Designing the next Micro BR

[hewhoiscalledj]

I'm not sure i want any more buttons on my MBR. Although I'm much quicker at finding and tweaking what i need now that i've had it for a while, i think all i really want on there is that track mute, and a more detailed level meter thingy (like 10 bars instead of 6.) I'd love track sliders but it would make it a bigger box.

What i think would be awesome would be if it had an insert for a seperate or remote mini-mixing desk. Then again, i suppose you could do this anyway by just plugging a mixer into the LINE IN. I just want something with better controls and tactile feel. I miss the sliders on my KORG Pandora recorder.

Oh, and a much louder microphone/output level. Perhaps a beer bottle opener too.

[drutgat]

I would like the following on/in the next version of the Micro BR.
CHANGES WHICH I CONSIDER ESSENTIAL
1. Fully programmable drums; i.e., the ability to modify the parameters of the individual drum sounds, and the ability to make up new kits from individual drum sounds. Also, the ability to input drum patterns in step-time.

2. Small fader controls on the unit (rather than rotary as suggested above) to control different things, depending on what mode one is in, e.g. in the rhythm mode, these could select between kits; in recording mode, they could control the input level of a track

3. Small pads to allow real-time programming of drums by tapping the rhythm in.

NON-ESSENTIAL CHANGES, BUT ONES WHICH I WOULD APPRECIATE

4. Radical re-design of menus to get rid of the arcane set-up/layout that has become a pattern (ha ha) with units of this kind. What's wrong with having a menu called Drums (or Rhythm, as the button is labelled now) with sub-menus clearly labelled, Time Signature/Tempo, Beat/Measure, Real Time/Step Time and so on (as I've suggested, the menus could provide alternatives between two choices of submenus, which one can toggle between).

5. Re-worked display; something like black lettering on an orange, backlit background

6. Greater SD card storage size/capacity

7.  I would like Boss to spend less money on the disposable packaging of the MBR, i.e. the cardboard box in which it is packaged, and instead provide a plastic case of the type you describe.

8. Related to the above, if they can't include a hard case, they could provide a soft case which has a fold over flap which closes with a press-stud. The open ended design of the current case allows dust and debris to not only fall into the case, but also does not protect the open end of the Micro BR (ports, input holes).

I unashamedly took the ideas for Numbers 1 and 2 above from the Zoom PS 04, which incorporated these features and functions in a unit somewhat bigger than the Micro BR. It would, however, still be possible to fit these features on to a MBR as the fader travel was only about 2".

The Zoom unit was fantastic but rendered obsolete by the halt in production of the Smart Media storage cards which it used, and the small capacity of the cards. It also was not able to connect to a computer via USB, if memory serves. Still, Boss could learn a lot from the PS 04, and Zoom could learn a lot from the Micro BR.

I also agree with others here that there could be a much greater variation in the sounds of the presets (drums and preamps) in the MBR. I'm quite disappointed in the drum sounds, but am very impressed with the MBR in many other ways.

[hewhoiscalledj]

oh yeah, the previous post asking for a REAL drum machine is excellent. that also reminds that i wish there were 5/4, 3/3, and other non 4/4 time signatures. the metronome just doesnt cut it for me.

lets get an MBR that can handle larger SD cards too. i'm sure thats been mentioned a million times.

[drutgat]

oh yeah, the previous post asking for a REAL drum machine is excellent. that also reminds that i wish there were 5/4, 3/3, and other non 4/4 time signatures. the metronome just doesnt cut it for me.

lets get an MBR that can handle larger SD cards too. i'm sure thats been mentioned a million times.

I'm a bit confused about something.

When I followed something I saw on this forum earlier about changing a time signature I saw various metronome settings in different time signatures, and there was the ability to set quite a range of time signatures.

Does this only apply to the metronome settings, or can one apply time signatures other than 4/4 to the existing drum patterns, too? Or are there other ways of varying the time signature?

If not, why not?

[drutgat]

-I'd like to be able to record, simultaneously, from any two inputs I chose, not just the built in mic and gtr. ie the line in and the built in mic.

-And is it just me or does this thing eat batteries at an alarming rate? So why not a rechargable battery that the AC adaptor charges up. And include the adaptor, please.

-As for the effects, if you could assign 4 to the tr buttons and then be able to select between them  on the fly with the tr 1-4 buttons (or with the foot switch others have suggested?).  then you may also be able to select multiple (up to four effects at once) And you could use the value or cursor buttons to switch between banks of preseleted effects.

-Bass tracks to go with the drums would be nice.

I agree with your suggestions; particularly the suggestion about having bass tracks - and what about a programmable bass, too?

Also, I have finally found a use for all of those sets of rechargeable batteries that I keep charged for when my remote controls go. Yes, my experience has also been that this things eats batteries of all kinds, although 'regular' batteries (of which I had a few lying around waiting to be used up) last a lot longer than rechargeables, and the higher the milli-amperage (is that the right term?)/power of the rechargeable batteries, the longer they will last.

[ben]

I would like to have the possibility to download new drum tracks/parts also in non 4\4 for example 3/4 etc. en put them into the br in a kind of free to program part. You can also think in some sort of a VST connection.

[64Guitars]

I doubt that Roland would ever add extensive drum editing capabilities to the Micro BR, or lots of additional preset patterns to cover all of the possible time signatures. However, a good compromise would be to make the next Micro BR capable of importing and using patterns and arrangements created in the BR Rhythm Editor software. That way, the Micro BR wouldn't need any pattern editing capabilities of its own as you'd do all of your pattern creation and editing on your computer using the BR Rhythm Editor. Then you'd simply import your custom patterns into the Micro BR and use them in your song's arrangement. It should be possible to import full arrangements created with the BR Rhythm Editor, but it should also be possible to create and/or edit those arrangements on the Micro BR using the imported custom patterns. But custom pattern creation/editing on the Micro BR wouldn't be necessary and is probably undesirable due to the Micro BR's tiny display and limited user interface.

If Roland used this idea for the next Micro BR, they could still keep the cost low since no new presets need to be added. In fact, I wouldn't care if they removed all of the existing presets (except maybe the metronome) and added other useful features without increasing the cost of the Micro BR. The presets are all available in the BR Rhythm Editor anyway. So, as long as you could import patterns from the BR Rhythm Editor into the Micro BR, you wouldn't need any built-in preset patterns.

[drutgat]

I doubt that Roland would ever add extensive drum editing capabilities to the Micro BR, or lots of additional preset patterns to cover all of the possible time signatures.

How come? What makes you doubt this?

However, a good compromise would be to make the next Micro BR capable of importing and using patterns and arrangements created in the BR Rhythm Editor software.

That would only be a good compromise for those (unlike myself) who already own/use other units utilizing the BR Rhythm Editor software.

Also, I don't think that it's that unrealistic (and I realize you didn't say this), for Roland to adapt the Micro BR by adding a full-fledged drum machine. As I've said in other posts, Zoom did this with the wonderful PS 04 several years ago, and the display was basically the same size as the Micro BR's so I can't see that being an issue.

[64Guitars]

The Micro BR is the bottom of the BR line. Obviously, it's going to have reduced features compared to the more expensive BR models for marketing reasons. Also, the Micro BR's small size makes it less than ideal for pattern programming.

The other BRs have two modes for pattern programming -- real time and step. In realtime mode, you create patterns by tapping on buttons that are assigned to each drum sound. The BR-600 has 12 velocity-sensitive drum pads for this purpose. Obviously, the Micro BR is too small to accommodate 12 drum pad buttons. Other BRs use the 6 TRACK buttons as limited drum pads for realtime programming. The 12 drum sounds are stored in two banks which you can switch between with the RHYTHM PAD button. This could be done on the Micro BR but, obviously, you'd only be able to play 4 drum sounds at a time, so you'd have to switch between three banks of drum sounds to gain access to all 12 drum sounds.

In step mode, you create patterns by marking the desired drum sounds on a grid which represents the pattern, or a portion of it. The display of the BR-864 and BR-900CD includes (in addition to its 16 x 2 text area) a 16 x 6 grid which is used for step programming. It shows the pattern for one bank (6) of the 12 drums at a time and you switch banks with the RHYTHM PAD button. Like the BR-600, the Micro BR lacks this 16 x 6 grid in its display, so step programming would be more difficult. In the BR-600, it's done by only displaying one drum sound at a time. That could be done in the Micro BR too, but it's far from ideal.

Drum programming becomes much easier when you have a large display available. That's why the BR Rhythm Editor is a much better way to program the drums, especially for pattern creation and editing.

That would only be a good compromise for those (unlike myself) who already own/use other units utilizing the BR Rhythm Editor software.

Huh?    Anyone can use the BR Rhythm Editor software to create/edit patterns and arrangements and play them on their computer. You don't even have to own a multi-track recorder, never mind a specific Boss recorder. The limitation is that only the BR-600, BR-864, and BR-900CD can currently import the pattern and arrangement files created by the BR Rhythm Editor into the BR's drum machine. But, if Roland/Boss adopted my idea in the next version of the Micro BR, then it too would be capable of importing the BR Rhythm Editor's pattern and arrangement files. In my opinion, this would be a much better way of providing custom patterns and arrangements for the next Micro BR than to add pattern editing capabilities inside the Micro BR, given the problems with its limited user interface as described above. The BR Rhythm Editor provides a very slick user interface that makes drum programming much easier.

About the Micro BR's preset patterns being in 4/4 time only, I'd like to point out that this is not a unique limitation of the Micro BR. All of the BRs contain only 4/4 patterns in their presets (actually, the BR-1200 has 2 patterns in 5/4 and 3 in 6/8, and the BR-1600 has 3 patterns in 5/4 and 4 in 6/8). What's unique about the Micro BR is that you can't create custom patterns, or use custom patterns created with the BR Rhythm Editor or another BR. If you could, then you could use any time signature you like.

[beleg]

The Micro BR is the bottom of the BR line. Obviously, it's going to have reduced features compared to the more expensive BR models for marketing reasons. Also, the Micro BR's small size makes it less than ideal for pattern programming.

This is why I would like to see a separate unit that is just drum pads and plugs into the micro BR via USB, even if buying this separate unit put my total cost higher then buying the BR-600 I am more likely to go that route so that I can have the pocket portability of the Micro BR when I want, but also the flexibility of real time drums when I am at home or at a show.