V-Combo VR-09

A Message from the V-Combo VR-09 Development Team

The new V-Combo VR-09 is the ultimate live keyboard as envisioned by Roland. Combining dedicated sound engines for pianos, synths, and organs with a variety of effects and powerful real-time controls, we’ve provided performing keyboardists all the essential tools they need in one intuitive instrument.

Creating the Ultimate Live Keyboard
In developing the V-Combo VR-09, we started from scratch and identified all the elements that a keyboardist needs from their instrument in nearly every performance situation; through our extensive research and testing, we believe we’ve developed a clear vision of the ideal live keyboard. First and foremost, it should give the player a no-fuss way to express his or her own sound, musical ideas, and imagination, freeing them from simply relying on preset tones. In addition, all of these things should be accessible without requiring extensive knowledge of the technologies involved, providing such ease of use that anyone can experiment intuitively and develop useful tones instantly.

Another thing that we discovered in our research is that the sounds that keyboardists use in real-world live settings are primarily limited to a few tones that they really like. As such, we thought it was crucial to provide players simple tools to adjust and process their favorite tones to suit the PA setup and/or audience in any given performance situation.

Extensive Research in Manipulating Single Tones
The functions and effects of the V-Combo VR-09 have been honed and perfected to give the keyboardist almost unlimited possibilities in creating new tone variations on the fly using knobs and sliders. With great ease, you can now enjoy coming up with new sounds, including some that you might never have even imagined. Every sound-tweaking action is simple and intuitive, freeing you to experiment and play to your heart's content.

An added feature that’s unique for a keyboard is the onboard looper, which allows you to easily record, playback, and overdub your performances, creating instant backing music with the V-Combo VR-09’s many different sounds. With this powerful and fun addition, we're sure that you’ll come up with new sounds and ideas that we in the development team have never envisioned.

No Stone Unturned to Deliver the Ultimate in Usability On Stage
Careful attention has also gone into the screen display and button locations, so that you can instantly see and manipulate the status of your instrument and stay focused on playing while you’re on stage. The keyboard’s logical workflow frees you from the stress of having to set individual parameters by navigating a menu interface, so you won’t get bogged down in cumbersome operations that can interrupt the flow of creativity. After all, the satisfaction you feel with a musical instrument is measured by how you’re inspired by playing it, touching it, and experimenting with it.

A free iPad app is also available for V-Combo VR-09, letting you make detailed edits to your tones with your tablet’s touchscreen. The app provides a large graphical interface where you can make in-depth tweaks to your synth sounds and customize your organ tones before and during the gig.

In Closing
We’re convinced that the ability to easily edit the V-Combo VR-09’s carefully selected tones in real time, intuitively apply effects to them, and store the state of the instrument easily after you make settings (or quickly restore it to its original setting) will be greatly welcomed by all performing keyboardists. Being able to do all of this smoothly, on the fly, is something that will greatly expand the expressive possibilities for all live players.

To this end, we’ve incorporated state-of-the-art DSP and sound module technologies, as well as Roland's extensive sound libraries, into the V-Combo VR-09. More importantly, the passion and ideas of Roland’s engineers and the know-how of many professional musicians have gone into its development, as we went back to the drawing board for a ground-up rethinking of the ideal performance keyboard.

Every part of the V-Combo VR-09—from its tones to effects to usability—has been honed to create a full-spec, performance-ready keyboard that will bring an all-new level of expression and satisfaction to stage players everywhere.