Turn on the power to the Roland VS-2480 using the "Power" switch on the rear panel of the recorder. As the recorder starts, the screen will display the current operating system version number.
Press the "Project" button in the Menu section on the top of the recorder to bring up the Project Condition Screen. Press the "F2" button to create the new song template upon which you'll record your music. You can then give the song a name using the "Time/Value Dial" to scroll through the letters of the alphabet displayed on the Project Condition screen.
Use the Time/Value dial to select the desired sample rate. The machine's default rate is 44.1k, and since this is the rate used for audio CDs, it works best for most home recording projects. Press the F5 button to bring up the "Store Current?" message and press "Enter/Yes" to confirm your choice. The Home Condition screen will then reappear.
Connect a microphone to the first XLR input jack on the rear of the recorder. You can then use this microphone to record an acoustic instrument, such as an acoustic guitar or piano, to track 1. If you want to record an electric instrument like a keyboard or amplified electric guitar, then use the 1/4-inch phono jack connector located directly below the XLR input on the rear panel of the VS-2480.
Press the "Home(Display)" button to return to the Home Condition screen then press the F1 button to check the volume level of your instrument. As you play, gradually turn the sensitivity knob (marked "SENS") for channel 1 so that the sound level meter peaks close to 0dB without going into the red. If the input indicator light flashes red, this means that the signal is being clipped. This means that digital information is being clipped from the resultant recording, and audio quality will suffer. In this case, gradually lower the SENS knob until the clipping stops.
Press channel 1's "Track Status" button until it blinks red. Then press the machine's "Record" button. This indicator light will also blink red, indicating that you're in a record-ready mode. When you're ready to record your part, press the "Play" button. The Play indicator light will turn green, and the Record button indicator will turn solid red indicating that the recording has begun.
Play your instrumental part and press the "Stop" button when you've finished. Press the rewind button marked "Zero" to return to the beginning of the song, and press the Play button to audition your performance.
Arm another track for recording just as you did in Step 6 and sing or play another instrument along with the track you just recorded. This is the process known as "overdubbing," and repeating this process allows you to use the Roland's 24 tracks to build complex recordings one track at a time.