What's New
05/01/08 - BOSS Tone Radio: The Secret Life of a Guitar Tech
Edition 13 of BOSS Tone Radio features a discussion with veteran guitar technician Mark Newman. His 28-year career resume reads like a who's who of rock and roll, maintaining guitar rigs on tour for acts such as ZZ Top, Ozzy Osbourne, Soundgarden, Prince, and many more. During a short break from his current gig with the Smashing Pumpkins, Mark talked with Tone Radio host Paul Hanson about life on the road as a guitar tech for the stars.
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04/15/08 - Worship Connection Gets a New Look
Roland's Worship Connection online newsletter—the info source for church musicians—has recently received an exciting image makeover. Stop by our Community section to check out Worship Connection's new look and get the latest on using music technology in the worship arts.
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04/10/08 - New RMP-12 Insanity
We’ve already told you about Roland’s breakthrough RMP-12 marching percussion. Now we’ve got some videos posted to give you an idea of the kind of unprecedented functionality and crazy flexibility these things offer to marching-band drummers, especially when you put a few drummers together.
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04/07/08 - Two Reasons We’re Psyched About the Fantom-G
The new Fantom G6, G7, and G8 are packed with killer sounds and innovative features such as the powerful new Live mode and the long-awaited Patch Remain feature that lets you switch seamlessly between sounds without interruption or glitching. We’ve posted some audio examples to give you some idea why we’re so excited. Head over to any Fantom-G web page—the link below takes you to the G7’s page. There you’ll find examples of Live mode sounds, called “live sets,” and the awesome Patch Remain feature.
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04/04/08 - The RMP-12 Marching Percussion Takes the Field
Drummers everywhere have fallen in love with Roland’s remarkable V-Drums, and now we’re thrilled to announce the RMP-12, a revolutionary marching percussion pad that allows marching-band drummers to take the full power of V-Drums out onto the playing field, where the RMP-12’s sounds will be knocking them out of the stands in no time. The RMP-12 is also ideal for practice, with a headphone jack that lets percussionists work out their paradiddles in private.
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03/12/08 - New Products Debuted at Frankfurt Musikmesse 2008
At this week’s Musikmesse 2008 in Frankfurt, Germany, Roland, BOSS and EDIROL debuted some great new products. From Roland, there’s the ultra-portable, battery-powered new MOBILE CUBE amp for monster sound on the go. EDIROL—following up on the spectacular success of the R-09—announced their new flagship handheld recorder, the R-09HR high-resolution WAV/MP3 recorder. It has even better sound than the R-09, as well as a built-in speaker for checking your recordings as you make them. From BOSS, there are two exciting new pedals. The DD-7 is the latest word in digital delay pedals, with its new Modulation Delay and Analog Delay modes along with an expanded delay time of 6.4 seconds. The feature-packed SL-20 Slicer pedal can instantly transform guitar, bass, keyboard or vocal parts into groovalicious instruments, and the SL-20’s innovative Harmonic Slicer can do all sorts of crazy-cool things to your slices. While not everyone gets to go to Musikmesse, but you can still check out all the Roland/BOSS/EDIROL action here.
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03/03/08 - Shop ’til You Drop
We’re getting more and more new stock onto the virtual shelves of the Roland SuperStore. For example, we’ve recently added carrying bags, cases, or pouches for the R-09, BR-1180, MICRO BR, BA-CB3, BR-532, and BR-864. You’ll find lots of accessories there that’ll make your Roland/BOSS/EDIROL experience even more enjoyable. There’s always something new at the Roland SuperStore, so do drop by.
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02/25/08 - COSM Amps Featured on BOSS Tone Radio
In Edition 12 of BOSS Tone Radio, resident shred-meisters Paul Hanson and Rob Marcello discuss the benefits of COSM® modeling technology. Listen in to learn all about COSM and find out how to get superb direct tone using COSM amps and effects.
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02/09/08 - Join Us at the Skirball Center’s Dylan Experience
If you’re in the Los Angeles area—or are planning to visit before June 8—be sure to visit the Skirball Cultural Center for a great new exhibit, Bob Dylan’s American Journey. Roland’s honored to be one of the sponsors of this exciting interactive look at Dylan’s historic career. The show’s Roland and BOSS gear provides each visitor a hands-on opportunity to explore the legendary singer-songwriter’s work.
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02/05/08 - GT-10 Demo Video
The new GT-10 Guitar Effects Processor is hands-down the most powerful floorboard ever, combining decades of BOSS tone know-how with a simple and intuitive user interface. Check out the GT-10 Demo Video for a personal tour of this extraordinary processor’s sounds and features.
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01/20/08 - Experience SuperNATURAL Sound with New ARX Boards
At the 2008 Winter NAMM show, Roland debuted its revolutionary new SuperNATURAL™ sound technology. And SuperNATURAL is just that: incredibly natural, expressive, and organic sound, with user-customization options that you won't believe. To learn more, check out the video of the SuperNATURAL launch at NAMM. It features live demonstrations of the new ARX Expansion Boards, the very first products to incorporate this amazing new development in sound.
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01/17/08 - New Products at NAMM 2008
The Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California is the biggest new-gear event of the year, and this year, like every year, Roland’s introduced an astounding array of new instruments and equipment. There’s the groundbreaking new Fantom-G synths, two new V-Drums kits, GT-10 and GT-10B guitar and bass effects, new pianos and digital pianos, a new digital harpsichord, new Atelier organs, new V-Accordions, new amps, the CD-2e recorder, and more. Whew! To see just exactly what’s new—and trust us, it’s too much to list here—click “More info” below.
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12/10/07 - The Even-More-Super Roland SuperStore
Well, the floors are all polished and the shelves are stocked. Welcome to the revamped Roland SuperStore. Now you can browse our new catalog before filling up your cart and checking out. We've made it easier than ever to find just what you're looking for at the Roland SuperStore.
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11/19/07 - Introducing Roland's Online Rebate System
Applying for a rebate is often like dropping a bottle containing a message into the ocean: You hope that someday your rebate will somehow find its way home to you. No more. Roland's new Online Rebate system lets you track your rebate as it makes its way through our hands and back to yours. What's more, if you're a Roland Backstage member, we'll fill out most of the form for you. If you're not, applying for an online rebate automatically registers your product and signs you up for Backstage so you can enjoy the program's benefits. And, of course, there's that rebate...
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11/02/07 - The Richness of the Roland RP-101 Digital Piano
In a series of videos, Scott “The Piano Guy” Houston takes you by the hand and leads you through the RP-101, from its wonderful sounds to its wealth of features. Take a look, and you’ll see why this is such a great instrument.
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10/26/07 - The Pedals That Make the Tone, Holiday Edition
Check out the latest installment of “The Pedals That Make the Tone,” the continuing collaboration between BOSS and Guitar World magazine. This month’s edition features settings, notes, and MP3 audio examples for five more classic songs, and you can find accompanying tablature transcriptions in the holiday issue of Guitar World.
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10/19/07 - DJ Kentaro Rocks the SP-555
The SP-555 carries on the SP tradition of big fun and great sounds. Put yourself in the hands of DJ Kentaro for a kickin’ tour of the SP-555. He’s made seven new videos that show off what's waiting for you in a new SP-555.
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10/17/07 - Peppino D’Agostino and the GR-20
Roland recently caught up with famed fingerstyle guitar virtuoso Peppino D’Agostino. In this new video, Peppino performs one of his original compositions and discusses how he uses the GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer to expand his tonal palette.
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10/15/07 - Tatsuya Nishiwaki and the V-Synth GT
We’re excited to announce a new series of V-Synth GT videos by Japanese composer, producer, and keyboardist Tatsuya Nishiwaki. These six videos are packed with cool music and show off some of the inspiring musical possibilities in the new V-Synth GT.
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10/12/07 - Meet the VG-99 V-Guitar System
We've just posted a new series of videos that explain why we're so excited about Roland's new VG-99 V-Guitar System. There's never been a virtual guitar processor like this one. If you're into guitars, you want to check this out.
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10/05/07 - Hellecaster Will Ray on BOSS Tone Radio
In Edition 11 of BOSS Tone Radio, host Paul Hanson talks with guitarist Will Ray of the Hellecasters. Over three podcast segments, Will discusses some of his trademark techniques, shares recording tips, and talks about some of the favorite pedals in his massive BOSS stompbox collection.
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10/01/07 - Enter to Win Roland V-Drums
Drum! Magazine and Roland have put together a wicked new contest in which you have a chance to win a TD-6SXT V-Tour V-Drums kit, an HD-1 V-Drums Lite® kit, or an RMP-5 Rhythm Coach. There's nothing to buy—all you have to do is enter.
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09/06/07 - Free MV-8800 Percussion Loops for Download
To help keep the inspiration flowing, here's even more free stuff for your MV-8800: a new bank of percussion loops and phrases. These samples come pre-looped, with BPM settings already programmed—they're ready for pattern-locked time-stretching the second you get your hands on them. This new free sound bank is just another reason why the MV-8800's the best hardware beat machine/production studio on the market.
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09/01/07 - The Pedals That Make the Tone, November Edition
Want to learn how to use BOSS pedals to recreate the guitar sounds in your favorite songs? If so, check out the "The Pedals That Make the Tone," an ongoing collaboration between BOSS and Guitar World magazine. We've just posted BOSS pedal settings and MP3 audio examples for copping the tones in five more popular tunes. To get tablature transcriptions for these songs, check out the current issue of Guitar World.
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08/20/07 - David Benoit and Roland Digital Pianos
We recently caught up with contemporary jazz pianist David Benoit to discuss Roland’s Digital Pianos. In this video interview, David talks in detail about his favorite Digital Piano features and the advantages of digital music technology.
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08/16/07 - BOSS Tone Radio Edition 10 Podcast Now Available
The latest BOSS Tone Radio podcast features an interview with legendary jazz/blues guitarist Scott Henderson. In this edition, Scott talks about his tone, his amps, his thoughts on guitar-string gauges, and his book on jazz chords. He also discusses some of his favorite pedals, including the BOSS RC-2 Loop Station.
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07/27/07 - New Products at Summer NAMM 2007
Summertime. It can only mean scorching weather, ice-cold drinks, and sizzling new product announcements from Roland, BOSS, and Edirol at Summer NAMM 2007. As always, we've got an exciting lineup of new gear for musicians of all kinds. Click "More info" to learn about the latest in music technology.
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07/17/07 - Johnny Rabb Introduces the HD-1 V-Drums Lite
In a series of short videos, renowned drummer and clinician Johnny Rabb takes you on a guided tour of the brand new HD-1 V-Drums Lite set. The stylish HD-1 is the most portable and affordable V-Drums set yet, bringing V-Drums technology to any space or budget. After Johnny shows you what the HD-1 can do, click the V-Drums Lite Interactive Demo on the right side of the page to get even more details on the HD-1's features.
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07/07/07 - The Official BOSS Video Page
Be sure to check out the new official video page for BOSS U.S., where we've organized links for all BOSS videos in one directory. Here you'll find a multitude of BOSS effects demos, as well as numerous artist interviews and product tutorials.
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06/26/07 - 2007 New Product DVD Available
We've still got a few of these free DVDs available, so request yours while you can. On the Winter NAMM 2007 New Product DVD, you'll find exciting information on all of the new products from Roland, BOSS, and Edirol announced at this winter's NAMM show in Anaheim, as well as lots of amazing, inspiring performances we captured for you at the show.
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06/07/07 - New BOSS Tone Radio Podcast Available
The latest BOSS Tone Radio podcast features an interview with veteran sideman/session guitarist Michael Ward. In this edition, Michael discusses his work with the Wallflowers, School of Fish, and other bands, and talks about his favorite BOSS gear.
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06/01/07 - The Pedals That Make the Tone
BOSS and Guitar World magazine have teamed up to analyze the guitar sounds in some classic songs. Learn how to set your BOSS pedals to recreate the killer tones found in these famous tunes. Also, check out the six upcoming issues of Guitar World for more songs and BOSS pedal settings, accompanied by tablature transcriptions so you can learn how to play 'em, too.
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06/01/07 - Roland Releases New MV-8800 Bass Synth Patches
Roland is proud to offer a brand new set of FREE bass synth patches for the MV-8800 Production Studio. In addition to the incredible lineup of analog modeled sounds and effects already onboard the MV, for a limited time you can get this special set of bass synth sounds to add some killer low end to your tracks.
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05/03/07 - Video Interviews with Porcupine Tree's John Wesley
John Wesley, guitarist for Porcupine Tree, recently sat down with us for some discussions about his favorite gear. His performance arsenal includes a variety of BOSS pedals (RC-20XL, DD-6, DD-20, RT-20, and TU-2), and his DB-90 Metronome is a music-practice mainstay. He's recently acquired the Edirol R-09 Wave/MP3 Recorder, and it's already become an indispensable creative companion.
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05/01/07 - R-09.com Micro-Site Launched
We've just launched a new website dedicated exclusively to our super-hot handheld recorder. (It's not really physically hot, of course, it's just very, very popular.) If you don't already have an R-09, head over to R-09.com and see what you're missing.
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04/06/07 - Carmen Rizzo Fuses Visuals and Live Performance
Grammy-nominated producer and remixer Carmen Rizzo uses the Edirol MD-P1-S motion dive .tokyo Performance Package to incorporate visuals into his live DJ performances. In a recent video interview, Carmen discussed the MD-P1-S's surprisingly simple operation and the positive audience response to his visual additions.
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04/06/07 - Roland Supports John Lennon Educational Bus
The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit, mobile recording studio outfitted with traditional musical instruments as well as current technology. Since 1998, the bus has provided free hands-on programs to hundreds of high schools, colleges, Boys and Girls Clubs, music festivals, concerts, conventions, and community organizations.
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04/04/07 - BOSS/Fender Legend Series Audio Demos Now Online
BOSS and Fender have combined their collective expertise in technology and tone to put the sound of two classic Fender amps—the '59 Bassman and the '65 Deluxe Reverb—into a pair of BOSS Compact Pedals. Now you can listen to the sweet vintage tone these pedals dish up.
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03/15/07 - RZA Video Interview Now Available
World-renowned phenomenon RZA has been a long-time fan of Roland’s MV product line and was an early adopter and advocate of the technology. Hear what he has to say about Roland’s latest integrated-studio standard, the MV-8800.
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01/18/07 - Get a Backstage Pass with Roland
Roland is pleased to unveil the next step in online customer support: Roland Backstage. This is where you can download product manuals, email product support, manage your registered products, search our Knowledge Base for common product-related questions, and much more.
If you’ve previously registered for Roland User Services, you can simply log in to Roland Backstage. If you haven’t, sign up for your Backstage Pass now and experience all that RolandUS.com has to offer.
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