Roland’s Verselab MV-1 is a standalone studio for creating complete songs

> Since debuting their Zen-Core engine back in 2019, Roland have proved determined to get their money’s worth from it. It already powers the Jupiter X polysynths, Fantom workstations and two standalone grooveboxes, the MC-707 and MC-101. Combining virtual analogue synthesis with PCM samplers drawn from a vast library of classic Roland gear, Zen-Core certainly offers you plenty of bang for your buck.

Now Roland have launched another Zen-Core instrument, Verselab MV-1, which is billed as an all-in-one song production studio. This enables you to create complete tracks without the need to involve a computer at all, and also promises a fast and simple workflow.

The MV-1 could almost be described as a workstation without a keyboard, with a modern twist. Vocals can be recorded via the built-in mic or by plugging a mic into the XLR input (there’s a phantom power option), and vocal effects include Auto-Pitch, Harmonizer and Doubler.

For playing, recording and programming drum and instrument parts, there’s a 4x4 bank of 16 pads and a TR-REC step sequencer. More than 3,000 Zen-Core sounds are onboard – with the option to add more via Roland Cloud – so you’re covered for drums, basslines, melodic parts and more.

There’s also MIDI I/O so, presumably, you’ll also be able to plug in a MIDI keyboard if you wish. Other connectivity options include Stereo 1/4-inch I/O, dual headphones jacks and an SD card slot.

Options to ease the songwriting process include templates, pattern generators and a guided workflow, while mixing and mastering effects are included so that you can give your tracks a pro finish. That said, integration with Roland’s Zenbeats app is also on the way, so you’ll be able to continue to work on your projects there if you wish.

The Verselab MV-1 can be mains- or battery-powered. It’s available now priced at $700 (UK street price appears to be around £615 at the time of writing).