Roland VP 550 Service Manual
Owner’s Manual
10
123 6 79
45 8
11
12 14 16 18 2 0
13 15 17 19
Front panel
1
D BEAM
2
VOLUME
3
SOUND CHECK
4
BASS & PERCUSSION
5
OCTAVE
6
VOCAL DESIGNER
7
ENSEMBLE
8
REGISTRATION
9
AMBIENCE
10
Pitch bend / modulation
11
Keyboard
You can apply various e ects to the sound by waving your hand over this sensor.
This knob adjusts the overall volume of the VP-550.
Here you can record and check the sound that’s sent from the OUTPUT jacks.
These buttons select bass sounds or voice percussion.
These buttons raise or lower the keyboard range in one-octave steps.
Here you can select the tonal character of the vocal designer, and adjust the mic level.
Here you can select the ensemble sound and adjust the volume.
Here you can register combinations of vocal designer and ensemble settings.
Here you can adjust the type and depth of ambience.
Use this lever to vary the pitch or apply vibrato.
* The VP-550’s pitch bend range is xed at a whole note (two semitones).
Perform.
*The VP-550 does not respond to aftertouch.
p. 37
p. 20
p. 34
lever
p. 31
p. 36
p. 21
p. 27
p. 43
p. 33
p. 38
Rear panel
12
POWER ON
13
AC Inlet
14
MIDI
15
TUNE
16
PEDAL
17
EXT IN
18
MIC
19
OUTPUT
20
PHONES
Switch
Press to turn the power on/o .
Connect the included power cord to this inlet.
connectors
Connect your MIDI equipment to these connectors.
knob
This knob adjusts the pitch of the VP-550 over a range of 415.3 Hz–466.2 Hz.
jacks
Connect an expression pedal and hold pedal to these jacks.
jack
Connect an external synthesizer or mic (phone plug) to this jack.
jack
Connect a mic (XLR plug) to this jack.
jacks
These jacks output the sound of the VP-550 in stereo (L/R).
jack
Connect your headphones to this jack.
p. 18
p. 12
p. 54
p. 42
p. 16, p. 39
p. 15, p. 50
p. 14, p. 22
p. 13
p. 13
1
Contents
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Sound
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Add
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Adj
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4
he ancestry of the VP
eatures of the VP-550
An overview of the VP-550
About Vocal Designer
list
Making connections
aking connections
erforming
urning on/o the power (POWER ON)
Adjusting the volume (VOLUME
erforming with Vocal Designer (VOCAL DESIGNER)
erforming with Ensemble (ENSEMBLE)
erforming with Bass & Percussion (BASS & PERCUSSION
Adjusting the ambience (AMBIENCE
hecking the output sound (SOUND CHECK)
Connect the power cord (AC IN)...............................................................
Connecting your amp or speakers (OUTPUT/PHONES)
Connecting your mic (MIC)
Connecting a pedal (HOLD PEDAL/EXP PEDAL
ecting a sound
djusting the mic input level (MIC LEVEL)
erforming with Vocal Designe
ing your unprocessed voice (DIRECT
witching o the mic (MIC ON/OFF
aising Vocal Designer’s pitch by one octave (8va
electing a sound
erforming with Ensemble
usting the Ensemble volume (ENSEMBLE LEVEL)
sing the mic to add expression to the Ensemble
VOICE EXPRESSION
bout the VP-550’s strings (STRINGS 1)
ecting a sound
erforming with Bass & Percussion
djusting the Bass & Percussion volume
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
sing controllers
3
S
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3
6
)
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3
)
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8
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)
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3
y
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4
ppl
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A
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2
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6
“
.
T
o
f
C
N
.
hifting one octave up or down (OCTAVE)
sing the D Beam (D BEAM
sing the pitch bend / modulation lever (PITCH BEND
sing pedals (HOLD PEDAL / EXP PEDAL)
sing a mic to control expression (VOICE EXPRESSION
hanging the settings
uning (TUNE)
egistering sounds and settings (REGISTRATION)
Adjusting the mic expressionsensitivit
4
xample a
ppendix
ications
imulating a large classical choir ..............................................................................................
imulating a gospel chorus
Adding a backing chorus to your voice
imulating a jazz scat solo
sing the sound of an external synthesizer (EXT IN)
“Performing” sound from drums or a portable music player ..........................................
onnecting the VP-550 with MIDI equipment
IDI Implementation
IDI Implementation Chart
ain speci cations
roubleshooting
ndex
nformation
Before using the VP-550, please read the sections, “USING THE UNIT SAFELY” and
IMPORTANT NOTES” (separate sheet)
perations of the VP-550. This Owner’s manual should be read in its entirety in order for you to
nderstand all features and operations. Keep the manual on hand for reference purposes.
All product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks o
espective owners.
opyright © 2006 ROLAND CORPORATIO
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written
ermission of ROLAND CORPORATION
hey provide important information concerning proper
their
4
Play like you’re singing.
4
The ancestry of the VP
1939
used during World War II as a way to scramble communications, the vocoder began to achieve
popularity as an electronic musical instrument in the 1970’s. Most vocoders of that time didn’t provide
a keyboard or carrier signal (analogous to the vocal cords of a human), so you had to separately
provide a synthesizer in order to produce sound.
1979
a strings-type keyboard, making it simple to produce sound without needing to use other equipment.
The VP-330 enabled you to create distinctive vocal sounds without specialized knowledge of vocoder
parameters, and still continues to be loved by musicians around the world.
2006
human vocal modeling technology, and featuring a simple interface designed for musicians.
“Ultimate vocals for all musicians” – that’s the mission of the VP-550.
marks the invention of the “vocoder,” a method of compressing a vocal signal. Subsequently
was the year in which Roland released the VP-330, a new idea that combined a vocoder with
marks the birth of the VP-550, going beyond the vocoder to utilize Roland’s “Vocal Designer”
5
6
Features of the VP-550
-
bly
s
lly
d
y
g
.
.
.
s
.
hly
l
.
y
.
-
All y
y
.
The VP-550 is a keyboard featuring cutting-edge “Vocal Designer” human vocal modeling technol
ogy. Just connect a mic, play the keyboard while you sing, and let the VP-550 model incredi
ealistic and natural vocals.
Highest quality vocal
Unlike the choir sounds you’ve heard from samplers and synthesizers, the “Vocal Designer” model-
ng technology built into the VP-550 lets you actua
realistic vocals that are simply beyond all comparison with conventional vocoders.
an
“sing the lyrics” — and it generates natural
In other words, the VP-550 lets
ospel, to background choruses for pop and rock bands
No longer will you need to call multiple vocalists to your live performances or recording sessions
Simply play the VP-550 and start enjoying the top quality vocal sounds you’ve dreamed of
ou do it all; from beautiful choirs echoing in a cathedral, to funky
Rich ensemble
In addition to “Vocal Designer,” the VP-550 also provides an “Ensemble” part with carefully selected
igh-quality PCM sounds (digital sampled sounds)
By using the “Ensemble” part to layer ric
Designer,” you can create unbelievably rich ensembles
In addition, you can use the “Bass & Percussion” part to play voice bass or voice percussion.
This means that all b
itself, the VP-550 lets you rival an orchestra or a cappella group
expressive strings and superb choir sounds with “Voca
Easy operation
The VP-550 doesn’t have the display screen you often see on a synthesizer. Take a look at the panel.
The knobs and buttons you see are all that there is! The complex hierarchies and menus that ob
struct your creativity have been completely eliminated.
ou need to do is connect a mic, use the buttons to select a sound, and then play the keyboard
ou sing
while
An overview of the VP-550
T
.
R
SS &
CUSSION
.
f
T
Th
ll
o
E
the ambience of a ha
o
-
the left.
Ca
“
f
cl
.
odulator
-
s
VOC
R
-
s
such
cher sounds.
CUSSIO
s
d
.
he VP-550 has three parts, and each part occupies its own section of the front panel
VOCAL DESIGNE
ENSEMBLE
•
If you turn on a sound button for a part, you’ll be able to play that part
If you turn on a sound button for two or more parts, you’ll be able to play those parts simultaneously.
By combining these parts, you can make the VP-550 produce an incredible range o
hese parts are mixed as follows.
PER
BA
BASS & PERCUSSION
VOCAL DESIGNER ENSEMBLE
AL DESIGNE
is part uses the keyboard and the mic input to model vocal sounds.
se the keyboard to control the pitch, and use the mic to control a
ther aspects of the sound.
vocal sounds.
rrier
This has the same role that the
vocal cords” play in a human
voice. According to the pitches
you play on the keyboard,
this generates the signal that
orms the basis of the sound
(tone and pitch). Use the sound
buttons to switch between different vocal characters such as
assic or pop
M
From the voice you input via
the mic input, this extracts the
esonances (formants) that
esult from the shape of your
throat and larynx and the move
ent of your mouth, and uses
these formants to modulate the
ignal produced by the carrier.
This will reproduce not only the
oudness of your voice, but also
et the lyrics be heard clearly
NSEMBLE
This part lets you play high-quality PCM sounds (dig
tally sampled sounds) from the keyboard. Use the
ound buttons to switch between sampled sounds
as strings or choir. By layering the Ensemble
part with the Vocal Designer you can create even
ri
ASS & PER
f you turn on one of these sound buttons, the
eventeen left-most keys of the keyboard will play
voice bass or voice percussion sounds. You can easily
o things such as using your left hand to play a bass
ine while using your right hand to play the melody
N
AMBIENC
This section applies
ll
r studio to the sound
from the three parts.
you don’t want ambi
nce to be added, turn
he knob all the way to
8
About Vocal Designer
“
p
.
?
T
a
anyth
f
f
-
f
“
y
.
f
a
y
y
voice of an actua
.
V
“
y
V
Y
.
V
T
a
-
ably
➞
hythm.
f
T
o
“Play like y
Vocal Designer” human vocal modeling technology is a further evolution of the “vocoder.” Here’s a simple
lanation of the vocoder
ex
What’s a vocoder
he “vocoder” was invented by the physicist H. Dudley in 1939 as a technology for compressing a voice
communication signal. Subsequently, musical instruments based on this technology were developed,
llowing you to play melodies and harmonies using a human voice. Of course, the audio source can be
ing (not just a human voice) but because the vocoder has its basis in the sound-producing structure
of the human voice, we’ll be talking about it in terms of how a human voice is produced.
we ignore di erences of loudness, pitch, and variation between individuals, the waveform produced by
I
our vocal cords is essentially identical regardless o
guish spoken or sung words because of the various resonances (formants) created by our vocal tract (the
our throat and the movement of the larynx and mouth) and additional sounds called “fricatives,”
shape o
plosives,” and “sibilants” that are added in varying ways over time. The e ect of the waveform created b
the vocal cords actually has a rather minimal e ect on what the listener hears
A vocoder analyzes these time-varying changes, electrically synthesizes the
the throat and movements of the mouth (the formant movements),
shape o
nd uses these formants to modulate a musical signal (the carrier) rather than
the waveform produced b
was closer to that of a robot in a science ction movie rather than the
this wa
l human
the vocal cords. The vocoder “voice” produced in
what you’re saying (e.g., “ahh” or “eeh”). We can distin
Resonances (formants)
produced by the vocal
tract (shape of the
throat and larynx) and
movements of the mouth
ocal Designer uses cutting-edge modeling technology to bring about a revo-
utionary leap in the accuracy of this synthesis, succeeding in generating a
human voice” that is incomparably more realistic and natural than the sounds
produced b
vocoders of the past.
Vocal cords (carrier)
Play like you’re singing
ocal Designer is constructed so that elements other than pitch are expressed by your voice via the mic.
ou play the keyboard to control the pitch
ocal Designer won’t produce sound if you are only vocalizing into the mic or only playing the keyboard.
his means that in order to take advantage of Vocal Designer, the timing at which you play the keyboard
nd vocalize into the mic is extremely important. When you’re performing a rapid passage, you will prob
nd it best to hold down the keys (or press the hold pedal
r
Unlike on typical synthesizers, the volume is controlled by the mic. Use your voice to draw the curve. Using
your voice, you can produce a range o
he most important technique for taking advantage of Vocal Designer is t
expression that you might even nd extreme.
ou’re singing”
. 39) and use your voice to play the
9
Sound list
Sound
CLASSIC
A
j
c
.
M
A
deep
o
OS
f
A
c
heard.
VOCO
1
A
lkb
d
.
VOCO
A
-
.
f
(
p
).
Sound
n
Th
y
c
f
S
2
Th
J
T
f
,
”
M
D
CHORUS
T
.
f of
G
Th
f
-
.
VOCAL DESIGNER
escription
large choir suitable for classical music. This is also a good choice for any choral sound — not
ust classical— and will match nearly any style of music. It has a clear sound, and is a good
hoice when you want the lyrics to be heard
ALE &
G
PEL This choir includes the distinctive phrasings and irregularities that are distinctive of gospel
P
DER
DER 2
mixed choir with independent male and female parts. With sparser chords, it produces a
er and more three-dimensional sound than “CLASSIC.” You’ll hear the female voices in the
igh range, and the male voices in the low range. Female voices will be heard in the right side
f the stereo, and male voices in the left side.
music. It’s an ideal choice
choir with a fewer number of members, broadly useful for popular music as well as songs that
ontain rapid passages. The sound is clear, making this a good choice when the lyrics need to
ta
ox sound with a metallic character. This is a more modern sound than “VOCODER 2,” an
s suitable for styles with a groove, such as R&B
vintage vocoder sound, broadly useful for pop music of the 1980’s as well as songs that con
tain rapid passages. It’s a good choice for chordal playing
If you press the [VOCODER 1] and [VOCODER 2] sound buttons simultaneously, the sound being received
rom the rear panel EXT IN jack will be used as the carrier
or jazz or gospel.
. 50
ENSEMBLE
escriptio
STRINGS 1
TRINGS
AZZ SCAT
IXE
YS CHOIRThis is a sampled boys choir. To take the fullest advantage of this sound, play notes in the upper
MMIN
is is an acoustic string sound that emphasizes the expressive playability that is inherent to
strings. Performance nuances such as
ally control the attack, release, legato, and tonal changes of the sound. This sound is suitable
or playing phrases, but can be broadly used for chordal playing and other purposes. (p. 30).
is is a synthesizer string sound. It is a bright string sound that evokes the Roland JP-8000
synthesizer, and is a good choice for chordal playing.
his sound provides samples of jazz scat singing. It’s great for songs that contain rapid passages
or scat soloing. Your keyboard dynamics will switch between long “Doo” sounds, short “Bap”
and
and falls “Fall.
sounds
his provides samples of a large choir that’s excellent for classical music. You can get an even
ore majestic e ect by layering this with one of the sounds of the Vocal Designer part
hal
the keyboard.
is is a sampled humming sound. You can use the expression pedal or the “Voice Expression
unction” (p. 40) to vary the sound through a range of “mmh”
sive performance
our keyboard touch or pedal operation will automati-
“Ooh”
“Aa h” for a very expres
0
BASS & PERCUSSION
Sound
n
T
les.
2
T
les.
3
Th
p
”
C
T
sounds
d
m
C#3
V
l
V
Hih
3
G
hat 1
2
C#2
p
escriptio
ASS 1
ASS
ASS
ER
ERC
NoteSoun
his is a bass voice with short-duration notes, good for up-tempo songs across a wide range of
sty
his is a bass voice with long-duration notes, good for slower-tempo songs across a wide range of
sty
is is a jazz scat bass sound. Your keyboard dynamics will switch between long “Doo” sounds, short
“Ba
” sounds, and falls “Fall.
his provides a collection of voice percussion sounds.
#3Vox Cym
ox Cymba
ox
at
#2 Vox Hi
Vox Hihat 2
#2 Vox Snare
VoxKickSwee
1
Making connections
n this chapter you’ll connect the VP-550 to your external equipment and set it up.
I
11
Making connections
C
the other end
outlet.
Connect the power cord
onnect the included power cord to the VP-550’s [AC Inlet], and plug
into an AC
to AC outlet
( AC IN)
Connecting your amp or speakers
T
.
.
.
s
T
)
.
A
.
he VP-550 doesn’t contain an amp or speakers. In order to hear sound, you’ll need to connect it to monitor
speakers (with a built-in amp), a stereo set or other audio system, or headphones
To prevent malfunction and/or damage to speakers or other devices, always turn down the volume,
and turn o
the power on all devices before making any connections
( OUTPUT/ PHONES)
ake connections as shown
Headphone
INPU
Monitor speaker (with built-in amp
f you’re outputting in mono, connect your equipment to the [L/MONO] jack
udio cables and headphones aren’t included with the VP-550. You’ll need to obtain them sepa-
ately
Connecting your mic
y
y
)
”
eadset or hand
c?
T
h
f
)
C
.
T
j
oth
.
T
ob
y:
.
.
A mic is indispensable for performing with the VP-550. The VP-550 models vocal sounds by using your voice
that’s input via the mic. This means that using a high-quality mic will correspondingly improve the quality
of the result. The connector of the VP-550
order to use the full capabilit
or more about mics recommended for the VP-550, refer to the separate lea et “Mics recommended for the VP-550.
of the VP-550, we recommend using a “balanced (XLR) type” plug.
( MIC)
ou use will depend on the type of plug your mic provides. (In
H
he VP-550 (Vocal Designer) controls the volume of the sound according to the loudness of your voice in
e mic. This means that a headset mic is the ideal choice, since the distance between the mic and your
t
mouth will remain the same even during the most intense moments o
eadset mic, you’ll be free to sing and dance on stage to your heart’s content.
If you’re using a
mi
your keyboard performance! With a
alanced (XLR) plug mic
MIC
onnect it to the [MIC] jack as shown
he VP-550 is equipped with a balanced (XLR) type jack. Wiring diagrams for this
ack is shown at right. Make connections after rst checking the wiring diagrams of
er equipment you intend to connect
he VP-550’s MIC jack does not provide phantom power. If you’re using a condenser mic, you’ll need to
tain a separate phantom power supply unit or switch to using a dynamic mic.
Howling could be produced depending on the location of microphones relative to speakers. This can
be remedied b
. Changing the direction of the microphone(s)
2. Relocating microphone(s) at a greater distance from speakers.
3. Lowering volume levels
If you’re using a
)
C
.
”
to “
”
[MIX TO MIC]
“ON.”
We’ll b
ato
T
and these formants are used to
signal.
r
Th
sound and deter-
th
ll
used as the ca
.
(
onnect it to the [EXT IN] jack as shown
Turn the [EXT IN] knob to “MIC.
2
This knob adjusts the level of the sound from the [EXT IN] jack. (Turn the knob toward “MIC” to
ncrease the level, or toward “LINE” to decrease it.) If you’ve connected a mic, you should turn this
MIC.
Refer to “Adjusting the mic input level” (p. 22) for more about this adjustment.
hone plug mic
XT IN
et the
The [MIX TO MIC] switch setting determines whether the sound from the [EXT IN] jack will be used
as a mic input (modulator; the ON setting) or as the carrier (the OFF setting).
e using it as a mic input, so select the “ON” position here.
Carrie
is is the signal that is the
is of the
ines its timbre and pitch.
f you press the [VOCODER
and [VOCODER 2] sound
uttons simultaneously, the
sound being received from
e rear panel EXT IN jack wi
f you want the sound from the rear panel
[EXT IN] jack to be the carrier, set the [MIX
TO MIC] switch “OFF”
rrier
switch
p. 50).
➞
l
he tonal character (formants) of the
voice from the mic input is extracted,
modulate (transform) the carrier
f you want the sound from the
ear panel [EXT IN] jack to be the
odulator, set the [MIX TO MIC]
r
“
”
5
6
Connecting a pedal
Y
.
.
.
➞
.
ections as shown.
l
)
l
-
s
.
ou can connect a hold pedal (sold separately: DP series, BOSS FS-5U) and an expression pedal (sold sepa-
rately: EV-5) to the VP-550
Using a hold pedal lets you hold the notes
Using an expression pedal lets you add expression to your performance
efer to “Using pedals” (p. 39) for more information
( HOLD PEDAL/ EXP PEDAL)
ke conn
xpression peda
(sold separately: EV-5
se only the speci ed expression pedal (EV-5; sold separately). By connecting any other expres
ion pedals, you risk causing malfunction and/or damage to the unit
(sold separately: DP series, BOSS FS-5U)
Hold peda
1
Performing
n this chapter you’ll learn the basics of playing the VP-550. When you’ve nished it, you will
I
have mastered the basics of the VP-550!
17
8
Turning on/o the power
r
Af
y
g
.
.
?
-
?
O
q
-
d.
.
the
).
Here’s how to turn the VP-550’s power on or o .
( POWER ON)
Turning on the powe
ter completing the connection explained in the previous chapter, make sure to turn on the power
b
following the steps below. By turning on devices in the wrong order, you risk causing malfunction
and/or dama
efore you turn on the power, check the following
Is the VP-550 correctly connected to your peripheral equipment
Have you turned down the volume of the VP-550 and the connected audio system to the minimum set
tings
n the VP-550’s rear panel, turn the [POWER] switch “on.”
e to speakers and other devices
ON OFF
This unit is equipped with a protection circuit. A brief interval (a few seconds) after power up is re-
uired before the unit will operate normally.
Use the [VOLUME] knob to adjust the volume appropriately.
While you play the keyboard to produce sound, adjust the volume of the VP-550 and of the audio equip
ment you’ve connecte
If you don’t hear sound, check the following
s the VP-550 correctly connected to your amp, speaker, or headphones?
The Vocal Designer part won’t produce sound when you play the keyboard unless you are vocalizing
into
mic. For details, refer to “Performing with Vocal Designer” (➞. 23)
f there’s no mic connected, try selecting an Ensemble part sound and playing it from the keyboard
•
p. 28
1
Turning o the powe
r
-
?
O
”
efore you turn o the power, check the following.
Have you turned down the volume of the VP-550 and the connected audio system to the minimum set
tings
n the VP-550’s rear panel, turn the [POWER] switch “o .
ON OFF
f you need to turn o the power completely, rst turn o the POWER switch, then unplug the
ower cord from the power outlet. Refer to Power Supply (separate sheet p. 4, “IMPORTANT
OTES”).
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