Roland VS to Computer Recording in MP3/WAV

[John Cowan]

Hi folks,

The Musicians Friend hotline really couldn't help so I kicked myself for not coming here first. I have a Roland VS880EX with RCA outs AUX outs and a digital Out. I'm looking for a device that could take these output signals and either convert (A/D) or take the digital signal and allow me to record it on my PC via USB.

I'm thinking about a device that might include software that would let me record the sound in MP3 or WAV format so I can share my stuff online. Any thoughts? Since I really invested in the Roland I was looking for something cost effective if it even exists. Any help is appreciated.

John

[irwcustom]

Hi,

I have an 880 Ex too and was wondering how you can transfer it to MP3 or wav files out of curiosity. I use the SCSI port to drive the CD burner. Is it easy to convert from CD to WAV or MP3 etc ..... I haven't dabbled in this, downloaded anything in MP3 etc, but can see the advantages. Do you loose much in sound quality? It's one thing I've avioded till now.

[Bill Niersbach]

Since your Roland has a digital out why not jsut get a sound card with an SPDIF in on it and go to town. As far as converting cd to wave....cd's actually already are wave files. But to convert from the wav file to an mp3 is simple also, just go to www.download.com (http://www.download.com) and get a freeware program called cd_ex and it will convert for you. As far as quality goes, well the software will give you options as to what quality of a sample you want (ie 128bit, 220 bit etc...) but remember that the higher quality the larger the file size. a 4 minute song at 128 bit (128 is the most common) is roughly 4 - 5 meg, whearas the same file at 220 is closer to 10 - 12 meg.

Hope that helped.

[irwcustom]

Thanks Bill - yes it did indeed! What do most people use on say this site for a sound clip? I'm on the ole dial up so there's that to consider if I should wish to send a file or post a link. Having said that, where is the best place to store it on-line?

[John Cowan]

Since your Roland has a digital out why not jsut get a sound card with an SPDIF in on it and go to town. As far as converting cd to wave....cd's actually already are wave files. But to convert from the wav file to an mp3 is simple also, just go to www.download.com (http://www.download.com/) and get a freeware program called cd_ex and it will convert for you. As far as quality goes, well the software will give you options as to what quality of a sample you want (ie 128bit, 220 bit etc...) but remember that the higher quality the larger the file size. a 4 minute song at 128 bit (128 is the most common) is roughly 4 - 5 meg, whearas the same file at 220 is closer to 10 - 12 meg.

Hope that helped.
Ok, cool information. Just to confirm a few things, the SCSI device stores files in a proprietary Roland format on the SCSI disks. I was hoping to just use the digital out to send a signal to the PC and record that signal as a .wav or .mp3. So if I install the soundcard with the digital input, can I record the signal during playback on my PC (do I need add'l software to record the signal)? And also, is it hard to install the soundcard (I'm pretty handy but never did that before)?

JC

[irwcustom]

That would be handy john - to store the files on your PC straight off - though it would be probably good and paramount to store to a CD first. This can (obviously) subsequently be stored on your PC still in the backup Roalnd format. The burner will burn audio (obviously again) .. converted to play on a std CD player - then transfer to MP3 as Bill said - btw, this seems to work fine and is not a trial version - thanks Bill.

Maybe like me your slightly unhappy with the speed of the transfer from D to A on the M/C ..though I just leave it and go away for the weekend :D ... or even CD back-up takes ages. One thing I'm not sure of is the D/A converter - I think from memory it's an 18 bit D/A (?) on the 880, would there be any advantage in saving straight to PC; then mastering it on there ..probably not because of the Roland specific format.

Anyway - there seems to be lots of good help here and I hope I haven't hijacked your thread too much ..better we all ask and learn
Cheers
Darren

[Bill Niersbach]

Ok, cool information. Just to confirm a few things, the SCSI device stores files in a proprietary Roland format on the SCSI disks. I was hoping to just use the digital out to send a signal to the PC and record that signal as a .wav or .mp3. So if I install the soundcard with the digital input, can I record the signal during playback on my PC (do I need add'l software to record the signal)? And also, is it hard to install the soundcard (I'm pretty handy but never did that before)?

JC
The digital out is just a pass through interface..ie it will send the music through, not an actual file, so what you end up needing to do is get some type of recording software (Sonic, Cooledit, Acid, SoundForge, hell even sound recorder in windows or what ever software your sound card comes with). As far as installing your soundcard, if you are running Windows XP it should be dirt simple. Just open your case and find an empty slot, put the card in, seal the case back up, turn it on. Windows will come up and say new hardware found and ask you to insert the drivers disk. load it up and boom you should be cooking with gas! Also, when you get it all setup and are ready to record, make sure to look at the setting for your record I/O in windows mixer, there are a bunch of setting, you can record Line in, SPDIF, microphone, etc...and you will also see a setting called "What You Hear" which records basically everything coming out your pc speakers...this is the setting I use to record myself to backing tracks etc...

The best thing to do is to play around with it with the free software before you go haywire buying stuff...I hang at another forum where we have been posting video's and mp3's and to me they all seem pretty high quality and it is all done with software that is completely built in to windows...we have found so much free stuff that I cant understand why people buy software anymore..LOL

[GawsDigitalUnderground]

Guys, I'm not sure if your all familar with www.vsplanet.com (http://www.vsplanet.com), but it's the biggest site on the net for Roland V-Studio owners. I'm one of the Mods over there, and director of VS Planet Radio. Stop by sometime, and look me up..One of our members just posted a link to this site, and that's how I found this place..Nice site you've got here. I registered, and saved the link. I'll be hangin here some too...later....


Terry

[irwcustom]

How cool is that!!!:cool: Thanks Terry. What a huge site!! 11578 members! ..soon to be 11579! Well over 200 topics on the 880 alone plus 16,700 and odd posts! I never thought about seeing if there was a Roland forum.

[John Cowan]

Bill,

Thank you so much. That ought to keep me busy this weekend.

Yep that Roland forum is cool too.

I'm psyched now...this should be easy...famous last word.

JC

[GawsDigitalUnderground]

IRWCustom,,, cool, be sure to say hello when you post there, and check out the radio station if you get the chance. Those 880 guys rock. Some of the best recorded songs come from those guys!


Terry

[irwcustom]

Yer, will do T, there doesn't seem to be a new members anouncement section - hough with the amount of people that's not suprising. Tried to listen to the radio, but dispite having the latest version of real player and countless other useless ones that different sites insist you download, no joy I'm afraid. Set to 56K modem and chose both windows media player + 'other MP3 player'.