Topic: Anemic bass response from repaired Roland R-09HR

[tungarbulb]

The short version is that the mic level control was a bit wonky and the LCD display had developed a thin black line on its right-hand side, and all after only a year and change of moderate (OK, very moderate) use.

I sent the device back to Roland. They very promptly fixed it for a reasonable sum and got it back to me in a more or less timely manner. They also updated its firmware to version 3.02.

Only problem I've noticed after getting it back is that when I made a recording of a jazz band not long ago, the bass was very anemic; no punch at all. I checked the recording on different playback systems and it ain't my imagination. I made another recording and the bass response, both to my ear and via Adobe Audition's analyzer, appears different, i.e. a lot weaker. Not nonexistent, just weaker. The bass-cut switch was set to "off" in both cases.

I've gone back and listened to older recordings made with the unit pre-repair. The bass on a lot of those recordings, whether made with the built-in mics or a Sony ECM 929LT which I've used successfully on other recording projects, is a lot punchier. Audition's analyzer appears to bear my impressions out.

I've notified the guy at Roland whom I dealt with via e-mail. He's on vacation until the 11th.

Has anyone else experienced this issue with firmware version 3.02? Might there be there anything I can do short of sending the darned thing back again? Is there a hidden menu as with earlier firmware versions?

[George2]

I don't know. I'm still on v104. Was it in the "Rehearsal" mode?

[fmaderjr]

Has anyone else experienced this issue with firmware version 3.02? Might there be there anything I can do short of sending the darned thing back again? Is there a hidden menu as with earlier firmware versions?

No hidden menu. That's why I reverted to 1.06 (don't need the extra crap like rehearsal mode anyway). If you wish to revert to 1.06, send me an e-mail at fmaderjr@comcast.net and I can e-mail you a copy of the firmware.

Firmware 3.02, I think, still allows you to access the test mode which you can use to change some settings. I know version 3.00 allows the test mode.

1) Hold down Menu & A<>B buttons while powering on.
2) Press Finder & Speed buttons simultaneously
3) Scroll down to "11 Debug Menu" & Select it by pressing record button.
4) Select "1 Parameter" by pressing record button.
5) Now you can scroll through 5 screens of setting that can be changed by  pressing the record button.

[tungarbulb]

First, I'd like to thank you both for replying.

Has anyone else experienced this issue with firmware version 3.02? Might there be there anything I can do short of sending the darned thing back again? Is there a hidden menu as with earlier firmware versions?

No hidden menu. That's why I reverted to 1.06 (don't need the extra crap like rehearsal mode anyway). If you wish to revert to 1.06, send me an e-mail at fmaderjr@comcast.net and I can e-mail you a copy of the firmware.

Firmware 3.02, I think, still allows you to access the test mode which you can use to change some settings. I know version 3.00 allows the test mode.

1) Hold down Menu & A<>B buttons while powering on.

While pressing the power button, or immediately afterward?

2) Press Finder & Speed buttons simultaneously

After it's powered up, right?

3) Scroll down to "11 Debug Menu" & Select it by pressing record button.
4) Select "1 Parameter" by pressing record button.
5) Now you can scroll through 5 screens of setting that can be changed by  pressing the record button.

What's in those 5 screens?

(Oh, for the days when the only parameters were "normal" and "high-bias!  )

[fmaderjr]

In 2) hold both buttons down while pressing power.

Too much in the screens to describe, much of which I don't understand.  I think the hidden menu has most of the important things that can be changed.