Roland VS-2480 User Manual 2

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

ATTENTION: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,

DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).

NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an
equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the
product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to
constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the product.

INSTRUCTIONS PERTAINING TO A RISK OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

WARNING - When using electric products, basic precautions should always be followed, including the following:

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Do not block any of the ventilation openings. Install in
accordance with the manufacturers instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators,
heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including
amplifiers) that produce heat.

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or
grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with
one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two
blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the
third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug
does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched
particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the
point where they exit from the apparatus.

11. Only use attachments/accessories specified
by the manufacturer.

12. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when
unused for long periods of time.

13. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing
is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any
way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid
has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus,
the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does
not operate normally, or has been dropped.

WARNING:
IMPORTANT:

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this apparatus may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying

the terminals in your plug, proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured GREEN-AND-YELLOW must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the

letter E or by the safety earth symbol or coloured GREEN or GREEN-AND-YELLOW.

The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter N or coloured BLACK.
The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter L or coloured RED.

THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED
THE WIRES IN THIS MAINS LEAD ARE COLOURED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CODE.
GREEN-AND-YELLOW: EARTH, BLUE: NEUTRAL, BROWN: LIVE

For the U.K.

CAUTION: Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.

Replace only with same or equivalent type.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture.

This product complies with the requirements of European Directive 89/336/EEC.

For EU Countries

For EU Countries

Apparatus containing
Lithium batteries

ADVARSEL!

Lithiumbatteri - Eksplosionsfare ved
fejlagtig håndtering.
Udskiftning må kun ske med batteri af
samme fabrikat og type.
Levér det brugte batteri tilbage til
leverandøren.

VARNING

Explosionsfara vid felaktigt batteribyte.
Använd samma batterityp eller en
ekvivalent typ som rekommenderas av
apparattillverkaren.
Kassera använt batteri enligt
fabrikantens instruktion.

CAUTION

Danger of explosion if battery is
incorrectly replaced.
Replace only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer.
Discard used batteries according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.

ADVARSEL

Eksplosjonsfare ved feilaktig skifte av
batteri.
Benytt samme batteritype eller en
tilsvarende type anbefalt av
apparatfabrikanten.
Brukte batterier kasseres i henhold til
fabrikantens instruks joner.

VAROITUS

Paristo voi räjähtää, jos se on
virheellisesti asennettu.
Vaihda paristo ainoastaan
laitevalmistajan suosittelemaan
tyyppiin. Hävitä käytetty paristo
valmistajan ohjeiden mukaisesti.

For Canada

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

NOTICE

AVIS

For the USA

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENT

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:

– Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
– Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
– Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
– Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Unauthorized changes or modification to this system can void the users authority to operate this equipment.
This equipment requires shielded interface cables in order to meet FCC class B Limit.

2 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

USING THE UNIT SAFELY

Used for instructions intended to alert
the user to the risk of death or severe
injury should the unit be used
improperly.

Used for instructions intended to alert
the user to the risk of injury or material
damage should the unit be used
improperly.

* Material damage refers to damage or

other adverse effects caused with
respect to the home and all its
furnishings, as well to domestic
animals or pets.

001

• Before using this unit, make sure to read the
instructions below, and the Owner’s Manual.

..........................................................................................................

001-50

• Connect mains plug of this model to a mains
socket outlet with a protective earthing
connection.

..........................................................................................................

002b

• Do not open or perform any internal modifica­tions on the unit. (The only exception would be
where this manual provides specific instructions
which should be followed in order to put in place
user-installable options; see User Guide p. 12.)

..........................................................................................................

003

• Do not attempt to repair the unit, or replace parts
within it (except when this manual provides
specific instructions directing you to do so). Refer
all servicing to your retailer, the nearest Roland
Service Center, or an authorized Roland
distributor, as listed on the “Information” page.

..........................................................................................................

004

• Never use or store the unit in places that are:

• Subject to temperature extremes (e.g., direct

sunlight in an enclosed vehicle, near a heating
duct, on top of heat-generating equipment); or
are

• Damp (e.g., baths, washrooms, on wet floors);

or are

• Humid; or are

• Exposed to rain; or are

• Dusty; or are

• Subject to high levels of vibration.

..........................................................................................................

The symbol alerts the user to important instructions
or warnings.The specific meaning of the symbol is
determined by the design contained within the
triangle. In the case of the symbol at left, it is used for
general cautions, warnings, or alerts to danger.

The symbol alerts the user to items that must never
be carried out (are forbidden). The specific thing that
must not be done is indicated by the design contained
within the circle. In the case of the symbol at left, it
means that the unit must never be disassembled.

The symbol alerts the user to things that must be
carried out. The specific thing that must be done is
indicated by the design contained within the circle. In
the case of the symbol at left, it means that the power­cord plug must be unplugged from the outlet.

007

• Make sure you always have the unit placed so it is
level and sure to remain stable. Never place it on
stands that could wobble, or on inclined surfaces.

..........................................................................................................

008a

• The unit should be connected to a power supply
only of the type described in the operating
instructions, or as marked on the rear side of unit.

..........................................................................................................

008e

• Use only the attached power-supply cord. Also,
the supplied power cord must not be used with
any other device.

..........................................................................................................

009

• Do not excessively twist or bend the power cord,
nor place heavy objects on it. Doing so can
damage the cord, producing severed elements
and short circuits. Damaged cords are fire and
shock hazards!

..........................................................................................................

010

• This unit, either alone or in combination with an
amplifier and headphones or speakers, may be
capable of producing sound levels that could
cause permanent hearing loss. Do not operate for
a long period of time at a high volume level, or at
a level that is uncomfortable. If you experience
any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should
immediately stop using the unit, and consult an
audiologist.

..........................................................................................................

011

• Do not allow any objects (e.g., flammable
material, coins, pins); or liquids of any kind
(water, soft drinks, etc.) to penetrate the unit.

..........................................................................................................

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 3

012a

• Immediately turn the power off, remove the
power cord from the outlet, and request servicing
by your retailer, the nearest Roland Service
Center, or an authorized Roland distributor, as
listed on the “Information” page when:

• The power-supply cord, or the plug has been

damaged; or

• If smoke or unusual odor occurs

• Objects have fallen into, or liquid has been

spilled onto the unit; or

• The unit has been exposed to rain (or otherwise

has become wet); or

• The unit does not appear to operate normally

or exhibits a marked change in performance.

..........................................................................................................

013

• In households with small children, an adult
should provide supervision until the child is
capable of following all the rules essential for the
safe operation of the unit.

..........................................................................................................

014

• Protect the unit from strong impact.
(Do not drop it!)

..........................................................................................................

015

• Do not force the unit’s power-supply cord to
share an outlet with an unreasonable number of
other devices. Be especially careful when using
extension cords—the total power used by all
devices you have connected to the extension
cord’s outlet must never exceed the power rating
(watts/amperes) for the extension cord. Excessive
loads can cause the insulation on the cord to heat
up and eventually melt through.

..........................................................................................................

016

• Before using the unit in a foreign country, consult
with your retailer, the nearest Roland Service
Center, or an authorized Roland distributor, as
listed on the “Information” page.

..........................................................................................................

020

• Keep lithium batteries out of reach of small
children. If a child has accidentally swallowed a
battery, see a doctor immediately.

..........................................................................................................

021

• Lithium batteries must never be recharged,
heated, taken apart, or thrown into a fire or water.

023

• DO NOT play a CD-ROM disc on a conventional
audio CD player. The resulting sound may be of a
level that could cause permanent hearing loss.
Damage to speakers or other system components
may result.

..........................................................................................................

026

• Do not put anything that contains water (e.g.,
flower vases) on this unit. Also, avoid the use of
insecticides, perfumes, alcohol, nail polish, spray
cans, etc., near the unit. Swiftly wipe away any
liquid that spills on the unit using a dry, soft
cloth.

..........................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

022a

• Always turn the unit off and unplug the power
cord before attempting installation of the circuit
board (model no. VS8F-2; p. 379).

..........................................................................................................

4 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

101a

• The unit should be located so that its location or
position does not interfere with its proper venti­lation.

..........................................................................................................

102b

• Always grasp only the plug on the power-supply
cord when plugging into, or unplugging from, an
outlet or this unit.

..........................................................................................................

103a

• At regular intervals, you should unplug the
power plug and clean it by using a dry cloth to
wipe all dust and other accumulations away from
its prongs. Also, disconnect the power plug from
the power outlet whenever the unit is to remain
unused for an extended period of time. Any
accumulation of dust between the power plug
and the power outlet can result in poor insulation
and lead to fire.

..........................................................................................................

104

• Try to prevent cords and cables from becoming
entangled. Also, all cords and cables should be
placed so they are out of the reach of children.

..........................................................................................................

106

• Never climb on top of, nor place heavy objects on
the unit.

118c

• Keep any optical connector caps or screws you
may remove and the included optical connector
caps or screws in a safe place out of children’s
reach, so there is no chance of them being
swallowed accidentally.

..........................................................................................................

120

• Always turn the phantom power off when
connecting any device other than condenser
microphones that require phantom power. You
risk causing damage if you mistakenly supply
phantom power to dynamic microphones, audio
playback devices, or other devices that don’t
require such power. Be sure to check the specifica­tions of any microphone you intend to use by
referring to the manual that came with it.

(This instrument’s phantom power: 48 V DC,
14 mA Max)

..........................................................................................................

107b

• Never handle the power cord or its plugs with
wet hands when plugging into, or unplugging
from, an outlet or this unit.

..........................................................................................................

108a

• Before moving the unit, disconnect the power
plug from the outlet, and pull out all cords from
external devices.

..........................................................................................................

109a

• Before cleaning the unit, turn off the power and
unplug the power cord from the outlet (p. 80).

..........................................................................................................

110a

• Whenever you suspect the possibility of lightning
in your area, pull the plug on the power cord out
of the outlet.

..........................................................................................................

113

• Use only the specified type (model no. CR2032) of
lithium battery (p. 382). Be sure to insert it as
directed (to ensure correct polarity).

..........................................................................................................

114

• Used lithium batteries must be disposed of in
compliance with whatever regulations for their
safe disposal that may be observed in the region
in which you live.

..........................................................................................................

115a

• Install only the specified circuit board(s) (model
no. VS8F-2). Remove only the specified screws (p.

379).

..........................................................................................................

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 5

Important Notes

291b

In addition to the items listed under “IMPORTANT
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS” and “USING THE UNIT
SAFELY” on pages (p. 2) and (p. 3), please read and
observe the following:

Power Supply

301

• Do not connect this unit to same electrical outlet that is

being used by an electrical appliance that is controlled by
an inverter (such as a refrigerator, washing machine,
microwave oven, or air conditioner), or that contains a
motor. Depending on the way in which the electrical
appliance is used, power supply noise may cause this unit
to malfunction or may produce audible noise. If it is not
practical to use a separate electrical outlet, connect a
power supply noise filter between this unit and the
electrical outlet.

307

• Before connecting this unit to other devices, turn off the

power to all units. This will help prevent malfunctions
and/or damage to speakers or other devices.

308

• Although the LCD and LEDs are switched off when the

POWER switch is switched off, this does not mean that the
unit has been completely disconnected from the source of
power. If you need to turn off the power completely, first
turn off the POWER switch, then unplug the power cord
from the power outlet. For this reason, the outlet into
which you choose to connect the power cord’s plug
should be one that is within easy reach and readily acces­sible.

Placement

352a

• This device may interfere with radio and television

reception. Do not use this device in the vicinity of such
receivers.

352b

• Noise may be produced if wireless communications

devices, such as cell phones, are operated in the vicinity of
this unit. Such noise could occur when receiving or initi­ating a call, or while conversing. Should you experience
such problems, you should relocate such wireless devices
so they are at a greater distance from this unit, or switch
them off.

354a

• Do not expose the unit to direct sunlight, place it near

devices that radiate heat, leave it inside an enclosed
vehicle, or otherwise subject it to temperature extremes.
Excessive heat can deform or discolor the unit.

355b

• When moved from one location to another where the
temperature and/or humidity is very different, water
droplets (condensation) may form inside the unit. Damage
or malfunction may result if you attempt to use the unit in
this condition. Therefore, before using the unit, you must
allow it to stand for several hours, until the condensation
has completely evaporated.

Maintenance

401a

• For everyday cleaning wipe the unit with a soft, dry cloth
or one that has been slightly dampened with water. To
remove stubborn dirt, use a cloth impregnated with a
mild, non-abrasive detergent. Afterwards, be sure to wipe
the unit thoroughly with a soft, dry cloth.

402

• Never use benzine, thinners, alcohol or solvents of any
kind, to avoid the possibility of discoloration and/or
deformation.

Repairs and Data

452

• Please be aware that all data contained in the unit’s
memory may be lost when the unit is sent for repairs.
Important data should always be backed up on a storage
device (e.g., CD-R/RW disc or Zip disk), or written down
on paper (when possible). During repairs, due care is
taken to avoid the loss of data. However, in certain cases
(such as when circuitry related to memory itself is out of
order), we regret that it may not be possible to restore the
data, and Roland assumes no liability concerning such
loss of data.

Memory Backup

501b

• This unit contains a battery which powers the unit’s
memory circuits while the main power is off. When this
battery becomes weak, the message shown below will
appear in the display. Once you see this message, have the
battery replaced with a fresh one as soon as possible to
avoid the loss of all data in memory. To have the battery
replaced, consult with your retailer, the nearest Roland
Service Center, or an authorized Roland distributor, as
listed on the “Information” page.

6 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

Important Notes

Additional Precautions

551

• Please be aware that the contents of memory can be
irretrievably lost as a result of a malfunction, or the
improper operation of the unit. To protect yourself against
the risk of loosing important data, we recommend that
you periodically save a backup copy of important data
you have stored in the unit’s memory on a storage device
(e.g., CD-R/RW disc or Zip disk).

552

• Unfortunately, it may be impossible to restore the contents
of data that was stored on a storage device (e.g.,
CD-R/RW disc or Zip disk) once it has been lost. Roland
Corporation assumes no liability concerning such loss of
data.

553

• Use a reasonable amount of care when using the unit’s
buttons, sliders, or other controls; and when using its jacks
and connectors. Rough handling can lead to malfunctions.

554

• Never strike or apply strong pressure to the display.

556

• When connecting / disconnecting all cables, grasp the
connector itself—never pull on the cable. This way you
will avoid causing shorts, or damage to the cable’s
internal elements.

557

• A small amount of heat will radiate from the unit during
normal operation.

558a

• To avoid disturbing your neighbors, try to keep the unit’s
volume at reasonable levels. You may prefer to use
headphones, so you do not need to be concerned about
those around you (especially when it is late at night).

559a

• When you need to transport the unit, package it in the box
(including padding) that it came in, if possible. Otherwise,
you will need to use equivalent packaging materials.

562

• Use a cable from Roland to make the connection. If using
some other make of connection cable, please note the
following precautions.

• Some connection cables contain resistors. Do not use
cables that incorporate resistors for connecting to this
unit. The use of such cables can cause the sound level
to be extremely low, or impossible to hear. For infor­mation on cable specifications, contact the manufac­turer of the cable.

Handling Zip Disks

651

• Zip disks contain a plastic disk with a thin coating of
magnetic storage medium. Microscopic precision is
required to enable storage of large amounts of data on
such a small surface area. To preserve their integrity,
please observe the following when handling Zip disks:

• Never touch the magnetic medium inside the disk.

• Do not use or store Zip disks in dirty or dusty areas.

• Do not subject Zip disks to temperature extremes (e.g.,
direct sunlight in an enclosed vehicle). Recommended
temperature range: -22 to 51˚C (-7.6 to 123.8˚F).

• Do not expose Zip disks to strong magnetic fields, such
as those generated by loudspeakers.

653

• The identification label should be firmly affixed to the
disk. Should the label come loose while the disk is in the
drive, it may be difficult to remove the disk.

654

• Store all disks in a safe place to avoid damaging them, and
to protect them from dust, dirt, and other hazards. By
using a dirty or dust-ridden disk, you risk damaging the
disk, as well as causing the disk drive to malfunction.

Handling CD-ROMs

801

• Avoid touching or scratching the shiny underside
(encoded surface) of the disc. Damaged or dirty CD-ROM
discs may not be read properly. Keep your discs clean
using a commercially available CD cleaner.

Handling Hard Disks

Important Performance and Image
Data

811

• Once a hard disk fails to function normally, all data that
has been stored on it could be destroyed.

All hard disks eventually wear out.

you consider the hard disk not as a permanent storage
site, but as a place to store data temporarily. We also
recommend that you back up important performance and
image data that cannot be recorded again onto the
external media that is supported by your device. For
instructions on how to make such backups, refer to the
owner’s manual for your device.
Note that Roland assumes no liability whatsoever,
including monetary compensation, for the loss of any
recorded content in the event of the malfunction of, or
physical damage to the hard disk, or for any direct or
incidental damages resulting from the loss of such data.

Precautions Regarding Setup and Use

812

• Certain hard disk setup procedures and usage conditions
may result in the corruption of recorded data, malfunc­tioning, or physical damage to the disk, so be sure to
observe the following precautions.

• Do not subject the hard disk to vibration or shock,
especially while the unit is in operation.

• Do not set up the unit in any location where it may be
affected by vibration from external sources, or on any
surface that is not stable and level.

• If the device includes a cooling fan, ensure that the fan
and the side panel air vents remain unobstructed.

We recommend that

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 7

Important Notes

• Do not leave the unit in any environment subject to
temperature extremes; for example, in a closed
automobile in summer or outdoors during winter.

• Do not use the unit in conditions of high temperature
and humidity or in any location subject to rapid
temperature changes.

• Do not unplug the power cord or switch off any circuit
breakers in the circuit to which the unit is connected
while the power is turned on.

• Do not move the unit while the power is turned on or
immediately after turning off the power. When trans­porting the unit, first turn off the power and confirm
that the display screen has gone off, disconnect the
power plug, then wait at least two minutes before
moving the device.

Emergency Procedures

813

* The following procedures are to be used as emergency

measures only, and are not recommended for normal
operation.

• If the device fails to respond to operational commands or
does not complete operations, turn off the power. If the
power does not shut off following normal shutdown
procedures, disconnect the power plug.
If the unit does not operate normally when the power is
turned on again, it may mean that the hard disk has been
damaged. In such instances, consult your dealer or the
nearest Roland Service Center. Note, however, that it may
not be possible to recover any data from the hard disk
once it has been lost.
If your device features drive check capabilities, use the
drive check function to regularly confirm that there are no
problems, even when the device is operating normally.
For more detailed information on the shutdown and drive
check procedures, refer to the Owner’s Manual.

852b

• When exchanging audio signals through a digital
connection with an external instrument, this unit can
perform recording without being subjected to some of the
restrictions of the Serial Copy Management System
(SCMS). This is because the unit is intended solely for
musical production, and is designed not to be subject to
restrictions as long as it is used to record works (such as
your own compositions) that do not infringe on the
copyrights of others. (SCMS is a feature that prohibits
second-generation and later copying through a digital
connection. It is built into MD recorders and other
consumer digital-audio equipment as a
copyright-protection feature.)

853

• Do not use this unit for purposes that could infringe on a
copyright held by a third party. We assume no responsi­bility whatsoever with regard to any infringements of
third-party copyrights arising through your use of this
unit.

Copyright

851

• Unauthorized recording, distribution, sale, lending, public
performance, broadcasting, or the like, in whole or in part,
of a work (musical composition, video, broadcast, public
performance, or the like) whose copyright is held by a
third party is prohibited by law.

8 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Step-by-Step Instruction Finder 20

1—Welcome 27

About this Manual .......................................................................................................................................................... 27

How the

Names ........................................................................................................................................................................ 28

Note, Tip, Glossary and Warning Icons ............................................................................................................... 28

Other Documents in the VS-2480 Box .......................................................................................................................... 29

Getting More Help .......................................................................................................................................................... 29

The Roland US Web site ......................................................................................................................................... 29

The Roland US Faxback System ............................................................................................................................ 29

Roland US Product Support ................................................................................................................................... 29

2—Getting Around 31

VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

is Organized ................................................................................................. 27

The Top Panel of the VS-2480 ........................................................................................................................................ 31

Analog Input Jacks .................................................................................................................................................. 31

Monitor/Display Controls ..................................................................................................................................... 32

Channel Strips .......................................................................................................................................................... 33

Display Area ............................................................................................................................................................. 36

TRACK EDIT Area .................................................................................................................................................. 37

EZ ROUTING, AUTOMIX, CD-RW/MASTERING and MENU Buttons ....................................................... 39

General Controls ...................................................................................................................................................... 41

SCRUB, PREVIEW and Transport Buttons .......................................................................................................... 42

LOCATOR/MARKER/SCENE Area ................................................................................................................... 44

The Rear Panel of the VS-2480 ...................................................................................................................................... 46

3—Introduction to the VS-2480 51

What’s Inside the VS-2480? ............................................................................................................................................ 51

Input Jacks and Connectors .................................................................................................................................... 51

The Mixing Console ................................................................................................................................................. 52

The Internal Effects .................................................................................................................................................. 54

The Hard Disk Recorder ......................................................................................................................................... 55

Output Jacks and Connectors ................................................................................................................................ 55

Signal Flow ....................................................................................................................................................................... 56

Projects .............................................................................................................................................................................. 56

Busses in the VS-2480 ..................................................................................................................................................... 57

What’s a Bus? ............................................................................................................................................................ 57

Achieving Perfect Levels ................................................................................................................................................ 58

What’s “Clipping?” ................................................................................................................................................. 58

How Do I Get Good Levels? .................................................................................................................................. 58

The Importance of Backing Up ..................................................................................................................................... 59

4—Setting Up and Basic Operations 61

Things You’ll Need ......................................................................................................................................................... 61

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 9

Table of Contents

Power ......................................................................................................................................................................... 61

A Way to Listen to the VS-2480 .............................................................................................................................. 61

Getting Ready .................................................................................................................................................................. 61

Powering Up .................................................................................................................................................................... 63

What Happens During the VS-2480’s Power-Up ................................................................................................ 63

Configuring the VS-2480 ................................................................................................................................................ 64

Setting Up the VGA Monitor, Mouse and Keyboard .......................................................................................... 64

Setting the VS-2480’s Clock ..................................................................................................................................... 65

A Few Fundamental Concepts ...................................................................................................................................... 65

Selection ..................................................................................................................................................................... 65

Switches ..................................................................................................................................................................... 66

Parameters and Values ............................................................................................................................................ 66

Tools You’ll Use All the Time ........................................................................................................................................ 66

The Cursor/ZOOM Buttons ................................................................................................................................... 66

The F Buttons ............................................................................................................................................................ 66

Pages .......................................................................................................................................................................... 67

The TIME/VALUE Dial .......................................................................................................................................... 67

The ENTER/YES and EXIT/NO Buttons ............................................................................................................. 67

The SHIFT Button ..................................................................................................................................................... 68

Using a Mouse .......................................................................................................................................................... 68

Using an ASCII Keyboard ....................................................................................................................................... 69

Using the VGA Info Display ................................................................................................................................... 70

UNDO and REDO .................................................................................................................................................... 72

Naming ...................................................................................................................................................................... 73

Entering Numbers with the Numeric Keypad .................................................................................................... 74

If You’re Using DS-90A or DS-50A Monitors .............................................................................................................. 75

Setting Up for Roland’s DS-90A and DS-50A Digital Monitors ........................................................................ 75

Adjusting Your Listening Level .................................................................................................................................... 75

Playing the Factory Demos ............................................................................................................................................ 76

“What You Don’t Know” ........................................................................................................................................ 76

“Don’t Stop” .............................................................................................................................................................. 80

Turning Off the VS-2480 ................................................................................................................................................. 80

Turning Off the VS-2480 .......................................................................................................................................... 80

5—Understanding Effects 81

Harnessing the VS-2480’s Effects .................................................................................................................................. 81

Dry and Wet .............................................................................................................................................................. 81

Effect Routings ................................................................................................................................................................. 81

Insert Effects .............................................................................................................................................................. 82

Loop Effects ............................................................................................................................................................... 82

Master Effects ................................................................................................................................................................... 83

External Effects ................................................................................................................................................................ 83

Getting the Most From Your Effect Processors ........................................................................................................... 84

6—Understanding the Hard Disk Recorder 85

VS-2480 Hard Disk Drives ............................................................................................................................................. 85

What’s a Hard Drive? .............................................................................................................................................. 85

How a VS-2480 Hard Drive Organizes Data ........................................................................................................ 86

Preparing a Hard Drive for Use ............................................................................................................................. 86

Using Other V-Studio Drives ................................................................................................................................. 86

How Audio Is Recorded on a VS-2480 Hard Drive .................................................................................................... 86

How Recordings Are Played Back ................................................................................................................................ 87

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Random Access ........................................................................................................................................................ 87

What’s Pointer-Based Playback? ........................................................................................................................... 87

Non-Destructive, Pointer-Based Editing ..................................................................................................................... 88

Pointer-Based Editing .............................................................................................................................................. 88

What Is a VS-2480 Track? ............................................................................................................................................... 89

The Power of V-Tracks ............................................................................................................................................ 90

Track Editing Basics ........................................................................................................................................................ 90

About Editing Phrases ............................................................................................................................................ 90

About Editing Regions ............................................................................................................................................ 91

7—Project and Drive Operations 93

Navigating the PROJECT Menu Screens ..................................................................................................................... 93

Working with the PROJECT LIST ......................................................................................................................... 93

About “Store Current?” Messages ........................................................................................................................ 94

Project Operations ........................................................................................................................................................... 95

About F6 (MARK) .................................................................................................................................................... 95

SELECT ...................................................................................................................................................................... 95

NEW ........................................................................................................................................................................... 96

NAME ........................................................................................................................................................................ 99

PROTECT .................................................................................................................................................................. 99

OPTIMIZE ............................................................................................................................................................... 100

Destination Drive Selection .................................................................................................................................. 101

COPY ....................................................................................................................................................................... 101

ERASE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 102

SPLIT ........................................................................................................................................................................ 103

COMBINE ............................................................................................................................................................... 104

BACKUP ................................................................................................................................................................. 105

RECOVER ............................................................................................................................................................... 107

IMPORT .................................................................................................................................................................. 108

EXPORT ................................................................................................................................................................... 109

Drive Operations ........................................................................................................................................................... 111

Disk Maintenance .................................................................................................................................................. 111

Fragmentation ........................................................................................................................................................ 112

Format Drive .......................................................................................................................................................... 113

Clear Partition ........................................................................................................................................................ 115

Drive Check ............................................................................................................................................................ 116

8—The Home Screen 119

Elements of the Home Screen ...................................................................................................................................... 119

Display Pop-Up Menu Button ............................................................................................................................. 119

Current Channel Display ...................................................................................................................................... 120

PAN/AUX SEND 1-8 Knob Display .................................................................................................................. 120

Meters Display ....................................................................................................................................................... 120

Position Bar ............................................................................................................................................................. 122

The Playlist ............................................................................................................................................................. 122

Meter Switches ....................................................................................................................................................... 124

Input Peak Indicators ............................................................................................................................................ 125

Current Time Location Display ........................................................................................................................... 126

Clock, Calendar ...................................................................................................................................................... 126

Using the Fader/Pan Display ..................................................................................................................................... 127

The F/P Switches ................................................................................................................................................... 127

About The ID Buttons .................................................................................................................................................. 127

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Table of Contents

9—Working with Input Signals 129

Analog Input Signals .................................................................................................................................................... 129

Making Analog Connections ................................................................................................................................ 129

Phantom Power ............................................................................................................................................................. 130

Setting Analog Input Levels ................................................................................................................................. 130

Digital Input Signals ..................................................................................................................................................... 131

Digital Connections ................................................................................................................................................ 131

Selecting the Desired Digital Inputs .................................................................................................................... 131

Digital Considerations ........................................................................................................................................... 132

The Master Clock .................................................................................................................................................... 132

Recording S/P DIF-Format Digital Input Signals ............................................................................................. 134

Routing Input Signals to Input Channels .................................................................................................................. 135

Choosing an Input Patching Screen .................................................................................................................... 135

How Input Connections Work ............................................................................................................................. 136

Patching Input Connections ................................................................................................................................. 136

10—Using the Digital Mixer 137

Changing Channels ....................................................................................................................................................... 137

Switching Between Input, Track, Aux and FX Channels ................................................................................. 137

Channel Selection .......................................................................................................................................................... 138

Selecting a Channel for Editing ............................................................................................................................ 138

About the Channel Faders ........................................................................................................................................... 138

Setting a Fader to Unity Gain and Centering its Panning ................................................................................ 138

Using the PAN/AUX SEND 1-8 Knobs ..................................................................................................................... 139

Adjusting Stereo Positioning ................................................................................................................................ 139

Setting Dynamics and EQ Parameters for One Channel .................................................................................. 139

The KNOB/FDR ASSIGN•AUX SEND 1-8 Button ................................................................................................. 140

To Set What the KNOB/FADER ASSIGN Feature Controls ........................................................................... 140

To Turn the KNOB/FADER ASSIGN Feature On and Off .............................................................................. 141

Activating Knob or Fader Control of Aux Send Levels .................................................................................... 141

Controlling a Parameter of Your Choice ............................................................................................................ 141

The MASTER Fader ...................................................................................................................................................... 142

Muting and Soloing Channel Signals ......................................................................................................................... 142

Mute Mode .............................................................................................................................................................. 143

Solo Mode ................................................................................................................................................................ 143

Scenes .............................................................................................................................................................................. 144

Basic Scene Operations .......................................................................................................................................... 144

Editing Scenes ......................................................................................................................................................... 145

Scenes in Safe Mode ............................................................................................................................................... 146

Resetting Mixer Parameters ......................................................................................................................................... 147

11—Input and Track Channel Tools 149

Viewing a CH EDIT Screen .......................................................................................................................................... 149

Introduction to the CH EDIT Screens ......................................................................................................................... 149

How the CH EDIT Screens Are Organized ........................................................................................................ 149

The CH EDIT Screens ................................................................................................................................................... 150

The CH EDIT VIEW Screen .................................................................................................................................. 150

The DYN Screen ..................................................................................................................................................... 157

The EQ Screen ......................................................................................................................................................... 162

The FX Ins Screen ................................................................................................................................................... 166

The Surrnd Screen .................................................................................................................................................. 166

The CH EDIT P.BAY Screen ................................................................................................................................. 166

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The CH EDIT ASSIGN Screen ............................................................................................................................. 167

Parameter View ...................................................................................................................................................... 167

Assorted CH EDIT Tools ............................................................................................................................................. 169

The CH EDIT VIEW CpyPRM Button ................................................................................................................ 169

The DYN and EQ Screen RESET Buttons ........................................................................................................... 169

12—Working with Input Channels 171

Introduction to Input Channel Routing ............................................................................................................. 171

Routing Linked Stereo Input Channels .............................................................................................................. 171

Routing an Input Channel Signal to a Track ............................................................................................................. 172

Quick-Routing Input Channels to Tracks .......................................................................................................... 172

Input Signal Routing on the EZ ROUTING VIEW Screen ............................................................................... 174

Input Channel Signals and the Main Mix .................................................................................................................. 175

Removing Input Channel Signals from the Main Mix ..................................................................................... 175

Adding an Input Channel’s Signal to the Main Mix ........................................................................................ 175

Routing an Input Channel Signal to a Direct Bus .................................................................................................... 175

13—Operating the Hard Disk Recorder 177

The Transport Buttons .................................................................................................................................................. 177

The Main Transport Buttons ................................................................................................................................ 177

Special Transport Buttons ..................................................................................................................................... 177

The SHUTTLE Ring ............................................................................................................................................... 178

The TRACK STATUS Buttons ..................................................................................................................................... 178

How the TRACK STATUS Buttons Work .......................................................................................................... 178

Recording ....................................................................................................................................................................... 179

Before Recording a Track ...................................................................................................................................... 179

Recording a New Track ........................................................................................................................................ 179

Playback ......................................................................................................................................................................... 180

Basic Playback Procedure ..................................................................................................................................... 180

Moving Through a Project .................................................................................................................................... 180

Using Jump ............................................................................................................................................................. 180

Looped Playback .................................................................................................................................................... 181

Vari Pitch Playback ................................................................................................................................................ 182

Preview .................................................................................................................................................................... 183

Scrub ........................................................................................................................................................................ 184

Locators .......................................................................................................................................................................... 185

Basic Locator Operations ...................................................................................................................................... 186

Other Locator Operations ..................................................................................................................................... 186

Switching Automatically to Locator Mode ........................................................................................................ 187

Locators in Safe Mode ........................................................................................................................................... 187

Markers ........................................................................................................................................................................... 188

Placing a Marker .................................................................................................................................................... 189

Moving the Timeline to a Marker ........................................................................................................................ 189

Clearing Markers ................................................................................................................................................... 190

Editing Markers ..................................................................................................................................................... 190

Punching ......................................................................................................................................................................... 191

Simple Monitoring ................................................................................................................................................. 191

Before You Punch .................................................................................................................................................. 191

Punching In and Out Manually ........................................................................................................................... 192

Auto-Punching ....................................................................................................................................................... 192

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Table of Contents

14—Working with Track Channels 195

Bouncing ......................................................................................................................................................................... 195

The Mechanics of Bouncing .................................................................................................................................. 196

Mono and Stereo Bouncing ................................................................................................................................... 196

First Things First ..................................................................................................................................................... 196

Link the Destination Tracks For a Stereo Bounce .............................................................................................. 197

Routing Tracks for a Bounce ................................................................................................................................. 197

Listening as You Bounce ....................................................................................................................................... 200

Mixing the Bounce ................................................................................................................................................. 200

Performing the Bounce .......................................................................................................................................... 201

Sending a Track Channel’s Signal to a Direct Bus .................................................................................................... 202

Routing a Track to a Direct Bus ............................................................................................................................ 202

Mixing ............................................................................................................................................................................. 202

The Mechanics of Mixing ...................................................................................................................................... 202

15—The Aux and Direct Busses 205

Aux Busses ..................................................................................................................................................................... 205

Aux Bus Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 205

When Would You Use an Aux Bus? .................................................................................................................... 205

Sending a Signal to an Aux Bus ........................................................................................................................... 206

Stereo Aux Busses .................................................................................................................................................. 206

Aux Bus Levels ....................................................................................................................................................... 206

Configuring an Aux Bus ....................................................................................................................................... 207

Direct Busses .................................................................................................................................................................. 208

When Would You Use a Direct Bus? ................................................................................................................... 208

Sending a Signal to a Direct Bus .......................................................................................................................... 209

Direct Bus Levels .................................................................................................................................................... 209

Configuring a Direct Bus ....................................................................................................................................... 209

Aux Bus/Direct Bus Strategy ...................................................................................................................................... 210

Sending Signals to Internal Effects ...................................................................................................................... 210

Sending Signals to External Devices ................................................................................................................... 210

Sending Signals to Tracks ..................................................................................................................................... 210

Creating a Headphone Mix Using an Aux Bus ......................................................................................................... 211

16—Using Effects 213

Using Loop Effects ........................................................................................................................................................ 213

Setting Up an Internal Loop Effect ...................................................................................................................... 213

Setting Up an External Loop Effect ..................................................................................................................... 215

Inserting an Effect .......................................................................................................................................................... 216

About Insert Effects ................................................................................................................................................ 216

Input and Track Channel Insert Effects .............................................................................................................. 216

MASTER Bus Insert Effects ................................................................................................................................... 219

Selecting, Editing and Saving Effect Patches ............................................................................................................. 220

The EFFECT VIEW Screen .................................................................................................................................... 220

The Algorithm View Screen .................................................................................................................................. 221

Selecting Effect Patches ......................................................................................................................................... 221

Editing Effect Patches ............................................................................................................................................ 223

Saving Effect Patches ............................................................................................................................................. 224

Speaker Modeling .......................................................................................................................................................... 225

Using Speaker Modeling ....................................................................................................................................... 225

Microphone Modeling .................................................................................................................................................. 226

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17—Working with FX Return Channels 227

The FX Return Channel Fader ..................................................................................................................................... 227

FX Return CH EDIT Tools ........................................................................................................................................... 227

The Main FX Return CH EDIT Screen ................................................................................................................ 228

The FX Return Parameter View Screen .............................................................................................................. 231

Routing Effects to Tracks ............................................................................................................................................. 231

Quick Routing an FX Return Channel ................................................................................................................ 232

FX Return Routing on the EZ Routing VIEW Screen ....................................................................................... 233

Adding Effects to a Headphone Mix .......................................................................................................................... 234

18—Editing Tracks 235

Editing Concepts and Overview ................................................................................................................................. 235

Phrases and Regions .............................................................................................................................................. 235

Edit Points ............................................................................................................................................................... 236

Performing Edits ........................................................................................................................................................... 237

The Appearance of Selected Tracks, Phrases and Regions .............................................................................. 237

Where Editing Takes Place ................................................................................................................................... 238

Editing Methods ..................................................................................................................................................... 239

Edit Messages ......................................................................................................................................................... 240

Editing with a Mouse ............................................................................................................................................ 241

Editing with the TRACK EDIT Buttons .............................................................................................................. 247

Editing from the TRACK Menu ........................................................................................................................... 249

19—Phrase Editing Operations 255

COPY .............................................................................................................................................................................. 255

MOVE ............................................................................................................................................................................. 257

TRIM IN .......................................................................................................................................................................... 257

TRIM OUT ...................................................................................................................................................................... 258

DELETE .......................................................................................................................................................................... 258

SPLIT ............................................................................................................................................................................... 258

NEW ................................................................................................................................................................................ 259

NORMALIZE ................................................................................................................................................................. 260

DIVIDE ........................................................................................................................................................................... 260

NAME ............................................................................................................................................................................. 261

Take Mngr ...................................................................................................................................................................... 262

20—Region Editing Operations 263

COPY .............................................................................................................................................................................. 263

MOVE ............................................................................................................................................................................. 265

INSERT ........................................................................................................................................................................... 265

CUT ................................................................................................................................................................................. 266

ERASE ............................................................................................................................................................................. 267

COMP/EXP. .................................................................................................................................................................. 267

IMPORT .......................................................................................................................................................................... 269

EXCHANGE .................................................................................................................................................................. 270

ARRANGE ..................................................................................................................................................................... 270

NAME ............................................................................................................................................................................. 272

21—Using the Phrase Pads 273

Understanding the Phrase Pads .................................................................................................................................. 274

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What a Phrase Pad Plays ....................................................................................................................................... 274

Phrase Pad Setup .................................................................................................................................................... 274

Activating Phrase Pad Mode ................................................................................................................................ 275

Playing the Pads in Phrase Pad Mode ................................................................................................................ 275

Sequencing a Phrase Pad Performance ...................................................................................................................... 275

Activating Phrase Sequence Mode ...................................................................................................................... 275

The PHRASE SEQ STATUS Buttons ................................................................................................................... 275

Playing the Pads in Phrase Sequence Mode ....................................................................................................... 275

The PHRASE SEQUENCE Screens ...................................................................................................................... 276

What the Appearance of Sequenced Data Means ............................................................................................. 277

The Phrase Sequencer Grid ................................................................................................................................... 277

Phrase Sequencer Undo ......................................................................................................................................... 277

Realtime Phrase Sequencing ................................................................................................................................. 278

Step Entry ................................................................................................................................................................ 279

Phrase Pad Button Summary ................................................................................................................................ 280

Editing a Phrase Sequence ........................................................................................................................................... 281

Phrase and Region Editing of Phrase Sequenced Data ..................................................................................... 281

Phrase Sequence Editing Tools ............................................................................................................................ 281

Controlling the Sound of Sequenced Tracks ............................................................................................................. 285

Phrase Sequence Bouncing ........................................................................................................................................... 285

22—Working with the VS-2480 Outputs 287

The VS-2480 Outputs .................................................................................................................................................... 287

Output Pairs ............................................................................................................................................................ 287

Analog Output Jacks .............................................................................................................................................. 287

Digital Output Connectors ................................................................................................................................... 287

Output Signal Routing .................................................................................................................................................. 288

Bus Routing ............................................................................................................................................................. 288

Track Direct Outs ................................................................................................................................................... 289

23—EZ Routing 291

The EZ ROUTING Screens ........................................................................................................................................... 291

Navigating the EZ ROUTING Screens ................................................................................................................ 291

EZ ROUTING VIEW Screen ................................................................................................................................. 292

The EZ ROUTING PATCH BAY Screen ............................................................................................................. 292

The EZ ROUTING OUTPUT ASSIGN Screen ................................................................................................... 293

The EZ ROUTING LOOP EFFECT ASSIGN Screen ......................................................................................... 294

EZ Routing Tools ........................................................................................................................................................... 295

Saving and Loading EZ Routing Templates ............................................................................................................. 296

Saving an EZ Routing Template .......................................................................................................................... 296

Loading an EZ Routing Template ........................................................................................................................ 297

24—MIDI and Synchronization 299

MIDI Operations ............................................................................................................................................................ 299

VS-2480 MIDI Basics .............................................................................................................................................. 299

V.Fader—The VS-2480 MIDI Control Surface ................................................................................................... 300

Remote MIDI Control of the VS-2480 .................................................................................................................. 301

Remote MIDI Storage of VS-2480 Settings ......................................................................................................... 304

MIDI Metronome ................................................................................................................................................... 305

Synchronization ............................................................................................................................................................. 307

Why Sync the VS-2480? ......................................................................................................................................... 307

Basic Synchronization Concepts .......................................................................................................................... 307

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Working with a Sync Track .................................................................................................................................. 311

Working with a Tempo Map ................................................................................................................................ 312

Syncing an External Device to the VS-2480 ........................................................................................................ 314

Syncing the VS-2480 to an External Device ........................................................................................................ 315

Exchanging Digital Audio Data During Synchronization ............................................................................... 317

25—Surround 319

What is Surround? ........................................................................................................................................................ 319

Surround Formats .................................................................................................................................................. 319

How the VS-2480 Delivers Surround ......................................................................................................................... 320

Turning on Surround Mode ........................................................................................................................................ 321

Positioning a Signal in the Surround Field ............................................................................................................... 322

Adjusting Master Surround Bus Levels ..................................................................................................................... 323

26—Automix 325

The Benefits of Automix .............................................................................................................................................. 325

How Automix Works ................................................................................................................................................... 325

The AUTOMIX Screen .......................................................................................................................................... 326

Activating Automix Mode .................................................................................................................................... 327

The AUTOMIX STATUS Buttons ........................................................................................................................ 327

Recording Automix Data ............................................................................................................................................. 328

Realtime Automix Recording ............................................................................................................................... 328

Realtime Punching of Automix Data .................................................................................................................. 329

Snapshot Recording of Parameter Values .......................................................................................................... 330

Playing Back Automix Data ........................................................................................................................................ 331

Editing Automix Data .................................................................................................................................................. 331

Automix Editing Concepts ................................................................................................................................... 331

Automix Editing Methods .................................................................................................................................... 333

Automix Editing Operations ................................................................................................................................ 334

Micro-Editing Automix Data ............................................................................................................................... 337

27—Mastering and CD-R/RW Operations 339

Mastering ........................................................................................................................................................................ 339

Mixing for Mastering ............................................................................................................................................ 339

Important Mastering Concepts ............................................................................................................................ 339

Working in the VS-2480 Mastering Room .......................................................................................................... 343

Editing Mastering Tracks ...................................................................................................................................... 346

Placing CD Track Markers ................................................................................................................................... 347

CD-R/RW Operations .................................................................................................................................................. 349

Creating an Audio CD .......................................................................................................................................... 349

Erasing a CD-RW Disk .......................................................................................................................................... 352

If You Encounter Error Messages During CD Burning .................................................................................... 353

The CD Player Feature .......................................................................................................................................... 353

.WAV File Importing ............................................................................................................................................. 354

Exporting Tracks and Phrases as .WAV Files .................................................................................................... 356

28—Utility Menu Parameters 359

The Main UTILITY Menu Screen ................................................................................................................................ 359

SYSTEM .......................................................................................................................................................................... 360

PHANTOM SW ...................................................................................................................................................... 360

EXT LEVEL METER (MB-24) ............................................................................................................................... 360

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DRIVE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 361

VGA .......................................................................................................................................................................... 361

PS/2 MOUSE .......................................................................................................................................................... 362

PS/2 KEYBOARD .................................................................................................................................................. 362

GLOBAL ......................................................................................................................................................................... 362

OPERATION DISPLAY ........................................................................................................................................ 365

PROJECT ......................................................................................................................................................................... 366

DIGITAL I/0 ........................................................................................................................................................... 366

DISPLAY .................................................................................................................................................................. 367

PLAYREC ....................................................................................................................................................................... 367

VARI PITCH ........................................................................................................................................................... 368

SOLO/MUTE .......................................................................................................................................................... 368

PREVIEW ................................................................................................................................................................ 368

MIDI ......................................................................................................................................................................... 368

SYNC ............................................................................................................................................................................... 369

TEMPO ............................................................................................................................................................................ 369

Metronome ..................................................................................................................................................................... 369

AUTO PUNCH/LOOP ................................................................................................................................................. 371

MARKER ........................................................................................................................................................................ 371

LOCATE ......................................................................................................................................................................... 371

V.FDR .............................................................................................................................................................................. 372

SCENE ............................................................................................................................................................................. 372

AUTOMIX ...................................................................................................................................................................... 372

SURROUND ................................................................................................................................................................... 372

Oscillator/ANALYZER ................................................................................................................................................ 372

Generator ................................................................................................................................................................. 372

Analyzer .................................................................................................................................................................. 374

DATE/TIME .................................................................................................................................................................. 376

Parameter Initialization ................................................................................................................................................ 376

Resetting Mixer and UTILITY Parameters ......................................................................................................... 376

Phrase Sequencer ........................................................................................................................................................... 377

R-BUS .............................................................................................................................................................................. 377

29—Expanding the VS-2480 379

Installing a VS8F-2 Effect Expansion Board .............................................................................................................. 379

Connecting a CD-R/RW Drive to the VS-2480 ......................................................................................................... 381

Connecting a Zip Drive to the VS-2480 ...................................................................................................................... 381

Attaching an MB-24 Level Meter ................................................................................................................................ 382

Connecting the MB-24 to the VS-2480 ................................................................................................................. 382

Replacing the VS-2480’s Battery .................................................................................................................................. 382

Installing A New Internal Hard Drive ....................................................................................................................... 384

Supplemental Information 387

R-BUS Remote Control ................................................................................................................................................. 387

DIF-AT Settings ...................................................................................................................................................... 387

Using a Roland DIF-AT ......................................................................................................................................... 388

ADA-7000 Settings ................................................................................................................................................. 389

AE-7000 Settings ..................................................................................................................................................... 390

VSR-880 Settings ..................................................................................................................................................... 392

Using the VS-2480 with a VM-7000 Mixing System ................................................................................................. 393

Using a Roland VE-7000 ............................................................................................................................................... 394

Connecting the VE-7000 ........................................................................................................................................ 394

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Using the VE-7000 .................................................................................................................................................. 394

Roland MB-24 Notes ..................................................................................................................................................... 396

Factory EZ Routing Templates ................................................................................................................................... 397

Recording Template .............................................................................................................................................. 397

Bouncing Template ................................................................................................................................................ 398

Mixdown Template ............................................................................................................................................... 399

Mastering Template ............................................................................................................................................... 400

Surround 2+2 Template ........................................................................................................................................ 401

Surround 3+1 Template ........................................................................................................................................ 402

Surround 3+2+1 Template .................................................................................................................................... 404

VS-2480 Tick Resolution Table .................................................................................................................................... 405

MIDI Channels and Control Change Maps .............................................................................................................. 406

V-Fader Control Messages ........................................................................................................................................... 409

Automix Parameter List ............................................................................................................................................... 410

V-Studio Song/VS-2480 Project Compatibility ........................................................................................................ 412

Recording Mode Tables ........................................................................................................................................ 412

Parameter Translations ......................................................................................................................................... 412

Glossary 415

Index 423

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 19

Step-By-Step Instruction Finder

Step-by-Step Instruction Finder

Activating R-BUS 2, Coaxial or Optical Digital Inputs ................................................................................ 131

Activating Vari Pitch ................................................................................................................................................. 183

Attaching an MB-24 Level Meter ....................................................................................................................... 382

Auto Punch

Editing Auto Punch IN and OUT Points Manually .......................................................................................... 193

Performing an Auto Punch ................................................................................................................................... 194

Setting Auto Punch Points Using Locators ........................................................................................................ 193

Setting Auto Punch Points Using Markers ......................................................................................................... 193

Setting Auto Punch Points When a Project Isn’t Playing ................................................................................. 192

Setting Auto Punch Points While a Project Is Playing ...................................................................................... 193

Automix

AUTOMIX Button Punching ................................................................................................................................ 330

AUTOMIX STATUS BUTTON Punching ........................................................................................................... 329

Activating Automix Mode .................................................................................................................................... 327

Creating a New Automix Event ........................................................................................................................... 338

Deleting an Automix Event .................................................................................................................................. 338

Micro-Editing Automix Data ................................................................................................................................ 338

Navigating to the Automix Screen ...................................................................................................................... 326

Playing Back Automix Data .................................................................................................................................. 331

Recording a Realtime Automix ............................................................................................................................ 328

Taking a Snapshot .................................................................................................................................................. 331

Targeting Automix Data ....................................................................................................................................... 332

The AUTOMIX EDIT Screen ................................................................................................................................ 331

Undoing a Micro-Edit ............................................................................................................................................ 338

Using the AUTOMIX STATUS Buttons .............................................................................................................. 327

Aux Busses

Adjusting an Aux Bus’s Master Level ................................................................................................................. 207

Configuring an Aux Bus from a CH EDIT VIEW Screen ................................................................................. 207

Configuring an Aux Bus from a MASTER EDIT Screen .................................................................................. 207

Metering Aux Bus and Direct Bus Levels ........................................................................................................... 206

Sending a Signal to an Aux Bus ........................................................................................................................... 206

Setting Up a Headphone Mix ............................................................................................................................... 211

CD-R/RW Operations

Burning an Audio CD ............................................................................................................................................ 350

Erasing a CD-RW Disk .......................................................................................................................................... 352

Importing a .WAV File .......................................................................................................................................... 355

Making Sure You Have Enough Space ............................................................................................................... 350

Playing an Audio CD ............................................................................................................................................. 353

Changing Your Current Location in a Project ................................................................................................ 126

Channels

Activating Fader Control of Aux Send Levels ................................................................................................... 141

Assigning KNOB/FADER ASSIGN Feature to Faders .................................................................................... 140

Controlling a Parameter of Your Choice Using a Fader ................................................................................... 141

Selecting a Channel for Editing ............................................................................................................................ 138

Switching Between Input, Track, Aux and FX Channels ................................................................................. 137

20 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

Step-By-Step Instruction Finder

To Reset a Channel’s Fader and Pan ....................................................................................................................138

Turning KNOB/FADER ASSIGN On and Off ...................................................................................................141

Connecting a CD-R/RW Drive to the VS-2480 ...............................................................................................381

Connecting a Zip Drive to the VS-2480 ...........................................................................................................381

DIF-AT

With a TASCAM DA Series Device .....................................................................................................................388

With an ADAT ........................................................................................................................................................388

Designating the Master Clock for Digital Audio Input .................................................................................133

Direct Busses

Configuring a Direct Bus .......................................................................................................................................209

External Insert-Like Effects ...................................................................................................................................208

Metering Aux Bus and Direct Bus Levels ...........................................................................................................206

Sending a Signal to a Direct Bus ...........................................................................................................................209

Drives

Clearing a Drive/Partition ....................................................................................................................................115

Formatting a Hard Drive .......................................................................................................................................114

Running Drive Check .............................................................................................................................................117

Selecting a New Destination Drive ......................................................................................................................101

Selecting an Item in the Project List .......................................................................................................................94

To Display the Projects on a Drive .........................................................................................................................94

EZ Routing

Initializing and Clearing Routings .......................................................................................................................295

Loading an EZ Routing Template ........................................................................................................................297

Making Connections on the EZ ROUTING OUTPUT ASSIGN Screen ..........................................................294

Making Connections on the EZ ROUTING PATCH BAY Screen ...................................................................293

Making Connections on the EZ ROUTING VIEW Screen ................................................................................292

Making Connections on the LOOP EFFECT ASSIGN Screen ..........................................................................294

Saving an EZ Routing Template ...........................................................................................................................296

Editing Tracks

Configuring the Behavior of the IN, OUT, FROM and TO Buttons ................................................................247

Copying Data by Dragging with Your Mouse ...................................................................................................245

Moving Data by Dragging with Your Mouse .....................................................................................................244

Moving or Copying Data Using the TRACK EDIT Buttons .............................................................................248

Performing an Edit Operation From the Edit Pop-Up Menu ...........................................................................246

Performing an Edit Operation from the TRACK Menu ....................................................................................250

Performing an Editing Operation with the TRACK EDIT Buttons .................................................................248

Placing Edit Points Using the IN, OUT, FROM and TO Buttons ....................................................................247

Placing Edit Points on a TRACK Menu Operation Screen ...............................................................................250

Placing Edit Points with Your Mouse ..................................................................................................................242

Quick-Selecting from the TRACK Menu .............................................................................................................250

Selecting Phrases By Clicking or Dragging Your Mouse ..................................................................................243

Selecting Phrases and Regions with the VS-2480’s Buttons .............................................................................247

Selecting Phrases from the SELECT PHRASE Pop-Up Menu ..........................................................................243

Selecting Regions From the SELECT TRACK Pop-Up Menu ..........................................................................244

Selecting Regions by Dragging Your Mouse ......................................................................................................243

Selecting a Track Using the VS-2480’s Buttons ...................................................................................................247

Selecting a Track with Your Mouse .....................................................................................................................242

Selection Using the TRACK Menu’s Onscreen Selection Tools .......................................................................252

Snapping to Grid .....................................................................................................................................................245

Effects

Adding Effects to a Headphone Mix ...................................................................................................................234

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 21

Step-By-Step Instruction Finder

Editing an Effect Patch .......................................................................................................................................... 224

External Insert-Like Effects ................................................................................................................................... 208

Inserting Effects on an Input or Track Channel ................................................................................................. 217

Inserting Effects on the MASTER Bus ................................................................................................................. 219

Routing Aux and Direct Busses to Internal Effects ........................................................................................... 210

Routing Effects to Tracks ...................................................................................................................................... 231

Saving an Effect Patch ........................................................................................................................................... 225

Selecting an Effect Patch ........................................................................................................................................ 223

Setting Up an External Loop Effect ..................................................................................................................... 215

Setting Up an Internal Loop Effect ...................................................................................................................... 213

Using Microphone Modeling ............................................................................................................................... 226

Using Speaker Modeling ....................................................................................................................................... 225

Exporting .WAV Files

Burning Exported .WAV Files to CD .................................................................................................................. 358

Exporting Phrases as .WAV Files ......................................................................................................................... 357

Exporting Tracks as .WAV Files .......................................................................................................................... 356

Exporting Tracks as .WAV Files .......................................................................................................................... 356

Exporting a VS-2480 Project .............................................................................................................................. 110

Fader Groups

Assigning Channels to a Fader Group ................................................................................................................ 155

Finding Events with Microscopic Precision Using Scrub ........................................................................... 185

Headphone Mix Setup ............................................................................................................................................. 211

Importing

Recovering Backup Data ....................................................................................................................................... 107

Importing a .WAV File ............................................................................................................................................. 355

Importing a Song from an Earlier V-Studio ..................................................................................................... 108

Input Channel Signals

Removing Input Signals from the Main Mix ...................................................................................................... 175

Routing an Input Signal to Direct Bus ................................................................................................................ 175

Routing to Tracks ................................................................................................................................................... 174

Sending an Input Channel’s Signal into the Main MIX .................................................................................... 175

Installing A New Internal Hard Drive ................................................................................................................. 384

Installing a VS8F-2 Effect Expansion Board .................................................................................................. 379

KNOB/FADER ASSIGN

Activating Knob or Fader Control of Aux Send Levels .................................................................................... 141

Controlling a Parameter of Your Choice ............................................................................................................ 141

To Set What the KNOB/FADER ASSIGN Feature Controls ........................................................................... 140

To Turn the KNOB/FADER ASSIGN Feature On and Off .............................................................................. 141

Locators

Changing Locator Banks ....................................................................................................................................... 186

Clearing a Locator .................................................................................................................................................. 186

Clearing a Locator in Safe Mode .......................................................................................................................... 188

Editing Locators ..................................................................................................................................................... 186

Recalling a Locator ................................................................................................................................................. 186

Recalling a Locator in Safe Mode ......................................................................................................................... 187

Storing a Locator .................................................................................................................................................... 186

Storing a Locator in Safe Mode ............................................................................................................................ 188

Switching Automatically to Locator Mode ........................................................................................................ 187

Looping

22 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

Step-By-Step Instruction Finder

Activating Looped Playback .................................................................................................................................182

Editing Loop FROM and TO Points Manually ...................................................................................................182

Setting Loop Points Using Locators .....................................................................................................................181

Setting Loop Points Using Markers .....................................................................................................................181

Setting Loop Points When a Project Isn’t Playing ..............................................................................................181

Setting Loop Points While a Project Is Playing ..................................................................................................181

MIDI

Changing Effect Patches via MIDI .......................................................................................................................303

Changing Scenes via MIDI ....................................................................................................................................302

Receiving SysEx Bulk Dump Data .......................................................................................................................305

Remote Control of the VS-2480 with Control Change Messages .....................................................................303

Remote Control of the VS-2480 with SysEx Messages ......................................................................................302

Sending SysEx Bulk Dump Data ..........................................................................................................................304

Setting Up a MIDI Metronome .............................................................................................................................306

Using the VS-2480 as a MIDI Control Surface ....................................................................................................301

Markers

Clearing Markers ....................................................................................................................................................190

Editing Markers ......................................................................................................................................................190

Moving the Timeline to a Marker .........................................................................................................................189

Placing a Marker .....................................................................................................................................................189

Mastering

Building Mastering Tracks Selection-by-Selection ............................................................................................344

Editing Mastering Tracks .......................................................................................................................................346

Navigating to the Mastering Room ......................................................................................................................343

Placing CD Track Markers ....................................................................................................................................348

Recording Mastering Tracks .................................................................................................................................345

Selecting the Mastering Room Operating Mode ................................................................................................343

Selecting the Mastering Tracks’ Recording Mode .............................................................................................343

Selecting the Mastering V-Tracks .........................................................................................................................344

Stretching Effects ....................................................................................................................................................346

Turning On the Mastering Room .........................................................................................................................343

Using the Mastering Tool Kit ................................................................................................................................345

Metronome

Programming the Metronome’s Beat Box ...........................................................................................................370

Sending the Metronome to Outputs ....................................................................................................................371

Setting Up a MIDI Metronome .............................................................................................................................306

Moving Through a Project ......................................................................................................................................180

Muting Channels in Mute Mode ...........................................................................................................................143

Naming

Entering a New Name Using the VS-2480 Controls ............................................................................................74

Entering a New Name from a Keyboard ...............................................................................................................74

Outputs

Routing a Pair of Busses to a Pair of Outputs .....................................................................................................288

Routing a Pair of Busses to the Stereo MONITOR Bus .....................................................................................289

Routing a Pair of Tracks to a Pair of Outputs .....................................................................................................290

Setting Up Pre or Post Track Direct Outputs ......................................................................................................290

PAN/AUX SEND 1-8 Knobs

Activating Knob Control of Any Channel Parameter .......................................................................................141

Activating Knob Control of Aux Send Levels ....................................................................................................141

Activating Knob Control of Channel Panning ...................................................................................................139

Activating Knob Control of Dynamics and EQ Parameters .............................................................................140

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 23

Step-By-Step Instruction Finder

Assigning KNOB/FADER ASSIGN Switch to Knobs ...................................................................................... 140

Controlling a Parameter of Your Choice ............................................................................................................ 141

Turning KNOB/FADER ASSIGN On and Off .................................................................................................. 141

Phrase Pads

Activating Phrase Pad Mode ................................................................................................................................ 275

Activating Phrase Sequencer Mode ..................................................................................................................... 275

Bouncing Phrase Sequence Tracks ....................................................................................................................... 286

Controlling the Sound of Sequenced Tracks ...................................................................................................... 285

Micro-Editing Sequencer Data ............................................................................................................................. 283

Navigating to the PHRASE SEQUENCE Screens ............................................................................................. 276

Phrase Sequencing Using Step Entry with AutoLoc ......................................................................................... 279

Phrase Sequencing Using Step Entry without AutoLoc ................................................................................... 280

Phrase Sequencing in Realtime ............................................................................................................................ 278

Playing the Phrase Pads ........................................................................................................................................ 275

Quantizing Phrase Sequence Data ....................................................................................................................... 282

Setting Up a Phrase Pad ........................................................................................................................................ 274

Turning On the Phrase Sequencer Playlist Grid ................................................................................................ 277

Using Tie, Rest and BackStep ............................................................................................................................... 284

Pinpointing an Event with the PREVIEW Buttons ........................................................................................ 184

Playing Back Recorded Tracks ............................................................................................................................ 180

Playing the Factory Demos ...................................................................................................................................... 76

Power

Powering Up ............................................................................................................................................................. 63

Turning Off the VS-2480 .......................................................................................................................................... 80

Projects

Backing Up a Project .............................................................................................................................................. 106

Combining Two Projects ....................................................................................................................................... 104

Copying a Project ................................................................................................................................................... 101

Creating a New Project ............................................................................................................................................ 98

Entering a Project Comment ................................................................................................................................... 99

Erasing a Project ..................................................................................................................................................... 102

Exporting a VS-2480 Project .................................................................................................................................. 110

Importing a Song from an Earlier V-Studio ....................................................................................................... 108

Loading a Project ...................................................................................................................................................... 95

Locking and Un-Locking a Project on Your Hard Drive .................................................................................. 100

Marking a Project ..................................................................................................................................................... 95

Optimizing a Project .............................................................................................................................................. 100

Re-Naming a Project ................................................................................................................................................ 99

Recovering Backup Data ....................................................................................................................................... 107

Selecting a New Destination Drive ...................................................................................................................... 101

Selecting an Item in the Project List ....................................................................................................................... 94

Splitting a Project ................................................................................................................................................... 103

To Display the Projects on a Drive ........................................................................................................................ 94

Quick Routing

An Input Signal to a Track .................................................................................................................................... 173

Recording S/P DIF-Format Digital Input Signals ........................................................................................... 134

Recording a New Track ........................................................................................................................................... 179

Replacing the VS-2480’s Battery ...................................................................................................................... 382

Resetting Mixer and UTILITY Parameters ...................................................................................................... 376

Routing

24 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

Step-By-Step Instruction Finder

Effects to Tracks with EZ Routing ........................................................................................................................233

Effects to Tracks with Quick Routing ..................................................................................................................232

Input Channel Signals to Tracks with EZ Routing ............................................................................................174

Input Channel Signals to Tracks with Quick Routing .......................................................................................173

Input Signals to Input Channels ...........................................................................................................................136

Tracks to Track with EZ Routing ..........................................................................................................................198

Tracks to Track with Quick Routing ....................................................................................................................197

Scenes

Changing Scene Banks ...........................................................................................................................................145

Clearing a Scene ......................................................................................................................................................145

Clearing a Scene in Safe Mode ..............................................................................................................................147

Editing Scenes ..........................................................................................................................................................145

Leaving Scene Mode ...............................................................................................................................................145

Protecting a Channel’s Settings When a Scene is Recalled ...............................................................................146

Recalling a Scene .....................................................................................................................................................145

Recalling a Scene in Safe Mode .............................................................................................................................146

Storing a Scene ........................................................................................................................................................144

Storing a Scene in Safe Mode ................................................................................................................................147

Setting Up

Roland DS-90A and DS-50A Digital Monitors .....................................................................................................75

The VS-2480’s Clock .................................................................................................................................................65

VGA Monitor, Mouse and Keyboard .....................................................................................................................64

Soloing Channels in Solo Mode ............................................................................................................................143

Spectrum Analysis Display

Analyzing Your Speakers and Room ...................................................................................................................375

Powering the Spectrum Analysis Display ..........................................................................................................374

Setting Up the Spectrum Analysis Display .........................................................................................................375

Surround

Positioning a Signal in the Surround Field .........................................................................................................322

Turning on Surround Mode ..................................................................................................................................321

Synchronization

Converting a Sync Track to a Tempo Map ..........................................................................................................314

Creating a Sync Track Automatically ..................................................................................................................311

Creating a Tempo Map from Markers .................................................................................................................314

Exchanging Digital Audio Data During Synchronization ................................................................................317

Generating a Sync Track from Markers ...............................................................................................................311

Recording a Sync Track from an External Device ..............................................................................................311

Setting Up the VS-2480 as a Sync Slave ...............................................................................................................315

Setting Up the VS-2480 as the Sync Master .........................................................................................................315

Shaping a Tempo Map By Hand ..........................................................................................................................313

Shifting the Project Start Time ..............................................................................................................................316

Starting Synchronized Playback with the VS-2480 as Master ..........................................................................315

Starting Synchronized Playback with the VS-2480 as Slave .............................................................................317

To Set an Analog Input Level ................................................................................................................................130

Track Editing

Selecting Phrases from the SELECT PHRASE Pop-Up Menu ..........................................................................243

Selecting Regions From the SELECT TRACK Pop-Up Menu ..........................................................................244

Turning Fader Control On or Off ..........................................................................................................................300

Turning Phantom Power On or Off .....................................................................................................................130

Undoing a Track Recording or Editing Operation ............................................................................................73

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 25

Step-By-Step Instruction Finder

Using Jump ................................................................................................................................................................... 180

Using Microphone Modeling .................................................................................................................................. 226

Using Speaker Modeling ......................................................................................................................................... 225

Using a Roland VE-7000 ........................................................................................................................................ 394

Using the VS-2480 with a VM-7000 Mixing System ................................................................................ 393

Viewing a CH EDIT Screen .................................................................................................................................... 149

Zooming In and Out on the Playlist .................................................................................................................... 123

26 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

1—Welcome

Congratulations on the purchase of your Roland VS-2480 Digital Studio Workstation.
The VS-2480 will allow you to take your music—or any other kind of sound—from the
first spark of inspiration to completed recording.

Although the VS-2480 is designed to be simple to operate, the sheer number of tools it
provides do require some introduction and explanation. That’s what the

Owner’s Manual

imagination.

If you’ve purchased a VS8F-2 Effect Board, MB-24 Meter Bridge, VS-CDRII/CD-RACK
or VE-7000 for your VS-2480—or would like to attach a Zip® drive—you may want see
Chapter 29, beginning on Page 379 before reading the

Your VS-2480 is an extremely reliable device. However, there’s no guarantee against
data loss due to improper use of the VS-2480 or unforeseen events. Roland Corporation
assumes no liability concerning such loss of data.

About this Manual

VS-2480

is for. Of course, what you do with these tools is up to you and your

Owner’s Manual

.

How the

The
and settings. It also provides application suggestions and presents step-by-step
procedures. To get the most from your VS-2480, we recommend reading the entire
manual. The structure of the manual generally reflects the order in which a typical
signal flows through the VS-2480, with extra explanations for beginners at the front.

If you’d like to get to work immediately, you may first want to:

•

•

Here’s where you’ll find some instructions that describe how to perform some basic
operations:

•

•

•

•

•

•

These procedures will get you up and running, but, of course, they’re no substitute for
actually reading the manual and really learning how the VS-2480’s features work.

VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

set the VS-2480’s internal clock and calendar

recording to make it easy for you to keep track of your work. See Page 65 for
instructions.

connect a mouse, ASCII keyboard and VGA monitor

“Creating a New Project”
“Recording a New Track”
“Backing Up a Project”
“Inserting Effects on an Input or Track Channel”
“Setting Up an Internal Loop Effect”
“Mixing”

—Page 202

explains the VS-2480 ‘s architecture, features, operations

—Page 98
—Page 179

—Page 106

—Page 213

is Organized

—The VS-2480 time-stamps each

—See Page 64 for more information.

—Page 217

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 27

1—Welcome

To make it easy for you to find the manual’s numerous step-by-step procedures, we’ve
assembled a “Step-by-Step Instruction Finder” that starts on Page 20. There’s also a
standard Table of Contents at the front of the book and an Index at the back.

Additional information can be found in the “Supplemental Information” chapter
starting on Page 387.

In this manual, illustrations that show VS-2480 screens reflect their appearance at the
time the manual was written. As the VS-2480’s software is enhanced through operating
system upgrades, the appearance of the VS-2480’s screens may change.

Names

Throughout the
well as settings that appear in the display—are shown exactly as they look on the
VS-2480 itself. As a result, names printed on the VS-2480 are shown completely in
capital letters. For example, the button labeled “PROJECT” will appear in the manual
as the PROJECT button, or simply PROJECT, as in “Press PROJECT.” Settings on the
display are shown in the same lower- and upper -case letters they use onscreen.

A few buttons serve several purposes and have long names. In such cases, we’ll refer to
the button by the name that reflects its current use. For example, if we want to view CH
EDIT parameters, we’ll say to press the “desired CH EDIT button,” not the “desired CH
EDIT/SELECT/PHRASE SEQ STATUS/AUTOMIX STATUS” button. Some buttons
have two labels. If we need to refer to both, we’ll show the labels with a bullet between
them, as with the HOME•DISPLAY button.

The F 1-6 buttons beneath the display do different things at different times. We’ll show
an F button’s current function in parentheses after its name, as in “F1 (INPUT).”

The four arrow keys are a special case. Sometimes, we’ll collectively refer
to , ,  and  as “cursor” buttons since they allow you to move, or
“cursor,” around in the VS-2480’s display.

VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

, the names of buttons, knobs, faders, jacks—as

Note, Tip, Glossary and Warning Icons

Throughout the
hand margins. Here’s what these symbols mean.

VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

, you find the symbols shown below in the left-

Notes

provide additional information about the topic described in the main text.

Tips

offer interesting ways to use the feature under discussion. They’ll also let you know

why you should care about what’s being said.

This symbol will be of special interest to beginners, because the word—or words—to its
right can be found in the glossary that starts on Page 415.

Make sure you pay attention whenever you see the
important information that will help you avoid damage to your recordings, VS-2480,
other equipment or even yourself.

28 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

Warning

symbol. Warnings provide

Other Documents in the VS-2480 Box

The

VS-2480 User’s Guide

you through the steps for a variety of basic operations.

The

VS-2480 Appendices

Owner’s Manual

to perform an operation that the VS-2480 doesn’t allow—the
all error messages and an explanation of what each one means. You’ll also find a
Troubleshooting section that can help you figure out what to do if the VS-2480 behaves
in an unexpected manner.

. For example, the VS-2480 will display an error message if you attempt

provides a quick look at the VS-2480’s major features. It’ll take

provide additional detailed information not included in the

Getting More Help

Appendices

1—Welcome

contain a list of

If you have questions that can’t be answered by the
offers a number of informational resources.

VS-2480 Owner’s Manual

The Roland US Web site

Visit the Roland US Web site at:
about the VS-2480 and a wealth of support materials. If you’re new to recording or
mixing, you’ll especially enjoy the downloadable booklets for beginners.

http://www.rolandus. com

. You’ll find lots of information

The Roland US Faxback System

If you can receive faxes, you can access our library of support documents 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. Call 323-890-3780 for more information about using our
faxback system.

Roland US Product Support

If you need help from a real, live person, call the Roland US Product Support team at
323-890-3740, Extension 3741.

, Roland

Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual www.rolandus.com 29

1—Welcome

30 www.rolandus.com Roland VS-2480 Owner’s Manual