Roland - buy the VSTs now available

Discuss VST stuff here!
User avatar
Boombastix
Competition Winner
Posts: 1929
Joined: 18 May 2018
Location: Bay Area, CA

12 May 2020

Think I mentioned it before, Roland told me at NAMM that they would start to sell the VSTs they have in Cloud.

This was just announced, together with some new engine, the one from Phantom, as a VSTs.

This is like Arturia on steroids, but I'm sure the price tags will make you think twice, but you can get your D-50, JV-1080 etc as an owned plugin. And the future platform thing, Zen Core.

Interesting from a market perspective too, they are stepping back from subscription a bit, by offering sub or buy.

10% off at Waves with link: https://www.waves.com/r/6gh2b0
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.

User avatar
riemac
Posts: 571
Joined: 21 Jan 2015
Location: Germany

12 May 2020

Looks very interesting, but some sounds seem very CPU heavy and sadly it is only available as VST3.

User avatar
Boombastix
Competition Winner
Posts: 1929
Joined: 18 May 2018
Location: Bay Area, CA

12 May 2020

riemac wrote:
12 May 2020
Looks very interesting, but some sounds seem very CPU heavy and sadly it is only available as VST3.
I believe VST2 is available for Windows, but not Mac.
10% off at Waves with link: https://www.waves.com/r/6gh2b0
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.

Ulpu
Posts: 188
Joined: 17 Mar 2020

12 May 2020

Maybe RS will add VST3 support soon... I mean Reason to support VST3 since Reason already is VST3 :lol:

User avatar
joeyluck
Moderator
Posts: 11029
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

12 May 2020

Is there a link or do you need to be logged into the Roland Cloud app to see any of this info and pricing?

User avatar
eusti
Moderator
Posts: 2793
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

12 May 2020


EdGrip
Posts: 2343
Joined: 03 Jun 2016

12 May 2020

I've heard they're CPU hogs with buggy/laggy GUIs...

User avatar
joeyluck
Moderator
Posts: 11029
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

12 May 2020

Yeah definitely seems they've only added prices to heighten the perceived value of their subscription.

Nice though to see some additional options with subscription including a $2.99/month for Zenology.

User avatar
BRIGGS
Posts: 2132
Joined: 25 Sep 2015
Location: Orange County California

12 May 2020

It would be awesome, if they release all the Boss pedals as vst, as well. :puf_smile:
r11s

User avatar
joeyluck
Moderator
Posts: 11029
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

12 May 2020

BRIGGS wrote:
12 May 2020
It would be awesome, if they release all the Boss pedals as vst, as well. :puf_smile:
It's Roland though, so if you ask for it, it will be the last thing they deliver, or they just do it differently lol.

For years, people asked for an analog re-release of the TB-303. They released nothing TB-303. Meanwhile there were other analog clones on the market (such as TT-303 and x0xb0x). Then Roland released several digital hardware recreations of the TB-303 (TB-3, TB-03) and Behringer releases an analog version. Roland released the TB-303 VST, but ABL3 still reigns as the best software emulation, even better than Roland's.

So now they have been making plugins. One of the most popular digital synths has been the JP-8000, and a plugin version is certainly a high request among customers. And it would make perfect sense.

But it's not Roland only—Korg as well. I've been waiting for a Prophecy/Z1 (MOSS) plugin, other great, popular digital synths, which makes sense to have as plugins.

Everybody avoids making the stuff I want :lol:

groggy1
Posts: 466
Joined: 10 Jun 2015

13 May 2020

I get that now you can outright buy the existing synths on RolandCloud (i.e. "lifetime license") - such as D50, JV1080, Jupiter8, TR808.

But I can't wrap my head around the new Zenology: If one NEVER wants a subscription, then can they outright buy Zenology and its expansions? Will Pro be an option?
OR, is subscription the only way to go for Zenology?

User avatar
Boombastix
Competition Winner
Posts: 1929
Joined: 18 May 2018
Location: Bay Area, CA

13 May 2020

groggy1 wrote:
13 May 2020
I get that now you can outright buy the existing synths on RolandCloud (i.e. "lifetime license") - such as D50, JV1080, Jupiter8, TR808.

But I can't wrap my head around the new Zenology: If one NEVER wants a subscription, then can they outright buy Zenology and its expansions? Will Pro be an option?
OR, is subscription the only way to go for Zenology?
Not totally clear to me, but I looks like there is free Zenology Lite, and you can buy patch packs for it, starting at $0.99. The Pro version appears to be sub only, and you can edit the soundd more extensively, but this is not 100% clear to me yet.

The XN-5080 I think is $129. So, maybe Korg will drop the Triton price down to something more palatable than the $249.
10% off at Waves with link: https://www.waves.com/r/6gh2b0
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.

User avatar
Boombastix
Competition Winner
Posts: 1929
Joined: 18 May 2018
Location: Bay Area, CA

17 May 2020

Sooo, the specs on Zenology LITE is out. Yes, it is free. Has 176 sounds, vs 3597 for the full. But it is VST3 so "fo' geddaa 'bout it"... (If you use Reason that is...). But you can mess with bridging if you want.

The individual VSTs that you now can purchase, like Jupiter 8, XV-5080, and so on, are VST 2...for Windows, but only VST3 for Mac so If you use Mac/Reason "fo' geddaa 'bout it"...
10% off at Waves with link: https://www.waves.com/r/6gh2b0
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.

groggy1
Posts: 466
Joined: 10 Jun 2015

18 May 2020

Ok, all in all I have to give Kudos to Roland for letting us BUY some of the synths now: I bought the D50 and a couple other synths I've loved using for the past year, and cancelled the subscription.

I tried Roland Cloud in the past half year, and I have to say it didn't "feel good". I always felt like any synth patches I was creating, I wasn't sure if I'd have them in 6 months because I was pretty sure I wasn't going to keep the subscription for too long. So any Combinator Patches I created, I was even storing them in a separate folder, because I knew they were only temporary. I didn't like how this made me feel: I kept having to think of those patches as temporary, and it hindered my creativity.


So I'm glad I got D50 now, and my plan is to not even LOOK at the new Zenology stuff. I don't want to get sucked into it, I don't care what it does. For me, the subscription thing was just very off-putting, for musical creativity and flow.

That was an interesting experiment, but I can't see it becoming the mainstream (subscriptions). With Netflix, subscription makes total sense, because I watch a movie and then it's over. But with instruments, I don't have the ability to keep track of all the things that would "break" when my subscription ends.

(Minor edit for clarify)

User avatar
fieldframe
RE Developer
Posts: 1037
Joined: 19 Apr 2016

18 May 2020

I have to admit, $129 for an XV-5080 that you never have to program on the LCD is tempting.

User avatar
Boombastix
Competition Winner
Posts: 1929
Joined: 18 May 2018
Location: Bay Area, CA

18 May 2020

fieldframe wrote:
18 May 2020
I have to admit, $129 for an XV-5080 that you never have to program on the LCD is tempting.
My fingers are ITCHING :lol:
And soon my credit card is burning, I guess...

If I can change a patch in < 1 sec, I'll have a hard time holding back. I'm going crazy waiting almost 5 sec for some reason Combi patches to load, only to hear that is not what I'm looking for.
10% off at Waves with link: https://www.waves.com/r/6gh2b0
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.

avasopht
Competition Winner
Posts: 3931
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

20 May 2020

This is really attractive.

This is a clever move from Roland as it will produce untold amounts of quality patches for use in compatible hardware while building familiarity with its products.

I quite like what I've got, but once Zenology Pro arrives it'll be hard to resist (I'll just have to embrace Reaper or Studio One with the RS plugin).

User avatar
Jackjackdaw
Posts: 1400
Joined: 12 Jan 2019

27 May 2020

Boombastix wrote:
18 May 2020
fieldframe wrote:
18 May 2020
I have to admit, $129 for an XV-5080 that you never have to program on the LCD is tempting.
My fingers are ITCHING :lol:
And soon my credit card is burning, I guess...

If I can change a patch in < 1 sec, I'll have a hard time holding back. I'm going crazy waiting almost 5 sec for some reason Combi patches to load, only to hear that is not what I'm looking for.
I have been checking out the free ZenCore plugin, there is a good amount of stuff in there! I noticed an oddity when switching patches though, it is fast but the sound glitches in the first second or so of changing. The pricing of expansions is reasonable but the plug ins are steep. Roland always charges premium though. I dont like the subscription model but im tempted to go for one for a bit just to sample the crap out of it...

Reason Studios need to get VST 3 out. There will be more and more stuff coming out VST 3 only i'm sure.

User avatar
James Bermingham
Posts: 30
Joined: 21 Jan 2015
Location: Ireland
Contact:

30 May 2020

Using Roland Cloud as a VST3 in Ableton Live is significantly more CPU friendly than a VST2 in Reason at the moment. Hopefully in the next Reason point update they support hosting VST3

User avatar
Jackjackdaw
Posts: 1400
Joined: 12 Jan 2019

30 May 2020

Still on the free version, really enjoying the crispy PCM style Roland sounds. Makes a change from all the virtual analogue stuff I have. Out of interest, what are the alternatives to Roland's offering? I know there is the Korg Triton VST and I have a UVI pack that sounds great. What else is out there?

User avatar
Boombastix
Competition Winner
Posts: 1929
Joined: 18 May 2018
Location: Bay Area, CA

31 May 2020

In case you cannot find it: The default install location is C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\Roland\ZENOLOGY
10% off at Waves with link: https://www.waves.com/r/6gh2b0
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.

User avatar
Boombastix
Competition Winner
Posts: 1929
Joined: 18 May 2018
Location: Bay Area, CA

28 Jul 2020

Some updates to this:
Zenology is VST3 (not VST2), so you need Kushview Element or similar VST host to use it in Reason. The free version has a 100+ sounds, some very good. And sound packs are like $1 and up. Cheap way for out-of-control GAS :lol:
The "Complete Orchestra" is $20, hmmm. Not a substitute for a $500+ Kontakt Lib, but boy can Roland make a 100Mb pack sound great. Perfect for pop/TV stuff.

New Zen Model Expansions are out, JX-8P and SH-101, price $149 ea. Yikes... There is a good free JX-8P (PG-8X), and I bought FXpansion Strobe2 (spot on for SH-101 type sounds, and much more with its FX's and modulations) for $20 bucks. I'm not giving Roland money for those. (Juno and Jupiter coming soon as Zen models). The Zen models are not pretty, but functional I guess.

The Zen SH-101 (ABM) sounds very similar to the ACM model of SH-101, which you also can buy inside Roland Cloud for $99. The ACM is using way more CPU, and the sound improvement is probably negligible, at least in a mix. Not sure why the priced the older ACM VST less, it used to be $149 IIRC.

I might try the XV-5080 in the future and see if there is a $129 value in it, unless Korg drops the price for Triton down to that range. The Legendary VSTs are VST2 and VST3, so we can use them in Reason without any "famous" Propellerhead work-arounds, :roll: .
But, not sure if the $129 is enough value for the convenience of not firing up my JV-1080 hw, we'll see. And then there is the $1 AIR Xpand2, that sounds like a sampled JV, sooooooooo. :shock:

PS. The Edit button on the Roland 1080 VST2's doesn't re-size the VST window, not sure if this is a Roland or Reason issue, so another work-around, smaller this time; hit Edit, close the VST and re-open, it now is the full size.
10% off at Waves with link: https://www.waves.com/r/6gh2b0
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.

EdGrip
Posts: 2343
Joined: 03 Jun 2016

28 Jul 2020

When a company has two different VST models of their own synthesiser at different price points, they need to sort their life out.

kinkujin
Posts: 206
Joined: 01 Mar 2018

28 Jul 2020

Tal Uno is 60 bux, just for perspective. And I have a JU-06 that I traded that is pretty reasonable - (this is for sale if anyone is interested btw).

ETThompson
Posts: 7
Joined: 29 Oct 2020

02 Nov 2020

I bought the non-subscription Juno-106. It says VST2, but I did later notice the fine print which says Windows only. I'm a newbie, can I use some of the apps mentioned (Kushview element?) to use this within Reason 11?

I can use it in Garageband, but...

Also, the Sweetwater page says it includes "all original patches", but only seeing half of them (32, not 64).

Anyone else have this synth?

Thx

Post Reply
  • Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Mataya and 11 guests