Differences Between the VS-1680, VS-1880, and VS-1824

As with the release of any piece of gear, the users always want more. Roland made some improvements to the VS-1680 and publicly debuted these improvements with the release of a new and improved model: the VS-1880. The VS-1880 is almost identical to the VS-1680, with a few major upgrades. The VS-1824 came out later and was released as an upgrade to the VS-1880. Each upgraded model has its advantages.

VS-1880 Upgrades

The VS-1880 was the first upgraded model of the VS-1680. Even though the two recorders share most of the same architecture, there are a few significant differences.

More Tracks

The biggest and most obvious upgrade the VS-1880 has over the VS-1680 is the higher track count. The VS-1880 boasts 18 individual tracks of digital recording. You may notice that the two recorders share the same number of faders. What Roland did to accomplish two more tracks and keep the same number of faders was convert the single faders 7 and 8 into two stereo linked faders. So on the VS-1880, instead of having eight single faders and four stereo linked faders, it has six single faders and six stereo linked faders , giving you a total of 18 tracks. Just like on the VS-1680, you can unlink the stereo tracks at any time.

Using the Stereo Linked Faders

When unlinked , the stereo linked faders control the odd-numbered tracks by default. To control the even-numbered tracks, press the SHIFT key and then move the fader. For example, If you want to control track 7, just move the seventh fader normally. To control track 8, press and hold the SHIFT button while moving the eighth fader.

Using Shift Lock

You can set the SHIFT button for one-handed operation by using the Shift Lock feature. This setting can be found under SHIFT SYSTEM GLOBAL SHIFT LOCK ON. When set to ON, you can press the SHIFT button one time to lock it in place while you move your fader. This feature is also included in the VS-1680 and VS-1824.

24 Bit Internal AD Converters

The internal AD (analog to digital) converters in the VS-1680 are 20-bit. That means when you plug an instrument into the analog inputs of the VS-1680, the analog signal is converted to digital information in a 20-bit format. Generally speaking, the higher the bit rate, the clearer the signal is. The internal processing of the VS-1680 is 24-bit. In other words, if you connect an external 24-bit AD converter to your VS-1680 through the digital inputs, the VS-1680 will recognize and process the 24-bit AD. It's only the internal AD converters that process at 20 bits.

The VS-1880's internal AD converters are 24-bit. So if you plug into the VS-1880's analog inputs, the signal will be automatically converted into 24-bit digital information. For many, this has eliminated the need for buying an external 24-bit AD converter.

What Is a Bit?

You can think of a bit as a piece of information. The more bits (or pieces) you have, the more information you have. The more information you have, the more detailed the sound will be.

Twenty-four pieces of the sound will re-create your song better than only 20 pieces. This is why the VS-1880's internal converters were upgraded to 24-bit.

Dedicated CD/RW ”Mastering Button

The VS-1880 has a dedicated button (CD/RW MASTERING button) that takes you directly to the CD writing and mastering functions of the machine. The screen that appears immediately after pressing this button is called the CD/RW Mastering menu, shown in Figure 8.6. SHIFT+CD-RW button bypasses this menu and takes you directly to the mastering room.

Figure 8.6. The CD/RW Mastering menu provides quick access to the mastering room and all the CD/RW functions

CDR Mode

In order to burn a CD using the Roland CD/RW writer, you must first burn an image file. Once the image file is created, you can then use that to burn your CD. Burning a CD image file is a very time-consuming process. The VS-1880 has a special feature called CDR mode that allows you to bypass the step of creating an image file, shown in Figure 8.7. The CDR mode option is located in the mastering room.

Figure 8.7. Set the CDRRecMode to On when you are ready to burn a CD

When the CDRRecMode option is set to On, your two-track stereo master will be created in a 16-bit audio format that makes it ready to burn to a CD.

VS-1824 Upgrades

The VS-1824 is almost the twin brother to the VS-1880, with a few improvements.

Built-In CD/RW Drive

When musicians talk about an all-in-one box being able to produce a finished product from beginning to end, the VS-1680 and VS-1880 both lack the ability to burn a CD without the use of external equipment. Roland addressed this concern with the release of the VS-1824. The VS-1824 was the first VS recorder to boast its own onboard CD/RW writer. With the VS-1824, no longer did a VS user have to buy an external CD/RW writer just to burn a CD or back up his song data. As an added plus, the VS-1824 also comes with a SCSI port on the back. This means you still have the option of using an external CD/RW writer with it if you want to.

Improved Fader Layout

As time went by, many users grew tired of having to unlink the defaulted stereo linked faders. Roland quickly addressed this concern with a new and improved fader layout on the VS-1824. Unlike its two predecessors, the VS-1824 comes with zero linked faders. The 12 faders can be used individually in one of two fader banks. The first fader bank allows faders 1-12 to control tracks 1-12. The second fader bank allows faders 7-12 to control tracks 13-18. You also still have the option of linking side-by-side stereo tracks if you want to. In other words, tracks 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and so on can be linked together in stereo pairs and controlled by one fader.

CD Capture

Since the VS-1824 (also known as the VS-1824CD) has its own onboard CD/RW writer, it only made sense that it would also include the ability to rip songs from a CD using the internal CD/RW writer. This is accomplished by using the CD Capture function. You can now rip songs from your favorite CDs and import them into your VS creations for editing or whatever you like.