http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/feed/manufacturer-reviews/manufacturer_id/486 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:51:46 +0000 Zend_Feed en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/12748-roland-micro-cube.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_micro_cube_roland_micro_cube User: johnxt660r
Rating; 10/10
I \'ve had it for one week now and I am really impressed.So small, yet perfect for the job (bedroom practice) with very good sounds and really loud for the 2 watts.Also versatile and flexible with in-outs,separate effects,amp sim and battery operation.I am still exploring sounds with my new Squier Classic Vibe 50\'s.What more for home practice?Definitely a winner!
Product Price: £79.00
Product ID: 12748
Product SKU: microcb ]]> Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:03:28 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29285-roland-hd-1-v-drum.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_v_drums_hd_1_roland_hd_1_v_drum User: Adrian Barrett
Rating; 10/10
I have always wanted a decent set of electronic drums for my little home studio. The kit is very good fun to play with its own native sounds but I do not think they are as good as playing through my Toontrack Superior Drummer software via a Roland FA-66 processor. The midi out works a treat with this setup and the kit is very responsive. Love it.
Product Price: £499.00
Product ID: 29285
Product SKU: HD-1 ]]> Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:05:25 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/37859-roland-fantom-g8-synthesiser-module-music-workstation-.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_fantom_g8_roland_fantom_g8_synthesiser_module_music_workstation_ User: Tony Long
Rating; 8/10
The Roland Fantom G8 is without doubt the best Piano / Synth Workstation I ever owned. The points that sell it are simply - its looks - its keyboard action and feel / playability and its huge 8.5\" TFT colour screen which is mouse-controlled. The sound has a clarity that out-classes the Fantom X. This difference is like the difference between 16bit and 24bit sounds. Everything sounds just that bit crisper and cleaner. I particularly love the fact that the screen displays what you play and where and you can see exactly where your keyboard splits are. On most other keyboards, you would have to guess for example where your piano range ends and where your brass begins or you may have many splits where it is even more difficult. With the Fantom Gs you can clearly see it right in front of you in colour. The keys themselves are weighted and have a lovely non-slip un-shiny ivory feel to them. Whilst the purists out there will always argue that a real piano is better, I would say that you can only make this comparison with its piano sounds and you cannot lose sight of the fact that this is an awesome synthesizer with keys that are so close to the real thing and some beautiful piano sounds - what more could you ask for. Well there is plenty more; there are 2153 waveforms that provide you with 1500 preset sounds to keep you going covering all types of music. If this is not enough you can have another 512 user patches per project and you can have as many projects as you like. You can store them on a memory stick and simply load your project in, so you can invent sounds for the rest of your days. On top of this there are 512 preset live sets and 128 studio sets and of course you can have another 512 user live sets and 128 user studio sets per project. There is a fantastic sequencer which is 128 midi track / 24 audio track and you have such a large screen to edit your songs. You can have up to 50 songs per project and the note capacity is 1,000,000, and song length is a massive 9998 measures. I also love the controls on the Fantom. Apart from the normal pitch bend / modulation, it has 8 sliders, one of which can be used to quickly go through all the patch list of sounds which are all sensibly organized into categories EUR I use this all of the time. There are also 4 control knobs and 2 assignable switches and Rolands D-Beam EUR all great fun for live tweaking. There are also 16 Pads that you cannot stop yourself from playing and can be used for a variety of tasks from playing drums or rhythms, MIDI set ups, triggering samples and phrases to inputting numerical data. I was a little disappointed with the feel of these pads at first as they felt quite hard and I felt that the Fantom Xs pads were better but I have got used to their feel now. They are velocity and aftertouch sensitive and are large enough and spaced for accuracy. There are also two expansion board slots for Rolands new superNATURAL technology in the form of ARX boards. Roland has released 3 boards to date DRUMS, PIANO and BRASS. I am currently waiting to see what they bring out next. I still feel I am only touching the surface of this beast of a Synth Workstation both with this review and my own use. I have not mentioned its great effects, mastering, sampling, connectivity, arpeggiators, drums sounds, rhythm pattern sets and of course it is Roland. I have bought many Roland products and the main thing I can say is Reliability EUR go on go out and buy one.
Product Price: £2599.00
Product ID: 37859
Product SKU: Fantom-G8 ]]> Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:58:17 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/40042-roland-v-piano.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Dv_piano_roland_v_piano User: Daniel Johnson
Rating; 9/10
Before I start, I do not own a V-Piano, but as this is a relatively new piece of kit, I thought it would be nice to write a helpful review for those that may be considering purchasing one. Whilst I do not own a V-Piano, I did have the opportunity to spend a fair amount of time with one, and Roland\'s excellent staff at LIMS 2009, where I also spent 15-20 minutes playing the instrument. The first thing to note is that this is a completely different way of producing a piano sound. There are no samples at all, each \'Piano\' is produced using detailed modelling, which allows you to \'Create\' the piano of your choice. So - moving on, the V-Piano is VERY heavy - don\'t even think about getting one unless its either going to stay in one place, or you have at least 2 people to move it, as it really is too heavy for one person to do anything with. The keys themselves are amazing, they easily exceed the beautiful keyboard on the Roland RD700-GX and feel exactly like an acoustic Piano. The action is exactly what y ou would expect as well, and because the instruments are modelled, rather than sampled - the expression is as real as a true piano. The next thing to note is that this is a pure Piano - there are no other sounds - no EP\'s, no drums - just Pianos, and there are a fair number of them on offer. Because the Piano uses very sophisticated techniques to reproduce the sound, it is possible to do some things with the V-Piano, that you could not physically do in real life, for example use all steel strings across the piano, or continue using 3 strings per note, right down to the lowest note. These are somewhat gimicky, but show the potential of what is available to you. Now the important part, what does it play like? Well, it really is an amazing instrument to play, and because of the way the sound is produced, it gives a feeling of reality, that is unsurpassed by anything else digital that I have played. The sound is beautifully reproduced, and the subtleties are faithfully included, whether you are playing a concert grand, or an upright chorus piano. There is easy access to things like tuning, which allows you to get a beautiful chorus effect, that you simply won\'t find on other instruments, no matter how good the effects are, because on the V-Piano, you are actually detuning strings. I could go on about how good this is, but you really need to experience it. I played Classical, Jazz, Blues and some contemporary pieces, and there was a piano to match each of these styles, as well as countless more. At 4,500 - this is not an impulse purchase, neither is the weight, but if you have the need to replicate a number of real acoustic pianos, either on stage, or in a Studio, there is quite simply nothing to beat this. Just make sure you have the muscle available to hoist it into position :)
Product Price: £4419.00
Product ID: 40042
Product SKU: V-Piano ]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:02:09 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/35759-roland-rd-700gx-88-key-stereo-keyboard.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_rd_700gx_roland_rd_700gx_88_key_stereo_keyboard User: Daniel
Rating; 10/10
If youre looking for a one word review on this product, I could simply say Superb, and we would be done, but somehow that doesnt really seem to do this particular item justice. The RD-700GX is the latest in Rolands Stage Piano range, and it really hits the spot on all levels. The item arrived well packaged and protected via courier, and I couldnt wait to play it. The first thing that stuck me was the quality of the keyboard. It feels like a Piano, and reacts like a Piano. Whilst there is some stiff competition in this instrument category, Roland have really made a great keyboard, which has a very similar feel to ivory keys, even down to the colour. Having read previous reviews, which warned not to use cheap headphones or monitors, I connected a pair of Grado Headphones to the unit initially to really get into the sound, where I was not disappointed. The 3 main Piano sounds are beautifully sampled, and are a real joy to play. There are loads of parameters to play with to customise the PIanos, if thats your thing, but as a performers tool, this Piano has raised the bar. Some of the other sounds are good too, especially a couple of the Electric Pianos, however, it is worth saying that this is a Stage Piano, and not a synth, so if you are looking for a large variety of high quality sounds, you should probably look elsewhere. This is not to say that the sounds here are not high quality, but to point out that the emphasis is on it being a Stage Piano. One of the most powerful features is the ability to layer up to 4 layers of sounds and then control the relative mixes in real time using the sliders. This is so intuitive, that in no time at all, I was able to make a new patch, combining a Rock Piano, with one of the new Grand Pianos for the bottom end of the Piano, with a mixture of 2 string sections for the upper half of the piano, allowing me to play the instrumentation for Rose Royces supernal 70s classic EUR Car Wash! There are drawbacks which must be mentioned - Firstly, this item is heavy EUR so dont be upset when 26kg of Piano arrives at your front door! Because of the weight it can be something of a challenge to transport, but it really is worth it once youre setup. There is a smaller version available, which is the RD-300GX, and it weighs a lot less, but you miss out on some of the features and sounds of the larger model. All in all I can highly recommend this product, if you are looking for something to faithfully replicate a Piano on stage, and are happy to deal with the weight.
Product Price: £1699.00
Product ID: 35759
Product SKU: RD-700GX ]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:24:03 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29297-roland-td-20-black-p.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_td_20_roland_td_20_black_p User: Steve Leman
Rating; 9/10
Used the TD 20, live and recording for the last 18 months. Superb bit of kit with only a few draw backs. The downsides first: The hi-hats and ride cymbals just don\'t have the feel. They are hard work on the wrists with no stick feel. The upside: The rest of the kit is magic. The snare takes a little getting into but the toms, kick and crash cymbals are fine. The nice part is the number of kits available at the push of a button.(or click of a foot pedal). I use four different kits on one number, no problem! I run the kit through 2 x TDA 700\'s plus a stereo feed to the P.A. mixer. The sound is megga! The only improvement I could sugest to a new user is throw away the hats and ride, mike up some Zildjians and you\'ll have the DOGS!!
Product Price: £4399.00
Product ID: 29297
Product SKU: TD-20BK+P ]]> Fri, 29 May 2009 11:40:00 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29340-roland-rt-10k-acoustic-drum-trigger-.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_rt_10k_roland_rt_10k_acoustic_drum_trigger_ User: Craig Barrie
Rating; 10/10
The RT-10K is perfect for anyone wanting to keep the punch of an acoustic bass drum, while allowing for infinite control over your sound. This is something that you\'ll struggle to do with an electric pad on its own. This trigger is about as simple as it\'s gets to set up, and is very compact. Remember, if you\'re changing your existing Roland Bass drum pad for an acoustic, you need to change the trigger type in your setup, or you\'ll have problems with the sensitivity. I really can\'t fault this product in any way - buy it and enhance your possibilities!
Product Price: £59.00
Product ID: 29340
Product SKU: RT-10K ]]> Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:33:25 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/40460-roland-rg-1-digital-grand-in-satin-black.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_hp109_digital_grand_roland_rg_1_digital_grand_in_satin_black User: katrinaconnell
Rating; 10/10
Just a note to say that our Roland is excellent, we love it! But our review is really about the Staff at Dolphin Music - Andrew in particular.. what a great team, and how helpful you all are thank you all for making my purchase so special.
Product Price: £4139.10
Product ID: 40460
Product SKU: RG1SB ]]> Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:18:17 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29285-roland-hd-1-v-drum.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Dfantastic_roland_hd_1_v_drum User: Phil Lenton
Rating; 10/10
I cannot fully express how pleased I am with this drum kit! It\'s fantastic. We bought it as a family present (I have 3 boys aged 6 to 14) and it\'s perhaps the best 450 I\'ve ever spent on something for the family. The kit is very solidy built, feels really nice quality. No loose connections or dodgy sensors, unlike some of the other electronic kits available at this price. And it\'s so quiet when the headphones are plugged in! Even accomplished drummers that have had a go might chuckle at the smaller-looking size of it, but then they play it and fall in love! It may only have 10 kits and limited options to play around with settings etc, but that actually adds to the appeal - anyone can play with it, without feeling intimidated by an array of options. I suggest getting it with the Roland speaker/amp that fits in between the legs. If you\'re thinking of getting this, do it - you won\'t regret it!!
Product Price: £499.00
Product ID: 29285
Product SKU: HD-1 ]]> Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:26:50 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/12747-roland-cube-60.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Dcube_60_versatile_quality_giggable_portable_amp_roland_cube_60 User: Kabir Sheikh
Rating; 8/10
My reason for buying this amp was because my band needed ultimate portability so a 100W valve combo was out of the question. Running my FX board through a cab sim DI box was great but left me at the mercy of sometimes horrendous club sound systems and engineers. I needed something to pump out the watts without breaking my back. This amp was the answer. It exudes no \"mojo\" but it has a good tone and is reliable and roadworthy. With my Les Paul on my back and my FX board over my shoulder, I wheel this amp about London on a luggage trolley - it\'s been dropped, shunted and scraped but barely has a mark on it! The clean channel is crystal clear and turning the volume up just gives you a nice loud, clear sound. So top marks for that channel. The effects are really useful for when you just need a bit of reverb or chorus to round out sounds when sketching out ideas. Calling them inspirational is a stretch, but they definitely help with the flow. The modelled crunch/distortion sounds provide enough variation to get you in the right ball park, but lack inspiration and for live use I found this channel was nowhere near punchy enough. So two marks dropped for that. However, I bought this for two main reasons: volume and portability. There\'s no faulting it in that regard as I now have a fully mobile gig rig!
Product Price: £229.00
Product ID: 12747
Product SKU: cb60 ]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:28:41 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/12747-roland-cube-60.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_cube_60_roland_cube_60 User: Tim Hooper
Rating; 9/10
First things first - this is a smallish combo highly competitively priced amp, so we\'re not talking about high end Mesa Boogies or whatever, however, this amp sounds simply great. I play a variety of guitars: electric, piezo pick-up nylon, acoustic steel with soundhole pick-up - each performs beautifully through the Cube. I have discovered sounds on my Telecaster that I didn\'t know existed. I have previously always played through Peavey amps, so this was a change. I wanted a portable amp that could sound good when run through a PA but could also produce reasonable sounds for DI recording - no problems here on either count. The clean sound is just that, with plenty of poke and variation to be found through the EG and Presence controls. The FX are simple to use, with the delay and reverb controlled seperately from the flanegr, chorus, tremelo etc. giving a nice degree of flexibility. Specila mention for the Chorus and Phaser - creamy and rich with sufficient controllable swirl in there. It comes into its own for practices and song writing as the on board effects reduce the need for linking chains of effects if you simply want to plug and play. The amp modelling is limited only by the speaker - you\'ll never get a full Marshall stack tone out of a 12\" cone - but they\'re not bad when DI for recording. Can\'t beat it for performance at a very low cost. Oh yes, it\'s built to last to - much like a tank.
Product Price: £229.00
Product ID: 12747
Product SKU: cb60 ]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:20:51 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/19193-roland-fantom-x8.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_fantom_x8_roland_fantom_x8 User:
Rating; 10/10
I have been using this station for about 10 months and I am still using the in built sounds for my music because they are so good and varied. The piano sounds are excellent and the weighted keys allow many extra effects such as trills and bends and harmonics when using guitar sounds and changing orchestral sounds depending on pressure applied and all this is programmable by the user also!! Together with the many in-built effects and tweaks there is enough on this one workstation to keep me happy for a long time. By the way it is NOT a Portable keyboard it is very well made with a metal body and full size keys and this is reflected in the weight. Enjoy!!!
Product Price: £1760.72
Product ID: 19193
Product SKU: FANTOM X8 ]]> Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:31:23 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/12750-roland-bass-cube-100.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_bass_cube_100_roland_bass_cube_100 User: Ollie Melville
Rating; 8/10
I borrowed one of these on a gig a while back and couldnEURt believe how something so small could be so loud EUR and produce such great tone. Needless to say I have one of my own now. I mainly play a 5 string Fender Jazz and I can easily get a really tight punchy sound, but with bags of bottom end. It even sounds as confident on the low B string as a separate amp/cab configuration would. Being a bass player, I like to be able to feel the sound as well as hear it EUR much to my bandmatesEUR annoyance EUR but this little fella delivers! There always seems to be plenty more in the tank, too. Should I ever run out of power, thanks to the XLR DI out I can always feed a bit back through the monitors. If I have anything unflattering to say about the Cube, one thing is the inclusion of delay/reverb in the FX section. IEURm not the biggest fan of bass FX at the best of times, but I canEURt see any use for delay or reverb here and hate to think that IEURve paid for it to be on there. The other downside is the sticker that comes plastered to the front grille, which only comes off if youEURre happy to remove half the paint along with it! The annoyance is compounded when the user guide informs you that putting stickers on it may damage the bodywork! Still, a touch up job with a black marker pen did a good job of putting things right. Those are the only negative things I can think to say. The big plus, though, is the size. Lots of venues, especially in London, seem to be doing their best to make themselves as hard to gig in as possible. With the Cube in one hand, suit bag in another and bass over my shoulder, the prospect of climbing two flights of fire escape stairs up onto Park Lane doesnEURt feel so bad! DonEURt be put off by the looks EUR this is a pro amp thatEURll be more than enough for most gigs. IEURm beginning to wonder if I\\\'ll ever find myself risking a hernia trying to get a fully flight-cased 4x10 cab into the boot of my car again!
Product Price: £359.00
Product ID: 12750
Product SKU: CB100 ]]> Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:35:45 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29286-roland-td-3kw-p.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_td_3_kit_roland_td_3kw_p User: Kenny Mitchell
Rating; 9/10
By far the best of the entry level electronic kits, dont waste your time with the cheaper Yamahas and no-name makes when Roland V-Drums are available. These make the other cheap makes feel dead and leaden by comparison. Give it a few minutes playing and it honestly feels no different to a 'real' kit. Kit and drum sounds are fine, you'll find the ones you like and customise them to suit yourself. There's about 5 I use a lot and 1 that's my fave, the rest I never touch. You can fit the lot on the back seat of a car with ease, and control the volume to suit any situation. I can practice in my flat again, with no complaints from the neighbours! I'm not going back to real drums in a hurry, these are way too useful and great sounding. One tip though, the Roland drum amps are not brilliant, buy a keyboard/monitor amp and use that instead as its cheaper and better.
Product Price: £699.00
Product ID: 29286
Product SKU: TD-3KW+P2 ]]> Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:56:28 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/34096-roland-ep-880.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_ep_880_roland_ep_880 User: Paul Smith
Rating; 9/10
I bought the ep-880 new in March 2007 from an authorised Roland UK dealer in Surrey. I am pleased with the piano sound quality which is remarkably like an acoustic piano, with deep resonating tones in the lower octaves, long decay of sustained notes, and metallic string and hammer sounds in the mid range which accentuate the realism. The piano sounds chords with fullness and clarity, even with jazz chord substitutions (sus, dim, 6ths, 7ths, 9ths etc). The high notes clink like a real piano as well. The key action is responsive and smooth, the weighted hammer action feels satisfyingly heavy when played, and key return is very natural. Importantly to me the ep-880 has 88 full-sized piano keys. Back to the sounds, there is a EURmellowEUR piano variation which sounds quite muffled. I havenEURt used the other sounds very much (epiano, organ, harpsichord) although I sometimes play piano layered with strings to provide backing for a couple of slow pieces, which creates a very pleasing performance. There are more sounds available in split mode (e.g. double bass, flute) which I havenEURt used much. There is a facility to record performances, but only one piece at a time can be saved in the ep-880EURs memory (albeit 2-track). I guess I need to play MIDI output to PC for storage, and playback to the ep-880 via MIDI input. Not tried that yet. Also has line out but IEURve not had the chance to connect to an external amp EUR IEURd like to know how the sound quality scales up. Works well with headphones EUR absolutely essential for late night practice. One of the speakers developed noticeable fuzziness in the sound of the bass notes and Roland UK replaced the speaker without question under the 3 year warranty. In fact Roland arranged for their local repair agent to carry out the repair so I didnEURt have to go to the trouble and delay of returning it to RolandEURs headquarters, and I was only without the piano for a couple of days. The piano is perfect again, the repairer did a great job EUR thereEURs no visible sign that a repair has been carried out. About me, I am a home player, self-taught, although I was taught music theory and woodwind instruments as a child/youth which helped a lot.
Product Price: £773.10
Product ID: 34096
Product SKU: EP 880 ]]> Thu, 29 May 2008 11:16:43 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/34096-roland-ep-880.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_ep_880_review_roland_ep_880 User: Rob Duffy
Rating; 9/10
As there is so little information or reviews available on the internet for this great digital piano I thought I'd take the plunge and write a few words. Firstly, I am not a professional musician, have not been classically trained, and do not claim to be a world expert. However, I recently upgraded my previous Digital Piano to a Roland EP-880 after a lot of shopping around, demos and head scratching. All I can say, if you're in the market for a <500.00 digital piano this makes a fantastic choice. The sampled Steinway sounds simply sublime, and the keyboard action is just silky smooth to the point you just want to keep on playing. The unit is not over-loaded in features, but I have 2-synths for bells and whistles. It does have Line Outputs (which the cheapers Yamahas do not), it has Midi out and in, comes with a high quality sustain pedal, and really nice sounding internal speakers. There's a two channel recorder which I've not even looked at and a few other bits. It does have the ability to layer and split sounds, and for teachers/students a useful function of turning the 88-key board into 2 x 44-keys (along with 2 x headphone sockets on the front). Build quality and finishing seems very good. Its made in Italy, so hasn't come in from China or the Far East. The big plus points are the piano sound and the keyboard respose/feel - which are both fantastic in the extreme, and really, if you're buying a digital piano, thats all you want. Go get one!!! And no, I don't work for Roland :-)
Product Price: £773.10
Product ID: 34096
Product SKU: EP 880 ]]> Tue, 06 May 2008 10:38:27 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29316-roland-rmp-5a.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Dwith_proper_practice_this_will_definitely_improve_your_inbuilt_metronome_roland_rmp_5a User: James
Rating; 10/10
I have been self teaching myself snare drum technique at uni simply using a practice pad. I was getting bored with just using a gum rubber practice pad and metronome, and was concerned that it is difficult to judge how much progress has been made. I thus researched into the various rhythm coaches on the market I was wary of the price of this model, however I wanted to move away from the generic taps of a practice pads for some added realism, I believe this is the only rhythm trainer with inbuilt sounds as thus was my only true option. The sounds are of good quality and make practice much more fun, the mesh head makes much less sound when hit that your usual practice pad which is good for not annoying people around the house. The mesh head also gives a much more realistic feel than a practice pad. There is 22 different in build rhythms to jam on but for more serious practice there is five variations of the time check. When I first tried the time check on the first day, I noticed that I was naturally slightly ahead of the beat and was getting very low scores in the time check on easy sometimes around 10-20. After just one day of focused practice on the pad I can now consistantly get into the high 80\'s and 90\'s which is amazing progress for one day :) Without a rhythm trainer such as this it is almost impossible to tell that u are a few milliseconds off the beat. Within a day of training, I have seen sharp increases in the accuracy of my time keeping. This accuracy has also transferred onto the quiet count function, where u need to keep time when the metronome cuts out. Although I have not used the stroke balance feature for long periods, it has been useful to check the balance between my left and right hands, as I have been working on strengthing my weaker left hand. I am considering buying a kd-8 now to improve my double bass timing :) It obviously can\'t replace a human teacher for correcting technique issues, or learning grooves. But for accelerating the development of your time keeping skills I don\'t think there is any better. Considering the price of lessons and the improvements I have made I think this is good value for money. Focused practice on a single pad is often better for practicing time keeping skills , than noodling on a whole kit, and it certainly makes the sometimes boring essentials of practice a lot more fun than on practice pad
Product Price: £159.00
Product ID: 29316
Product SKU: RMP-5A ]]> Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:36:40 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29288-roland-td-6kw.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_td_6kw_roland_td_6kw User: Phil Johnston
Rating; 9/10
Having been a drummer for over 20 years, I had always tried to ignore the rise of electronic percussion in favour of 'proper' instruments. Recently though, one of my students announced that he had purchased and Roland TD6 and promptly brought it around to my studio to show it off. The feel and playability of the kit was incredible. I was still able to play rim shots on the snare, choke cymbals and still crash the ride ! (I even managed to play using brushes)Straight out of the box the arsenal of kits available to you is astonishing with everything from traditional jazz kits through heavy rock and on to electro pop. The ability to be able to build your own custom kits of sound now means that you have the correct kit for every occasion. No need now to have to carry multiple snare drums and retune your toms. They are all there ! As a beginner, the idea of being able to practice whenever you want without your neighbours casting opinion has to be a plus point. In addition, the built in backing tracks mean that right from the start you are able to get the feel of playing in a band, with other musicians, rather than just banging out the same old 4 beat with no idea of how it fits in to anything. For big gigs - gone are the days of having to mic your kit - just output to the main PA and off you go. In the studio - direct out to the mixing desk alows your technician to be in total control of the mix. The built in sound effects and settings allow you to add far more expression to your music with only a few taps on the easy to understand module. Another plus point for me is that you no longer need a transit van to carry your gear. Collapsed down the whole thing fits neatly into the smallest of car boots. In conclusion - if you are about to start out drumming - everything you need right from the start is here - and for the others like me - its time to take another look. This Kit is Awesome. !
Product Price: £684.12
Product ID: 29288
Product SKU: TD-6KW ]]> Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:41:30 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29206-roland-rd-700sx.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Drd700_sx_piano_roland_rd_700sx User: Philip Moore
Rating; 9/10
The joy of this piano is the flexability of the sound. It allows the user to tune each sample to get the exact sound desired and then save it for one touch call up.The samples are great and can be adjusted to suit any style of playing or touch. It truly is a stage piano. I have had mine for about six months and it is a pleasure to gig with and just about managable for one person to lift. With the new model available prices have really come down and real bargains are out there. This is a really proffesional instrument and up there with the best.
Product Price: £1150.00
Product ID: 29206
Product SKU: RD-700SX ]]> Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:58:25 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29375-roland-vh-11.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Drolandvh_11_roland_vh_11 User: omid 16b
Rating; 10/10
This is the one ....if ur after realistic hihats with ur electronic kit without spending a fortune .....the VH-11 will make u forget its not a real hihat ur hitting ...infact i am now happier using this and when i play on a real acoustic kit ..im playiong even better than before .....the accuracy is beyond ...if you are dissapointed you werent ment to be a drummer....
Product Price: £279.00
Product ID: 29375
Product SKU: VH-11 ]]> Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:07:18 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29468-roland-rp-101e-rosewood.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_rp101e_roland_rp_101e_rosewood User: Joan
Rating; 10/10
The Roland RP101E is everything I wanted in a digital piano - it has a brilliant sound and touch. The sound quality with the headphones is also excellent which is great for private practise. I couldn't be more pleased.
Product Price: £959.00
Product ID: 29468
Product SKU: RP-101ERW ]]> Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:53:03 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29281-roland-ds-8-single.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Dworth_the_price_roland_ds_8_single User: David
Rating; 9/10
I have had these for over two years now and I couldn't be happier. I work from home with an MBox2 and a Fantom X8 and these monitors have done wonders for my mixes. You can control the monitor level, LF, and HF. Additionally, you have all inputs you'll need for digital ins, 1/4", and XLR with the breakouts on the back. These monitors consistently deliver and never dissapoint.
Product Price: £341.57
Product ID: 29281
Product SKU: DS-8 ]]> Thu, 15 Nov 2007 01:51:41 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/33267-roland-ac-90-acoustic-chorus-guitar-amplifier.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_ac_90_acoustic_guitar_amp_roland_ac_90_acoustic_chorus_guitar_amplifier User: Andrew Walker
Rating; 10/10
For a long time I've been trawling the world of acoustic amplification (Behringer, AER, Trace Elliot) looking for a soul mate - I think I may have found one in the Roland AC-90. The build quality is flawless, operation is smooth and silent and the sound ... sweet, full and to die for. The controls are well laid out and simple to use, and everything on the panel does exactly what it says. The volume increases smoothly all the way up the dial and the bass, middle and treble are powerful but never harsh, even from 7-10 on the scale. The chorus ranges from a subtle shimmer to a muscular swirl, and the reverb and delay seem perfectly suited the acoustic pickups - I've tried it with a Fishman (Breedlove) and the piezo on my old Fleetwood, as well as an LR Baggs M1. With the shape switch on and 'Piezo' selected the undersaddle pickups are dazzlingly clear and rich. With the shape off and 'Magnetic' on, the mag pickup is full and string separation and clarity is a wonder to hear. Shure SM58 in the second channel and you're ready to fill any small to medium venue with sweet, sweet sound. Indeed, the only niggle I can find is that the top hat is a little generous for my speaker stand (solved with a twist of yellow duster). Nice padded bag, too, and well portable. This is one I'll stick with, and I can't wait to get out on gigs with it - it's aces!
Product Price: £479.00
Product ID: 33267
Product SKU: AC90 ]]> Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:58:08 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29366-roland-kd-8.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_kd_8_roland_kd_8 User: Lynn
Rating; 9/10
This is a robust unit with a great response and at a reasonable price. Having used it a number of times at rehearsals and gigs I can recommend it as a viable alternative to the more expensive models. There are only a couple of minor improvements that could be made... 1. It tends to slide on hard floors and the spikes are useless if you happen to be playing on a concrete or tiled surface. You wouldn't be very popular with the venue owner either if you used the spikes on their polished wooden floors! The addition of solid rubber strips on the base would probably solve this problem. 2. The use of screws to secure the leg is a fiddly job as they have to be removed completely when setting up and folding away the leg. Despite providing two holes with rubber washers to hold the screws when the device is folded for transportation, I envisage a time when they will inevitably get dropped at some venue and it will be impossible to find them in dark club full of people. A better solution would be to use wing nuts that can stay in place and be finger-tightened, yet still loosen sufficiently to clear the nuts when opening and closing the leg.
Product Price: £69.00
Product ID: 29366
Product SKU: KD-8 ]]> Sun, 09 Sep 2007 14:44:12 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/12750-roland-bass-cube-100.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_cube_100_roland_bass_cube_100 User: Gary Holder
Rating; 8/10
I had the opportunity to play double bass through a Roland CUBE 100 at a gig recently. It is by far the best unit I\'ve used with a double bass. My double bass pick ups is a David Gage Realist. When it comes to double bass sound, I like to get a nice rounded woody tone for both pizz & arco work. The Roland CUBE 100 set on the Super Flat amp setting gets what I want. The instrument ramains controlable & sounds natural. I find that I need to roll off the Bass & Low Mid controls & were there! So anyway, I bought a Roland CUBE 100 & found it\'s also a cracking little unit for electric bass too. Usually I play through a much bigger set up on electric bass gigs, but at a small venue when it\'s tight on stage the compact little Roland CUBE 100 is just what you need. Plenty of power, good quality sound & efx & also an extesion speaker output to add an additional speaker if you like, tried that & it works great. Good pro bit of kit, will work for years no doubt. Best wishes Gary Holder
Product Price: £359.00
Product ID: 12750
Product SKU: CB100 ]]> Mon, 09 Jul 2007 11:10:27 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/29353-roland-pdx-8.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_pdx_8_roland_pdx_8 User: Simon Stevens
Rating; 9/10
Ive recently purchased the Roland PDX-8 V pad for my TDK-3 kit. I have'd to say what an impressive pad for snare rudiments. The response from the mesh head really does give you a tight snare rebound which is fantasic for paradiddles and any other snare rudiments you care to try. I suggest using a lighter weight of drumsticks than you normally play with on an acoustic kit, as the "bounce" might not suit everyones style of playing. I give this pad 9/10 and it definately worth upgrading from the orignal rubber pad supplied with the TDK-3 Kit.
Product Price: £139.00
Product ID: 29353
Product SKU: PDX-8 ]]> Thu, 31 May 2007 13:56:23 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/12748-roland-micro-cube.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Dmicro_cube_roland_micro_cube User: Gary Miller
Rating; 10/10
I had reservations abut this amp but its just the best!!! Ok no drummer will run and hide but its not a gigging amp. For practice its unbeatable , the COSM sounds are brilliant especially "British Combo" and all the effects you need come along too. Battery power means it can be taken anywhere ( they last for ages too!! ) and everyone who I've shown and played this too wanted one , no better recomendation. I wish I had one when I started playing ( so do my neighbours ) . Just wish they made a 100 watt version.
Product Price: £79.00
Product ID: 12748
Product SKU: microcb ]]> Sat, 26 May 2007 10:07:07 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/12749-roland-bass-cube-30.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Dlittle_big_amp_roland_bass_cube_30 User: Ivan
Rating; 8/10
This Roland bass amp is extremely versatile. I've used it with guitar, microphones, drum-machine and yes, i even played a bass guitar through it. Though it's compact, it felt slightly heavier than I expected - not a bad sign, mind. It seems really well built and sturdy, a trustworthy amp that should last for years. The Roland Bass Cube 30 is a good practice amp. I liked the fact it's so compact and easy to carry, and the 6 COSM amp models are all usable, though i found myself using the "Session Mode" most of the time, because it sounds good both live or in recordings. The Cube 30 is loud enough for small live gig situations - if your band is not a loud rock act. But if you DI the amp, I'm sure it could be used at Rock gigs as well, specially if you use some sort of pedal that boosts the sound, such as the Boss Bass Overdrive. I played an electric guitar through it, a tele Copy, and it sounded pretty fat and powerful. The amp's (digital) Reverb works well for guitars. All the other FX sound pretty good, specially the Flanger. The 3-Band EQ is good, and I simply COULDN\'T get a bad tone out of the amp - everything sounded great! This amp has also made me very curious about the Roland Cube Bass 100. If the 30 is this good, the 100 must be a monster! I thought that the Roland Cube was really well designed and very good value for money.
Product Price: £199.00
Product ID: 12749
Product SKU: cb30b ]]> Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:39:54 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/19193-roland-fantom-x8.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Dronald_roland_fantom_x8 User: Jan Srensen
Rating; 8/10
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Product Price: £1760.72
Product ID: 19193
Product SKU: FANTOM X8 ]]> Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:28:26 +0000 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/12750-roland-bass-cube-100.html/?utm_medium=rss%26utm_source%3Dreviews_roland%26utm_campaign%3Dmanufacturer%26utm_content%3Droland_bass_cube_100_roland_bass_cube_100 User: Rich Whitworth
Rating; 10/10
After lengthy consideration and perusal over the various combo amps on offer, I came across this fiery little number. At first glance it looks like any other 'practice amp'- any bass players out there will know all to well that such amps are often not worth the box they're sold in, indeed the packaging could well produce a richer and more colourful sound. However, when I tested this wonderful cube out in a music store in Tokyo, I was amazed by the sounds it produced. 100W of power output have never been put to such use, the 12" coaxial 2-way speaker packs huge punch at low and high ends of the spectrum. This alone would sell the Bass Cube 100 to me, but add in high quality effects and you're left parting with your money faster than a speeding bullock... Do you get embroiled in 'who can get the loudest in your band practice' disputes...Or, do you need something portable to remain by your side in smaller venues and gigs that provides rich, deep bass, something that doesn't sound like there's a used coffee filter flapping in your cabinet where a speaker should be? Buy this.
Product Price: £359.00
Product ID: 12750
Product SKU: CB100 ]]> Thu, 08 Jun 2006 05:20:03 +0000