Roland VK-8M User Manual

Put a Vintage Organ in Your Rig!

With the VK-8M, keyboard players now have tabletop access to the ÒVirtual ToneWheelÓ organ sounds
made popular in RolandÕs VK-8 Combo Organ. Widely acclaimed by reviewers and musicians worldwide,
these organ sounds are the finest available, and have been accurately modeled down to the last detail.

Tabletop organ module with acclaimed ÒVirtual
ToneWheelÓ sound

¨

4 COSM
speaker modeling and reverb

9 harmonic bars for a range of authentic organ tones

amp types w/ overdrive, plus rotary

Line input for blending in an external sound

Active Expression lets players slowly fade in
an external sound via expression pedal

D Beam controller with multi-colored LED and
templates for easy realtime control

RolandÕs ÒVirtual ToneWheelÓ
Organ Sounds at Your Fingertips.

Enhanced Virtual ToneWheel Modeling

What’s a Tone Wheel? Tone wheels are the actual moving parts that define the sound
of an organ. The most celebrated traditional vintage organ used a total of 91 tone
wheels to create its distinctive sound. And these sounds varied depending on the year
the tone wheels were made. Fortunately, Roland’s Virtual ToneWheel Modeling technology
can accurately recreate the sound of several tone wheel types.

A Classic Organ Reborn By simulating 91 tone wheel voices in
constant independent oscillation, Virtual ToneWheel technology gives
the VK-8M realistic organ sounds with full polyphony. Three tone
wheel types are available (Vintage 1, Vintage 2 and Clean) with
different amounts of leakage. Nine harmonic bars and easy front-panel
controls make sound editing ultra-intuitive.

Percussion, Vibrato and Chorus Effects The VK-8M’s stellar organ
sounds wouldn’t be complete without those classic percussion, vibrato
and chorus effects. Using the front-panel controls, you can add
a percussion effect on the second or third interval while choosing to
decrease the volume (soft) or lengthen the decay (slow). You can also
add smooth vibrato and chorus to suit your taste.

Realistic Rotary Speaker and Amp Sounds

A classic organ deserves a classic rotary speaker. That’s why the VK-8M
is graced with a COSM rotary model than not only simulates the sound
of a well-known rotary speaker, but also the construction of its tube
amp circuits, actual speaker cabinet characteristics and natural ambience.

And with four types of COSM amp models, the VK-8M can crank out a range of overdriven
amp sounds perfect for rock and jazz players alike. COSM Amp Type IV stands out in
particular for its incredible gain stage and powerful distorted sound.

VK-8M SPECIFICATIONS

●Sound Generator Virtual ToneWheel Method ●Part 3 parts (Upper, Lower, Pedal

●Maximum Polyphony Full Polyphony ●Organ

VINTAGE 2, CLEAN), Leakage Level

Percussion: SECOND, THIRD, SOFT, SLOW •AMP Simulator: AMP Type (TYPE I,

•

TYPE II, TYPE III, TYPE IV), Overdrive, Tone
CHURCH, SPRING), Reverb Level
MODULATOR, TONE WHEEL BRAKE, SPRING SHOCK,GLISSANDO ●Internal Memory
REGISTRATION: 36 (User Memory)●Power Supply AC Adaptor (PSB-1U

●Current Draw 700 mA ●Finish Side Panel: Natural Wood Walnut Finish ●Dimensions
233(W)x275(D)x77(H)mm / 9-3/16 (W)x10-7/8(D)x3-1/16(H)inches ●Weight 1.7 kg /
3 lbs. 12 oz. ●Accessories Owner's Manual, Edit Mode Quick Reference, AC Adaptor,
AC Cable ●Options Keyboard Amplifier: KC-1000/500/300/100

D BEAM: CRESCENDO, ROTARY SPEED, RING

•

Tone Wheel: Wheel Type (VINTAGE 1,

•

Vibrato and Chorus: V-1, V-2, V-3, C-1, C-2, C-3

•

Reverb: Reverb Type (ROOM, HALL,

•

)

)

New Active Expression for Dynamic Performances

With its 1/4-inch Line input, any external sound can be fed into the
VK-8M and blended in with the organ sound. Simply connect your
favorite synth or sound module and use Active Expression to gradually
fade in the external sound using an optional expression pedal.

Use it to slowly bring in a pad sound or brass —adding fullness and texture to the
sound—or to bring out a particular section of a song. With Active Expression, you can
add more depth to your sound while keeping your hands on the keyboard.

Outstanding Performance Controls

The VK-8M incorporates an improved D Beam controller with an LED
that changes color as you move your hand closer or further away.
Use the light-sensing D Beam to create effects like tone wheel motor
stops or to even control rotary speed.

Saving your favorite settings is now more convenient than ever,
thanks to six Registration buttons. When used in conjunction with Bank Select, up to 36
user registrations can be instantly recalled during performance.

The VK-8M can be controlled from any MIDI keyboard, making it easy to add Roland’s
Virtual ToneWheel sounds to any player’s rig. The space-saving tabletop design is also
great for sequencing setups.

*D Beam light has been colored for illustrative purposes only. Actual infrared light beam is invisible.

OPTIONS

BKT-8

Bracket Kit for
VK-8M

PDS-15

Pad Stand

By purchasing the optional BKT-8 Bracket Kit, you
can mount the VK-8M on Roland’s PDS-15 Stand
for easy access on stage or in the home studio.

Once a musical instrument generates sound vibrations,
it reaches the human ear through various mediating
objects, each of which significantly affects the sound.

electric/electronic/magnetic amplifying system, the air and the reverberation of the room all
affect the final sound. Sound modeling, the latest DSP technology, "virtually" reconstructs
these objects. Roland's breakthrough Composite Object Sound Modeling (COSM) uses the
advantages of multiple modeling methods and succeeds in accurately emulating existing
sounds, as well as producing sounds that have never before been created.

The material and configuration of the instrument, the

PK-7 20-Key Pedalboard
PK-5 Dynamic MIDI Pedal

EV-7 Expression Pedal
EV-5 Expression Pedal

PK-7

EV-7

Roland Corporation U.S.

5100 S. Eastern Avenue, P.O.Box 910921, Los Angeles, CA90091-0921
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Visit us online at www.RolandUS.com

All specifications and appearances are subject to change without notice.

All trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

Printed in Japan. Jan. 2003 RAM-3669 ERK-GEN-SE AE-3