Roland V-Synth Book

First Steps
7
One common misconception about programming synthesizers is that it is always easier to modify an existing sound than to start from
scratch. The main problem with modifying existing sounds is that you often have to search for and remove unwanted parameters (which
may be affecting the sound quite drastically), and you can easily end up with a very untidy patch structure.
On the other hand, analysing existing presets in depth can teach you quite a few tricks. Once you have found out how a certain trick is
done, you should then start from scratch and integrate the trick into your own patch. This will improve your programming skills much more
effectively than editing existing presets!
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The Two Basic Approaches to Programming
Before delving into the innermost secrets of the V-Synth, you should have a good listen to the presets to appreciate the wide range of sounds
the V-Synth already has to offer. If you are not currently in PATCH PLAY mode, press the EXIT button a few times (the mode is always
shown in the top left-hand corner of the display) and browse through all the presets using the INC/+ and DEC/- buttons or the VALUE dial.
Make sure that the patch number is highlighted white on blue first - if not, either touch it on the screen or use the cursor buttons.
Because most of the factory sounds have been programmed to react, often quite dramatically, to the various left-hand controls
(Time-Trip, integrated Bender, D-Beam and the two CONTROL knobs) you should try all of these with each and every sound!
Trying out the Presets
Like many computer programs, the V-Synth gives you alternative ways of selecting parameters and adjusting
their values: By touching and dragging controls (or even graphics) on the screen, by touching controls or
selecting with the cursor buttons then adjusting values using the VALUE dial or DEC/- and INC/+ buttons,
or by operating physical knobs, buttons and sliders on the panel. Throughout the tutorial I have tried to choose
the simplest method each time, although this sometimes means jumping wildly from one method to another.
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Alternative Methods of Setting Values

Roland V-Synth Specifications

General

Arpeggiator	Yes
Velocity Sensitivity	Yes
Aftertouch	Yes
Vocoder	Yes
USB	No
Keyboard	61 keys (velocity and aftertouch sensitive)
Effects	Chorus, Delay, Reverb, Distortion, Flanger, Phaser
Sampling	Yes
Display	320x240 pixel color LCD
MIDI	In/Out/Thru
Type	Synthesizer
LFO	Yes
Storage	SmartMedia card
Outputs	Stereo
Headphones	Yes
Power Supply	AC
Inputs	Stereo Line, Microphone
Audio Inputs	Stereo Line, Mic