Roland GAIA 2

Greatly expanding on the capabilities of the original, Roland’s new GAIA 2 merges virtual analog and wavetable synthesis techniques with dynamic and lively sequencing and control, plus Roland Cloud compatibility for even more possibilities. GAIA 2 features a straightforward panel layout, ensuring that you have no trouble pulling out great sounds for your music. Add in the highly capable sequencer and the new Motional Pad for real-time control, and GAIA 2 proves to be a robust sonic companion fit for any studio.

GAIA 2 sports a maximum of 22 voices, though certain models or modes may reduce that number further. In any case, each voice sports three oscillators: one wavetable for evolving digital timbres, and two virtual analog for classic and dependable waveforms. From there, everything is passed into a resonant multimode filter with lowpass, bandpass, and highpass modes along with selectable slopes. At the output is a sophisticated effects engine with three blocks: Multi-Effects, Chorus, and Reverb/Delay. The Multi-Effects block encompasses 53 different types of effects from distortion, phasers, lofi, and more, while nine chorus modes plus seven types of reverbs and delays round out your capabilities for truly expansive sonic spaces. By the way, these three independent sections may be arranged into any order, so there’s no shortage of possibilities.

As for modulation, you get dedicated filter and amplitude ADSR envelope generators plus two LFOs with a variety of waveforms. Each LFO can be assigned to up to four different parameters, giving you plenty of flexibility to impart movement onto your sounds. Speaking of movement, no part of GAIA 2 is more equipped for the task than the central Motional Pad: an X/Y parameter controller with the ability to record gestures for custom LFO and envelope-like behaviors. Of course, there’s also an ever-handy sequencer for recording notes on the fly. entering them in step-by-step, or riffing off of randomly generated ideas.

GAIA 2 also supports Roland Cloud compatibility, which allows you to not only access presets and sound packs but extend the sound engine through Roland Model Expansions. As a bonus, GAIA 2 ships with the SH-101 Model Expansion pre-installed, allowing you to experience the sounds of this classic Roland synthesizer in a new context. With others like the Jupiter-8 and Juno-106 available, you can easily extend the sounds of these legendary instruments with GAIA 2’s new and modern features. Whether you’re looking for a versatile synthesizer or seek classic sounds with a modern twist, Roland’s GAIA 2 won’t disappoint.