Content area
Full Text
"Studio-in-a-box" products like Roland's V-Studio series Digital Studio Workstations offer a number of benefits: self-contained operation (just add mics and headphones or speakers), portability, dedicated OS/user interface, cost-effectiveness, and so on. They're ideal for many of those who, for whatever reason, don't want to jump on the computer-recording bandwagon - or to augment a computer rig for location and other recording purposes.
But one area where these products have always lagged behind was plug-ins. While computer users are drowning in a sea of cool software widgets, studio-in-a-box users have only had what the manufacturer of their unit provided or offered as an option - granted, there was nothing wrong with what was there, it was simply a matter of selection and variety.
At the 2004 Winter NAMM show, Roland changed all that with the introduction of the VS8F-3 plug-in expansion card for V-Studio Digital Studio Workstations. For $395, you get a DSP-equipped expansion card that plugs into the back of your V-Studio. The card can run up to two stereo or four mono plug-ins simultaneously, or at high sample rates (above 64kHz), you can use up to one stereo or two mono plug-ins. The type of algorithm a given effect is based on also impacts the number of plug-ins you can run simultaneously. Some algorithms require all the processing power on the card; others don't need as much DSP.
Installation is easy; remove a few screws holding on a cover plate, pop in the card, re-install the cover plate. A CD-ROM included with the unit contains the necessary software, as well as five Roland plug-ins. Third-party plug-ins load in from their own CD- ROMs. This means that you need a CD drive in your V-Studio; if your particular one doesn't have one built-in, you'll need to acquire an external SCSI drive.
The VS8F-3 uses a unique copy-protection scheme. When you install your first card (depending on your V-Studio, you can install up to four), it is designated as the "Key Card." The software creates a unique ID that requires the presence of that specific card in order for the plug-ins to work. If you have more than one V-Studio, you can move the VS8F-3 that's been designated the Key Card among them; whichever one...