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May 2012

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Audio Review: Roland M-300 Live Mixing Console

Intuitive layout quickly communicates, while features, ease-of-use and audio quality are exemplary considering price.

by Brad Doran

Over the past couple of years, we have seen new products rolling out the doors of Roland. However, they have not been what I call "normal" products for Roland, at least from history. When I think of Roland, I think of synthesizers, stage pianos, and midi control. But, digital mixing consoles? Honestly, when I saw their new line of V-Mixers, my expectations were limited. They have created great products in the past; don't get me wrong. They have been on the bleeding edge of the sampling industry, for instance. But, digital mixing consoles? Well, that's at least what I was thinking when Church Production contacted me to write a review on the Roland M-300.

With that backdrop, when I cracked open the box of the Roland M-300, I was pleasantly surprised at the look and feel of the console. Weighing in at 21 pounds, the console just feels very solid for its size. Better put, it simply looks like the M-300's layout was carefully developed. The buttons, faders, and the screen are positioned in a user-friendly way. Of particular note, all the buttons have clear labels and intuitive LED lighting. The channel edit buttons are just to the left of the display and all the system access buttons are logically placed just below the ample display. Look and feel ... solid and well-designed? Check.

Booting it Up
Let's bring it to life! The M-300 boots up fast. Very fast. But more importantly, it becomes evident quickly that everything you might want to know about what's happening with your mix is right there on the screen. The design of the interface is clear and has nice contrasting colors to differentiate all the information that is represented. As I started to navigate through the menus, I was surprised at the speed in which I was able to get around (in a previous review, I mentioned I turned in my "man card" and opened a manual. Thankfully, this time, I didn't need the manual). In fact, I had sound within five minutes of turning it on. And that's even taking into account the time it took to find the digital patch bay to utilize the on-board inputs rather than the external digital snake.

Each of the 32 channels has the normal and expected complement of dynamics (gate and compression) and a four-band parametric EQ. I was happy to see all the "soft" buttons clearly labeled and certainly self-explanatory. When the soft buttons change function based on what I was controlling, I did not have to guess what they were operating. The screen always told me exactly what they are doing. When it comes to patching inputs and outputs, as I stated before, I was able to get to the patch bay setup easily and decipher its nuances rather quickly. Any of the 32 channels can be patched to the four XLR, four quarter-inch, or the two stereo RCA-type inputs on the console or a REAC digital snake. The M-300 console is also equipped with eight auxiliary sends (switchable pre EQ/pre fade/post fade), four matrices, four DCAs and four mute groups. There are also eight fully assignable local outputs on the M-300. Outputs one through four are XLR, and five through eight are quarter-inch balanced. These features are all controlled via the three layers of faders on the mix surface. The individual sends to these busses are controlled with the navigational wheel and the intuitive Aux/Matrix section to the left of the faders. Just select the channel you wish to send, the buss you wish to use, and adjust accordingly with the level knob.

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BRAD DORAN is a husband, father of two, and is the audio and lighting systems director at Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Ind. In his spare time, he enjoys talking and learning from others involved in production ministries.