Roland VP-03 Vocoder Boutique synthesizer-module

A cool piece of kit that's nearly great - but not quite. It's marred slightly by the non-intuitive USB side. (I still haven't figured out to use USB audio as the carrier signal, for example, but it is apparently possible.) Also, the built-in microphone is rubbish - definitely benefits from using something like an SM57/58. It's a very solid metal unit and doesn't look as if it would damage easily. The vocoder sounds great although admittedly not too many modification options exist. The strings and voice sounds are great/cheesy depending on where you sit - but the string machine definitely sounds the part if you're looking for a late 70s/early 80s vibe. The chord sequencer is an interesting feature that didn't grace the original vocoders but have already been fun and musically inspiring. The ribbon controllers are also quite interesting, especially when used to alter the voice forment on the fly. I bought the VP-03 without the keyboard, but, in retrospect, I think that was probably an error - especially as Bax were doing a deal on the two items. I think if I could pick one up cheaply I would. In all, I'm pretty happy with the VP-03, and am inclined to try out the boutique polysynths in the future. This was my first order with Bax - which was much the cheapest price I could see online - and it all arrived safely, on time, and the delivery was trackable. So I will probably use them again.