anyone using a Roland s-330 / 550 / w-30??

crossings wrote:

GRMM D wrote:i gotta a 550 thats just taking up space. it does have a nice sound but having to use it wit a moniter (or tv) is the major turnoff. i still haven figured out how to sample with it. the manual aint worth sh!t.

i find the monitor to be part of it's appeal on the other hand... it's way ahead of it's time for 1988. i like that you can view the sound wave on screen for editing as well as use a mouse for tweaking parameters. i've been reading the s-330 manual and it seems pretty straight forward... i don't see how the s550 can be all that much more complicated. i'm sure you can figure out the sampling issue putting some time into it... if not, let me know if you wanna get rid of your s550 on the cheap and i may be interested... even though i have no need for one right now, but you never know...

tru about the moniter when your comparing it to a dinky ass screen. its just havin space for all that shit. i might take u up on that offer though.

sweet... i just found out that these samplers have "hacker modes" to give you a few more options in the OS menu. i did some online research and am posting the info for all on how to access HACKER MODE for each of these roland samplers:

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ROLAND S-330 HACKER MODE:


turn power on with UTIL disk inserted (I use version 1.03)

hit: Mode, DownArrow, DownArrow, DownArrow, Execute
hit: DownArrow, Execute, Excecute
hit: Menu, Dec/No, Submenu

Now it says "hacker mode tone map" (I have no idea what this means..)

hit: Mode, DownArrow, DownArrow, DownArrow, DownArrow, DownArrow, Execute

You now have more choices on the UTIL menu...


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ROLAND S-550 HACKER MODE:


- Once loaded, Press these buttons in this sequential order:

FUNC -> MENU -> [down arrow] -> EXECUTE -> MENU -> 0 -> DEC/NO

- Video monitor now shows "Hacker Mode"

- Press UTILITY, then press MENU to load the new utility
menu from disk.

- Click on or cursor over to "THE TEST" and hit enter.

- Now you have all the test mode stuff.



Supposedly in the HACKER mode, the S550 will support standard dump
format (SDX) sound files.

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ROLAND W-30 HACKER MODE:


-Press USER twice, then holding TEMPO press F1 twice

My first sampler was the S-550. This is an amazing machine that was way before its time, and never got the respect it deserves. The mouse/moniter combo was amazing for editing samples. It also has alternate looping.

xabiton wrote:Great find. Most people don't research anything they just buy something that everyone else says is good.

frickin L O L

Just got one for cheap with all the floppies no mouse tho but its all good. Anybody still using these? I cant wait to see how it sounds.

Is here anyone who uses this sampler? i need help with a few things

I have a problem with my Roland S-330 :/ Can anyone help me?

you can use a usb capture device to see the video from the roland on your computer screen

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... CatId=1428

rogue scrunt wrote:you can use a usb capture device to see the video from the roland on your computer screen

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... CatId=1428

That wont fix the problem with the sound

honestly I cannot be concerned with your sound problem.

I posted for the information of users with a working sampler.

teevee wrote:I have a problem with my Roland S-330 :/ Can anyone help me?

You didn't show what the s-330s monitor was doing when you pressed the keys on the controller.
What should happen is that the letter 'A' should flash red as you press the keys. So please check that this is happening and report back.
If it is not flashing, then it's not receiving MIDI note data from the keyboard on that channel (channel 1 as you have it set to).

If your keyboard has a MIDI out try connecting that directly to the s-330 and set it to send on channel 1 (or omni) and see if that works.

If you get a problem like this, you need to reduce the number of variables in the chain to locate where the problem is.




On a separate issue, try not to have your monitor directly on top of the sampler. It's asking for trouble.

*Pilchard* wrote:

teevee wrote:I have a problem with my Roland S-330 :/ Can anyone help me?

You didn't show what the s-330s monitor was doing when you pressed the keys on the controller.
What should happen is that the letter 'A' should flash red as you press the keys. So please check that this is happening and report back.
If it is not flashing, then it's not receiving MIDI note data from the keyboard on that channel (channel 1 as you have it set to).

If your keyboard has a MIDI out try connecting that directly to the s-330 and set it to send on channel 1 (or omni) and see if that works.

If you get a problem like this, you need to reduce the number of variables in the chain to locate where the problem is.




On a separate issue, try not to have your monitor directly on top of the sampler. It's asking for trouble.

Hello *Pilchard*, thanks for the respons
I can confirm that letter was flashing but also flashing on the front panel.

Yesterday I made another video, where I tried to sample something very simple:


I will try testing omni tomorrow

You are correct that the volume you hear from the output should increase as you turn up the recording level control.
Also, your wave form should be a lot bigger (and of course your level meter should be going higher).
Assuming you have plenty level coming from your iPoD I would suggest you start by investigating the rec level pot to see if it has been damaged. A knock can sometimes burst the casing of a pot rendering it ineffective.
I notice with mine, when the control is all the way down, a small amount of signal still gets through so assuming this is normal it sounds like your pot is broken and only passing the tiny amount of signal.
If you are handy with fiddly things you might want to open it up and push the back of the pot back into the casing and re-secure it with the little metal tabs.

Since it is a dual pot, ie. it incorporates both the rec. level control and the volume control, it would be interesting to see if fixing it cures your sound output problem as well. You never know.
Crossing my fingers for you.

Just a thought....
Do you actually have the central knob that controls the volume? If not, are you sure you have the volume turned up?
When the volume knob is turned down you can still monitor while sampling. It is independent from the volume control.

So....
If your volume knob has broken off, try using a small screwdriver or tweezers to turn the central spindle all the way clockwise.

*Pilchard* wrote:You are correct that the volume you hear from the output should increase as you turn up the recording level control.
Also, your wave form should be a lot bigger (and of course your level meter should be going higher).
Assuming you have plenty level coming from your iPoD I would suggest you start by investigating the rec level pot to see if it has been damaged. A knock can sometimes burst the casing of a pot rendering it ineffective.
I notice with mine, when the control is all the way down, a small amount of signal still gets through so assuming this is normal it sounds like your pot is broken and only passing the tiny amount of signal.
If you are handy with fiddly things you might want to open it up and push the back of the pot back into the casing and re-secure it with the little metal tabs.

Since it is a dual pot, ie. it incorporates both the rec. level control and the volume control, it would be interesting to see if fixing it cures your sound output problem as well. You never know.
Crossing my fingers for you.

Hello *Pilchard*,
If we assume that, the volume-knob on front is defect, then everything should be “standard setting” when the unit boot-up.
• I had set my Iphone’s volume to max.
However, I will try it!

This is how the unit looks inside:
http://i60.tinypic.com/2lu8ak4.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/2mxzqc.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/30idwgg.jpg
The knob part is behind a closed panel

Moreover, if we assume that everything is set as standard, when it boot-up and the knob is broken (ineffective). Then I do not understand why I don’t experience any sound at all, when I load the normal patches from standard disk.
• Note even a tiny little sound. even that i can see the flashing on the screen and "midi-message" thing on front.
Are there a “setting” in the menu to manually adjust the same function which these “rec/volume” knob makes?