Roland Verselab MV-1

[RickKleffel]

Viktor Frankenstein knew it was true.

Napoleon Bonaparte used it all of his adult life.

SOME OF US DON'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTS.
Let me show you....

THE LAZY MAN'S WAY TO ROCK STARDOM!
copyright 1986 by REDACTED


It doesn't take time......

It doesn't take talent.....

DON'T be dedicated......

Don't say "There, but for my own laziness and lack of talent, go I...." You
can be famous, untalented AND lazy at the same time. You, too, can OOZE your
way to the top. Don't think "The trail is long and covered in slime"; think
"The trail is short and buried in bullshit". All you have to do is pull up
your waders and trudge through the sludge.

Think about it - how many happy artists do you know? You don't need to learn
to play an instrument. You don't need keep a beat - because IF YOU CAN THINK
LIKE A STAR, YOU CAN BE A STAR - with no money down. Fifteen or fifty -
anyone can bend over for the maximum effort!

BUT IT SOUNDS TOO EASY - HOW COME NO ONE ELSE EVER THOUGHT OF IT BEFORE?

Simple - they have. How many truly talented rock stars are there? And how
of them are at the top of the heap? Embarrassed? Don't be - it was their
secret - until now.

DO YOU DESPERATELY CRAVE ATTENTION?

DO YOU FORCE PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO JOKES AND STORIES THEY'VE HEARD BEFORE?

DO YOU SING "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" LOUD AND OFF-KEY TO THE OBVIOUS DISCOMFORT OF
YOUR FRIENDS?

ARE YOU ALREADY A LEGEND IN YOUR OWN MIND?

Then you're already a budding rock star. And, like any growing member of the
plant or animal kingdom, all you'll need is a little fertilizer to make those
buds turn into blooms. My book, "THE LAZY MAN'S WAY TO ROCK STARDOM" is just
the kind of manure you'll need to bring out the drug-and-sex-crazed rock star
who has been ripening inside you as a second personality all those years. Now
I ask you - is ten dollars American to much to ask for something that can help
you to become a millionaire?

Imagine yourself - resplendent in your glory - transformed ALMOST OVERNIGHT
from a stock clerk, cashier, construction worker, janitor, blood plasma
fractionation technician, or computer programmer into a world famous mega-
hitmaking musical machine.

Imagine yourself - hobnobbing with the stars - lunch with Carson at Ma Maison,
an early evening cocktail with Joan Rivers at the Polo Lounge, a late night
snack with Letterman at Denny's...All this can be yours - and mine - if you'll
simply SEND THE MONEY NOW. Every second you delay is a second that you won't
be famous. Every minute you wait is a minute without the adoration of
MILLIONS OF FANS. Every hour you delay is another hour of drudgery working
for no-name nothings who will never appreciate the STAR TALENT who sweeps the
floors, writes the code, pounds the nails, or fractionates the blood plasma.
And THESE ARE THE ELEMENTS OF TODAY'S HITS!

OK, OK - I'm sure you're asking now:

JUST WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME THE LAZY MAN'S WAY TO ROCK STARDOM?

You've never heard my name. I don't have a hit record; I can't sing, dance,
play an instrument or keep a beat. I'm average to ugly, JUST LIKE YOU. So
who could possibly be better qualified to tell you what to do with your lives?
Ninety percent of the people you know are "too smart to fall for this sort of
thing" - and ninety percent of the people you know will remain no-name
nothings throughout their lives. Talent, no-talent, top, bottom - all rock
stars have one thing in common - they know when to take a chance. Ten bucks
isn't that much money - and when you're tearing apart your hotel suite, you
can just THROW THIS BOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW - so some other no-name can ASCEND
TO FAME AND FORTUNE. But you'll have to get there first - and your ONLY HOPE
of doing so is to BUY THIS BOOK NOW.

LOOK AT THIS - A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!

I, REDACTED, promise you that I will give you back your money if you buy
this book and aren't satisfied. Here's how it works. You send me a ten
dollar check - I send you the book, and cash the check immediately. The money
goes from your bank into mine - your bank balance gets smaller, and mine gets
larger. Now - you receive the book, read it, and aren't satisfied - so you
send the book back to me. But, I've moved to a new address, so the book is
returned to you, with my new address attached to the outside. You send the
book to my new address - postage paid - and VOILA - THE CYCLE OF STARDOM
STARTS ONCE AGAIN! Soon, you've been exposed to the book so often, that
you'll be a star whether you're satisfied or not. Sounds easy, doesn't it?
You can be sure that it is.

EVERYTHING'S JUST AS EASY AS I SAY IT IS!

Don't delay. You might spend that 10 dollars on beer, food, records, video,
pornography - and waste it. Or, you could invest in your future. There's no
time like tomorrow to do what can be done today; and by that time someone else
is reading YOUR copy of MY book; someone else is headed for stardom while
you're headed for the grocery store. There's no catch; once the money's
spent, you won't miss it and you won't need it. But once the stardom has
arrived - you'll crave that attention even more than you do now. So drop
those drumsticks - kick out those keyboards - trash that microphone - smash
that guitar, and start down the road to stardom NOW.

Your journey to a million dollars can start with a single check.

[Chopper]

Then I could go to a Starbucks in a black turtleneck and trendy facemask and make myself look like a gigantic perambulatory arsehole.

Quote of the day.

[electricfence]

Viktor Frankenstein knew it was true.

Napoleon Bonaparte used it all of his adult life.

SOME OF US DON'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTS.
Let me show you....

THE LAZY MAN'S WAY TO ROCK STARDOM!
copyright 1986 by REDACTED


It doesn't take time......

It doesn't take talent.....

DON'T be dedicated......

Don't say "There, but for my own laziness and lack of talent, go I...." You
can be famous, untalented AND lazy at the same time. You, too, can OOZE your
way to the top. Don't think "The trail is long and covered in slime"; think
"The trail is short and buried in bullshit". All you have to do is pull up
your waders and trudge through the sludge.

Think about it - how many happy artists do you know? You don't need to learn
to play an instrument. You don't need keep a beat - because IF YOU CAN THINK
LIKE A STAR, YOU CAN BE A STAR - with no money down. Fifteen or fifty -
anyone can bend over for the maximum effort!

BUT IT SOUNDS TOO EASY - HOW COME NO ONE ELSE EVER THOUGHT OF IT BEFORE?

Simple - they have. How many truly talented rock stars are there? And how
of them are at the top of the heap? Embarrassed? Don't be - it was their
secret - until now.

DO YOU DESPERATELY CRAVE ATTENTION?

DO YOU FORCE PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO JOKES AND STORIES THEY'VE HEARD BEFORE?

DO YOU SING "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" LOUD AND OFF-KEY TO THE OBVIOUS DISCOMFORT OF
YOUR FRIENDS?

ARE YOU ALREADY A LEGEND IN YOUR OWN MIND?

Then you're already a budding rock star. And, like any growing member of the
plant or animal kingdom, all you'll need is a little fertilizer to make those
buds turn into blooms. My book, "THE LAZY MAN'S WAY TO ROCK STARDOM" is just
the kind of manure you'll need to bring out the drug-and-sex-crazed rock star
who has been ripening inside you as a second personality all those years. Now
I ask you - is ten dollars American to much to ask for something that can help
you to become a millionaire?

Imagine yourself - resplendent in your glory - transformed ALMOST OVERNIGHT
from a stock clerk, cashier, construction worker, janitor, blood plasma
fractionation technician, or computer programmer into a world famous mega-
hitmaking musical machine.

Imagine yourself - hobnobbing with the stars - lunch with Carson at Ma Maison,
an early evening cocktail with Joan Rivers at the Polo Lounge, a late night
snack with Letterman at Denny's...All this can be yours - and mine - if you'll
simply SEND THE MONEY NOW. Every second you delay is a second that you won't
be famous. Every minute you wait is a minute without the adoration of
MILLIONS OF FANS. Every hour you delay is another hour of drudgery working
for no-name nothings who will never appreciate the STAR TALENT who sweeps the
floors, writes the code, pounds the nails, or fractionates the blood plasma.
And THESE ARE THE ELEMENTS OF TODAY'S HITS!

OK, OK - I'm sure you're asking now:

JUST WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME THE LAZY MAN'S WAY TO ROCK STARDOM?

You've never heard my name. I don't have a hit record; I can't sing, dance,
play an instrument or keep a beat. I'm average to ugly, JUST LIKE YOU. So
who could possibly be better qualified to tell you what to do with your lives?
Ninety percent of the people you know are "too smart to fall for this sort of
thing" - and ninety percent of the people you know will remain no-name
nothings throughout their lives. Talent, no-talent, top, bottom - all rock
stars have one thing in common - they know when to take a chance. Ten bucks
isn't that much money - and when you're tearing apart your hotel suite, you
can just THROW THIS BOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW - so some other no-name can ASCEND
TO FAME AND FORTUNE. But you'll have to get there first - and your ONLY HOPE
of doing so is to BUY THIS BOOK NOW.

LOOK AT THIS - A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!

I, REDACTED, promise you that I will give you back your money if you buy
this book and aren't satisfied. Here's how it works. You send me a ten
dollar check - I send you the book, and cash the check immediately. The money
goes from your bank into mine - your bank balance gets smaller, and mine gets
larger. Now - you receive the book, read it, and aren't satisfied - so you
send the book back to me. But, I've moved to a new address, so the book is
returned to you, with my new address attached to the outside. You send the
book to my new address - postage paid - and VOILA - THE CYCLE OF STARDOM
STARTS ONCE AGAIN! Soon, you've been exposed to the book so often, that
you'll be a star whether you're satisfied or not. Sounds easy, doesn't it?
You can be sure that it is.

EVERYTHING'S JUST AS EASY AS I SAY IT IS!

Don't delay. You might spend that 10 dollars on beer, food, records, video,
pornography - and waste it. Or, you could invest in your future. There's no
time like tomorrow to do what can be done today; and by that time someone else
is reading YOUR copy of MY book; someone else is headed for stardom while
you're headed for the grocery store. There's no catch; once the money's
spent, you won't miss it and you won't need it. But once the stardom has
arrived - you'll crave that attention even more than you do now. So drop
those drumsticks - kick out those keyboards - trash that microphone - smash
that guitar, and start down the road to stardom NOW.

Your journey to a million dollars can start with a single check.

Wow. That there’s some straight-up Dada copy. Nicely done.

[Northward]

Then I could go to a Starbucks in a black turtleneck and trendy facemask and make myself look like a gigantic perambulatory arsehole.

Quote of the day.

1 INT. STARBUCKS - MOMENTS LATER

Miss.Koekepan meets a Coffee Latte drinking young man wearing a black turtleneck and a polka dotted face mask. He's theatrically twiddling with a Roland Verselab MV-1 and out of the blue he advice against buying it. Things turn ugly..

[Devilwidget]

People kind of seem to be missing the point of this one. It is a very smart product, if you happen to be its target audience. Its hyperbolic press release clearly indicates its not for musicians, but for absolute beginners - and it looks a pretty good (if pricy) solution for those who a) like mainstream electronic music and want to emulate it, and b) have no experience doing so.
I can't picture how anyone with any level of musical experience or imagination would not instantly tire of the thing, but if your just starting out and a proper DAW is going to overwhelm you, it seems a pretty good shout.

[euromorcego]

lots of negativity here. The MV-1 is not for me, but I actually rather like the (general) idea.

The groovebox I was looking for, .... for quite some time, ... is something where I can jam along with an acoustic instrument (or electric, but no midi). That is: one can program some patterns, drums, maybe 1-2 synths, and then arrange them into something that is more than just 64 or 128 steps. e.g. like 32 bars or so. And (quickly) try different "arrangements", e.g. chaining patterns like AABBAABBCCDD or AABBAACCDDDD, and play along.

Now that surely requires something like a "song mode" which many of the newer boxes can't be bothered with (*). And then jam along and record a few takes. Basically a groovebox with an included Roland-VS (the virtual studio boxes). There must be a customer base for that (a quite broad one, actually, also singer-songwriter types)

Of course, there are some concerns with the MV-1: 12 mins audio total? Roland was able to stream directly to a 100MB Zip drive about a hundred years ago (**)! I am sure something similar must be possible with a SD card!? And, of course, general Roland menu diving.

But for people who can live with the 12mins ... seems like an interesting product. I just wished they implemented a better pattern/scene chaining mode in the MC-707 and allow users to designate one track as an audio track. Instead of doing yet another box.

ps. (*) I like the way Arturia implements pattern chaining (the Roland pattern chain in the MCs 101/707 is just a bit too cumbersome to work for me). (**) the MV-1 actually reminds me a bit of the SP-808, sort of a pattern based multitracker.

[Northward]

IMO; I think it’s perfectly fair to criticise or even ridicule a new product that is as half baked as this at such asking price(!) It’s a wholesome way for consumers to give manufacturers instant feedback, - one of the very best things the Internet has brought us.

The positive arguments in this tread are all followed by a lot of could’ve - should’ve - would’ve. It is what it is and that’s what’s being judged. A poorly executed could’ve been. The fact that more advanced units in this category doesn’t have 'song mode' and is limited to a 4x4 grid deserves the same disapproval.

NB: Check out what Gaz Williams had to say about it on today’s Sonic state podcast https://youtu.be/dEPjAWSWJQI and get a chuckle

[euromorcego]

IMO; I think it’s perfectly fair to criticise or even ridicule a new product that is as half baked as this at such asking price(!)
...

of course, and it is what most people do. So?

NB: Check out what Gaz Williams had to say about it on today’s Sonic state podcast https://youtu.be/dEPjAWSWJQI and get a chuckle

watched it ... not sure if Gaz is right though. I was also wondering about the ONE vocal track, but then it seems you can have several vocal takes (or whatever audio) in parallel? And, yes, Roland is usually a bit on the expensive side (sp-404a is also overpriced imho).

Anyway, the mv-1 is not for me, so i do not really care. Would be nice if the MC-707 would get multitrack recording though.

[Jumbuktu]

I bought the Maschine+ and I'm really enjoying it. At first sight the Roland looks to have it covered and with better facilities for vocal recording - but trying to manipulate all that power with a tiny text screen sends me back to the horrors of the 90s. If they could have included a full graphic screen, it would have cost much more but could be quite appealing.

[dBVelocity]

Funny how everyone hates on the tiny screen with Roland stuff but if it comes with the Elektron branding then it's the greatest device ever...I could be off but that's the vibe I get.

[Red Electric Rainbow]

Funny how everyone hates on the tiny screen with Roland stuff but if it comes with the Elektron branding then it's the greatest device ever...I could be off but that's the vibe I get.

[Red Electric Rainbow]

Funny how everyone hates on the tiny screen with Roland stuff but if it comes with the Elektron branding then it's the greatest device ever...I could be off but that's the vibe I get.

i do think elektron menus are much easier to dive and offer more once you know how to navigate them. and their really not that hard to navigate imo.

[Blairio]

I don´t really get these "all-in-one" devices. If one wants something like that, why not use a (much more capable) computer?

Don´t get me wrong - i love my hardware But the Verselab just seems like one big compromise to me. If i want hardware, i want it to do a specific job really well. Not some kind of DAW light

There are 'all in one' devices that make minimal compromises in terms of sounds, workflow and UI. They are workstation keyboards - jack's of most trades, good enough in most areas.

My Yamaha Motif ES7 (now 17 years old) is such a beast. These will do everything: synths, sampling, sequencing, FX, mixer, drum machine, massive polyphony, you name it. As live tools they are awesome, with as many splits & layers as you could want. But they are not for the faint hearted if you really want to dig down and explore their potential.

The Verselab, on the other hand, seems like a modern take on the old 'composer' keyboards, which have their roots in the home organs of the 70's and 80's.

[vromr]

“Music production can require a lot of time, money, and expertise. And for many new producers, it’s hard to know where to begin. VERSELAB has everything you need to make radio-ready tracks without all the complications, so you can focus on what matters most—your music.”

Next gen will be like,
“MUMBLELAB has everything you need to make radio-ready tracks without all the RAP, so you can focus on what matters most—you MUMBLING like an incoherent prick.”

I’ll wait.

[JuliusRe]

Next gen will be like,
“MUMBLELAB has everything you need to make radio-ready tracks without all the RAP, so you can focus on what matters most—you MUMBLING like an incoherent prick.”

I’ll wait.

priorities

[h4ndcrafted]

Sorry haven’t read whole thread , but my initial reaction ,and this is from someone who adores his mc707 is ...

Wth Roland ? Still only 60sec looper/sample time per project ?

I wonder if the loading times are still 1992 when using user samples like the 707 ?

Don’t get me wrong , I love these groove boxes, but to say they are antiquated in a lot of important areas is an understatement.

Will we be actually allowed to search for a patch ? I really doubt doubt it.
Will auditioning a sample fill your user sample area up with samples that you have to flush individually ?

[h4ndcrafted]

Funny how everyone hates on the tiny screen with Roland stuff but if it comes with the Elektron branding then it's the greatest device ever...I could be off but that's the vibe I get.

Oled and viewing angles , that’s why.

[h4ndcrafted]

The ad copy, groan

“Music production can require a lot of time, money, and expertise. And for many new producers, it’s hard to know where to begin. VERSELAB has everything you need to make radio-ready tracks without all the complications, so you can focus on what matters most—your music.”

The time, expertise and complication IS the music otherwise it’s just music by numbers.

Colouring in!

By that logic you might say early house and the spin off uk breakbeat rave era was just ‘colouring in’ and you might be right.


However , the Zen engine sounds great and you can get super deep with it if you want , there is a lot of nuance to be found under the hood. Maybe too much for modern dance music.

No it’s not omnisphere , but the Roland centric sounds are very good. It a shame they under-power it so badly. But then you wouldn’t buy Zen pro I guess.

Hopefully they will go on to make a machine with a screen and memory that is from the 21st century , who knows. A premium product like the MV. But if Roland has taught me anything , it’s to know their products are designed to leave you wanting the ‘next version’

[h4ndcrafted]

Just read the manual , seems it is basically the MC101 with vocal addon.

Very quick sketch pad , but you need to be happy with the stock sounds as or factor in Zen pro. Because like the mc101 , it’s limited. Not that interested , the mc 707 has much more if you don’t need the vocal facilities.

[tioJim]

The time, expertise and complication IS the music otherwise it’s just music by numbers.

Colouring in!

By that logic you might say early house and the spin off uk breakbeat rave era was just ‘colouring in’ ...

Well I guess I'd argue the difference there is, they did it first! Sure it's simplistic but they innovated it.

I'm not sure one would be as likley to innovate a genre on something like the Verselab, compared to more open-ended setups, because it seems to push one down a specific - well-trodden - path

... and you might be right.

Probably not

[Voltcontrol]

NB: Check out what Gaz Williams had to say about it on today’s Sonic state podcast https://youtu.be/dEPjAWSWJQI and get a chuckle

Gaz going off on it was very enjoyable, thanks for sharing.

[Northward]

NB: Check out what Gaz Williams had to say about it on today’s Sonic state podcast https://youtu.be/dEPjAWSWJQI and get a chuckle

Gaz going off on it was very enjoyable, thanks for sharing.

It really cracked me up when he pulled his beard in frustration
Nicks and Yoad scomment were also spot on. I do hope Roland teams behind this thing - along with the latest MC's gauges the response. For all we know the teams are frustrated by the moronic limitations their bosses tosses at them. The screens are embarrassing.

I’m super ready for a new sampler to come along - any day now could be Oh Happy Day! in my book.

[h4ndcrafted]

@tioJim , good point , it was very much a punk thing I guess. Can’t see that same attitude with this. Trodden ground and all that.

Yes If I was in the Roland team I’d be super frustrated by their insistence on these dated screens and , insulting frankly, memory amounts. I mean what is going on , are they trying to keep the sp404 alive or something ? I don’t get it.

I’d go off on one about some of their 20 yr old effects algos, but the truth is , they are still better than a lot of effects you get from other companies that sell this sort thing.
With the srsly dated sounds in these boxes you need sample time !

That’s why the only one I like is the mc707 because you can at least layer stuff within a synth or drum patch. I actually find the deeper editing quite intuitive and it really isn’t that tedious once you hit enter to get into the tabbed screen.

I’m kind of hoping Yamaha is watching and will surprise us with something. Updated RS 7000 ? Then again they all seem bent on using old tech. Are Oleds that expensive , memory is cheap.

[h4ndcrafted]

.

[h4ndcrafted]

Hit quote