Roland VS-880 Supplemental Notes page 5

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VI. Setting Loop Points with Locators
The VS-880 has a loop function that can allow you to try out some effects or EQ, or just practice on a section
without having to touch the transport controls. There's a fast way to set the loop points using Locators:
• First, place one Locator at the loop start point, and another at the loop end point.
• Next, locate to the loop end.
• While holding the Loop button, first press the Locator for the Loop Start and then the Locator for the Loop End.
• Press the Locator to go to the Loop Start, press Play, and the VS-880 will repeat the loop for you.
VII. Syncing Issues
The VS-880 varispeeds to the clock edge of MIDI Time Code when it is in External Sync mode. This ability means
that, unlike devices that are only "triggered" from one time-code location and then run on their own clock, the
VS-880 won't drift over time. This qualifies the VS-880 for use in video post-production work. Because the VS-880
only accepts MTC, for SMPTE work you will need to add an external box that converts SMPTE to MTC. It's very
i mportant that this box also resolve to the SMPTE frame edge to keep the lock perfect.
Whereas many SMPTE-to-MTC converters come up short in this important function, there is a box — the
Midiman Video SyncMan — that does indeed resolve to the frame edge, and will even convert VITC to MTC as
well as LTC. The Video SyncMan lists for $499.95 and allows your VS-880 to be used for post-production work.
The newer versions of the VS-880 software will also output MTC and MIDI Clock while slaving, so the VS-880 can
be a fully resolved interface between picture and your MIDI sequencer, be it built into a synth workstation or drum
machine, or a computer-based sequencer.
VIII. Creating Tempo Maps from Wild Tracks
In a MIDI sequencing environment, the VS-880 provides Tempo Maps to assist in editing and sync functions. For
the easiest syncing union, create a reference Tempo Map in the VS-880 before you do any audio recording. Then
either monitor the click through the VS-880 audio outputs or use the MIDI metronome feature to follow the tempo
when you are recording your audio tracks. If you prefer, create some reference or final MIDI tracks and then sync
these to the VS-880 via MIDI clock. When you record in the VS-880 with this tempo reference, you can then edit
y our VS-880 tracks in a more musically related manner, using bars and beats.
On the other hand, if you've recorded audio without a tempo reference, your editing experience could be more of
a challenge. Here's one way you can create a Tempo Map from these "wild" tracks to use as an editing reference,
as well as a sync reference for your sequencer.
• Find the very first beat of your song and put a Marker there.
• Go into the Tempo Map editing area and create a lead-in bar that is the right length so that the beginning-of-
song Marker is exactly on Bar 2, Beat 1. If the music starts after too long a period, you can Cut time out of all
audio and virtual tracks from the Bar 2, Beat 1 location to the first beat of your song. This will position your
music to start on Bar 2, Beat 1.
• Next, find the exact location of the first beat of every tenth bar throughout the song and place a Marker on each one.
• Return to the beginning of the song, estimate its tempo, and insert a new Tempo Map with this tempo.
• Locate to the first Marker, on the first beat of the tenth bar, and see if it aligns with your Tempo Map. If the
location of this Marker is a lower number than the bar should be, then the tempo you entered is too slow.
• Go to the Tempo Map editing screen and enter a slightly faster tempo. Repeat this process until the Marker is
exactly where it should be.
• Now check Markers further down the line, at bars 20, 30, and 40. If the tempo has drifted some, you may need to
insert a new Tempo Map, say between bars 20 and 30, to adjust to human variations of the performance's tempo.
Of course, if the tempos change many times during the piece, this process could take quite a while and involve
inserting many Tempo Map events to match the tempo variations. However, once you've performed the operation
enough times, you should usually be able to use this method to generate a reasonably accurate series of Tempo
M aps in a couple of minutes or so.
The advantage of having Tempo Maps is that you can use them to control your sequencer tempo, and even
quantize sequenced rhythm and keyboard parts to coordinate with the original "wild" tracks.
© 1997 Miller Freeman, Inc. VS-880 Hot Tips Keyboard Magazine Article
VS-880 Supplemental Notes
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