Roland VA-76 owner manual Features

Features

Features

VariPhrase processor

76-key velocity-sensitive keyboard with channel Aftertouch

D-Beam and Ribbon Controllers

New sound source

Effects galore

Customizable even without using the User Programs

On-board Zip™ drive and floppy disk drive

128 User Programs

The VA-76 features a new breakthrough in sampling technology that allows for “elastic” processing and MIDI data-like manipulation of sampled audio phrases. You can now combine Arranger playback (accompaniments) with realtime triggering of sampled phrases so as to (re)create vocals, “acoustic” solo parts, etc., while giving the impression that the part in question is being sung or played to the VA-76’s Music Styles. Thanks to its exceptional quality, the VariPhrase processor allows you to play the samples in ROM or your own sampled phrases polyphonically with little or no artifacts so typical of conven- tional samplers. For the first time ever, this is achieved based on single samples rather than time-consuming and intricate multisampling techniques. Furthermore, you can assign the VariPhrase part to the desired keyboard zone.

VariPhrase provides for automatic synchronization (without sonic alterations) of sampled material with the Arranger or Song Composer. It also allows you to divide longer phrases (e.g. an entire verse or chorus) into individual syllables and to play these one after the other – in perfect sync with the Arranger or Song tempo. The effect is truly stunning – and there is more. See page 29 for a first impression.

The VA-76’s keyboard is a delight to play. Capable of generating channel Aftertouch mes- sages, it allows you to control the volume, timbre, and Arranger functions in an intuitive way.

The VA-76 also boasts the acclaimed D-Beam Controller* for intuitive Tone and Arranger control via movements over an invisible beam of infrared light. There is also a Ribbon Controller that can be used for controlling the same or complementary functions. And, of course, the BENDER/MODULATION lever and Aftertouch control are there, too.

The VA-76 comes with a 128-voice polyphonic sound source with 3,646 instrument sounds and 116 Drum Sets that cover everything from incredibly realistic acoustic instru- ments to cooking Techno sounds. Never before has an electronic instrument produced such true-to-life instrument and drum sounds, including subtle tonal changes and all the “noises” associated with acoustic instruments (scraping for guitar sounds, resonance for drum sounds, etc.).

In addition to the indispensable digital Chorus, Reverb, Delay and 2-band Equalizer, the VA-76 also features a multi-effector with a stunning 89 effects and combinations (called “algorithms”).

The VA-76 is among the first Roland instrument that allows you to select your favorite sounds using five convenient SUPER TONES buttons on the front panel. The preset assignments for these buttons can be changed.

Furthermore, the One Touch Program functionality already available on previous models has been expanded to include four memories per Music Style – including the Disk Link Styles – and the possibility to assign your favorite settings to these memories.

Of course, the VA-76 also sports 128 User Programs where you can save your own panel registrations.

The VA-76 engineers also thought you might appreciate a 100MB Zip drive for data stor- age and therefore wrote operating software that provides direct access to data on a Zip disk. Of course, the VA-76 also provides a convenient database function.

Apart from allowing you to customize existing Styles quickly, the User Programs are also used to save all panel settings. If you need more than 128 memories, you can save the con- tents of the User Programs to Zip or floppy disk and load them whenever necessary.

If you do not wish to program Styles, or if you are too busy to delve into this matter, you can personalize existing Styles by modifying the instrument assignments to any given Arranger part (bass, drums, chord backing, etc.), and then save these changes to one of the 128 User Programs in RAM.

6