Dual VR-09's

[jmemcse]

Check out my latest gig rig - two Roland VR-09's. It's the perfect setup for the band I joined a month ago. The Roland's really sound good live. I also use a Samson MDR624 mixer, and a pair of EV ZLX-15P speakers.

At Practice

At the gig this weekend

 

[CowboyNQ]

Cool rig.

I'm interested in why you use two VR-09's, as opposed to one VR-09 and another 'board which performs a slightly different role? Not being critical, just curious.

Also, what sort of music do you play in your band?

Cheers,

Paul

 

[CowboyNQ]

Hmmm...I reckon I've worked it out. These things are supposed to have pretty good organ sounds, so I'm going to guess "upper and lower manual".

You can tell me if I'm right or wrong...

 

[jmemcse]

The VR-09 has all the sounds I need for the band "Hippy Stu" that I'm in. We do a classic rock thing with a half dozen Black Crowes tunes in the mix. I have both the keyboards programmed the exact same. We travel every weekend and I've always been big on backup gear. If I ever lose one of the VR-09's during a gig I can just finish out with the other one. The Roland's sound good live and can hold their own in a loud rock mix - I figured a second one made good sense.

 

[jmemcse]

While I was playing "Whipping Post" this weekend I was wishing I did have and upper & lower manual thing set up. Sounds muddy playing it on one keyboard.

 

[CowboyNQ]

Fair enough. I carry a back up mixer, cables, and spare keyboard (happens to be a Roland too) to all my gigs so I can see the benefit, you've got a built-in redundancy there.

Not upper and lower manuals then, well it was fun playing "guess that keyboard rig" anyway...

Cheers!

 

[jmemcse]

Actually, you can connect the 2 using a midi cable and set them to be configured as one instrument with upper and lower manuals - for what it's worth, I'm not really an organ player, I just fake it really well lol

 

[CowboyNQ]

No me neither. I love listening to good organ players but it's definitely not my area of expertise. I was actually looking at getting a VR-09 a while back but couldn't find one to audition live, so I went a different way. Don't regret my choice at all but I had always wondered what they'd be like. I think you've answered my question since you bought two of them!

 

[ardeshir19]

I am actually looking to buy a VR09 (just one though)..

Might sound silly - but is this a keyboard you'd recommend for an intermediate piano player? (I am primarily a guitarist but have played a fair bit of piano over the years...)

Also, any particular keyboard speakers that you think get the best out of the VR09? thanks, sweet setup btw

 

[jmemcse]

I am actually looking to buy a VR09 (just one though)..

Might sound silly - but is this a keyboard you'd recommend for an intermediate piano player? (I am primarily a guitarist but have played a fair bit of piano over the years...)

Also, any particular keyboard speakers that you think get the best out of the VR09? thanks, sweet setup btw

Not if your goal is to mainly play piano on it and have an "acoustic piano" like experience. I use the Grand Piano and 60's Electric Piano settings all night long in my live gig, and they sound absolutely killer - but with un-weighted "diving board" keys, it doesn't play like a piano. But, your technique adapts and, up against the background of a live band it sounds killer through a pair of EV ZLX-15P speakers that I use.

I also travel on the weekends so the weight of the VR-09 was a consideration for me, and the organ sounds are really great as well. It does ok on other stuff I do like flute, sax, harmonica, clav, etc. So it depends on what you needs in a keyboard are. The VR-09 excels at quick, easy versatile, sounds good enough for the money, live stage use. It's not really a home, workstation or studio quality recording board.

The speakers are really dependent on what the application is, such as home, studio, live, all three, whatever. Everyone seems to be leaning towards powered speakers nowadays. I traditionally travel with a small mixer and a pair of 15/horn speakers. Stay away from keyboard amps like the Roland if you're going to play live rock - they just don't cut it. Can't go wrong with one or two EV ZLX-12's or 15's - they're powered, loud, and clear.

Hope that helps - Jim

 

[jmemcse]

Here's my road cases for the VR-09s, and the padded bags for EV speakers.

 

[ardeshir19]

Not if your goal is to mainly play piano on it and have an "acoustic piano" like experience. I use the Grand Piano and 60's Electric Piano settings all night long in my live gig, and they sound absolutely killer - but with un-weighted "diving board" keys, it doesn't play like a piano. But, your technique adapts and, up against the background of a live band it sounds killer through a pair of EV ZLX-15P speakers that I use.

I also travel on the weekends so the weight of the VR-09 was a consideration for me, and the organ sounds are really great as well. It does ok on other stuff I do like flute, sax, harmonica, clav, etc. So it depends on what you needs in a keyboard are. The VR-09 excels at quick, easy versatile, sounds good enough for the money, live stage use. It's not really a home, workstation or studio quality recording board.

The speakers are really dependent on what the application is, such as home, studio, live, all three, whatever. Everyone seems to be leaning towards powered speakers nowadays. I traditionally travel with a small mixer and a pair of 15/horn speakers. Stay away from keyboard amps like the Roland if you're going to play live rock - they just don't cut it. Can't go wrong with one or two EV ZLX-12's or 15's - they're powered, loud, and clear.

Hope that helps - Jim

thanks mate, that's very helpful. Good luck with the gigging.