This site is your central resource for information on Roland's Integra-7 sound module. Whether you're a current user or are considering purchasing this sound box, you'll find the longest and most in-depth review currently available, as well as links to sound demos. Over time, additional user tips will be added.
Why I am qualified to do this?
Nice thing about blogs--creating one gives you instant 'cred.' But like everything else, that might be fleeting. Truth is, I've had an Integra-7 for several months now, and have explored nearly every sound and feature this beast has to offer.
And I can bring the perspective of a longtime Roland sound module user to this forum as well. I'm currently the moderator of the 2,000-member Yahoo Roland XV Group, the largest XV community out there. I also own the Yahoo Groups Roland Integra-7 discussion group, which you're invited to join because at the moment it's a bit lonely there.
The Integra-7 is marketed to legacy XV users who have been holding on their XV-3080s, 5080s, 5050s, Fantom XRs and Sonic Cells for dear life because they're not ready to give up their legacy Roland sounds or, in particular, their Roland SRX expansion cards.
Fortunately, with the Integra-7 they don't have to. It includes all of the legacy 'stock' waveforms and patches from the 5080 as well as every single waveform and patch from the SRX series. If that wasn't enough, the Integra-7 adds more than 2,000 brand new sounds, many of which make the legacy XV sounds obselete. This site offers an in-depth overview and objective review of the Integra's features, sounds, effects and interface that covers both its strengths and weaknesses. Since you're unlikely to find an Integra at your local Guitar Center, you're going to have to rely on sound samples, videos and sites like this to help you make an intelligent purchasing decision. No problem--Why not start right now?
I'AM A NEW OWNER OF THE INTEGRA 7. I USE AN A-50 TO CONTROL THIS MODULE. I AM SURE I WILL HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS. AT THIE POINT, I AM WONDERING , IF I CAN CONTROL THIS MODULE THE WAY I CONTROL MY XV5080 [ WITHOUT USING SETS ] ?
ReplyDeleteThe architecture for the Integra is different than the XV. While the XV kept "patches" and "performances" separate, they're combined in the Integra. You start with a Studio set, which is essentially the equivalent of the legacy XV performance, and then select or edit each "part" within it. You save the individually edited part or the edited Studio Set to a user location. It's actually a much better system, and reflects that the fact that you're no longer limited by the effects constraints of the XV. Since each part can have its own insert effect, you no longer have the problem where an XV patch sounded different in a performance because the performance's effects settings often changed the sound of patches within it.
DeleteI am trying to hook up the eight outputs on integra to use in a live setting and control volume per channel via the iPad editor. When using the iPad editor I can visually see volume going up and down, however, the only way audio is heard they pa is to change the Rx channel to 1. This would be fine however too many sounds stacked on each other causes hiccups in the sound.
ReplyDeleteDo I need an interface to accomplish this?
How can I route cables to accomplish this?
I am trying to also use the Integra-7 'live' and am not able to have the STUDIO SETS accessed without having to go first to the MENU button then select STUDIO SET SELECT then scroll to the Sound then hit enter! That's a very unproductive process for live performance. Is there a way to leave the STUDIO SET page open (as a LIVE SET lol) and just scroll between the sounds without the aforementioned process? I would appreciate advice on this. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRobert, not sure if this answers your question, but the main screen offers two kinds of views: Part View and Studio Set View. Use SHIFT-ENTER to switch between the two views. In Studio Set View you should be able to switch (using the knob) between Studio Sets (defaulting to Part 1) without having to hit "MENU/STUDIO SET SELECT." I assume that what you're trying to do is to be able to quickly switch between Studio Sets in a live setting. You could also accomplish the same thing by sending MIDI control changes from your keyboard, but that's a whole different ball of wax.
DeleteCan you call up Studio Sets via just a CC#0, plus a Program Change? Or, like the Yamaha MotifRack XS, are you required to send a CC#0, a CC#32, and Program Change? (LSB, MSB)
ReplyDeleteAlso, can you change SRX cards via MIDI CC messages? Or must they be done using the front panel?
polyphony is so small, is there any upgrade?
ReplyDeleteSupernatural sound quality is perfect, i it a lot!
I got it with the expectation to have some 2 or 3 instruments playing along with me when playing piano
The sound get chopped up in small pcs and swallowed, because polyphony is too small, when having more than 1 part selected from all 16.
Only 1 supernatural instrument can be used at the time, when I asked for support on Roland USA website, they just closed the question without even answering,
i hope there will be some update or improvement in the future
I do not understand we have dualcore -> quadcore -> octacore Full HD, but a polyphony of only 128 ??? That is a true shame!
It is absolutely not true that you can only use one Supernatural sound at a time. Listen to the demos above and you will hear five or more Supernatural instruments playing at one time in a multimbral setting. If what you mean is that you can't create single "layered parts" that mix several SN instruments together (like the legacy PCM patches do), well that's true. SN sounds are not PCM sound and aren't designed to be such. You can get around this by "layering" sounds in soundsets--i.e., having several different SN "parts" tied to one MIDI channel.
ReplyDeleteThe complaints over polyphony are overblown. The vast majority of sytnhs and workstations today are still limited to 128 voices--there are very few higher polyphony machines out there, and those that do cost upwards of $2,000 or more. I have never had a problem with polyphony. My composition, "Hopin' Mike" which you can access on this site often have six or more SN acoustic parts playing complicated lines with lots of sustain at one time and I've never had dropped notes. If you're trying to play a symphonic piece with several string sections, horn sections anb percussion, well, then you might have a problem. Frankly, those kinds of compositions are better suited for virtual instruments which don't have such polyphony limitations--but then you run into the issues of RAM and latency.
I cannot export a tone to a usb memory stick. I format the stick, I hit menu>utility>export I cannot select a sound from any bank (there are six and they all only contain "init tone" or "Init kit," they seem to be empty). I can select a studio set, but they have no real content, just names. I am following the manual. suggestions?
ReplyDeleteI see no answer was given to this question! I too would like to know if this is possible? Can you call up Studio Sets via just a CC#0, plus a Program Change? Or, like the Yamaha MotifRack XS, are you required to send a CC#0, a CC#32, and Program Change? (LSB, MSB) I use a Motif XS and have no problem changing patches (sounds) with a simple midi single number command once my patch is saved to the USR bank. The Integra seems to have over complicated this " live play" situation....Or, am I missing something here?
ReplyDeleteI have this setup with my Yamaha Motif controlling my Roland Integra-7. Changing studio sets only works with MSB(CC00), LSB(CC32) and PC(1-64) on channel 16 by default. I doubt that you can change the SRX cards using CC messages but there may be a SYSEX way to do it. Sounds like a great idea if it works!
ReplyDeleteHi, I don't see any recent activity. Is anyone home? I'm a new Integra owner and could use some help/advice.
ReplyDeleteChip, honestly I don't review comments as much as I used to, and I don't answer questions I don't know the answers to. But feel free to ask yours or, better yet, post it to the Yahoo Intera-7 Group, which I moderate.
ReplyDeleteHi, is there any way to save selected Expansion Tones in User Banks, so they can be accessed directly without having the particular host Expansion Module loaded.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can tell it seems that a Expansion Tone "written" to a USER bank only sounds if that particular tone is already loaded into an expansion slot... not much use really then if one wants to use tones from a variety of Expansion collections???
Alas, no. To access any patch from an expansion card in a studio set or bank you must first load the card where that patch or tone is located into one of the four virtual "expansion" slots. It is one of the negative aspects of the architecture, since sometimes all you want is just one patch from a whole card. It's an ever bigger problem is you want to use the "expansion GM/PCM" banks, since you have to load all four banks to use any of the sounds, leaving you no room for other expansion cards. When the Integra-7 first came out, the product manager told me that they were working on firmware upgrades that might allow greater flexibility in loading expansion sets, but this never happened.
ReplyDeleteHello there! I was wondering if there is a way to use a USB memory card on the Integra 7 to increase the number of live studio sets I can use live on stage? I actually need to be able to access at least 200 different srudio sets at any give moment on stage!
ReplyDeleteHi! Try the Music Labs Sipario. It's a midi device I use with the Integra to convert any midi keyboard into an 8-zone controller sending program changes and setting up zones in the Integra. I couldn't believe the 64 multis (I have over 2000 in my Kurzweil for instance), but with the Sipario all I need is one Live Set in the Integra and the Sipario does the rest.
DeleteHi everyone. I just got my Integra 7 and would like to use it with my korg i40m arranger. I am finding it difficult to get the right percussion and how to automatically recall the right program changes. I would prefer supernatural sounds but GM is ok too. Hope I was clear and that someone can help me out. Thanks, Roger
DeleteMy principal complaint on this otherwise excellent synth is that it's tough to get to my favorite patches quickly. I made this Arduino microcontroller-based set of buttons to send MIDI patch change commands to the Integra-7. Works great. Parts cost about $35. Takes a couple of days to print on your 3D printer. I can email/post the code I wrote for it, if anyone wants it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dXk11FY_dM -Tom Sylvester Cary, NC
ReplyDelete