Roland VM-7000 Series User manual

Congratulations on your purchase of the VM-7000 digital mixing system.
Your VM-7000 combines incredible sound quality with a powerful suite
of mixing tools.
The VM-7000 is very easy to use, as you’ll see.You can quickly get to
everything you need to do, usually with just a few button-presses.
We’ve prepared this application guide as an overview of the VM-7000’s
architecture, and as a quick introduction to its basic operation.You’ll
also learn about some of its more advanced features.
A great mixing system like the VM-7000 must be flexible so that there’s
always a quick way to do what needs to be done in a session or during
a performance.The steps in this application guide don’t always describe
the only way something can be done—sometimes they describe a
recommended way of doing things, or merely one way. As you get to
know your VM-7000, you’ll find your own favorite methods.
Button, jack, screen and setting names in this application guide are
presented as they appear on the VM-7000 itself.
The V knobs and F buttons beneath the console display perform
different jobs depending on what you’re currently doing.When we refer
to one of these knobs or buttons, we’ll refer to it by name and include its
current function in brackets, as in “V1 [SELECT]”or “F1 [SET].”
Please read the guide in order from front to back, since it builds your
knowledge of the VM-7000 step-by-step. Jumping in and out at different
places may not result in as clear an understanding of the system. It’ll
probably take you an hour or two to work your way through the entire
application guide.
From time to time, we’ll refer you to pages in the VM-C7200 /C7100
Owner’s Manual for further information about the topic at hand.
Notes, tips and warnings throughout this application guide are signified
by symbols located to their left:
©2000 Roland Corporation U.S. Getting Started with the VM-7000 2796US, v1.0 Page 1
®
ÂØÒňÎ
About this
Application
Guide
Application Guide
Welcome!
Getting Started
with the VM-7000
Getting Started
with the VM-7000
Notes provide information relating to the topic under discussion.
Tips offer suggestions for using the feature being discussed.
Warnings contain important information that can help you avoid
possible damage to your equipment or yourself.

A basic VM-7000 system consists of two components: a mixing
processor and a console. A VM-7000 system can contain one or two
processors and one or two consoles.This application guide primarily
discusses the operation of a one-console/one-processor system.
Let’s discuss what these two different components actually do.
The mixing processor is where the real power of the VM-7000 system
lies. In addition to supplying most of your inputs and outputs, all of the
system’s digital mixing operations actually occur in the processor.
Effects are also produced there. Automated mixing takes place in the
processor as well.
The console, on the other hand, controls the mixing processor. It
resembles a traditional mixer—and it works a lot like one, too—but all
it’s really doing is making things happen in the mixing processor.That’s
not to say it’s not important—it’s where you do your work.The console
also provides some useful connector jacks.
Together, the mixing processor and console provide a system that can
do everything a traditional single-piece mixer can do and much more.
Roland offers a variety of options that add additional power and
convenience to your VM-7000 system. Each of these options can be
purchased separately.
Effects
You can augment the built-in effects by purchasing as many as three
VS8F-2 Effect Expansion Boards for each processor. With three
VS8F-2s, a processor provides eight stereo—or 16 mono—effects plus
a stereo master effect.
Digital R-BUS Connections
You can also add a VM-24E I/O Expansion Board.The VM-24E provides
three R-BUS™connectors for a total of 24 channels of digital I/O
(“Input/Output”). Roland’s exclusive R-BUS digital audio format sends
and receives eight channels of up to 24-bit digital input and output
signals through each 25-pin D-sub R-BUS connector. A growing family
of Roland products offer R-BUS connectivity, including the VM-3100Pro,
VSR-880 and XV-5080, as well as a host of I/O devices such as the
ADA-7000 analog I/O expander and AE-7000 AES/EBU interface.
A DIF-AT Interface Box lets you digitally connect ADAT®and Tascam®
digital recorders to a VM-24E R-BUS connector. Since the VM-24E has
three R-BUS connectors, three DIF-AT boxes provide up to 24 ADAT/
T-DIF channels of digital I/O.
More Channels
You can expand your VM-7000 mixing system to a whopping 94
channels of audio processing by adding a second VM-7200 mixing
processor and VM-24E to your system. If you need fewer additional
channels, you can add a VM-7100 instead. In either case, the VM-24C
Cascade Kit allows you to connect your two mixing processors.
©2000 Roland Corporation U.S. Getting Started with the VM-7000 2796US, v1.0 Page 2
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
I. The Components of a VM-7000 System
II. Adding Options
VM-7200 mixing processor
VM-C7200 console

More Convenience
The following options for your console make using a VM system even
easier and make it look even more visually attractive.
Though the console already provides a big built-in display, you can also
add an MB-24 Level Meter Bridge.The MB-24 helps you see at a
glance what’s going on in the system by adding 28 LED level meters, a
multi-mode time counter and a set of status LEDs.
The VM-C7100 console is rackmountable.To mount it flat in a rack, you
can buy a RO-C7100 Rackmount Angle. If you want to mount it at an
angle, you’ll need a RO-7000 Rackmount Angle.
You can also purchase wood-grained side panels for your console—the
VM-SP72 for a VM-C7200 console, or the VM-SP71 for a VM-C7100
console.
Installing Options
All of the options we’ve mentioned come with their own installation
instructions.You’ll want to install the options before rackmounting your
mixing processor and before connecting speakers, amplifiers, mics,
instruments and so on to your system.
Since the VM-7000 can be used for live or studio sound, how you’ll
listen to it depends on your situation.We’ll describe how to listen to the
system in stereo in this Application Guide.To learn about setting up for
surround sound, see p. 91 in the VM-C7200/C7100 Owner’s Manual.
Live Sound
If you’re doing live sound, connect the mixing processor’s L and R MAIN
OUTs to the left and right inputs of your stereo house amplifier.The
front panel of the processor provides 1/4”MAIN OUT jacks, while the
rear panel provides XLR MAIN OUTs.The console’s MASTER fader
controls the overall level of your mix.
If you’re working in mono, you can use either a L or R MAIN OUT. If you
use only one MAIN OUT, be sure to pan your signals to the selected
output for optimum levels. If you use both outputs, pan your signals to
the center of the stereo field. (We’ll discuss panning later.)
You can also set up monitor feeds for your performers using the
VM-7000’s FLEX BUS OUTs.We’ll discuss Flex Busses a little later on.
Studio Sound
In a studio, you can connect the VM-7000’s left and right monitor
outputs to powered monitors or to the stereo amplifier driving your
monitors. Use the analog 1/4”L and R MONITOR OUTs on the
processor or the RCA/phono L and R MONITOR OUTs on the rear
panel of the console. If you wish, you can also listen to the system using
stereo headphones connected to the console’s PHONES jacks.
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Adding Options (Continued)
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
III. Listening to the VM-7000
House mixer
Up to 200 meters
Onstage mixing
processor
House speaker
amplifier

Adjust your monitoring level using the knobs in the MONITOR/PHONES
(CONTROL ROOM) area of the console.The DIGITAL (MASTER) knob
is the master level control for the entire monitoring system. If you’re
using DS-90As or DS-50As, the DIGITAL (MASTER) knob controls the
listening level. If you’re using the analog MONITOR OUTs, the DIGITAL
(MASTER) knob acts as the overall system master—set it to 0 and
adjust your listening level using the LINE OUT LEVEL knob.
If you’re using the VM-7000’s MONITOR OUTs, you can set up different
preset monitoring configurations that let you change your monitoring
setup with the touch of a button.These presets allow you to turn the
analog and digital monitoring feeds on and off, and to store monitor and
headphone levels. See Page 97 in the VM-C7200/C7100 Owner’s
Manual for more information.
You can also set up independent monitor mixes for your performers
using the FLEX BUS OUTs.
It’s important to turn on the VM-7000 and the devices you’ve connected
to it in the proper order to make sure that everything works correctly,
and to safeguard against damaging any of the equipment.
Turn on your equipment in this order. If you’re not using a piece of
equipment listed in any of the following steps, just skip the step:
1. Turn on your digital multitrack recorder and any R-BUS devices.
2. Turn on your mixing processor. As the processor powers up, the
CTRL indicator on its front panel blinks.When the process is
complete, the indicator lights solidly green.
3. Turn on the console. After the console has performed its system
diagnosis, a confirmation message appears in the display. Press F2
[START] to execute the console’s startup routine.This takes a few
moments to complete.
4. Turn on the rest of the digital equipment you’ll be using, including
any DAT or MiniDisk recorders, hard disk recorders, effect boxes or
musical instruments with digital inputs and outputs.
5. Turn on any analog equipment you intend to use, including musical
instruments, sound modules and effect boxes with standard analog
outputs, microphones, CD players, turntables, MiniDisk players and
analog tape recorders.
6. Turn on your speaker amplifiers and your speakers.
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Listening to the VM-7000 (Continued)
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
We highly recommend using Roland DS-90A or DS-50A digital powered
monitors with the VM-7000, for three reasons. First, these are incredibly
accurate monitors—what you hear is really what you get. Second, they
can be connected to the VM-7000’s digital MONITOR OUTs, providing,
for the first time anywhere, the amazing quality of a truly digital
monitoring system. And finally, the VM-7000’s exclusive COSM™
speaker modeling algorithms allow the DS-90As and DS-50As to
emulate a wide range of popular speakers so that you can try out your
mixes on a variety of virtual systems to make sure that they’ll sound
great wherever they’re heard.
IV. Powering Up

You can return the mixer to the state it was in when it left the factory by
“initializing”it.When you initialize the mixer, all of its settings are reset to
their original values.There are a few situations that call for initialization:
•When you wish to undo all of the changes to the mixer’s settings in
order to “start fresh.”
•When the mixer is behaving in an unexpected manner contrary to
the behavior described in its owner’s manual.
•When troubleshooting.
Before proceeding with this application guide, initialize the VM-7000:
1. Turn the console off by pressing its POWER switch.
2. While holding down the PROJECT/SYSTEM and F1 buttons, turn
the console back on.
3. When FACTORY RESET appears, release the buttons and press
F1 [OK].
4. Proceed with the normal startup procedure for your system.
You may find it handy to think of the LEVEL METER screen as a sort of
home page that you can return to when you finish performing an
operation. It can also serve as a sort of “neutral zone”in which you can
re-orient yourself if you get confused while moving from screen to
screen during complex procedures.
To return to the LEVEL METER screen, press LEVEL METER.
You can leave most of the VM-7000’s screens by pressing either LEVEL
METER or any button that takes you to the next place you want to go. If
you do this and the display doesn’t change, look along the bottom edge
of the display for the word “EXIT”shown above one of the F buttons. A
few of the VM-7000’s screens require that you press EXIT to conclude
the operation you’ve just performed. When this is the case, press the F
button beneath “EXIT”on the display.
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®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
V. Initializing the System
VI. The Level Meter Button as Home Page
VII. Exiting Screens

What Is a Bus?
If you’re new to mixing, you may be wondering what a bus is. In every
mixer, busses provide a way to get signals from one place to another.
A bus is simply a pathway down which one or more signals travel to a
destination.This destination can be somewhere inside the console or
outside of it.
In the old days, a bus might actually be a literal wire in the mixer—when
you sent a signal down a bus, you’d feed it into the wire. When you
wanted to send two signals down the bus, you’d feed them both into the
wire, and they’d both travel together to, for example, an external effect
processor.
The great thing about busses is that they let you send a group of
signals together to some single place that they all need to go.
Traditional Busses
In a traditional mixer, there are different types of busses...sort of...even
though they’re all basically the same. Busses that carry signals to the
tracks of a multitrack recorder are called “recording busses.”Busses that
carry signals into the main mix are “mix busses.”
Typically, you’d send a signal to one of these busses by pressing a
simple on/off button that would route the signal to the bus.You might
also have a panning control that would allow you to send the desired
amount of signal to an odd-even pair of busses simultaneously, or to the
left and right sides of the stereo main mix.
The busses that carry signals to effect processors are called “effect
busses,”or “Aux busses.”“Aux”is short for “Auxiliary,”since these
busses can be used for a variety of purposes, even if they are most
frequently used as effect busses. Aux busses tend to have expanded
capabilities, since they can be used for different purposes.They have
more than simple on/off switches: they have level controls that let you
control how much of each signal is to go down the bus. As a result, Aux
busses are actually more powerful than recording busses, since they
provide a greater degree of control.
Introducing the Flex Bus
The VM-7000 introduces a powerful new type of general-purpose bus
called the “Flex Bus.”There are 12 Flex Busses in your VM system, and
they provide all the bussing power you could need.
Since you can control the amount of signal sent to each Flex Bus, and
since Flex Busses can be linked in stereo, you can use Flex Busses for
sending signals to:
•tracks on a multitrack recorder.
•internal effects.
•output jacks connected to external effects.
•monitor feeds for studio or stage performers.
•a surround amplification system.
•anywhere else you want your signal to go.You can even send a Flex
Bus’s signals into another Flex Bus to send the signals to multiple
destinations simultaneously.
We’ll be discussing how to use Flex Busses later on.
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®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
VIII. A New Kind of Bussing
Destination
Signals
Bus

The VM-C7200 has 24 channel strips, and the VM-C7100 has 12. Just
as they would on a traditional mixer, the strips provide access to most of
the settings you’ll work with during mixing. Of course, given the
incredible power and flexibility of the VM system, the mixing console
would be impossibly huge if each setting had its own physical knob or
button. As a result, the VM-7000 provides five different operating modes,
each of which handles a particular mixing task—in each mode, the
strips control and provide access to the settings you need for the job at
hand.You can jump instantly between modes as you set up inputs,
outputs, Flex Busses and so on.
To select the desired mode, simply press the corresponding SECTION
button—its indicator will light, showing you at a glance what the channel
strips are doing.
We’ll describe the buttons reading from the bottom up, since this best
reflects the flow of signals through the VM-7000 system.
When you press: The channel strips control:
INPUT CH1-24
MULTI IN CH1-24
FADER GROUP MASTER 1-24
FLEX BUS MASTER 1-12
MULTI OUT
For the rest of this application guide, we’ll refer to channel strips as
input channels, multi in channels, fader group channels, Flex Bus
channels and multi out channels—this will serve as a shorthand that
tells us which SECTION button is currently lit.
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®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
IX. What Do the Console’s Channel Strips Do?
the input signals received by your
analog XLR and 1/4”inputs as well
as the DIGITAL INPUT A and B
inputs.
input signals received digitally via
R-BUS connections.
the assignment of channels to any of
the 24 Fader Groups, and provide
control of the Fader Groups’levels.
the levels, panning and routings of
the 12 Flex Busses and the outputs
of internal send-and-return effects
(we’ll discuss these later).
the levels of signals as they’re output
from the analog ASSIGNABLE and
DIGITAL A and B outputs as well as
the R-BUS digital outputs.
For now, we’re not concerned with the top SECTION button—2nd UNIT,
which involves controlling a second mixing processor cascaded from the
main processor.
VM-C7100 only: Since the VM-C7100 has 12 channel strips, it has an
extra SECTION button: CH 13-24, which provides access to Channels
13-24 when working with input, multi in, fader group and multi out
channels. Otherwise, references in this guide to the VM-C7200’s
SECTION buttons also apply to the same buttons on the VM-C7100.
You can always look at the SECTION buttons if you lose track of the
system’s current operating mode—the lit SECTION button shows you
what the channel strips are controlling.

On a traditional mixer, channel faders allow you to control the levels of
signals.While that’s also true on the VM-7000, the VM-7000 faders can
do more: you can actually use them to adjust many channel-related
settings in the VM-7000.
The PARAM VIEW on Fader buttons allow you to select the parameter
to be controlled by the faders.When you press the desired button, the
VM-7000’s motorized faders move to the position corresponding to the
selected parameter’s current setting.The display shows the parameter’s
setting for all of your channels at once—you can change its setting in a
channel by moving the corresponding fader.
This feature lets you quickly adjust a parameter’s setting for multiple
channels from a single screen.When you’re doing things like adjusting
preamp gain settings at the start of a session, this can be very handy.
The PARAM VIEW on Fader buttons work together with the SECTION
buttons, allowing you to assign fader control to the parameters that are
available in the currently selected operating mode.
Let’s see how this works when INPUT CH1-24 is lit, and the channel
strips are controlling the analog inputs and DIGITAL INPUTs A and B.
We’ll start from the bottom button again.
If you press: The display shows and the faders control:
CH LEVEL
CH PAN
PREAMP GAIN
6
5
4
3
2
1
OTHER
PARAMETERS
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®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
As you work on a mix, you can change what the faders control as you
go along, and the faders will change only the setting of the parameter
currently selected with the PARAM VIEW on Fader buttons.
the level of signals as they leave the input channels
the levels of signals coming into the input channels
the panning of signals leaving the input channels
the amount of signal sent from each input channel to
Flex Bus 6
the amount of signal sent from each input channel to
Flex Bus 5
the amount of signal sent from each input channel to
Flex Bus 4
the amount of signal sent from each input channel to
Flex Bus 3
the amount of signal sent from each input channel to
Flex Bus 2
the amount of signal sent from each input channel to
Flex Bus 1
one of the remaining input-channel parameters.
Select the parameter you wish to control by turning
V1 [SELECT PARAM], and then press F1 [SET].
X. What Do the Console’s Faders Do?
XI. The PARAM VIEW on Fader Buttons
Each setting in the VM-7000 is referred to as a “parameter.”

In addition, while holding down SHIFT, you can press:
•CH LEVEL—CUE LEVEL in green—to control the amount of signal
sent from each input channel to the cue monitoring system.
•CH PAN—or CUE PAN in green—to control the stereo positioning of
each signal sent from an input channel to the cue monitoring
system.
•PREAMP GAIN—SURROUND DEPTH—to control the position of
the input channels’signals in the three-dimensional surround field.
•1-6 to control the amount of input signal sent to Flex Busses 7-12,
respectively.
We’ll discuss the SHIFT button in greater detail later on.
In other operating modes, the PARAM VIEW on Fader buttons assign
fader control to parameters for the job at hand.
When this button is lit: You can choose parameters:
MULTI IN CH 1-24
FADER GROUP MASTER 1-24
FLEX BUS MASTER 1-12
MULTI OUT 1-24
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The PARAM VIEW on Fader Buttons (Continued)
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
that control incoming R-BUS digital
signals.The parameters are similar
to those available for INPUT CH 1-
24. PREAMP GAIN is not offered
since R-BUS digital signals don’t
pass through a preamp.
that control the fader groups.There’s
only one, CH LEVEL, which controls
their levels.
that control the Flex Busses and the
outputs of internal send-and-return
effects. CH LEVEL sets their output
level. CH PAN sets their stereo
position in the main mix. Send the
channels’signal to another Flex Bus
by pressing the 1-12 button for the
Flex Bus to which you want to send
it. OTHER PARAMETERS provides
access to the SURROUND LR-C
parameter that lets you set how the
signal will be sent to a front-center
speaker in a surround system. SHIFT
+ CH LEVEL, CH PAN or PREAMP
GAIN let you to set its level and pan
in the cue system or set its surround
position, respectively.
that control the R-BUS, DIGITAL A
and B and ASSIGNABLE outputs.
Only CH LEVEL is necessary.
If you press a PARAM VIEW on Fader button and nothing changes on
the display, you may have pressed a button that has no associated
parameter in the current operating mode.
The lit SECTION and PARAM VIEW on Fader buttons tell you at a
glance what the faders are currently controlling.

The console display is central to everything you do in the VM-7000
system. It’s important to understand what the display is showing you,
and to be able to get around on the display.
What You See and What You Get
At the top of the display, you’ll find the following helpful information:
•The name of the currently displayed screen
•The mixing processor you’re currently working with
•The selected channel, or type of channel if a PARAM VIEW on
Fader button is active
•The current time of the project you’re working on. This is important
when you’re using the VM-7000’s automation features or controlling
an external recorder’s transport from the VM-7000.
•The number of the currently selected scene.We’ll discuss scenes
later in this application guide.
The display always shows you parameters associated with the current
activity.
Pages
Some operations have only a single screen’s-worth of parameters.
Others involve more parameters than could possibly fit in one screen.
When this is the case, parameters are presented on multiple screens,
each of which is called a “page.”If something you’re doing has more
than a single screenful of parameters, you’ll see a page list in the
upper-righthand corner of the display.
You can move from page to page by pressing PAGE UP or PAGE
DOWN. With each press, a different page of parameters appears—the
name of the current page is highlighted in the page list.
If you see an arrow at the bottom or top of a page list—as shown in the
page list above—press PAGE DOWN or PAGE UP, respectively, to
select and view additional pages.
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®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
XII. Navigating the Display
If you’re viewing an effects screen, you’ll see the number of the current
effect library to the right of the mixing processor’s name.
Screen name Processor Current time Scene
To learn how to adjust the display’s contrast, see p. 25 in the
VM-C7200/C7100 Owner’s Manual.
C annel info

Selecting Parameters
Before you can adjust a parameter’s setting, or “value,”you must first
select the area on the display that contains the desired parameter. A
thick black outline—the selection box—appears around the currently
selected group of parameters.
The selection box designates the parameters to be controlled
by the V knobs and F buttons.To select a group of parameters
containing the one you want to adjust, press the CURSOR
buttons to move the selection box to the desired group.The
CURSOR buttons light to show the direction or directions in
which the selection box can be moved at any given time.
When a parameter is selected on the display, you can use the
corresponding V 1-6 knob or F 1-6 buttons to change its value.
Some parameter values are adjusted using the V knobs and some with
the F buttons. Here’s how to tell which is which:
•Parameter values that can be set
using a V knob appear on the
display as small black knobs or
faders.The left-most knob/fader
corresponds to the first V knob,
the next one to the second V
knob, and so on.
•Parameter values that can be set with an
F button appear on the display as
rectangles.The F button that edits the
value lights.The left-most rectangle can
be edited using the first lit F button, and
so on. Some of these parameters are
on/off switches—when they’re on, their
values are shown in reverse, with white
text on a black background.
•Some multiple-choice parameters appear with
active/inactive switches next to their possible values.
When a switch is active, it’s darkened.To change a
switch’s active/inactive state, select it with a V knob and
click the SET button beneath it.
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Navigating the Display (Continued)
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
T e first six input c annel PAN
parameters are selected in t is
illustration.
XIII. Adjusting Parameter Values
Inactive
Active
Off
On

Many of the console buttons have two labels: a white label and a green
label.The white label refers to the button’s normal functionality.The
green label describes the button’s function when you press it while
holding down SHIFT. For example:
•If you press PROJECT without holding down SHIFT, the PROJECT
screen appears containing parameters that relate to project
management.This corresponds to the button’s white label,
“PROJECT.”
•If you hold down SHIFT and press the same button, the SYSTEM
screen appears, offering system-related parameters—this is why the
button’s green label says “SYSTEM.”
Earlier, we discussed how the PARAM VIEW on Fader feature lets you
quickly adjust a single parameter’s value in all of your channels at once.
Most of the time, however, you’ll be concentrating on the settings for
one channel at a time.The Channel Edit—or CH EDIT—buttons provide
access all of the parameters associated with an individual channel.You
can then edit the currently selected parameters using the V knobs and
F buttons.
The Simplest Way to Use the CH EDIT Buttons
To view and adjust a channel’s settings, press its CH EDIT button. In
operating modes that offer more than a single page of parameters per
channel—such as when INPUT CH 1-24 is lit—you’ll see the now-
familiar page list in the upper-righthand corner. Press PAGE UP or
PAGE DOWN to navigate to the desired screenful of parameters.
The Fastest Way to Use the CH EDIT Buttons
When working with input, multi in or Flex Bus channels, you can quickly
jump to any parameter screen using the QUICK CH EDIT feature. Each
parameter screen is represented by a STATUS button—the labels
underneath the button shows its parameter screen.
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®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
XIV. SHIFT and the Green Button Labels
We’ve already used the SHIFT button when discussing how the PARAM
VIEW on Fader buttons work while the INPUT CH 1-24 SECTION
button is lit, back on Page 9 of this application guide.
XV. The CH EDIT Buttons
As you might expect, the parameters you’ll see on the display when you
press a CH EDIT button depend on what the channel is currently doing,
as shown by the currently lit SECTION button.
When working with input, multi in and Flex Bus channels, the CH VIEW
screen presents all of a channel’s parameters in condensed form on a
single screen. Use this screen when you want to set a wide range of
channel parameters quickly. To make adjustments with a greater degree
of visual feedback, use the parameters’individual CH EDIT screens.

Here’s how to use QUICK CH EDIT:
•Hold down a channel’s CH EDIT button for a
moment, and, without letting go, press the desired
QUICK CH EDIT button. Release both buttons
when the desired parameter screen appears.
At the top of each channel
strip you’ll find a STATUS
button with the channel’s
number printed above it.
The STATUS buttons work together with the MODE
buttons located to their right.These buttons let you:
•mute a channel by silencing its signal.
•solo a channel by silencing all other channels.
•send a channel’s audio signal into the main stereo mix.
•place an external recorder track in record-ready mode so that you
can record the channel’s audio on the track.
•place an external recorder track in playback mode so that you can
play back the channel’s audio that’s been recorded on the track.
•use the VM-7000’s Automix automation feature to record and play
back changes you make to channel parameter values.
What the channel STATUS buttons do depends on which MODE and
SECTION button is lit. In each case, the color of the STATUS button—or
the fact that it’s not lit at all—tells you the channel’s current status.
•When MUTE is lit, you can press a channel’s STATUS button to
silence the channel (red), or turn it back on (unlit).This doesn’t
apply to multi out channels, which can’t be muted.
•When SOLO is lit, you can press a channel’s STATUS button to solo
the channel (amber), or un-solo it (unlit).This doesn’t apply to multi
out channels, which can’t be soloed.
•When AUDIO is lit, what the STATUS buttons do depends on the
type of channel you’re working with:
•When you’re working with input, multi in or Flex Bus channels,
you can press STATUS to send a channel’s signal into the main
stereo mix (green) or not (unlit).
•When you’re working with fader group channels, pressing
STATUS has no effect.
•When you’re working with multi out channels, you can press
STATUS to record-enable the corresponding track on an
external recorder (red), or set it to playback (green).
•When AUTOMIX is lit, you can press STATUS to begin recording
changes you make to parameter values (red), play them back
(green), or turn off Automix for the channel (unlit).
When we refer to a STATUS button from here on, we’ll show the lit
MODE button in parentheses—as in (AUDIO) STATUS—where relevant.
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The CH EDIT Buttons (Continued)
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
For example, to jump to an
input c annel’s preamp
parameters, old down its
CH EDIT button and press
t e PREAMP GAIN STATUS
button.
When working with Flex Bus channels, only STATUS
buttons 19-24 invoke QUICK CH EDIT parameter
screens.
XVI. The STATUS and MODE Buttons

In a traditional recording studio, the inputs and outputs for each piece of
equipment are connected to jacks in a single device called a “patchbay.”
The patchbay’s jacks are arranged in a grid that make it easy for an
engineer to interconnect the studio’s equipment using short cables
called “patch cords.”The VM-7000 provides an onscreen patchbay—
complete with virtual patch cords—that allows you to:
•route each input on the processor to the desired input/multi in
channel.
•route each input signal, Flex Bus, and the main mix, cue mix and
monitor output signals to the desired outputs on the processor
Why You Might Change Input Connections
As shipped from the factory, the analog input jacks on the processor are
routed to their like-numbered input channels—INPUT Jack 1 goes to
Input Channel 1, Jack 2 to goes to Channel 2, and so on. DIGITAL IN A
—or B—is connected to the Input Channels 21 and 22.
Here are a couple of common situations in which you may want to
change these default connections, or “routings.”
•Perhaps you’ve connected your mics to inputs in an order that’s
physically convenient in terms of dragging cables in the studio or on
the stage, but would like to work with them in a different order when
you mix.
•Perhaps you’d like to always have your vocalist, for example, in the
same input channel, even when he/she moves from one already-
connected mic to another.
•Perhaps you’d like to send the same input signal to two different
channels in order to create two different-sounding versions.
Why You Might Change Output Connections
As shipped from the factory:
•Input Channels 1-16 are routed to Multi Outs 1-16 to make it easy
to send them to the first 16 tracks of an R-BUS-connected recorder.
•Flex Busses 1-4 are routed to the analog ASSIGNABLE OUTs 1-4.
•The main mix output signal is routed to the DIGITAL OUT for easy
connection to a DAT recorder.
•The cue and monitor output signals are not routed to any output
jacks so that you can choose the desired jacks as needed.
Since the VM-7000 can be used in so many situations, there are many
reasons you may want to send different signals to different processor
output jacks or R-BUS output channels. Here are a few:
•You might want to route an input signal to a different track on an
R-BUS-connected recorder.
•You might want to route a Flex Bus to a DIGITAL OUT to send it
digitally to an external effect processor or recorder.
•You might want to route a Flex Bus to a particular ASSIGNABLE
OUT jack.
How to Get to the Patchbay
To get to the PATCH BAY screen, hold down SHIFT and
press EZ ROUTING.
©2000 Roland Corporation U.S. Getting Started with the VM-7000 2796US, v1.0 Page 14
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
XVII. The Patchbay

The Components of the Patchbay
In the VM-7000’s patchbay, signal flows from the top of the screen to the
bottom.The screen has three basic sections. At the top of each section,
you’ll find small boxes, or “nodes,”representing the section’s inputs. At
the bottom, you’ll see the section’s output nodes:
•PRE AMP—This box contains the 24 preamps connected to the 20
analog inputs on the processor, the DIGITAL A and B IN, shown as
21 and 22, and the two inputs on the console (23 and 24).Though
it’s labeled as “PRE AMP,”you can think of this box as representing
your non-R-BUS inputs.
•INPUT, FLEX BUS, MAIN, CUE and MON—The middle row of
boxes presents the system’s input channels, Flex Busses, and main
mix, cue and monitor busses.
•MULTI OUT—This box contains the system’s 24 R-BUS multi outs,
labeled as “R-BUS 1-24,”as well as its ASSIGNABLE OUT Jacks
1-8, DIGITAL A and B outputs.
As its page list shows, the patchbay has a second page, MULTI IN, that
lets you assign each R-BUS multi in signal to the desired multi in
channel. Press PAGE DOWN to get to this screen if you wish.
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The Patchbay (Continued)
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
Inputs
C annels
Outputs
In the patchbay, Multi Outs 17-24 use the same nodes as ASSIGNABLE
OUTs 1-8. As a result, any signal you send to one of these multi out
nodes also goes to the corresponding ASSIGNABLE OUT.
Routing a signal to: also sends it to ASSIGNABLE OUT:
17 1
18 2
19 3
20 4
21 5
22 6
23 7
24 8
As you can see in the patchbay, signals sent to Multi-Outs 21-24 also
go to the left and right sides of DIGITAL OUTs A and B, respectively.
The VM-7200 processor provides dedicated 1/4”jacks for Flex Bus
OUTs 5-12 and XLR jacks for Flex Bus OUTs 7-12.

How to Make a Connection in the Patchbay
In the patchbay, you route a signal to a destination with two easy steps:
•Press the CURSOR buttons to select the destination.
•Turn the destination’s V knob to select the desired source signal.
As an example, let’s route a cue mix to a pair of ASSIGNABLE OUT
jacks—we’ll use ASSIGNABLE OUTs 7 and 8.You might want to do this
when setting up a stereo headphone mix for performers in a studio, or
when creating a stereo monitor mix for performers onstage.
To patch a cue mix into ASSIGNABLE OUTs 7 and 8:
1. On the PATCH BAY screen, use the CURSOR buttons to select
R-BUS Multi Outs 19-24. As we noted on the previous page, signals
sent to Multi Outs 23 and 24 are also sent to ASSIGNABLE OUT
jacks 7 and 8.
2. Turn V5—the knob corresponding to Multi Out 23—clockwise until
you see a patch cord connecting CUE L in the middle row of boxes
to R-BUS Multi Out 23 in the bottom row.
3. Turn V6 to connect CUE R to Multi Out 24.
Once you’ve routed the cue mix to the ASSIGNABLE OUT jacks, you
can connect the jacks to your headphone or monitor amplifier.
Now that we’ve got a good general sense of how things work, let’s go
through the required steps for routing an actual signal into the main mix.
Though we’ll be working with a single microphone’s signal, the
procedure is the same when working with a group of signals—just
repeat the steps for each one.
1. Start, as you would in a normal session, by connecting a
microphone to an input on the processor. For simplicity’s sake,
connect a mic to Input 1 on the processor.You can use either the
1/4”or XLR Input 1 jack (you wouldn’t normally want to use both at
the same time).
2. Hold down SHIFT and press EZ ROUTING to go to the patchbay.
3. Look at the display to make sure that there’s a patch cord
connecting INPUT jack 1 to Input Channel 1.
4. Press the INPUT CH 1-24 SECTION button—so that it lights—since
we’ll be working with a standard input channel.
5. Press the PREAMP GAIN PARAM VIEW on Fader button so that
the faders assume control of all of the channel preamp gain
settings.The faders are at their +4 position, all the way back
towards you.
©2000 Roland Corporation U.S. Getting Started with the VM-7000 2796US, v1.0 Page 16
The Patchbay (Continued)
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
To create a cue mix, press the SECTION button corresponding to the
type of signal you want to use. Next, hold SHIFT and press CH LEVEL,
and use the faders to create the mix. Press SHIFT and CH PAN and
use the faders to control the stereo positioning of the cue signals.
XVIII. Getting the First Signal
As we move forward, you’ll need to listen to your VM system, either on
speakers or through headphones, as described on Page 3.

The display shows you the preamp gain and phantom power
settings for all of your input channels, and provides a preamp level
meter for each pair of channels.
6. Input some signal to the mic—speak into the mic or make some
other sort of noise.
7. The first fader controls the preamp gain setting for Input Channel 1,
so move the fader forward/upward until its meter shows a level that’s
as close to 0 as possible without triggering the OVER indicator.The
OVER indicator is a dark oval that appears next to the word “OVER,”
just above the channel’s meter. It signifies that the channel’s signal
has reached a level where it will clip.With the factory settings, the
indicator remains lit for about three seconds each time it lights.
8. Press the AUDIO MODE button if it’s not already lit. After
initialization, all of the mixer’s channels are set to send their signal
into the main mix so, as you see, all of their (AUDIO) STATUS
buttons are lit green.
9. Press the (AUDIO) STATUS buttons for Channels 2 and up to turn
them off. We only want the signal from Input Channel 1—the one
we’re working with—to be fed into the main mix.
10. Press the CH LEVEL PARAM VIEW on Fader button.The channel
faders now control the levels of signal fed into the main mix from
any channel whose STATUS button is currently lit green. In our
case, that’s Channel 1 only. Fader 1 moves all the way back down,
and the INPUT CH LEV/PAN screen appears.
The input CH LEVEL/PAN screen provides a pan control knob, fader
and meter for each channel. It also offers a MAIN pan knob, fader
and meter for the main stereo mix—on the meter bridge, this meter
is labeled “MASTER.”When you move the console’s real faders in
the following steps, the displayed fader and knob positions will
reflect the changes you make.
11. Use the MASTER fader to set the MAIN level to 100.
©2000 Roland Corporation U.S. Getting Started with the VM-7000 2796US, v1.0 Page 17
Getting the First Signal (Continued)
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
Preamp gain
knob
P antom power switc
Preamp
gain level
C annel 1’s
meter
C annel 2’s
meter
In a real-world situation—after hitting the CH LEVEL PARAM VIEW on
Fader button—you can move the MASTER fader to adjust the overall
level of the main mix when it’s too quiet or loud.
If you’ve purchased and installed an MB-24 Level Meter Bridge, you can
also see your input level on the meter bridge.
MASTER fader
C annel 1
The selection box is not shown in the illustration above since it has no
significance when adjusting levels using the PARAM VIEW on Fader
feature.

12. Bring up Input Channel 1’s fader until it’s set to 100.You should now
be hearing the signal and seeing it in the stereo MAIN meter on the
display and the MASTER meter on the meter bridge.
Now let’s set the stereo placement of the signal in the main mix.
13. Press the CH PAN PARAM VIEW on Fader button.The faders move
to reflect the channels’current pan settings and the INPUT CH
LEVEL/PAN display is presented. Most of the channels are set to
their center stereo positions, as reflected by the values shown under
the pan knobs on the display.
14. Move Channel 1’s fader to pan the signal in the main mix’s stereo
field. As you move the fader up and down, you should hear it
moving from speaker to speaker. When you’re done, place the
signal in the center—there’ll be a “C”under the displayed pan knob.
Before proceeding to the next section, press Input Channel 1’s green
(AUDIO) STATUS button to turn it off and remove Input Channel 1’s
signal from the main mix for now.
The 24 multi outs carry signals to the system’s R-BUS digital outputs,
SP/DIF and AES-EBU digital outputs, and ASSIGNABLE OUTs.Think of
the multi outs as wires connected directly to the system’s output jacks
and R-BUS output channels.When you want to route something to an
output—an individual signal, a Flex Bus, the main, cue or monitor mix—
you assign it to the multi out that’s connected to the desired output. Only
one thing can be assigned to each multi out at any given time.
Here’s how the 24 multi outs are connected to the system’s outputs:
•R-BUS—There are 24 R-BUS channels.Therefore, Multi Outs 1-24
carry signals to R-BUS Channels 1-24, respectively.
•Analog—In addition to the VM-7200’s dedicated Flex Bus output
jacks (more on these later), both the VM-7200 and VM-7100 provide
eight analog ASSIGNABLE OUT jacks, labeled “1-8.”Multi Outs 17-
24 are connected to ASSIGNABLE OUTs 1-8, respectively.
•SP/DIF—Multi Outs 21 and 22 carry signals to the SP/DIF DIGITAL
OUT A connectors.
•AES-EBU—Multi Outs 23 and 24 carry signals to the AES-EBU
DIGITAL OUT B connectors.
You can see all of this in the patchbay’s MULTI OUT box.
©2000 Roland Corporation U.S. Getting Started with the VM-7000 2796US, v1.0 Page 18
Getting the First Signal (Continued)
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
The CH LEVEL/PAN screen and optional meter bridge are currently
showing the pre-EQ input level in Channel 1’s meter. If you’re ever
having trouble getting an input signal into the main mix, this can help
you troubleshoot your routing by showing whether or not the signal is
successfully reaching its channel strip in the first place.You can change
what the channel meters show by changing the POSITION setting on
the LEVEL METER screen, as described on p. 36 of the
VM-C7200/C7100 Owner’s Manual.
XIX. Understanding Multi Outs
Now you can see why they’re called “multi outs.”When you send a
signal to Multi Out 21, for example, it goes to three outputs: R-BUS
output 21, ASSIGNABLE OUT 5, and the left side of DIGITAL OUT A.

Let’s send our signal to one of the multi outs.This is something you’ll do
when sending a single signal to a track on a multitrack recorder—as a
“direct out”—or to an external effect processor, for example.
We’ll send our signal to Multi Out 6, an R-BUS-only multi out.
1. While holding down Channel 1’s CH EDIT button, press
the QUICK CH EDIT MULTI OUT button.
2. When the following display appears, release both buttons.
Since we’re no longer using the PARAM VIEW on Fader feature, it’s
handy that the QUICK CH EDIT feature has already selected the
MULTI OUT parameter on the display.
We can see that this input channel is currently routed to Multi Out 1.
3. Press F3 [SET] to break this connection—Multi Out 1 turns white.
4. Turn V3 to select Multi Out 6.
5. Press F3 [SET] to set the new connection—Multi Out 6’s box turns
dark to show the connection is activated. Input Channel 1’s signal is
now routed to R-BUS Multi Out 6.
If you prefer a more global perspective as you do your routing, you can
use the patchbay instead. We’ll adjust our routing this time from the
multi out’s point of view:
1. Hold down SHIFT and press EZ Routing—the patchbay appears.
2. Press CURSOR LEFT three times to select MULTI OUTs 1-6.
3. Turn V6 to see how you can select a different INPUT CH’s signal for
MULTI OUT 6.
4. When you’re done experimenting, turn V6 all the way
counterclockwise—no signal is now routed to MULTI OUT 6.
As you can see, nothing’s being sent to MULTI OUT 1, either. Let’s
route INPUT CH 1’s signal back to MULTI OUT 1.
5. Turn V1 to route INPUT CH 1’s signal to MULTI OUT 1.
6. Let’s return things to the way they were when we first started this
section by turning V6 to route INPUT CH 6 to MULTI OUT 6.
Before moving on, press LEVEL METER to return to our “home page.”
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®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
XX. Routing a Signal to a Multi Out
When you send a signal to an external effect processor, you’ll need to
bring the effected signal back into the system by connecting the effect
processor’s output(s) to one (or two) VM-7000 inputs.
A signal can be assigned to as many multi outs as you wish.

As we mentioned back on Page 6, you can send signals from one place
to another in a VM-7000 system using any of its 12 Flex Busses. Flex
Busses can carry signals to locations within the VM-7000, or carry
signals to its output connectors to be sent to external devices.
When a Flex Bus acts as a pathway inside the VM-7000, it’s operating
in its INT—for “Internal”—mode.When it’s carrying signals to an output,
it’s functioning in its EXT—for “External”—mode. Flex Busses 1-8 each
have a BUS MODE switch that allows you to select the desired
operating mode. Flex Busses 9-12 are intended for external use only.
We’ll explore these two Flex Bus modes in the next two sections.
After initializing the system, Flex Busses 1 and 2 are set to INT. Let’s
verify this:
1. Press the FLEX BUS MASTER 1-12 SECTION button. Channel
Strips 1-12 are now controlling the system’s Flex Busses.
2. To demonstrate this, press CH LEVEL—the faders move to show
the current levels for the 12 Flex Busses.The (AUDIO) STATUS
indicators for Flex Busses 1-8 are on, and those for 9-12 are off.
We’ll use Flex Busses 1 and 2 in our example.
3. Hold down Flex Bus Channel 1’s CH EDIT button and press
MAIN/CUE. In the middle area of the display, you can see that BUS
MODE is set to INT, as shown by the setting of its switch.
Since this is the way we want Flex Bus 1 to be set now, there’s
nothing we need to do to. Let’s check Flex Bus 2’s mode setting.
4. Press Flex Bus Channel 2’s CH EDIT button—the display changes
to show Flex Bus 2’s settings. Its BUS MODE is set to INT. Again,
this is what we want.
©2000 Roland Corporation U.S. Getting Started with the VM-7000 2796US, v1.0 Page 20
®ÂØÒňΠApplication Guide Getting Started with the VM-7000
XXII. Routing Signals to an Internal Flex Bus
XXI. Using Flex Busses
Since the (AUDIO) STATUS indicators for Flex Busses 1-8 are lit green,
these Flex Busses are currently being sent into the main mix.
The VM-7200 provides dedicated output jacks for Flex Busses 5-12. On
the VM-7100, route external Flex Busses to ASSIGNABLE OUT jacks.