Roland VS-880 EX user reviews ( 9/10) - 3 user reviews

• 10/31/08

  FP User Reviews's review

  Characteristics

  Best $400 ive ever spent and would of paid up to 800 for it. The only thing missing is XLR inputs, but 6 1/4" are cool
  
  
  
  $400

  Utilization

  This is probably its lowest, its extremely hard to use (unless you have the bundled emagic software for it ). The manual is straight garbage, it was written for the most skilled and knowledgable engineer. Probably done so to make money off the video manual (Hey it suckered me into getting it)

  Sounds

  Hey sounds are great, if you use a mic with no preamp it will sound like crap but you can doctor it up with the 2 effects that come installed with it, keep bouncing on over 128 virtual tracks and you have unlimited effects. (not like the 1880 and 2480 those effects cards cost 300 and thats on ebay, plus you would have to buy two) give me two of these bad boys for the price of the effect cards

  Overall Opinion

  Very very durable, have gigged with it for two years now, the only thing bending out of shape is my back, who wants a job as a roady. Customer service line is cool and they know there stuff, although it sounds like they're over there beating on something other than a set of v-drums hahaha
  
  
  
  One of the most important pieces in my set up and im trying to get a second one
  
  
  
  Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
  
  Posted by: Unknown ( 5-, 2003)
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• 05/22/11

  coolwaiss's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " Practical & Effective"

  Characteristics

  see previous review

  Utilization

  RAS

  Sounds

  RAS

  Overall Opinion

  + Sound, Ergonomics
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• 02/05/05

  willem98's review ( translated ) Improve this translation

  Characteristics

  The VS880EX has 6 analog inputs (balanced jack 6.35) and 2 digital inputs (1 stereo optical fiber and a stereo SPDIF), this allows such record 8 channels at once, or play 8 tracks while mixing the 8 inputs (which may for example be played by a midi sequencer / audio synchronized MTC). <br><br>It has 4 recording modes (MASTER, MT1, MT2 and LIVE), MASTER is not compressed, LIVE is compressed to the maximum. In each mode you can save 32, 44 or 48 KHz with an accuracy of 20 bits. <br><br>The standard has VS880EX from one card to two effects processors, high quality: standard effects (reverb, delay, chorus, flanger) Guitar effects (phaser, distortion, compression, gate), voice effects (simulation micro, gate / enhancer / limiter), effects amp (amp simulators, equalizers). <br>In addition to these base effects may be used effects chains, simply stunning: for example, plug a dynamic mic and apply simple effects chained NoiseGate - Compressor - Limiter - Enhance - Equalizer, you&#39;re Freddy Mercury! <br><br>With the IDE hard drive 2 GB (standard, but mine to 4GB), there are a total of 350 minutes / track mode MASTER 48Khz and 1800 minutes / track mode LIVE 32 KHz. <br>The VS800EX has an external SCSI port to connect a Zip drive (standard), a hard drive (4 GB maximum accepted) or a CD (ROLAND). <br>Data backups are done on ZIP, CD-R or ADAT. <br><br>VS880EX the MTC can be master or slave, or may issue a MIDI clock signal either continuously or from a "tempo map" (for tracks with tempo changes in the score). In this case, the VS has a special track to save the Midi Sync signal. <br><br>The VS880EX records and plays 8 tracks simultaneously, with two runs and eight effect returns entries mixed in the same time. <br>The power of the VS is the fact that each track actually has 16 virtual tracks that can be manipulated at will, for example, do multiple takes. <br>It also has an auxiliary stereo bus with an auxiliary return track (it has a mix 2 8 8 1 19 mixer channels = channels).

  Utilization

  There has been much criticized for its difficulty VS880 basic access. If it is true that the manual is both simplistic and not very accessible, we must recognize that Roland&#39;s engineers have corrected a lot of mistakes in the VS880 EX:
  
  
  
  <ul> - Backlit display
  
  - Disappearance of the term "bus" and odd modes in favor of clear signage (mix bus, bus input, track bus, bus in, bus and bus master effects)
  
  - Select buttons colored tracks (green for the track mode, orange and red input mode for mode effect)
  
  - EZ Routing: programmable system to adjust its settings and return to recording, table tennis, mix, etc..
  
  - 2 additional analog inputs
  
  - Effects processor
  
  - 128 virtual tracks (as against 64 on the VS880) </ul>
  
  
  
  In my case, include the use of VS, buses, recording modes, signal routing, mix one week and asked me several readings of the doc.
  
  
  
  The following sites helped me a lot:
  
  <ul> Hooks Faq: http://www.ps139.com/vs880ex/pages/FAQs.html
  
  Hooks pages: http://ps139.com/vs880ex/ </ul>
  
  
  
  You can probably blame the manual not to be quite didactic, on the other hand the formidable power function and quality of VS-880, for a device as compact, explains much of the learning curve long enough.

  Sounds

  The sound of the VS, in my case (I work mainly analog, except for copying tracks to PC), is perfect: great dynamic, low blows, sublime effects (I mean it), etc..
  
  
  
  The 3-band EQ (with parametric), or via the 8-10 band parametric effects processor.
  
  
  
  Automation is fluid and does not alter the signal.

  Overall Opinion

  I use the VS880EX the past two months. VS before I had a Roland D20 successively with built-in sequencer, a multitrack Fostex X26 4-track K7 and a powerful PC with a good sound card and Cakewalk.
  
  If it is true that the PC is much more flexible editing of the tracks and on the back, there is no substitute for good big buttons and sliders to a deck like VS880EX DTD.
  
  
  
  I love
  
  <ul> - The accuracy of the buttons, sliders
  
  - Features many
  
  - 8 audio inputs
  
  - 8 tracks
  
  - The amount of disk space (I use the MT1 mode, which gives me 1500 minutes / Track)
  
  - Ease of bus management and signage color (LED)
  
  - The robustness of the plate, with the space in front to lay the palms
  
  - And especially the two effects processors. </ul>
  
  
  
  I&#39;m sorry
  
  <ul> - That the faders are not motorized (when you switch bus, we do not find the faders position of the actual level).
  
  - Configuring the MIDI sync, a little complex and stored by piece
  
  - Only 4 audio outputs (analog or digital), I would have preferred to get the 8 outputs and 8-track master mixes to my PC. </ul>
  
  
  
  I tested before, also my old Fostex X26 (which is a super Ministudio analog 4-track), the Sony ® 4 (four tracks on minidisc) and VS880.
  
  When I hesitated to buy it with the AKAI 12 tracks, but the cost was well above chance.
  
  The VS880X, I bought € 320, is a matter for the great musician of Home Studio (see what I use in my home studio, click here: http://fr.audiofanzine.com/membres/index %% 2Cidmembre 2C125961.html)
  
  
  
  If I am flying or if the VS800EX failed, no doubt I was looking for the same model for sure (or maybe the 1680, plenty of tracks does not harm ^ ^).
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