I had an eye on the VS-700 for quite a while and was about to commit myself and order it ... but had to realize that the biggest European store stopped selling it ... Apparently I could still get the 700 R+C from a different shop, but wonder if that would be a good idea??? What worries me are the reports here about insufficient integration with X1d and also that linking to the OctaCapture supposedly no longer works. Any comments from you guys whether to jump aboard the leaving train or wait for the next one ???

Hi Fly, if you are staying with Sonar and need an integrated surface then the 700C is still the one to go for. It still works under X1 albeit with some quirks but it is functional and certainly still the best option for a surface under Sonar. I wouldn't hold my breath for the 'next one'. Cheers!

I rate the v700 very highly, and I don't regret buying it. BUT, and this is a big but, ongoing support of it is clearly a secondary concern for both Cakewalk and Roland. V700 updates lag behind program updates by a significant amount amount of time, and they are increasingly "will this do", IMO. So while I say I don't regret buying it, I don't think it's lived up to the initial "tight integration" promise all that well; that's intermittently true depending on what updates / versions you're using, but if you're always up to date with Sonar versions, that means spending significant periods dealing with flaky v700 integration. And even speaking as a notorious cakewalk fanboi shill, I think that's below par for something this expensive. So while I wouldn't say "don't buy it", I can't give it a whole-hearted recommendation either. It's fine for now, but I can see it having an early obsolescence, given the lacklustre support. A shame, I think.

I feel the same. It's a good piece. It could easily be great. It should certainly be amazing (considering alleged flagship status and price).

The VS700 works great with 8.5.3. I think there are many problems going with it's availability. It's not a matter of integration with X1. Those problems can and I think will be fixed by the guys at Cakewalk. As to whether or not Roland is still supporting it, that's where the problems come in. You must remember that Japan is in a very dire situation due to the nuclear plant meltdown and tsunami. I'm sure they are having problems producing certain things. Things leaving Japan are subject to checks for radiation. At this point in time, the aftereffects of radiation contamination have spread due to weather, ocean tides, people moving, things moving, etc. Irradiation is a long term problem that spreads and changes and gets into all kinds of materials that are neccesary to make technological-electronic machines. Mostly, conductive metals can attract and retain radioactivity and become subject to the decay caused by irradiation. Don't ask me for facts on this, I don't have any stats. Just remember, the place where the VS700 is made is in Japan, and Japan is suffering through a huge crisis with an uncertain future.
Add to that the economy meltdown and the marketing bean counters and a perfectly good peice of equipment may get sidelined.

Craig makes a lot of sense. 'If' Cake can get the stability back into the 700 platform under X1, then we are certainly once again on the preferred winner... at least under Windows 7. Cheers.

Mully


Craig makes a lot of sense. 'If' Cake can get the stability back into the 700 platform under X1, then we are certainly once again on the preferred winner... at least under Windows 7. Cheers.

Under Win 7. That statement speaks volumes in the world of DAW's. Do you suspect that every OS would like it's own built in DAW? It's not a section of computer use that they have pursued or fostered much, but the stats change as more users find out they can be rock stars too.

I've not noticed any lack of *stability* with the v700, I have to say. What problems are people having?

John T


I've not noticed any lack of *stability* with the v700, I have to say. What problems are people having?

Quite an interesting question ... I may have to read the other posts in this forum or just find out myself ...
 
Well, I'm happy to say that I did jump aboard ... I just got my VS-700 delivered. I could not resist buying it as I had found a store exhibit, supposedly with traces of usage but a real good rebate on it ... I had to decide quickly or walk away ...
 
Anyway, the set looks brand new and came with the latest firmware ... took about 30 minutes to unbox, install and get rolling ... and my first impression is really good; seems quite intuitive and I love the channel strip locking ... the only thing I could not get to work within my first 45 minutes on it was the Fantom (no sound) but I will RTFM before bugging you guys ...
 
Rob
 
 
 
 

Fantom is a bit of a pain to set up. There a knowledge base article on the main site which you should read through carefully.