent. PreFade: The signal before passing through the channel fader is sent. PstFade: The signalafter passing through the chan- [...]

Creating a Master T ape When you finish recording a song, adjust the balance of each track (equalizer, pan, and volume level), and using your stereo recorder, record a two-channel stereo master mix to a stereo cassette, DAT, MD, or other media. This process is called mixdown . Prepare for Mixdown 1. Hold down [STOP] and press the STATUS but- tons f[...]

1. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS System PRM?” appears in the display. 2. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “D.CpyProtect” appears in the display. 3. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Digital Copy Protect (Digital Copy Protect Switch) This setting determines whether or not the digitally mixed down tape can be later copied digitally[...]

Protecting Performances 1. Make the current song the one to which you want to apply Song Protect. 2. Press [SONG] several times until “SNG Song Name/Prtct?” appears in the display. 3. Press [YES]. Song name appears in the display. 4. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “SNG ChangePrtct → On?” appears in the display. 5. Press [YES]. If you wish to cancel[...]

The VS-880EX contains effects, allowing up to two stereo effects to be applied without using any equipment other than the VS-880EX itself. This chapter explains how to use these internal effects. Composition of the Effects The VS-880EX has two effect units which allow two types of effect to be applied simultaneously (FX1 and FX2). For each channel [...]

Inserting with Input and T rack Channels 1. Press [CH EDIT (SELECT)] for the channel to which you want to apply the effect. The CH EDIT indicator lights. 2. Press PARAMETER [ ] [ ] until “FX1 Ins=” appears in the display. Now you can make settings for effect 1. 3. Select how the effect will be connected. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. FX1 Ins (Eff[...]

MST FX1 INS Sw (Master Effect 1 Insert Switch) This sets how the effects are connected. Off: There is no Insert. On: Inserts in both channels of the stereo effect. 4. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “MST FX1 Ins Send=” appears in the display. 5. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. MST FX1 Ins Send (Master Effect 1 Insert Send Level) This adjusts the level of the [...]

Settings for Each Channel 1. Press [CH EDIT (SELECT)] for the channel to which you want to apply the effect. The CH EDIT indicator lights. 2. Hold down [SHIFT] and press the channel 7 [EFFECT-1 (CH EDIT)]. The upper line of the display will indicate “EFFECT 1,” and you can make settings for effect 1. 3. Select how the effect will be connected. [...]

3. Press PARAMETER [ ] [ ] until “RTN FX1 RTNLev=” appears in the display. 4. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. RTN FX1 RTNLev (Master Effect 1 Return Level) Adjust the return level (0–127) of the effect sound. Set the initial value to “100.” 5. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “RTN FX1Bal=” appears in the display. 6. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. RTN FX[...]

* Patches using the following algorithms can not be selected for FX2. A horizontal line is drawn through the effect name in such cases. Please select patches using these algo- rithms for use with FX1. • Reverb • Gated Reverb • Vocorder 2 • Voice Transformer Creating New Effects Sounds When creating a new effect, first select the existing pa[...]

When Saving to User Patches When you save effect settings to a User Patch, the User Patch that had previously been in that location is lost. At the time of purchase, the effects in the VS-880EX’s User Patches are the same as those stored in the Preset Patches. 1. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “Save User Patch?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. [...]

With the VS-880EX, there are two functions to recall mixer settings easily. One is refered to as the Scene , and the other one is referred to as the EZ Routing . According to the circumstances, please use each func- tion. Scene: A Scene stores the current mixer settings, include that setting values in a song. For example, during mix- down, you can [...]

SYS Scene Mode This setting determines the fader settings when a Scene is recalled. All: This changes the mixer settings to those of the Scene being recalled. In this case, when a Scene is recalled, the location of the faders on the top panel may no longer match the actual fader settings. KeepF: This changes the mixer settings to those of the Scene[...]

Recalling Recording Settings (Recording/T emplate) Select this when you want to record the performance input via the INPUT jacks. Recall a preset routing (recording) which has been pre-registered when the VS-880EX was shipped. 1. Press [EZ ROUTING] several times until “EZR Recording ?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. “EZR Use Template[...]

Display (parameter name) Input Track Mixer Mixer ATT current value current value Phase current value current value MIX Sw Off O (TRd=On) MIX Level 100 100 (TRd Ofs Level=100) MIX Pan 0 0 (TR7=L63, TR8=R63, TRd Ofs Bal=0) V.Track - Currently selected V-track EQ Switch - On EQL (Gain) - 0 dB EQL (Frequency) - 300 Hz EQM (Gain) - 0 dB EQM (Q) - 0.5 EQ[...]

Display (parameter name) Input Track Mixer Mixer Channel Link Off Off EFFECT1 PstFade PstFade EFFECT1 Send 100 100 EFFECT1 Pan 0 0 EFFECT2 PstFade PstFade EFFECT2 Send 100 100 EFFECT2 Pan 0 0 Display (parameter name) Return Mixer StereoIn Off FX1 RTN Lev 100 FX1 RTN Bal 0 FX2 RTN Lev 100 FX2 RTN Bal 0 Display (parameter name) Master Block Master Se[...]

8. “IN* Link=” (“*” is the displayed input) appears in the display. Specify the inputs for which you will turn Channel Link ON. Press the SELECT (CH EDIT) button of the inputs for which you wish to turn Channel Link ON, and rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. 9. Press PARAMETER [ ]. You can return to the previous screen by pressing PARAMETER [ ]. 1[...]

19. “IN* FX1 Ins=” appears in the display. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. If you wish to insert effect 1, select either “Ins,” “InsL,” “InsR,” or “InsS,” and proceed to step 20. If you wish to use effect 1 in a send/return configuration, select “Off” and pro- ceed to step 23. 20. “IN* InsSnd =” appears in the display. Use t[...]

36. Press PARAMETER [ ]. You can return to the previous screen by pressing PARAMETER [ ]. 37. “IN* SndPan” appears in the display. Use the TIME/VALUE dial to adjust the send pan. 38. Press PARAMETER [ ]. You can return to the previous screen by pressing PARAMETER [ ]. 39. “Master Sel=” appears in the display. Use the TIME/VALUE dial to sele[...]

Storing T rack Bouncing Settings (Bouncing/Step Edit) Select this when recording the performance data from multiple tracks onto a number of other tracks. 1. Press [EZ ROUTING] several times until “EZR Bouncing ?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. “EZR Use Template” (do you wish to apply the tem- plate?) appears in the display. 3. Pres[...]

12. “TR* Level =” appears in the display. Adjust the level of the playback track. Press the SELECT (CH EDIT) button for the playback track whose level you wish to adjust, and use the TIME/VALUE dial. You can also adjust the level using the chan- nel faders on the top panel. * When Channel Link is on, adjust the Offset Level of the tracks. (p. 1[...]

29. Press PARAMETER [ ]. You can return to the previous screen by pressing PARAMETER [ ]. 30. “Use EFFECT2 ?” appears in the display. If you wish to use effect 2 press [YES], and make settings for effect 2 as described in steps 15–28. If you do not wish to use effect 2, press [NO] and proceed to step 31. 31. “TR* AUX Snd” appears in the d[...]

45. “FX2 MstIns=” appears in the display. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. If you wish to insert effect 2 into the master out, select “On.” If not, select “Off.” If effect 2 has been inserted in another channel, the display will indicate “—” and this item cannot be set. 46. Press PARAMETER [ ]. You can return to the previous screen by [...]

8. Press PARAMETER [ ]. You can return to the previous screen by pressing PARAMETER [ ]. 9. “Level =” appears in the display. Adjust the level of the track/source. Press the SELECT (CH EDIT) button for the track/source whose level you wish to adjust, and use the TIME/VALUE dial. You can also adjust the level using the channel faders on the top [...]

26. “AUX Snd=” appears in the display. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. If you wish to send the track/source to the AUX bus, select either “Pre” or “Pst,” and proceed to step 27. If you do not wish to send the track/source to the AUX bus, select “Off,” and proceed to step 31. 27. Press PARAMETER [ ]. You can return to the previous screen[...]

40. “FX2 MstIns=” appears in the display. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. If you wish to insert effect 2 into the master out, select “On.” If not, select “Off.” If effect 2 has been inserted in another channel, the display will indicate “—” and this item cannot be set. 41. Press PARAMETER [ ]. You can return to the previous screen by [...]

This chapter explains the content and procedures for editing sound that has been recorded. Please read this chapter to gain an understanding of the concepts of “editing” described in this section. About Editing Operations On a tape recorder, in order to modify a performance that has been recorded you have to erase the perfor- mance which you re[...]

If you have selected an item which specifies a time, a play list will appear in the bar display. In this case if you wish to view an amplitude profile or the track selection status in the bar display, hold down [SHIFT] and press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. The amplitude profile allows you to view the sound recorded in the selected track as a waveform. Use [S[...]

11. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. St (Start point) Specifies the starting time of the copy range. 12. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “TRK Frm=” appears in the display. 13. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Frm (From point) Specifies the time of the copy source playback data in relation to the “To” point. Normally you will set this to be the same as the Start[...]

Moving Performance Data (T rack Move) This operation moves the playback data in a specified range to another location. This is convenient for cor- recting timing mistakes that can occur during record- ing. If playback data exists at the move destination, that data will be overwritten. * Playback data of a track for which Channel Link is ON cannot b[...]

14. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “TRK End=” appears in the display. 15. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. End (End point) Specifies the ending time of the move range. 16. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “TRK To =” appears in the display. 17. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. To (To point) Specifies the reference time of the move destination. 18. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “T[...]

1. You can exchange the tracks that are currently audible. Select the V-track containing the source playback data to be exchanged. 2. Press [TRACK] several times until “TRK Track Exchange ?” appears in the display. 3. Press [YES]. 4. Press CURSOR [ ] several times until “TRK Tr.=?-*:?=>?-?:?” (“*” is the current V-track bank) appears[...]

5. Rotating the TIME/VALUE dial allows you to specify the insert destination V-track. For exam- ple, “1-1” means “V-track 1 of track 1,” “1-*” means “all V-tracks of track 1,” and “*-*” means “all V-tracks of all tracks.” 6. If you want to insert multiple tracks simultane- ously, repeat Steps 4 and 5. 7. If there are any tra[...]

5. You can use the TIME/VALUE dial to specify the V-track that you wish to delete. For example, “1- 1” means “V-track 1 of track 1,” “1-*” means “all V-tracks of track 1,” and “*-*” means “all V-tracks of all tracks.” 6. If you want to cut multiple tracks simultaneously, repeat Steps 4 and 5. 7. If there are any tracks which[...]

4. Press [STATUS] for the track on which you want to carry out Track Erase. The STATUS indicator will light red. 5. You can use the TIME/VALUE dial to specify the V-track that you wish to erase. For example, “1-1” means “V-track 1 of track 1,” “1-*” means “all V- tracks of track 1,” and “*-*” means “all V-tracks of all tracks.[...]

In general, when you compress or expand the play- back time, the pitch changes in proportion to the amount of compression or expansion. For example, if the playback time is shortened, the pitch of the sound played back then rises. On the VS-880EX, you can select whether the playback pitch changes in accor- dance with the ratio of compression or exp[...]

Amplitude This specifies the volume level ratio (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100%) that will result from the conversion. Normally, the default value of 60% is recommended. If the vol- ume level after conversion is too low, use the Undo function to return to the original data, increase the amplitude settings, and try the operation again. However, excessivel[...]

A Zip drive can be connected to the SCSI connector of the VS-880EX. Be sure to read the owner’s manual for your Zip drive as well. This chapter will explain the procedures for saving songs to Zip disks and for returning songs saved to Zip disks back to the internal hard disk. Before Y ou Use a Zip Drive Handling the Zip Drive ● Install the unit[...]

1. Turn on the power of the Zip drive. 2. Turn on the power of the VS-880EX with the POWER switch on the rear panel. 3. Turn on the power of connected audio equip- ments. 4. Raise the volume of the audio devices to appro- priate levels. * For more detailed information regarding Zip drive con - nections, including the necessary settings, please refe[...]

12. Press [YES]. “SYS Init.***:* OK ?” appears in the display. “***:*” refers to the drive’s SCSI ID number. For example, “SC5:U” indicates a Zip drive. 13. Press [YES]. “SYS Init.***:*, Sure ?” (Really initialize the disk?) appears in the display. 14. Press [YES]. “STORE Current?” (Store the current song?) appears in the disp[...]

Saving Per formance Data to a Zip Drive (Song Copy) You can save song data created on the VS-880EX to an external disk. This is a convenient way to have song data backed up in the event of possible disk drive problems or to save data when there is little free disk space. Furthermore, since Zip disks are easy to handle and manage, you can use them w[...]

Saving a Song to a Single Disk (Playable) Here, the procedure for saving a playable copy of a song on the VS-880EX’s internal hard disk to a Zip disk which is set to SCSI ID Number 5 is explained. The approximate times which can be copied to one Zip disk (100 Mbyte) are as follows (calculated as one track). Recording Sample Rate Mode 48.0kHz 44.1[...]

T o Load Data fr om Disks (Drive Select) If you want to take playable songs that have been copied to Zip disks and load them onto the VS- 880EX’s hard disk, first switch the current drive to the Zip drive (Drive Select). This is referred to as Drive Select . Afterwards, you can make playable copies onto the internal hard disk from the Zip disk. *[...]

10. Following the procedure described in “Saving a Song to a Single Disk” (p. 103), make a playable copy of the song on the Zip disk to the internal hard disk. 11. After you have made the copy, repeat Steps 3–9 to reselect the internal hard disk as the current drive. When Y ou Cannot Save a Song to a Single Disk (Archives) Saving to Disks (St[...]

17. When copying over multiple Zip disks, “Insert Disk #” (# indicates the number in the order of insertion) appears in the display. Insert each of the disks once more in the proper order and press [YES]. 18. When the Archives Store procedure is finished, return to Play condition. Loading Data From Disks (Extract) 1. Select the load (restore) d[...]

You can connect a CD-RW drive which is designated by Roland, to the VS-880EX’s SCSI connector. This chapter explains the procedures involved in creating your own original audio CDs and in backing up song data to CD-RW discs. Refer to the owner’s manual of CD-RW drive as you proceed. Before Y ou Use a CD-R W Drive Handling the CD-RW Drive ● In[...]

1. Turn on the power of the CD-RW drive. 2. Turn on the power of the VS-880EX. 3. Turn on the power of connected audio equipment. 4. Raise the volume of the audio devices to appro- priate levels. * For details on connecting a CD-RW drive and on the required settings, refer to “About SCSI” (appendices p.5). Creating an Audio CD You can create yo[...]

Range The two tracks designated by the VS-880EX for writ- ing to the CD-R disc are written from the beginning of the tracks (normally “00h00m00s00”) to the end (song end). Thus, any blank space on the tracks before or after the actual performance results in wasted space on the CD-R disc. To avoid this, use Track Cut to remove any unused portion[...]

11. Press [YES]. “SNG CD Track No. OK?” is displayed. 12. Press [YES]. “Obey Copyrights?” is displayed. 13. Carefully read the License Agreement (detailed on the back cover of this manual); if you agree to the terms, press [YES.] Writing to the CD-R disc begins. If you do not agree to the terms, press [NO]. The VS-880EX just returns to the [...]

5. Only the following buttons, knobs, and faders effect the sound. Try listening to the contents of the disc. [ZERO]: Goes to the start of the first song. [REW]: Rapidly rewinds as long as the button is held down. [FF]: Rapidly advances as long as the but- ton is held down. [STOP]: Stops the CD. [PLAY]: Begins playing back from the present location[...]

2. Hold down [SONG] and press [TAP]. Set a track number mark point at the present location on the track. A “+” (plus sign) appears at the end of the track num- ber mark point. * You cannot set markers for four seconds from the top of songs (“00h00m00s00”). * Due to audio CD standards, songs must be at least four seconds long. Thus, if you t[...]

3. Press PARAMETER[ ] until “SNG Finalize?” appears in the display. 4. Press [YES]. “Finalize Sure?” appears in the display. 5. Press [YES]. “Obey Copyrights?” is displayed. 6. Carefully read the License Agreement (p. 39); if you agree to the terms, press [YES.] 7. After “--- Complete ---” appears in the display, the VS-880EX return[...]

Items Necessary for CD-R Backup • VS-880EX (1) • CD-RW drive (1) • Internal IDE hard disk (HDP88 series) • CD-RW (Compact Disc-ReWritable) disc Saving Songs to CD-RW Discs 1. Select the disk (internal IDE hard disk) containing the source song you want to back up as the cur- rent drive. 2. Place a CD-RW disc in the CD-RW drive. 3. Press [SON[...]

Loading Songs From CD-R W Discs 1. Select the disk (internal IDE hard disk) containing the song you want to load as the current drive. 2. Place the CD-R disc to which the song data has been backed up in the CD-RW drive. 3. Press [SONG] several times until “CD-R Recover ?” appears in the display. 4. Press [YES]. “STORE Current?” (Store the c[...]

This chapter describes the MIDI messages that can be handled by the VS-880EX and the operations that the VS-880EX can perform using MIDI messages. For more detailed information about MIDI, please refer to “About MIDI” (Appendices p. 4). Synchr onizing with MIDI Sequencers The VS-880EX can be operated in synchronization with a MIDI sequencer. Re[...]

Frame (Appendices p. 123) NTSC Format (Appendices p. 124) SECAM Format/PAL Format (Appendices p. 124) Synchronization with the VS-880EX as the Reference (Master) When you are having the VS-880EX act to control the MIDI sequencer, use the following procedure. 1. Connect the VS-880EX and the MIDI sequencer as shown below. 2. Press [SYSTEM] several ti[...]

6. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS Sync/Tempo ?” appears in the display. 7. Press [YES]. 8. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS Gen.=” appears in the display. 9. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Gen. (Generator) This selects the type of synchronization signal that will be transmitted from the MIDI OUT connector. At this point, s[...]

8. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. Return to Play condition. 9. Set your MIDI sequencer to send MTC. 10. Hold down [SHIFT] and press [SYSTEM]. The “SYNC MODE” field of the display will show “EXT,” indicating that the unit will now operate in synchronization with MTC received from a MIDI sequencer. 11. Press [PLAY]. The PLAY indicator blinks green, [...]

What is the Sync T rack? In addition to the tracks for recording audio signals, the VS-880EX has a separate track for recording MIDI Clock signals. This is called the sync track . Unlike conventional multi-track recorders, it is not necessary to reserve one of the audio tracks for recording the sync signal. To use the sync track, first the MIDI clo[...]

2. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS MIDI PRM ?” appears in the display. 3. Press [YES]. 4. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS MID: MIDIThr=” appears in the display. 5. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. MIDI Thru (MIDI Thru Switch) This selects the function of the MIDI OUT/THRU con- nector. For now, select “Out.” Out: The conn[...]

4. Tempo Map 1 (the song’s initial tempo) is dis- played. The measure appearing in the display and its beat, metronome sound, and MIDI Clock trans- mitted from the VS-880EX follow the tempo map settings. The following example indicates that a tempo map with time signature of 4/4 and quar- ter note=120 begins at measure 1. 5. Press CURSOR [ ]. The[...]

2. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS MIDI PRM ?” appears in the display. 3. Press [YES]. 4. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS MID: MIDIThr=” appears in the display. 5. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. MIDI Thru (MIDI Thru Switch) This selects the function of the MIDI OUT/THRU con- nector. For now, select “Out.” Out: The conn[...]

6. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “SYS CV:Beat=” appears in the display. 7. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Beat Specify the number of beat (1/1–8/1, 1/2–8/2, 1/4–8/4, 1/8–8/8) in one measure. 8. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “SYS CV:Tap Beat=” appears in the display. 9. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Tap Beat Specify the number of marks (1–8) in each meas[...]

CV (Convert) Here you can select how the sync track / tempo map will be created. For this example, select “CV3.” CV1=Tap → S.Tr: Create the sync track from mark points. CV2=Tap → T.Map: Create the tempo map from mark points. CV3=S.Tr → T.Map: Create the tempo map from the sync track. CV4=Time → S.Tr: Automatically create the sync track.[...]

Delaying Sync T rack and T empo Map Start Times Usually, a sync track or tempo map is created with “00h00m00s00f00” as the beginning of the song. However, recording usually doesn’t actually start from “00h00m00s00f00.” In this kind of situation, you can determine how much later recording begins after the start of the song. This time is re[...]

Switching Scenes You can switch Scenes with MIDI Program Change messages sent by the external MIDI controller. 1. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS MIDI PRM ?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. 3. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS MID:P.C.Scne=” appears in the display. 4. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. P.C.Scene (Program[...]

This chapter explains the procedures for using a DAT recorder in conjunction with the VS-880EX. Refer to the owner’s manual for your DAT recorder as you read this manual. Before Backing Up with DA T With a DAT recorder connected to the VS-880EX’s DIGITAL OUT connector (coaxial or optical), song data created on the VS-880EX can be saved using a [...]

Saving Song Data to a DA T Recorder (Backup) Use the following procedure to back up the song data on the current drive. 1. Connect the VS-880EX and the DAT recorder as shown below. 2. Set the DAT recorder so that it is able to record digital signals. * Normally, the sample rate at which song data is transmit- ted is set at 48 kHz. This sample rate [...]

9. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “Backup Wait=” appears in the display. 10. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Backup Wait When this is set to “On,” the data transmission speed will be slower. Turn this on when using a disk drive (such as a Zip drive) whose data read/write speed is slower. When this is set to “On,” although it takes longer for the back[...]

Loading Per formance Data fr om a DA T Recorder (Recover) Use the following procedure to load song data that was backed up on a DAT recorder. If two or more songs were saved together during the backup, the data of all songs will be loaded. * You can recover VS-880 song data backed up using DAT backup. For more detailed information, please see “Co[...]

10. The display will indicate “Init ***:* OK ?” (OK to initialize the current drive?). “***:*” will show “IDE:*” for the internal hard disk, or “SC0:*–SC7:*” for an external drive (the number is the SCSI ID number). The number following the disk drive name is the partition number. For example when recovering to partition 0 of the [...]

Checking Names of Saved Per formance Data (Name) This operation lets you check the names of song data that was saved to a DAT tape. Even if you have saved the data of two or more songs in a single backup oper- ation, you can check the name of each song. This operation also allows you to load selected song data into the VS-880EX. When the recover op[...]

11. When the load procedure is finished, “Please Stop DAT” appears in the display. Stop the DAT recorder, then press [YES]. The DAT Name screen appears in the display. If data for two or more songs was saved together, you can rotate the TIME/VALUE dial to view the song names. 12. If you wish to end the operation after merely checking the, press[...]

2. Insert the tape which contains the song data into the DAT recorder. If the song data is backed up on two or more tapes, insert the first tape. 3. Prepare the tape for playback from the beginning of the song data. 4. Press [SONG] several times until “SNG DAT Recover?” appears in the display. 5. Press [YES]. “STORE Current?” (Store the cur[...]

Disks used with Roland’s VS-880 and VS-840 models can also be used by the VS-880EX. Additionally, song data recorded on such disks can be loaded by the VS- 880EX. However, because differences in the structure of disk space and song data on disks that can be used, there are a number of precautions concerning the load- ing and saving of data that s[...]

VS-880EX → VS-1680 When internal hard disks that have been used by a VS- 880EX are installed in the VS-1680, or when Zip disks that have been used by a VS-880EX are inserted into a Zip drive connected to the VS-1680, they are recog- nized as the initialization disk. In this case, the VS- 1680 can be used for playing back songs recorded with the V[...]

3. For the current drive, select the drive (internal IDE hard disk) you want to be the load destina- tion. 4. Press [SONG] several times until “Song Import ?” appears in the display. 5. Press [YES]. 6. “Source Drv=” (the drive from which the data will be read) appears in the display. Use the TIME/VALUE dial to select the drive which con- ta[...]

4. Press [SONG] several times until “Song Export ?” appears in the display. 5. Press [YES]. 6. “Dest. Drv=” (the save destination drive) appears in the display. Use the TIME/VALUE dial to select the drive on which you wish to save the converted song data. For example if you wish to save the data to the Zip drive, select “SC5:0.” 7. Pres[...]

Previewing T echniques (Preview) When editing a song, you will likely want to find pre- cise points in the song, for example the point where sound begins or where the climax begins, when using Auto Punch-In Recording, and in other editing situa- tions. In such instances, you can specify the amount of time for playback leading up to or following a d[...]

Using [SCRUB] This function is used to repeat playback of the song before and after a designated point on a selected track for a more precisely specified length of time (25–100 msec). Press [SCRUB] while the song is stopped. The button indicator lights, and the specified section is played back repeatedly. The playback time (25–100 msec) is shor[...]

Recalling a Specific Location (Jump) Besides using the TIME/VALUE dial, markers and locators to move the current time of the song, you can also directly specify a location or measure and beat to be recalled. This is convenient when designating loca- tions during Track Edit. 1. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. 2. If you wish to directly recall a marker time [...]

Preparations for Auto Mix Press [AUTOMIX]. The button indicator lights, indi- cating that Mix mode is on. At this time, while holding down the [AUTOMIX] but- ton once more, each time the each channel SELECT button or [EZ ROUTING] (Master Block) is pressed, the status Indicator off: Auto Mix is disabled. Indicator on: Auto Mix playback is enabled. I[...]

Recording the Mixer Settings, Method 2 (Gradation) This creates an auto mix that smoothly connects Snapshots recorded in two adjacent markers. This method is called Gradation . For example, this is convenient when you wish to specify the length of a fade-in or fade-out. 1. Follow the operation as described in “Recording the Mixer Settings, Method[...]

7. Press [PLAY] to begin playback. 8. Operate the channel faders, master fader, and PAN knobs on the top panel. Auto mix data will be recorded only for those chan- nels that are modified. 9. When the mix is finished, press [STOP]. markers will be automatically created in the area which was played back. If you wish to re-do realtime, repeat steps 3?[...]

Disabling Auto Mix on All Channels 1. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS Scene/Auto Mix?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. 3. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS A.Mix Erase?” appears in the display. 4. Press [YES]. 5. Use the TIME/VALUE dial to specify the first marker in the range that you want Auto Mix erased. Erase [...]

However if you once again record (step 3’) after returning to the condition of recording number 2, the recordings 3–5 that were canceled by the Undo opera- tion will be lost. This means that if after step 3’ you use the Undo operation to return to the previous step, you will return to the condition of step 2. Recording and Editing Operations [...]

4. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. For now select “Off.” UNDO MSG (UNDO message) This selects whether or not the Undo confirmation message is displayed. On: The message is displayed, asking how many levels you want to undo. Off: The message is not displayed, and only the immediately preceding operation is undone. 5. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. Return t[...]

Simultaneously Adjusting a Stereo Source (Channel Link) When recording or playing back a stereo source, nor- mal mixer operations require you to control the left and right channels separately, which can make it inconvenient to adjust equalizer, effects, and other set- tings. In such cases, you can have the settings for a pair of channels, with the [...]

6. Press [CH EDIT (SELECT)] for the other channel. 7. Repeat steps 2–5 to make the same settings for the other channel. 8. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “Ofs Level =” appears in the display. 9. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Ofs Level (Offset Level) Adjust the overall volume level (0–127) while main- taining the volume balance of the two channels. This[...]

8. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “Ofs Bal =” appears in the display. 9. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Ofs Bal (Offset Balance) Adjust the overall left/right level (L63–0–R63) while maintaining the panning of both channels. This will operate linked with the pan knob of the odd-num- bered channel. 10. If you wish to assign the output of a source or trac[...]

Mixing In a Stereo Source (Stereo In) You can assign input signals from the INPUT jacks or DIGITAL IN connector to the MIX bus or RECORD- ING bus, without having them pass through the input mixer. You can also monitor these signals without having them pass through the input mixer or output mixer. This is referred to as Stereo In . This can be con- [...]

Record/Playback T racks When Using V ari-Pitch When vari-pitch is on, the number of tracks which can be simultaneously recorded/played back may be lim- ited, depending on the range of pitch change. Directly Inputting Numeric Characters When modifying the time locations of a locator or punch-in point, you can use the LOCATOR buttons as numeric keys [...]

Sounding the Metr onome No matter how accurately one tries to play, listening to the recording play back sometimes reveals inaccura- cies in rhythm or tempo. The VS-880EX provides a metronome (click track) that can be sounded at a spec- ified tempo. By listening to the metronome as you play your instrument, you will be able to record your per- form[...]

Using an External MIDI Sound Source to Play the Metronome A MIDI sound source can be used to play the metronome with a sound of your choosing. To do this, use the following procedure. 1. Connect the VS-880EX and the MIDI sound gener- ator as shown below. 2. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS MIDI PRM ?” appears in the display. 3. Press [YE[...]

16. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “Acc.Note” appears in the display. 17. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Acc.Note (Accent Note) This sets note numbers (C0–G9) for the downbeat. When the Drum set is playing, this selects specific per- cussion sounds. 18. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “Nrm.Note” appears in the display. 19. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Nrm.Note (N[...]

Deleting One Song of Performance Data (Song Erase) When you are making a master tape or backing up songs to a Zip disk, this operation deletes song data that has become unnecessary. This operation cannot be undone with the Undo function. 1. Select the drive contains the song you want to erase as the current drive. 2. Press [SONG] several times unti[...]

3. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. ATT (Attenuation) Adjusts the volume level (-12–+12 dB) of each chan- nel’s digital signal. 4. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. Return to Play condition. When Using Balanced Inputs The VS-880EX features balanced (TRS) INPUT jacks, each one configure as follows. However, some audio devices have the opposite HOT (TIP) and CO[...]

5. “MasterLevel=” appears in the display. Use the TIME/VALUE dial to adjust the volume of the sound that is output from the MASTER jacks. This value is linked with master fader on the top panel. 6. Press PARAMETER [ ]. 7. “Master Bal=” appears in the display. Use the TIME/VALUE dial to adjust the left/right balance of the sound that is outp[...]

DIRECT OUT The sounds from each of the Tracks 1–4 or Tracks 5–8 are output from separate analog jacks. 1. Hold down [SHIFT] and press [EDIT (FADER)]. 2. Press PARAMETER [ ] [ ] to let “DIR OUT=” appears in the display. 3. Determine what is to be output from the DIRECT OUT by rotating the TIME/VALUE dial. DIR OUT (Direct Out) The metronome s[...]

8. When Drive Check is completed, the display screen appears as shown below. If the display indicates “No Err” 9-1. The entire disk could be read correctly. Press [YES]. Return to Play condition. If the display indicates “___ Err” The underlines portion will display the number of times that a read error occurred. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial [...]

If a disk error is found, it is possible to erase only the data that was lost as a result of the error (Recover). I.e., the disk can be restored to a correct operating condi- tion while keeping as much possible of the non-error data. * This procedure does not correct the disk error. All error locations will be erased. This means that depending on t[...]

This section describes the settings that affect the over- all functioning of the VS-880EX. Switching the Display Content In Play condition, you can hold down [SHIFT] and press [DISPLAY (PLAY)] to switch the contents of the bar display. In Edit condition, the contents of the dis- play will change depending on the selected parameter or operation. Pre[...]

Checking the Size of a Recorded Per formance You can see the Song Name, Song Number, Sample Rate, Recording Mode, and the actual used capacity of the current song by the following operation. 1. Stop the song playback. When the song is per- formed, press [STOP]. 2. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. Return to Play condition. 3. Hold down [SHIFT] and press [SON[...]

PeakHoldSw (Peak Hold Switch) With this set to “On,” the level meter in the graphic display holds the display of peak levels. 5. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. Return to Play condition. Now, the peak display is reset (cleared) each time [PLAY (DISPLAY)] is pressed. Checking the Remaining Disk Space The amount of free disk space available for recording[...]

Overall Settings for the VS- 880EX These are setting related to the overall operation of the VS-880EX. Holding the function of [SHIFT] (Shift Lock) You can temporarily hold functions by pressing [SHIFT]. Operations such as switching V-tracks or sav- ing songs can be performed with one hand. 1. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS System PRM ??[...]

Adjusting the Button Sensitivity On the VS-880EX, function of STATUS button differs by it is hit and released quickly or it is held for longer seconds. You can specify the length of this time that the STATUS button must be held down in order to change it’s function. Function When Pressed: Changes the track status. Function When Held Down: Confirm[...]

Changing at the Level at Which the Peak Indicator Lights You can designate the level at which the peak indica- tor lights for sounds input via the INPUT jacks (1–6). 1. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS System PRM ?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. 3. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “Peak Level=” appears in the displ[...]

4. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. Marker Stop When this is set to “On,” playback of the song stops automatically when a designated marker is reached. 5. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. Return to Play condition. 6. Press [PLAY] to begin playback of the song. When the song reaches the location containing the marker, playback then stops. If Noise Between Seg[...]

Along with the functions or external devices explained in earlier chapters, this chapter explains some actual ways and gives some tips in which the VS-880EX can be used effectively. First press [PLAY (DISPLAY)], and begin each operation from Play condition. Synchr onizing the Operations of T wo VS-880EX Units The VS-880EX is compatible with MMC. He[...]

4. Press PARAMETER [ ]. “SYS MID:MIDIThr=” appears in the display. 5. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. MIDIThr (MIDI Thru Switch) This switches the function of the MIDI OUT/THRU connector. For now, set this to “Out.” Out: The connector transmits MIDI message such as metronome Note messages or MTC from the VS-880EX. Thru: MIDI messages received a[...]

Settings for the Slave VS-880EX 1. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS MIDI PRM ?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. “SYS MID:DeviceID=” appears in the display. 3. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. DeviceID This sets the Device ID number (1–32) that is used when exchanging exclusive messages (mixer parame- ters) with an external MIDI [...]

Synchr onizing with Cakewalk Pro Audio (MMC) The VS-880EX supports MMC. This means that when two VS-880EX units are synchronized or when a VS-880EX is used in conjunction with an MMC-support- ing MIDI sequencer etc., operations such as song playback, stop and fast-for- ward can be performed by operating only the master device. MMC (Appendices p. 12[...]

Settings for the VS-880EX 1. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS MIDI PRM ?” appears in the display. 2. Press [YES]. 3. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS MID:MIDIThr=” appears in the display. 4. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. MIDIThr (MIDI Thru Switch) This switches the function of the MIDI OUT/THRU connector. For now, set this [...]

16. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS Syn:MTC Type=” appears in the display. 17. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. MTC Type (MTC Type) This selects the type of MTC (30, 29N, 29D, 25, or 24). Set this to conform to the type of MTC on the slave VS- 880EX. Here, select “30.” 18. Press [PLAY (DISPLAY)]. Return to Play condition. Settings f[...]

Chapter 14 T akein Adv antages of the VS-880EX (idea and examples) 176 Digital Connections Cannot Be Used When Sync Source is set to “EXT,” the VS-880EX operates according to the Clock signal (MTC) transmitted by the connected MIDI device. At such times, if you also set the master Clock to “DIGIN1” or “DIGIN2,” the VS-880EX then also at[...]

Making Digital Connections with Cakewalk When you have a sound card (such as Audiomedia III or CardD) that features digital input and output connectors installed in your computer, you can connect Cakewalk and your VS-880EX digitally. This is convenient when, for example, you want to record the audio tracks from the VS-880EX to Cakewalk via a digita[...]

Recording to Cakewalk 1. Make the connections as shown below. 2. Follow the procedure as described in “Settings for the VS-880EX” (p. 195) and “Settings for Cakewalk Pro Audio” (p. 196), set up the system so that the VS-880EX and Cakewalk are synchronized. 3. Make the settings to Cakewalk as shown below. For more detailed informa- tion, ple[...]

Recording to the VS-880EX 1. Make the connections as shown below. 2. Follow the procedure as described in “Settings for the VS-880EX” (p. 195) and “Settings for Cakewalk Pro Audio” (p. 196), set up the system so that the VS-880EX and Cakewalk are synchronized. 3. Make the settings to Cakewalk as shown below. For more detailed informa- tion,[...]

Master Clock This is used to select the reference clock for the VS-880EX operations. Here, set this to “DIGIN1” or “DIGIN2.” DIGIN1: Based on the digital signal received at the DIGITAL IN connector (coaxial). INT: Based on the VS-880EX’s internal clock. DIGIN2: Based on the digital signal received at the DIGITAL IN connector (optical). 8.[...]

The Correspondence Between MIDI Channels and Controller Numbers MIDI channels correspond to the mixer channels as shown below. For channel pairs linked with the Stereo Link function, Control Change messages can be exchanged using the odd-numbered channel’s MIDI channel. Control Change messages transmitted via the even-numbered channel’s MIDI ch[...]

Preparations for Compu Mix 1. Make the connections as shown below. 2. Press [SYSTEM] several times until “SYS MIDI PRM ?” appears in the display. 3. Press [YES]. 4. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS MID:MIDIThr=” appears in the display. 5. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. MIDIThr (MIDI Thru Switch) This switches the function of the MI[...]

Recording with Compu Mix 1. Prepare the VS-880EX’s mixer settings (faders, pan, etc.) and ready for playback the song. 2. Put the MIDI sequencer in Record mode, and begin playback with the VS-880EX. 3. When playback begins, immediately hold down [SHIFT] and press [SCENE]. The mixer’s initial condition is transmitted from the MIDI OUT connector.[...]

Synchr onizing with V ideo Equipment When used in combination with the Roland SI-80S, you can control playback and stop functions on the VS-880EX with video equipment featuring a consumer video interface that conforms to (RCTC) time code. Make the connections as shown below, and refer to the SI-80S owner’s manual and the owner’s manual for your[...]

8. Press [YES]. 9. Press PARAMETER [ ] several times until “SYS Syn:ErrLevel=” appears in the display. 10. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. ErrLevel (Error Level) This sets the interval (0–10) for checking MTC receiv- ing status when synchronize VS-880EX with MTC from an external MIDI device. If the MTC is not being sent continuously, the VS-880EX[...]

6. Hold down [SHIFT] and press the channel 6 [AUX Send (CH EDIT)]. “AUX Sw=” appears in the display. 7. Rotate the TIME/VALUE dial. AUX Sw (AUX Switch) This sets how the signal is sent to the AUX bus. Here, select “Off.” Off: The signal is not sent. PreFade: The signal before passing through the chan- nel fader is sent. PstFade: The signala[...]

Index (words) (A) Automix ..........................................................................142 (C) CD player ..................................................................55, 110 CD player function ........................................................110 CD-R backup ..................................................................1[...]

(R) Random access .................................................................28 Realtime ..........................................................................144 Recording bus ..................................................................25 Recording mode...............................................................40 (S) S/P DIF ..[...]

MEMO... Index 189 Chapter 14[...]

190 Information When you need repair service, call your nearest Roland Service Center or authorized Roland distributor in your country as shown below. As of February 17, 1999 ARGENTINA Instrumentos Musicales S.A. Florida 656 2nd Floor Office Number 206A Buenos Aires ARGENTINA, CP1005 TEL: (54-11) 4- 393-6057 BRAZIL Roland Brasil Ltda. R. Coronel Oc[...]

CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN ATTENTION : RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR CAUTION : TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to aler[...]

® OWNER'S MANUAL OWNER'S MANUAL Copyright © 1998 ROLAND CORPORATION All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of ROLAND CORPORATION. Roland Homepage http://www.rolandcorp.com/ 01562867 '99-3-E3-41N Concerning Copyright The law prohibits the unauthorized recording, [...]