VR Firmware

Why and howto upgrade the Firmware on VR09, VR09B and VR730

 
Actual (final) Firmware Version is 1.12 for ALL VRs
Early VR09 ‘sans B’ upgraded to 1.11/1.12 become identical to VR09-B

Owners of a VR09-B or VR730:
Your V-Combo is on firmware 1.11 or even final 1.12
In case of 1.11, upgrade to 1.12: it fixes the massive ‘organ percussion V/C bug’ and adds ‘key touch setting’ in case of VR730

Owners of a VR09 ‘sans B’ (orange color writings on the board):
If you never have ‘upgraded’, your V-Combo is most likely on a very early firmware version (1.01 or 1.03).
Upgrading to latest firmware is highly recommended as it adds “Rotary-Type 3”, a couple of new sounds, fixes many bugs etc.

Howto know the actual firmware version of your VR
  • turn VR OFF
  • press & hold button [EXIT]
  • turn VR ON
  • hold [EXIT] until version is shown on display
  • release [EXIT] then push it again: VR will return to normal display

Howto Upgrade VR

  1. IMPORTANT for VR09 ‘sans B’ (first gen 2014 model) users:
    If your VR is still at initial firmware or first updates 1.01/1.02/1.03, updating to actual 1.12 has to be done in 2 steps:
    – first update to 1.11
    – then update to 1.12
  2. Before updating, SAVE your REGISTRATIONS to the usb-stick. After the update, reload the registration file fom USB
Usb-stick required for upgrade

A firmware upgrade is done via USB-stick (thumb drive). You can use the same usb-stick you’re using for saving/loading VR registrations, audio files etc.
Recommendations on USB-sticks, how to format etc, are in GEAR

The upgrade prodecure
  1. Installing the firmware update file on the usb-drive:
    • download the update file(s) from Roland website
    • each update file is a so called ‘archive’ (‘zip’-file) that bundles several folders and files. This ‘zip’-file cannot be copied to the usb as a file in fact its content must be copied to the usb drive
      On modern PCs (Windows 10, MacOS), it’s sufficient to double-click on the file: a windows opens that shows a folder like “_R053_VR09”: mark this folder with the mouse and drag it to the root of the usb drive
      On older Operating Systems (e.g. Windows XP) you eventually have to manually extract the content (using 3rd party software) and then copy the content to the usb drive
  2. Upgrading the VR:
    • Run the VR on the power adaptor (NEVER update while running on batteries). Do NEVER INTERRUPT the update procedure
    • turn VR OFF
    • plug the usb-drive into VR (VR09: left usb-compartement / VR730: usb-socket at rear side)
    • Press and hold both [ON/OFF] and [FAST/SLOW] buttons in left ‘ROTARY SOUND’ section and turn VR ON
    • After some seconds the display should show ‘Updating…’, the rotary button will blink during update.
    • NOTE: updating to v1.11 will take ca. 45 minutes
    • When the display shows “Finished.” then the update is finished 🙂
    • Restart VR and enjoy

    NOTE: if you like you can delete the ‘upgrade’ folder from the usb-drive and continue using it for saving/loading VR registrations, audio-recordings, backing-tracks etc.

Re-Installing firmware

It is possible to ‘re-install’ firmware 1.11+1.12, e.g. as ‘last hope’ for VR software problems when factory reset did not help.

Firmware history

VR09 was initially shipped with firmware 1.0
VR09-B and VR730 were initially shipped with firmware 1.11
Keys bought from stores or 2nd hand may have newer firmwares

Firmware bugfixes and features:


Verion 1.12 : Update for VR09/VR09-B/VR730

- Organ bugfix: V/C is NOT applied to percussion anymore
- Registrations: settings for damper/expr. pedal now saved to each registration (before: global setting)
- [VR730 only] added 'keyboard touch'


Versions 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.11 (summary) : Upgrade from VR09 to VR09-B

- Rotary/Organ: new rotary-type "3", rise+fall time, leslie-brake, wet/dry for OverDrive, expanded range for key-click, 'mod-lever' settings 
- Looper: added: import audio files (backuped loops), delete phrases
- VA-Synth: added: reset individual 'VA edited synth sounds' to factory sound
- Registrations: added: loading individual registrations from usb
- Added: 'Seamless transition' when switching to a new patch/registration (warning: EFX of the new patch will be applied to the old patch)
- Added: New sounds:
  - 10 sounds in E.PIANO category
  - 15 sounds in SYNTH category
  - 'Grand' got stereo left-right distrubution
- Added: Metronome
- Added: Octave switch for organ and drum
- Transpose: expanded range 
- Expression Pedal: added: 'per part' setting
- Added 'Solo Mode' (like in Jupiter-50/80 or ATELIER Series)
- Display: 
    - new 'drawbar setting popup', drawbar settings now displayed as numerical values as well
- ATELER organ 'features': 
   - Activation of ATELIER Mode: all sounds are loaded without 'VR-EFX' 
   - compatible to ATELIER 'registration sets' and 'smf midi song files' (commercial packs or personal sets of Atelier owners)
- Midi:
  - 'per part' program change for sounds by 'classic' midi (PC+Bank select)
  - receive CC7 (volume) and CC11 (expression)