BOSS BR Rhythm Editor

[64Guitars]

Roland announced a firmware update for the BR-900CD at Winter NAMM 2008. Along with this, they'll be offering a free program for editing BR drum patterns and arrangements. Here's a screenshot:

(click to enlarge)

Now for the bad news...  it won't work with the Micro BR. It's designed for the BR-900CD and the BR-600. I'm hoping it will also work with the BR-864 since the drum files layouts are the same. But the Micro BR's files are quite different. Anyway, the Micro BR can't use custom patterns, so the Rhythm Editor's pattern editing capabilities would be of no use with the Micro BR - at least not without a firmware update.

The editor is supposed to be available for download around mid-February 2008 for PC and Mac.

[Pedro]

Too bad. Micro BR has the Micro BR Drum Arranger which is quite simply and works, altough is not freeware.

Speaking in firmware updates, do you think Roland will ever make one?

[64Guitars]

Speaking in firmware updates, do you think Roland will ever make one?

They usually offer firmware updates to fix bugs rather than add features. So far, I haven't heard of any bugs in the Micro BR.

Tony Houston is down at NAMM right now and he posted a message in the Yahoo! BossBr group saying that an update to get around the 1GB memory card limit is a possibility. At least, he says, Roland US is pushing Roland Japan for an update.

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/BossBr/message/1087

I don't know if the Micro BR will be included but I would hope so. If it is, then maybe Roland will also add some support for the BR Rhythm Editor. We can only hope.

[Pedro]

That would be nice altough I still think that 1GB is more than enough. But that other possibilities are great.

[64Guitars]

That would be nice altough I still think that 1GB is more than enough. But that other possibilities are great.

I agree. 1GB is enough. The problem is that it won't be long before 1GB cards are hard to find. Many stores have lots of 2GB, 4GB and 8GB cards but few, if any, 1GB or smaller. We need a firmware update to break the 1GB limit so that we will still be able to buy compatible memory cards 2 or 3 years from now.

[Pedro]

That would be nice altough I still think that 1GB is more than enough. But that other possibilities are great.

I agree. 1GB is enough. The problem is that it won't be long before 1GB cards are hard to find. Many stores have lots of 2GB, 4GB and 8GB cards but few, if any, 1GB or smaller. We need a firmware update to break the 1GB limit so that we will still be able to buy compatible memory cards 2 or 3 years from now.

Good point.

[Mr. Scar]

Even the 128MB card that it comes with is enough. I just got the 1GB promo card, comes with 4 songs on it....all very nice and clean with great sound. I'd almost call it "that MicroBr sound"