If they had utilized the 707 screen on the MV1 (too much wasted space there!) and added some life performance options / clip system, I would have picked one, as I love the size - perfectly in the middle and still very portable. In the end I am happy I have picked the more professional 707. With a Birdcord adapter and Anker Powercore 13000 it is also surprisingly mobile if I want! Killer unit 😻
I purchased MC-101 a month ago mostly for sketching ideas while I'm on couch, outside - when I'm out a PC. Many of my project I started on smartphone and finished on Ableton. And 101 is just perfect for this exact task. It's portable, most portable groovebox at the moment imho. It has over 3000 sounds in it and what more important - great sounds. It's little portable powerhouse - no doubt...for live performance. It wasn't designed to make songs unfortunatley. You said full song can be done on MC-101. With many exceptions, probably yes, it can be done. For eg. made a intro and wanted to volume fade in automation on one track. You can assign Level to knob and there to motion but none of existing form type fade volume in well. Arc is somehow working if not first few steps. After hours of trying to fade in a track well I abandoned this idea and figured out I'll record my intro on looper track while manually fade in volume with faders. And it worked great till 60 seconds of my recording (my intro was 2x128 steps / 100bpm). I tried to add one more looper track and get error... then realized there is 60sec limitation for looper track..... And there were few more problems related to 'song mode'. Of course I can connect MC-101 to Ableton and do everything I want but in this case I need to stop call MC-101 dawless. As I said to sketch ideas, to make big, even complex sketches or to performing live it's great box. After month you can memorize most of shortcuts and menu diving and make your workflow quite fast but at least now (1.60) I can't call MC-101 daweless solution. Because I started to like this daweless idea more and more I consider to purchase Circuit Track or Korg Volca Bass in to addition to 101.
If you want to go dawless, I highly recommend the MPC One. It can do nearly anything and is a fast and fun workflow. The MC-101 seems like the perfect sketch pad kind of groovebox that you can bring with you anywhere. They'd make a great combo.
Thank you so much for this. I needed some knowledge dropped in my direction. Also, thank you for not droning and being boring. It's hard to find people that are easy to digest for 20 minutes at a time.
I can see the value for someone who really wants to avoid the DAW for anything but the very final touches of mixing and mastering, but for someone who wants to use grooveboxes mostly to sketch out new song ideas and to get some sound inspiration, the MC-101 is far more attractive to me due to its portability, simplicity and pure fun (random tones, immediacy of mix faders, scatter effects).
@@sinewaymusic sketching suggest making a rough version on the MC 101 to remake it on a daw where the mc101 is capable of doing it just as good on its own ..if u get me
@@leewightman8619 I see what you mean. Above, with "sketching", I meant more like building the embryo of a song and then fill it out with more ear candy and arrangement in the DAW. So, not necessarily rebuilding that embryo, but rather exporting it before it's a fully made song and then finishing the job in the DAW. For that, I think the MC-101 could work reasonably well if you enjoy the Roland sound. Personally though, I think the MC-101 is too fiddly for my use so I'm happier sketching on other devices like the Syntakt.
You can also set the 4 knobs on the 101 to affect the currently selected track in single-track mode. Anyways, I would love to see a video about the sampling capabilities of the verse !
Great vid 👍🏻 definitely explain the pros and cons of each well. Seems like Roland have given the 'small, medium , and large' ...the mc101 for portability and live style jamming, Verselab (let's call it the mc505?!) For an easier time of making structured full songs with more tracks, And finally the Mc707 with the added ability to delve into full sound design. A price point and flavour for all ✔️😊 *Pity the scatter and random of the 101 are not present on the Verselab
Thanks for the great comparison. I went with the MC-101 because it’s not my main machine and the sound engine is my main interest. Both are awesome tools though.
You said something interesting here which I'd like to comment on. You said if someone is visually impaired it will be frustrating to use it because of a tiny screen. However, what is really interesting, is that actually when you are completely blind it might be even better with tiny screen. If you have tiny screen, or if you haven't one at all, it must mean that you usually have less of a menu diving on a device. I've recently said that the big advantage of not having a screen on a device is that you haven't to look at it so often. ;) I don't know if those grooveboxes you're talking about are accessible for blind users, I haven't tested it yet but it certainly would be cool to have a chance to do that. Anyway, thanks for this video, actually I've searched for this kind of comparison recently. Greetings.
That's a great point, I've definitely seen that with the Novation Circuit, since the pads ARE the screen. I'm pretty confident I could navigate it with my eyes closed. The Roland stuff might not have that as much though, since they lean on the little screen pretty heavily for sound selection and modification. It is, unfortunately, somewhat menu divey.
Thanks for your answer. :) That is the first, maybe second, time when someone actually replied on my comment. ;) @@GabeMillerMusic I have to test circuit one day. I know for sure that there is someone who is blind and uses electribe but I haven’t heard about someone testing any other groovebox. That’s why I am so interested in it actually. :)
The ultimate would have faders and sequencer pads with offset pads above over two octaves that you can play like a keyboard or drum pads with the on/off sensitivity switch. It might incorporate some OP-1 ideas on there too over a greater space to work with. Loads of dedicated knobs and a screen large enough and super easily laid out. Onboard rechargeable battery and a high quality gooseneck mic setup as well as a high quality stereo mic in the box. You could use either mic for vocals and guitar and play around with the different sounds it gives you. It would be supper easy to work with clips to build up a full song and it would have fader automation, Then you could export it all as separate tracks over USB but it would already sound awesome and precise right in the box. Someday someone will make a hardware DAW like that. You could also have a keyboard version, like the MPC keys, but not such a pain in the ass to use, much more user friendly, maybe less complexity in terms of banks of sounds, expansions, and tweakability.
Would be cool if you could import an MC-101/707 project into the MV to add vocals. I thought I would be selling the MC after buying the MV… but I can’t :) I still need both.
The beaut is home! I like all the workflow elements you've mentioned and natural song mode. Overall works best for me comparing to smaller (OP-Z, 101) or more expensive boxes (Maschine, Force, 707). Not surprisingly, it's alike and replaces Beatstep Pro with same interactivity and obviously more tracks, standalone. Regarding small screen, I can guess-read without any glasses, which is important (comparing to 707 or Maschine+). I agree, finding it rather big box (especially tall, comparing to elegantly flat Circuit). OTOH it is very comfy when you in the bed .... Verselab's is on top, you can twist the knobs, and you know, all the phunn :) Would be nice if Roland could enable Push-like aftertouch and allow use Voice as a regular tone/drum track (and make it flexible to make any track anything WRT style, etc). Gabe, is there a way of making your own szd packs? I mean in any software, or I only can drop 16 samples onto device to make own drum (tone) instrument? I'm looking on making Hang drum and other own drum/perc packs. Cheers!
I'm not sure about making custom packs on a computer, but I know you can import as many drum samples as you want onto the SD card, load up a kit full of custom samples on the device itself, then load that kit into multiple projects.
With the color-coded Song mode on the Verselab, Roland is getting closer to the «Deluge» concept, but as a Sounddesigner, I'd really miss the «Random» function ;-)
@@fleximarvellous Have you tried MIDIPad on the iPad. It works really well as a clip launcher, including being able to run multiple clips from a single pad (which basically gives you potentially 64 scenes) as standard. I only have an older Launchpad, so can't configure the pads as well as the more recent devices, but Components might allow you to do this with hardware too.
Only after the used market made the MV-1 feasible and having had the MC101, did I see the light...the MV-1 is a great device. I'm old...I used a Boss SE-70 for years. So I'm used to the Boss/Roland 2-line LCD menu system. One less thing to fail. But now we have the iPad/iPhone to edit with, if the 2-line LCD isn't yer jam. I worry that Boss/Roland won't keep updating the MC/MV line, due to the lack of following AND they're wanting to release new stuff. It's like Netflix not making a new season of a good show, verses releasing something new...that sucks. Keep cranking out the MC/MV vids lil' dude and keep the name alive.
Enteraros bien de las cosas que os las estoy explicando..como va la evolucion de todos los asuntos de la musica y aparatos..configuraciones MIDIS etc..etc..Bien animo y vayamos todos con alegrias...
On the MV-1, I'm a bit confused about just the one vocal track being available. You have an XLR mic in, but all your vocals would have to go on one track? What about recording a guitar? Would you have to sacrifice the vocal track for that? Or just sample your guitar part in, which I suppose you could also do with vocals, hence the single vocal track not making much sense.
The single vocal track runs across the entire arrangement. If you want to record stuff into the unit that launch like clips, you can record them into "looper" tracks that behave just like the synth or drum tracks, but just hold one audio recording per clip. So if you want to sample your guitar, you absolutely can.
@@GabeMillerMusic thanks!. I guess i could have long clips for both guitar and vocals and layer what I need for harmonies using the melodic tracks so still don't get exactly what that advantage of that single vocal track running through the entire arrangement is, i probably need to check the manual. Thanks for your great videos
I understand why you did the comparison, but I feel the MV-1 is closer to the MC-707 experience all things considered. For the most part the MC-707 just has physical knobs you can use for on-the-fly editing or tweaking, but in reality the MV-1 can do the same thing. The biggest thing that's not the same will be the faders and the screen. But I wouldn't even say the MC-707 is 'the step up' here at all. They're related, but more like cousins. It's mostly just intended for a different work flow (more step-sequencer / groovebox heavy, less sampler / groovebox focused). I kind of wished the MV-1 had a heavier focus on sampling to be honest. But it's definitely in an entirely different league than the MC-101, which honestly seems overpriced for what it is in its own right. Having owned several older MC devices from Roland, including the MC-808, the experience has always been rather limited.
Now I want a verselab. Great work Gabe. I know you’re mainly sticking to affordable machines, but it would be awesome to understand how the Roland workflow compares to some thing like Elektron. Whenever I see something in the groovebox environment I ask myself if I can switch patches in the same sequence, or automate parameters to achieve the same effect, a lot of the times the the answer, thankfully, is yes. So basically all machines are doing the same thing, but they don’t advertise the feature, which is what Elektron loves doing lol. I think a lot of people have spoiled themselves after working with the Elektron environment because we just want to cram the most into 1 track and gamify the machine. But these other machines have the SAME capability and have more features.
Glad you like the video! I'd definitely like to give more Elektron stuff a go in the future (I only have the Model:Cycles, which I do like a lot), but I've got a few other things I want to cover first.
Nice content, but as a tip I would avoid long stretches with pronouns such as "this.." Use the names 101 or verselab instead of back and forth just saying, "but this" as it can become confusing if not looking directly at which one you're looking at. Information usually works better when the audio can stand on it's own. So, "the 101 can do such and such but the verselab can do such or another" instead of "this can do such but this can do such another." Just my opinion.
...Excellent work,my Brother,as always!!!...Greetings from Southern Illinois!!!...A-bit off-topic,Sir,but what are you thoughts on the "older" MC-909?...I have one & I am curios of your views...Peace...
The one thing i wanna say is, i bought the verselab and i thought its fun butni got bored of it very quickly. I bought an mpc one recently and its a so much more powerful machine. Unless u really want the roland sounds i highly recommend the mpc over the verselab. They are in the same pricerange too. Now i might pick up a 101 just for the 3000 sounds!
I'm in the same camp. Happy owner of the MPC One and making all of my music on it. And, in search for something smaller that I can use just about anywhere for inspirational noodling. The fact that the MC-101 also had a fantastic sound bank makes it very compelling.
I just ordered a verselab as the centerpiece to a second set up away from my studio. I need the vocal features and I have tons of other gear to pair w it. I think for many people just one piece of gear/groove box is never going to cut it. It’s nice to have other instruments.
I really enjoy your videos and thank you for what you do. The answer to my question should help me decide on which if either unit I will purchase. Can I load Scenes (laters) from my Jupiter X into either unit, to then use with a midi keyboard controller?
Gabe, , Thanks for the great video! Been looking at the Verselab but want to use it to record and for live performances of my band. A 2 piece band (acoustic-electric guitar and vocals). We want to add lofi electronic elements and trying to figure if the Verselab is right for us. One question is using it to record my acoustic electric guitar. Would I be able to record a guitar track that spans the entire song? I was looking at the MC-101 also. I’m just having a tough time deciding which would be best.
Hey, old man from the 90's here, I have a Roland MC 505... would like to upgrade obviously... which one would you suggest ? MV-1 ? Circuit Tracks ? MC 101 ? Thank you
I'm 90s, just got a mv-1, was going to return it the first 2 days but now I love it. My background is as a guitar player who got into making music in ableton but I never felt the same connection I would actually playing an instrument. I feel like what so many consider the shortcomings of the MV-1 are what cause me to love the headspace the MV-1 puts me in. The best way I can say it is, while an MPC One is a "daw-in-a-box" the MV-1 is a "hardware daw". Its a subtle but important distinction.
For live sets, you'll probably have the most flexibility with something like the MC-707 or Akai Force. You could make the devices in this video work for that as well, but it might be a pain. Also, Roland's MC grooveboxes aren't great for chopping samples, whereas Akai stuff is much better at that sort of thing.
Ordered mine today, mainly for the chance to connect the iPad for much easier editing. Out of all of my boxes the 707 is my favorite. Really wish it would get the iPad treatment from Roland.
I'm just now looking at the MC101 or the VerseLab MV1. I actually already ordered the MV1 on impulse after seeing all it can do. The XLR input, velocity sensitive pads, and integration with Zenbeats are what won me over as compared to the MC101 but even though I felt convinced when I ordered it, I'm now having second thoughts. I was seriously considering the MC101 when I saw your video about the MV1 and I was hooked. The only issues are: much more expensive, much larger, no battery built-in. Also, if I need more than the MC101 can do, I can just use my macbook. I'm still weighing the pros and cons. If the MV1 was even a little less expensive, a little smaller and had a built-in battery, it'd be a no-brainer. Any other things for me to consider? Thanks
@@ghanezu I just did an experiment with trying to power my MV-1 with my iPhone 13 Pro and it didn’t work unless I plugged it in with the adapter that has external power. I’d be curious to know how you got it to work and how long it lasted .
They're super different, although I might do a video comparing them eventually. You get a lot of extra tracks and functionality with the MV-1 compared to the Circuit, but you sacrifice the super immediate, intuitive interface. Also, the Circuit is even more of a performance instrument than the MC-101 is, whereas the MV-1 leans heavily on its song mode like I showed in the video.
Will have to watch this a 3rd time later to digest everything. The Verselab is very cool looking and a fair price.. although if going Verselab, maybe add a few hundred for a 707... Which seems silly as a first piece of hardware for myself.
I’ve not been able to get instruments to change with clips in my 101. When I change an instrument in my clip it seems to change globally for that track. What am I doing wrong
I have a question for the novation circuit tracks. Can i use garage band for the novation circuit tracks and how do i hook up midi.to the midi tracks? Sorry for this unrelated question.
I dont think these get ideas from Circuit more than Elektorn devices. The Verselab even looks VERY similar to the Analog Rytm, also in some aspects of it's workflow. The idea of having encoders/knobs to assign to parameters via screen pages, also Elektron. The 4 bar LEDs, the knob placements, and of course many of the sequencer features are Elektron ideas. I don't think this is bad!! On the contrary, it is a very good thing that a manufacturer like Roland has the humility to copy what has to be copied to make their products more worthwhile. I own an MC101, a Circuit Tracks, and Elektron gear, they all complement each other in different ways, but the good thing is that the sequencers have gotten more similar to us users advantage. I just wish Roland extends the clip count on them 'cos 16 patterns are too few for a professional live set. Elektrons have 8 banks of 16 patterns each, all immediately accessible. Kudos for the great reviews!
Well the Verselab is nowhere as flexible and inventive as the Elektron. If Roland copied them, which I'm a bit sceptical about, it stops at the looks.. I mean every electronic devices have the same looks these days.. Blinky pad matrix, small Oled screen, encoders.. In my opinion everybody copied the classic Roland XOX and MPC design, and made a made a mix out of the two. Which is a good idea
@@pianoyan That’s all I’m saying. I understand some sequence drums but if I want to play in my drums then I would be forced to sequence the snares or hats just to ensure my timing is correct.
Is the Mv-1 a totally under estimated box? It looks like it has a great workflow, great synth engine, support vocals really well and a great integration with Zebeats. Why is it not a bigger success? Who cares about the small display when you want to be off the screen? If you want a screen, use Zebeats.
Yeah it's a weird device that can't seem to device what it wants to be, but that doesn't take away from the fact that there's a lot of power and gear sound packed into it.
It's a flop because of it's interface, that's all. Roland would have boxed this device with faders, and 3 encoders per track, just like the Mc 707, it would have been a huge success, and a real innovation. Instead they decide to create a "DAW in a box" with 3 encoders, which is a stupid decision. The result is no sales, and an already obsolete piece of kit that will not last long in the Roland catalog, with no OS updates. Roland are really strange guys, that seem stuck in preconceived ways of doing things. Which is such a pity for a company that created it all 40 years ago.
Don’t know why they didn’t just make the tracks on the MV-1, 1-7 with the ‘special’ 8th track, with things like note repeat, arp or whatever, just being easily selectable options for each of those 7 tracks … 🙄😒
I was thinking the screen on verselab is worst than the screen on my vape...then it hits me..you can not buy a vape with a screen worst than verselab...that's a very low bar..
My wife thought you were Jesse eisenberg until I pointed it out that you weren't. She's assured me that she's convinced her Jesse eisenberg so I'll let her live her life
I owned the Mv 1 and found it to be a strange device, not really a DAW in the box, not really a groovebox, just in between the two concepts. And in my experience with it, it was a frustrating tool, a bit of this a bit of that, a simple workflow but clunky enough to slow you down, very good sounds but real pain to edit. This device should have been boxed with faders like the MC 707, with all the faders to control each tracks volume, and the 3 knobs per track for FX, PAN and a CTRL assign. And with the option to use these faders and knobs to control the sound parameters as well.. That would have made the Verselab a huge success, and an exceptional piece of kit. Instead Roland, like often, made stupid decisions, and just kill themselves. I mean, the Verselab is a flop, it doesn't sell well at all . With a bit of thinking it would have competed with the MPC ONE, which is a huge hit. Those guys at Roland are so strange
Well unit is ok.But dev support sucks big time.We expect a good update in September 2022 (current verion is 1.4 --imagine the in 2 years ony 4 times update.
Faders, extra knobs, ect would have made it much more expensive and much larger. I got one a week ago and I been liking it more and more every day. I stayed away from the mpc one because I don't want the screen. I want to narrow my focus down to listening and creating. I can see how ppl find the mv-1 frustrating though. I considered returning it the first couple days, I was worried I wouldn't be able to work with it. It's definitely not a beginner machine. You need a solid knowledge base and a willingness to learn the machine cause it's somewhat like an instrument in itself. I've had it for about a week and now I get excited during the day to come home and make more music. It's been a while since something has had that effect on me. I feel like I get in the same headspace as I would jamming on a guitar, that's what I would always lose using computers and daws, like my connection wasn't as direct. I'd say it's a sleeper that was designed with a specific purpose that's hard to market properly and probably it'll find it's audience over time.
Not at the moment, I've got some other stuff I want to review first. It's almost guaranteed that I'll like the MC-707, so I'd kinda rather explore stuff with different approaches to see the contrast and give more well rounded gear recommendations.
Just a comment about the raison d'etre of Verselab. Not criticising your workflow as it's what you do... with every instrument you use. Track out and mix/eq/effect/master in Daw. Ta-duh! MV-1 is pretty well shouted from the rooftops by Roland as the magical all in one device - leave your laptop alone (!) Your videos swayed me entirely from buying the MV-1 as it so clearly lacks in ability in that dept. Sure, you *can* do it. Same as I could render a final mix from a Zoom R8 .. but how many people are actually doing that ?? :-) Without basic sidechain compression... hey, thats too much money for something I am going to have to bring into DAW anyway whether USB or import Wavs. Seriously, save yreelf the hassle go with Reaper, a fistful of even free vsts and a PC controller going to the pc you would have to import the tracks into anyway... For the record this is coming from an E2S, MC-101 owner. Save your money on this thing.
I get (and somewhat agree) with what you're saying. But don't you think the verselab has a chance at actually being able to create a full track inside it? From what I can see it goes some way to be able to do that. I know what you mean though, have to question Rolands logic sometimes. The mc707 for all it's packed features and price tag, lacks a song mode!!
That's definitely fair. You can absolutely do a mixdown on this thing by itself, but it can't touch the detailed control a DAW can give you. And I still think there's value in the song mode even if you mix in post... It's 90% device, 10% DAW, and besides, the song mode encourages me to think in terms of full songs rather than short jam sections. It *is* a bit of a weird approach on Roland's part, but I like the flexibility. But yeah the 101 is still a fantastic device and I have no plans to get rid of mine.
@@GregDixson I dont disagree with you Greg in that I have seen some great songs already and I hope to see more. But I seen some great songs recorded on a 4 track ZOOM MRS4 wiht only little mastering. I'm thinking we may see a resurgence in local neighbourhood mixtapes from this thing - small crews pumping out a track(s) in a day.... tracking them out and distributing that evening for a party and such.
I like your videos but you have a Super annoying habit of dismissing information by saying you get the idea. No we might not that’s why we are checking your video haha. Also you say Super way too much. It stands out. Is it really super awesome, you get the idea. No disrespect I like your videos we just aren’t all 20 years old and it’s really annoying
If they had utilized the 707 screen on the MV1 (too much wasted space there!) and added some life performance options / clip system, I would have picked one, as I love the size - perfectly in the middle and still very portable. In the end I am happy I have picked the more professional 707. With a Birdcord adapter and Anker Powercore 13000 it is also surprisingly mobile if I want! Killer unit 😻
I purchased MC-101 a month ago mostly for sketching ideas while I'm on couch, outside - when I'm out a PC. Many of my project I started on smartphone and finished on Ableton. And 101 is just perfect for this exact task. It's portable, most portable groovebox at the moment imho. It has over 3000 sounds in it and what more important - great sounds. It's little portable powerhouse - no doubt...for live performance. It wasn't designed to make songs unfortunatley. You said full song can be done on MC-101. With many exceptions, probably yes, it can be done. For eg. made a intro and wanted to volume fade in automation on one track. You can assign Level to knob and there to motion but none of existing form type fade volume in well. Arc is somehow working if not first few steps. After hours of trying to fade in a track well I abandoned this idea and figured out I'll record my intro on looper track while manually fade in volume with faders. And it worked great till 60 seconds of my recording (my intro was 2x128 steps / 100bpm). I tried to add one more looper track and get error... then realized there is 60sec limitation for looper track..... And there were few more problems related to 'song mode'. Of course I can connect MC-101 to Ableton and do everything I want but in this case I need to stop call MC-101 dawless.
As I said to sketch ideas, to make big, even complex sketches or to performing live it's great box. After month you can memorize most of shortcuts and menu diving and make your workflow quite fast but at least now (1.60) I can't call MC-101 daweless solution.
Because I started to like this daweless idea more and more I consider to purchase Circuit Track or Korg Volca Bass in to addition to 101.
If you want to go dawless, I highly recommend the MPC One. It can do nearly anything and is a fast and fun workflow. The MC-101 seems like the perfect sketch pad kind of groovebox that you can bring with you anywhere. They'd make a great combo.
Thank you so much for this. I needed some knowledge dropped in my direction. Also, thank you for not droning and being boring. It's hard to find people that are easy to digest for 20 minutes at a time.
I can see the value for someone who really wants to avoid the DAW for anything but the very final touches of mixing and mastering, but for someone who wants to use grooveboxes mostly to sketch out new song ideas and to get some sound inspiration, the MC-101 is far more attractive to me due to its portability, simplicity and pure fun (random tones, immediacy of mix faders, scatter effects).
But who sketches out a full track just to remake it...I don't actually think any one does it ..
@@leewightman8619 Not sure what you mean, why would you remake it?
@@sinewaymusic sketching suggest making a rough version on the MC 101 to remake it on a daw where the mc101 is capable of doing it just as good on its own ..if u get me
@@leewightman8619 I see what you mean. Above, with "sketching", I meant more like building the embryo of a song and then fill it out with more ear candy and arrangement in the DAW. So, not necessarily rebuilding that embryo, but rather exporting it before it's a fully made song and then finishing the job in the DAW. For that, I think the MC-101 could work reasonably well if you enjoy the Roland sound. Personally though, I think the MC-101 is too fiddly for my use so I'm happier sketching on other devices like the Syntakt.
You can also set the 4 knobs on the 101 to affect the currently selected track in single-track mode. Anyways, I would love to see a video about the sampling capabilities of the verse !
Great vid 👍🏻 definitely explain the pros and cons of each well. Seems like Roland have given the 'small, medium , and large' ...the mc101 for portability and live style jamming, Verselab (let's call it the mc505?!) For an easier time of making structured full songs with more tracks, And finally the Mc707 with the added ability to delve into full sound design.
A price point and flavour for all ✔️😊
*Pity the scatter and random of the 101 are not present on the Verselab
Bought the verselab, I absolutely love it, workflow is perfect for me
Thanks for the great comparison. I went with the MC-101 because it’s not my main machine and the sound engine is my main interest. Both are awesome tools though.
Great vid Gabe.. Just added the Verselab to the MC-101 and TR-6S :)
You said something interesting here which I'd like to comment on. You said if someone is visually impaired it will be frustrating to use it because of a tiny screen. However, what is really interesting, is that actually when you are completely blind it might be even better with tiny screen. If you have tiny screen, or if you haven't one at all, it must mean that you usually have less of a menu diving on a device. I've recently said that the big advantage of not having a screen on a device is that you haven't to look at it so often. ;) I don't know if those grooveboxes you're talking about are accessible for blind users, I haven't tested it yet but it certainly would be cool to have a chance to do that.
Anyway, thanks for this video, actually I've searched for this kind of comparison recently.
Greetings.
That's a great point, I've definitely seen that with the Novation Circuit, since the pads ARE the screen. I'm pretty confident I could navigate it with my eyes closed. The Roland stuff might not have that as much though, since they lean on the little screen pretty heavily for sound selection and modification. It is, unfortunately, somewhat menu divey.
Thanks for your answer. :) That is the first, maybe second, time when someone actually replied on my comment. ;) @@GabeMillerMusic I have to test circuit one day. I know for sure that there is someone who is blind and uses electribe but I haven’t heard about someone testing any other groovebox. That’s why I am so interested in it actually. :)
A combination between versilab and mc 707 would be the ultimate. Just need smaller knobs, faders & buttons, and a bigger screen. Would be epic!
The ultimate would have faders and sequencer pads with offset pads above over two octaves that you can play like a keyboard or drum pads with the on/off sensitivity switch. It might incorporate some OP-1 ideas on there too over a greater space to work with. Loads of dedicated knobs and a screen large enough and super easily laid out. Onboard rechargeable battery and a high quality gooseneck mic setup as well as a high quality stereo mic in the box. You could use either mic for vocals and guitar and play around with the different sounds it gives you. It would be supper easy to work with clips to build up a full song and it would have fader automation, Then you could export it all as separate tracks over USB but it would already sound awesome and precise right in the box. Someday someone will make a hardware DAW like that. You could also have a keyboard version, like the MPC keys, but not such a pain in the ass to use, much more user friendly, maybe less complexity in terms of banks of sounds, expansions, and tweakability.
Would be cool if you could import an MC-101/707 project into the MV to add vocals.
I thought I would be selling the MC after buying the MV… but I can’t :) I still need both.
The MV-1 approach looks very aligned to the Deluge. I have the Deluge already but the MV-1 looks like a very interesting option.
You did buy the Mv-1 right?
@@magnuseriksson8081 I certainly did and it is fantastic. Here's my first song made with it:
th-cam.com/video/jEOVIhxLMJE/w-d-xo.html
Deluge havnt mixdown option.
Really great video - you show in a clear way similarities and diffrences between devices - I am now more into MC-101. Thank you so much!
The beaut is home! I like all the workflow elements you've mentioned and natural song mode. Overall works best for me comparing to smaller (OP-Z, 101) or more expensive boxes (Maschine, Force, 707). Not surprisingly, it's alike and replaces Beatstep Pro with same interactivity and obviously more tracks, standalone.
Regarding small screen, I can guess-read without any glasses, which is important (comparing to 707 or Maschine+). I agree, finding it rather big box (especially tall, comparing to elegantly flat Circuit). OTOH it is very comfy when you in the bed .... Verselab's is on top, you can twist the knobs, and you know, all the phunn :)
Would be nice if Roland could enable Push-like aftertouch and allow use Voice as a regular tone/drum track (and make it flexible to make any track anything WRT style, etc).
Gabe, is there a way of making your own szd packs? I mean in any software, or I only can drop 16 samples onto device to make own drum (tone) instrument? I'm looking on making Hang drum and other own drum/perc packs. Cheers!
I'm not sure about making custom packs on a computer, but I know you can import as many drum samples as you want onto the SD card, load up a kit full of custom samples on the device itself, then load that kit into multiple projects.
Did anybody call Roland and asked when they will be out of 2-line displays?
With the color-coded Song mode on the Verselab, Roland is getting closer to the «Deluge» concept, but as a Sounddesigner, I'd really miss the «Random» function ;-)
I went crazy and got a 707, and I’m hoping a future Zenbeats update will give me more synth editing capabilities.
and song mode!
Count-in Recording and Ipad integration for launch pads are welcoming
@@fleximarvellous Have you tried MIDIPad on the iPad. It works really well as a clip launcher, including being able to run multiple clips from a single pad (which basically gives you potentially 64 scenes) as standard. I only have an older Launchpad, so can't configure the pads as well as the more recent devices, but Components might allow you to do this with hardware too.
@@AndyChannelle thanks Andy, I have seen couple videos about that, need to tryout once.
You get full synth editing capabilities with the Zenology Pro plugin, it’s just a bit of a hassle to get them in / out of the 707
Thx for this. I really wanted to see a decent mc-707 vs MV-1 comparison somewhere, but this is good.
always a pleasure watching your videos man.very informative..Thank you for what you do.1love
Only after the used market made the MV-1 feasible and having had the MC101, did I see the light...the MV-1 is a great device. I'm old...I used a Boss SE-70 for years. So I'm used to the Boss/Roland 2-line LCD menu system. One less thing to fail. But now we have the iPad/iPhone to edit with, if the 2-line LCD isn't yer jam. I worry that Boss/Roland won't keep updating the MC/MV line, due to the lack of following AND they're wanting to release new stuff. It's like Netflix not making a new season of a good show, verses releasing something new...that sucks. Keep cranking out the MC/MV vids lil' dude and keep the name alive.
Enteraros bien de las cosas que os las estoy explicando..como va la evolucion de todos los asuntos de la musica y aparatos..configuraciones MIDIS etc..etc..Bien animo y vayamos todos con alegrias...
On the MV-1, I'm a bit confused about just the one vocal track being available. You have an XLR mic in, but all your vocals would have to go on one track? What about recording a guitar? Would you have to sacrifice the vocal track for that? Or just sample your guitar part in, which I suppose you could also do with vocals, hence the single vocal track not making much sense.
The single vocal track runs across the entire arrangement. If you want to record stuff into the unit that launch like clips, you can record them into "looper" tracks that behave just like the synth or drum tracks, but just hold one audio recording per clip. So if you want to sample your guitar, you absolutely can.
@@GabeMillerMusic thanks!. I guess i could have long clips for both guitar and vocals and layer what I need for harmonies using the melodic tracks so still don't get exactly what that advantage of that single vocal track running through the entire arrangement is, i probably need to check the manual. Thanks for your great videos
I like how he pronounces the space between gabe and miller
Haha years of introducing myself and people responding with "...Dave?" have trained me to put extra emphasis on the consonants
Mc101 vs vm-1 vs (also) sp 404mk2.
thumbs up real cool info
Flexing on the finger drumming!
BTW: you can use the Verselab with battery... or better via a powerbank and USB.
I understand why you did the comparison, but I feel the MV-1 is closer to the MC-707 experience all things considered. For the most part the MC-707 just has physical knobs you can use for on-the-fly editing or tweaking, but in reality the MV-1 can do the same thing. The biggest thing that's not the same will be the faders and the screen. But I wouldn't even say the MC-707 is 'the step up' here at all. They're related, but more like cousins. It's mostly just intended for a different work flow (more step-sequencer / groovebox heavy, less sampler / groovebox focused). I kind of wished the MV-1 had a heavier focus on sampling to be honest. But it's definitely in an entirely different league than the MC-101, which honestly seems overpriced for what it is in its own right. Having owned several older MC devices from Roland, including the MC-808, the experience has always been rather limited.
Both are good.
Agreed!
Now I want a verselab. Great work Gabe.
I know you’re mainly sticking to affordable machines, but it would be awesome to understand how the Roland workflow compares to some thing like Elektron.
Whenever I see something in the groovebox environment I ask myself if I can switch patches in the same sequence, or automate parameters to achieve the same effect, a lot of the times the the answer, thankfully, is yes. So basically all machines are doing the same thing, but they don’t advertise the feature, which is what Elektron loves doing lol.
I think a lot of people have spoiled themselves after working with the Elektron environment because we just want to cram the most into 1 track and gamify the machine.
But these other machines have the SAME capability and have more features.
Glad you like the video! I'd definitely like to give more Elektron stuff a go in the future (I only have the Model:Cycles, which I do like a lot), but I've got a few other things I want to cover first.
Yeah that makes a lot of sense. You're doing great work with the analysis and focus on composing.
Nice content, but as a tip I would avoid long stretches with pronouns such as "this.." Use the names 101 or verselab instead of back and forth just saying, "but this" as it can become confusing if not looking directly at which one you're looking at. Information usually works better when the audio can stand on it's own. So, "the 101 can do such and such but the verselab can do such or another" instead of "this can do such but this can do such another." Just my opinion.
Yeah that's definitely fair, it's something I've been working to improve in subsequent device comparisons.
Great video! Thanks for this!
...Excellent work,my Brother,as always!!!...Greetings from Southern Illinois!!!...A-bit off-topic,Sir,but what are you thoughts on the "older" MC-909?...I have one & I am curios of your views...Peace...
The one thing i wanna say is, i bought the verselab and i thought its fun butni got bored of it very quickly. I bought an mpc one recently and its a so much more powerful machine. Unless u really want the roland sounds i highly recommend the mpc over the verselab. They are in the same pricerange too. Now i might pick up a 101 just for the 3000 sounds!
I'm in the same camp. Happy owner of the MPC One and making all of my music on it. And, in search for something smaller that I can use just about anywhere for inspirational noodling. The fact that the MC-101 also had a fantastic sound bank makes it very compelling.
I just ordered a verselab as the centerpiece to a second set up away from my studio. I need the vocal features and I have tons of other gear to pair w it.
I think for many people just one piece of gear/groove box is never going to cut it. It’s nice to have other instruments.
I thought the mpc one was lame. Pads were crap and was tedious to get any good synth sounds. The synths are crap
Thank you, it's very useful !
I really enjoy your videos and thank you for what you do. The answer to my question should help me decide on which if either unit I will purchase. Can I load Scenes (laters) from my Jupiter X into either unit, to then use with a midi keyboard controller?
Gabe, ,
Thanks for the great video! Been looking at the Verselab but want to use it to record and for live performances of my band. A 2 piece band (acoustic-electric guitar and vocals). We want to add lofi electronic elements and trying to figure if the Verselab is right for us.
One question is using it to record my acoustic electric guitar. Would I be able to record a guitar track that spans the entire song?
I was looking at the MC-101 also. I’m just having a tough time deciding which would be best.
Yes you can record your guitarr across the whole song
Hey, old man from the 90's here, I have a Roland MC 505... would like to upgrade obviously... which one would you suggest ? MV-1 ? Circuit Tracks ? MC 101 ?
Thank you
Verselab
I'm 90s, just got a mv-1, was going to return it the first 2 days but now I love it. My background is as a guitar player who got into making music in ableton but I never felt the same connection I would actually playing an instrument. I feel like what so many consider the shortcomings of the MV-1 are what cause me to love the headspace the MV-1 puts me in. The best way I can say it is, while an MPC One is a "daw-in-a-box" the MV-1 is a "hardware daw". Its a subtle but important distinction.
Why can't the knobs on the MV-1 adjust partial parameters like the knobs on MC-101?
One other key difference is SAMPLING :D
You can sample into pads and slice on the MV ;)
Very good video.
I like the Verselab a little better.
Can I ask if I'm going dawless, which one is best for trap, hip hop, and house? Also good for live sets
For live sets, you'll probably have the most flexibility with something like the MC-707 or Akai Force. You could make the devices in this video work for that as well, but it might be a pain. Also, Roland's MC grooveboxes aren't great for chopping samples, whereas Akai stuff is much better at that sort of thing.
@@GabeMillerMusic thank you so much. Love your channel you have helped me in so many ways!
Ordered mine today, mainly for the chance to connect the iPad for much easier editing. Out of all of my boxes the 707 is my favorite. Really wish it would get the iPad treatment from Roland.
How/what do you edit on the iPad?
excellent video, thank you
Waiting to hear more on circuit rythm.
I'm interested in the details of the circuit rhythm 🤓 I wonder if they'll upgrade the Tracks so it can do 4 synths and the rhythm do the beats
Could you perform live with the MV 1?
Can you just use it for a sound module with like a mpc thru midi ?
The reason the MV 8000 8800 was so great Roland had a third party build the sequencer.
I'm just now looking at the MC101 or the VerseLab MV1. I actually already ordered the MV1 on impulse after seeing all it can do. The XLR input, velocity sensitive pads, and integration with Zenbeats are what won me over as compared to the MC101 but even though I felt convinced when I ordered it, I'm now having second thoughts. I was seriously considering the MC101 when I saw your video about the MV1 and I was hooked. The only issues are: much more expensive, much larger, no battery built-in. Also, if I need more than the MC101 can do, I can just use my macbook. I'm still weighing the pros and cons. If the MV1 was even a little less expensive, a little smaller and had a built-in battery, it'd be a no-brainer. Any other things for me to consider? Thanks
Why built in battery?I use my smartphone to power mv1.In September will be updated.
@@ghanezu what phone are you using? I think the MV-1 uses too much power for most, if not all, phones
@@ghanezu I just did an experiment with trying to power my MV-1 with my iPhone 13 Pro and it didn’t work unless I plugged it in with the adapter that has external power. I’d be curious to know how you got it to work and how long it lasted .
@@akdm82 it works well on android phones (need only ush host adapter l.
Good comparison. Appreciate the channel. What would your preference/recommendation be between the Circuit tracks vs the Verselab?
They're super different, although I might do a video comparing them eventually. You get a lot of extra tracks and functionality with the MV-1 compared to the Circuit, but you sacrifice the super immediate, intuitive interface. Also, the Circuit is even more of a performance instrument than the MC-101 is, whereas the MV-1 leans heavily on its song mode like I showed in the video.
@@GabeMillerMusic thanks for the feedback. Your videos definitely help making informed decisions and are encouraging.
Hi, is there a side-chain function in the MV-1
No, unfortunately
Will have to watch this a 3rd time later to digest everything. The Verselab is very cool looking and a fair price.. although if going Verselab, maybe add a few hundred for a 707... Which seems silly as a first piece of hardware for myself.
I’ve not been able to get instruments to change with clips in my 101. When I change an instrument in my clip it seems to change globally for that track. What am I doing wrong
Can you connect external devices like a synth or drum machine?
I have a question for the novation circuit tracks. Can i use garage band for the novation circuit tracks and how do i hook up midi.to the midi tracks? Sorry for this unrelated question.
Roland seems to be purposefully making hardware devices with tweaking limits to sell their software. The software should be free for these devices.
I agree.Even new sound patches goes fro 2 dollars to 9 for 1 pack.😜
I dont think these get ideas from Circuit more than Elektorn devices. The Verselab even looks VERY similar to the Analog Rytm, also in some aspects of it's workflow. The idea of having encoders/knobs to assign to parameters via screen pages, also Elektron. The 4 bar LEDs, the knob placements, and of course many of the sequencer features are Elektron ideas. I don't think this is bad!! On the contrary, it is a very good thing that a manufacturer like Roland has the humility to copy what has to be copied to make their products more worthwhile. I own an MC101, a Circuit Tracks, and Elektron gear, they all complement each other in different ways, but the good thing is that the sequencers have gotten more similar to us users advantage. I just wish Roland extends the clip count on them 'cos 16 patterns are too few for a professional live set. Elektrons have 8 banks of 16 patterns each, all immediately accessible. Kudos for the great reviews!
Well the Verselab is nowhere as flexible and inventive as the Elektron. If Roland copied them, which I'm a bit sceptical about, it stops at the looks.. I mean every electronic devices have the same looks these days.. Blinky pad matrix, small Oled screen, encoders.. In my opinion everybody copied the classic Roland XOX and MPC design, and made a made a mix out of the two. Which is a good idea
Mv1 is just the latest version of MV, Roland has done these dawless machines for 30 years
Idk whats going on but the mv1 is on amazon right now for only 5$ more than the mc101 is 😮
Hi Gabe!
Is there any way of implementing a mic to the mc 101?
how mv1 compare vs 707 ??
Try the 707, Gabe.. You'll want to get one ;)
Can scatter be used on samples that are loaded in?
I hate that they didn’t add a count in feature. Most people that aren’t programing drums need some type of count in.
There's a count in on the verselab...
@@pianoyan I want it on the MC101. I hear you though.
@@bjamminsincebirth3494 should be standard, right?
@@pianoyan That’s all I’m saying. I understand some sequence drums but if I want to play in my drums then I would be forced to sequence the snares or hats just to ensure my timing is correct.
@@bjamminsincebirth3494 It is now. Just update your 101.
the screen on the mv is smaller than the 101... fail
For features I like the MV-1, but it hurts my soul that I'll have to learn and use Roland UI. I hate Roland UI.
“clips here… a little bit weird!” 😂
did they fix that with updates?
I'm sure you get this a lot, but wow, you sound a lot like Jesse Eisenberg!
Is the Mv-1 a totally under estimated box? It looks like it has a great workflow, great synth engine, support vocals really well and a great integration with Zebeats. Why is it not a bigger success? Who cares about the small display when you want to be off the screen? If you want a screen, use Zebeats.
Yeah it's a weird device that can't seem to device what it wants to be, but that doesn't take away from the fact that there's a lot of power and gear sound packed into it.
It's a flop because of it's interface, that's all.
Roland would have boxed this device with faders, and 3 encoders per track, just like the Mc 707, it would have been a huge success, and a real innovation.
Instead they decide to create a "DAW in a box" with 3 encoders, which is a stupid decision. The result is no sales, and an already obsolete piece of kit that will not last long in the Roland catalog, with no OS updates. Roland are really strange guys, that seem stuck in preconceived ways of doing things. Which is such a pity for a company that created it all 40 years ago.
@@rodolphep0nthus555 I understand what you mean now and bought the Maschine Plus, such a nice product and more stable now too
@@magnuseriksson8081 did you sell the mv1?
@@ghanezu Not yet, I hope for some upates and much better integration with Zenbeats
Don’t know why they didn’t just make the tracks on the MV-1, 1-7 with the ‘special’ 8th track, with things like note repeat, arp or whatever, just being easily selectable options for each of those 7 tracks … 🙄😒
I was thinking the screen on verselab is worst than the screen on my vape...then it hits me..you can not buy a vape with a screen worst than verselab...that's a very low bar..
The sampling abilities on the MV 1 is whack come Gabe be serious
My wife thought you were Jesse eisenberg until I pointed it out that you weren't. She's assured me that she's convinced her Jesse eisenberg so I'll let her live her life
I owned the Mv 1 and found it to be a strange device, not really a DAW in the box, not really a groovebox, just in between the two concepts.
And in my experience with it, it was a frustrating tool, a bit of this a bit of that, a simple workflow but clunky enough to slow you down, very good sounds but real pain to edit.
This device should have been boxed with faders like the MC 707, with all the faders to control each tracks volume, and the 3 knobs per track for FX, PAN and a CTRL assign.
And with the option to use these faders and knobs to control the sound parameters as well..
That would have made the Verselab a huge success, and an exceptional piece of kit.
Instead Roland, like often, made stupid decisions, and just kill themselves. I mean, the Verselab is a flop, it doesn't sell well at all . With a bit of thinking it would have competed with the MPC ONE, which is a huge hit.
Those guys at Roland are so strange
Well unit is ok.But dev support sucks big time.We expect a good update in September 2022 (current verion is 1.4 --imagine the in 2 years ony 4 times update.
Faders, extra knobs, ect would have made it much more expensive and much larger. I got one a week ago and I been liking it more and more every day. I stayed away from the mpc one because I don't want the screen. I want to narrow my focus down to listening and creating. I can see how ppl find the mv-1 frustrating though. I considered returning it the first couple days, I was worried I wouldn't be able to work with it. It's definitely not a beginner machine. You need a solid knowledge base and a willingness to learn the machine cause it's somewhat like an instrument in itself. I've had it for about a week and now I get excited during the day to come home and make more music. It's been a while since something has had that effect on me. I feel like I get in the same headspace as I would jamming on a guitar, that's what I would always lose using computers and daws, like my connection wasn't as direct. I'd say it's a sleeper that was designed with a specific purpose that's hard to market properly and probably it'll find it's audience over time.
The MV-1 seems like a modern version of the MV-8800.
Roland sounds A 1 intuitiveness F on everything they make
Got any plans to review a MC-707?
Not at the moment, I've got some other stuff I want to review first. It's almost guaranteed that I'll like the MC-707, so I'd kinda rather explore stuff with different approaches to see the contrast and give more well rounded gear recommendations.
It's the thing in a different box
Just a comment about the raison d'etre of Verselab. Not criticising your workflow as it's what you do... with every instrument you use. Track out and mix/eq/effect/master in Daw. Ta-duh!
MV-1 is pretty well shouted from the rooftops by Roland as the magical all in one device - leave your laptop alone (!)
Your videos swayed me entirely from buying the MV-1 as it so clearly lacks in ability in that dept. Sure, you *can* do it. Same as I could render a final mix from a Zoom R8 .. but how many people are actually doing that ?? :-)
Without basic sidechain compression... hey, thats too much money for something I am going to have to bring into DAW anyway whether USB or import Wavs.
Seriously, save yreelf the hassle go with Reaper, a fistful of even free vsts and a PC controller going to the pc you would have to import the tracks into anyway...
For the record this is coming from an E2S, MC-101 owner. Save your money on this thing.
I get (and somewhat agree) with what you're saying. But don't you think the verselab has a chance at actually being able to create a full track inside it? From what I can see it goes some way to be able to do that. I know what you mean though, have to question Rolands logic sometimes. The mc707 for all it's packed features and price tag, lacks a song mode!!
That's definitely fair. You can absolutely do a mixdown on this thing by itself, but it can't touch the detailed control a DAW can give you. And I still think there's value in the song mode even if you mix in post... It's 90% device, 10% DAW, and besides, the song mode encourages me to think in terms of full songs rather than short jam sections. It *is* a bit of a weird approach on Roland's part, but I like the flexibility. But yeah the 101 is still a fantastic device and I have no plans to get rid of mine.
@@GregDixson I dont disagree with you Greg in that I have seen some great songs already and I hope to see more. But I seen some great songs recorded on a 4 track ZOOM MRS4 wiht only little mastering. I'm thinking we may see a resurgence in local neighbourhood mixtapes from this thing - small crews pumping out a track(s) in a day.... tracking them out and distributing that evening for a party and such.
render a final mix from a Zoom R8 .. but how many people are actually doing that ?? :-)
me...
@@EnochDark that makes two of us so far
MC-101 + MV-1 = MC-808 - Zen Core
8:10 dude the mc101's pads are laughably bad imo :(
1:10
MC101 is great as a sound module but not to be able to record and instrument or voice into is soooooooooooooooo lame.
Well, its not a portable device, I guess
it is smaller than the MC707. It can also be USB bus powered
MV-1 isn’t a groovebox …
I like your videos but you have a Super annoying habit of dismissing information by saying you get the idea. No we might not that’s why we are checking your video haha. Also you say Super way too much. It stands out. Is it really super awesome, you get the idea. No disrespect I like your videos we just aren’t all 20 years old and it’s really annoying