I like that there are 7 tone tracks, plenty of projects and patterns and everything can be saved on SD. It feels like a groovebox, sampler, sequencer, workstation and more in one box.
I couldn't agree more with your overall conclusion. canr believe I almost bought one! i need to replace my Roland MC-909 (2002) eventually w something thats more portable (smaller, lighter) and can do multitrack digital outputs (each track, Nck calls them "didcrete" here, some call them stems). this would work wonders pushing me to complete tracks faster - i really like what theyve done with the sequencer in that regard (sll these yesrs ive never even wanted to use the 909's song mode). but overall the design, both physical and UI is not a way anyoed woukd choose to make music this way unless they had no other option, 80s samplers were forced to deal w short sample times and 2line LCDs, the budget groovebox that was my first , thr Roland D2, was affordable BECAUSE they gave it no screen at all but these fays touchscreens w color are very inexpensive, and this isnt cheap. already I feel like such a sucker cuz i bought their 2015 JD-Xa ehich costs over $2knew but has thr SAME TYPE AND SIZE LCD display, having to program your sounds entirely via hunting menus on such a small display? not necessary this entire millennium , and at least thr JDXA has a decent (almost) set of knobs n faders. the MV1 will do only lackluster sales, like the jdxa, they wont start discounting thrm soon enough for ppl to buy them and that willlead em to stopping developing a successor just like did with the Mc-909, JDXa, many many otbers
Yepp, I use to have a MV8800. It even had a vga out for a screen. Something that should have been replaced with a hdmi port by now, but no groove boxes, stand alone units/synths have that for some reason.
It's complicated when it comes to sections but that is easy with the Zen editor hopefully they make it full sample editor and pad assignments of your samples
👍👍🏻👍🏼👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿 This thing needs Manual diving. But i was checking out the manual and is not that long and it looks super clear to the eyes. I mean like well explained and simple.
Gonna get one just to sample "um, little bit clunky but it's the Roland way, um." @11:01 But seriously, I kinda wish it had send/return for external FX? Thinking I might just output it into pedal board and then record THAT output with existing HD recorder! Other fun? What about grabbing one of them Tascam mixers and like record several live instruments to IT'S disk, run it through FX then sample that into the MV-1 which is being put through more FX? Take that and turn it into a loop. Also, I wonder what would happen if you fed it it's own input... better get a warranty ;)
Nick, verselab sounds great, I am unable to record control change data in mv1, sustain pedal , pitch bend … from midi controller not getting recorded, is this a limited feature ?
I'm from the 90's and started out with a DR-5. I made more music with that thing than any of the half dozen+ drum machine/grooveboxes I currently own. I think this device would be a fun way to chop up a feed from my existing rig using the vocal track while being able to add sounds I don't have. On top of that I don't need to run it through my rack stuff to master... Quick&Easy.
I bought a TR8-S about six months ago and just sold it for an Analog RYTM 2. That thing was the biggest creativity destroyer I've ever used. I was so uninspired to program beats on it that I've barely made any music since buying it.
@@bobthesalesclerk sorry to hear this... i also have a TR-08 collecting dust on a shelf and a brand new TR-8 in an unopened box. thinking i might just leave it like that and maybe it will be worth something one day...
I've been reading through all the comments of people shitting on this piece of gear lol. I started recording in the 90s on a dual cassette karaoke machine, then to a 4-track tascam, then got into recording on logic and ableton for many years up until recently. I just ordered the mv-1 because I actually wanted to limit myself and work within a framework of less options. I'm hoping it solves a problem that i have of getting lost with too many choices and not focusing on getting songs done and putting them out into the world. Having limitless options and features has been amazing for me when exploring possibilities but it also feeds my perfectionism and "not good enough yet" syndrome. I'm looking forward to how this might inspire me to work in a different way and even frustrate me along the way. On that note, UPS just delivered my MV-1! I'll post a video with it on my channel in the near future :)
I went from karaoke (with the worst "echo" ever) to portastudio but then onto digital portastudio ... I feel the same way after spending so much time with my Cycles for the past year. It reminded me of my 90's drum machines/g-boxes i.e. Dr. Rhythms and Electribes. I used to crank out a lot more "complete" sounding pieces back then but now I am prone to make loops. People want to complain about lack of patch editing but I've already got a load of gear that I can do that with and then play into this thing. What I don't have is a lot of piano/string type sounds and well, here they are? Hope you have been enjoying it so far/look forward to video.
@@EnochDark Oh man, you had to mention that awful "echo" lol. I was just listening to an old recording I did with that echo on both the guitar and the vocal because well, that's all it had. I also used the portastudio but never tried the digital version. Those 90's drum machines are classic. My band in the 90's used to play with an Alesis drum machine. Programming entire songs into it was tedious but rewarding. As far as the sounds on the mv-1, the piano and strings I've heard so far are decent and usable. I'm not that much of a tone snob but so far I haven't had a hard time finding sounds I like. I spent the first day with it mostly learning all of it's functionality and quirks. There are definitely a lot of quirks but it's a really fun machine to use. I'll probably make a video after I spend just a little more time with it. I haven't even gotten to the vocal track yet. Were you thinking of getting an mv-1?
@@theRobertDG To make matters worse mine had this horrible ringing that went along with it too. And yes, much time programming the beats for sure! Been giving it some heavy consideration esp. now that I have a job again but seeing Nick's frustration with the OS here (particularly in regards to the sample/loop) is certainly off putting. Think I am going to hold until there's at least 1 or 2 updates to fix those "quirks." This will also free up funds for something like a Nightsky which I've been hyped about.
@@EnochDark I just checked out the Nightsky. Looks like some crazy reverb pedal or something right? I could see how one would have a lot of fun with one of those. So I spent the past few days doing nothing but working on the MV-1 and making a complete track. As expected, man was it frustrating! lol. But I knew that coming in and wanted some self-imposed limitations. As a result, I really like what I came up with and it forced me to produce in a different way. I came up with my own workarounds to ease the frustrations and create a decent workflow but I'm still getting the hang of it. So far my impression is that it has potential as long as they keep updating it and working out the bugs. If you know what you are getting into I think it's a pretty great creative tool. I still eventually brought the audio into Logic to do the final polishing but I finished about 95% of it in the MV-1 first. Although I am not recommending it to everyone, I think if you know what you're working with the MV-1 is a nice piece of gear for getting the ideas out.
@@theRobertDG Yeah it's basically an 'instrument' in its own right. I am also giving heavy consideration to the Dust Collector which is unfortunately mono.
Looks like a frustrating pile of do-do butter /// 18:35... you get a count in... and then a 'MEMORY FULL!' notification .. but then it starts recording audio 🤦🏻♂️
Can I just say I liked the fact you gave loopop a nod and didn't just redo the same piece of gear. Rare these days in the fight for clicks. Enjoying the content. Top channel 👏
True. Tbh just newly into this side of techno i find the whole community positive unlike most socials nowadays. Starsky Carr and Andertons synths and keys are also worth a visit if you haven't already
@@Heathcliff_hensel I completely agree with this. He tends to get stuck rambling on redundant points, plus the monotone voice and poor vox processing don't help matters much either.
Not only did you assist with my commitment to the verselab - you also enabled me to choose a keyboard controller - now a happy owner of both the verselab and keystep 37... Thank you (it is hard for noobs to match components - particularly if they discover their musicality at 60+ years of age lol)
Thanks for the honest review. I am a fan of truth. I do like that Roland considered human workflow here, but they need to put all their tech in one box.
Spot on, they need a box that has a user interface that is better and more guided and more integrated with a DAW when needed, as their own Zenbeats or/and works as a great controller for Zenbeats, Logic, and others, and again, all the tech in one box with as many hands-on knobs and ways to do work with all your settings without any menu diving, to set the vocals and change your vocals is far too confusing at the moment, and to do changes on your vocals in a good way is really hard and you can't do any automation in the box and no integration with Zenbeats yet either, it has super good potential to be the best in the market but Roland does not show any focus on getting there yet. I would love to understand how Roland looks at their hardware offers and how to take the next step to win the market share from MPC, Maschine, and others.
As usual, a comment section filled full of "gear snobs" making uneducated assumptions without even delving into the equipment in question. Is the MV-1 accessible to beginners? Yes. Is it also capable of producing professional results? Yes. Is there a bit of menu diving? Yes, Is it fully expandable and easier to edit tracks and sequences with the "FREE" version of Zenbeats? Yes. I've known a lot of professional musicians, really talented people in all genres of music, but none of them ever get on youtube and make sh*tty comments about beginners, or musical equipment. All I see are a lot of hostile comments from people who probably spend more time downloading less-than-legal software than they spend actually learning their craft. Critiquing gear from a consumer standpoint is one thing, but taking a crap all over the gear without ever even trying it, based solely on a limited review from youtubers....well, that just show how limited you are. Take some of that energy and go create some music, you so-called wannabe pros.
Though I agree with many of your points in principle I think they are unjustified when in relation to the MV-1 as a piece of gear that offers value for money. The target market of the Mv-1 is not the people who watch this channel as a rule. Its for young Hip Hop producers and vocalists and as you say beginners; this is partly the reason why you see so many disparaging comments. Roland are trying to compete with the Akai MPC, but it doesn't offer the functionality of those machines and costs virtually the same. If the Mv-1 was £500.00 not £600.00 it would be decent in the market place and also much more accessible to those beginners. Roland for some reason seem to think that their name in this market space means they can charge a premium relative to other brands. This is not the case in the guitar market for example where Boss (Roland's guitar brand) generally offers very good value for money and listen to what the market is telling them. A lot of the hate is actually because people really want Roland to create something that is great because of their heritage, but it's simply not happening under the present management and that upsets people. Oh and by the way I also know a lot of pro and semi pro musicians and most haven't a clue or are just not interested about anything technical so its not surprising you don't see comments from them. In addition if you are a professional musician it wouldn't be a good career move to slag off the product of a company that maybe in a position to offer you work at a future date. I agree that beginners should not be chastised for being beginners though, because we all have to start somewhere don't we?
I guess if you like to experiment with music & have some extra cash laying around, then you should give me that extra cash. What I meant to say is this can be a pretty neat introduction into a musical world if you're main talent is vocals. Perhaps this is aimed towards the SP404 fans with the pads & effects?
I actually like it more than any other product roland has released in the last couple years ( besides the boss rc-5). I just cant in good concious buy something with sounds that cannot be fully edited without a monthly subscription. Roland's subscription service should be shunned and tossed aside. It's like saying you can never own a home and have to rent the rest of your life. The dawless musicians want to own a piece of gear that is totally theirs. Something they can down load and keep
Oh? I havent got one so haven't been able to test. I don't think this was ever imagined as something woth deep sound design capabilities in mind, but good that there is an option if you want to get into the synthesis. I'm far less fussy about presets than I used to be, as long as they are pretty good. A smidge of cutoff, decay and resonance adjustment tends to get me there. So this speaks to me as a tool to develop song ideas, similar to how I use my Electribe sampler, and I can always route my midi back into Ableton if I want to get vst happy and try different sounds. It seems to be basically a groovebox with a 4 track, and I want one! I find myself wanting to lay down vocal takes or guitars on my beats, but I cant without firing up the computer, so this would be my perfect tool. The presets in the Electribe are no better, trust me, and whilst there is editing functions, also pretty limited. Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I dig it, hoping Roland will send one my way. I run inclusive electronic music production fundamentals courses, and this has the potential to supplement my JD-Xis, Volcas and Electribes nicely as core tools (we have plenty of quirkier stuff like Kaossilators and Thereminis), so very keen to have a play and make my own assessment.
Sweet, jam, Nick, you rock again! Interesting sketch box, but most puzzling limitations. Definitely not for me, like with many others. Can you turn down that SRV reverb's Diffusion and Density? I think it sounds best that way. Too muddy otherwise. The master(ing) effects are passable on Roland gear, and editing them one parameter at a time is fine if you have a reference track on hand to compare the sound to (important) and you know how to use a multi-band comp and limiter.
the most interesting was the e-cigarette and the dreadbox. :-) i can't wait until my preordered dreadbox is delivered. But as usual nice video and track.
was he sequencing a external synth with a external keyboard? if so, am going to really love this thing! I have seen other videos and dont see what is so complicated. the work flow looks very straight forward and simply easy to navigate. far as I can tell, this thing is a beast of a sequencer.
I'm usually not a fan of Roland gear. In fact, the few pieces I've had over the years - with the exception of a JV-880 - I've given up and sold to the highest bidder. This one seems to suffer from the plague of much of their devices: Too many features buried under a somewhat cryptic operating system, and for me at least, it kills creativity and spontaneity. And as Nick also pointed out " it has some quirks... or limitations. Just my two cents... to each his own... After watching this video review, I haven't seen anything in the verseLab MV-1, that can't be done easier or better with MPC ONE or Machine MK3.
Agreed, bad UI design, tiny screens on hardware, requirement to buy subscriptions to cloud services just to get a software editor, cheap hardware construction, products deliberately limited so as not to cannibalize on their own similar products. Unfortunately they're exactly what you'd expect from a company who's gotten so large and have so many products. Their older products will always have legendary status for how creative and innovative they were, but they're a very different company now.
@@sonicstate I understand but -- "I'd like to double track that vocal please -- oh and we need 4 layers of BVs for the chorus" suddenly you're living in fear of memory shortage!! I understand, if you want to do serious vocal work, use a DAW -- but that leaves me wondering what this device is really for. Maybe they should have just called it a 'sampler' rather than flogging the vocal aspect. Either that or double the vocal memory.
@@annother3350 You don't have to record full takes each time, sections and triggering them at the relevant points in the song will save a certain amount of memory, but I get your point
12 mins mono, 6 stereo for vocal/sample pool you could load vocal take samples from saved WAV file on SD card onto Drum kit pads also.. all comes form that 12min sample pool 60 seconds for looper tack pool.
You spoke about Zenbeats integration in just one sentence? From what I understand Zenbeats integration is kinda like a big deal for this machine and it's supposed to alleviate the tiny screen concerns.
No I don't think it addresses the deep voice editing, but more the parameters you can access in the menu system such as mastering parameters and sample start / end
This is my dream piece of gear ! Been trying tons of stuff -- this is the one. Helps to focus and complete tracks. No eyestrain. Tons of sounds & effects. Great for singers.
I wish I only got the MV-1 sooner. It's just a preset monster! I've been able to sell a few other devices. It freaking does everything when before I had to use a couple instruments, a drum machine, and then recording vocals. Sometimes, I only recorded one thing at a time and still had to mix it in DAW just to make a single track.
this is beat thang 2.0. it's a dud. should drop a juno 6,60,106 all in one like the og with audio over usb in the standard size for about 1,200. who's running this company?
Roland doesn't care that much for vintage fans, those little digital recreations were just a bone thrown out there, they chase the money of folks who don't care that much for vintage, their main money-making instruments are the usual romplers (Juno-DS, FA, JD-Xi) and especially digital pianos like the FP30.
@@Jason75913 yeah but they would make more money giving fans waht they want. who wants a behringer recreation over the real deal. put out a real juno with all three units in one. high quality like the og. people would go crazy. tons of money to be made. all of those indie bands and producers. the boutique juno is popular. the real deal is a gold. korg is selling high priced retro gear, arp etc. roland is just dumb af. neon colors and urban marketing. they probalby got bought out by some financial group who doesnt know anything except trends. ITS URBAN!
Thuahaha you mentioned the Beat Thang !!! I actually had that for a minute - sold that - then the mc 707 came out and I was like dope but in honesty I currently have and own the mv 1 Verselab and it’s actually all I need to make music now . I’m from the old school era of the mpc 60 mpc 2000 korg triton Yamaha motif Juno G Roland mc 303 mc 307 mc 505 and Roland mv 8000 so in a weird funny way it all comes back to a full circle ⭕️ -
The MV-2 will not have a screen that useless. Roland should have learned from Elektron Mark 2 improvements and just had a OLED screen and charged another $50
@@ripskip160 serious question: for a product clearly marketed to be standalone production groovebox, how is an app going to make it better? This product makes 0 sense no matter what way you put it. Roland is DONE!
@@muhammedalitoya1505 I'm just stating facts, I agree that they should of included a large screen from the get go. MPC ONE costs the same and they included a huge touchscreen.
@@muhammedalitoya1505 I completely agree with you. It's like they made it and then realised they had omitted something basic and so had to shuffle everything around but released it before they had ironed out the enormous wrinkles that shuffle caused.
your such a good musician man your melodies and ideas are great and unique seriously i always loved reviews and hearing you play some really beautifully sad melodies on keys over the years appreciate you brother . i wanted this thing but it might be too clunky for what i need . i do use mc101 so maybe i should think about it for awhile . thank you for all there great videos man.
That sounds great, except after a year of use you'll have the software editor you've become used to taken away from you unless you sign up to a subscription service. I'm not seeing that as a positive.
@@BecomingProductions The positive is that it's (currently) really cheap to keep up the subscription, and if you use the MV-1 with Zenbeats, you don't need to keep up the subscription (as far as I know). I'd like to see the same kind of integration Zenbeats has with the MV-1 happen on the MC707/101 too. I actually like not looking at a screen sometimes, but visual editing is easier.
Is there any way of using a USB midi keyboard to control the synth sounds? Also, can you use the beat pads to control Plugin instruments inside of a DAW?
This feels stifling, like I'd really have to plan and record my track how Roland thinks it should be. Also, I really don't like having the ability to have full tone editing control locked behind the paywall of the Roland cloud. That said, I'm always impressed with the beautiful music you coax out of these machines.
Agreed, the requirement to pay for a subscription service to get access to an offline editor is shocking. Especially as editing a full patch on the device is not an option. Really bad call by Roland.
Nope!! This workflow is perfect. I'm a lifelong MPC fanatic. Since the MPC60 to the recent LIVE II. Just get into your box! It's 🔥. Anyone who saying this is incapable... You don't reeaallly understand gear nor music production. No disrespect, but if you know your shit... MV-1 is genius! Facts! Big up the Roland team for this one.
@@philippeleblanc856 Yep but in the MPC you can do everything in the box. You can tweak all its available parameters without having to go near a software editor. If you'd actually watched the review you'd have seen you can't edit all MV-1's synth parameters from the device. If you're happy to use it as a preset machine then you could work away, but if you want to create your own patches from scratch then your point goes completely out the window.
@@philippeleblanc856 Ita the roland subscription service that they require and push that upsets customers. The dawless musicians like to buy a piece of gear and own it completely.
The idea behind it is great, and I can see when and where it would be useful.. But they took cutting corners so seriously that it should as round as a Zoom ARQ.
I think those of us that have a MC101(707) and a BlackBox are pretty much there. ps: loopop is fine but he’s no Nick Batt. Are the companys giving you the cold shoulder?
What do you mean by that? I got the 101 and Mv1, I do not think a 101 and the black box would cover the things you can do with Mv1? Is that what you meant? Vocals are an important part with Mv1, 8 channels, the pads, the onboard controls, and the very different workflow that is much better than 101 if you ask me.
👍👍🏻👍🏼👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿 I am gonna buy it for shure.... but i have this feeling that most of all those 3,000 drums and tones... i have them already in my Juno DS. And also i can upload from Zen things to my Juno. So no big deal for me since i have the Juno ds. But it is still interest me because is like buying a 7 channels recording mixer (since 1 is dedicated to vocals and i am going instrumental) and a drum machine.... and not to forget a 128 step sequencer etc. all for a prize that is at the end almost like the prize of an entry level 8 channels recording mixer alone.
Sounds fantastic. I wonder: what if, like one of the korg electribe models, it had a tube. The sound would have been more spectacular. I am guessing since i am not a sound expert. 🥳
Nick, I am just dying for you to put out an albums worth of music! Every time you review a piece of gear like this, you create a fantastic tease of a tune! Make time my friend, you won’t regret it!
Nice review. How do you sync The keystep to The Verselab so you Can use The arp on one of Them when you use The keyboard to PLAY when you rev on The Verselab?
This review is focused on sample-based projects. However, the MV-1 is more about using its sounds: numerous and customisable. For sample projects, use your DAW (or an MPC). I agree about the complication of using it though, as the controls are very densely packed. I have one and did not immediately take to it ... but it's a grower! It can run off a power pack via USB, so a motivation for me was its portability too (and no internal battery that will be knackered in two years).
Yeah, it's just about strengths and weaknesses. I don't want to be that bloke who blindly defends something he's paid for. This thing is far from perfect, but it is portable, great sounding and fun. Anyway, love the videos. Always stuff to think about.
I have to agree with comments, Roland trading off their early Rompler tech is laughable , but what’s also amazing is it’s so good it still holds up. My mc707 is super fast to work with. The sampling time will fool you because it gets written to the 6 mins time not the puny looping time. Still it’s so out of touch. Regardless the mc707 is so immediate , even the editing of the rompler isn’t a problem in promode. It’s just a bit boring for some, it is detailed however, which I’d rather have. If you judge things just on specs then you need to rent or try more gear , the interface is everything and Roland does well here , even if at first site it doesn’t seem like it. The challenge now is for Roland to come into the 21st century. Still mc707 is the best Groovebox I’ve used , started with an MPC2000xl. Also if it’s like the mc707 , there is a mode where you can change midi channel by selecting track you don’t need to do it on controller. Yes they really need to make exported loops accessible , it’s so stupid. Painted themselves into a corner while coding , or a business decision? Who knows but it’s idiotic frankly.
Yeah the sampler sucks. Asked a Roland rep. Why does it take so long to edit sample start and end points. On samples. 4 to 8. Seconds long. He said just use shorter samples. I was like um is it not a sampler . Why should I sample one second samples. To edit samples faster. 🗑 💩
I love your reviews! And the fact you shout out others who have done a more in-depth look. This is the kind of review I would want if I was considering buying a piece of equipment, then once I had decided to buy it I would watch @loopop in-depth look. It is what I did with my MPC One!
I think for some one without the baggage of a previous workflow and expectations, it will give a high degree of functionality at a reasonable price, but when you try and apply what you already know and use, its a little quirky
You can sample anything with this machine. MC line can't. It's very stand alone with something called Zenbeats. That's some software to help some things out. Can't reply to comments after this. Ya probably found out already. Answers to questions.
Hi I had my Verselab for a week and i need to put a midi keyboard on this So i bought the Arturia Keylab 49 essential How can i hook that up? Thank You
You plug a MIDI cable from the OUT of the Keylab to the IN of the MV1. Keep in mind you will have to change channels on the Keylab to play different tracks, so if you want to play the bass track, select MIDI channel 5 on the keylab.
Nick thanks for your in depth and most of all Honest review of this. I already have an MC-707 and still have my MC-303. So I really don't see the need for getting one of these. My only question for you is, does it have midi control for external gear? Otherwise it would be mostly useless in my setups
Not really, tracks will send and recieve on MIDI channels, but it would mean you have to sacrifice one of the tone tracks to drive external gear which may not suit, although you can bring in the instrument via the stereo line in and sample
But you can use a phone/tablet if you want to do that. Think you're probably missing the point, but if its not for you, its not for you. I'd be psyched, it would make a good buddy for my sampler.
@@PiriakaTrackwrecker it's just seems that it falls between Akai and midi controller category, but discarding workflow benefits of both. Like a NI machine, without screen. Or overpriced controller with subscription based sound design option. It's nor DAW not dawless. For a Roland price point, this is just ridiculous
Cool don't buy it. But two reviews (this and loopop) is more than justified given it's uniqueness. If you were to watch this review, you'd hear him say that it represents great value for money. No kit is ever going to be all things to all people, no need to shit on it because it doesn't tick your arbitrary boxes.
Never mind the MV-1. Nicks arrangements are amazing!
Facts
@@_c_y_p_3 Yep!
Thanks very much for the shout out - beautiful track!
Stop talking with your hands
Im often left thinking this humble fella could be an electronic music god if he wanted to.
@@qu0ne Stop being a jerk. Create your own popular synth channel.
@@genx1144 cool man, thanks for the tip, but I think you forgot how the internet works.
@@qu0ne Nah, I know you have no manners.
This video really makes me want a Typhon.
Once more I noticde, that I always really love the Tracks that Nick is creating with the gear he tests. Should release them somewhere.
I like that there are 7 tone tracks, plenty of projects and patterns and everything can be saved on SD. It feels like a groovebox, sampler, sequencer, workstation and more in one box.
Yeah I get the memory full message too when I have plenty of room left. It’s a glitch. Hopefully Roland will fix it with an update
I couldn't agree more with your overall conclusion. canr believe I almost bought one! i need to replace my Roland MC-909 (2002) eventually w something thats more portable (smaller, lighter) and can do multitrack digital outputs (each track, Nck calls them "didcrete" here, some call them stems). this would work wonders pushing me to complete tracks faster - i really like what theyve done with the sequencer in that regard (sll these yesrs ive never even wanted to use the 909's song mode). but overall the design, both physical and UI is not a way anyoed woukd choose to make music this way unless they had no other option, 80s samplers were forced to deal w short sample times and 2line LCDs, the budget groovebox that was my first , thr Roland D2, was affordable BECAUSE they gave it no screen at all but these fays touchscreens w color are very inexpensive, and this isnt cheap. already I feel like such a sucker cuz i bought their 2015 JD-Xa ehich costs over $2knew but has thr SAME TYPE AND SIZE LCD display, having to program your sounds entirely via hunting menus on such a small display? not necessary this entire millennium , and at least thr JDXA has a decent (almost) set of knobs n faders. the MV1 will do only lackluster sales, like the jdxa, they wont start discounting thrm soon enough for ppl to buy them and that willlead em to stopping developing a successor just like did with the Mc-909, JDXa, many many otbers
Glad they didn't bury the MV line. The 8000 & 8800 were powerhouses.
Yepp, I use to have a MV8800. It even had a vga out for a screen. Something that should have been replaced with a hdmi port by now, but no groove boxes, stand alone units/synths have that for some reason.
It's complicated when it comes to sections but that is easy with the Zen editor hopefully they make it full sample editor and pad assignments of your samples
The reason I care about Nick’s opinion is mostly based upon how good his “throwaway” demo of this machine is.
👍👍🏻👍🏼👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿
This thing needs Manual diving. But i was checking out the manual and is not that long and it looks super clear to the eyes. I mean like well explained and simple.
It appears the MC-707 is more powerful... You can fully edit/create your own patches on the unit..
707?IS LESS FUN LESS CREATIVE
Lovely tutorial
Great review like allways!👍 Love the mv-1. 😽
Nick , great synth tune.
Gonna get one just to sample "um, little bit clunky but it's the Roland way, um." @11:01
But seriously, I kinda wish it had send/return for external FX? Thinking I might just output it into pedal board and then record THAT output with existing HD recorder! Other fun? What about grabbing one of them Tascam mixers and like record several live instruments to IT'S disk, run it through FX then sample that into the MV-1 which is being put through more FX? Take that and turn it into a loop.
Also, I wonder what would happen if you fed it it's own input... better get a warranty ;)
Nick, verselab sounds great, I am unable to record control change data in mv1, sustain pedal , pitch bend … from midi controller not getting recorded, is this a limited feature ?
Now you can.
Roland's next hardware creation...a laptop with zen core...aka PC-1 Zentop. We get it, you like your sounds. Make something inspirational and new.
Do people still buy Roland products? Their designs are sooo stuck in the 90's. Usability and product design is just ... Why???...
Their stuff in the 90's (like the VS1680 digital recorder) was way better than this junk.
I'm from the 90's and started out with a DR-5. I made more music with that thing than any of the half dozen+ drum machine/grooveboxes I currently own. I think this device would be a fun way to chop up a feed from my existing rig using the vocal track while being able to add sounds I don't have. On top of that I don't need to run it through my rack stuff to master... Quick&Easy.
I bought a TR8-S about six months ago and just sold it for an Analog RYTM 2. That thing was the biggest creativity destroyer I've ever used. I was so uninspired to program beats on it that I've barely made any music since buying it.
@@bobthesalesclerk sorry to hear this... i also have a TR-08 collecting dust on a shelf and a brand new TR-8 in an unopened box. thinking i might just leave it like that and maybe it will be worth something one day...
@@EnochDark I've moved passed it. My Analog RYTM 2 will be here next week. Can't wait.
Its an interesting idea but if you are getting into writing songs and recording vocals aren't you better off just using a DAW.
There seems to be a real fetish lately for computerless production.
Exactly what "idea" is interesting?
@@nobel11 "lately"
Well, trend has lasted a few decades, how old are you again?
I'm not clear, what's the typhon being used to do?
Sample from
3k sounds and generation Z crybabies still complain😂
I've been reading through all the comments of people shitting on this piece of gear lol. I started recording in the 90s on a dual cassette karaoke machine, then to a 4-track tascam, then got into recording on logic and ableton for many years up until recently. I just ordered the mv-1 because I actually wanted to limit myself and work within a framework of less options. I'm hoping it solves a problem that i have of getting lost with too many choices and not focusing on getting songs done and putting them out into the world. Having limitless options and features has been amazing for me when exploring possibilities but it also feeds my perfectionism and "not good enough yet" syndrome. I'm looking forward to how this might inspire me to work in a different way and even frustrate me along the way. On that note, UPS just delivered my MV-1! I'll post a video with it on my channel in the near future :)
I went from karaoke (with the worst "echo" ever) to portastudio but then onto digital portastudio ... I feel the same way after spending so much time with my Cycles for the past year. It reminded me of my 90's drum machines/g-boxes i.e. Dr. Rhythms and Electribes. I used to crank out a lot more "complete" sounding pieces back then but now I am prone to make loops.
People want to complain about lack of patch editing but I've already got a load of gear that I can do that with and then play into this thing. What I don't have is a lot of piano/string type sounds and well, here they are?
Hope you have been enjoying it so far/look forward to video.
@@EnochDark Oh man, you had to mention that awful "echo" lol. I was just listening to an old recording I did with that echo on both the guitar and the vocal because well, that's all it had. I also used the portastudio but never tried the digital version. Those 90's drum machines are classic. My band in the 90's used to play with an Alesis drum machine. Programming entire songs into it was tedious but rewarding.
As far as the sounds on the mv-1, the piano and strings I've heard so far are decent and usable. I'm not that much of a tone snob but so far I haven't had a hard time finding sounds I like.
I spent the first day with it mostly learning all of it's functionality and quirks. There are definitely a lot of quirks but it's a really fun machine to use.
I'll probably make a video after I spend just a little more time with it. I haven't even gotten to the vocal track yet.
Were you thinking of getting an mv-1?
@@theRobertDG To make matters worse mine had this horrible ringing that went along with it too. And yes, much time programming the beats for sure!
Been giving it some heavy consideration esp. now that I have a job again but seeing Nick's frustration with the OS here (particularly in regards to the sample/loop) is certainly off putting.
Think I am going to hold until there's at least 1 or 2 updates to fix those "quirks." This will also free up funds for something like a Nightsky which I've been hyped about.
@@EnochDark I just checked out the Nightsky. Looks like some crazy reverb pedal or something right? I could see how one would have a lot of fun with one of those.
So I spent the past few days doing nothing but working on the MV-1 and making a complete track. As expected, man was it frustrating! lol. But I knew that coming in and wanted some self-imposed limitations. As a result, I really like what I came up with and it forced me to produce in a different way.
I came up with my own workarounds to ease the frustrations and create a decent workflow but I'm still getting the hang of it.
So far my impression is that it has potential as long as they keep updating it and working out the bugs. If you know what you are getting into I think it's a pretty great creative tool. I still eventually brought the audio into Logic to do the final polishing but I finished about 95% of it in the MV-1 first.
Although I am not recommending it to everyone, I think if you know what you're working with the MV-1 is a nice piece of gear for getting the ideas out.
@@theRobertDG Yeah it's basically an 'instrument' in its own right. I am also giving heavy consideration to the Dust Collector which is unfortunately mono.
I was sooo waiting for Nick to start rapping...
not gonna happen :-)
@@sonicstate The Notorious P.W.M
20:53 almost!
@@sonicstate what if we throw in a crate of ale?
Looks like a frustrating pile of do-do butter /// 18:35... you get a count in... and then a 'MEMORY FULL!' notification .. but then it starts recording audio 🤦🏻♂️
Can I just say I liked the fact you gave loopop a nod and didn't just redo the same piece of gear. Rare these days in the fight for clicks. Enjoying the content. Top channel 👏
Loopop has become my go to for technical/workflow reviews, and then other people provide the colour and second opinion. He is a bit of a master.
True. Tbh just newly into this side of techno i find the whole community positive unlike most socials nowadays. Starsky Carr and Andertons synths and keys are also worth a visit if you haven't already
Loopop's videos are kind of boring. they are really good and in depth but kind of dull.
@@Heathcliff_hensel I completely agree with this. He tends to get stuck rambling on redundant points, plus the monotone voice and poor vox processing don't help matters much either.
Loving the screen, reminds me of my D-110 🙄
Someone needs to tell Roland that 1992 wants it’s sampling time back 🤣👍
They’re obsessed with offering the vintage features nobody wanted and the modern features nobody cares about
Not only did you assist with my commitment to the verselab - you also enabled me to choose a keyboard controller - now a happy owner of both the verselab and keystep 37... Thank you (it is hard for noobs to match components - particularly if they discover their musicality at 60+ years of age lol)
Thanks for the honest review. I am a fan of truth. I do like that Roland considered human workflow here, but they need to put all their tech in one box.
Spot on, they need a box that has a user interface that is better and more guided and more integrated with a DAW when needed, as their own Zenbeats or/and works as a great controller for Zenbeats, Logic, and others, and again, all the tech in one box with as many hands-on knobs and ways to do work with all your settings without any menu diving, to set the vocals and change your vocals is far too confusing at the moment, and to do changes on your vocals in a good way is really hard and you can't do any automation in the box and no integration with Zenbeats yet either, it has super good potential to be the best in the market but Roland does not show any focus on getting there yet. I would love to understand how Roland looks at their hardware offers and how to take the next step to win the market share from MPC, Maschine, and others.
I would love to see Roland come up with something like the MPCX hardware.
Roland! 🤦♂️
Again, 60 seconds to death? In 2021? Seriously?
As usual, a comment section filled full of "gear snobs" making uneducated assumptions without even delving into the equipment in question. Is the MV-1 accessible to beginners? Yes. Is it also capable of producing professional results? Yes. Is there a bit of menu diving? Yes, Is it fully expandable and easier to edit tracks and sequences with the "FREE" version of Zenbeats? Yes. I've known a lot of professional musicians, really talented people in all genres of music, but none of them ever get on youtube and make sh*tty comments about beginners, or musical equipment. All I see are a lot of hostile comments from people who probably spend more time downloading less-than-legal software than they spend actually learning their craft. Critiquing gear from a consumer standpoint is one thing, but taking a crap all over the gear without ever even trying it, based solely on a limited review from youtubers....well, that just show how limited you are. Take some of that energy and go create some music, you so-called wannabe pros.
Well said! 👏🏼 👏🏼👏🏼
Though I agree with many of your points in principle I think they are unjustified when in relation to the MV-1 as a piece of gear that offers value for money. The target market of the Mv-1 is not the people who watch this channel as a rule. Its for young Hip Hop producers and vocalists and as you say beginners; this is partly the reason why you see so many disparaging comments.
Roland are trying to compete with the Akai MPC, but it doesn't offer the functionality of those machines and costs virtually the same. If the Mv-1 was £500.00 not £600.00 it would be decent in the market place and also much more accessible to those beginners. Roland for some reason seem to think that their name in this market space means they can charge a premium relative to other brands. This is not the case in the guitar market for example where Boss (Roland's guitar brand) generally offers very good value for money and listen to what the market is telling them.
A lot of the hate is actually because people really want Roland to create something that is great because of their heritage, but it's simply not happening under the present management and that upsets people.
Oh and by the way I also know a lot of pro and semi pro musicians and most haven't a clue or are just not interested about anything technical so its not surprising you don't see comments from them. In addition if you are a professional musician it wouldn't be a good career move to slag off the product of a company that maybe in a position to offer you work at a future date.
I agree that beginners should not be chastised for being beginners though, because we all have to start somewhere don't we?
EXACTELY IT IS DEAD EASY TO USE : ua-cam.com/video/2mru8H_MelA/v-deo.html
@@peterjessop1878 Correct.I havn't even begun to be a beginner yet .
So the Roland MV-1 is £599, that makes the Akai MPC One at £639 an absolute bargain.
As if it already wasn't.
@@Jason75913 or even the op-z with case hoho
I picked polyend tracker over this
The akai force blows this toy out of the water in every area
@@christianthompson1473 including price
I guess if you like to experiment with music & have some extra cash laying around, then you should give me that extra cash.
What I meant to say is this can be a pretty neat introduction into a musical world if you're main talent is vocals.
Perhaps this is aimed towards the SP404 fans with the pads & effects?
Why roland make such a great product but with such a bad screen that make editing g so hard.is not the first time
You can now use your phone/tablet/computer as a screen extension through Zenbeats integration.
@@ripskip160 WELL SAID
I actually like it more than any other product roland has released in the last couple years ( besides the boss rc-5). I just cant in good concious buy something with sounds that cannot be fully edited without a monthly subscription. Roland's subscription service should be shunned and tossed aside. It's like saying you can never own a home and have to rent the rest of your life. The dawless musicians want to own a piece of gear that is totally theirs. Something they can down load and keep
Hence all their hardware digital synths (Juno-DS, System 1 & 8, JD-Xi, FA, MC-707...)
Fair enough, I say, I don't care for subscriptions either.
Subscription is free though?
@@PiriakaTrackwrecker
Subscribition is not free. They have a free version of Zenbeats but it offer very little editing. Its basically a preset device
Oh? I havent got one so haven't been able to test. I don't think this was ever imagined as something woth deep sound design capabilities in mind, but good that there is an option if you want to get into the synthesis. I'm far less fussy about presets than I used to be, as long as they are pretty good. A smidge of cutoff, decay and resonance adjustment tends to get me there. So this speaks to me as a tool to develop song ideas, similar to how I use my Electribe sampler, and I can always route my midi back into Ableton if I want to get vst happy and try different sounds. It seems to be basically a groovebox with a 4 track, and I want one! I find myself wanting to lay down vocal takes or guitars on my beats, but I cant without firing up the computer, so this would be my perfect tool. The presets in the Electribe are no better, trust me, and whilst there is editing functions, also pretty limited. Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I dig it, hoping Roland will send one my way. I run inclusive electronic music production fundamentals courses, and this has the potential to supplement my JD-Xis, Volcas and Electribes nicely as core tools (we have plenty of quirkier stuff like Kaossilators and Thereminis), so very keen to have a play and make my own assessment.
Sweet, jam, Nick, you rock again!
Interesting sketch box, but most puzzling limitations. Definitely not for me, like with many others.
Can you turn down that SRV reverb's Diffusion and Density? I think it sounds best that way. Too muddy otherwise.
The master(ing) effects are passable on Roland gear, and editing them one parameter at a time is fine if you have a reference track on hand to compare the sound to (important) and you know how to use a multi-band comp and limiter.
NICK. NICK,. THIS SONG IS GODDAMN BEAUTIFUL. NIIIIICK. OMG
the most interesting was the e-cigarette and the dreadbox. :-) i can't wait until my preordered dreadbox is delivered. But as usual nice video and track.
Thought that's what it was. He hid it as soon as he realised.
The thing with all Roland stuff like this is, it will be abandoned from release. My MV 8800 is running the most up to date os, 1.01.
was he sequencing a external synth with a external keyboard? if so, am going to really love this thing! I have seen other videos and dont see what is so complicated. the work flow looks very straight forward and simply easy to navigate. far as I can tell, this thing is a beast of a sequencer.
I'm usually not a fan of Roland gear. In fact, the few pieces I've had over the years - with the exception of a JV-880 - I've given up and sold to the highest bidder. This one seems to suffer from the plague of much of their devices: Too many features buried under a somewhat cryptic operating system, and for me at least, it kills creativity and spontaneity. And as Nick also pointed out " it has some quirks... or limitations. Just my two cents... to each his own...
After watching this video review, I haven't seen anything in the verseLab MV-1, that can't be done easier or better with MPC ONE or Machine MK3.
I totally agree, the whole thing just stops creativity in it's tracks and the sound demo's I've heard from this machine appear so bland
I just find Roland stuff to be disappointing these days.
Ditto
That has been the trend since like 2010 at least. Fortunately Uli listens, delivers and makes a bank
i find elektron 'mono' these days! ( re sampling) and 30 seconds sampling max - re digitakt.
They are often so close to being good but with some strange limitations / weird design choices that are baffling..
Agreed, bad UI design, tiny screens on hardware, requirement to buy subscriptions to cloud services just to get a software editor, cheap hardware construction, products deliberately limited so as not to cannibalize on their own similar products. Unfortunately they're exactly what you'd expect from a company who's gotten so large and have so many products. Their older products will always have legendary status for how creative and innovative they were, but they're a very different company now.
Its a Hit but then a miss. I am fine with sound mode, but those presets, lmao. With the limited time, you may as well save your 600.
So a vocal mode, but you'll always be paranoid about running out of memory trying to record a 5 minute vocal?!
You do have 720 seconds in mono, so that would give you around 8 minutes..
@@sonicstate I understand but -- "I'd like to double track that vocal please -- oh and we need 4 layers of BVs for the chorus" suddenly you're living in fear of memory shortage!!
I understand, if you want to do serious vocal work, use a DAW -- but that leaves me wondering what this device is really for. Maybe they should have just called it a 'sampler' rather than flogging the vocal aspect. Either that or double the vocal memory.
@@annother3350 You don't have to record full takes each time, sections and triggering them at the relevant points in the song will save a certain amount of memory, but I get your point
12 mins mono, 6 stereo for vocal/sample pool
you could load vocal take samples from saved WAV file on SD card onto Drum kit pads also..
all comes form that 12min sample pool
60 seconds for looper tack pool.
@@sonicstate 12 mins not 8
if this thing had more memory for the looper tracks i would
be more interested
Unbelievable what a track again. Nick should be an artist.
He was - had a number one in the 90s with Tom's Diner
You spoke about Zenbeats integration in just one sentence? From what I understand Zenbeats integration is kinda like a big deal for this machine and it's supposed to alleviate the tiny screen concerns.
No I don't think it addresses the deep voice editing, but more the parameters you can access in the menu system such as mastering parameters and sample start / end
Very nice dreamy soundscape! It’s just begging for a larger screen methinks.
With free zenbeats you can use your iPad screen to view and interact with the MV1 parameters.
Love Nick streams! 😘Hello from Tallinn, Estonia
Not Questions . So limite. Il this
This is my dream piece of gear ! Been trying tons of stuff -- this is the one. Helps to focus and complete tracks. No eyestrain. Tons of sounds & effects. Great for singers.
I wish I only got the MV-1 sooner. It's just a preset monster! I've been able to sell a few other devices.
It freaking does everything when before I had to use a couple instruments, a drum machine, and then recording vocals. Sometimes, I only recorded one thing at a time and still had to mix it in DAW just to make a single track.
this is beat thang 2.0. it's a dud. should drop a juno 6,60,106 all in one like the og with audio over usb in the standard size for about 1,200. who's running this company?
Roland thinks the Jupiter X is exactly that.
Roland doesn't care that much for vintage fans, those little digital recreations were just a bone thrown out there, they chase the money of folks who don't care that much for vintage, their main money-making instruments are the usual romplers (Juno-DS, FA, JD-Xi) and especially digital pianos like the FP30.
@@Jason75913 yeah but they would make more money giving fans waht they want. who wants a behringer recreation over the real deal. put out a real juno with all three units in one. high quality like the og. people would go crazy. tons of money to be made. all of those indie bands and producers. the boutique juno is popular. the real deal is a gold. korg is selling high priced retro gear, arp etc. roland is just dumb af. neon colors and urban marketing. they probalby got bought out by some financial group who doesnt know anything except trends. ITS URBAN!
Thuahaha you mentioned the Beat Thang !!! I actually had that for a minute - sold that - then the mc 707 came out and I was like dope but in honesty I currently have and own the mv 1 Verselab and it’s actually all I need to make music now . I’m from the old school era of the mpc 60 mpc 2000 korg triton Yamaha motif Juno G Roland mc 303 mc 307 mc 505 and Roland mv 8000 so in a weird funny way it all comes back to a full circle ⭕️ -
@@chosensmusic glad ur happy. :) what u think of the sp404 mk2?
The MV-2 will not have a screen that useless. Roland should have learned from Elektron Mark 2 improvements and just had a OLED screen and charged another $50
Zenbeats integration is supposed to help with that
@@ripskip160 serious question: for a product clearly marketed to be standalone production groovebox, how is an app going to make it better? This product makes 0 sense no matter what way you put it. Roland is DONE!
@@muhammedalitoya1505 I'm just stating facts, I agree that they should of included a large screen from the get go. MPC ONE costs the same and they included a huge touchscreen.
@@muhammedalitoya1505 I completely agree with you. It's like they made it and then realised they had omitted something basic and so had to shuffle everything around but released it before they had ironed out the enormous wrinkles that shuffle caused.
Pretty cool! I'd love to try it out. Love the piano arrangement in the beginning =)
your such a good musician man your melodies and ideas are great and unique seriously i always loved reviews and hearing you play some really beautifully sad melodies on keys over the years appreciate you brother . i wanted this thing but it might be too clunky for what i need . i do use mc101 so maybe i should think about it for awhile . thank you for all there great videos man.
Don't know if it's true with this, but I got a free year of access to Roland Cloud with my MC707.
Thats a good point. I dont know if its still a thing, but that would make a lot of sense
I got the same offer with a mc-101.
That sounds great, except after a year of use you'll have the software editor you've become used to taken away from you unless you sign up to a subscription service. I'm not seeing that as a positive.
@@BecomingProductions The positive is that it's (currently) really cheap to keep up the subscription, and if you use the MV-1 with Zenbeats, you don't need to keep up the subscription (as far as I know). I'd like to see the same kind of integration Zenbeats has with the MV-1 happen on the MC707/101 too. I actually like not looking at a screen sometimes, but visual editing is easier.
Is there any way of using a USB midi keyboard to control the synth sounds? Also, can you use the beat pads to control Plugin instruments inside of a DAW?
Only via a midi cable connection. There is no host mode
That's a proper musician right there. Great review NB.
This feels stifling, like I'd really have to plan and record my track how Roland thinks it should be. Also, I really don't like having the ability to have full tone editing control locked behind the paywall of the Roland cloud. That said, I'm always impressed with the beautiful music you coax out of these machines.
Agreed, the requirement to pay for a subscription service to get access to an offline editor is shocking. Especially as editing a full patch on the device is not an option. Really bad call by Roland.
Nope!! This workflow is perfect. I'm a lifelong MPC fanatic. Since the MPC60 to the recent LIVE II. Just get into your box! It's 🔥. Anyone who saying this is incapable... You don't reeaallly understand gear nor music production. No disrespect, but if you know your shit... MV-1 is genius! Facts! Big up the Roland team for this one.
@@philippeleblanc856 Yep but in the MPC you can do everything in the box. You can tweak all its available parameters without having to go near a software editor. If you'd actually watched the review you'd have seen you can't edit all MV-1's synth parameters from the device. If you're happy to use it as a preset machine then you could work away, but if you want to create your own patches from scratch then your point goes completely out the window.
@@philippeleblanc856
Ita the roland subscription service that they require and push that upsets customers. The dawless musicians like to buy a piece of gear and own it completely.
Sadly that’s the point and it will bite them in the butt
sounds brilliant. great job. Yup, loving what you did there.
It won't even look decent on Instagram 💁
The idea behind it is great, and I can see when and where it would be useful..
But they took cutting corners so seriously that it should as round as a Zoom ARQ.
lol
ZOOM ARQ IS A FIASCO AND A PEACE OF SHIT
the piano and riff reminded me of Strawberry Switchblade - Go Away
I think those of us that have a MC101(707) and a BlackBox are pretty much there.
ps: loopop is fine but he’s no Nick Batt. Are the companys giving you the cold shoulder?
+1
What do you mean by that? I got the 101 and Mv1, I do not think a 101 and the black box would cover the things you can do with Mv1? Is that what you meant? Vocals are an important part with Mv1, 8 channels, the pads, the onboard controls, and the very different workflow that is much better than 101 if you ask me.
I'll stick to Ableton and Maschine
The piano is awesome.... reminds me of my Nord Stage 2 EX...cheers
Sounds Gorgeous .
That was a beautiful song you made Nick!
That tune is sweet AF, Nick!
👍👍🏻👍🏼👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿
I am gonna buy it for shure.... but i have this feeling that most of all those 3,000 drums and tones... i have them already in my Juno DS. And also i can upload from Zen things to my Juno. So no big deal for me since i have the Juno ds.
But it is still interest me because is like buying a 7 channels recording mixer (since 1 is dedicated to vocals and i am going instrumental) and a drum machine.... and not to forget a 128 step sequencer etc. all for a prize that is at the end almost like the prize of an entry level 8 channels recording mixer alone.
Sounds fantastic. I wonder: what if, like one of the korg electribe models, it had a tube. The sound would have been more spectacular. I am guessing since i am not a sound expert. 🥳
Nick, I am just dying for you to put out an albums worth of music! Every time you review a piece of gear like this, you create a fantastic tease of a tune! Make time my friend, you won’t regret it!
Nice review. How do you sync The keystep to The Verselab so you Can use The arp on one of Them when you use The keyboard to PLAY when you rev on The Verselab?
This review is focused on sample-based projects. However, the MV-1 is more about using its sounds: numerous and customisable. For sample projects, use your DAW (or an MPC). I agree about the complication of using it though, as the controls are very densely packed. I have one and did not immediately take to it ... but it's a grower! It can run off a power pack via USB, so a motivation for me was its portability too (and no internal battery that will be knackered in two years).
Not sure if I agree. The sounds are essentially presets, with basic tweaking. Though you are right about MPC being more suited to sampling workflow
Yeah, it's just about strengths and weaknesses. I don't want to be that bloke who blindly defends something he's paid for. This thing is far from perfect, but it is portable, great sounding and fun. Anyway, love the videos. Always stuff to think about.
I have to agree with comments, Roland trading off their early Rompler tech is laughable , but what’s also amazing is it’s so good it still holds up. My mc707 is super fast to work with. The sampling time will fool you because it gets written to the 6 mins time not the puny looping time. Still it’s so out of touch. Regardless the mc707 is so immediate , even the editing of the rompler isn’t a problem in promode. It’s just a bit boring for some, it is detailed however, which I’d rather have.
If you judge things just on specs then you need to rent or try more gear , the interface is everything and Roland does well here , even if at first site it doesn’t seem like it.
The challenge now is for Roland to come into the 21st century. Still mc707 is the best Groovebox I’ve used , started with an MPC2000xl.
Also if it’s like the mc707 , there is a mode where you can change midi channel by selecting track you don’t need to do it on controller.
Yes they really need to make exported loops accessible , it’s so stupid. Painted themselves into a corner while coding , or a business decision? Who knows but it’s idiotic frankly.
I still love my Electribe, and the save to .als is brilliant
a hip hop based sampler lacking in sampling abilities??
Yeah the sampler sucks. Asked a Roland rep.
Why does it take so long to edit sample start and end points. On samples. 4 to 8. Seconds long. He said just use shorter samples. I was like um is it not a sampler . Why should I sample one second samples. To edit samples faster. 🗑 💩
Total clusterfark. DOA.
wow such display
This thing is like a swiss knife, a japanese sable.
I love your reviews! And the fact you shout out others who have done a more in-depth look. This is the kind of review I would want if I was considering buying a piece of equipment, then once I had decided to buy it I would watch @loopop in-depth look. It is what I did with my MPC One!
Just use it as a experimental drum machine cuz it's got the mic and it's mx1 compatible?
15:24 nice beat
While I enjoyed this presentation, I am not liking this product, even though it does sound somewhat nice. UI and functionality isn't my cup of tea.
I think for some one without the baggage of a previous workflow and expectations, it will give a high degree of functionality at a reasonable price, but when you try and apply what you already know and use, its a little quirky
Was wondering Nick if you can play over the top when it is mixing down?
Hey, great video. Can I use the pads as a MIDI controller for a synth?
How's this compare to the Roland MC product line? Can I achieve similar compositions with the MC? Is this 100% standalone (without a PC/MAC)? Thanks!
You can sample anything with this machine. MC line can't. It's very stand alone with something called Zenbeats. That's some software to help some things out. Can't reply to comments after this. Ya probably found out already. Answers to questions.
Muy bien..very good..buen aparato musical..animo y vayamos con alegrías..
Hi I had my Verselab for a week and i need to put a midi keyboard on this So i bought the Arturia Keylab 49 essential How can i hook that up? Thank You
You plug a MIDI cable from the OUT of the Keylab to the IN of the MV1. Keep in mind you will have to change channels on the Keylab to play different tracks, so if you want to play the bass track, select MIDI channel 5 on the keylab.
great review again
Nick thanks for your in depth and most of all Honest review of this. I already have an MC-707 and still have my MC-303. So I really don't see the need for getting one of these. My only question for you is, does it have midi control for external gear? Otherwise it would be mostly useless in my setups
Not really, tracks will send and recieve on MIDI channels, but it would mean you have to sacrifice one of the tone tracks to drive external gear which may not suit, although you can bring in the instrument via the stereo line in and sample
y man not sing
Yo , is this a independent machine or controller? or both?
It's just bad. In a lot of ways. To much attention from great reviewers for a useless and cumbersome computer dependent thing
Computer dependent how?
@@PiriakaTrackwrecker sound design? Lack of screen, when absolutely necessary with this workflow?
But you can use a phone/tablet if you want to do that. Think you're probably missing the point, but if its not for you, its not for you. I'd be psyched, it would make a good buddy for my sampler.
@@PiriakaTrackwrecker it's just seems that it falls between Akai and midi controller category, but discarding workflow benefits of both. Like a NI machine, without screen. Or overpriced controller with subscription based sound design option. It's nor DAW not dawless. For a Roland price point, this is just ridiculous
Cool don't buy it. But two reviews (this and loopop) is more than justified given it's uniqueness. If you were to watch this review, you'd hear him say that it represents great value for money. No kit is ever going to be all things to all people, no need to shit on it because it doesn't tick your arbitrary boxes.
badly prepared
What is the difference from this device and the mpc one
Excuse me what kind of cord connects that midi keyboard to the mv1??
Its a One Control MIDI cable: www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/One-Control-MIDI-Hammer-Cable-30-cm/
I can compose a song way more faster with my computer vst. What a waste of money.
YOU TALK CRAP ?I GO FASTER ANYDAY WITH MY VERSELAB ua-cam.com/video/2mru8H_MelA/v-deo.html
no one's gonna finish a track in this thing.
The old MV-8800 blows this away