BR-800 Version 1.11?

[gorgorsan]

Thanks, 64Guitars for the info! Just to let you know that mine didn't come with a supplement but instead all the new features are included in owners main manual now. My manual code is: 2012-01-E2-4C.

I've not seen 1.11 anywhere yet. It's probably a very minor update from 1.10 which Roland decided not to release. If a 1.12 should eventually appear, it will include all changes from 1.11. Roland often creates minor updates that are not released publicly but are included in new units leaving the factory.

It's possible that the changes in 1.11 might have been needed as a result of a minor component change in manufacturing. In that case, only the newly-manufactured BR-800s that included that component would need 1.11. And since those units would all ship with 1.11, there'd be no reason to release it to end users. This is completely hypothetical, of course. I have no idea if they've changed anything in manufacturing. But if they did, it might explain why 1.11 isn't available from any of the Roland sites.

[64Guitars]

The numbers on my manual say:

2011-11-A3-4C

My manual code is: 2012-01-E2-4C.

Thanks, but where are you guys finding those numbers? I've searched the pdf manuals I downloaded and can't find any number like that. Perhaps it's only on the printed manual.

I've been basing my manual version numbers on the UPC barcode printed on the back cover of the pdf manual. For example, here's the barcode from the back of the latest BR-800 manual that I could find:



The last two digits indicate that it's revision 4. Roland has been using this convention on the back of their manuals for quite a few years with the entire BR series.

[gorgorsan]

Yes those barcode numbers are the same on mine too (... - 04). The ones I gave you before are located right below the barcode.

The numbers on my manual say:

2011-11-A3-4C

My manual code is: 2012-01-E2-4C.

Thanks, but where are you guys finding those numbers? I've searched the pdf manuals I downloaded and can't find any number like that. Perhaps it's only on the printed manual.

I've been basing my manual version numbers on the UPC barcode printed on the back cover of the pdf manual. For example, here's the barcode from the back of the latest BR-800 manual that I could find:



The last two digits indicate that it's revision 4. Roland has been using this convention on the back of their manuals for quite a few years with the entire BR series.

[64Guitars]

Yes those barcode numbers are the same on mine too (... - 04). The ones I gave you before are located right below the barcode.

Thanks. I guess it's only on the printed manual then because none of my downloaded manuals have anything under the barcode number. Probably refers to the date it was printed and doesn't reflect any changes in the content of the manual. That should be indicated only by the revision number. So "04" still seems to be the latest manual revision for the BR-800.

[dave1z]

It could be that v1.11 is just to differentiate between those units that were "upgraded" by end users and those that were done at the factory. Could be a warranty kind of thing ....

[64Guitars]

I asked Roland Support about version 1.11 and got the following reply:

"Regarding the updates - what seems to happen is that sometimes Roland Japan will issue an update that is not meant for public distribution - this is not because it is a secret, but because it does not affect any of the specifications of the unit. Sometimes they do this when they have to change a component or something technically about the unit, or have plans in the future to make a technical change. So we do see some updates that are marked as "for service usage only" and we don't put those up on the website. This is the case with the v1.11 for the BR-800, it looks like they changed an internal part and needed to change the OS to use it, but it did not change anything about the unit and it would not do anything to an older unit."

So it seems that my guess was spot on. Current users of the BR-800 who have version 1.10 needn't worry about version 1.11. It doesn't offer anything that will benefit them. Any BR-800s that need version 1.11 will have already shipped with it.

[gorgorsan]

Thanks for letting us know!

I asked Roland Support about version 1.11 and got the following reply:

"Regarding the updates - what seems to happen is that sometimes Roland Japan will issue an update that is not meant for public distribution - this is not because it is a secret, but because it does not affect any of the specifications of the unit. Sometimes they do this when they have to change a component or something technically about the unit, or have plans in the future to make a technical change. So we do see some updates that are marked as "for service usage only" and we don't put those up on the website. This is the case with the v1.11 for the BR-800, it looks like they changed an internal part and needed to change the OS to use it, but it did not change anything about the unit and it would not do anything to an older unit."

So it seems that my guess was spot on. Current users of the BR-800 who have version 1.10 needn't worry about version 1.11. It doesn't offer anything that will benefit them. Any BR-800s that need version 1.11 will have already shipped with it.

[Magicaldog]

Just received my BR-800 and it shows the Firmware 1.12


My manual # is the same as the current online version which ends with 05 on the last page under the bar code !


Strange why we cant have a rundown of what's new with the 1.12 Firmware version ?

[64Guitars]

Just received my BR-800 and it shows the Firmware 1.12

Thanks for letting us know that there is a version 1.12.

Strange why we cant have a rundown of what's new with the 1.12 Firmware version ?

See the response from Roland above regarding 1.11. I expect that it's the same thing with 1.12. From the user's point of view, there are probably no differences between 1.12, 1.11, and 1.10. The firmware update is probably only needed by the newer hardware to accommodate minor manufacturing changes that have no impact to the end user. Any BR-800 that needs 1.12 will already come with it installed, as yours did. And anyone who has an older BR-800 with 1.10 or 1.11 would gain no benefit from upgrading to 1.12. That's my guess anyway.

[Magicaldog]

OK thanks