Aside from the things I wish they would have done (more RAM, some UX tweaks), it looks like a pretty fun and inviting groovebox.
I don’t mind it being a repackaged zen core module directed at vocal genres. It’s a smart move to do that. Hip hop producers on a budget are going to be drawn to this thing.
It may very well be more simplified and less capable, but it sure seems more inviting than Maschine. Watching the “10 minute” video shows just how quick and logical it is.
And yea, it’ll be interesting to see what non-vocal producers do with the traditional song structure features they’ve laid out. I could see using the vocal track for other synths, live instruments, etc.
That 2 line screen menu for master fx doesn’t look too fun. But people seem to get by fine with the MC-101.
Let’s just consider the fact that this instrument might not have the average Elektronaut as its primary target audience. Whenever I visit the dealer’s, I always wonder who these other strange people are who hardly know what a sampler is and can’t play anything. Yet, they buy stuff, they seem to know what they want and they got something going too. Just not in the direction I’m going.
The typical Electron user won’t find this attractive at a first glance, but someone can combine both worlds. You can record what you have done on the Digitone in the Verselab vocal track and to finish your song there, using another 7 tracks of the Verselab.
They didn’t made an instrument in into it, isn’t it?
I guess people want to record voice and e-guitar or similar instruments at the same time.
I’m waiting for a box that does it all.
4 inputs (configurable as line, instrument, mic level - in any combination stereo/mono wise)
very easy to use looper and sampler, ableton like clip sequenceing, arranger, really proper storage options, fancy synth engines - 4xfm, wavetable, va, drum synthesis, …
Akai force is quite there, but it lacks some features.
This here looks nice, perhaps it is something. Perhaps not for me, but I guess a lot of people who are entering that realm could find it to be a great covers it all box.
Brilliant stuff! Way to go, Roland! The first really usable, good sounding groovebox, out there. Has a lot of basis covered, and is perfect for someone who doesn’t want to spend too much time in front of a computer. Looks real quick to operate when you get the hang of it.
Really cool
I think it’s M+ biggest competitor: an “opinionated” box to quickly put down ideas with decent sounds and drums, and record audio over the top. It’s like the baby of old multi-trackers and Maschine. I can see this working. Ofcourse they need to add internal resampling. The SP303/404 crowd will love this box for sure.
NI needs to fix their audio recording for vocal/instrument takes, comping and layering quickly. Clips doesn’t work as it is implemented right now. I think for half the price of the M+ they will loose some market to this box. Not everybody needs all the features the M+ offers.
I just watched some youtube vids on this one. I think they did a good job with the workflow. It seems pretty streamlined, especially for the basic, most used functions. I do wonder of its sampling capabilities: can it chop, assign to pads, can it resample, etc? Can it be a looper like the MC-707?
I still don’t understand the RAM limitations, especially because this is geared towards vocals, and I imagine people will want to do different takes. Things like RAM and CPU are cheap nowadays, especially compared to R&D cost.
Another plus for being Bus Powered, but take a cookie back for the phantom power not being Bus Powered, but add half of that cookie back in because it has a built in mic.
I think they figure 12 minutes mono is plenty for a vocal track with multiple takes. And they’re right.
Not 100% certain, but with the whole vocal track eating RAM in mind, it would seem like RAM is to be used for one tune. I.e 1 project = 1 song.
Not like what we are accustomed to on Elektron devices where we can fit multiple songs in 64MB of mono sampling.
If so, this is a limitation that will be interesting to see how folks who don’t want to adhere to that scheme overcome.
Of course you can do that! Elektrons with song mode are OT, A4/AK, AR, MD and MM, all Elektrons are able to follow pattern changes switched by hand or controlled from a song mode.
Right, I guess they figure people will mostly be using the internal sounds, and layering vocals over top. I think for me, I figured I would be playing in a synth, maybe a guitar, and whatever else. But yeah, as a groovebox/vocal scratchpad, 12 minutes should be enough for most people.
Can you put all of that on separate tracks though? Or only the one vocal track? The manual mentions overdubs on the vocal track, though.
My understanding is the non vocal tracks are all zencore virtual instruments or wav from the SD card loaded into RAM, and the vocal track is where external audio input lives.
That is how I understand it. You have the drums, you have 1 synth bass and 2 synth melodic tracks and one vocal track than can contain up to 16 takes (that are also used to sing different parts, so you can use more than one take, but not double them).
I think this might be really rarest for people who do electronic music and want to record demos, but this “mix and master” part is somehow misleading. Sure, you can create “full songs”, but someone who pays 600bucks for a device like that, won’t produce his releaseable songs on that (not even social media stuff). It is like those cheap 8 track SD multi track recorders, that sounded bad but were great for sketches and recording demos to present to my band…
I am so much a “OMG a new Groovebox with Song Mode” guy, that I am quite happy to have a perfect ZERO G.A.S. For this.
To be fair though, you can make a release ready track on the OT just with the 2 stereo outs.
Of course you can get way more detailed and nuanced and achieve a cleaner mix if you can track all your stuff out. But with some good ears and a little bit of level balancing, you can get a good sounding track out of two outs. I’ve heard it, seen it
Having said that, I have no doubt in the right hands and with the right ears, the MV-1 can crank out some release ready stuff.
Anyone believe that there will be proper follow up to this? I mean we got the mc 101 and mc 707, followers to the mc 505 etc. Is there a chance that they will do an updated modern version of the mv 8800 - a mv 9000 or mv 7000?
lives.