New BR model - the BR-800

[pjd1]

Hi Nigel you will feel at home with the unit and its features , the drum editor is easy to use once you have the idea and everything else is to hand , guitar cosms are ace the bass simulator patchs are cool , the usb interface is good as well , have fun !!

Dunny

[Ferryman]

Only had a quick play with some of the guitar effects so far and they are fantastic, no need for an external effects pedal any more. I love the size of it (it really isn't very big) and it looks to be a great unit. As Geir noted, the lack of a precise digital readout of the fader levels will make balancing tougher (I love the way you could find exactly the same levels again if you need to change the volume during a mix on the MBR with the 1-100 readout)  but the faders seem nice and positive and easy to use. But they will have little bits of masking tape stuck all over them to indicate volume levels - just like the old days in the studio!

Can't wait to get more into it, I see 64G has added it to my sig line, thanks!!

Cheers,

Nigel

[Geir]

congrats Nigel!!! So glad you too got one. Can't wait to hear what wonderful music you will make on this one (but I guess I'll have to be patient )

how many are we now that's got it ? Rob, Dunny, Nigel, vierge99,  me ...... BuleriaChk returned his didn't he ? ... any others?

[Tony W]

^^ Pjd1 as well.

[Ferryman]

So glad you too got one. Can't wait to hear what wonderful music you will make on this one (but I guess I'll have to be patient )

You know me too well!!

One of the things I am looking forward to is drum programming. I've got to know the MBR drum programming so well that I find other drum machines hard to use. The pattern editor is a great addition and I plan to dump all my other drum machines (except the Kaossilator Pro of course...).

Cheers,

Nigel

[pjd1]

The drum editor is brill and easy to use, a big plus if you have a certain beat in your,e head for a song , make it up then just save it to as user in the drum pattern section , then use the patterns like you would on the MBR .

Dunny

[BuleriaChk]

Yes, I did return my BR-800.  The lack of a midi sync, much less midi note output was an absolute deal breaker for me, since I use a DAW (Ableton Live) extensively.  FWIW, I just bought an Akai APC40 interface, which is just great for studio (I use a nanoKontrol with nanoLive and a netbook for gigs).

That said, the most recent review on Sweetwater (a guy from Columbus, Ohio) hints at a forthcoming firmware upgrade, and I just noticed that Roland has published BR-800 drivers in its support section at www.rolandus.com.

If the firmware includes MIDI, I will probably spring for it, but the Ableton Live/APC40 combo is really excellent for drum, especially with Battery 3, except I haven't found out how to uncover the devices to connect it with an instrument rack yet,...)

[Ferryman]

Just been reading the manual - the mastering and compression effects look fabiulous. One of the best bits of the MBR package for me just got a lot better. Still haven't had time to do anything other than play a few guitar effects.

Cheers,

Nigel

[vierge99]

Well, after much fiddling, I have to say that I've returned the unit. It suited a lot of my recording needs but I couldn't deal with the features it provided that didn't work the way I wanted them to. Instead I've paid the difference on the return to get the V-Studio 100 interface from Cakewalk. That way I can do basic recording away from my PC but use it as a primary interface too.

[Oldrottenhead]

just saw you got one nigel, knowing what you can do with an mbr i cant wait to hear what you can achieve with this little baby. i will wait patiently knowing full well it will be worth the wait.