Off-topic VS-840 question.

[Todd Madson <crash@waste.org>]

Re: VS-840 EX upgrade:
My wife's sister bought me the EX software update for christmas
for my first  generation VS-840 (just the software, not the updated ZIP
unit) and all I did to update it to EX specs was to put the disk in 
the drive with the power on and it asked me if I wanted to update
and it worked.

It would be nice to have a bigger ZIP drive, but I'd rather buy
the SCSI interface and use a hard drive to achieve longer recording
time.  I understand the software-only update is around $40 from 
Roland and is definetely worth it - the additional COSM algorithms
and functionality is very much worth it.

Also note: the VS-840EX update comes with a manual that says the
100 meg zip discs cannot be recorded to anymore, just listened to
once you update to the EX software.  This is NOT true, so 100 meg
ZIP users fear not about updating.  Again, the digital tuner and
additional effects and EZ recording mode makes it a definite must
get update.


Re: Panning
The VS-840 has some caveats you need to be aware of.  The 5/6 and 7/8
tracks are stereo.  So if you record mono signals on these tracks and 
attempt to pan these signals, it won't work in the way we want.

I had a recent project, where in the fever of recording we put a 
guitar track a friend had recorded on 5/6 and his signal only shows
up on 6 as it was a mono signal.  5 is empty.

I tried panning it, changing the panning position to no avail.

My friend decided he didn't like his guitar solo so we'll just do 
that part over again, this time on 1, 2, 3, or 4 or in stereo thru
my big rig for guitar.

The only way I think I can make it a stereo track or to center it in
the mix is to take a line out into my computer and record it using my
digital audio workstation software there and manually pan it to center
or do the transfer to the computer and copy the track and paste it so
it is offset from the other track by 2-3 milliseconds thus creating a
faux stereo effect, then transferring the stereo signal back into the
VS-840 on the problem track pair in stereo this time and make sure 
that the new tracks starts at the same time on the same track to get
the correct effect (no pun intended!)

-We now return you to LOOPING related content.

Oh - the VS-840 has a digital delay with 2.5 seconds of delay time,
you can loop with it and use it as a mixer at the same time!

-t