Roland VS1680 tracks to PT LE/Digi 001?

[ouija]

Do any of you know if it's possible to get tracks from a Roland VS1680 into PT LE 6.0 (on Power Mac w/OS 10.2.4))? Is this possible using an Optical cable (adat?) from the Roland to PT LE on my mac? I would like to be able to play back tracks 1-8 on the Roland and send the signal to PT's keeping the tracks seperated as they are. This way I can keep the tracks digital going into PT, and mix in PT.

Has anybody done this? I've never used an optical cable so I'm not sure if I'm understanding right that I can do this using this cable. How would I tell track 1 in PT to record track one from the Roland (etc.) using one cable?

Thanks for reading...and oh yea, I'm using Digi 001 (topic).

-ouija

[Severe]

Originally posted by ouija:
Do any of you know if it's possible to get tracks from a Roland VS1680 into PT LE 6.0 (on Power Mac w/OS 10.2.4))? Is this possible using an Optical cable (adat?) from the Roland to PT LE on my mac? I would like to be able to play back tracks 1-8 on the Roland and send the signal to PT's keeping the tracks seperated as they are. This way I can keep the tracks digital going into PT, and mix in PT.

Has anybody done this? I've never used an optical cable so I'm not sure if I'm understanding right that I can do this using this cable. How would I tell track 1 in PT to record track one from the Roland (etc.) using one cable?

Thanks for reading...and oh yea, I'm using Digi 001 (topic).

-ouija

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">ive done this with the smaller roland unit, i think it was an 880. it can be done with an optical cable, unfortunately only 2 tracks at a time. its kind of a trick, the unit enables you to run an out in stereo to an outboard device for your mixdown. what your gonna want to do is lock up a track with a drum track or something with a noticeably large transient so that you can visually, (and by magnifying to the sample level), line things up. so its actually one track at a time 'cause the other is what your aligning to. you can then trash all the xtra guide(drm) tracks but the one you need, after youve aligned everything.

yes, its time consuming, but your skills at placing things on the dime will be sharp. its a roland portastudio thing, there is no other way i know, and i did a lot of research at the time.


hope this helps.


jeff


been a while since i posted, i just lurk nowadays.

hows everyone doing?

[ouija]

Thanks Jeff! I was afraid of that. So my options are to line things up the way you described which makes sense, or I suppose I can just go 8 analog (RCA) out to the ins on the 001.

Thanks so much for the info! That's what I was wondering about the optical cable.

-ouija

[The Patch Chord]

Severe said... "there is no other way i know, and i did a lot of research at the time.

I can't let that go without a response.

Actually there is a much better way. You can easily sync the VS and PT together using MMC. This will automatically line up your tracks when recorded on PT.

IT works fine either using PT as the master and the VS as a slave, or the other way around.

I've done this successfully on projects I've produced with artists that use VS recorders to record tracks on, then send to us for importing into PT for editing & mixing.

Jeff's method of visually lining up tracks can work, but is vulnerable to very small timing & phasing problems.

It's true that only two tracks can be transfered digitally at a time, due to a lack of forsight on Roland's part, but the syncing and alignment of the tracks is not a problem.

MOST VS recorders can use either an optical or RCA Spdif connection to transfer data. PT also can be configured to use either optical or RCA connections for spdif.

This topic has been discussed and explained several times before here on the DUC so a quick search might help.

Good Luck

[ouija]

I just read this! Thanks 'Patch'! This is good to know...and I'll do a search as well.

Thanks for all the input.

-ouija

[TAPKAE]

"t's true that only two tracks can be transfered digitally at a time, due to a lack of forsight on Roland's part,"

I'm not sure I would say it was an "oversight". Roland is sort of like the Catholic church. They like to know you'll stick around for a while... So they make their versions of things that appoximate and sometimes innovate. The problem is, if the rest of the world has ADAT and TDIF and other sort of elements that support and encourage the mixing and matching of components, Roland wants to give you a product of their own that more or less dictates that you'll need yet *another* piece to hook up to the system. They do that a lot, and the VS recorders are all about that. You can't get an effects card that isn't Roland, and to boot, there are only 2 cards, both of which are not really state of the art, and all FX are the Roland type. No Bomb Factory, Mc DSP, Waves... So you take it or leave it. Most take it. You want more FX? You get more of the the identical cards. No variations, like you would have in the world of synths, with orchestral and vintage and dance and other sort of expansion cards... No, you can't get the basic card, the hi tech and sci-fi sounding card and the super reverbs only card... its all one card, installed multiple times.

The 2480 is as bad. There are enough pres and inputs to do a lot of work, but the best sounding path is to not use them, and that could get you into a lot of money-- buying the RBUS interface in addition to the added pres and comps you will need to put in front, thus negating the price "discount" from buying an "all in one" machine. Or you could skip the RBUS and get a Rosetta and some pres and comps, to use the SPDIF connections, and then you have only two channels worth a damn. Either way, your budget home studio recorder is now just a part of a far more expensive and complex arrangement. And if that's not for you, you use the boring onboard stuff...

Don't get me started on the screwy choices Roland makes. They like to sell stuff, and they design products that have just enough and just little enough that you sort of need to buy something else that they make. And I know everyone does, but Roland likes to add extra complexity by making their own version of everything, that doesn't really interface with things as easily as other makers do.