kazeko wrote:
i think it is fair to say, that if MASTER EFFECT knobs can work in 0..255 range,
then please make KNOB ASSIGN knobs also in range of 0..255 for CUTOFF,RESONACE,DECAY,ATTACK,RELEASE
0..63 is far too less!
I fully agree with this. I picked up a pair of VerseLab MV-1's less than a week ago and frankly I like my older MC-808/Fantom XR/XV5080 synth hardware thus far better as a whole. I feel like I should've picked up a pair of used Juno Gi's instead that Id had considered doing.
Roland seems to have made a lot of questionable compromises to it's newer synths. Roland Cloud/ZenBeats unlock, memberships, and licensing in general is a confusing mess. I think outside of it there is some nice stuff happening with it, but it's hard to not feel a bit underwhelmed coming from a MC-808/Fantom XR/XV5080 and at the same time wondering if maybe I shouldn't gone with Juno Gi's because they don't suffer from the aspects that have me feeling mixed and uncertain about the MV-1 overall.
I do at least like the pads on the VerseLab MV-1 not really noticing dead zone trigger spots with them which is good. I'd say their fairly sensitive overall once you adjust settings a bit. I use LOG, pad thres 3, pad trg sens 200, and pad gain 5 though the pad thres 3 and pad gain 5 you can tweak a bit you could set pad thres to more like 1 and pad gain to 3 or just drop pad thres to 3 and keep pad gain at 5, but I like to keep pad trg sens at 200 and I like LOG more than the other options. FIX is sort of nice, but I don't like how it operates atm on the MV-1 it should have individual values between 1-127 and operate like the MC-808 pad velocity works in settings. It needs finer individual value setting control. I think that's something Roland could adjust and should it should.
I get that some don't want to scroll thru individual increments, but there is shift button though some don't realize they can scroll more quickly with it. I feel the best option is to make it so while inside the utility menu if you hold a pad with or without shift button more quickly or slowly you could scroll thru 1-127 fixed values from any of the ctrl knobs or value knob.
Something else with that perhaps have individual pads that can be assigned in that manner within System and/or Utility menu's that integrate with the CTRL/value knobs like CC values. You could use that for velocity values, but also stuff like pan, modulation, pitch, and other performance applications while holding down a pad the entering into either the system or utility menu or entering into one or the other before striking the pads as well. You can pretty much reach with your pinky finger for the system/utility or shift button with either hand.
Anyway once in that menu you could have 3 assignable values or even 4 with the value knob as well and between both menu's you've got like 8 knobs that could be interactive with pad sustain notes in real time. I think it's a must have feature request that people are going to say yes this sob just came up with the best new feature that Roland engineer's/programmer's somehow overlooked it's all so intuitive and natural and makes perfect sense.
One of the problems with a lot of the values in various menu's is they are scattered all over the damn place so it's not a overly cohesive user experience. The value knob might operate as a configuration 4th CTRL knob or alternately a latch knob to the last adjust CTRL knob that can be configured for user definable FIX values and/or some algorithmic ones as well refer to above about velocity FIX values. It could for example with pitch bend cycle in incremental or subtractive values between 0-255 in user definable fixed values and/or similarly to Style ARPG's for the given parameter values for each turn of CTRL/Value knobs. Let's refer back to very top of this post reply too shall we!!?
Think how cool it would be to cycle thru fixed value intervals of 15 or 17 in 0-255 with a individual knob turn now think how cool that would be in intervals of 3 or 85 or 5 or other combinations those are all evenly divisible intervals within 255 with 85 being 1/3 of 255 and 170 would make 2/3's cool stuff huh. Conversely the values could be randomized or up/down/up-down/down-up/motif/phrase and so fourth.
If they do a follow up on any of these groove boxes MC-101/MC-707/MV-1 I'd say Roland needs to add a expression CTRL input. It would be nice to a pitch/mod wheel or joystick too or touch strips or x/y pad something of that sort. I think actually a follow up called a MV-808 would be great and I've got idea's around that already. For starters basically combine pair of MV-1's into one dedicated unit with 4 stereo inputs 2 CTRL input jacks 2 mic inputs incorporate Hi-Z guitar inputs as well on pair of the stereo inputs perhaps that can be set for line or guitar. Do like the MC-707 with two midi outputs, but also include 2 midi inputs. Throw a coaxial in/out to run external effects, mixers, or synths into it or output into.
For the pads have your 16 pads like the MV-1, but another set right beside them centered in the unit. Have the step sequencer feature 32 steps and make it so you can either use all of them in one nice interface that's slick or more of a split layer arrangement of step sequencers one for musical notes and arrangements and the other could be dedicated to step based effects and parameter control. The sequencer could also be split and chained as well for some DJ integration possibly more thoughts on that later below.
Now with the 32 velocity pads you've got nice things happening as well you could use all of them or likewise do a split layer option. You could use 16 for notes and velocity and 16 for assignable CC parameters and velocity value changes around those. Perhaps tap a pad to cycle thru different pan values based on how hard you tap the pads between playing with the other pads very rad much yes! Perhaps use them similarly for filter and another for cutoff and another delay and another reverb and another and another and another 1 going all in full DJ Khaled style with the win no matter what on the MV-808. Perhaps a pads can even switches up the 16's sections on the other 16 pads say what? and you got like 4096 different storage sections may I have some more win no matter what por favor. More variety more fun more definable more flexibility.
You could even utilize the 32 combined pads for 8 steps across 4 tracks. You could hold shift + edit and have it change the step values with a micro shifting amount 1-step, 1/2 step, 1/4, 1/8, ect triplets and all that jazz. It could be pad assignable and you could even do oddball timings as well like 5/8's or 3/8's.
The whole unit would probably end up maybe the size of a full size 37-keyboard or a bit less than a 49-keyboard, but with a very different workflow approach entirely. I think a lot of people would really dig it if put together well. You can basically pack double of pretty much everything, but with a bit better arrangement than buying two individual MV-1's would provide or two MC-707's. I figure they could probably offer something like it for $1000-$1250 taking into account the current pricing on MV-1's.
What would be great too is if something like a DJ-202/DJ-505/DJ-808 could connect with it and have a nice synergy going on between two channels on each that could be very dynamic between each with the polyphony shared or even like phased between the mixer channel positioning like 256 polyphony on each end of the cross fader and 128/128 split in the center. So a bit of note stealing so to speak between channels with song sequencing on each. It could have some interesting cross fader controls to like perhaps a way to shift a track or tracks via the fader rather than fading them out have it fade into the other track to increase the track count via a button that could also mute them back out.
That was pretty extensive and long winded, but I wanted to cover a lot of topics, thoughts, and idea's and explore what a innovative path forward Roland could approach and take and set itself apart and be a bit fresh and new and inspiring at the same time. I mean how cool would it be to have a kind of 49 keyboard size pad controller dynamic split layer sequencer workstation synth sampler with all of the inputs you could pretty much hope dream or want covered nicely. Beyond the scope of how great it could be at the individual level it could interface with others in a great musical way vocalists, guitar players, DJ's, and keyboard players. I mean hell even the the mixing engineers would be like this rather sophisticated.
Oh damn almost forget it's gonna need battery not just some YouTuber with a hack to install one haphazardly. Bluetooth midi and audio as well I mean that'll add like $25-50's to the price just do it even if the cost gets passed on to the end user.
It would be a very compelling option relative to like a Jupiter-XM. I think as well since it would basically combine two MV-1's essentially together or MC-707 the looper time and track time could certainly be combined and doubled and that would greatly improve both.
Anyway that's all I got for idea's features and a look forward towards the future of Roland hardware design as well. I mean on the subject of a hypothetical MV-808 just being able to play two octaves at a time across 32 pads would be groovy yes!!? There is tons to appreciate about the entire concept. Some of the idea's could be applied to MV-1/MC-101/MC-707 and others are more things to think about for the future hardware design.
