VR Firmware

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

Firmware upgrades brought numberless bugfixes and improved features. The main improvments are for sure Leslie Type 3 and the V/C percussion bugfix

VR09 ‘sans B’ can be ‘upgraded’ to VR09B by simply upgrading the firmware: it must be first upgraded to 1.11, then to 1.12

Firmware history

Actual Firmware Version is 1.12 for ALL VRs
VR09 was originally delivered with firmware 1.0
VR09-B and VR730 were originally delivered with firmware 1.11

Updates 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)

Howto know the actual firmware version of your VR

  • hold down [EXIT]
  • turn VR on
  • hold down [EXIT] until version is shown on display
  • turn VR off

The usb-stick: buying, formatting, using …

NOTE: you can use the same usb-drive you’re already using for saving/loading VR registrations etc. In this case don’t format and proceed to chapter ‘Howto Upgrade’

  • recommended: any ‘low-performance’ (‘cheap’) stick with USB-2.0 and maximum 32 GB (4GB is all you need for anything to store on – even audio files)
    high-spec usb-3.x are overkill (no speed advantage with VR-USB) and eventually cause problems with compatibility
    A cheap and solid usb stick is e.g. ‘Intenso Rainbow’ with 4GB (blue) or 8GB (green – has a blinking LED when operating)

  • Formatting the usb-drive: VR requires ‘format FAT 32’. Any new ‘low-spec’ usb drive (usb-2.0/max 32GB) should work out of the box. If required you can format the drive either directly on VR (see below) or on your PC/Mac (select ‘FAT-32’ format)

Howto Upgrade VR

  1. IMPORTANT for VR09 ‘sans B’ (first gen 2014 model) users:
    If your VR is still at initial firmware or first update 1.03, updating to 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
  1. Installing the firmware update file on the usb-drive:
    • download the update file from Roland website
    • the 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 ‘it is’ but the content of the archive has to 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 your VR (VR09: left usb-compartement / VR730: usb-socket at rear side)
    • Hold down ROTARY SOUND [ ON/OFF ] and ROTARY SOUND [ FAST/SLOW ] buttons and turn VR on
    • The display should show ‘Updating…’, the rotary button will blink during update.
    • The display will show ‘Finished.” when the update is done.
    • Restart your VR and enjoy 🙂
    • NOTE: if you like you can delete the ‘upgrade’ folder from the usb-drive and contiue using it for saving/loading VR registrations, audio-recordings, backing-tracks etc.
    N.B. Howto format USB-drive on VR
    • turn VR on
    • plug the usb-drive into your VR (VR09: left usb-compartement / VR730: usb-socket at rear side)
    • Open VR menu: dial down to “Media Utility” and select (ENTER)
    • In “Media Utility”, step down to “Format USB” and confirm
    • VR Display will show “Executing” while formatting
    • VR Display will clear when formatting is finished