Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Stage Pianos
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DesertBoat
Posts: 362
Joined: 01:49, 5 October 2017

Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by DesertBoat »

And two irritating things I don’t see an obvious fix for.

Having spent a month with the RD-2000, trying to implement my own desired programs, and answer some of the questions on the forum, I propose three changes to the RD-2000 that would prove greatly useful. I do enjoy the keyboard. It has great sounds, and great keyboard feel. But I keep bumping against these few irritations.

For background, I use the RD-2000 mostly stand alone. No DAWs, other modules, etc. So other users with more sophisticated setups might have solutions to these. I have just started using Haptwerk for the amazing organ potential.

1. Ability to separately load and save a collection of Scenes. Scenes are the most convenient way to select setups for performance, but there is no way to save and load separately. You can back up or load the entire memory, but that is not the same. What we need is a fairly quick load of scenes that can happen during a quick song break, etc. Brute force — load or save all 100 is good enough.

a. The program / scenes structure is not bad. You can have 300 programs saved, and move the 100 you need for performance to scenes. But when you are ready for the next 100, you have to move each one individually to a scene.

b. While programs and scenes are identical, there is one critical difference — they have spilt the assignment for program up/down and scene up/down assignment. I like to use a pedal to sequence through programs and scenes. If you want unpredictable results, select program up while in a scene. Remember the last time you selected a program, it will jump to one higher. Ugh. (While in a program, scene up just gives an error message scene not selected.) So if you use pedals to change program / scenes, you always have to fix the program / scene change pedal assignments to be appropriate to where they are stored.

2. Related to #1 - There should be no difference between the program up/down and the scene up/down pedal assignments. When in program, it works on the program. When in scene, it works on scene. I can think of no useful situation where the current design is useful — being able to select program up/down in a scene, or vice versa.

3. Ability to move a tone from one zone to another. Lets say I have spent the time getting my TW organ exactly the way I want it. By default, we usually start in zone 1. But now I want to layer it with a V-piano. Oops, the V-piano has to be in zone 1. The only fix is to write it all down, then recreate in a different zone. A zone-swap program utility would be good.

Irritating items that I don’t see a way to fix, but have to learn how to live with.

1. The persistence of Tone Designer.

a. Select a program. Turn on Tone Designer. Press Bank up / down button. You are now editing the tone in a different program. Instead of bank up / down, press one touch piano. You are now editing the piano in the current program.

b. Using Program up / down pedal assignment will turn off tone designer, as will scene up / down.

c. I have not found way for a a program / scene change to bring up the TW organ with drawbars active. You have to select the program, press tone designer or shift / scene. If you use a pedal program / scene for the next change, it will be turned off for you. If you use the buttons for program / scene change, you have to turn Tone Designer off first.

d. You cannot select a scene by button while Tone Designer is active -- since it shares the button.

The most reliable way to turn off Tone Designer is by pressing the exit button or the Scene button. You have to build the habit of turning off Tone Designer before trying to do anything else if you want predictable results.

2. Related to #1, Tone Designer shares the Scene button. Too many times I have been editing a TW scene, get the sound just right, then hold the Scene button plus tone button to write the scene. In this case, pressing the scene button does nothing, and by that time I have pressed the button I intended to write the scene to, which instead has executed a tone change. Poof, my perfect TW organ has vanished. [The correct key sequence is shift + scene to turn off Tone Designer, then Scene + the tone button to store the scene.]

I am trying to build muscle memory that the flashing scene button requires attention before pressing any other buttons.
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tcastlejr
Posts: 16
Joined: 17:50, 30 September 2017

Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by tcastlejr »

Hear hear... I support these changes 100%

Tom
SteelyDan
Posts: 14
Joined: 23:10, 1 June 2017

Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by SteelyDan »

I have another one:
Make the USB audio feature work with iOS / iPads.

From what I read in the manual, this would be a very helpful feature - just to mix in some sound additions from a iPad Synth. The RD is perfect for all the pianos and so on, but being able to get a virtual moog on top would be the missing link.
I fail to see the sense in having this feature only for Mac/Windows PCs for a stage piano
skinmechanic
Posts: 205
Joined: 13:39, 14 June 2004
Location: UK, Leeds
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Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by skinmechanic »

I agree, i almost bought the Yamaha MX88 for that very reason with connection to an ipad.

I only got my RD2000yesyerdsy so just getting used to it, i intend to bring in outboard gear to control.

One thing i would really like is to be able to edit all the synth sounds i was slightly puzzled you can’t even edit any of them.
skinmechanic
Posts: 205
Joined: 13:39, 14 June 2004
Location: UK, Leeds
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Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by skinmechanic »

Just an update on connecting an iOS device to the RD 2000, you can actually do this;

The RD-2000 can connect to an Apple iOS device via USB using the Apple Camera Connector Kit (or Lightning to USB Camera Adapter for newer iOS models with the lightning connector). Use the following procedure to set up this connection:

Set the USB Driver in the RD-2000 to "Generic."
1.Press the MENU button.
2.Cursor to “System” and press ENTER.
3.Cursor to the "SYSTEM" tab at the top of the screen.
4.Cursor to select “USB Driver” use the value dial to set this to "Generic."
5.Press the WRITE button, followed by MENU, to save the setting.
6.Turn the power off, then on again.

Connect to the iOS Device

Connect a USB cable from the USB COMPUTER connector on the back panel of the RD-2000 to the Apple Camera Connector Kit, which connects directly to the iPad.
SteelyDan
Posts: 14
Joined: 23:10, 1 June 2017

Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by SteelyDan »

of course you can connect it to iOS devices but then you only have a Midi connection and not the USB audio feature. That's the feature I am really missing.
unclebyron
Posts: 6
Joined: 20:43, 15 March 2013

Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by unclebyron »

The default Key Touch level is Medium. I would like to change it to Light as the default but according to the Roland technician I spoke to, there is no way to change it globally only on a per Tone basis.

Roland are you listening?

This can be added in next firmware update.
BabyhandsMcGee
Posts: 4
Joined: 16:06, 11 December 2017

Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by BabyhandsMcGee »

unclebyron wrote:The default Key Touch level is Medium. I would like to change it to Light as the default but according to the Roland technician I spoke to, there is no way to change it globally only on a per Tone basis.
I don't know if you can save it to be "light" at startup, but you can change the system settings to "keep" the key touch settings (among many others) among tones and programs, not sure about scenes.

If you press the menu button there should be a "system" setting somewhere, I can't check it right now cause I found out that my model has "clicking keys", too and I'm about to send it back.

But, in the system settings, somewhere, there's an option to "keep" (I think it might be called "remain" ) things like EQ settings, key touch and the like.

When you're in that menu and have set your choice then you can hit the "write" button on the right side of the keyboard to save those settings permanently.

"medium" will still be the setting on boot, but once you set it to light then every tone should use it.
wehrlipub
Posts: 1
Joined: 23:54, 29 December 2017

Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by wehrlipub »

3. Ability to move a tone from one zone to another. Lets say I have spent the time getting my TW organ exactly the way I want it. By default, we usually start in zone 1. But now I want to layer it with a V-piano. Oops, the V-piano has to be in zone 1. The only fix is to write it all down, then recreate in a different zone. A zone-swap program utility would be good.
Zone swapping is more than "good", it is VITAL. One cannot know where 3,4,5 zones will go across the keyboard when working on a song until that moment when.. one realizes zones NEED to be swapped. But by then it's too late! Manually having to re-create each zone at a different number and getting the existing one(s) out of the way is burdensome to say the least.

Please, Roland, hear this request and implement this functionality into the next update.
paulmapp8306
Posts: 72
Joined: 09:41, 13 October 2013

Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by paulmapp8306 »

BabyhandsMcGee wrote:
unclebyron wrote:The default Key Touch level is Medium. I would like to change it to Light as the default but according to the Roland technician I spoke to, there is no way to change it globally only on a per Tone basis.
I don't know if you can save it to be "light" at startup, but you can change the system settings to "keep" the key touch settings (among many others) among tones and programs, not sure about scenes.

If you press the menu button there should be a "system" setting somewhere, I can't check it right now cause I found out that my model has "clicking keys", too and I'm about to send it back.

But, in the system settings, somewhere, there's an option to "keep" (I think it might be called "remain" ) things like EQ settings, key touch and the like.

When you're in that menu and have set your choice then you can hit the "write" button on the right side of the keyboard to save those settings permanently.

"medium" will still be the setting on boot, but once you set it to light then every tone should use it.

Yeh - this.

Ive been playing on medium - as I bought the RD to learn piano -but I cant get full dynamics even when I belt the board. My fingers /wrist dont have the strength I guess. Im trying to balance the Piano touch with the EPs (as they distort too easily if the touch is too light).

So - I will "eventually" want the touch on a program basis, but for now I want it lighter. I can save it so iot stays if I switch tones - but it reverts on start-up which is highly annoying. This needs fixing.

Possibly adding a 3rd option in the system menu - so program (saves the touch per program and is kept at boot up), remain (so you change it and it keeps it across all programs but resets on boot up_ and permanent (keeps the setting at boot up).

As an aside - anyone have the best balance between touch for pianos and EPs?
paulmapp8306
Posts: 72
Joined: 09:41, 13 October 2013

Re: Three Fixes We Need to RD-2000 Operating System

Post by paulmapp8306 »

I have another one.

The routing of the "control" functions are needs changing - or making assignable. Let me explain.

For "organ" sounds I want to use a synth action board, bit the RDs. Thats no problem - I use midi as normal. However, to stop the organ sounds from playing from the RDs keybed I need to turn the part off. No problem there either. Hes the issue though.

The routing seems to be 1. Keybed, 2. Controls (foot pedals, assignable rotaries, mod wheels), 3. part switch, 4. sound engine.

This means that I have no foot pedal, mod wheel or assignable control over the organ sound. I can still get the drawbars and leslie on/off using the zone effects switch - but I cant get the others. This is annoying as I have no part volume control (it turns that off as well) from the RD (you can use cc07 from the external board so thats not too big a problem) but you cant use the "tone colour". That function is on the mod wheel 1, and rotary 1 - both of which are disabled when the zone is.

You CAN assign tone colour to an expression pedal - but that is also turned off when the zone is. Tone colour is NOT a midi assignable command either - its propitiatory (not the only one, but the only one Ive needed to use so far) so I cant use an assignable knob on the control board and adjust it with a cc message.

There are some ways (theoretically) to fix this - though it depends what is physically routed and what is soft routed in the RDs structure.

1. Move the routing so the controls come AFTER the zone switch (and after the midi input). This means you can still turn the zone off as normal BUT the command functions are still available should you want them.

2. If the above causes issues Ive not considered, make it assignable in system menu - so commands pre or post zone switch.

3. Currently the "local" control disables the keybed completely. Possibly make that assignable as well, so you could have it like the "part switch" in the system menu - select "global" to use the switch as it is now - then have parts 1-8 individually switchable on/off. You could disable the keybed for one (or more) parts in the menu for that program - but you could choose to keep the control functions from the RD by keeping the part switch on.

Im guessing its a minor thing in general - but a lot of though has gone into how the RD works stand alone, and as a controller - but not about how it response being controlled. Should be easy to put right though.
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