Table of Contents 1—Welcome to Version Two About the VS-2480 Version Two Addendum ........................7 Procedure Descriptions ............................. 7 To Get the Most From Version Two ..........................8 VGA Terminology: The Mixers and the Master Block ....................8 2—Version Two Enhancements Phrase Level Control ................................
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Multi-Channel View Input Channels ........................71 Multi-Channel View Aux and Direct Bus Channels ................... 73 Multi-Channel View Track Channels ........................74 Multi-Channel View FX Return Channels ......................76 Multi-Channel View V.FADER Channels ......................77 www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
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Activating Digital Inputs ............................82 Recording Bus Attenuation ............................ 82 9—VGA Main Display Automix Editing Editing Automix Data on the VGA ..........................83 Targeting Automix Tracks and Data for Editing ....................84 Index Notes Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
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Table of Contents www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
You’ll often be able to, for example, use a button by pressing it on the VS-2480 or by clicking it with your mouse on the VGA or the VS-2480’s LCD. You could also set a level by moving a channel strip fader or by dragging your mouse.
Pages 62 and 64 of the VS-2480 Owner’s Manual . If you’d prefer to use your VS-2480 without a VGA display, make sure that the UTILITY menu’s OPERATION TARGET parameter is set to LCD. See “Setting the Operation Target”...
2—Version Two Enhancements This chapter describes Version Two enhancements that add new features to the VS-2480. These new features can be used from the VS-2480 LCD or a VGA display. Chapter 3 describes choosing the display on which you want to work.
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If the fadeout is seven Level seconds long, but the phrase only lasts five seconds, the fadeout acts as if it’s set to run the full length of the phrase. 5-second phrase www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
As noted on Owner’s Manual Pages 244 and 245, when you use your mouse to drag audio you want to move or copy, you’re actually dragging the TO edit point as well. You can temporarily disable the grid feature by holding down CLEAR on the VS-2480 as you drag edit points or audio.
For the VS-2480, an optional Roland-approved CD-RW drive is required. How Long a CD Capture Takes The amount of time it takes for the VS-2480 to capture CD audio depends on the project recording mode: If the project’s recording mode is: CD Capture takes: Approximately 40% of the CD track’s playing time...
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If you selected empty matching V-Tracks on Tracks 23 and 24 in Steps 7 and 8—or on Tracks 15 and 16 in an M16 or M24 project—the VS-2480 can capture the CD audio as CDR-mode mastering tracks that you can burn directly to a new audio CD. If you selected another pair of destination tracks, skip to Step 13.
Automix data. All of the nine saved Automixes remain intact and can still be loaded. Saving an Automix 1. Create the Automix—see Chapter 26 of the VS-2480 Owner’s Manual for details. 2. Hold down SHIFT and press AUTOMIX to display the AUTOMIX screen.
4. Release the mouse button to execute the trim. You can use the VS-2480’s Undo feature to reverse a mouse trimming operation you’d like to do over. You can drag a phrase’s edge as far as the beginning or end of the take on which the phrase is based, and no further.
• MOUSE BUTTON SWAP Sw—reverses the jobs performed by the left and right mouse buttons for left-handed VS-2480 users, as described on Page 16. The System parameter screens have been slightly reorganized to make room for the new parameters. There are now three System parameter screens: On this System parameter page: You’ll find the following parameters:...
SHIFT and press to view the previous or next parameter’s Parameter View screen, respectively. SHIFT and press to view the currently displayed Parameter View screen for the previous or next channel, respectively. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
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2—Version Two Enhancements www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
6. Press ENTER/YES to proceed, or EXIT/NO to cancel the change. About the Main Display The LCD as Main Display When the LCD is designated as the main display, it behaves as described in the VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, starting on Page 70. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
UNDO•REDO button or its onscreen counterparts. • You can use the VS-2480’s LCD as an secondary display on which you can keep important information in view as you work on the VGA. Of course, there’s no single “correct” way to use all of the VS-2480’s available tools—...
F buttons available at the bottom of the window. The contents of the window behave the same way they do on the VS-2480’s LCD. You can exit the screen by clicking the box in its upper-left corner or by pressing F6 (EXIT).
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3—Version Two VGA Overview When the VGA is Designated as the Info Display See “Controlling What’s On the Info Display” on Page 71 of the VS-2480 Owner’s Manual. When the LCD is Designated as the Info Display To select what appears on the LCD Info Display: 1.
The menus at the top of the VGA display give you quick mouse access to all of the features found in the VS-2480’s onboard menus, and also contain items unique to the VGA main display. To select an item from a menu: 1.
Select STORE to save everything you’ve done to the current project since it was last saved or stored. This is the same thing as holding down SHIFT and pressing ZERO•STORE on the VS-2480 itself, as described on Owner’s Manual Page 93. The TRACK Menu The TRACK menu provides access to phrase, region, take and whole- track editing operations.
The EFFECT menu shows the available effect processors in your VS-2480, which depends on how many optional VS8F-2 effect expansion boards are installed. When the VS-2480 is shipped from the factory, Effects 1 and 2 are available—with three optional boards installed, all eight effect processors are available.
If you’d like to keep the spectrum analyzer in view as you work on the VGA, you can display it on the VS-2480’s LCD, locking it in place. See “When the LCD is Designated as the Info Display” on Page 22.
4—VGA Main Display Universal Elements CD-RW MASTERING Menu The CD-RW MASTERING menu provides access to the operations associated with the VS-2480’s top-panel CD-RW/MASTERING button. Menu item: See Owner’s Manual Page: MASTERING ROOM (See below) CD-R WRITE CD PLAYER CD CAPTURE...
It also shows the most recent marker and the marker’s name or—if it hasn’t been named—its time location. You can navigate a project using the Current Time Location display, as described on Owner’s Manual Page 126. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
UNDO REDO Click UNDO to reverse your last recording or editing action. If the REDO light on the VS-2480 is lit, click REDO to restore your latest undone action. 8. EXT SYNC Click EXT SYNC so it lights to synchronize the VS-2480 to an external device according to the current UTILITY menu Sync parameter settings.
Click LOOP to display the AUTO PUNCH/LOOP window in which you can set loop start and end points. If the loop points have been set, click this button to turn on looped playback of the VS-2480’s hard disk recorder. Loop start and end points appear above the Home screen’s playlist as blue arrows.
Click SCENE to open the SCENE window in which you can name, store, recall and configure scenes. 22. Scene Name/Number This display shows the number—and if it’s been named—the name of the last-recalled scene. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
In this illustration, the knobs in the PAN/AUX SEND 1-8 knob strip are controlling panning. The white strip above the knobs always shows the parameter they’re currently controlling. The PAN/AUX SEND 1-8 strip—just like its knob counterparts on the VS-2480—allows you to quickly: •...
You can move from page to page by pressing If you prefer, press F1-F6 on a connected ASCII keyboard instead of clicking with your mouse or pressing the VS-2480’s physical F buttons. Use Tab as your PAGE button. Status Strip The status strip contains flashing indicators that signal the activation of certain features...
The gauge graphically shows the remaining space in bright green. You can select how the readout shows the amount of free space left by setting the REMAIN DISPLAY TYPE parameter. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
The VGA main display’s Home screen provides the basic starting point for VGA-based VS-2480 operations. In addition to the universal elements described in the previous chapter, the Home screen contains a selected set of meters that allow you to keep an eye on various volume levels, and a project playlist in which you can perform a variety of tasks, including the editing of track phrases and regions.
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24 track channels. TRACK STATUS buttons— see below • fx return channel levels—signals as they exit the VS-2480’s internal effect processors. • Aux and Direct bus levels—the eight Aux and eight Direct busses.
AUX/DIR—to display Aux bus and Direct bus levels. • OUTPUT—to display output levels. • PAGE and F buttons on the VGA or on the VS-2480—Press PAGE until “INPUT” appears above F1 and press: • INPUT—to display input signal levels. •...
To learn about: See Owner’s Manual Page: the project playlist markers editing track audio Automix the phrase sequencer CH EDIT parameters locators scenes www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
To move backward by small increments, click the left scroll button. To move slowly forward, click the right scroll button. You can also use the VS-2480’s standard navigation tools— the TIME/VALUE dial and current time location display as Scroll well as locators, markers, and so on.
VGA shows each phrase’s waveform for editing purposes (see Owner’s Manual Page 238). The VS-2480 generates editing waveforms when its transport is stopped—as a project plays, these waveforms move across the timeline. When the transport stops again, the VS-2480 refreshes the playlist with new editing waveforms as necessary.
Automix track by repeatedly clicking the AUTOMIX STATUS button. You can simultaneously set the Automix status of all of your Automix tracks by repeatedly clicking the Automix status toggle button. See Page 44. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
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LINK combines the CH EDIT ChLink and F.LINK parameters. Click 152, 155 to the right of “LINK” and select the desired type of linking from the pop-up menu or turn off linking. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
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Send status—turns the Aux send to each bus on or off. See Owner’s Manual Page 152. • Pre/post switch—sets the pre or post configuration of each Aux bus. See Owner’s Manual Page 153. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
Punch out Loop start Loop end When Auto Punch is on, a red bar When looping is on, a blue loop box connects the punch points. connects the start and end points. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
Timeline Editing track audio on the VGA main display is very much like editing with your mouse on the VS-2480’s internal LCD. To learn about editing audio with your mouse, see Owner’s Manual Page 241. The ways in which editing on the VGA differs from editing on the LCD are: •...
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Change an edit point’s location—move the timeline to the desired location and click the edit point’s button. • Move the timeline to an edit point—hold down SHIFT on the VS-2480 and click the edit point’s onscreen button. • Clear an edit point—hold down CLEAR on the VS-2480 and click the edit point’s onscreen button.
Click the control panel’s LOC/SCN tab to display the LOC/SCN (Locator/Scene) pane. Select locator banks with these buttons. Perform locator actions by clicking these buttons Select scene banks with these buttons. Perform scene actions by clicking these buttons Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
• recall a locator—click the locator’s number. • clear a locator—hold down CLEAR on the VS-2480 and click the locator’s number. Use the lower half of the pane for scene operations. To: • change scene banks—click the desired bank’s number.
Edit Pop-Up menu that appears when you right-click in the wave display. Time zoom Amplitude zoom Time zoom The time zoom is measured in samples. To close the wave display, click the WAVE DISPLAY button again. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
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5—VGA Main Display Home Screen www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
CH VIEW (FX RTN) submenu. You can also: • press the desired channel’s CH EDIT button on the VS-2480 (see Owner’s Manual Page 138). • view a track channel’s CH VIEW screen by clicking its track number in the VGA main display’s Home screen.
Drag the fader up or down to set the channel’s output level—this 154, 230 serves the same purpose as moving its physical fader. The readout beneath the fader shows the channel’s output level in dB. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
Send level knob The CH VIEW screens contain AUX send controls with which you can send the signal from any input, track or FX return channel to any of the VS-2480’s eight Aux busses. To: • turn on the send to an Aux bus—click the bus’s Send Status button so it lights.
9. AUTOMIX STATUS Button Click the AUTOMIX STATUS button to set the channel’s status when Automix is turned on. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
9. AUTOMIX STATUS Button Click the AUTOMIX STATUS button repeatedly to set the channel’s status as desired when Automix mode is on. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
MONO so it lights. 5. AUTOMIX STATUS Button Click the AUTOMIX STATUS button repeatedly to set the channel’s status as desired when Automix mode is on. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
Each input and track channel CH VIEW screen contains a dynamics processor and EQ that can be set up by dragging your mouse in a graphic display, or manually. Dynamics Compressor parameters Expander parameters EXP+COMP parameters Type-specific parameters Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
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These parameters are described in Owner’s Manual Chapter 11. Compressor Parameters See Owner’s Manual Page: Parameter: KEY IN RATIO THRESHOLD ATTACK RELEASE A.GAIN LEVEL Expander Parameters Parameter: See Owner’s Manual Page: KEY IN RATIO THRESHOLD ATTACK RELEASE www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
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Click RESET to return the EQ parameters to their factory default settings. 3. Interactive EQ Display Draw the desired EQ curve by clicking and dragging on any of the red triangles to set the corresponding EQ band. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
You can adjust the send and return levels to the inserted effect Insert send by dragging the blue insert send and return sliders—located to the right of the processor button—up and/or down. Insert return slider www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
FX return channel. Click anywhere on the effect algorithm display to view the processor’s Algorithm View screen on which you can select a different patch or edit the current patch. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
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6—VGA Main Display CH VIEW Screens www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
• Multi-Channel Strip View—a detailed view of the set of channels currently controlled by the VS-2480’s 16 physical channel strips (Owner’s Manual Pages 137 and 300). Shared Elements The Input Mixer/Master Block and Track Mixer/FX Return Mixer views share some elements that we’ll describe before proceeding with descriptions of the two views.
On the VGA, a colored line appears beneath the set of channels currently assigned to the VS-2480’s physical channel strips selected by pressing the corresponding FADER button on the VS-2480 (Owner’s Manual Page 137), or by clicking the virtual FADER buttons in the Multi-Channels Strip view’s MASTER fader strip (Page 70). This allows you to tell at a glance if the channel strips you’re viewing on the VGA are currently...
7—Mixer Views Input Mixer/Master Block View Select INPUT MIXER/MASTER BLOCK from the MIXER menu to view all of the VS-2480’s 24 input channel strips and MASTER BLOCK settings at once on the VGA. FADER button indicator Input Mixer Master Block Input Channel Strips 1.
The position of the channel fader sets the level of signal coming out of the channel. Moving it is the same as moving the channel’s physical fader on the VS-2480. The channel’s level is displayed below the fader. 9. LINK Switch LINK combines the CH EDIT ChLink and F.LINK parameters.
Panning handle Track Mixer/FX Return Mixer View Select TRACK MIXER/FX RTN MIXER from the MIXER menu to view all of the VS-2480’s 24 track channel and eight FX return channel strips at once on the VGA. FADER button indicator Track Mixer...
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Repeatedly click the TRACK STATUS button to set status of the corresponding hard disk recorder track. This is the same thing as pressing the track’s TRACK STATUS button on the VS-2480. 10. Channel Fader The position of the channel fader sets the level of signal coming out of the channel.
Moving the onscreen fader is the same as moving the channel’s physical fader on the VS-2480. 9. MONO Switch Click this button—so it lights—to collapse the effect processor’s stereo output to a mono signal. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
There are five onscreen multi-channel strip view FADER buttons, one more than on the VS-2480’s top panel. The fifth button is the V.FDR button—on the VS-2480, the V.FADER channels are selected by holding down SHIFT and pressing TR 17-24•FX RTN.
Drag the MASTER bus fader up or down to set the level of the MASTER bus—this is the same thing as moving the physical MASTER fader on the VS-2480. The current MASTER bus level is shown beneath the fader. 8. DITHER To activate output dithering, click and hold the DITHER button and select the desired dithering bit depth.
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“LINK” and select the desired type of linking from the 152, 155 pop-up menu, or turn off linking. The LINK switch occupies the combined lower edge of both of the channels it controls. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
In the VGA, linked Aux busses change the way in which their Aux send sliders are shown in the various channel views and the track controls, as explained on Page 67. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
To route the channel’s signal to a Direct bus, click the desired bus’s number. 8. MUTE (M) Button To mute the channel, click this button so it’s lit. To un-mute the channel, click the button again. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
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“LINK” and select the desired type of linking from the 152, 155 pop-up menu, or turn off linking. The LINK switch occupies the combined lower edge of both of the channels it controls. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
To solo the channel, click the SOLO button to light it. To un-solo the channel, click the button again. 8. GRP (GROUP) Selector To assign the channel to a fader group, click beneath “GRP” and select the desired fader group from the pop-up menu. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
3. Channel Fader Control Change Selector The channel fader Control Change selector shows the MIDI Control Change whose values are transmitted from the VS-2480 when the channel’s fader is moved. Click the selector and drag up or down to select a different Control Change.
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7—Mixer Views www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
8—VGA Main Display EZ ROUTING Screen The VGA main display displays all four of the VS-2480’s EZ ROUTING screens at the same time to make all of your routing simple to perform. PATCH OUTPUT ASSIGN pane pane TRACK LOOP ASSIGN...
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1. Position the mouse cursor over the connection node you want to route to the track. 2. Click and drag the mouse to the desired recording track——a virtual cable appears onscreen to show the connection you’re making. www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
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In the LOOP EFFECT ASSIGN pane, you can route any Aux bus or Direct bus to the desired internal effect processor (Owner’s Manual Page 210). To do this, position the mouse cursor over the desired bus’s node and drag upward or downward as desired. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
Activating Digital Inputs The VS-2480 can receive up to 16 digital input signals at a time. The R-BUS 1 connections are always active. You can activate the desired R-BUS 2 connections—and/ or the desired coaxial and/or optical digital inputs—as described on Owner’s Manual...
To learn about recording Automix data, see Owner’s Manual Chapter 26, starting on Page 325. Version Two allows you to record up to nine separate Automixes in each project, as described on Page 14. Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
The menu shows all of the parameters that can be automated for the selected type of Automix track. SECT pop-up menu PRM pop-up menu for track channel Automix tracks www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
..........43, 65, 67, 71, 74 switch ..........54, 55, 56 CH LINK button ......43, 59, 65, 67, 71, 74 turning on or off ........... 51–61 CH VIEW screens Equalization. See EQ Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
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........... 65 viewing all at once MASTER strip ....... 33 Input clipping indicators on VGA ..............63 mixer view Input Mixer ..........70 multi-channel views ............... 8 defined ............. 33 MASTERING PLAY www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
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..........19 OPERATION TARGET ..............84 PRM button ............ 82 Optical digital inputs ..........30 PROJECT END button ............23 PROJECT menu ..............45 clearing ........... 30 PROJECT TOP button ..............45 moving Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum www.RolandUS.com...
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..........40 Track controls in playlist ..........81 TRACK DIRECT OUT ............... 24 TRACK menu Track Mixer ............... 8 defined ................63 view ............. 67–68 details ..............41 Track name www.RolandUS.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual, Version Two Addendum...
• Do not use this unit for purposes that could infringe on a copyright held by a third party. Roland assumes no responsibility whatsoever with regard to any infringements of third-party copyrights arising through your use of this unit.