ZENOLOGY is an Incredible Software Synthesizer at an Astonishing Price

Demo, tutorial and review of the brand-new ROLAND ZENOLOGY SOFTWARE SYNTHESIZER featuring the ZEN CORE sound engine technology and thousands of the presets found in the ROLAND FANTOM, JUPITER X, JUPITER Xm, MC 707, MC 101, RD 88 and more. This is the latest release in the newly revamped Roland Cloud.
We'll do a walkthrough of the UI checking out the features and of course playing the piano, pad and acoustic sounds.
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[@black.iczelion]

Excellent review as always. I think, Woody, what can't be emphasized enough is that people are put off about the cloud model because the *moment* you stop paying, the repo man deactivates your product. These are instruments, we're talking about. Can you imagine if you had leased every instrument you've ever owned--and not only that, but had someone close by to remove the property the instant you decided you could not or would not pay for it any longer? Even with magazine (remember them?) subscriptions, we would still retain the copies we had accumulated if we decided not to renew. In any case, congratulations to Roland for the good taste and sound thinking of finally making "lifetime keys" available for some items. THAT is a move in the right direction, IMO.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

Excellent points and I totally understand your perspective and it seems to be a common thread throughout the comments. One thing to keep in mind with purchased plugins as they only work as long as the authentication server is available and they are maintained for compatibility with future OS and computer architectures. It is never certain that you will be able to use them during your entire lifetime. Which brings me on to my next thought, why are people wanting to keep their plugins for life? Do we really think that we'll still want to use Zenology in 10 years time? I can guarantee we'll be using something newer and better by then! Myself, I use synths rather like how you hire expensive power tools to get a job done. If I need a particular synth for a project, like creating a track or having it in my performance rig, then I'm happy to hire. When I've finished using it, then I'm not paying. I'm the same with hardware, I'll buy a synth to use with a band and sell it on when I no longer need it. Works for me! I don't have any sentimental attachments to any synth, let alone software. Hire and fire!

[@black.iczelion]

Fully agree with you on the merits on both sides of it. However, there is one absolutely vital point that should not be missed regarding keeping an instrument or software "for life"--in the case of hardware, should I grow tired of it, I can SELL it. I fully acknowledge that I'm speaking from the standpoint of an at-home hobbyist musician. If I were operating a studio, leasing Pro Tools, Roland Cloud, and all these other things makes so much more sense. Just as SaaS/PaaS/IaaS often do in a business setting. I'd love to see some solution where software developers could meet the needs of small fries like me while still supporting themselves and professional clients in a healthy manner. It looks like Roland are attempting this, and again, I think that's fantastic.

[@Pulse2AM]

I always sample my synths before I sell them off, you could sample this. your favorites.

[@watercolourmark]

@@WoodyPianoShack - I strongly disagree with everything you say here. While many things are uncertain we shouldn't be stacking the deck against oneself. We could all take this attitude with relationships, highly unlikely that we are still going to be seeing this person in ten years, and been burnt so many times before, the odds are against - so should we just hire a service? No. And many a fair and honest company have opened up software once support is over. The community takes the project up and carries on. And the notion of compatibility with OS and computer hardware doesn't really stand up in regard to Windows. Highly backwards compatible, but you could keep a copy of MS-DOS as a secondary boot if you like and run old software on it. I wanted to run some old 32-bit software, downloaded a free tool to do this and 15 minutes later I am running old software - ironically one was a free 303 clone. I have lots of old games I can still play on latest OS. And this is only going to get better with AI. Currently NIVIDA have a GAN network that can play Pac-Man and then code the game from just playing the game. AI will be writing your patches in the next few years if something has a bug or doesn't work on your setup. And ten years isn't a long time. One of the most popular virtual synths today is Xfer Serum, this is my daily driver. It is constantly developed and added to by the dev. Seen as a new synth that changed and influenced the market, but Xfer Serum is 6 years old already - by your reckoning the world will move on in 4 years, me and the dev will drop this synth and move to pastures new. The sample editor I use is Audacity, it is free and 20 years old. And don't be comparing a cheap bank of editable presets to an expensive power tool, the comparison is a household item. With Zenology we can talk of "bread and butter" sounds, that would be like hiring a toaster!? If you got a one off need for expensive equipment then hire it. If you are using a cheap bit of gear each day then own it, renting anything you use daily and is of low cost is a silly thing to do and dead money - you will end up paying through the nose for something that would have cost a fraction to own. And I don't agree with the ethics of promoting cheap software that you rent, especially if it has a small shelf life. Will you be able to use this software in 10 years time? I doubt it, Roland will move on, they will stop any dev and support and think of a new way to sell the same boring crap, again, and again, and again... Just stay clear of a company with such a poor history of software dev and support. These "bread and butter" sounds will be burnt toast. And don't be smearing the software industry by pretending every other company is as useless as Roland - they are not.

[@watercolourmark]

I will also add here. The software market was once very fashionable and vogue. Every year it was the latest and greatest tech. And while innovation is still rift, innovation doesn't lead the market. Look at the game market, not the audio software synth market but it is a good comparison. That new game the kids are playing, Minecraft, has a current player base of 1.4 million, and it costs little money but it was 11 years old in May. League of Legends currently has 8 million players, that is also 11 years old and free to play. Fortnite, biggest player base at 12.3 million, also a free game but is 3 years old already, and makes around $3billion per year! Counter Strike is the 8th biggest game in world on a current player base of 750k, has a free version and is 20 years old. The idea that I won't be using a piece of "disposable" software is 10 year time is really, really stupid. What these games have in common is professional player base with people making content for and with it, and a company with long term vision and support, continually evolving and updating the software and keeping it fresh. Roland could follow this model. 1st they need to have a long term project they are willing to ride out for decades; update, bug trace and support, move forwards with passion, inspire. Give the base software out free but sell many upgrades, features and addons - these are just shortcuts for lazy users with cash, as anything should be possible with time and effort - but encourage users to buy new fresh presets rather than make their own kind of model. Then have them pay for cool skins on synths, like a 303 yellow acid skin like what Behringer have done with their hardware 303. Support and grow a community and have them help with upgrades, features and addons and sell them within app. They could be the Fortnite of music software, not going to make computer game type of money, but the audio market is growing and is waiting for a software company with a set of balls to come alone and give users what they want, and make big in the process of doing that. Small minds and small vision, I feel sorry for Roland, they are becoming a big joke... they just don't get it. Look at all those 303 sounds they keep selling people again and again, that isn't even theirs to sell. The 303 was sold as a bass instrument to jam along to without a bass player. But acid/dance music producers took that instrument and bastardized the use to something brilliant. Roland have now laid claim to the hard work and creativity of these producers, and continually sell these sounds again and again, pretending like they own them and did something brilliant each time they throw them in the latest hardware or software every couple of years. They don't own those sounds, never did... selling them again and again is a pathetic practice to be wasting a corporation on. They need to sack their board of directors, as a bag of rats could do a better job.

[@TheUnfinishedSynth]

It sounds great. But, lord-a-mercy, the combination of subscription and cloud servers sends a cold chill down my spine.

[@karimayoubi74]

@@winddealer1 fair point. At $3 a month it's impossible not to give it a try. Plus you get a month to try the whole range for free, and if you like any of the specific modules, you can buy permanent licences for them individually. It's a great "try before you buy" model, combined with a reasonably priced subscription offering. I'm completely against subscription/cloud software, I don't use it at all, but I will try this out...

[@teezdalien]

Yeah, particularly when you look at Roland's history of rapidly dropping development and support for their products.

[@TheUnfinishedSynth]

@@teezdalien Very much this.

[@karimayoubi74]

@@teezdalien don't they all though? Years ago I bought Steinberg's Hypersonic, and then Win 7 came along and Steinberg never ported it over, despite it being a relatively young and, IMO at the time, excellent product. I suppose the one advantage of the subcription model is they have to keep the product updated or they lose your subscription, whereas if they've got your cash up-front, there's less incentive to update...

[@vforvillain77]

any amount of money is a hell of a lot of money to spend to not actually own anything. When i stop i dont own a piece of software that ive been paying for for how long? f that... spending money for the latest version should be a CHOICE. Not a requirement just to use any version at all.

[@angstromlittle7090]

Woody I want to thank you for taking the time to demo so many sounds in Zenology soft synth. This synth is such a great value. I would have never been able to afford a Jupiter 8 or a D50 back in the 80's when I was in high school. Now it's almost too easy and a no brainer.

[@zoolook3264]

I am loving this synth. For those wondering, Roland also now offer a "Lifetime License" and you get all future updates to whichever Synth(s)/Drum machine(s) you buy. I got the Juno 106 and D50 for free - so I have those now even if I unsubscribe from Roland Cloud and will continue to receive updates whenever they are released. It's about time they offered this but they finally listened to what we wanted and the prices are very reasonable for a lifetime license considering the quality of the sounds. It's all what you are confortable with at the end of the day. Zenology is fantastic. Thanks for your videos Woody, always love your enthusiasm :)

[@matsuda150]

Rather than a subscription, I opted for a MC-101 and use Arturia's KeyStep Pro to play the presets. Works great!

[@marcochirico7504]

Great demo, as ever. Really massive sounds from Roland!

[@DomSigalas]

Thanks for the awesome review Woody :)

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thanks for passing by Dom, have a good one!

[@LB-pp7pu]

Watching your videos creates a good mood, you have a nice "vibe". Thanks!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

appreciate the comment, thanks

[@felixbr26]

👍

[@genx1144]

Great video and demonstration, Shacks. 👊

[@PeteMOBie1]

Your channel has probably had the greatest influence on my hardware and software over the last few years, so well done for your simple, down-to-earth, easy-going presentation. You show off a variety of possible sounds, even bringing life to lack lustre presets. Please don't change your style, as you have a very good balance between being informative and demoing sounds. You've talked me into the Cloud and buying into Roland's Zen. Liked your improvisation of Howard Jones chord progressions and melody from Hide and Seek, Kraftwerk's Tour De France, Gary Numan's Cars, Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love and Focus's Sylvia. So far I have bought a Korg Wavestation and some amazing VST synths after hearing you demo them. I still love using my old analogue museum pieces, an ARP Omni, Oberheim OB-SX and Yamaha CS-15, as they still have a place even amongst my other hardware and software synths. Oh and I'm now trying Reaper, because Ableton Live is just not for me. Thanks Woody!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thanks for the encouraging words, glad to have given you some guidance along the way, love your gear list!

[@RaveyStabs]

Nice one shackers. I've seen a few videos and really like the simplicity of the interface, favouriting and of course sound & that vast Roland soundset. I think they are onto a winner with the pricing and RC offers so much with continuous presets & synths constantly delivered. If only there was more time in the day to explore it all!

[@memoraphile3623]

i dig roland cloud. i didn't notice the zenology plugin in there at first, but thanks to this video i downloaded it and all of it's expansions. thanks woody!

[@kevinsturges6957]

It’s good to see you here, Woody. I hope you and yours are staying safe. :)

[@TonyMarron]

I like Mr Woody, I don't like the idea of a subscription service.

[@antgeeze7129]

WHAT KEY!! Just beautiful--can really touch the soul with these sounds

[@LivinLifeLoud]

It’s funny you mention Dr Mix and his drum playing. He is outstanding! You two are my favorite synth reviewers. Keep up the great work Woody!

[@ChazSeamus28]

Zenology has been amazing plus all the other vintage synthesizers u get with Roland cloud, it's really a great value for what they give u.

[@orlandomarinjr]

Always enjoy your reviews thank you sir

[@AndrewTGreen]

Hey Woody. Made my day to see your happy self! Best Wishes/Regads!

[@_thewaymusic]

Just purchased this for my studio set up... I feel like I'm cooking with oil now!! Thank you for the awesome review!

[@davidmarquez2821]

I love Woody's videos. By the way, I see a lot of comments against subscription models, but I have wasted tons of money on libraries that offer no demos and the only way to try them is paying full price. A lot of them were not good or did not fit my needs and there was no way to return them and get my money back. That is the "model" we've had for years and years which I certainly don't love. The subscription model has the advantage that it is cheap to start and affordable to more people that cannot get all that money at once, plus you always get the latest software. I think Roland should still always provide the option to buy the full product , if someone prefers that.

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

I love your high tech monitor and keyboard stands ;-)

[@mfurman]

Excellent review!

[@nookcyan]

Absolutely shocked! Thanks bro!

[@antgeeze7129]

Woody wow..the shine pad already sounds inspiring and incred-great stuff you are playing too man

[@jptaylor]

Literally a virtual Integra-7 in a plug-in for $3 a month. A no-brainer purchase. I’m in!

[@kaitsu9608]

Couldnt said it better

[@NathanChisholm041]

Just downloaded it and it's amazing

[@JamesBermingham]

Watching this video as im waiting for my Zenology sound banks to download :)

[@MichaelCozineSounds]

I’ve been a subscriber to the Roland Cloud for a couple of months and though the sound quality of everything I’ve tried especially from the Legendary series has been incredible, I’ve always had issues with their GUI, load times, and CPU usage. After trying the Zenology plugin for one day I cannot believe how great the interface and load times are. Patch changes are close to instantaneous, almost as fast as dexed. Light on the CPU and damn does it sound just as good. This could end up replacing the entire Legendary series for me when they update this plugin with a proper editor. Honestly, great job Roland. Game changing plugin.

[@djangofett4879]

the legendary series software uses ACB which is incredibly taxing to the processor. is analogy uses ABM which is just a refined version of Supernatural which itself was a refined version of two decades of Roland rompler synthesizers. it is much more efficient and flexible than ACB. ACB does sound fantastic but it has major drawbacks unless you own dedicated hardware like system 8 or tr-8s

[@guyattpark]

24:10 OMG..... Woody !!!! you're playing Thijs van Leer of Focus ... Kudos to you for your acknowledgment of the Dutch Godfather of Prog Rock

[@WoodyPianoShack]

for some reason I've always loved that tune - without knowing who it was or where it came from... :)

[@zelender8209]

You are beautiful playing this patches, so good

[@YizzyBeBuzy-COPRODO]

Great video... I can tell that your an old Roland user like myself.... Roland For Life!!!

[@blues4dog]

Yes, a lot of the patches respond to aftertouch in the same way as the hardware. For what it's worth, an expression pedal set up with a midi solutions controller works wonders. Better control too.

[@soundmanks]

Those people avoiding the subscription-based business model, watch for the Play 4 Life promos. They’ve done a couple already. Buy the Ultimate membership for a year, and keep 2 of the instruments, for life. The Pro membership gets you 1 instrument. Ultimate is $199 a year. 2 instruments sell for $298. The plus side is that you have access to the entire library for an entire year, to figure which two you’d like to keep. Just watch for their sale!

[@stephencampbell7427]

Well done Woody, as for myself this is just a great way to go for me. I have just sign up and spent a few hours playing and loving every minute. I have many VST and hardware synth's I believe this is a trend that many far thinking company's will take a good look at. Like it or not this is the future,which is just fine with me. I glad that i came by your channel again this morning , I haven't heard about this before. Again well done on your review. Thank you

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thanks stephen!

[@intelligenceservices]

great demo

[@MakeMagic]

Fantastic value considering you're getting basically a full Jupiter X + a D50 for 9.99/month. Jupiter X's recent firmware update fixed its unison mode too so it can now do the 'super' waves of the JP8000/V-Synth/System 8 as well. It looks like Roland have added 'lifetime key' purchases to Cloud too - so you can finally 'buy' individual products @ 150 usd each.

[@machiwoomiapoo]

Awesome video!

[@ctatrains]

I stick with my vst plugins and they're ALL mine!

[@iamsurmeli]

Hello and thanks for the amazing content. If you had only one chance, which one would you choose for electronic music production with retro vibes: The Korg bundle 2 or Roland Cloud Ultimate subscription? Or about the sound quality, presets and flexibility, which one would you prefer? Thanks again!

[@djdigital3806]

Happy Happy Happy. Roland Zenlogy. Jupiter-8, D-50, SH-101 Oh My! Now I can put my Roland W-30 workstation 🎹 to work. You a one of the best keyboards players around.🎹

[@angstromlittle7090]

So many sounds. It's too good to be true. Hope you get a cut from Roland I know I'm not the only one you sold.

[@ednasdiscomachine6049]

Hearing you play with the Roland sound palette just sounds like Howard Jones! I'm sure you're doing some of the riffs deliberately :D It sounds lush. The Jupiter X is a wonderful synth. Nice vid.

[@SuperMegaWoofer3000]

Well, that was unexpected, I was hoping for a Zen Core hardware module, but a VST at this price is insane! I'm downloading it now!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

likewise, didn't see this coming, nice surprise! enjoy :)

[@mtech1961]

I like your choice of Headphones. Grado are way underrated and more and more people are finding them. I have the same plus the iPod versions. Ugly, uncomfortable but sound like heaven to me,

[@zombieman81]

Nice bit of "Sylvia" on the organ preset! :)

[@navysararmygrunt4037]

Really glad that I found your channel. I played trombone in my high school jazz, symphonic and marching bands growing up. I'm a disabled veteran now and using music as therapy for my PTSD and also pain, etc., to keep my mind active. I've just got the Roland A88 MkII midi controller and other gear to start teaching myself piano. What are some tutorial channels that you recommend for learning as well as good workbooks for someone looking to build a strong foundation for learning piano?

[@WoodyPianoShack]

i'm not really up to speed on the foundation channels, sorry. i would probably invest in some more structured training, pianote might be worth trying (30 day free trial i think)

[@ROBB_DEEP]

With all of the best VST’s on the market(Omnisphere/ Komplete/ Nexus/ etc.....) I get so excited when I see Roland do the cloud stuff & Korg made the Triton VST (bc those are the keyboards I grew up on).....I check for those libraries more that the other stuff that’s on the market! Now only if Yamaha would make an official Motif VST......then I’d be floating on a ☁️ 😁.....

[@alancummings5651]

Excellent

[@Neelvid]

Isn't it better to buy the lifetime keys for the useful modules instead instead of subscribing?

[@PeterWalkerHP16c]

Yes, but most of the wallies here have no clue.

[@gatosoul]

Thank you so much for sharing, if you have to pick 4 from the cloud witch one will you keep?

[@WoodyPianoShack]

i'd be happy to pick just one, zenology. it covers it all.

[@jeffblack8911]

Which one of the classic Roland boards has that Jazz Doo's preset?

[@chri5hill]

thought id sign up to the roland cloud and give this a go but i cant seem to get any sound out of the zenology in ableton live 10.it loads up ok and registers my key input and nothing comes out!.ive installed the d50 and that seems to work ok.just wondered if anyone had any ideas why its not working?

[@su4691]

Woody, what's the 5ish second long music on around 1:40 ? I really like it especially the Drums!.... what's the Drums ? A plug in ? Thank you !!!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

probably something i recorded on the moxf

[@MrGuppy-qt9ez]

I've watched you so much I can tell you what chord or note change you are going to play next. Thank you so much so inspiring me to create music. I'm 46 and although I had some experience all my life I've never created music professionally as I do now with my second love of aquariums and fish.

[@watercolourmark]

Yikes, slightly backhanded compliment... I don't think any creative person wants to hear, I know what you are going to do now.

[@dykodesigns]

Roland start to look like Autodesk with their subscription model. Roland don’t seem to have discovered the iPad synth potential yet. They have one synth app and it’s a version of the classic soundcanvas. Would be nice if they would follow Korg who has fully embraced the platform.

[@ronnieesteban9236]

Totally agree with your sentiments here!

[@DazzaDirect]

Korg have even droped an Andriod app too !!! ;-]

[@vforvillain77]

no, they now have the zen studio software or whatever its called. it works like ableton its pretty cool, they bought out Stagelight which is what the software used to be cfalled

[@vforvillain77]

@@DazzaDirect the zen studio (or again, whatever its called) is also on android i think

[@vforvillain77]

Zenbeats. its called Zenbeats

[@markwoodward836]

Great demonstration. I use and love Apple LogicProX. I would like to get a keyboard like one you are using in this demonstration, but I can't read the name (label).

[@andrewgarley1400]

Definitely affordable. I got the Arturia V lab 6 months ago, I am still previewing sounds, adding in my Kontakt Library and others, and then adding another 7000 sounds. It does make you wonder if you will ever get around to making music. Oh and my Korg Wavestate lol I am very tempted by the Roland Subscription. Great sounds.

[@PeterWalkerHP16c]

My only gripe with Roland Cloud is the Authentication server aspect. If they would send a key (whatever) for the purchased plugs that would be great. I still recall when the old Cubase server was turned off - splat! All the Cubase versions that relied on it were dead - regardless of how much you paid for them. Also, I still use Voyetra MIDI Record Producer ME as it's super fast, light and does nearly everything I need and it's getting on to twenty years old. That said, the Zenology synth is a _very very very_ powerful beast when you start building your own patches with VA Partials. The JV 2080 with vintage synths expansion card fitted has the added benefit of sampled Korg, Moog, Yamaha, Prophet etc waveforms for partials / tones. They no longer do most of these with the cloud products but I'm sure you can get there by twisting the VA partial or even the PCM partials. Zenology will even load up the JU-106 Expansion which is as fantastic as their JU-106 plug even though the U-NO-LX gives them a total run for the money. 2 JU-06As ganged together is also gold!! 2cents.

[@Liofa73]

And how many keys have been abused with pirate software throughout the years?

[@barrystevens3550]

Well done again, (envy the tan), but going straight to Roland to look.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

haha, we haven't had much sun here so probably just hot in the hoodie!

[@bauhnguefyische667]

Wow access to presets. That’s so creative playing other people’s crap. Super, count me out and I have Roland kit.

[@magsprobert596]

I downloaded cloud manager but can't seem to access anything. I think you have to register a Roland product with them first. I might be wrong please let me know.

[@TimeScribe]

Really helpful video, Woody. Will you be making another video when the Pro version is released? I want to know more about the engine and if the user interfaces change with the emulations.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thanks, no plans really right now, check the zenology home page, you can see how each synth will have it's own UI!

[@GeorgeSundancermusic]

It's pretty bold that Roland did this at such a price.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

courage!

[@watercolourmark]

@@WoodyPianoShack Was that a typo of Scrounge! You look at $3/month and it sounds good, but it isn't. That is a lot of money over the years, for all the work you will lose once you refuse to pay anymore for a bunch of uneditable presets. And Roland will drop this in a few years, like they always do, and move on with little regard and zero support. Zenology is easily worth £100 upfront to own a licence outright. And I am hearing this only works in the cloud, with internet. I have one bit of production software that is cloud based and a dodgy rural internet connection, frustrating to say the least, I try not to use it. Woody, are you OK pushing subscription based software onto others? If you wake up one day and you can only produce computer music with hundreds of monthly subscription payments then I don't think you will have a right to complain about that, do you disagree?

[@koyamoro3595]

Woody, I signed up for a Roland SoundCloud account but I don't see it popping up in my DAW options for AU Instruments dropdown menu. I use LPX thank you in advance

[@notalkguitarampplug-insrev784]

Does the Zenology Pro have the same Juno and Jupiter instruments like the Jupiter X? Or should I buy the Jupiter expansion to get them…? Thanks :))

[@WoodyPianoShack]

yeah, it does. depending on which version you get, I don't know the details.

[@dirkkeersmaekers4343]

Great!As I have a small room I can get zenology pro instead the X.You can do more than 20 years for the X-money!

[@patreidcocolditzcastle632]

great sounds i have to do a shampoo add fantasia 2019 is perfect

[@visitmyluxuryhome]

Hi, Woody! Thanks for all you do... I'm wondering 2 things: 1) How large is the full Zenology package on your HD? and 2) How much CPU does it use? Can one easily run, say, 10 instances of it without crapping out? I wonder how heavy it is compared to Omnisphere or Massive?

[@WoodyPianoShack]

cpu hit is negligable compared to everything else I have running, so multiple instances on sep tracks no problem. download size, I'm not sure since the cloud manager hid all the details from and don't even know where the files are.

[@visitmyluxuryhome]

@@WoodyPianoShack That is almost but not entirely completely unhelpful! :) But I do understand. Guess I'll have to download and find out. Running on a portable system for by band means I have limited CPU and Disk space... :)

[@Kougeru]

first time I've seen a "6 second" old video lol.

[@mouldypretzel]

So far I have noticed some major tuning issues with the Oohs chord (patch 14) especially in the lower keys. C3 is almost identical to E3 while C#3 is closer to A2

[@studiosynthsoundsb.v.383]

I see Fantasia being re-used in electronic music (Trance) easily in this quality. ☺

[@jacktaylor1516]

I’m personally boycotting anything that is subscription based. Just sick of it

[@TranceCore3]

like comment and SUBSCRIBE

[@BlethyMusik]

it really does. tired of it.

[@BrandonRyan]

Good luck. Almost everything is becoming a subscription. Also, why?

[@rolandgerard6064]

Brandon Ryan because if you lease everything you do not built any assets. No assets, nothing to sell if you need to.

[@Khyron9]

amen brother!

[@antgeeze7129]

Slow sleeper…thnx for your input to help my decision. Upon other advice I chose 2 devices after having a subscription for the proper time-I chose the d50 and the xv 5080-now that I’m back visiting the site I see these new plans. 30/year Core looks and sounds amazing with your style and kool approach to these synths- I need it. ZEN looks like it’ll save my hardrive and CPU

[@downpatmusic]

That's cool. Don't like subscription models but to get all of those Roland synth patches in your DAW for $30 bucks a year is not a horrible price. Just make sure your subscription doesn't run up in the middle of a music delivery mix-deadline.

[@MangoldProject]

I will never sign up for a subscription model, or a "lease" model. Never Roland, never Adobe, never Office 365. This is particularly true for VSTs, where there are so many outstanding offers out there from companies such as u-He, NI, Rob Papen and many others.

[@MangoldProject]

@Irife Meh, I remain unimpressed in a field where so many outstanding VSTs exist. I bought The Hive and Spire, and those two cover all the bases (and basses :) ) I need. I will not support companies that offer subscription based models, even if they offer a lifetime key option. I urge anyone else reading this to strongly reconsider supporting Roland on this.

[@Kougeru]

@@MangoldProject unfortunately that's the direction every company will move eventually.

[@ohheyitskevinc]

This is why I decided to just buy a System 8 and a TR-8S. All the popular Roland cloud stuff but you get to keep it.

[@evetsnitram8866]

For $30 it might be nice to visit the world of Roland again for a year and hear those sounds combined with the many free vsts I like in my DAW with its effects as well.

[@terrygray7465]

@@MangoldProject If you're not for subscription models, then great. That's your decision. However, for you to tell me that I have to agree with you is foolish. I happen to work in the world of Post audio, and I also compose for some of my mix clients. A subscription model works well for me. I usually can afford to buy the annual sub (saving a bit on the monthly cost) and can pass the cost of it along with my invoice to clients. So, if you're a working professional, the tool pays for itself. I'll keep Pro Tools as long as I'm working. When I feel I'm done with that tool, I'll stop. I was looking for used Roland hardware, but when it comes down to it, I don't have the space or the time to maintain a room full of hardware. Not to mention the cost of cables, the sub-mixer or expanded interface I'll need. I also want instant recall without having to deal with sysex dumps and other convoluted schemes that I don't have the time or energy to program for. Face it, sub models are here, and they're here to stay. I'm ok with that. I use them and always PRINT my tracks. If support goes away, I still have the tracks (you know, just like tape from the old days), and I can move on to the next thing. So, it doesn't work for you, but for ME, it does. We're not one-size fits all.

[@user-iy6yy2jj1u]

geat video thanks

[@MattyS54]

the underlying technology is great. great sounding VST based synth and different options for recreations of earlier classics both ACB & ABM (Zenology) versions. my gripe is the business model and everything being tied to an internet connection. even if you buy a permanent license for one of the plugins you have to keep authenticating it online. that isn't ownership!

[@biggrime]

So you mean even after buying it straight up. You have to stay connected to the internet??

[@XnazxulX]

Wait so I can have my XP-50 back? This sounds amazing btw. Thanks for sharing

[@WillisKeeper]

If thar ever comes without the subscription thing I might be interested. The way they sell it now there is an unknown expiration date already included. And they might raise their prices at any time.

[@GreenHoleSun]

Actually at 30 bucks/year you get the "core" subscription, which looks kind of basic...if you want the full package you have to spend more. Anyway I am not fond of subscriptions...I would have preferred they realesad a limitless full VST and pay the right price once for all.

[@nottusleinad]

You also get the two Aira plug out synths, Concerto and a whole load of wav based instruments, and a stack of SRX vst3i synths included in the Core price of $30 a year. The System 1 and System 8 synths are particularly excellent and sound as good as the physical 'virtual analogue' synths. They're all a bit CPU intensive though.

[@watercolourmark]

I agree. Standard price for a bank of uneditable synth presets is around $100+ upfront, then maybe $250+ for a editable version. But $300 for ten years use on a bank of non-editable presets is a too much. And any software subscription services are a big no-no.

[@sonarfreq]

@@nottusleinad The Roland Cloud Memberships page does NOT include Roland Cloud Concerto or The System 1 and System 8 synths in the CORE Membership level... CORE membership includes Zenology (full version), Sound Packs and Wave Expansions only. When trying the FREE Roland Cloud Membership tier, you get 30 day access as a trial of the ULTIMATE Membership level, in which these things ARE included, but beyond the 30 days you will lose access to them unless you purchase the ULTIMATE subscription level, which is expensive at $199 a year! www.rolandcloud.com/roland-account/memberships/

[@chaton51]

Basic..this is the word... Very basic...

[@nottusleinad]

@@sonarfreq ah... I wondered why I could download them 🙄 oh well, I've got them for a month so will make use of them Thanks.

[@papolone]

I start with the first patch and the audio crackles almost immediately... Ableton Live 10 and Behringer Asio drivers. I've tried all the buffer and sample rates settings changes without success. No cpu overloaded on Windows, just at 30%. Any idea about how to fix it?

[@RyanConroyMusic]

They are terribly coded. Great sounds, garbage code.

[@paulgrooveside2803]

Woody, what is that phasing preset sound at 12.30 - 13. 15 called, please? It's lovely!

[@WarriorPoet01]

3:10 Quite the dream weaver 😉

[@Vetne]

3:40 - ''skeuomorphic liksom'' Swedish slip haha :D

[@josephcreed7]

Anyone who doesn't want to subscribe can buy a Jupiter X. I just want to play around with it, the sound is identical to the new Jupiter X which is the best thing I've ever heard. So if I can't live without it, then its time to splurge. For now, one year sub is fine.

[@JeffyG]

On alternative is a used Roland SonicCell for $250. Discontinued and not popular, but then have 896 patches, mainly the Fantom XR.

[@kevinsturges6957]

Woody, how is this on the computer cpu?

[@zombieman81]

Ha! Addicted to Love on Brass! :)

[@maccagrabme]

Had a play around with this and cant really hear any difference in sound quality between this and the MC101, the 101 sounds a little louder when using the 101 as the audio interface. First impressions is that the Zen plugin has better presets, I'd been quite happy with the presets in the 101 but felt there was some room for improvement and the plugin presets really show off the zen technology, I'd say some sounds in this are even better than their Juno and Jupiter plugins. It does seem to require a bit of cpu so can see myself using the 101 to offload some of that but its so handy playing having access to the sounds in a vst and cannot wait for the pro version. Well worth the 3 quid a month and you get a free trial of all plugins for 30 days so its a no brainer.

[@nottusleinad]

Thanks Gareth - I've just spent the last 3 hours going through all the default patches and all of the expansion packs for Zenology. Some of the Orchestra sounds in EXZ007 are EPIC !! You can also download the System1 and System8 software synths with the Core membership, which are both excellent... I sold my hardware System 1 and miss it - now I have it in my DAW :) Keep up the good work & stay safe, mate !!

[@jitendrasinhthakor]

Do I get world sounds and tones rhythms? as I am composer so I need sounds and tones rhythms worldwide what arranger offer, do I get by using Zenology? Please reply.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

you will not get any rhythms or arranger features. sign up for a free 30 day trial and try it out to see if the sounds are what you need.

[@richardcnrd8302]

Will this allow mc101 editing ?

[@pebbly8528]

Hello Woody , have you ever thought about making a video using the amazing Arturia Prophet 5 vst. There is a free demo version limited to 20 minutes.I have used this synth and it sounds amazing.The developers have recreated many vintage sounds and have added many new features to it.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

i covered arturia's excellent DX7 and fairlight plugs, hope to do some more in the future!

[@marilu2517]

Fantastic repository of amazing musical sound resources! Does Zenology overcomed the absurd inability of Roland Cloud instruments to respond to program changes from a MIDI external controller? actually I still can't send program changes to rcloud instruments despite any updates. I need to be able to send program changes from my external MIDI controller. It is unheard that cannot be achieved in the 21st century!

[@rickyhoffmann5793]

Speravo che con zenology migliorassero le cose, invece molti utenti lamentano un utilizzo intensivo della CPU, oltre il 20% per un istanza. Ciò che Roland deve fare è ottimizzare al meglio Zenology per uso col PC e fornire una modalità multitimbrica a 16 parti, introdurre un reverb e il program change!

[@angelaferkel5614]

How about the export functionality for the mc 707, is it possible to load the presets from zenology ?

[@WoodyPianoShack]

in the future, for sure, not sure if it's possible yet

[@angelaferkel5614]

Woody Piano Shack i have seen a video that shows an export botton in the left corner of the browser. Shoud be around there. I would like to know it is possible to import a sound on an mc707. 👌🏼✌🏻

[@brentvalleywhag3477]

Quiet woody! (Jk) I say FINALLY a vst that isn’t smothered in digital reverb. Most of us have our own reverb plugins we use anyways and it gets very annoying always having to turn off the subpar effects that come stock on vst presets

[@gordonnoway6889]

Sorted, did you relise that for the first 30 days you have the ultimate version, when you demo'd this software

[@markcarman869]

Does this slightly undermine having the hardware units ? If you can have the engine as software ? Have I wasted my money buying the mc101 and the jupiter xm?

[@Gainn]

Seeing as neither of those require a stable internet connection or could suffer from price hikes once you own it... I'd say not wasted. The 101 is a great lil bit of kit. Got that and a 707 and don't regret either.