Central to the VM-7000 Series is its flexibility. Users can freely select between the VM-7200 and VM-7100 proces-sors and VM-C7200 and VM-C7100 mixing consoles to put together a system which most closely matches their needs. A console can control two cascaded processors simultane-ously, and a processor can be controlled by one or two con-soles, greatly enhancing configuration possibilities such as in a dual-console mixing/monitoring system. A basic digital mixing system for live sound recording might include the VM-C7100 console mixing front-of-house and a VM-7100 processor rack-mounted just off stage, while a more sophis-ticated system might employ a VM-C7200 console at front-of- house, a VM-C7100 console for monitor mixing, and include an additional VM-7100 or 7200 processor off stage for more inputs and outputs. Together with the optional
cascade kit and I/O expansions, a maximum of 94 channels of digital mixing is available to VM-7000 Series users.

V-Mixing Processor and Console Design

Essentially, the VM-7100 and VM-7200 processors are the .heart. of the VM-7000 Series, and the VM-C7100 and VM-C7200 are the smart, supremely user-friendly remote controllers. The rackmount processors house the digital and analog audio connections-which employ Roland.s best 24- bit D/A and A/D converters-as well as expandable onboard multi-effects and master effects, including brand new COSM Speaker Modeling technology (more on this later). In addition to strong basic mixing features which put them on par with the best compact digital mixers on the market today, the VM processors offer some unique features which really set them apart. An electronically controlled input gain allows for storing and instantly recalling basic gain settings per channel: a very helpful feature that isn.t found in other digi-tal mixers on the market today. Dual-channel delays allow for phase delay and feedback delay with Hi/Lo damping available. Extensive channel EQ consists of shelving low, peaking low-mid, peaking high-mid, shelving high, and a high-pass filter, while the low-mid can be shifted to a filter with resonance (LPF/HPF/BPF/notch). Additionally, the VM processors support Surround 5.1 mixing for post-production applications.

The VM consoles are more aptly described as a controllers for the VM processors, as they primarily sends and receives control data-not audio. For this reason, the VM-C7100 and C7200 should not be mistaken for the actual mixers; all .mixing. occurs within the rackmount processors. However, the VM consoles do sport a wealth of helpful .mixer. fea-tures like smooth quiet motorized faders with two adjustable physical clickpoints per fader, a huge backlit LCD with a host of easy-to-understand graphic icons, and luminous dedicat-ed function buttons for quick confirmation of mixer status. Above all, these consoles were designed with intuitive oper-ation at heart, as evidenced by the variety of quick keys which simplify complex operations to a single button press. The VM-C7100 can be even rackmounted with optional rackmount kit.

Though they don.t .mix. any audio, the consoles do include two mic/line input jacks, a built-in talkback micro-phone, and an XLR input for plugging in an additional mic or line input. These audio signals are .sent. back to the VM processor as dual-channel digital audio via VM-Link and provided simply for added convenience. Similarly, the console also includes two analog line out jacks and two dig-ital out jacks which turn around two channels of audio from the processor for monitoring purposes; this is most likely where users would connect reference monitors like the new Roland DS-90 Powered Monitors.