MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Forum for MV-8000/8800
Vondragonnoggin
Posts: 57
Joined: 13:17, 15 September 2014

MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Vondragonnoggin »

First off, too bad the forum here is dead and no new registrations for mvnation!

Secondly, and more importantly, after batch converting some 40 GB of samples to 16 bit 44.1 KHz so I can preview them without getting that "unsupported file format" message, this machine is ending up to be exactly what I was looking for! This was the crazy, stupidest, price for this used and to refurbish myself by maxing everything out but MVOP1 board (which I don't need) including replacing CD Writer with brand new DVD reader/CD Writer.

The import features beat anything I have used in software for quick construction kit setup. Midi editing is very easy and quantize functions on playback and recording are very easy to figure out once a little reading was done on complaints of poor timing (from inexperienced) and experienced users input on proper settings for quantize. Creating patterns is super easy as is categorization of project patterns and sample data. The fact that everything in a project writes to RAM for fast access is great. Long load times, but once loaded, switching songs in a set or creating long pattern lists and switching up pattern play is really cool and intuitive.

Having no real MPC experience other than hugely crippled iOS iMPC and iMPC Pro, and using Beatmaker 2 for a few years (inarguably the best iOS drum sampler/sequencer out right now) the workflow was very easy to adapt to and has become much less confusing and more intuitive than fxpansion's Geist which I've used for a year off and on and all the iOS apps I've used.

It did take some you tubing of video's from some of the guys I like to read up on on mvnation (which I really want to be a member of), and some reading the manuals and workshop pdf's.

All in all, it's not that much research to find answers. I really like the timestretch - offline timestretch in sample edit command options. Having the exact time you can dial in is an easy way to match beat lengths on a stretch. I grab a known sample with specific BPM and just take note of sample length time, then stretch or shrink my new sample to match time exactly and it fits perfect up to a point because you can only manipulate a sample so much before artifacts happen and become noticeable, just like in Ableton, or Acid Pro, or anything else with time stretch.

Was disappointed with phrase recording until realizing a workaround can be had for mixing several pad sounds on one track still by resampling, but really use the patch more than phrase features and if I have a particular sample I want to have extra options or record some serious choppy sample pad play, I can do that in limited amount individually or nearly unlimited by resample options.

Drum Grid - yeah!
Piano Roll - yeah!
Step record - yeah!

This stuff is fast and easy to get what you want.

Preview time - not so "yeah!" as a PC or iOS drum sampler, but it is very functional so it works for me. Too long of load times but is to be expected with MV-8800's current processing power.

After Ableton for 9 years and a few others for 5 years prior on PC, I remember hardware sequencing and how much I liked it. Even on older more tedious sequencers (mv is not tedious and has superior [better workflow] midi editing to Ableton in my opinion) were a lot of fun to program as you see reward for hard work but never too hard to make it something you don't want to do. The MV is fairly easy to get my head around once I learned the block components and how a project organizes data.

These are still very inexpensive on eBay. Having the original patches now that Roland sent them to me is great. Gives me ideas on how to expand patches. Too bad the MV Kit Creator is a buggy beast on windows 7 and very picky about which samples you can drag in or browse for. It's much like the preview function of the MV. Now that I converted samples to MV friendly bit rates, not as bad, but I have a lot of conversions left for some multisamples in my library of samples.

I have no idea if this is ever going to be read with how dead the forum is, but if anyone wants to talk about MV stuff, I'm going to keep checking here every week to see if any updates, particularly to get on mvnation.

Peace
Vondragonnoggin
Posts: 57
Joined: 13:17, 15 September 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Vondragonnoggin »

Playing around with import options and make keyboard options. Wicked. This is really easy to setup a few key samples or even one sample and make a keyboard out of it. One sample only let's you do so much before artifacts are present, but still very good implementation as you can still get a quite usable range for phrases.
Vondragonnoggin
Posts: 57
Joined: 13:17, 15 September 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Vondragonnoggin »

Got my one in, 4 out midi thru box. Now running Venom synth as controller with local off and midi sent back out to Venom from mv8800. Blofeld and iPad also hooked up by midi and picked up a JV1010 for bread and butter stuff besides what I can use in samples. Sequencing all of this is really easy setup. Naming track names by device and patch abbreviated plus program info stored in track parameters. This thing has been fairly easy to wrap my head around so far. Couple projects, many patterns, two rough song outline structures already and a few live play only setups (unsequenced bangin around on pads). Song structures allow basic pattern structure mixed with live play too. I hate just pressing play on the transport and like to jam on this thing with a few sequenced parts.
vagrant23
Posts: 3
Joined: 19:42, 29 April 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by vagrant23 »

Ahhhhh VonDragonNoggin, Ve meet at last.....

Well it appears we are amongst the only active MV users on the planet... or at least the only ones that don't know the beast inside out yet, hence why we are here.... it makes me wonder how few of these were actually made, I think Roland must have timed the release of the MV to coincide with the exodus to software.... anyways.... was reading your kit list, there are many similarities with mine.. RM1x, st224, roland jv, etc etc

I too have been trying to get in at MVnation, the Youtube hero that is WaxDat informed me that it's all but dead, I was even considering trying to take on the site as there is so much info there it would be a tragedy if it was to disappear, but feck knows who to contact......

I think there is also a facebook MV group, have you joined that?

Vagrant23
Vondragonnoggin
Posts: 57
Joined: 13:17, 15 September 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Vondragonnoggin »

Haven't joined that one, but yeah, would definitely like to get on MVnation even if almost a dead forum. I have downloaded all the manuals and subscribed to a few youtube channels from MV users. It's helped out with a few tricks and tips. It's a little more crude and slow than Geist or Maschine, but sequencing is pretty easy and fx are good as is the sampler engine. It is definitely more playable to me than my PC software based stuff.

So far, it's been fairly easy to figure out, just getting used to differences with some other apps I have been using. MV can do the same thing as I like in those, but just need to take time to learn where everything is and get back to calculating BPM in seconds so I can stretch offline faster. Phrase sampler playing is pretty easy to do that in by BPM sync and base note selection. Shame about one pad press at a time on audio tracks, but there are workarounds like resampling or duplicating an instrument to phrase banks and using some sequenced instrument parts while just playing the phrase bank pads. I like it has a lot of surface area. Don't feel cramped playing it like an instrument.

This is a serious beast of a workstation. I read for weeks on MV vs MPC threads in various forums all over and am really glad I chose the MV. It has not disappointed yet.

Well, if anything, we can share some knowledge on this forum and maybe help out any others just getting into it from an eBay sale or something.

It definitely is rock solid and has not glitched or crashed on me yet.
Vondragonnoggin
Posts: 57
Joined: 13:17, 15 September 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Vondragonnoggin »

Ok, so figuring out audio phrase realtime timestretch was easy. Figuring out offline time stretch for long samples on a pad in a midi track is different and less easy. I tried using a calculator to convert exact BPM to seconds and milliseconds, but I'm not so accurate with it yet. I'll probably end up figuring out cause it will bug me until I do, but in order to get beat matched long samples on midi track instruments I create, I think I'll take the advice on mvnation and just timestretch in audio phrases and resample it and assign it to a pad on a midi track in the instrument I'm creating. Resampling is pretty slick and takes very little time. Certainly a lot less than me trying to figure out the exact percentage by calculating BPM to second and milliseconds. Haha.

This machine really is intuitive cause I never broke the manual in figuring out the audio phrase beat matching.

It's like that key master dude in the matrix - always another way to get somewhere you need to go on this thing.

So far my song options are:

Live play via Audio phrases completely (because of the trigger options, you don't have to play everything out. Just trigger loops and live play one shots or hold type

Pattern play - record a bunch of patterns and pattern play them OR record select parts in a pattern and live play some OR record all your patterns separately and arrange them on pattern tracks in song mode

Song play or song record - same as above but mix pattern tracks and live play (by midi track instrument or audio phrase banks ) together in song mode or just record out stuff in song mode or just arrange the pre- made patterns you just spent all afternoon putting together. You can even setup your live play by putting all song samples into one instrument and assign that to a midi track, add another complete song in an instrument on another midi track and use the tap tempo and jogwheel to quickly dial in another tempo for the next song and just switch tracks in that song and live play out the next song on your instrument you created. Saves song load times and project load times. I have one song setup like this where it is actually three songs I'm playing live on the pads in one song slot of the MV. Initial load takes a little long, but no switching or waiting for load times after that until you run out if the content for your songs in that particular slot. Then just take the load time of another song if you keep it in the same project. Not the traditional way to use the machine, but ideal if playing in front of people that want quick song changes and to see you actually play the pads live.

So many options. Pretty wicked cause I became borrrrrreddd with all sequencing and just playback composition a very long time ago which is why I preferred Ableton Live for my DAW for 9 years. You can do exact same things in Ableton for options but always preferred playing clips on my launchpad or padKontrol triggered like phrases on the MV. Same with Beatmaker 2 on iPad. Live play all of it using triggered loops and oneshots.

Puts the fun into producing because you can actually play the dang instrument. Now, I'm nowhere near Araabmusik's skill in 16 pad grid playing, but I can play a few beats and certainly trigger my samples in good timing if I'm mixing triggered loops and oneshots.

My concern for ditching the PC was really that I have some outstanding VST synths I like to use, but my iPad has iOS versions of a lot of the ones I like and the MV can sequence the iPad with no effort other than setting your midi track up correctly and iPad synth on the correct midi channel. Not to mention the old days I would take my Yamaha SU700 with me to the coffee table in front of the tv and hook tv audio outs to my SU700 to sample cable shows and movies. Even easier today cause my iPad has the content and movies via streaming media and I can just hook the iPad audio to the input of the MV and never have to move the MV.

This is not that difficult a unit. It's deep, but friendly.
Vondragonnoggin
Posts: 57
Joined: 13:17, 15 September 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Vondragonnoggin »

vagrant23 wrote:Ahhhhh VonDragonNoggin, Ve meet at last.....

Well it appears we are amongst the only active MV users on the planet... or at least the only ones that don't know the beast inside out yet, hence why we are here.... it makes me wonder how few of these were actually made, I think Roland must have timed the release of the MV to coincide with the exodus to software.... anyways.... was reading your kit list, there are many similarities with mine.. RM1x, st224, roland jv, etc etc

I too have been trying to get in at MVnation, the Youtube hero that is WaxDat informed me that it's all but dead, I was even considering trying to take on the site as there is so much info there it would be a tragedy if it was to disappear, but feck knows who to contact......

I think there is also a facebook MV group, have you joined that?

Vagrant23
You mentioned the RM1x and ST224, Jv too. The RM1x and ST224 both have a less clean sound that I really like. RM1x has some great sounds in it that are a little gritty and it goes deep for bass. The ST224 is a less heard of treasure in its lower staple rate playback. I have the PC program that goes with it to pre-make your sample bank sets and save to smart media, then load up easy on the ST224. I kind of like the JV1010 too because the 90's sound isn't so pristine, just very good. With various fx and careful selection coupled with a little bit of mixing skill, you can put a lot of preset sounds directly in a mix without having to edit by that ridiculously meager editing interface it has. Interface is perfect for flipping through presets though. I just put the World expansion in mine because it has only one expansion slot, but bought Orchestra and Special fx if I want to ever use those too. Changing the expansion is easy with that top panel.

Got a couple analogs too, but not currently sequencing them yet. I need a few more midi cables to hook all of it up. Got a minibrute and a modular. Both full analog and can hook together by CV outs. Both monophonic too.

I love the sound of my blofeld, but hate the matrix type editing, so I found a wicked iPad app Blofeld editor that creates patch morphs too. Currently the RM1x and ST-224 are sitting in a milk crate. My son is using my Roland SH-32 virtual analog, but that's a fun machine too with a ton of knobs and sliders on the front panel to make your own sounds or edit the factory patches. Kind of like a smaller JP-8080.

Been wanting to let out to the public via the forum how much I like my MV and it's use with all my other gear, but yeah, we may be the last few MV users that bother to post or that still have questions. Just because it's aged a bit doesn't mean it's obsolete. Some of these older machines are just way too cool sounding and a lot of fun to work on.
vagrant23
Posts: 3
Joined: 19:42, 29 April 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by vagrant23 »

Yeah I like the RM1X and the St224 too, although I think I am about to sell the st224, I like it but its just not getting used. I also have a Korg ESX which I also love, in many ways they (mv and esx) are like chalk and cheese, but they kinda compliment each other when I have the korg set to midi slave.

It sounds like you are way ahead of me in terms of grasping the MV, I don't have a manual (I do have the PDF, but I would prefer the book).

I have a JV-880, which is loaded with the vintage synth card, I also have a phatboy controller which I was hoping would work with the JV, but alas, it appears that the 880 is the only jv that doesn't respond to sysex? so I am looking to stick the vintage synth card in a 1010 or 1080 when one comes along at the right price... if you want to edit your 1010 patches then get one, they were made to go together!!

For synth noises, other than the 880, I have a novation ks4 and a FAT freebass 383, you probably know that better as a MAM mb33?.. currently selling stuff with a view to buying a microbrute/minibrute/bass station 2, which ever comes along at the right price first.

Back to the MV though.. I love it, it is quite intuitive on the surface, but under that it seems immense.. every time I watch a youtube tutorial I discover things that I hadn't even vaguely considered, the synth engine for example is huge, yet I have only really got some basic sounds out of it so far... I need to sit down and spend a couple of days just playing with that aspect of it, unfortunately dedicating time to learning is a bit difficult, my day job gets in the way, I also have two kids that (obviously) must come first, oh and then there's the wife............

I am going to dedicate saturday night to some practice and learning.. I find it hard to converse in technical terms when the thing isn't in front of me. I'm "working" right now, (obviously not very hard!).. and have been on a work / sleep / work / sleep pattern for a couple of weeks now, so haven't had any time for it, and am desperate to get on it!.... the only thing keeping me sane is Tabletop on the ipad, it aint great, but keeps my mind busy on a long nightshift

For now, all the best, will report back soon!

vagrant23
Vondragonnoggin
Posts: 57
Joined: 13:17, 15 September 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Vondragonnoggin »

I hear ya about limited time. I'm usually working extra hours every week and most weekends too. Single dad raising my son too (teenager- and all that entails). Not a lot of time to dedicate yet to learning this thing, but ticking away at it.

I got all the pdf's from Roland's support page for the MV-8800. A lot of tutorials on there too.

If you get a minibrute, get the LE version. It has sequencer on it while original doesn't I hear. The original has a very good arpeggiator. Micro brute has sequencer too. You can sync lock them with the MV pretty easy. Keybed has after touch too. It's a great synth for the price. I got used to storing patches for mine with cell phone pics of the knob settings since their isn't any patch memory on them.

I got to do some experimenting last night a little with resampling and quick assign settings. Very easy to flip samples between phrases and instruments. For instance, I needed some beat matched sample on the instrument so re sampled a beat stretched loop and used the quick assign to assign to pad of the midi track instrument. I then tweaked the balance on a few oneshots on the instrument, but couldn't find the pan settings for a sample on the audio phrases, so pulled up instrument with pan settings, re sampled, then quick assigned to audio phrase pad.

Whatever you are missing in one, you can put in the other after a resample. Like audio phrases doesn't have pan settings per pad, midi instrument does have those. Midi instrument doesn't have realtime beat matching, audio phrases does. So to get your sample set up with either, use the resample from one to the other with quick assign and you can very quickly get any feature you need on either audio phrases or midi instruments.

The resample options are very cool.

Good luck with it tonight. I hope you get a good session in and don't forget all those pdf's available from Roland's site.
Vondragonnoggin
Posts: 57
Joined: 13:17, 15 September 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Vondragonnoggin »

Here's another pretty cool thing - sample manager.

I was putting together about 17 patterns and then decided to put a loose song structure together so I could play out all of the oneshots live and went into sample manager to consolidate all the edits and stretched samples along with original samples. It will prompt you if a specific sample is in use as a partial, so you can go in and clean up the whole sample directory and safely get rid of any samples not in use. Trimmed my project down from 65 MB to 24 MB. I had a lot of edits, duplicates, stretched vs original, etc.

Now it loads quick with just essential samples.

The more I use this thing, the faster my workflow is getting. It is very efficient. Makes up for longer load times and preview times by being able to move around it quickly and perform other functions quickly.
debonz971
Posts: 1
Joined: 15:14, 18 November 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by debonz971 »

Hi, to answer your questions (I'am a french MV8800 user since 2012), I'll say that the MV-8800 project was a good one, but actually out of date (see on ebay every MV's users try to sell it away). Actually, with the evolution of music on computer, we realize that the computer become quickly out of date, and we need to change it, what is an issue with the MV, because i'ts impossible to up it to date. In fact as we can see, MASCHINE from Native Instrument or MPC Renaissance from AKAI offers a fast way to create soundkits, and so make music. On NI or AKAI, we have a software and a hardware that fits on every type of computer except Linux. The MV is a machine and if we want more performances, we cannot add more (512 MB RAM and up to 120 GB hard drive), It's not so easy to import sounds from computer to the MV, because some wav files are not accepted (to resolve this issue simply open the file with audacity and export to wav again to normalize it). Sometime I think that it would be better to have a MASCHINE or and IPAD combined with IODOCKS, but I like my MV-8800 because thanks to my computer and Fruity Loops I can create my loops and then send it via midi to the MV8800 and play patchs from my roland expander XV2020. (listen to the unquantized sound (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj6FzBhyNVM).
To sum up I will say that it's a good machine, but actually too slow, and out of date, If only ROLAND could create something like the MPC Renaissance, and provide updates, or for exemple combine an IPAD with something like the MV but with new functions, that would be better is'net it?
silentsoundboy
Posts: 1
Joined: 14:53, 20 November 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by silentsoundboy »

Hey Guys,

Juste a quick helle as it is with ifinite relief that I discover I not the only "fresh" MV user on the planet !
I too am very satisfied with my choice, as it seem to fit exactly with my expectations ! And I'm also at that "getting into it" stage. It's not that much of a matter of "understanding" how it works that it is to integrate the MV's own logic into your own "internal" creative process.
And yes, I've been trying to register to MVnation forever. Well, at least to see this confirmation email coming ! It seems quite difficult, but maybe not impossible.

To be honest, I didn't have time yet to read all the thread, but that's on my wish list for tonight.
As of my personnal setup, besides the MV, I actually have an E4XT, a Korg MS2000, a RY30 drum machine and a proteus 2000. The reason for switching to the MV was : Enough of those plug-ins and presets and functions overdose, lets seek shelter in some king of a "closed system" with enough capacity/power to do whatever I want to do, plus a greaaaat sound (and perfect sequencer groove). That's all for now, but I'm very gald I've spotten that thread ! Enjoy the beast ! Cheers S. (Sorry for all the possible english mistakes)
Dark Star Balla
Posts: 20
Joined: 19:08, 13 January 2008
Location: South Chicago area
Contact:

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Dark Star Balla »

Here is a link where a few of us hang from time to time. Seems MVNation is pretty much dead to I only go there for already discussed tutorials/information. I almost never come here anymore because seems no one else comes here any longer. But they're fairly active here https://www.facebook.com/groups/135127596536965/
djchino
Posts: 3
Joined: 15:55, 20 October 2014

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by djchino »

I am also a new MV-8800 user. Originally I was an early adopter of the MPC Renaissance. I sold the MPC Renaissance after a year and a half of freezes, crashes and bugs. I have to say that the MV8800 is EXTREMELY STABLE compared to the Renaissance!! I have not had a single crash!!! This may not seem like a big deal to most but stability is my #1 priority. The second is features. The great thing about the MV is that it already has the features I need like audio tracks, direct record, and time stretch. I am amazed at how much this drum machine can do. Everyday Im learning something new. If anyone has any MV8800 productions tips, tricks etc. please respond to this thread. In particular I am still trying to better understand the time stretch feature and apply it to my workflow. LONG LIVE THE MV!!!!
Adakadak
Posts: 1
Joined: 22:35, 20 July 2015

Re: MV-8800 after two weeks - expectations

Post by Adakadak »

Dear Collegues
I'm a huge fan of my MV and my dream is to have new one MV9000 or MV10000 with new generation features, like DAW intergration etc.
I'm using it first of all because of the sound. I started initially with NI Machine, which is great but ended up with an MV. My soundcard at that time was crap and couldn't go further than a piece of the song, because i was totally unsatisfied with the sound of the piece - musical idea was spoiled all the time.
Abilities of sample based musician are just HUGE in the MV (i mean, not for those who are just using popular sample libraries, but for those who intend to make own samples). Possibility to adjust filter parameters of each of the sounds on the channel is just great. Ands sounds of the filter and reverb are superb.
I found it great for electronic music, instead of the fact that initially this beast was made for hip hop market as an AKAI's competitor: to sample some vinyyls, add some beats, you know.
But you can use it for everything! See Mike Acosta vids for your help.
It is 16bits 44.1 khz, but i like it. It gives me the sound i was looking for, it gives me creative possibilities which is difficult to find just clicking around with VST's (but i combine this sourse of sounds as well!)/
I mangle and change samples in seconds! Samples are my indtruments!
Would be great if Roland will decide to make another one. Please, Roland do not spare money just to make mass market product, it will degrade quality (see Yamaha Reface CS мы СS80 original or even Arturia CS80)
My whishes are
- DAW integration - (esp. hell is pianoroll)
-possibility to use more than one hardware effects at time
- lots of small things like quick exit from sample editor menu etc there are hundreds of possible features
- 8 analog outputs (if possible - 16)
MV is a supermachine
Post Reply