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New Roland MV-1 and Zenbeats integration

So the MV-1 is promising zenbeats integration in Feb. It'll be interesting to see if this is more than just simple level control or the like, but interesting nonetheless. (Roland being Roland, I'm not particularly optimistic, of course).

https://www.roland.com/us/products/verselab_mv-1/

Given the ubiquity of iOS devices, I'm honestly surprised that hardware manufacturers haven't broadly opted to offload/supplement features (full screen editing, e.g.) with phones/tablets ala the OP-Z. What am I missing here?

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Comments

  • edited January 2021

    Major sampling fail with Ave!

  • edited January 2021

    @legsmechanical said:
    ...
    Given the ubiquity of iOS devices, I'm honestly surprised that hardware manufacturers haven't broadly opted to offload/supplement features (full screen editing, e.g.) with phones/tablets ala the OP-Z. What am I missing here?

    If they did, their software would stand in competition with other iOS apps and they'd probably have a hard time to keep up. The hardware itself doesn't look like a very advanced box control-wise so the main asset will be the included sounds.
    Does it have audio tracks? Audio editing? Ableton Link? AUv3 support? Edit MIDI controller automation?
    It sure has deep menu diving support though 😁
    But that's just my POV.

  • How does this integrate with Zenbeats? It’s a hardware box .

  • @Telstar5 said:
    How does this integrate with Zenbeats? It’s a hardware box .

    It could be a good controller for Zenbeats or something like that?!
    If Zenbeats gets ZenCore patch editing it could be used to edit patches for the device etc. etc.

  • @Samu said:

    @Telstar5 said:
    How does this integrate with Zenbeats? It’s a hardware box .

    It could be a good controller for Zenbeats or something like that?!
    If Zenbeats gets ZenCore patch editing it could be used to edit patches for the device etc. etc.

    @Samu : Have you tried Multitrack recorder for iPad?

  • I really think this is a neat piece of kit for songwriters. It seems very targeted towards singers and rappers with the included vocal fx and vocal takes. The interface seems simple enough to learn and comes with solid sounds. I think the price point might be a bit high at $700 for just 8 tracks but the fact that it can be bus powered is really nice. I'm really tempted as I would love a complete in the box hardware that can produce full tracks.

  • @Telstar5 said:

    @Samu : Have you tried Multitrack recorder for iPad?

    Nope, even though I have a boatload of apps I don't have 'everything' :)
    For now I'll stick to Renoise & Logic Pro on my Mac and use the iPad as a 'sound-module'.

    Cheers!

  • For me to buy one it would have to have Zenbeats integration. That tiny 2 line display is a non-starter in the year 2021.

  • I've got the MC-101, and it just seems like a slightly overblown version of that. (I'm actually totally down with the 2-line display on that given the limited parameter editing). Target demographic for this seems really weird. $700 seems pretty steep for those tiktok kids who are just certain they're going to be discovered any day now. Roland's really banking on mom and dad ponying up I guess.

  • On the plus side, so many people were upset this has song mode and the 101/707 don't that Roland eventually responded on Facebook that an update is dropping soon for the 101/707 what will address song arranging:

  • Interesting but misses the target I think, it should have built in sampling and be about half the price for the market they are targeting. Infact they should have updated the SP404A/SX with a small display and improved sequencer also adding Zen beats integration.

  • @legsmechanical said:
    I've got the MC-101, and it just seems like a slightly overblown version of that. (I'm actually totally down with the 2-line display on that given the limited parameter editing). Target demographic for this seems really weird. $700 seems pretty steep for those tiktok kids who are just certain they're going to be discovered any day now. Roland's really banking on mom and dad ponying up I guess.

    I agree, weird target demographic.
    I don’t get it. It looked really interesting but from watching the introduction videos I think it’s a missed chance. Seems too limited from the start, “drum + bass + 2 instr + vocals”... ok, but why?. Why make it a “hip hop singer” device when it’s got the potential to be a lot more?. Guitars, acoustic bass, saxophone, whatever... like a simpler MPC live or Maschine. I can’t see any advantage of this over Zenbeats on an iPad.

  • edited January 2021

    As someone likely in the target demo for this product, other than the price point and no built-in battery, I think Roland hit the nail on the head as far as a vocal-based songwriter's needs go. From what I've found, it seems like the perfect studio in a box to go dawless. I plan on dropping my desktop at some point and going all iPad for a daily driver. I might pick this up as it ticks pretty much all my boxes production-wise, sampling, built-in sounds, XLR, mixing/mastering suite.

    It's also the first time I've seen a product catered directly to the producer-vocalist demo

  • @KirbyMumbo said:
    As someone likely in the target demo for this product, other than the price point and no built-in battery, I think Roland hit the nail on the head as far as a vocal-based songwriter's needs go. From what I've found, it seems like the perfect studio in a box to go dawless. I plan on dropping my desktop at some point and going all iPad for a daily driver. I might pick this up as it ticks pretty much all my boxes production-wise, sampling, built-in sounds, XLR, mixing/mastering suite.

    It's also the first time I've seen a product catered directly to the producer-vocalist demo

    I'm in the songwriter boat myself -- vocals and whole bit. I use the Akai Force to great effect for this (vocals, live instrumentation, synths, sampling, effects ...), and can't imagine how the MV-1 could come anywhere CLOSE to the flexibility, efficiency, or functionality of the Force. And, for my purposes, the MPC One I used to own (which is cheaper than the MV-1) gave me basically the same functionality as the Force.

    Apart from the canned vocal processing effects (which, except for pitch correction, can be replicated with Akai effects chains) and arguably larger sounder library (depends on what's useful to you -- force has a lot more than the MPC One and MV-1 has more than both but has no real parameter editing to speak of...), I can't figure why anyone would chose the MV-1 over any of Akai's offering if they're leaning toward an all-in-one.

    Side rant: As an MC101 user, it also irritates me that the promotional vids for the MV-1 don't show the maze of menu-diving you have to go through to set up things to the point where you can just start putting your song together like the cool guys in the video. Like... THAT'S THE HARD PART THAT MAKES LOTS OF HARDWARE A DRAG -- recording onto a track is easy with ANYTHING once you have everything dialed in.

    Damn... I'm turning into one of those people that rails against gear I don't own and would never buy. How'd this happen??

  • edited January 2021

    @legsmechanical
    I'm in the songwriter boat myself -- vocals and whole bit. I use the Akai Force to great effect for this (vocals, live instrumentation, synths, sampling, effects ...), and can't imagine how the MV-1 could come anywhere CLOSE to the flexibility, efficiency, or functionality of the Force. And, for my purposes, the MPC One I used to own (which is cheaper than the MV-1) gave me basically the same functionality as the Force.

    Apart from the canned vocal processing effects (which, except for pitch correction, can be replicated with Akai effects chains) and arguably larger sounder library (depends on what's useful to you -- force has a lot more than the MPC One and MV-1 has more than both but has no real parameter editing to speak of...), I can't figure why anyone would chose the MV-1 over any of Akai's offering if they're leaning toward an all-in-one.

    I had the Force early before there was a song mode and returned it once I realized it didn't. I believe it has one now, but I soon realized I wasn't particularly into the workflow and sheer size of the device either. I saw MPC One and the software had a similar look/feel so I skipped it, also it seems the MPC One goes for the same price as this new Roland, minus the XLR or built-in mic.

    I'm not sure I'll pick this up, or keep it if I do, but it looks cool for completing an entire song and I think the real emphasis on this product is not music production, but the vocal recording and song mode arrangement. It isn't as pretty as the Akai gear, I'll admit but it can sample, has drum pads, and a library of sounds ready to go. Plus an arrangement mode to sort everything out.

    I can definitely see vocalists/producers picking this up.

  • @legsmechanical said:

    @KirbyMumbo said:
    As someone likely in the target demo for this product, other than the price point and no built-in battery, I think Roland hit the nail on the head as far as a vocal-based songwriter's needs go. From what I've found, it seems like the perfect studio in a box to go dawless. I plan on dropping my desktop at some point and going all iPad for a daily driver. I might pick this up as it ticks pretty much all my boxes production-wise, sampling, built-in sounds, XLR, mixing/mastering suite.

    It's also the first time I've seen a product catered directly to the producer-vocalist demo

    I'm in the songwriter boat myself -- vocals and whole bit. I use the Akai Force to great effect for this (vocals, live instrumentation, synths, sampling, effects ...), and can't imagine how the MV-1 could come anywhere CLOSE to the flexibility, efficiency, or functionality of the Force. And, for my purposes, the MPC One I used to own (which is cheaper than the MV-1) gave me basically the same functionality as the Force.

    Apart from the canned vocal processing effects (which, except for pitch correction, can be replicated with Akai effects chains) and arguably larger sounder library (depends on what's useful to you -- force has a lot more than the MPC One and MV-1 has more than both but has no real parameter editing to speak of...), I can't figure why anyone would chose the MV-1 over any of Akai's offering if they're leaning toward an all-in-one.

    Side rant: As an MC101 user, it also irritates me that the promotional vids for the MV-1 don't show the maze of menu-diving you have to go through to set up things to the point where you can just start putting your song together like the cool guys in the video. Like... THAT'S THE HARD PART THAT MAKES LOTS OF HARDWARE A DRAG -- recording onto a track is easy with ANYTHING once you have everything dialed in.

    Damn... I'm turning into one of those people that rails against gear I don't own and would never buy. How'd this happen??

    How'd this happen?
    Maybe because now we're spoilt by better iOS apps 😄
    If you own the Force already, the MC101 serving as a ROMpler might be more than enough... but then there's PureSynth, AudioLayer, Synthmaster, BeatHawk and many others. All on the iPhone too.

  • edited January 2021

    @rs2000 said:

    @legsmechanical said:

    @KirbyMumbo said:
    As someone likely in the target demo for this product, other than the price point and no built-in battery, I think Roland hit the nail on the head as far as a vocal-based songwriter's needs go. From what I've found, it seems like the perfect studio in a box to go dawless. I plan on dropping my desktop at some point and going all iPad for a daily driver. I might pick this up as it ticks pretty much all my boxes production-wise, sampling, built-in sounds, XLR, mixing/mastering suite.

    It's also the first time I've seen a product catered directly to the producer-vocalist demo

    I'm in the songwriter boat myself -- vocals and whole bit. I use the Akai Force to great effect for this (vocals, live instrumentation, synths, sampling, effects ...), and can't imagine how the MV-1 could come anywhere CLOSE to the flexibility, efficiency, or functionality of the Force. And, for my purposes, the MPC One I used to own (which is cheaper than the MV-1) gave me basically the same functionality as the Force.

    Apart from the canned vocal processing effects (which, except for pitch correction, can be replicated with Akai effects chains) and arguably larger sounder library (depends on what's useful to you -- force has a lot more than the MPC One and MV-1 has more than both but has no real parameter editing to speak of...), I can't figure why anyone would chose the MV-1 over any of Akai's offering if they're leaning toward an all-in-one.

    Side rant: As an MC101 user, it also irritates me that the promotional vids for the MV-1 don't show the maze of menu-diving you have to go through to set up things to the point where you can just start putting your song together like the cool guys in the video. Like... THAT'S THE HARD PART THAT MAKES LOTS OF HARDWARE A DRAG -- recording onto a track is easy with ANYTHING once you have everything dialed in.

    Damn... I'm turning into one of those people that rails against gear I don't own and would never buy. How'd this happen??

    How'd this happen?
    Maybe because now we're spoilt by better iOS apps 😄
    If you own the Force already, the MC101 serving as a ROMpler might be more than enough... but then there's PureSynth, AudioLayer, Synthmaster, BeatHawk and many others. All on the iPhone too.

    Oh I know. I literally JUST had a moment after zoning out in Zeeon and NanoStudio 2 for FAR too long (AGAIN...) where I looked at my hardware synths (blofeld, 101, deepmind, micron currently on the desk) and thought “why do I even have all this shit... I bet I could get a dope new iPad for whatever I could sell these for.” That epiphany occurs CONSTANTLY and yet I still buy and keep hardware synths around for reasons I’ll never understand.

  • @legsmechanical What can I say - It's not about the tools but very much what you make of them 😊
    Have you ever tried to focus on one app for a week?

  • @legsmechanical : Don’t you think that from the looks of it we’ll be able to edit the MV1 in Zenbeats?
    @MatthewAtZenbeats

  • The Roland Verselab – because display technology hasn’t advanced at all since the Casio CZ101 or Yamaha DX21

  • @u0421793 said:
    The Roland Verselab – because display technology hasn’t advanced at all since the Casio CZ101 or Yamaha DX21

    That misses the point - a DAW running on a computer (or even an iPad) can display way more information and give much more detailed control than any bit of hardware. But people are clearly asking for something hands on away from a screen, probably because we are now living 95% of our lives in front of one ;)

  • ... and while it's on my mind, I actually think there's a lot of future in hybrid setups so I'm really interested to see what the Zenbeats integration looks like. IMHO a lot of hardware/analogue hype is overblown, people can't tell the difference between a 'real' analogue and a good software emulation. But it is just more fun to get your hands on a piece of physical kit. A hybrid set up can give you best of both. Especially if producing music for fun rather than being under tight production deadlines, these kind of affordable boxes could be great (I'm also very interested in rumors of a new Circuit)

  • edited January 2021

    According to this gent, the actual sampling and time stretching algorithm are slightly sub- par.

  • @Telstar5 said:
    According to this gent, the actual sampling and time stretching algorithm are slightly sub- par.

    Shocker. 😊

  • There's a lot to like about this, and in some sense it's like the mythical Circuit Pro nobody saw coming. If I had to shop this vs. the TR-8S or digi boxes, it's not the box I'd pick. I have the notion that running around with the MV-1 + condenser mic making field recordings will be a popular hobby this summer.

  • @ashen_hand said:
    There's a lot to like about this, and in some sense it's like the mythical Circuit Pro nobody saw coming. If I had to shop this vs. the TR-8S or digi boxes, it's not the box I'd pick. I have the notion that running around with the MV-1 + condenser mic making field recordings will be a popular hobby this summer.

    The Flip app might be a better friend to run around with 😉

  • @ashen_hand :Hard to make field recordings w no battery


  • @Telstar5 & @rs2000, seems like it'll run off of an average power bank, but I guess

  • edited January 2021

    @Telstar5 said:
    According to this gent, the actual sampling and time stretching algorithm are slightly sub- par.

    I worked on some of the Verselab factory content and have one sitting front of me.

    This guy barely read the manual. The sampling on the MV-1 is fine and usable. Standard sample recording auto-slice, then assign it to pad or tone track. Each sample has an EQ, filter, envelope, play modes, delay/reverb sends, etc.

    The time stretch is no Elastique or Pitch n' Time but gets the job done for moving looper track audio within close BPM range maybe 10-15 or shifting the pitch within an octave. You have use the right algo since one for melodic audio and one for percussion.

    With that said, despite it have 4x4 pads, making sample-based beats isn't the focus of the Verselab. It's a studio-in-a-box for artists/vocalists/musicians to go step-by-step from idea to a finished mixed mastered song with vocals. Using it as sampler is ignoring 3/4 of it.

  • Thanks for clarifying @coolout. Now the box looks even more exotic to me.
    Might work for guys with a tracker heritage though.

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