V-Synth connections

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:25 am

I just acquired a Roland V-Synth V2 and am trying to find the best way to connect it to my Scope PC. I thought I'd try SPDIF first (via my Luna card) but no matter which samplerate I set it to the sound is very choppy . If I switch to Slave it is even worse. I would like to be able to run it as a hardware synth and outboard fx unit as it has some superb sounds processing and effects capabilities (e.g Roland Space echo simulations, COSM, Variphrase and granular stuff etc) but I'm not sure how best to integrate it into Scope.

Also while I'm at it is it best to use "real"midi or is it OK for me to install the USB midi drivers? I think I might need them installed to run the Librarian app and I really need that. Anyone know?

YiannisK · Post by **YiannisK** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:35 am

I think you sould connect your V-synth via analog to your scope.
You could installl drivers for usb but I just use the usb as a removable device to upload or download from my pc to my V-synth.
The pc will recognise it as a hard drive.

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:59 am

Thanks. I thought digital was supposed to be less inclined to clip etc? Why's it so choppy?

Post by **garyb** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:26 pm

because you don't have the proper master/slave relationship?

if you have the v synth connected via sp/dif then scope will need to be slave to sp/dif.

digital sync is about the clock that tracks the 441,000 samples per second. the only way for the two devices to be synced if scope is the master would be for the v-synth to have a digital input(to receive the clock signal) or wordclock. the "choppy" sound is from the unclocked samples.

digital won't nessessarily sound better than the analog input, but it might. try it via analog as well....

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:34 pm

I've tried both - with the master button selected (yellow) it's choppy but with the slave button selected its even worse. The red light by the spdif under Luna is on and the dot next to it is selected. I have V-Synth and Scope set to 44.1 khz.

Post by **garyb** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:46 pm

are you sure when you select "slave" that sp/dif is also selected? you can slave to several digital options...

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:57 pm

Yes - the radio button next to it is checked

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:58 pm

Do you know if the spdif on the Luna is just an in or an out? The VSynth is both ways so maybe thats it.

Post by **garyb** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 1:06 pm

the luna's is in and out...

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 1:15 pm

Thats what I thought. So the V-Synth has standard RCAs (it also has optical but not using those) and my lead has a y connector at the Luna end linking to a small jack - I thought that would work ??

Is it hyperthreading perhaps?

valis · Post by **valis** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:43 pm

It's not hyperthreading. Incidentally I wouldn't slave my Scope cards to the V-synth (which is how the spdif spec works in most gear). The analog outputs would be a lot better. Also make sure the damn thing doesn't send active sensing like most of the older Roland synths do...

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:34 pm

What's active sensing?

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:56 pm

Ah it says here it's part of the midi spec but not all keyboard manufacturers implement it:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_ar ... ?print=yes

I'm pretty sure the VSynth does so is it a problem? - so far it seems to be working fine as a midi controller. Not sure it can be turned off.

valis · Post by **valis** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 2:33 am

It was really created as a failsafe for live performance. Since a midi note is actually 2 messages (note on then note off or note on with 0 velocity) if the off is never received you wind up with aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,...

Active sensing was a response to have some way to kill the hanging notes/chords when things go kaboom.

Unfortunately some users experience frequent crashes when a keyboard with active sensing is connected to a scope card. Seems to be some sort of eventual overflow issue. If you're not having that problem though then no concern eh?

Kymeia · Post by **Kymeia** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:39 am

valis wrote: If you're not having that problem though then no concern eh?

I don't know - I've only had it 2 days and barely tested it with midi/softsynths - been too busy playing through all the built in patches and playing with the timetrip pad

Anyway I found an option to turn it off in settings so Roland aren't so bad.

valis · Post by **valis** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 10:19 am

It's good that they finally put that in there. The JD & JV series don't have that option (at least not the ones I've used).