Vintage Synth Explorer

Roland • VP-330 Vocoder Plus

One of the coolest instruments out there. The vocoder shapes its envelope and filters by any sound source fed into it, your voice or even a drum loop can be used which is then applied to another sound source, typically a synth pad. This creates a very unique and famous robot-like sound.

Aside from the 10-band vocoder, the VP-330 added a string synth section, choir and a human-voice sound, both of which are quite excellent themselves. Its 3 sound sections offer a few different presets that can be slightly edited with de-tuning and vibrato. The VP-330 is one of the best Vocoder synths ever and although there are many other types of Vocoders, none sound as good as this!

The Roland SVC-350 (pictured just above) is a similar rackmount version of the VP-330 with a modernized look and graphic EQ section. These vocoders have been used by William Ørbit, BT, Styx, Kitaro, Underworld, Meat Beat Manifesto, Überzone, Air, Royksopp, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, and many more.

VISITOR COMMENTS (12)

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Posting Rules: Please keep your comments relevant! Do not post requests for help, do not use for sales, do not post unless you have something interesting to say about this instrument, or we may delete your post.

 

Mike

Posted 127 days ago

I had a lot of vocoders but this will always be the best to me. It’s just so fat sounding and nasty. I had 2 VP-330’s and sold them way back. Now to buy them you will need a extra job LOL. So I bought the SVC-350. Here is what I done so I can get same tone out of VP-330 in a SVC-350. I bought a AKAI S5000. There is a AKAI CDROM called “History of Roland” in S1000 format. It has all the VP-330 sounds. Load the VP-330 programs up on the S5000 and Plug this S5000 up to your SVC-350 and BAM you have a VP-330 with the same carrier sound on a SVC-350. That is just if you want to have the same sound you get when you turn on a VP-330 and use vocoder without any ext sound. 5/5

anonymous

Posted 189 days ago

Yeah, the sure don't make vocoders and/or synths like they used to!!! I'll take any 1985 or before OVER any 1986 or after, everytime.

square.wave

Posted 201 days ago

Nothing sounds better than this classic. Its distinctive sound makes me reminisce hard for the early 80s when I rocked out to the 45 single of "Mr. Roboto", my first ever record of my own at the tender age of 5.

ets

Posted 470 days ago

this machine should be "THE FINAL END OF SEARCHING THE BEST VOCODER-STRING-HUMAN VOICE EVER"...I HAVE ONES....LUCKY ME..

djmike303

Posted 482 days ago

I SOLD A VOCODER ROLAND SVC350 WITH MANUAL IN MINT CONDITION 700 EUROS

THE SOUND OF MIDNIGHT STAR ELECTRICITY!!!!

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