Roland Unveils VK-88 Combo Organ at Winter NAMM

Roland introduced the VK-88 Combo Organ at this year's Winter NAMM show. With Roland's most advanced "Virtual ToneWheel" organ sounds, COSM Amp and Rotary Speaker Modeling, and new quick-firing waterfall keyboards, the VK-88 will satisfy even the most demanding organ aficionado. New features like Active Expression and a D Beam controller (with multi-colored LED) give players complete control over their tone during performance.

Designed in the same elegant tradition of vintage combo organs, the VK-88 features a wooden cabinet with a familiar panel layout: nine harmonic bars per manual (upper/lower), two harmonic bars for the pedal part, and two additional harmonic bars for Orchestral Tones like piano, strings, brass and choir. Dual waterfall keyboards with quick-firing keys make playing glissandos more natural.

The VK-88's organ sounds are based on the same advanced Virtual ToneWheel sound engine used in the acclaimed VK-8 Combo Organ. Players can choose from four tone wheel types--Vintage 1, Vintage 2, Solid and Clean--and then further adjust the sound using the harmonic bars. The VK-88 even lets players adjust the leakage level and click sound. Four COSM amp models deliver tones from clean gospel organs to gritty rock organs. COSM Amp Type IV stands out in particular for its incredible gain stage. Of course, the VK-88 also faithfully recreates vintage rotary speaker sounds.

Using the new D Beam controller, players can control a variety of preset options like rotary speed (Slow/Fast) using an infrared beam of light--complete with an LED that changes color depending on the proximity of one's hand. And with Active Expression, players can slowly fade in one of the VK-88's Orchestral Tones using an optional EV-7 Expression Pedal. These additional tones offer new possibilities for organ performance, while 64 User registrations make recalling tones quick and easy.

Connections to the VK-88 include stereo 1/4-inch inputs, a stereo XLR Mix output, stereo Organ outputs (1/4-inch TRS type), stereo Orchestral Tones outputs (1/4-inch TRS type), two Control Pedal jacks, an Expression Pedal jack, Hold Pedal jack, PK input jack (for optional PK-25 Pedalboard), Rotary Tone Cabinet jack, MIDI In/Out/Pedal In jacks, and a stereo Headphones jack.