Edirol PCR-30

easy to use...just plug it in and download the driver. However...I can't get the onboard sliders and knobs to work with garageband. I haven't really tried to figure it out, but they don't work strait away.

The features are plenty to give you a lot of control.

Good touch sensitivity. Velocity reads are pretty good...but you can always go back in and correct the velocity further in the software.

I have has the same problem as everyone else that has owned this model. All but two keys died. I heard the same thing about the rubber strips being the problem.

I read in a forum that you could take them off and paint them with graphite paint on both side and replace them and it would work. So I took it apart and pulled out the rubber strips. Then I decided to call roland to see if they could recommend anything for me before I bought graphite paint (whatever the heck that is???). After bouncing back and fourth from customer service to tech support they finally put me on hold and came back saying that they have had major problems with this model and that they would fix it for me for free! All I had to do was pay for the postage. It was back with in a week and has worked perfectly ever since.

I would not buy one again...but I am happy to have this one. Overall, I would give this (fixed) machine a 6...it is good if it works!

Fairly easy to use.

Beware of the Roland modulation stick!

Ok expressivness of the keyboard, maybe some differences in velocity between the keys. Much better in Edirol PCR-300 however.

Picked one up as "broken". Tried to just open it up, clean all the rubberswithces (using electronic cleaner), and reassemble it. No go. Then got new rubberswitches, from Edirol, at ???15, and reassembled it. Now it works like a charm! The new rubberswtiches have different design than the old ones.

Demount it by removing all the screws on the backside, then remove the springs holding the keys (use a pincette), and remove the keys. Then simply replace the rubberswitches, and reassemble. Made in an evening.

Fast response from Edirol/Roland, who also pointed out the solution for this, and sent me the switches.

In general, there is room for improvement in Roland's support: no manuals on webpage etc...

Nice design, a little smaller than PCR-300. The latter has more features and better keyboard action. Get this one if you get it really cheap, and if you are not afraid to do some fixing.

I use this size of keyboard since it is easy to bring anywhere, and only require USB connection to my laptop. At home I use it for arranging music, to type in notes in Sibelius. As such a product, the PCR-30 serves it purpose well, the physical controllers is a nice add-on.

The unit is very easy to setup for a live performance and the hardware controls are intelligently mapped to MIDI control numbers out of the box when you plug it in. Program changes and parameter editing take some getting used to and because of the number of key presses required are not terribly convenient for spontinaity during a live performance.

The unit is feature packed and I love the USB power connection for remote use. I had hoped to use the V-link controls, but never had the chance to try it. I did get to demo it at NAMM and it was very cool. I bought it because it was the perfect size for keeping next to my computer and sports a full compliment of knobs, buttons and slders to control just about anything. The bender is the standard Roland single wheel horizontal controller that has the pitch bend left to right and the modulation is done by pushing the spring-loaded wheel forward. This is OK, but it doesn't allow for you to let it go and sustain the modulation.

I liked the playability of the unit and the solid feel of the keyboard and controllers. Even though it's just made of cheap plastic, it has a quality look and feel.

OK, this is the bad news. This unit is the most unreliable piece of crap I've ever owned (and I've owned a lot of keyboard crap). It lasted about a year of very infrequent use and then a bunch of keys started to fail. Now it's just a big plastic paperweight of shame I hide in the closet.

Honestly, I haven't even tried to get it repaired or called Roland for support. I'm waiting to use it in some video or performance art piece where I set it on fire and smash it into a million pieces, or maybe...

magically it will restore itself.

Call me a packrat.

If you're thinking of buying one of these - RUN AWAY! If anyone knows how to fix this for cheap or free, please let me know. I've always avoided buying Edirol products because I thought they would be cheap and I should have trusted my instincts.

I'm never buying another product from Edirol....ever.

Very easy to use when it worked. They no longer supply a usb driver on their website for this product though, except for Mac. I had to go to a third party site to download it.

The control knobs are not as high resolution as they were represented to be. Moving the knob increments by 3.

I used it a few weeks very sparingly, and it worked fine. After just a couple months of it sitting wrapped up waiting for me to have time to use it, several keys stopped working. Support wanted me to pay for it to be fixed when it was still within warranty... About a year later I thought about trying to fix it myself, and when I got it out, only one of the keys worked.

This issue seems related to the rubber strip that holds the little contacts under the keys. Apperently you can order a replacement one from the manufacturer.

According to others on forums with this issue, Edirol advised them it was a known issue in early shipments of this model. The fact that they don't have this issue and resolution noted in their knowledge base is horrible.

They wanted me to pay for repairs within warranty for an issue that I now know is related to a production flaw.

It would have been in their best interest to publish this issue if they had known about it.

I will never give them another cent. I could afford to sue them, but I don't have the time to deal with it.

I presently use this with Reason 2.5, and it works extremely well. Very easy to setup, edit parameters and use. The manual explains alot (when you take the time to read it!). I not only use it musically (playing or recording), but also for programming automated mixes, etc. It does exactly what I need it for.

Straight forward... it's a simple MIDI controller, and it does what it's suppose to.

There are no sounds from this module... N/A.

Like everyone else who has purchased this, the keys die eventually. Therefore, it is not very dependable.

HOWEVER, Edirol/Roland's customer support is truly CUSTOMER SUPPORT (READ ON)

I purchased this March 2003. The keys slowly died-out one at a time, and having been frustrated for so long, I contacted Edirol/Roland. They told me that they would still provide warranty repair, EVEN after THREE YEARS from the date I purchased it.

I sent it to them October 19, 2006, and got it back October 31st, 2006, completely refurbished. They change two rubber strips (for the keys) and replaced/updated the main board at NO CHARGE. All it cost me (to save my $350 CAN investment) was $15 of shipment by regular mail. Therefore, although I shouldn't have had to go through this, they provided excellent service and ''backed-up'' their product.

Now, it works like brand new. They have excellent customer service.

NOTE: if you no longer have the original purchase invoice, they will not provide warranty. You will then have to pay for the repairs. Luckily, I kept my original invoice.

Although it does what I need it for, I did not enjoy the trouble I had to go through to protect my investment. If it were lost or stolen, I would seriously shop with different makes before making a decision.

MY BACKGROUND: recording artist with 25 years experience, writing and recording original material. I mostly play rock, or anything that moves me. I play guitar mainly, and I own a Fender Strat Richie Sambora custom (that Richie Sambora personally gave me... pretty cool, huh!), a Les Paul Studio, a Brian Moore i9F, Takamine 12-string, Marshall TSL60 with Vintage cab, and a Peavey JSX 212 combo.

Half an hour to setup the drivers and setting on my computer and half an hour reading manual and I'm getting it to do what I want.
Editing all the buttons, knobs and sliders is easy.
Changing midi channels is cumbersome required three button presses.

I can now access all functionality of the VSTi's I use without reaching for a mouse. This is rather essential when playing live.

The internal audio capabilities in this controller is what sold me, and the fact it's USB powered. I can turn up with this little wonder and my laptop, just hook them together with a USB cable, plug into a DI and I'm off and playing. No big mess of wall wart jacks and midi cables.

I haven't really played around with the velocity curves yet but I seem to have to hit it quite hard to get 128 out of it

I use it with out back up at gig's because I don't have a backup. So far it hasn't let me down

The only question I've had was answered by an online database of common QandA

I would cry if it were stolen because they seem quite hard to come by. I think most of the manufacturers like you to buy separate controllers and audio/midi interfaces rather than stick it all in one. Personlly it annoys me I can't by a great 88 key board with lots on knobs and button that is also an audio interface for my computer and has killer onboard sounds too. Asking too much?

Well in my rig I have a 76 key controller with this little baby and a laptop. The PCR-A30 does the audio and midi interface with the computer, has all the knobs and sliders to control the VSTi's and as a bonus gives me a little 2.5 octave keyboard to do some organ and pad stuff on.

it was quite nice and easy to use when i first bought it but after about six months the keys started dying.

i have to give it a 1 because it is very dificult to use when none of the keys work.

it had great features and if the damn thing wasnt broken i would say that the features were very good for the price and size. but its not working...

it was nice for the first 6 months like everyhitng else.

100% unreliable! can you imagine if you were playing a live show and three of the keys died! it would be a fucking mess. to anyone using this product be warned!!

am contacting them now but i am very scared becuase i have read bad things and my warranty is already finished. wish me luck!

all i know is that the damn thing has simply sat on my desk for two years and i have slowly watched it go from beaing a great little midi keyboard/controller to a worthless piece of plastic in no time flat. i have the same problem as everyone else: i moved out of the country for a year and before i left 3 of the keys had died. when i returned all but one are dead! it was just sitting on my deskwith a thin piece o cotton fabric over it even so that no dust would get in it. !!!

only a few of the keys work.

Cool controls if the keys would work. Easy to use. Can power off usb.

Key velocity untrustworthy.

Problem equipment. Cheapification

Cool sliders and dials for parameter control... but this thing just aint working. Planners of obsolescence deserve punitive legal action.

Grrr... Same deal. I used this keyboard bunches. and now - 90% of the keys don't respond or transmit any midi out.

I loved the sliders and knobs. I even used them to mix a record. But now one of the knobs doesn't transmit and 90% of the keys don't either

It's a controller so no sounds.

NOT reliable. The keys die.

I haven't contacted them yet, but i'm out of the warranty period. Grrrr...and i was so ALL about this keybaord when i got it.

I was happy, i was. But this is unreal, 7 out 7 reviewers before me had the same problem, they keys dying. who know if the PCR-M 30 does the same thing? i don't trust Edirol as much now. It's not like I can just drop another 170.00 at a moments notice. GRRRRrr!

It's hard to use it when it won't work.

I especially like the feature wherein certain keys just stop responding.

This has got to go down in history as one of the worst pieces of gear EVER. It worked fine at first, but I let it sit for a few months, and when I picked it up again a bunch of the keys didn't transmit any signal at all! What happened? It wasn't outside of my house EVER! It just sat there for a while! Amazing. What a waste of money!

I've not gotten a response regarding this issue. It's no longer under warranty, but even car manufacturers will repair their DESIGN FLAWS when they discover them.

Worthless unless you plan on trashing it onstage a-la NIN. I plan on a backyard burning with some good old-fashioned ritual dancing.