External effects on the VStudio

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jpryor

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Ok, last question today, I promise. On the VS-1880, the effects sends are L/R RCA. Where are the freaking returns? Do I seriously have to return into a track/input? There is no help on external effects in the Roland manual, they only cover the internal effect boards. Thanks in advance!
 
Don't feel bad - I have an 880 and am asking the same questions - have gotten one answer back from here which has helped. The Roland manual not saying much???? that is an understatement.....
 
You have to use the inputs on track one and two whenever you are using an outboard efftects processor. I have an 880ex, and this is how I do it. I know this stuff can make you feel like pulling your hair out of your head. The Roland units are great, but they have a wicked learning curve. Run your outs of your effects units, compressors or whatever you are using into track 1 and 2, try it and you will see. Good luck.
 
If you use each side of the AUX send to go to a different stereo effect,that gives you 4 cables to get back into the VS,not 2.Do yourself a favor,get a small Midiman or Mackie or similar 8 or so channel mixer and use it as a submixer back into the VS,especially if you ever want to run any MIDI stuff in sync with your VS audio tracks.
 
OK I think I am getting the idea here using a out board mixer.... but doI come out of the 880 thru the aux sends, then do the mixing/effects on the separate board and then send 2 lines back to inputs of the 880?

And is it true you have to run those back into inputs 1 & 2 - I guess I do not quite gt that especially if the tracks you want to add effects to are already on 1 and 2.

I am more of an analog geek - not computer - help.

Thanks to all of you - this is an excellent forum!!!!
 
For the specific app you refer to in your 1st post,you don't need a full function mixer with uptown EQ and all,just a simple line mixer.In your shoes,I would endeavor to keep the signal path as short as possible,so yeah,I'd go right out the Aux sends directly to the FX boxes and only use the mixer to collect all the outputs of the external boxes and shoot 'em back into the VS.BTW,if you are fortunate enough to have FX equipped with S/PDIF input and output,such as some Lexicons and T C Electronics boxes,you can use the digital outs and ins of the VS as FX sends and returns as well as the analog.Any input on the VS can be assigned to any track,so there's no need to only plug your outside stuff into 1&2.When you're in Track Mixer,you press and hold down the track button and the Input currently assigned to it flashes.If it's not the input you want,push it's yellow button and it will go out.Now,push the yellow button(s) of the Input(s) you do want to assign to the track.OOOPS,that should read:"When you're in INPUT MIXER(Yellow Fader Edit.)"
 
VirtualRay - thanks a ton for your help. I already have a Mackie 1604 board from a band so I don't have to buy one - which is nice. I am looking forward to setting this up with the external effects. Guess I am a little afraid to try some of these things thinking a I may burn some piece of equipment out.

Probably if Roland insruction manuals were written like Mackie books I would not have so many questions

Thanks again - your help is tremendously appreciated!!!!!!
 
Roland's Aux's

I have run into an odd situation. I want to record my guitar clean, but hear the effects as I play (not that uncommon). If I use the AUX send from the Roland with a high quality RCA cable with a RCA to 1/4" adapter on one end and plug into the POD, I get tremendous line noise. However, if I plug my guitar into the POD directly and send the unprocessed guitar to a Roland track, there is no noise.

In both situations, I'm using the Digital Out of the POD to the Digital In of the Roland for monitoring the effects and final mixing.

I haven't tried another cable yet, so this could be a premature post, but could it be the RCA / 1/4 adpater combo? or are the Roland's sends just picking up internal noise from the hard drive? Also, does anyone know why in God's name they decided to use RCA connections instead of balanced TRS? Thanks in advance!
 
My guess is that the impedance of the Aux send is mismatched to the input on the POD.Without knowing what version POD you have,if you only have an input that was intended for a guitar,you're probably not gonna get around this problem .I'm not familiar enough with the POD PRO to say if it has line level inputs which is what you need here.
 
Noisy AUXs

Well, I tried other high quality RCA cables on the Roland's AUX sends last night. Same problem; extremely noisy signal. The POD Pro has a guitar input on the front and a line level input on the back. I've tried both and there is no decernable difference in the noise. For the time being, I'm plugging the guitar directly into the POD and sending an unprocessed guitar signal from the POD to the Roland to record, and a digital output from the POD to the Roland for monitoring and eventual final recording.

My next step is to buy a mixing board (the Behringer MX2004A and MX2642A are only $300 and $400 respectively), but I don't like adding more components and cable than necessary. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Could there be something wrong with the Roland? Or is it an environmental issue (grounding, cables, inductance, etc.)?
 
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