As we all know by now, the subscription model is in full swing. Everything from the professional tools we use on the daily to the ways we unwind and entertain ourselves at night has some sort of all-access service for a nominal monthly fee. The Roland Cloud isn’t “new,” but we’re digging in to review and see how it holds up several years into its lifecycle.
Roland Cloud Wants to Give You Everything (& More)
In order to entice potential customers, a subscription model should offer a ton of content that would otherwise be inaccessible or incredibly expensive to purchase outright. Roland definitely gets that part correct with their Cloud, which includes over 50 of their acclaimed virtual instruments and over 90 effects. It’s a goldmine of inspiration for musicians, producers, and songwriters who like to experiment with all manner of sound.
What Is Roland Cloud?
At face value, Roland Cloud is a virtual instrument subscription service. It goes deeper than that, though, with a multitude of sound collections for their various instruments. Not only that, but the Cloud even contains a variety of mobile apps for both music and video creation, ranging from fun toys to mess with to full-on professional production tools.
Members at any level have access to Roland’s Zenology software, which is an incredibly flexible software synthesizer. It does everything from classic analog sounds to modern hybrid synthesis.
How Much Does Roland Cloud Cost?
Memberships start with a free Roland Cloud account that includes a lite version of Zenology in addition to Zenbeats production software. A Core membership goes for $2.99/month or $29.99/year, and includes the standard version of Zenology, all of its sound packs, and all of its effects.
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Stepping up from there is the Pro subscription. This goes for $9.99/month or $99.99/year. It includes the pro version of Zenology and also lets you activate two instruments from the Legendary series. Finally, the Ultimate membership goes for $19.99/month or $199/year. This step up from the Pro version gives you access to all of the aforementioned benefits, plus activations for all of Roland’s Legendary series software synthesizers.
How Does It Work?
The Roland Cloud is very simple. Users should first download the Cloud Manager application. From there, you can create an account, pick a membership plan, and access all of the benefits from your chosen level. The app consolidates everything Roland Cloud has to offer for a succinct overview.
Roland Cloud Review: What’s Included?
Key Features
Should you opt for the Ultimate subscription, you get everything Roland Cloud has to give. This includes the Zenology synthesizer and all of Roland’s hardware emulations, for 50+ synthesizers and 90+ effects. You also get a huge variety of genre-specific sound packs so you can stay creative and inspired.
The Legendary Juno-60
Of course, part of Roland’s Legendary series software synths includes the iconic Juno-60. At the Pro level, you have the option to activate two Legendary series synthesizers, so you could definitely use one activation on the Juno. There isn’t much to say about this legendary synth that hasn’t been discussed ad nauseam. It singlehandedly had a massive impact on ’80s pop and is responsible for numerous hits.
Our Take: Is Roland Cloud Worth the Subscription Price?
Considering everything that’s included, the Roland Cloud seems fairly priced. Even a free account nets you a scaled-back Zenology synthesizer, with features obviously increasing from there. If you don’t need all of the Legendary instruments, the Pro membership is a great value for Zenology and two Legendary activations.
Perpetual licenses are obviously more desirable than a subscription, but it means shelling out a lot of cash upfront. Roland still recognizes this, and you have the option to purchase outright any instrument you wish, even if your subscription is no longer active. However, if you want a lot of instruments for little initial investment, a Cloud subscription is a nice value.
