Roland is expanding its growing lineup of virtual instruments for its Roland Cloud platform with the introduction of GALAXIAS.
GALAXIAS is able to be run as a standalone application on macOS and Windows, as well as in the VST or AU plugin formats. Called a “super instrument” by the company, what makes the GALAXIAS unique is that it emulates an entire range of Roland instruments, from classic 80’s icons like the Jupiter-8 and TR-808 (as well as my favorite, the Juno-60), to modern Roland creations like ZENOLOGY and the SYSTEM-8. By having one instrument harness the sounds and characteristics of both modern and classic Roland devices, GALAXIAS is intended to be the condensation of the company’s history into one product.
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In addition to emulating an entire suite of instrument, GALAXIAS allows them to play together in unique ways via the ability to layer up to four instruments and save these patches as Scenes. Scenes can be organized in Setlists for live performances, complete with gapless transitions. Each layer has its own key range, transpose, and MIDI input settings, as well as a dedicated arpeggiator.
GALAXIAS benefits from features standard from Roland Cloud, including a growing collection of Roland and BOSS effects and external routing.
GALAXIAS is available now in the U.S. with the Roland Cloud Ultimate membership, which is $199 annually or $19.99 monthly. Those wishing to try before they buy can take advantage of a 30-day free Ultimate trial.
Check out an in-depth overview of the instrument here.
