Peterson Sonuus G2M User Manual

Universal Guitar-to-MIDI Converter

G2M™

Owner’s Manual

Congratulations on your purchase of the
G2M™. Please take the time to read
through this manual to ensure you get
the best from your G2M™.

What is the

The G2M™ is a simple to use, but highly
effective, Guitar-to­“Universal” because it doesn’t need a
special pick-up mounted on your guitar,
but instead simply connects to your
guitar like any other effects pedal or
tuner. However, this does mean that it
can only work “monophonically”, so
chords are not supported.

Designed to give accurate triggering,
with low-latency, it is a true plug-and-play
solution for monophonic
can be used to sequence bass lines and
guitar solos, add an edge to your live
performances and to open up many
creative possibilities.

G2M™

MIDI

?

converter. It is

MIDI

guitar. It

Power

Yo ur G2M™ is powered by a single 9V
PP3 battery (supplied). Simply connect
the battery observing the correct
polarity. If you connect it the wrong way
round it won’t cause any damage, but
the unit won’t operate until this is
connected correctly.

Because of its low power consumption,
the unit will run for many hours (typically
for more than 70) on a single battery.
When the battery is close to needing
replaced, the

LOW BATTERY LED

will light. It
is not necessary to replace the battery
immediately since the G2M™ will
continue to function normally. When the
battery is exhausted, the G2M™ will stop
functioning and the battery must be
replaced. If you need the G2M™ to work
reliably (

e.g.,

a recording session, or
when playing live) the battery should be
replaced if the

LOW BATTERY LED

is lit.

The G2M™ is switched on when a lead is
plugged into the

GUITAR

jack. So, to
maximise battery life, this jack must be
disconnected when you are not using
the unit.

Operation

Using your G2M™ couldn’t be simpler:

• Plug your instrument (electric guitar)

into the

POWER LED

•Connect your

computer,
socket.

• Adjust your guitar’s volume control

so that the
occasionally while playing normally.

• Optionally, check your guitar is in

tune using the built-in tuner (if you

GUITAR

jack socket. The

will light.

MIDI

etc.

) to the

CLIP LED

device (or

MIDI OUT

lights only

want to tune to the standard

EADGBE

tuning).

• Play your guitar to send

MIDI

device (or sequencer,

MIDI

etc.

to your

).

Boost

If your guitar has a low output level, and
you never see the
normal use, enable the
next to the

GUITAR

CLIP LED

light up in

BOOST

switch

jack socket. This will
boost your guitar’s signal and make your
G2M™ work better with your guitar.

Tuner

For your convenience, the G2M™
includes a built-in tuner. This uses our
PULSAR™ tuning technology where the

POWER LED

This innovative tuner gives you a fast
and accurate way to tune your guitar.

If there is no input signal, the
remain lit and indicates that the unit is
powered. When there is an input signal,
the
tuning.

When the note is out of tune, the
pulse quickly. As you get closer to the
correct pitch, this pulsing will slow.
Eventually when you are perfectly in
tune, the pulsing will stop. Normally, as
long as the
per second, the tuning is close enough
for most purposes.

It is always best to start at a lower pitch
and tune upwards to the correct pitch. As
you get closer to the correct pitch and
the pulsing slows down, turn your tuning
head more slowly to avoid overshooting
the correct pitch. Because the tuner is
very accurate you will find that very small
movements may be all that is required to
move from slightly out-of-tune to in-tune

doubles as a tuning indicator.

LED

will pulse smoothly to indicate

LED

pulses slower than once

LED

LED

will

will

(or indeed, to go from in-tune to slightly
out-of-tune). With only a little practice
you will find you can tune very quickly
and accurately using the PULSAR™
tuner.

Instrument Thru

If you want to connect your instrument to
another device, or to your guitar
amplifier, simply connect a lead to the

THRU

jack. The G2M™ has a high-
impedance input and it will not affect the
sound of your instrument while it is
connected.

MIDI

To make connecting to
as simple as possible, the G2M™ has a
standard 5-pin

MIDI

adapter cables are required). It also
provides standard 5V power and is able
to power self-powered
as

MIDI

mergers and message filters.

For pitch-bend, the commonest setting
for most

MIDI

devices is for full-scale
pitch-bend to represent ±2 semitones,
and the G2M™ is also set to this range.
To e n s ur e y o u r

MIDI

in tune with your guitar, ensure the
patch you use is also set to a pitch-bend
range of ±2 semitones.

Of course, you may want to experiment
with other pitch-bend ranges for special
effects.

MIDI

equipment

connector (

MIDI

devices such

i.e.,

no

sounds are correctly

MIDI

Carry strap

Next to the
attach a carrying strap. You can use this
to make carrying the G2M™ much
easier: wear it on your wrist to free up
your hands; wear it round your neck so
it’s always nearby.

GUITAR

jack socket is a hole to

G2M™ G2M™ G2M™ G2M™

Usage Tips

Ensure your guitar’s level is optimally
matched to the G2M™ by adjusting its
volume control to give a signal which
only occasionally causes the
light. Occasional clipping will not cause
any performance problems and a high
signal level ensures that sounding notes
will sustain for as long as possible.
However, you should avoid having the

CLIP LED

the

flashing most of the time. Enable

BOOST

switch if required.

Slightly mute strings with your picking
hand. This helps prevent spurious
notes when the wrong string is touched
lightly during playing. It also improves the
detection of rapidly picked notes
because notes can decay slightly faster
to give greater contrast between the
new note and the last note.

The G2M™ is great for sequencing
natural-sounding bass lines but if you try
to perform very fast notes on the lowest
strings, you may have some tracking
issues. To avoid this, play the notes on
higher octaves where tracking is faster
and latency is the lowest. Then
transpose the recorded notes in your
sequencer to use as a bass line.

If your songs require very fast lead lines
but you are struggling to play them
accurately, record the section at a lower
tempo using the G2M™ then play it back
at full tempo. Because the lead line has
been converted to

MIDI

be affected by changing the tempo,
unlike the original guitar sound.

If you find that the wrong note (or
octave) is briefly detected when you
pluck a note, try the following tips for
your guitar:

CLIP LED

to

MIDI

, its timbre won’t

• Try using the neck pick-up.

• Turn down the tone control to see if
this makes a difference.

• Slightly adjust your playing style or
playing position. Often moving where
you strike the string by a small
amount can give good results.

Remember the G2M™ accurately
converts the pitch of your instrument to

MIDI

messages. If your instrument is not

in tune, the

MIDI

won’t be in tune either!

Recommendations

Always disconnect the lead from the

GUITAR

jack when you are not actively

using it. This will prolong the life of the
battery.

It is a good idea to use rechargeable
batteries if you use the G2M™ often as
this is better for the environment.

When storing your G2M™ for an
extended period, we recommend that
you remove the battery. Batteries can
leak corrosive materials which could
damage your unit.

Do not expose to G2M™ to rain or
moisture. If this occurs, disconnect the
battery and allow the unit to dry out
completely before using it again.

Warranty

The G2M™ is supported by a limited
warranty for a period of one year from
the date of purchase. During this period,
any faults due to defective materials or
workmanship will be rectified (by repair
or replacement

*

) free of charge. The
warranty excludes damage caused by
deliberate or accidental misuse,
modification, or operation with an
external power supply or an incorrect
battery. It is the user’s responsibility to
ensure fitness for purpose in any
particular application. The warranty is
limited to the original purchase price of
the equipment, is limited to the original
purchaser, and excludes any
consequential damage or loss.

Proof or purchase date is required for
any claim under this warranty.

Warranty claims must be made through
the retailer from whom the original
purchase was made.

Community

To s ee wh at ot h e r
are available, please visit:

www.sonuus.com

To share your experiences, tips and tricks
with other G2M™ users, register on our
user forum:

www.sonuus.com / forum

*. A unit replaced under warranty may

be replaced with a reconditioned unit.

sonuus

products

Specifications

Power <10mA using 9V PP3 battery.

Tuner notes E2, A2, D3, G3, B3, E4

Tu n er
accuracy

Note
detection
range

MIDI

latency 16ms to 30ms depending on note

MIDI

power 5V (via 200Ω resistor as per the

Size 83mm

Weight 80g (without battery)

Inputs 6·35mm mono jack (switches unit

Outputs 6·35mm mono jack connected

The above specifications are subject to
change without notice.

sonuus

trademarks or registered trademarks of
JHC Software Limited and Wired Audio
Te chn ol o gy Li mi t ed .

© Copyright 2008 JHC Software Limited
and Wired Audio Technology Limited, All
Rights Reserved.

JHC Software Limited
89 St Neots Road
Eaton Ford
St Neots PE19 7AL, UK.
Company No. 5414801

<1cent when pulsing at <1Hz.

E2 to E6

(Notes outside this range will be
detected, but performance is not
guaranteed.)

and characteristics of input signal.

MIDI

specification).

×

58mm×34mm

on when jack is inserted).

directly to input jack.
Standard 5-pin

MIDI DIN

socket.

, G2M™ and PULSAR™ are

A BRAND BY

Wired Audio Technology Limited
34 Manor Heath Road,
Halifax,
West Yor kshire H X3 0B E, UK
Company No. 5414822

G2M™ G2M™ G2M™ G2M™