Roland VR-09 V-Combo B

I' d like to start this review by saying that this synth is really really great ! I can' t almost find a blemish on this gem !

The sounds : The sound samples are of true high pro quality. They stimulate the mind and the hands follow ! The electric piano sounds are fantastic ! So inspirational ! The piano sounds are alright. The brass, the strings and of course the organ sounds are of top quality. The rotary effect of the organ is great and the drawbars are giving lots of options !

FX section : The FX sounds are also fantastic ! I like all of them : The chorus, vibrato, tremolo, phaser, distortion etc, they all are of true high quality ! They really trigger the sounds and lead them to a whole new level of inspiration and joy ! The only negative that I find in this section, is that you can' t customize the settings of the FX such as level, rate, depth, time etc. There is just one knob that triggers all of these settings together. All the same, the FX unit of this synth sounds really great. The reverb is fantastic ! You can also choose which FX you want to apply on each sound !

The keys : The feeling of the keys is fantastic ! Not too hard, not too soft and even though it' s not a waterfall keyboard, the feeling is great and very comfortable to play. It helps you to bring out the utmost of your playbility skills !

The look : This synth looks fantastic ! It has an original vintage look and even though it is made of plastic, it doesn' t give a cheap impression whatsoever. The colour is black and white. really really great ! The quality of the materials is fair enough given the price.

The looper and drum section : This section is very easy to use and helps you create, practice and improvise at any style you want. It makes you want to play more and more ! But the duration of the loop is only 20 seconds..

The verdict : This review is based on a personal opinion and quality is in the eye of the beholder ! If you are a super pro, you might want to buy a more expensive synth such as a Nord, which can fulfill your professional expectations. But if you are a semi pro, this synth is a dream come true ! Everything is so hands on and you can easily create the sound that you want very fast, without having to dive into complex menus and make lots of actions. I also think that this synth can easily and decently perform in any true professional live, without having any problem at all. I can surely tell that the price is more than fair, if you consider the sound quality and the options that this great synth offers. I also recommend that you should buy a damper pedal, if you want to get the most out of it, especially in the piano and electric piano sounds.

So finally : This great synth is highly recommended ! It is going to inspire you and you will have a great time playing with it ! The only negative that I find, is that you can' t customize the FX settings. Everything else is really really great ! I hope that you will find this review helpfull, if you consider on buying this great synth made by Roland.

Is an ok keyboard with lots of options and sounds and was primarily selected due to price and weight. With lower price and weight comes downsides of quality. I have been using the keyboard for live performances in various venues and it's perfect for carrying around with a good case. However, the keys don't have the greatest feeling if you're used to weighted keys as these on the VR-09 are more synth like keys.
It's a good keyboard, but by now probably slightly outdated compared to other offerings on the market.