Roland VS-880 Supplemental Notes page 4

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Linking Multiple Units
If you need more tracks for recording or mixing, you can link two, three, four, or more VS-880s. Here's how to link
two (see Figure 1):
• Let's call one unit the "Master" and the other the "Slave." Route the digital output of the Slave unit into the
digital input of the Master. Set the Master Clock Input in the Master's System menu to Digital Lock ("DIGITL").
This will keep the two units running at exactly the same speed.
• Run a MIDI cable from the MIDI out of the Master to the MIDI in of the Slave.
• Within the MIDI section of the Master's System menu, set SysEx.Tx to ON and MMC to MASTER.
• Within the MIDI section of the Slave's System menu, set SysEx.Rx to ON and MMC to SLAVE.
Fig. 1. The cable routing for linking two VS-880s for synchronized recording and playback.
That's all there is to it. Now the Slave unit will follow the Master unit for all locating and transport functions, and
you can record more tracks at a time.
IV. Using Scenes with "Keepfaders"
One great thing about Scenes is that they can store your level settings. Sometimes, however, if you're just
comparing EQ settings or effects treatments, you may not need to store the fader settings. Within the System
menu you'll find "Scene Mode?" Here you have the choice of ALL or "KeepF," which stands for "Keep Faders." In
the latter mode, the VS-880 stores everything except the fader levels. This makes comparing effects, EQs, and
routings a lot easier, and lets you avoid having to think about moving all the faders to their Null points.
V. Using a Song as a Template for Routing & System Settings
Let's say you usually record using only two inputs: a microphone and your guitar. You always like to record your
voice listening to some reverb, but not printing it, and you like GtrMulti #89 as an Insert effect on your guitar parts.
Finally, you like to record your guitar on tracks 1-4, and then lay in vocals on tracks 5-8. You also like to sync to
your sequencer using 30-frame non-drop SMPTE code. Here's a tip to simplify your setup each time you start a
new song:
• Create a new song.
• Arrange the routing so that input #1, your mic, goes to tracks 5-8 and input #2, your guitar, goes to tracks 1-4.
• Assign tracks 1-4 as an Insert to Effect-2 by removing them from the Mix and assigning thePost-Fader to the effect.
• Assign tracks 5-8 to Effect-1.
• Select the effects and MTC code of your choice. Name the song "Custom Setup" and save it.
• Now, each time you want to record a new song, first select "Custom Setup," then use the Copy
• Song function and immediately re-name the copy to distinguish it from your template.
As your settings become more complex, this could save you considerable time.
© 1997 Miller Freeman, Inc. VS-880 Hot Tips Keyboard Magazine Article
VS-880 Supplemental Notes
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