Roland Cloud

[IvyBirds]

The biggest thing they should update with the XV5080 besides of course ditching RCM entirely for lifetime keys

Would be to eliminate the SRX card instruments and just move all of that content inside of the XV5080 plugin itself. Just like on the actual hardware with the physical SRX Cards and the virtual ones in the Integra 7

Korg does that with the M1 and the Triton

It would be super simple to do as you can already do exactly that by changing a few lines of code with a text editor. At least you used to be able to maybe the patched that

It would literally take them less than and hour to pull it all off

It's a damn shame you can't do things like make patches with the Vintage Synth SRX expansions and the Orchestral Expansions

Eric designed the XV5080 to do exactly that with its four partial system, but Roland says nope sorry no sound design for you

But hey have you seen Earth Piano?

[fmr]

The biggest thing they should update with the XV5080 besides of course ditching RCM entirely for lifetime keys

Yoiu're absolutely right, but they would have to implement another copy protection scheme. I doubt they are willing to allocate development resources for that.

Would be to eliminate the SRX card instruments and just move all of that content inside of the XV5080 plugin itself. Just like on the actual hardware with the physical SRX Cards and the virtual ones in the Integra 7

Korg does that with the M1 and the Triton

Again, you're absolutely right, but then.. what about "milking the cow?" The way they do it, they count each SRX as a different instrument.

Yes, Korg didn't do it, but Korg IS NOT Roland. Korg exists to show us what Roland could do and be, but doesn't and isn't.

They always behaved much better, and they even launched recent instruments in software. What is the newest instrument Roland released in software? Even the V-Synth, which is already quite old and much requested, wasn't released. I completely lost any hope in Roland Cloud. IMO, Roland Cloud IS DEATH.

[[nx]]

Korg should be the model for legacy synth brands. Roland is a joke.

I'll add that I bought a hardware JV-2080 because the Roland Cloud is so frustrating and anti-consumer.

[Teksonik]

Roland, just drop the cloud, drop the cloud manager and go with a Challenge/Response system that does not require the installation of any other software.

Now I hear people banging away at their keyboards "C/R sucks maaaaaan". But think it through for a second, what's the biggest downside of C/R? If the company goes out of business and you can no longer get a response when sending a challenge.

I bought my first Roland hardware some time around 1985 and they're still in business so I don't think they're going anywhere. If they do then the cloud system will go with them just as easily as a C/R method since the Cloud Manager is at it's heart a form of C/R.

Or keep the cloud system for users who do fall for subscription services but give the C/R option to use your plugins without the Cloud Manager software which going by what I've read can be problematic.

I realize that Roland will almost certainly not consider my suggestion but I have to periodically remind them that if they do away with the Cloud Manager software I would happily purchase perpetual licenses for several of their plugins.

[T-CM11]

Now I hear people banging away at their keyboards "C/R sucks maaaaaan". But think it through for a second, what's the biggest downside of C/R? If the company goes out of business and you can no longer get a response when sending a challenge.

Can all Native Instruments C/R protected plugins still be activated? How about Novation B/V-Station?
(just a few examples)

[Teksonik]

Now I hear people banging away at their keyboards "C/R sucks maaaaaan". But think it through for a second, what's the biggest downside of C/R? If the company goes out of business and you can no longer get a response when sending a challenge.

Can all Native Instruments C/R protected plugins still be activated? How about Novation B/V-Station?
(just a few examples)

Your point? Have some companies dropped support for some of their old plugins? Yes.
Does that mean Roland (or any other developer) will do the same? No.

I can still install Camel Audio's Alchemy even though they left the Windows side of the business many years ago. It's down to how each company treats its customers.

If Roland gets out of the software business and abandons their plugins you'll lose them anyway because the RCM will no longer be supported.

Some of us just want to buy a plugin, install it, authorize it, and get to work. We don't want to be forced to install additional software like Native Access which keeps a constant up/down internet connection through the NTK Daemon.exe even if you're not using any of their software and even if you don't have a DAW running:

NTK Daemon.png

Some of us would like to have sole ownership of our most critical computer systems and not allow developers to take any liberties they want with our computers just because we bought some of their software.

Let's be real, Roland is not going to listen to me but since I've been a customer of multiple pieces of Roland hardware going back almost 40 years I'm going to reserve the right to express myself even if it is a lesson in abject futility.

[T-CM11]

Your point? ...

Some of us just want to buy a plugin, install it, authorize it, and get to work.

My point? Some of us don't want ANY kill switch in the software we purchase.

How about calling it what it is, without the marketing BS, a KILL SWITCH.

[fmr]

Your point? ...

Some of us just want to buy a plugin, install it, authorize it, and get to work.

My point? Some of us don't want ANY kill switch in the software we purchase.

How about calling it what it is, without the marketing BS, a KILL SWITCH.

I'm with you. I had the VERY DISAGREABLE experience of trying to launch 2nd Sense Audio Wiggle, bought years ago, only to watch asking for authorization (I don't know exactly what happened, but it became unauthorized). Since 2nd Audio is out of business, I cannot use it anymore. A system like what Tone 2 or U-He use is the best, IMO. Even if they go out of business, their instruments will work as long as we can install and run them.

[IvyBirds]

I'm with you. I had the VERY DISAGREABLE experience of trying to launch 2nd Sense Audio Wiggle, bought years ago, only to watch asking for authorization (I don't know exactly what happened, but it became unauthorized). Since 2nd Audio is out of business, I cannot use it anymore. A system like what Tone 2 or U-He use is the best, IMO. Even if they go out of business, their instruments will work as long as we can install and run them.

I like what Plogue does. They send you a graphic file that has your serial number and your personal info on it regarding your order. You just run the installer launch the VST and drag and drop the file into the VST and you are done

You can then save the installer file and the graphic file and install it forever

Roland could easily do the same. If you buy a lifetime key you could just drag and drop that info the software

If you buy a monthly subscription or a yearly subscription you get a key good for a year or a month that you then drag and drop that

The file could easily display when the keys expire so there is no confusion and when you get the confirmation email that your renewal has processed and your credit card charges the file could just be included in that email

[Examigan]

I like what Plogue does. They send you a graphic file that has your serial number and your personal info on it regarding your order. You just run the installer launch the VST and drag and drop the file into the VST and you are done

You can then save the installer file and the graphic file and install it forever

Tone2 is basically the same. You get an installer and authorize it with a separate file they give you.

[Teksonik]

Your point? ...

Some of us just want to buy a plugin, install it, authorize it, and get to work.

My point? Some of us don't want ANY kill switch in the software we purchase.
How about calling it what it is, without the marketing BS, a KILL SWITCH.

Unfortunately most large companies will never go serial number only so the choices will still remain a "kill switch" or intrusive extra software, some of which is third party that can affect system stability and security and can also be used as a kill switch. (what if iLok goes out of business and so on)

In an ideal world we wouldn't even need a serial number but the world we live in is far from ideal.

All I can do is pass on to company representatives like the one in this thread my desire to purchase some of their plugins if they didn't include the need for extra software that according to some reports can be wonky.

I hold very little hope that it will change the way Roland in this case does business but again I reserve the right to make my voice heard.

The fear of Challenge Response is that the company will go under and not provide a way to authorize the software in the future but of all the companies in the market, I fear Roland going under less than almost any other.

So again if Roland were to provide a C/R option they would have a customer. If not then I'll be back next year to say the same thing.

[PAK]

I would just like basic updates to make things easier to use, and some more features, etc. The browser would be a good place to start.

As you probably know ( … ) they’ve updated the file browser for a few of their plugins. I’m not sure what criteria they used, to decide which ones got the update and which didn’t, but it seems like it was mostly things they intend to use in the current Fantom EX hardware.

Splitting all of the SRX plugins out, in an obvious attempt to “pad the numbers” for their subscription service, created a worse product. They obviously know this when they did not replicate that decision for Zenology. As Zenology does most of what the XV/JV/SRX can do, except better IMO, I’m not sure those plugins are going see many more updates at this point.

It would be a nice gesture if Roland gave such users access to the same sounds, inside Zenology, for free. They could still upsell them all the other stuff too, so it’s not like it couldn’t also be used as a sales opportunity. But such customer friendly actions don’t appear to be the sort of thing they'd be inclined to do..

If they’d implement the XV's effects fully in Zenology (to give the sounds all of their original FX) there’s no reason for the JV/XV/SRX plugins to exist. Seems the whole subscription thing is preventing them from making some (IMO) common sense decisions about trimming their line up and creating better products from that..

[shatteredmindofbob]

Well, not needing 17 seconds to load is still a decent reason for the JV/XV/SRX plugins to exist...

[IvyBirds]

Splitting all of the SRX plugins out, in an obvious attempt to “pad the numbers” for their subscription service, created a worse product. They obviously know this when they did not replicate that decision for Zenology. As Zenology does most of what the XV/JV/SRX can do, except better IMO, I’m not sure those plugins are going see many more updates at this point.

The biggest advantage to the XV5080 plugin in my experience over Zenology is the GUI. Zenology is like "Tron the plugin" while the XV5080 is much easier on my 50 something year old eyes

zenology_07.jpg

roland-xv5080-software-banner[3].jpg

Outside of that if you are going to emulate the XV5080 being limited to just things in the XV5080 makes that much easier

I had decades of experience using the JV/XV line of Synths and used to dream about having them in plugin form, I just assumed incorrectly that all of the SRX content would be available since it was in my Integra7

[cyberheater]

What’s the difference between the JV1080 and the XV5080?