Roland unveils trio of new guitar add-ons

Roland’s  has released a cluster of new guitar products ahead of this year’s Summer NAMM show, including a reworked version of its popular JC-40 Jazz Chorus amp.

The firm is proclaimiing the DD-500 to be the most powerful and versatile digital delay pedal ever made. It offers 12 distinctive delay modes, along with editing controls, a graphic display, patch memories, MIDI, and more.  

Included among the DD-500’s 12 modes are basic delays, warm analog and tape echo types, pattern-based effects, and complex modern delay lines that employ pitch shifting, filtering, and other processing techniques. The pedal’s Vintage Digital mode offers BOSS’ first emulations of sought-after classics from the 1980s, including the SDE-2000 and SDE-3000 rack units from Roland and the BOSS DD-2, the first stompbox digital delay. 

Along with its other capabilities, the DD-500 includes an independent Phrase Loop function with up to 60 seconds of stereo recording time (120 seconds in mono). USB is on board as well, providing a simple computer connection for patch backup and MIDI control with DAW software.

It features a 100-percent analog dry signal path, and users have their choice of buffered-bypass or true-bypass operation. And with the ability to run on four AA-size batteries or an optional AC adapter, the DD-500 is equally suited for grab-and-go playing, pedalboard installations, and studio setups. 

The RV-6 is an all-new compact reverb pedal with studio-grade sound.

Users can select among eight distinctive reverb types, which feature newly developed algorithms driven by the latest BOSS DSP. 

Reverb types include standards such as Room, Hall, Plate, and Spring, providing a broad selection of tones to complement any musical genre. Also on hand are powerful Modulate, Dynamic, Shimmer, and Reverb+Delay types, which offer the lush, expansive reverb sounds sought by many modern players

The RV-6’s auto-switching jacks support mono, mono-to-stereo, and stereo-to-stereo operation, allowing users to integrate with any pedal chain. And by plugging into the B input only, the RV-6 outputs a 100-percent wet sound, for working with more complex rigs that employ parallel processing chains and mixers. There’s also a jack for controlling the effect level in real time via an optional expression pedal. 

Meanwhile, in celebration of the 40^th anniversary of its iconic Jazz Chorus guitar amp series, Roland has an all-new JC-40. Compact and gig-ready, the 40-watt stereo amp features the famous “JC clean” tone and signature Dimensional Space Chorus effect. It also includes evolved features for modern players, including enhanced onboard effects and a front-panel stereo input for stereo pedals, multi-effects, and amp modelers.   

The onboard effects in the JC-40 are all newly refreshed. The Dimensional Space Chorus now offers selectable fixed or manual modes for increased tonal range, and renewed vibrato and reverb operate in stereo for rich, deep performance. There’s built-in distortion as well, updated with a smooth, satisfying tone that’s great for all types of music.

In addition to a normal mono input, it has a true stereo input that allows players using stereo effects without having to carry around two separate amps.