Roland
QuadCapture
Eight channels with VS Preamps for pure, transparent sound
Description
QUAD-CAPTURE
is the embodiment of Roland’s commitment to excellence in music
production. Designed to capture audio at a level of quality that will
satisfy even the most demanding professionals, QUAD-CAPTURE features
VS Preamps on its eight analog inputs. Built with a Class A design
for superb audio performance, these microphone preamps are based on
those that have become a trusted part of Roland’s V-Mixer series of
commercial digital consoles, as well as the V-STUDIO 700 high-end DAW
system. VS Preamps feature a rich array of premium components that
help maintain the purity and transparency of the sound, including
radial capacitors designed specifically for audio applications. As a
result, they achieve an astonishing input-equivalent noise level of
-123 dB, among the very best in their class. Another characteristic
of VS Preamps is their even balance of sound reproduction over
the entire frequency range, from ultra lows to extreme highs. This
lets you record sources with no unwanted coloring of the original
sound.
What
is Class A circuitry?
Amplifier
circuitry is classified into different “classes” depending on the
performance characteristics of its design. Class A distinguishes
itself by utilizing 100% of the current flow in its linear range at
all times. What this means to musicians is that this simple design
ensures a stronger, hotter current draw with audio performance that
tends to have more sonic detail and less distortion.
Minimal
analog circuitry reduces unwanted noise
In
order to achieve excellent sound quality, designers must simplify a
circuit’s design as much as possible to prevent audio quality
deterioration from undesirable signal-path routing. To this end,
QUAD-CAPTURE’s design has eliminated as much analog circuitry as
possible for controlling parameters such as input level, impedance,
and phase reversal, as well as low-cut filters and compressors. All
of these parameters are controlled digitally with the built-in DSP,
reducing the amount of analog circuitry not related to amplification,
and therefore minimizing unnecessary variations in sound. The LED
level meter and peak indicator are controlled by the DSP as well;
this is a great advantage, not only in terms of reducing the effects
of analog circuitry on sound quality, but also in ensuring accurate
meter readings.
Specially
designed low-noise power circuitry
In
QUAD-CAPTURE, the analog input and output circuitry and digital
circuitry are all completely isolated from each other on the circuit
board level. Each board has its own power supply, which helps reduce
noise and keeps crosstalk to a minimum. Needless to say, wiring runs
have been significantly reduced. Independent of the analog input
circuitry, QUAD-CAPTURE comes with a large-capacity power supply that
is dedicated to supplying phantom power. This enables consistent
recording performance, even when power must be supplied to eight
microphones at once or when using mics that require large amounts of
power.
Large
LCD with peak indicator
QUAD-CAPTURE’s
front panel is equipped with a large, easily visible LCD with level
meters. These meters allow you to make fine adjustments to your input
levels, with a peak-hold function for checking peak levels on all
channels at once. The Channel Select switch to the left of the LCD
doubles as a peak lamp; it flashes red when any channel’s peak
level is exceeded, allowing you to instantly recognize excessive
input levels from a distance.
Pro
features for perfect multi-mic recordings
With
its eight mic preamps, QUAD-CAPTURE shows its mettle in multi-mic
applications like recording drums or full bands. The input level
specs for Channels 7 and 8 have been optimized for extremely dynamic
sound sources with high peak levels such as kick drums; the extra
headroom (up to +16dBu) available on these channels helps prevent
clipping and other recording problems. QUAD-CAPTURE also features
independent compressors on its eight analog inputs to control the
dynamics of difficult sound sources, ensuring solid recordings with
clear sound and consistent levels.
AUTO-SENS
automatically sets the input level for each channel
Setting
optimum recording levels is an indispensable part of capturing
high-quality recordings. If input levels are too high, the sound will
distort; if levels are too low, you lose the advantage of the
excellent resolution afforded by digital recording, and the sound
suffers from signal-to-noise ratio deterioration. To solve these
issues, QUAD-CAPTURE is equipped with a newly developed “AUTO-SENS”
function, which makes it quick and easy for even novice users to set
the optimum level for a particular sound source. With AUTO-SENS, all
you have to do is press a button, supply sound input, and the
built-in DSP will analyze the sound and set the optimum input level.
In addition to Manual mode, where the DSP begins analyzing when you
press the button and stops when you press it again, you can also
define a preset analysis time of 30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes, or
5 minutes. This revolutionary function is a real time-saver in
recording sessions where setup time is limited.
Press
the AUTO-SENS button, play the connected instruments, and
QUAD-CAPTURE automatically sets the perfect recording levels.
QUAD-CAPTURE
embodies the ideal vision of next-generation audio interfaces, and
Roland’s latest “VS Streaming” audio-streaming technology is
another feature that underscores its exceptional advantage.
QUAD-CAPTURE incorporates a high-performance crystal master clock,
providing a fundamental solution to “jitter” (time-based
fluctuations of the clock) that causes latency and other issues. By
syncing the digital circuitry, driver, and DAW program to this clock,
jitter is reduced to a minimum, allowing the flow of audio data to be
controlled by constant amounts. This results in an optimized buffer
size, achieving latencies as low as 48 samples at 44.1/48 kHz, or
approximately one millisecond with an ASIO driver. VS Streaming is a
technological marriage between hardware and driver, achieving low
latency, clear sound quality, and rock-solid performance that has
been long sought-after in the field of music production, yet
previously unobtainable.
VS
Streaming is Roland’s innovative audio-streaming technology that
achieves super-low latency, excellent sound quality, and high
performance by syncing the entire system (driver and hardware) to a
high-precision dedicated clock.
Comparison
of jitter
The
horizontal axis of the graph shows the reference value for
measurements, with 0 nsec at the center to show the degree of jitter
(clock fluctuation) on the scales to the left and right. The vertical
axis shows numerical values of the probabilities (as percentages)
that jitter can occur under normal use. Based on this comparison with
a competing product, these probabilities for QUAD-CAPTURE are most
pronounced in the 0 nsec area, which is an indication that it
delivers extremely low jitter.
All
components (audio interface, driver, DAW, etc.) sync with the clock
generated on the PC. Clocks generated on PCs are inherently not very
precise, as they are affected by the PC’s performance and operating
conditions. This results in jitter (time-based fluctuations of the
clock), which in turn destabilizes the flow of audio data, resulting
in latency and unclear sound.
All
components are synced to the high-performance crystal on QUAD-CAPTURE
instead of the clock generated on the PC. This reduces jitter and
results in rock-solid performance that is not affected by PC
performance or operating conditions. Controlling jitter ensures a
stable flow of audio data, and the buffer size can be optimized to
reduce latency to a minimum.
Meticulous
attention to detail
QUAD-CAPTURE
features a high-performance headphone output with refined circuitry,
providing superb sound quality that will serve you well not only
during recording, but also for making final sound choices in the
mixing process. Additionally, the headphone amp provides an output
level of +16 dBu, ensuring rock-solid monitoring even when recording
in high dB situations.
One-in/one-out
MIDI interface onboard.
QUAD-CAPTURE
is a great interface for expanding the audio I/O of your V-STUDIO 700
or V-STUDIO 100 DAW systems. With the VS Streaming driver, the DAW
program recognizes the V-STUDIO and QUAD-CAPTURE as a single audio
device, allowing you to handle all audio I/Os seamlessly without the
need for cumbersome connection settings.
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