Roland Zenology Pro lets you dive deeper into ZEN-Core synthesis
Tweak every parameter of Roland’s vintage synths
Building on its ZEN-Core ecosystem, Roland has unveiled a more comprehensive iteration of Zenology with Zenology Pro. Zenbeats 2.0 Ultimate Unlock is also introduced for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, now integrated with Roland Cloud.
Zenology Pro
Roland’s Zenology plug-in doubles as a vast sound library for your DAW and as the software version of the ZEN-Core engine running in newer hardware like the Jupiter X. Until now, however, producers would have a very limited amount of control over parameters and sound design in Zenology. The new Pro version changes this, providing over 7,000 patches and the ability to pop the hood on every single one of them, with access to every parameter in the soft synth.
The plug-in uses four partials to shape your sounds, with four oscillators each boasting nine virtual analogue waveforms, Supersaw, noise PCM and PCM Sync. There are 1,840 PCM waveforms, which Roland says is “easily expandable to over 7,000”. 10 filter types are built-in, some modelled after legendary hardware like the Jupiter range, with 11 LFO shapes and tempo-synced Step LFOs with up to 37 curves per step.
If you find your sound is still missing a sparkle, you can make use of the 90 Roland effects that include vintage emulations of effects like the iconic Juno-106 Chorus. This is all found in the MFX (master effects) tab. Once you’ve dialled in your sound in Zenology Pro, you can export it to ZEN-Core hardware, ready for the stage.
Zenology Pro is available as a free 30-day trial for all Roland account holders, with the offer ending on 26 October. Find out more here.
Zenbeats 2.0
Roland’s music-making app, Zenbeats, has been updated to version 2.0 Ultimate Unlock. The update integrates the app with Roland Cloud and offers 7GB of presets, loops and sounds for Ultimate Unlock users – free users and Platform Unlock users will have limited access to this library.
A new ZEN-Core synth comes with the update, too – ZC1. This is the first ZEN-Core synth available for mobile devices, packing in over 800 presets and master effects. There are also a host of workflow and feature enhancements for music production.
Zenbeats Ultimate Unlock is available to all membership levels of Roland Cloud.
Find out more at roland.com
For more music tech news click here.
