Roland groovebox d2

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:21 am

hi+
what you think about it?
how are his sounds?
is it easy and pratic to use?
what about the d-flow(or something)?

cheers

crumbsucker · Post by **crumbsucker** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 1:47 pm

ellaguru wrote:hi+
what you think about it?

I love it. It is the center of my setup. I didn't know what this machine is capeable of before I bought it so I was like: holy shit, this is insane.
Make sure you got MIDI keyboard before you buy one.
If I'd have to choose between D2 and Sp 555, I'd take D2

ellaguru wrote:how are his sounds?

Drum sounds and kits are very good, and preset patterns are usefull.
It got plenty classic roland synth sounds (samples)... this thing is a rompler BTW... that are of very good quality... some FX sounds... drones... bleeps... white, pink noise... enough to make a record with it.
Output is line level so it doesn't need preamp on your mixer.
When you record it, it sounds quite good IMO.
Built in FX are useful... Lo pass filter is kinda lame but useful anyway.
Sequencer is tight but it would be nice to have at least twice more memory
onboard.
Some pads are much better than my Waldorf Microwave XT can make.

ellaguru wrote:is it easy and pratic to use?

Learning curve is steep and it takes about a week of reading the manual
while playing with this groovebox... once you master the basics you will enjoy your D2 a lot and realize your ideas in no time.
Display is kinda poor, but once you get to know the machine you will see that you really don't need display with more data.

ellaguru wrote:what about the d-flow(or something)?

D-filed is ultra cool feature. You can trigger prerecorded phrases, apply turntable FX... filter the sounds... and what I like the most is ability to play arpeggios with the tip of your finger... absolutely love it!

And offcourse you can sequence other MIDI gear if you have it / synths /drummachines...

... anyway I will probably move on Roland MC 909 but keep my D2.

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:52 pm

thanx very much for your exaustive description!!

better than 100 reviews.

yes, i've got a midi keyboard. but cuold you be able to get som riffs or groove only with d2? there is no way to record something without midi keyboard (except rythms)? i read in the manual that with d-field you can play synths notes...

one little thing: is it possible to apply rev+delay+mfx at the same time for different "pads"?

If I'd have to choose between D2 and Sp 555, I'd take D2

eh eheh....listen to this: i have sp-303,sp-404,sp-606 and now i won an sp-505 at ebay...no thanks, i think that i don't need sp-555...(maybe :lol:

)

again ,thanx!

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:41 pm

.....

crumbsucker · Post by **crumbsucker** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:15 pm

ellaguru wrote:
yes, i've got a midi keyboard. but cuold you be able to get som riffs or groove only with d2? there is no way to record something without midi keyboard (except rythms)? i read in the manual that with d-field you can play synths notes...

one little thing: is it possible to apply rev+delay+mfx at the same time for different "pads"?

Yes you can play notes on D field but I rather play on my master keyboard.
You can also enter the notes with D field in step recording mode,

on Rev + delay+ MFX...
On every part (D2 have 7sinthesizer parts and 1 dedicated drum part/track)
you can apply Reverb, delay and MFX at the same time but the FX settings is the same for all parts

Let's say you set up FX for a track with those instruments...

...................Drum part : Reverb and MFX (compressor)
...........Bass.......Synth1: MFX (compressor)
..Another snare..Synth2: Reverb +delay
.......Synth lead...Synth3: Reverb+Delay+MFX(compressor)
....Synth lead 2...Synth4: reverb+delay+ MFX(compressor)
....Pad 1.............Synth5: whateveer ofthose 3
.........Pad2.........Synth6: -II-
........FX sound....Synth7: Reverb+delay

So eventually you can have all 3 at the same time on every part
...offcourse you can set the amount of efect for every track.
... those operations are very easy to do once when you get to know it.

5ch0k0 · Post by **5ch0k0** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:22 pm

funny lookin machine....just found 1 on german ebay

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... 0307484941

just 2 days left and still under 100€...hmmmmmm

deciding

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:35 am

Let's say you set up FX for a track with those instruments...

...................Drum part : Reverb and MFX (compressor)
...........Bass.......Synth1: MFX (compressor)
..Another snare..Synth2: Reverb +delay
.......Synth lead...Synth3: Reverb+Delay+MFX(compressor)
....Synth lead 2...Synth4: reverb+delay+ MFX(compressor)
....Pad 1.............Synth5: whateveer ofthose 3
.........Pad2.........Synth6: -II-
........FX sound....Synth7: Reverb+delay

wow!
that's a REAL good example. this is clear talking to me!

just one "external" thing/curiosity: do you use some of roland/boss sp series or what?

funny lookin machine....just found 1 on german ebay

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... 0307484941

...let's see...

cheers!

crumbsucker · Post by **crumbsucker** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 1:46 pm

No problem man... yep, I have SP 555 but currently it is used as spare 2 channels ... I have 2 synthesizers pluged into SP555 at the same time and 555's output is connected on TAPE IN on my mixer just because I've run out of channells.
See... SP555 is very stretchy.

And for the ones that are interested in auctioning D2... price is sometimes rised up to 170EUR so don't be surprised... it's a poor man's MC505 ya' know!

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 1:52 pm

i can find roland d2 here in france for 100€. can you tell me if its dimension are very big? it don't go with batteries, isn't it?

thanx

thebizness · Post by **thebizness** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 3:38 am

if anyone wants one i have with power supply i live in los angeles would prefer to deal locally 200.00 cash might be willing to ship if your willing to pay

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:21 am

hi
thanks a lot.
i'm in europe.
i found it here at 100€ (78usd).

http://www.leboncoin.fr/li?q=roland+d2&ca=12_s&th=1&c=0&w=3&rs=&re=&ms=&me=&ros=&roe=&ss=&se=&ccs=&cce=&cs=&ce=&zz=ex%3A75001&fu=

peace

crumbsucker · Post by **crumbsucker** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:32 am

Oh my, that D2 went for 171EUR... as I predicted

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:14 pm

do you think that the D2 can make: 2step,house,big beat,hip hop,ambient,acid,funk styles?
another thing: with the d-flow we can't totally do nothing to play some synth notes? it's completly dummie to play synth with it?
i ask tha because i would like not to take every time my midi keyboard to play something...
another solution is to buy yamaha an-200 or yamaha dx-200, do you know them? they're cheap and useful. they're about 150/200€ max.
an-200
http://www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/an200.php

dx-200
http://www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/dx200.php

many thanks[/url]

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 1:42 pm

i've also an mpc 1000, so can i play the D2 with mpc's pad (16)? maybe it will be enough than the 8 points of the d-flow...

crumbsucker · Post by **crumbsucker** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:19 pm

Look, D-field for playing notes isn't handy... I'm not trained keyboardist but
I can tell you D-field is not good for playing single notes or chords IMO.
It is good to play arpeggios... let's say for... bass lines with one finger...
or if you want to trigger certain sound... but that's preety much it.

You can set arp style that you like...D2 have very good arpeggiator...
far more better than Waldorf microwave XT... and people say MW have nice arp...Roland kicks ass man...D2's arp is 3 times more tweakable than waldorf MW's

D-field comes handy if you make let's say 8 beats (not necessery to be a drum part, can be any synth phrase also) and you save those beats under a patch and than you assign those beats on D-field by number and than you can trigger them perfectly in time...live, without going out of tme
...you can make 30 templates with 8 different phrases that you can play and hold over any pattern that you make... I've set up some templates with fillins,
one with syncopated cymbals, one with wierd drum parts...

you could play with pads on mpc... I did it with the pads on 555 but I think real keyboard is real keyboard... I even hate rubber keys on my Korg electribe EA-1...

my keyboard is on fire...

SP-FORUMS

Roland groovebox d2

Roland groovebox d2

Re: Roland groovebox d2