Roland VA-76 Remarks, Working from top to bottom programming hints, Metronome and Count-In, 171

VA-76 – Recording User Styles from scratch

Note: The on/off status only applies to the User Style mode. In normal Arranger playback mode, all tracks will be played. In other words, this is a help function. To mute a part in Arranger mode, see page 114.

Here is how to mute tracks in User Style mode:

1.On the User Style Master page, press the [Play Trk] field:

2.Use the [ON/OFF] fields to switch the various User Style tracks On or Off (mute).

Note: Press the [Options] field if you need to set the Key, etc., parameter for a new track. You can also start recording on this page.

Speed Options— The [Fast] and [Slow] fields allow you to double or halve the playback tempo. The [Slow] option is useful for checking difficult riffs to find out whether all notes were played correctly. [Fast], on the other hand, allows for a quick check of the activated tracks. These options are only available once you have started playback of your of your User Style (by pressing the [START/STOP] button).

Remarks

Working from top to bottom – programming hints

If you listen carefully to the factory Styles, you will notice that most divisions are very similar to one another and that the element of “evolution” or “ampli- fication” between the Original/Variation and Basic/ Advanced levels is usually derived from adding instru- ments to otherwise identical parts. The Advanced/ Original division may, for instance, add an electric guitar to the drums, bass, and organ lines of the Basic level, but the drum, bass, and organ lines of the Advanced level are usually identical to those of the Basic level.

In other words, start by recording the most complex accompaniment while cloning all other looped divi- sions (see page 165). If you then move to the Advanced/Original level and delete the bells and whis- tles (see page 178), that division is already simpler than “the works”.

The next step would then be to select the Basic/Origi- nal pattern and delete both the bells and whistles and the distorted guitar.

Metronome and Count-In

In User Style mode, the metronome sounds during recording, unless you switch it off using the [ON/

OFF ] field. If you also need the metronome when listening to what you have just recorded, select another metronome mode. Press the [Mode] field (only visible when [Options] is displayed in white) and see page 66 for how to select another metronome mode.

Press [oBack] to return to the “regular” User Style pages.

Playback in Arranger mode

As stated on page 163, the Arranger of your VA-76 is very similar to a drum machine, except for one thing: you do not need to program the pattern sequence beforehand. Just select the division you need while playing and feed the Arranger with the right chords so that all the lines you programmed sound in the right key. In short: use your own Styles the way you use the internal Styles.

Note: If, during playback in Arranger mode (i.e. normal VA-76 mode), the Arranger stops unexpectedly, try different chord modes. Chances are that you only programmed the major division, so that the Arranger selects an empty pat- tern when you play a minor or seventh chord. Remember to always set the Mode parameter to M=m=7 until you have come to grips with the possibilities of the VA-76’s Arranger. That way, those three patterns will sound alike, but at least you are sure that the Arranger does not stop when you play a minor or seventh chord.

171