The Roland E-4 is Weird! (In a Good Way)

The Roland E-4 is Weird! (In a Good Way)
Today I wanted to see if I could plug a Pocket Operator straight into the "Mic In" jack on the Roland E-4 and use the Voice Tweaker as an effects unit. Turns out, it does indeed work, however the E-4 is very weird about how it processes audio that isn't vocals. This did lead to some fun sounds though, particularly the drums at the end! Enjoy the video :)
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GEAR IN THIS VIDEO
Roland E-4 Voice Tweaker: amzn.to/3YUchZ8
Zoom Livetrak L-12 (audio recorder): amzn.to/3xJuLzt
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[@magnetik5348]

It's great fun to feed acapellas through the E-4.

[@FreeBeat]

I should try that!

[@edleroy7593]

Mate, it's unique. Pure Madness !.. Such a mindset you have ! Bravo.

[@vidalhit]

I just got one and its amazing thanks for showing us this cool interactions! ;)

[@FreeBeat]

Absolutely, thank you!

[@EarlyMist]

Sounds awesome the whole way through. Excellent lead sounds, and some basses in there, some odd vox effects.

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks!

[@80Jay71]

This is what I meant with your jamming being cool! Especially the drum-riff!

[@FreeBeat]

I appreciate that!

[@DocBolus]

E4 was probably one of my better purchases, I have fed a lot of different stuff through it including guitar. The thing that took me by surprise was how much fun the looper was, totally unexpected for building up weird loops.

[@wiggesobk]

Very cool Experiment!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks as always!

[@rorz999]

Roland really should have put a separate line-in jack on this one. It's not like there's a lack of space (unlike the other Aira Compacts which are pretty crammed)

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah an extra 1/8" line in jack through the effects would be awesome!

[@cornishwavesmusic]

Great stuff buddy

[@FreeBeat]

Thank you!

[@akdm82]

I must make a confession about you, FreeBeat dude. On SO MANY occasions, I have thought you were way off base in regards to your recommendations and what you thought was best, but a while back, I started trying some of the items you have championed and little by little, I am seeing your genius, sir. Examples: Korg NTS-1. I thought your love for that was non-sensical, but during a weak moment when I had the GAS itch and not a lot of money, I ordered one, and, wow, It is all you said it was. I love it. I use it for lots of different stuff. And it is so tiny. Then it was about the Roland E-4. You loved it, but it was the least appealing of the new compact Aira trio to me. I finally bought one on a lark and again, it is awesome, so you were right. Ugh. Then, I saw one of your videos about the Zoom MS-70CDR and wondered what you saw in it, but just the other day saw another video about it and figured I'd give it a chance, and I do love it so much. You really need to stop talking me into purchases sir! LOL. All kidding aside, thanks for your fun and informative videos and I hope you enjoy the new things you bought recently that I have been enjoying for a while, like the MC-101.

[@akdm82]

Oh, and I forgot the Pocket Operator 33KO! That thing is so much fun!

[@FreeBeat]

Glad to hear it, thanks so much!

[@rexcellencemagee6729]

I’m guessing one of the reasons the higher notes are lonely on the harmonized is your going thru the mic and the mic is designed to harmonize with a separate signal. At least that’s the way it works on my Live 2 and Boss VE. If there’s no separate signal there’s nothing to harmonize with, I’m guessing…lol. It really did come up with a nice pad sound, now I would sample it and make polyphonic. I’d bet tweaking it on the Sonicware would produce some desirable results! Great video,love the ones you’re not sure if it will work till it’s in the can! Lol

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks as always!

[@dj0shtur]

is this item has option to go fx trough because when I use delay and reverb there's no way to hear any audio unless they're on. please help out! im using front mic in

[@zloboslav_]

I'd love to see this with also added midi keyboard so you can play the pocket operator and the midi keyboard at the same time and change the E-4 harmony notes while playing. :)

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah that's a great idea!

[@johnwethekylow]

Did you update the firmware or something? Any time I see someone use the mic jack for an instrument it just peaks like crazy and wants to break the E-4. I figured you'd have to set the volume to 10% or less to even stand a chance. Shame you can't get the splitter to work again, 2 sources? Keep tryin! Ah, I just got the J-6 and REALLY wish I could get this now.

[@FreeBeat]

Nope! Just stock haha. Thanks for watching :)

[@rayderrich]

Fun experiment, a little harsh on the ears early morning, but other than that very cool.

[@FreeBeat]

Oh yeah not recommended for the early morning hahaha

[@agustinbernal2760]

Hi, do you know how to change the tempo on the E4 without using a computer or ipad daw? Thanks!

[@FreeBeat]

I actually haven't figured it out, sorry!

[@mekitelo]

Hello. Couldn't the microphone input be damaged if I put a line signal into it? I think it's risky. Or am i wrong?

[@davidcassidy602]

I’m worried about the same thing, being new to synths and such. However, I think that’s what the little SENS knob is for. I bet that there’s some protective circuit behind that mic jack; you and I can’t have been the first people in music history to think about plugging (or accidentally plug) audio signals into a mic jack

[@darkuniversesound]

Just out of curiosity - has your E4 unit ever had any problems with the main mic jack sending way too low a signal? i have to turn the sensitivity way up, as well as the mixer gain, in order to get an audible signal from my E4, and then the noise floor is incredibly high and makes performance with IT unusable.... i sent my unit back to Roland, and they sent IT back to me, saying that they had tested IT and could not find anything wrong 😒

[@wiggesobk]

Same here

[@FreeBeat]

Not that I've noticed actually, interesting!

[@annother3350]

Does your MIC need phantom power?

[@wiggesobk]

@@annother3350 no i've used a shure beta 58 a.

[@annother3350]

@@wiggesobk ok great. I thought thats the first thing to check!

[@TrickmanTerry]

So weird but very cool.

[@FreeBeat]

Definitely!

[@robertlathan4639]

Auto tune only makes a difference when the notes are flat which will hard to demonstrate when the pocket operator will always be in pitch!

[@FreeBeat]

Right, but when I set it to "fixed" it didn't apply the changes until I got until the lower register :) Just a little quirk.

[@羽衣甘藍奧頓]

🙏👍

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@EnochDark]

Oh look, another piece of wood... Anyways, hard passed on this one since I've had a VT-3 I never use for years already.

[@FreeBeat]

What about wood? Lol

[@MrJonesy2121]

The thing sounds terrible what a mess.

[@riccardorossi4999]

Talk less,do more

[@FlaraFx]

This was the worst tutorial ...

[@nopillzplease2830]

U the only goofy talking about a tutorial; where was that word ever used? Everything on KZbin a tutorial? Guess Kendrick put out the worst tutorial in the past month too. Gtfoh