|
Eight
Items EVERY VS-2480 User Should Own!
1. UPS (Battery Back-up
System, Surge/Brown-out Protection) Surge
protectors alone are not enough. Brown-outs (sudden drop in voltage) or
Black-outs can cause you to lose data, or worse, corrupt your hard
drive. You can get a basic UPS in the $50-$100 range that will do the
job. Small price to pay to keep your 2480 safe. These
are HEAVY... I recommend getting one locally, or from www.staples.com
which has free shipping for purchases over $50. (search for 'UPS' at
Staples)
2. External Hard Drive Back-up System
Let's
face reality... the VS-2480 is a hard disk based system, and hard drives
can have 'hiccups' from time to time. Most user's do not back-up their
work often enough.. Burning CD back-ups just takes too long and
is too expensive to do every day. If
you've just spent 6 hours on recording a project today, and plan on
spending more time working on it tomorrow... who wants to spend an hour
backing-up to CD's, when they will be obsolete after tomorrows
mixing/overdub sessions. But who
wants to risk losing today's hard work either? An
external hard drive back-up system allows to you quickly send a copy of
your project(s) to a second hard drive. It's fast, easy, and simple!
Peace of mind in a matter of minutes... and 7-10 times faster than CD
back-ups. I recommend the VS
Song-Vault Pro as a fast and easy back-up system
.... a "must have" for any VS-2480 based
studio.
3. Flat Panel (or Regular) Monitor If
your are tracking and mixing on a VS-2480 using the LCD screen... you
really need to get yourself a monitor. Your recording and editing
experience will dramatically improve with the use of a Monitor. It
doesn't just duplicate the LCD only larger... it gives you so much more
access to controls and visual cues regarding your projects. Added
benefits include being able to share the mixing experience with the
whole band (huddling around the LCD just doesn't work)... plus, you'll
probably use the mouse more, which means less wear and tear on the
2480's buttons. A basic 15"
LCD monitor or 17" CRT monitor will work fine. I recommend getting
one locally, or from www.staples.com
which often has some great deals on monitors plus free shipping for
purchases over $50.
4. External DVD/CD Combo Burner For
Long Term back-up and archiving... there is no substitute for CD or DVD
media. If your 2480 has a CD
burner, you know how slow it can be to burn CD backups... how unreliable
it is to span multiple CDs... etc... I recommend
the Song-Vault DVD/CD Combo Burner. It burns audio CDs and
allows you to export .wav files to CD... just like your current
burner... but in addition, you can backup to 4.7GB DVD-R disks... saving
you time and giving you reliable, "all on one disk" backups. Currently,
this is the only Brand New external CD drive available for the Roland VS
2480. So, if your external or internal drive is starting to fail, you
either have to take your chances with a used burner, or purchase a new
Song-Vault DVD Combo drive. Song-Vault DVD
info
5. Padded Arm Rest Don't
let THIS happen
to your VS-2480. It makes your unit look ugly, unprofessional, and will
ruin the resale value. Not only
great protection for your 2480, this padded arm rest cuts down fatigue
during long mixing/recording sessions. Easy
installation, just peel and stick. Vinyl covered foam looks and feels
great. Once applied, looks like it belonged on the 2480 all along. More
info and photo here
6. Video Owner's Manual on DVD
This
site has a bunch of tech info, www.VSPlanet.com
is a great source of info, and the manuals that come with the VS-2480
are OK... but sometimes, it takes watching someone demonstrate the
features of the 2480 to figure it... or at least, figure it out faster. The
Video Owner's Manual on DVD is a great resource for learning the in's
and out's of the 2480. Since it is in DVD format, it is really easy to
skip ahead to the exact topic you need help with. It is jam-packed with
nearly two hours of instruction and tips for using the VS-2480. If
you ever feel "lost" when using the 2480, or simply would like
to have a better understanding of the functions of the unit, this Video
Owner's Manual on DVD is a "Must Have". DVD Owner's Manual
info
7. Dust Cover
Don't let
dust and dirt ruin your 2480. The motorized faders are prone to sticking
over time if not kept clean. The easiest solution for this problem is
prevention, and a Dust Cover is an easy and inexpensive solution. Roland
VS-2480 Dust Cover info
8. 120GB Hard Drive (for 2480HD Owners)
If
you own a 2480HD and still have the original 30GB IBM hard drive, you
should seriously consider upgrading your hard drive to 120GB. These are fast, quiet, and reliable. Many
2480HD users (including myself) have these drives and are very happy
with them. Check
out my Roland 2480 120GB HD Upgrade Kit |