Musikmesse 2010: New Roland products round-up
Roland GAIA SH-01
FRANKFURT MUSIKMESSE 2010: Whisper it quietly, but Roland’s Musikmesse 2010 new product line-up is arguably more exciting than the one the company took to NAMM. MusicRadar is here to guide you though it, starting with a brand new synth.
Any product that bears the SH name has a lot to live up to; Roland reckons its new triple-stacked virtual analogue engine will deliver the sonic goods. What’s more, the company believes that the GAIA is simple enough for first timers to grasp – the question, of course, is whether it’ll offer anything for the hardcore users, too.
Roland Lucina AX-09
Having successfully revived the keytar with last year’s AX-Synth, Roland is now offering a more affordable strap-on in the shape of the AX-09. This isn’t a pro-level instrument by any means - even Roland admits that it’s for “hobbyists and children”, but if the price is right, we reckon it could make its way onto quite a few stages.
BOSS BR-800
BOSS knows the score when it comes to portable multitrack recorders: this new one enables you to record up to four channels simultaneously and achieves its slim form factor via the inclusion of touch-sensor switches rather than buttons. As you can see, the BR-800 can also be hooked up to a computer to serve as an audio interface or control surface.
Cakewalk V-Studio 20
If the BR-800 is designed for the guitarist who’s not yet totally committed to the idea of computer-based recording, the VS-20 - a collaboration between Cakewalk and BOSS - is the product for the six-string lover who is a little more PC or Mac-savvy. It offers a stereo USB audio interface, control surface, built-in stereo mics and onboard COSM DSP effects, while Cakewalk’s Guitar Tracks software is included, too.
Roland R-05
Every company and its dog now has a handheld portable recorder in its product roster, but Roland/Edirol have been producing them longer than most. The new R-05 can make stereo 24-bit/96kHz recordings to SD card, and promises a battery life of over 16 hours per charge.
Roland CD-2i
This is billed as an SD/CD recorder but is actually an end-to-end production box. As well as a stereo mic, it has XLR 1/4-inch and RCA inputs, and can be battery or mains powered. There are also a couple of useful practice features, the most notable of these being the option to speed up or slow down music without changing its pitch.
Roland FR-3X
We’re not sure we’ll every actually buy one of Roland’s V-Accordions, but we’re still sort of glad they exist (not least because of press shots like the one above). For the record, the FR-3X “provides faster response and higher sensitivity and precision, plus detection of the bellows opening and closing”.
Read the full Roland FR-3X press release
Liked this? Now read: Frankfurt Musikmesse 2010: the ultimate guide
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