Roland VS-700R Manuel d'utilisateur télécharger pdf (Page 2)

May/June 2009 resolution

REVIEW

countersunk hex bolts attaching them to the console.

The console surface is a steel plate in familiar Roland

blue and the whole air is that of a professional

and well thought-out workspace and a cut above

most other control surfaces. There are internally

illuminated buttons that make you want to press

them and the shaft encoders and other controls are

equally sensuous, with the possible exception of

the jog-wheel. It’s not that it’s bad, just that it could

be better. Having been spoilt by perfectly weighted

chunks of metal, this plastic number is OK but

doesn’t win any cigars. On the same basis, the faders

are ﬁne but not exceptional. The T-Bar, on the other

hand, is delicious. More commonly found on vision

switchers/mixers the T-Bar is a much underestimated

control in audio circles. Here it performs multiple

duties as a front/rear fader, alpha adjustment for

Sonar’s X-ray window function or, by default,

control of the ﬁrst usable ACT (Active Controller

Technology) parameter. There is another reason

for its presence. The VS-700C can also be used in

conjunction with an Edirol video editing system,

such as the DV-7DL, whereupon audio channels 5-8

and the master fader, transport controls, including

the jog/shuttle wheel, Record/Edit tool section and,

of course, the T-Bar itself can be used to control

the editor. Alternatively, the VS-700C also supports

V-Link over MIDI for audio video performance.

Software development has a little way to go. There

are some inconsistencies in the console to Sonar

interface. For example, some but not all of the Access

Panel View buttons toggle the windows they relate to.

Others require you to use the Close button and I could

only close Audiosnap with the mouse. I may well be

missing the way to do it from the console but it is still

inconsistent.

In Sonar the Track and Console views use colour-

coding to indicate which tracks and buses are

currently controlled by the VS-700C. Dubbed WAMI

(Where Am I?) this is neat and clever. When used

in conjunction with the strip locking facility WAMI

really helps to keep track of what is going on in

complex situations. The Fantom is inserted just like

any other VSTi, but with the huge bonus of very low

CPU overhead.

The V-Studio 700 is largely successful in its aim

to be a complete studio in a box. The convertors

are subjectively excellent and the ability to control

analogue input gain and the compressors from the

console is just the way it should be. The console

is workmanlike in the best sense and I can easily

envisage working with it on a daily basis. All this

would count for nothing if the workstation software

was not up to the job. Fortunately Sonar in version

8 has developed into a top ﬂight DAW with plug-ins

that stand comparison with the very best available.

Building on this estimable Cakewalk Sonar software

base the Roland elements are exactly what you

would expect, i.e. good looking, robust and effective.

A dedicated control surface is always going to be a

better long-term proposition than a ‘one size ﬁts all’.

The evidence is already clear to see and I have no

doubt that, as user feedback rolls in, the synergy will

increase still further.

PROS

An over-used word but the V Studio 700

is unique; versatile in application; looks

and feels professional.

A few logical inconsistencies; changing

sample rate is a pain; jog wheel could

be better.

CONS

Contact

CAKEWALK, USA:

Website: www.sonarvstudio.com

It almost seems a shame to hide the VS-700R in a rack.

The front panel is informative, with LED indicators for USB

connection to the host PC, Console connection, MIDI In and OUT, and Digital Audio In and Out, Sync Status,

Monitor, Monitor Sub and Main Output, Outputs 1-10 and 8-segment bargraphs for Inputs 1-8 and Aux. A big

Power switch is on the far right. Around the back you will ﬁnd a plethora of connections. First up is a dedicated

socket for the Console control connection with IEC power inlet below. MIDI in and out are followed by the USB2

connector to the host PC. Digital 2 In and out optical ADAT format Toslink sockets are followed by Digital 1

AES-EBU XLRs and SPDIF phonos. Word clock in and out are BNCs.

Two rows of ﬁve jacks carry the ten outputs and a pair of XLRs deal with balanced Monitor Main with two

jacks for Monitor Sub. Along the bottom eight mutually exclusive jacks and XLRs cater for the analogue inputs.

There is a digitally controlled mic preamp and compressor for all eight channels. These are controlled directly

from the surface or from Sonar. On the top surface a ﬂap secured by two screws give access to the ARX Fantom

synthesiser expansion board socket and a DIP switch used for conﬁguration. You need to power up in a speciﬁc

order. Computer ﬁrst, then the console followed by the rack, ﬁnally the monitor speaker amp(s).

If the I-O capacity really is too limited for your needs, then no problem. You can simply connect a second

VS-700R to double the ASIO I-O capacity and give you a second Fantom. The extra unit connects to the host PC

(on the same USB controller or via a USB2 hub) with a BNC Word clock cable linking the two units.

Behind the scenes

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Roland VS-700R Manuel d'utilisateur Page 2

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