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Roland Announces New V-Bass VB-99 !!!

boomski

boomski

Feb 12, 2005
84
11
Tokyo
www.derekshort.com
#1
I have no idea when it will be released in the states but while cruising for some other bass goodies I came across this announcement on the Roland Japan site http://www.roland.co.jp/products/jp/VB-99/index.html . I would have preferred that they kept it a one piece unit like the last one but what can you do ? Still , it looks like it should be a lot of fun to play with and I will be placing my order on Monday .

Peace y'all .
 
#4
I translated the page into English, and it looks pretty amazing. It outputs MIDI, btw, through both a MIDI out and a USB out (the USB out sends audio as well, so you have a digital audio interface - the quality, of course, remains to be seen).

It also has a "polychlorinated polylactic equalizer". Japanese technology is so futuristic!
 
#7
This is indeed what I've been waiting for, expecting that it should turn up sometime soon.

Basically a bass version of the nice VG-99. So (I assume) it has a guitar-to-MIDI converter built in, and two V-Bass engines. So you can have two bass models at once, for example a straight Jazz and a distorted Rickenbacker at once. Or an acoustic together with a synth bass.... very cool.

One-piece? It's one-piece if you can do without the pedal board. I, for one, think I can do better without the pedal board. I usually set my bass model for each song. Only occationally do I want to activate an effect or something on the fly.

Looking forward to trying this one out. Doubtless it'll be a good while before one shows up in a music store here in Norway.
 
#8
It does seem to use the same floor mounted controller as the VG-99 and personally I really need the foot volume and filter etc.., controllers that the it will provide . Also the VB-99 itself is meant to be mounted on a stand or table top and I usually have my hands full dealing with the bass . It does seem to have more built in synth sounds than the old one and hopefully the midi converter works better than the one in the GI-20 ( although the built in midi converter is only meant to work with external synths :eyebrow: ) .
 
#9
It'll be an incredibly powerful unit [x2]. Clunky and heavy for working-class live users who like to travel light, but powerful. Hopefully enough users will embrace it and dig in deep enough to surpass what has been the Roland V-Bass "Classic" community. A real shame not very many seemed to make something of the V-Bass ... never getting or producing an editor/librarian for the original seemed to hold a lot of purchasers back from becoming real users. But if that excuse is gone... ; }
 
#10
Let me know if I've got this right.

You tape the pickup to your bass, and you can generate MIDI sounds via what you're playing on the bass ... so, you can play "trumpet" solos with heavy reverb on them, for example?

How was the tracking before, and any idea if this is an improvement? More simply, what does it have trouble doing?

Will that pickup fit a 6-string?

Seems cheap to me, if it realizes the promise. I recall getting interested in MIDI a year or so ago, but the differeing opinions on the pickup options and there being some question as to the quality of the tracking.

If I'm any indication, and I am a willing target audience for this with cash in hand, people want a simple plug & play kinda deal. Even when I use MIDI modules/controllers, I basically want to press "on" dial in a good preset, and start playing. Total opposite to the real tech heads that want to edit, etc. I'm not a MIDI junkie and don't aspire to be. I just want to make some cool sounds.
 
#11
I was literally just talking about how Roland needs to put out an updated version of the V-Bass with Wilbyman about a week ago. I'm assuming that your presets can be changed via a MIDI foot controller? I'm not sure how this thing would work, as it's not meant for the floor, and the controls are obviously not geared towards being rack mounted (the D Beam shows that- my Roland Handsonic has one of those as well). I can't imagine that many bassists would want a separate unit on a stand.
 
#15
I think the price is reasonable. When you consider you're getting 2 V-basses plus a pitch-to-midi converter and USB audio/MIDI interface, it's not such a bad deal. As far as how much of a market there is, it definitely remains to be seen.
 
#19
I allready own the old V-bass and as far as I know there's nothing on the market that even comes close to this unit both in versatility as well as soundwise. I also have the Axon AX100mkII midi converter. This new VB-99 combines both plus a lot more. Therefore to my humble opinion for what this unit promisses to deliver it's a bargain. Cannot wait :hyper:

Here's the english announcement including specs and brochure:

http://www.roland.com/products/en/VB-99/index.html

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