Roland has launched two USB devices aimed at simplifying the lives of PC musicians. The Roland UA-100 effectively replaces the PC's sound card by providing both an audio and MIDI interface. It can record and play back simultaneously (full duplex), and the onboard audio effects include reverb, chorus, delay and voice transformer. The unit has two phono inputs, a line level input and output (phono), two MIDI in and outputs, an optical S/PDIF input and a mini jack headphone socket. The UA-100 comes bundled with Roland's software synthesiser, VSC-88H, worth around £30. Overall expect to pay below £300. The more specialist S-MPU64 is a dedicated MIDI interface featuring four MIDI inputs and four outputs. Unlike the UA-100, which requires its own power supply, this unit takes its power directly from the PC using the USB cable. If you intend to install a lot of PC-powered USB devices consider investing in a USB hub. The MIDI interface costs around £160. Author: Simon PG Edwards 1 November 1999
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