Roland Verselab MV-1 Workstation

General

The all-new Roland Verselab MV-1 is a sublime workstation that calls on all musicians who've grown deeply attached to an MPC-style work-flow. While it's by no means a limited bit of kit, the MV-1 is especially capable of great things when put in the hands of Urban producers. That doesn't just stem from the fact that its sounds are generated by Roland's ZEN Core engine, but a hugely intuitive interface that allows you whip up urban beats in no time. Granted, it's going to take a bit of time to fully get to know this groove-box but, once you're familiar with everything the MV-1 is capable of, you'll be knocking together solid tracks in mere minutes. If you're already used to working with MPC or x0x-style buttons, you'll no doubt know exactly what we're talking about.

The Roland Verselab MV-1: A Highly Complete Stand-Alone Workstation

In terms of sound, the Verselab MV-1 is nothing short of a treasure trove filled with countless samples and drum kits that are backed by a maximum polyphony of 128. However, it must be said that the actual polyphony depends on how much load you put on the ZEN Core engine, which naturally has to work harder when asked to generate complex sounds. The fact remains that Urban tunes aren't necessarily the most complex, so any amount of polyphony available at any time can still be considered to be pretty immense. Also, if you'd prefer to load in samples of your own, you can use the SD card reader that Roland have built into the MV-1 but then again, you can rest assured that it'll be a while before you've heard everything this potent music machine comes loaded with. Next effects and mastering effects, you're offered twelve minutes of mono sample time and six minutes of stereo sample time, which leaves us no choice but to conclude that Roland have successfully managed to turn the Verselab MV-1 into a highly complete, all-in-one stand-alone workstation.