Roland AE-10 User Manual

Aerophone AE-10

Owner’s Manual

New digital wind instrument to expand the musical realm of saxophone players.

Saxophones are popular in all music scenes all over the world, from jazz, classical to rock
and so on. And now, Roland is introducing a new digital wind instrument, developed with
the latest technology, but designed based on the traditional acoustic saxophone. You can
enjoy playing the sounds of dierent saxophones from soprano, alto, tenor and baritone,
other wind instruments such as clarinet, ute and trumpet, strings instruments such as
violin, and even powerful synth leads, oering the sax players the new musical expression
and creativity.

Not only the volume but also the sound itself is dynamically aected by the force with
which you blow into the mouthpiece and the strength with which you bite it, providing a
natural and richly expressive sound.

It can be played using the same ngering as a saxophone, so if you’re a saxophone player,
you’ll be able to start playing after you’ve read a few pages of this manual. It’s compact,
and can also be used with headphones, so you can enjoy playing to your heart’s content
even on your living room sofa, without being concerned about the time or place.

We hope that the Aerophone will spark your imagination and enrich your musical life.

Contents

Panel Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Connecting Your Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Playing Saxophone Tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Holding the Aerophone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Embouchure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Pressing the Performance Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Using the Thumb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Selecting a Saxophone Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Short Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Instantly Recalling a User Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Menu Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Making Settings in the Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Example: Changing the Master Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Saving a Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Menu List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Changing the Master Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Adjusting the Breath Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Tone volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Changing the Key (Transpose) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Octave Shift Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Reverb Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chorus Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Multi-Eect Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Specifying the Control of the Bite Sensor

(Reed Bite Strength) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Pitch Change Sensitivity Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Pitch Change Setting (Down) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Pitch Change Setting (Up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Thumb Controller Up/Down (Bend Up/Down) Setting . . 8

Bend Range Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Thumb Controller Left/Right Assignment Setting . . . . . . 8

Thumb Controller Left/Right Range

(Minimum/Maximum Value) Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Thumb Controller Toggle Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Octave Key Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Hold Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Speaker Setting When Using Headphones. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Making the Power Automatically Turn O After a Time

(Auto O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

User tone shortcut setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Key display setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Switches the ngering mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Add/Edit/Delete Fingering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Breath Threshold Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Specifying the Basic State of the Bite Sensor

(Reed Bite Strength) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Specifying Sensitivity of the Bite Sensor

(Reed Bite Strength) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

MIDI Transmit Channel Settings (MIDI Transmit Ch) . . . . . 10

Breath MIDI output setting 1/2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Bite MIDI output setting 1/2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Backing up user tones and system settings . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Restoring user tones and system settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Returning to the Factory Settings (Factory Reset). . . . . . . 11

Clearing the user tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Version Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Main Specications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

USING THE UNIT SAFELY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

IMPORTANT NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Before using this unit, carefully read “USING THE UNIT SAFELY” and “IMPORTANT NOTES” (the leaet “USING THE UNIT SAFELY” and the Owner’s Manual (p. 12)) After reading,

keep the document(s) where it will be available for immediate reference.

1

Panel Descriptions

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

1

Mouthpiece

This is the Aerophone’s dedicated mouthpiece.

&

For details, refer to “Embouchure” (p. 4).

5 When you’re not playing, protect this with the included

mouthpiece cap.

5 The mouthpiece sensitivity is automatically adjusted when

the power turns on. For this reason, don’t bite or touch the

mouthpiece while turning on the power switch.

Maintaining the mouthpiece

The maintenance needed for a conventional
saxophone is not necessary. If the mouthpiece
becomes soiled from playing, remove the mouthpiece,
wash it with water, and use a soft cloth to dry o any
water droplets.

NOTE

5 When removing or attaching the mouthpiece, take

care not to bend the bite bar.

5 Take care not to hurt your hand on the screw that’s

inside the mouthpiece.

5 When attaching the mouthpiece, take care not to

pinch your nger between the movable part and
the body of the instrument. Applying commercially
available recorder cream makes attachment and
removal easier.

5 If the mouthpiece needs to be replaced due to age or

any other reason, you may purchase the separately
sold OP-AE10MP or OP-AE10MPH (Hard type).

As shown in the illustration, insert the mouthpiece all the
way until the concave and convex portions align.

* If the mouthpiece is not inserted all the way, it will not

be possible to raise or lower the pitch (to apply vibrato)
by varying your bite strength on the reed.

Screw

Bite
bar

11

A

B

C

D

E

2

Performance keys

These keys are used for performance. They allow performance using
the same ngering as a saxophone (p. 4).

&

For details, refer to “Fingering Chart” at the end of this manual.

3

Octave keys

Switch the octave. Operate them using the left-hand
thumb.

* The octave keys can be assigned to +1 / ±2 / ±3 octaves

(p. 8).

4

[POWER] switch

This turns the power on/o.

* The power to this unit will be turned o automatically after

a predetermined amount of time has passed since it was last
used for playing music, or its buttons or controls were operated
(Auto O function).

If you do not want the power to be turned o automatically,
disengage the Auto O function (p. 9).

5

[TONE] (tone selection) button

Accesses the tone (sound) select screen.
You can use this button in conjunction with the performance keys to

instantly recall user tones.

&

“Instantly Recalling a User Tone” (p. 5)

+2
+1

-1

-2

2

Panel Descriptions

6

Display section

Displays the tone name and menu.

Tone name/

Menu item

Tone number/

Value

Selecting the tone

On the Aerophone, each of the various sounds that you can select is
called a “ tone.”

1. Hold down the [TONE] button

5

[MENU] button

[C] [A] buttons

and then
press the [C] [A] buttons to select the tone
number.

You can select tones from Preset tones (P:001–) and User tones
(U:001–). When you turn on the power, the last-selected tone is
selected.

Edit the menu

Pressing the [MENU] button, you can make various settings.

1. Press the [MENU] button to display the menu screen.

2. Use the [

item, and then press the [MENU] button.

3. Use the [

value.

C

] [A] buttons to select the menu

C

] [A] buttons to change the

4. To return to the tone selection screen, press the [TONE]

button.

&

For details, refer to “Menu Settings” (p. 6).

10

Water drain

Drops of water will exit here. Wipe them o with a soft cloth.

11

Built-in speakers

You mainly adjust the volume by the force of your breath while
playing, but you can also adjust the volume in the menu (p. 7).

Connecting Your Equipment

A

Strap ring

Attach a neck strap here.

B

DC IN jack

Connect the included AC adaptor here.

Connecting your computer

C

USB COMPUTER port

Use a commercially available USB 2.0 cable
to connect this port to your computer. It
can be used to transfer USB MIDI data.

7

Thumb hook

Place your right thumb here.

8

Thumb controller

Use your right thumb to operate this
controller.

Bend up/
Down

Portamento Makes the pitch change smoothly.

Growl

* With the factory settings, these are the functions when a

saxophone tone is selected. The operation diers depending on
the tone that you select.

9

Battery case

The Aerophone can operate on batteries or on the
included AC adaptor. If you are using batteries, insert
six rechargeable Ni-MH batteries (AA, HR6), making
sure that the batteries are oriented correctly.

* The battery life is approximately 7 hours for typical

performance use. When the batteries run low,

the Battery icon (

Replace the battery as soon as possible.

* If you handle batteries improperly, you risk

explosion and uid leakage. Make sure that
you carefully observe all of the items related
to batteries that are listed in “USING THE UNIT
SAFELY” and “IMPORTANT NOTES” (leaet “USING
THE UNIT SAFELY” and the Owner’s Manual (p. 12)).

* When turning the unit over, be careful so as to protect the

buttons and knobs from damage. Also, handle the unit carefully;
do not drop it.

Bends the pitch up/down.

Applies a saxophone’s growl
technique.

) blinks in the display.

Growl

Bend up

Thumb hook

Portamento

Bend down

Connecting your audio player

D

INPUT jack

Connect your audio player. Sound from
the connected device comes out of
the Aerophone’s built-in speaker and
PHONES/OUTPUT jack.

This lets you play along with your favorite
songs.

Use the controls of the connected device (audio player) to adjust the
volume.

Connecting your monitor speakers or headphones

E

PHONES/OUTPUT jack

Connect this jack to your monitor speakers
or headphones.

If you connect headphones or a cable to
this jack, sound is not output from the built­in speakers, but you can change a menu
setting so that sound is output even in this
case (p. 8).

* After you’ve made connections to

devices such as speakers, be sure to turn on the power in the
order of the Aerophone rst, and then the connected system.
Powering-on in the incorrect order may cause malfunctions or
damage. When turning the power o, power-o the connected

system rst, and then the Aerophone.

or

3

Playing Saxophone Tones

Holding the Aerophone

Attach the neck strap, put the strap around your neck, and hold the
Aerophone as shown in the illustration.

Place your left thumb in the middle of the octave keys, and place
your right thumb on the thumb hook.

NOTE

If you continue playing for an extended
time, saliva from your mouth might drip
down across the instrument and enter
the interior from around the [POWER]
switch or any keys.

When playing the instrument, wrap the
included band around it as shown in the
illustration.

Embouchure

Pressing the Performance Keys

These are the performance keys. You can perform using the same
ngering as on a saxophone.

&

For details, refer to “Fingering Chart” at the end of this manual.

X

2

C

1

P

C4

2

C3

Right index nger

* Use the ball of the nger to press the side keys (C1–C4, Tc, Ta).

Tc

Ta

T

E

C

3

G

#

C

B

4

5

f

6

B

Playing harmonics (overtones)

By using special ngering and blowing techniques on a saxophone, you can
produce harmonics (overtones) that sound notes in a range above the normal
range.

5 On the Aerophone, you can easily produce harmonics simply by pressing the

performance keys, without having to adjust your breath in a special way.

5 For the ngering, refer to the “Fingering Chart” at the end of this manual.
5 You can also edit the ngering to suit your preference (p. 9).

Left index nger

C1

#

Hold the mouthpiece lightly between your lips and teeth, and blow
into it in the same way as a conventional saxophone.

5 The strength of your breath aects not only the volume but also

the sound itself.

5 By using tonguing (using your tongue to control your breath)

and legato you can control the sound more expressively.

5 The force with which you bite the reed will raise or lower the

pitch (producing vibrato) just as a conventional saxophone.

Basic state

Pitch falls

Pitch rises

Using the Thumb

Octave keys

Switch the octave. Operate them using the left-hand
thumb.

* The octave keys can be assigned to +1 / ±2 / ±3

octaves (p. 8).

Thumb controller

Use your right thumb to operate this
controller.

Bend up/
Down

Portamento

Growl

* “Growl” is a performance technique in

which you produce a rough sound by vocalizing while blowing
the sax. On the Aerophone, you can easily apply a growl
technique simply by operating the thumb controller, without
having to vocalize.

* With the factory settings, these are the functions when a

saxophone tone is selected. The operation diers depending on
the tone that you select.

Bends the pitch up/down.

Makes the pitch change
smoothly.

Applies a saxophone’s growl
technique. (*)

Growl

+2
+1

-1

-2

Bend up

Portamento

Bend down

4

Playing Saxophone Tones

Selecting a Saxophone Tone

Here’s how to select a typical saxophone tone.

SuperNATURAL icon

Tone name

Tone number

1. Hold down the [TONE] button and then press the [

buttons to select the tone number.

Use the [TONE] + [C] [A] buttons to select the following tone
number.

# Tone Name Explanation

P:001 Alto Sax Eb Alto saxophone

P:002 Tenor Sax Bb Tenor saxophone

Full range saxophone

P:012 Full Sax Eb

P:013 Soprano Sax Bb Soprano saxophone

P:014 Baritone Sax Eb Baritone saxophone

* The base key is the pitch that sounds when you play the “C”

ngering of the “Fingering Chart” at the end of this manual.

* The icon is shown if a SuperNATURAL tone is selected.

SuperNATURAL

These are proprietary Roland sounds created using
Behavior Modeling Technology, which enables natural
and rich expression that was dicult to achieve on earlier
sound generators.

Behavior Modeling Technology

Not only physical modeling of the instruments, Roland
takes it a step further by modeling the instrument’s
distinctive behavior that responds to how the performer
plays, resulting in true-to-life, expressive sounds in
realtime.

Depending on the pitch range in which you
play, the sound automatically changes from
baritone through soprano saxophone sound.

[C] [A] buttons

C

] [A]

Base
Key

E

B

E

B

E

Short Cut

Buttons Explanation

Hold down [C] and press [A]

Hold down [A] and press [C]

[TONE] + Performance Key [E²]

[TONE] + Performance Key [C]

[TONE] button

Instantly Recalling a User Tone

User tones (U:001–U:007) can be recalled instantly by holding down
the [TONE] button and pressing one of the [1]–[7] performance
keys. This is a convenient way to switch tones during a live
performance.

* Available only if the menu item “UserTone” (p. 9) is ON

[TONE] button

Decrease the value rapidly

Increase the value rapidly

Decrement the tone number

* Available only if the menu item “UserTone”

(p. 9) is ON

Increment the tone number

* Available only if the menu item “UserTone”

(p. 9) is ON

Decrement the tone number

E

C

Increment the tone number

4

5

Playing Various Tones

&

For details, refer to the leaet “Tone List.”

6

1

2

7

3

5

Menu Settings

Making Settings in the Menu

Tone name/

Menu item

Tone number/

Value

Pressing the [MENU] button, you can various settings.

1. Press the [MENU] button to display the menu screen.

2. Use the [

menu item, and then press the [MENU]
button.

3. Use the [

value.

C

] [A] buttons to select the

C

] [A] buttons to change the

4. To return to the tone selection screen, press the [TONE]

button.

Example: Changing the Master Tuning

Here’s how to change the tuning of the Aerophone. The displayed
value is the frequency of the A key. With the factory settings, the
Aerophone’s tuning is set to A=440.0 Hz, but you can change this to
some other tuning such as 442.0 Hz.

1. Press the [MENU] button.

2. Use the [

M.Tuning

“
button.

3. Use the [

tuning.

You can adjust the tuning in the range of 415.3 Hz–440.0 Hz
(default)–466.2 Hz (in 0.1 Hz steps).

C

] [A] buttons to select

,” and then press the [MENU]

C

] [A] buttons to change the

[MENU] button

[C] [A] buttons

Saving a Tone

Items indicated by the 2 symbol in “Menu List” (p. 7) are “tone
settings.” If you want to save the tone settings, save them as a user
tone as described below.

System settings and tone settings

There are two types of settings: system settings and tone settings.

5 System settings are common to all tones. These settings are saved

automatically when you change them.

5 Tone settings are for an individual tone. When you change a tone setting, it is

not saved automatically; it is saved when you save the tone.

1. Long-press the [MENU] button.

The lower line shows the save-destination user tone number.

2. Use the [

user tone number of the save destination.

3. Press the [MENU] button.

4. Rename the tone (16 characters).

5. Press the [MENU] button.

A conrmation message appears.

6. To execute the write, press the [

button.

If you decide to cancel the write, press the [C] (N) button.

* Never turn o the power while data is being saved.

C

] [A] buttons to change the

Move the cursor

Change the character

Delete

Insert

A

] (Y)

6

Menu List

Menu Value Default Explanation

Volume

M.Tuning

Breath

Tone Vol

0–10 8

415.3–466.2 (Hz) 440.0

L3, L2, L1, M, H1,
H2, H3

0–10 10

M

Adjusting the Volume

You generally adjust the volume by the strength of your breath when performing, but you can also set the volume in the
menu. This changes the volume of the speaker and the PHONES/OUTPUT jack.

Changing the Master Tuning

Changes the tuning of the Aerophone.
The displayed value is the frequency of the A key. With the factory settings, the Aerophone’s tuning is set to A=440.0 Hz, but

you can change this to some other tuning such as 442.0 Hz.

Adjusting the Breath Sensitivity

Species how the sound responds to the force of your breath.

L3, L2, L1 Fortissimo () can be produced even by blowing relatively softly.

M This setting is the closest to the response of an actual wind instrument.

H1, H2, H3 Fortissimo () is produced only when you blow quite strongly.

Tone volume

Species the volume of each tone.

Changing the Key (Transpose)

Transposes the pitch range of the tone in semitone steps.

Menu Settings

2

: Tone Setting S: System Setting

L3

L2

Level

L1

M

H1

H2

Breath force

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6

S

S

S

H3

2

Transpos

Octave

Reverb

Chorus

MFX1
MFX2

-5–+6

-3–+3

0–10

0–10

Depends on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

If this is set to “0,” the “C” ngering in the “Fingering Chart” at the end of this manual produces the pitch C.
The alto saxophone whose base key is “E

“B

” is set to “-2.”

” is set to a transpose setting of “+3,” and the soprano saxophone whose base key is

Octave Shift Setting

Shifts the pitch range of the tone in one-octave steps.
The octave shift value is set appropriately for each tone so that it will have the appropriate pitch range. For example, this is set

to “0” for the soprano saxophone, “-1” for the alto saxophone, and “-2” for the baritone saxophone.

Reverb Setting

Adjusts the depth of reverb (the reverberation that is characteristic of a performance in a concert hall).
Higher values produce deeper reverberation; lower values produce shallower reverberation.

Chorus Setting

Adjusts the depth of the chorus eect.
Chorus is an eect that creates a beautiful spaciousness and depth by adding a slightly modulated sound.

Multi-Eect Setting

Species the depth of the eect that’s assigned to each tone.

* The eect type is set for each tone; it cannot be selected on the Aerophone.

&

For details on the eect signal ow, refer to “Eect Flow” at the end of this manual.

Multi-Eect List

MFX TYPE Display

EQUALIZER EQ

LOW BOOST LOW

ENHANCER EH

AUTO WAH WAH

HUMANIZER HMN

PHASER PH

RING MUDULATOR RNG

TREMOLO TRM

AUTO PAN PAN

RO TARY RTR

FLANGER FL

SPACE-D SPC

MFX TYPE Display

OVERDRIVE OD

DISTORTION DS

COMPRESSOR CMP

LIMITER LM

GATE GAT

DELAY DLY

LONG DELAY LDL

3TAP PAN DELAY 3DL

TELEPHONE TEL

PITCH SHIFTER PS

GATED REVERB GRV

2

2

2

2

2

7

Menu Settings

Menu Value Default Explanation

Specifying the Control of the Bite Sensor (Reed Bite Strength)

The parameter that is controlled by the strength with which you bite the reed is specied for each individual tone.

OFF

O

Control via the bite sensor is turned o.
(For SuperNATURAL sounds, vibrato is naturally applied when you blow.)

Pitch control 1

BiteCtrl

VibSens

Pit Down

Pit Up

Bend Sw

Bend Rng

Left Asn
RightAsn

Left Min
Left Max
RightMin
RightMax

Left Tgl
RightTgl

OFF, PIT1, PIT2,
VIB

0–10 5

0–64

0–64

OFF, ON

1–12

OFF, CC.1–31,
CC.33–95, H.-8,
H3, H5, H8

0–127

OFF, ON

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

Depends
on the
tone

You can lower the pitch by weakening the strength of your bite on

PIT1

the reed.
This is close to pitch control operation of a sax.

Pitch control 2

You can apply vibrato by repeatedly strengthening and

PIT2

weakening the strength of your bite on the reed.
This is the vibrato operation of a wind synth.

Vibrato control

VIB

Vibrato is automatically applied when you bite the reed strongly.

Weakening the strength
of your bite on the reed
lowers the pitch

Apply vibrato by repeatedly
strengthening and weakening the
strength of your bite on the reed

Pitch Change Sensitivity Setting

This species how easily vibrato is applied by pitch control.

* This is valid only when “BiteCtrl” is set to “PIT2.”

Pitch Change Setting (Down)

This species how the pitch falls when you weaken your bite on the reed.

* This is valid only when “BiteCtrl” is set to “PIT1” or “PIT2.”

Pitch Change Setting (Up)

This species how the pitch rises when you strengthen your bite on the reed.

* This is valid only when “BiteCtrl” is set to “PIT2.”

Thumb Controller Up/Down (Bend Up/Down) Setting

Species whether thumb controller up/down (bend up/down) is enabled or disabled.

Bend Range Setting

Species the thumb controller up/down (bend up/down) bend range in semitone units.

Thumb Controller Left/Right Assignment Setting

For each tone, this assigns the parameter that is controlled by the thumb controller (left/right).

Value Explanation

OFF O

CC.1–31, CC.33–95 Control Change

H.-8 Harmony -1 Oct

H.3 Harmony 3rd

H.5 Harmony 5th

H.8 Harmony +1 Oct

Thumb Controller Left/Right Range (Minimum/Maximum Value) Settings

Specify the range (minimum/maximum value) of the values controlled by the thumb controller (left/right).

Thumb Controller Toggle Settings

Species whether to toggle the thumb controller (left/right).

OFF Normal controller operation.

ON Switch to the maximum value or minimum value each time you move the controller.

2

S

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

Oct Key

Hold

Speaker

8

OCT1, OCT2,
OCT3

OFF, ON OFF

OFF, ON, AUTO AUTO

Depends
on the
tone

Octave Key Setting

The octave keys can be set to +1 octave, ±2 octaves, or ±3 octaves.

OCT1 OCT2 OCT3

+1

+1

For details, refer to

²

“Fingering Chart”
at the end of this
manual.

A

A

+2

+1

-1

-2

+3

Press simultaneously for +2

+1

-1

Press simultaneously for -2

-3

Hold Setting

If this is on, blowing makes the note continue sounding. Inhale to stop the note.

Speaker Setting When Using Headphones

OFF Sound is not output from the built-in speakers.

ON Sound is output from the built-in speakers.

Sound is not output from the built-in speakers if headphones or a cable are connected to the PHONES/OUTPUT

AUTO

jack.

2

2

S

Menu Value Default Explanation

Making the Power Automatically Turn O After a Time (Auto O)

Auto Off

UserTone

KeyDelay

OFF, 5, 30 30

OFF, ON OFF

0–10 5

The power to this unit will be turned o automatically after a predetermined amount of time has passed since it was last used
for playing music, or its buttons or controls were operated (Auto O function).

If you don’t want the unit to turn o automatically, change this setting to “OFF.”

User tone shortcut setting

Enables/disables user tone shortcuts (p. 5).

Key display setting

Unintended notes can be sounded due to inconsistent ngering when you press or release multiple keys simultaneously. By
specifying the key delay, you can make it less likely that unintended notes will be sounded.

Switches the ngering mode.

&

For details on ngering in each mode, refer to “Fingering Chart” at the end of this manual.

SAX1 Sax ngering with altissimo

SAX2

RECO

FingMode

SAX1, SAX2,
RECO, EWND,
TRPT, LEFT, RIGH

SAX1

EWND

TRPT

LEFT Fingering that lets you perform using only the left hand

RIGH Fingering that lets you perform using only the right hand

Menu Settings

Sax ngering without altissimo
Choose this if you’re not using agolet ngering.

Recorder ngering
This uses standard recorder ngering, with the pitch range expanded by the table key. With this ngering, the side

keys are disabled so that the note does not change even if you inadvertently press the left or right side key.

Electronic wind instrument ngering
The same “C D E F G A B C” ngering as a standard sax or recorder, with key combinations that raise/lower the pitch

by a semitone.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, C The same “C D E F G A B C” ngering as a standard sax or recorder

Tc, G#, C# Raise by a semitone

Ta, Tf, Eb, B Lower by a semitone

Bb Lower by a whole tone

Trumpet ngering
This mode is close to the ngering of a typical brass instrument. Right-hand keys 4, 5, and 6 correspond to pistons

1, 2, and 3 of a trumpet.

S

S

S

S

Fingerin

– –

Add/Edit/Delete Fingering

You can add, edit, or delete your preferred ngerings.

* Up to 10 ngering settings can be specied.

* In this mode, transpose and octave shift settings are ignored.

&

For details on the displayed note name and ngering, refer to “Fingering Chart” at the end of this manual.

How to add or edit

1. Select “

2. Press a performance key.

3. While ngering the desired key, press the octave key [+2].

4. Use the [

5. Press the [MENU] button.

6. To execute the write, press the [

Fingering

” in the upper, and then press the [MENU] button.

The note name appears in the lower line.
If there is no corresponding note, the lower line indicates “NONE.”

C][A

] buttons to change the note name.

If you choose “NONE,” that ngering does nothing.

A conrmation message appears.

A

] (Y) button.

If you decide to cancel the write, press the [C] (N) button.
An added or disabled ngering is indicated by a “.” (dot) in the lower right of the screen.

How to delete

1. Select “

2. Press a performance key.

3. While ngering the desired key, press the octave key [+2].

4. Use the [

5. Press the [MENU] button.

6. To execute the write, press the [

Fingering

” in the upper, and then press the [MENU] button.

The note name appears in the lower line.
An added or disabled ngering is indicated by a “.” (dot) in the lower right of the screen.

C][A

] buttons to choose “DEL.“

A conrmation message appears.

A

] (Y) button.

If you decide to cancel the write, press the [C] (N) button.
The “.” (dot) in the lower right of the screen disappears.

+2

S

+2

9

Menu Settings

Menu Value Default Explanation

Breath Threshold Adjustment

This lets you adjust the strength of breath at which sound starts being heard.
Typically, you’ll set this to “AUTO” so that the sensitivity is adjusted automatically

when the power is turned on.
If you want to adjust it manually, proceed as follows.

BreatAdj

Bite Adj

BiteSens

AUTO, 0–100 AUTO

AUTO, 0–100 AUTO

AUTO, 0–100 AUTO

1. Set the value to 0.

The note continues sounding.

2. Gradually increase the value until the sound stops.

3. Blow into the mouthpiece, and adjust the value as desired to

specify when the sound starts.

Specifying the Basic State of the Bite Sensor (Reed Bite Strength)

This species the basic state for the strength with which you bite the reed.
Normally, you can specify “AUTO” so that the adjustment is automatic.
If you want to adjust this manually, proceed as follows.

1. Bite the mouthpiece (reed) with your normal playing strength.

2. While continuing to bite the mouthpiece, press the octave key

[+2] button. The strength at which you are biting the reed at
this time is specied as the basic state.

* You can also use the [C] [A] buttons to adjust the value of the setting.

Specifying Sensitivity of the Bite Sensor (Reed Bite Strength)

Adjust the reed position at which the pitch eect specied by
“BiteCtrl” starts to take eect. Normally, you can specify
“AUTO” so that the adjustment is automatic.

If the bite sensor has too much eect, decrease the value.
If the eect is dicult to apply, increase the value.

Level

BreatAdj

No eect

Eect

Breath
force

Bite the mouthpiece
(reed) with your normal
playing strength

Increasing the value increases
the range of eectiveness

Decreasing the value decreases
the range of eectiveness

S

S

S

MIDI Ch

BreaOut1

BreaOut2

BiteOut1

BiteOut2

Backup

1–16 1

OFF, CC.1–31,
CC.33–95, BEND,
AFT.T, TONE

– –

MIDI Transmit Channel Settings (MIDI Transmit Ch)

This setting species the MIDI channel on which the unit will transmit.
This unit will receive all sixteen channels (1–16).

CC.2

OFF S

BEND

OFF S

Breath MIDI output setting 1/2

Species the MIDI output that is controlled by the breath sensor.

Bite MIDI output setting 1/2

Species the MIDI output that is controlled by the bite sensor.

About the values

OFF No output

CC.1 – 31,
CC.33 – 95

BEND Pitch bend

AFT.T Aftertouch

TONE

Control change

Control specied for each
tone

Backing up user tones and system settings

Here’s how to back up user tones and system settings to your computer.

1. Using a USB cable, connect your computer to the USB COMPUTER port (p. 3).

2. Select “

3. To execute Backup, press the [

Backup

” in the upper, and then press the [MENU] button.

A conrmation message appears.

A

] (Y) button.

If you decide to cancel, press the [C] (N) button.
When you execute, the screen of the Aerophone indicates “WAIT,” and the BACKUP drive appears in the

screen of your computer.

4. Copy the AE10_BKUP.SVD le from the Aerophone/BACKUP folder of the BACKUP drive to your

computer.

5. Eject the BACKUP drive, and disconnect the USB cable.

* Don’t turn o the power while the display indicates “WAIT.”

6. When the display indicates “END,” turn the power o and then on again.

S

S

S

–

10

Menu Value Default Explanation

Restoring user tones and system settings

Here’s how to restore the user tones and system settings from your computer.

1. Using a USB cable, connect your computer to the USB COMPUTER port (p. 3).

Menu Settings

Restore

FctReset

User Clr

– –

– –

– –

2. Select “

3. To execute Restore, press the [

Restore

A conrmation message appears.

If you decide to cancel, press the [C] (N) button.
When you execute, the screen of the Aerophone indicates “WAIT,” and the RESTORE drive appears in the

screen of your computer.

” in the upper, and then press the [MENU] button.

A

] (Y) button.

4. Copy the backed-up AE10_BKUP.SVD le into the RESTORE drive.

5. Eject the RESTORE drive, and disconnect the USB cable.

* Don’t turn o the power while the display indicates “WAIT.”

6. When the display indicates “END,” turn the power o and then on again.

Returning to the Factory Settings (Factory Reset)

Here’s how to return the Aerophone to its factory-set state.

1. Select “

2. To execute the Factory Reset, press the [

Clearing the user tones

Here’s how to clear the user tones. In Ver 2.00 and later, the factory reset operation (FctReset) only resets the system settings,
and does not clear the user tones.

1. Select “

FctReset

A conrmation message appears.

If you decide to cancel, press the [C] (N) button.

User Clr

A conrmation message appears.

” in the upper, and then press the [MENU] button.

” in the upper, and then press the [MENU] button.

A

] (Y) button.

–

–

–

Version

– –

2. To execute the User Clear, press the [

If you decide to cancel, press the [C] (N) button.

Version Information

Displays the version of the unit’s system program.

A

] (Y) button.

–

11

Appendix

Main Specications

Roland Aerophone AE-10: Digital Wind Instrument

Power Supply

Current Draw 418 mA

Expected battery
life under
continuous use

Dimensions

Weight
(including

batteries)

Accessories

Options

(sold separately)

* This document explains the specications of the product at the time that the

document was issued. For the latest information, refer to the Roland website.

AC adaptor (DC 5.7 V)
Rechargeable Ni-MH battery (AA, HR6) (sold separately) x 6

Rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries: approximately 7
hours (When using batteries having a capacity of 1,900 mAh.)

* Diers depending on the conditions of use.

* Carbon-zinc or alkaline batteries cannot be used

128 (W) x 93 (D) x 574 (H) mm
5-3/64 (W) x 3-31/32 (D) x 22-19/32 (H) inches

855 g

1.9 lbs 31 oz (including batteries)

Owner’s manual, Leaet “USING THE UNIT SAFELY,” AC adaptor,
Mouthpiece cap, Neck strap, Band, Dedicated hand carry bag

Dedicated mouthpiece

USING THE UNIT SAFELY

WARNING

When using the strap, take care that it does not become
wound around your neck.

Concerning the Auto O function

The power to this unit will be turned o automatically after a
predetermined amount of time has passed since it was last used
for playing music, or its buttons or controls were operated (Auto
O function). If you do not want the power to be turned o
automatically, disengage the Auto O function (p. 9).

Use only the supplied AC adaptor and the correct voltage

Be sure to use only the AC adaptor supplied with the unit. Also,
make sure the line voltage at the installation matches the input
voltage specied on the AC adaptor’s body. Other AC adaptors may
use a dierent polarity, or be designed for a dierent voltage, so
their use could result in damage, malfunction, or electric shock.

CAUTION

Take care so as not to get ngers pinched

When handling the following moving parts, take care so as not to
get ngers, toes, etc., pinched. Whenever a child uses the unit, an
adult should be on hand to provide supervision and guidance.

• Mouthpiece (p. 2)

IMPORTANT NOTES

Power Supply: Use of Batteries

• If the batteries run extremely low, the sound may distort, but this does not
indicate a malfunction. If this occurs, please replace the batteries / use the
included AC adaptor.

• If operating this unit on batteries, please use rechargeable Ni-MH batteries.

• Even if batteries are installed, the unit will turn o if you connect or
disconnect the power cord from the AC outlet while the unit is turned on, or
if you connect or disconnect the AC adaptor from the unit. You must turn o
the power before you connect or disconnect the power cord or AC adaptor.

Repairs and Data

• Before sending the unit away for repairs, be sure to make a backup of
the data stored within it; or you may prefer to write down the needed
information. Although we will do our utmost to preserve the data stored
in your unit when we carry out repairs, in some cases, such as when the
memory section is physically damaged, restoration of the stored content
may be impossible. Roland assumes no liability concerning the restoration
of any stored content that has been lost.

Additional Precautions

• When placing this instrument on the surface of a desk or table, take care
that the surface is not scratched.

• Any data stored within the unit can be lost as the result of equipment
failure, incorrect operation, etc. To protect yourself against the irretrievable
loss of data, try to make a habit of creating regular backups of the data
you’ve stored in the unit.

• Roland assumes no liability concerning the restoration of any stored content
that has been lost.

• Never strike or apply strong pressure to the display.

• Do not use connection cables that contain a built-in resistor.

Intellectual Property Right

• The copyright of content in this product (the sound waveform data, style
data, accompaniment patterns, phrase data, audio loops and image data) is
reserved by Roland Corporation.

• Purchasers of this product are permitted to utilize said content (except
song data such as Demo Songs) for the creating, performing, recording and
distributing original musical works.

• Purchasers of this product are NOT permitted to extract said content in
original or modied form, for the purpose of distributing recorded medium
of said content or making them available on a computer network.

• Roland, BOSS,SuperNATURAL and Aerophone are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Roland Corporation in the United States and/
or other countries.

12

Fingering Chart / 運指表

A#3/B²3 C#4/D²4 D#4/E²4

F#4/G²4 G#4/A²4 A#4/B²4

B3 C4 D4 E4

G4 A4 B4

F4

C5 D5 E5

F5

C#5/D²5 D#5/E²5

F#5/G²5

Oct Key: OCT 1

A3

G#2/A²3

Fingering Chart / 運指表

Playing harmonics (overtones)／フラジオ奏法

F#5/G²5

G5

G5

G#5/A²5

G#5/A²5

A5

Fingering Chart / 運指表

A5

A#5/B²5

A#5/B²5

A#5/B²5

B5

B5

C6

Fingering Chart / 運指表

C6

C6

D#6/E²6

C#6/D²6

D6

D#6/E²6

E6

E6

F6

Recorder ngering / リコーダー運指

Fingering Chart / 運指表

A#/B²3

F#/G²4

B3

C4 D4 F4

G4

C#/D²4 D#/E²4

A4

E4

A#/B²4G#/A²4

B4 D5

C5

C#/D²5

Fingering Chart / 運指表

Electronic wind instrument ngering / 電子吹奏楽器運指

A3 B3 C4

A#/B²3 C#/D²4

F#/G²4

G#/A²4

D4 E4

A4F4 G4

A#/B²4

D#/E²4

B4

C5

C#/D²5 D#/E²5

E5

F#/G²5

G5D5 F5

Trumpet ngering / トランペット運指

Fingering Chart / 運指表

F#/G²3

D4 E4

G3

D#/E²4

G#/A²3 A#/B²3 C#/D²4

A3 B3 C4

F#/G²4

G#/A²4

A4F4 G4

A#/B²4

F#/G²5

B4

G5

C5 D5 F5

C#/D²5 D#/E²5

E5

Fingering Chart / 運指表

Fingering that lets you perform using only the left hand / 左手のみで演奏できる運指

C4 D4 F4

F#/G²4

C#/D²4 D#/E²4

G4

A4

E4

A#/B²4G#/A²4

B4

C5

C#/D²5

D5

D#/E²5

E5

F5

Fingering Chart / 運指表

Fingering that lets you perform using only the Right hand / 右手のみで演奏できる運指

C4

G4

C#/D²4

G#/A²4

D4 E4

D#/E²4

A4

A#/B²4

F4

F#/G²4

B4

C#/D²5

D5

D#/E²5

E5C5

F5

Eect Flow / エフェクトの流れ

PART 4

PART 3

PART 2

MFX1

MFX2

PART 1

PART 4

PART 3

PART 2

PART 1

PART 4

PART 3

PART 2

PART 1

MFX1

MFX2

CHORUS

REVERB

PART 4

PART 3

PART 2

PART 1

Sound

OUTPUT

LEVEL

CHORUS

REVERB

OUTPUT

ASSIGN

OUTPUT

MFX

SELECT

MFX

MFX2

OUTPUT

OUTPUT

CHORUS

PART 4

PART 3

PART 2

PART 1

PART 4

PART 3

PART 2

PART 1

REVERB

CHORUS

CHORUS

LEVEL

CHORUS
OUTPUT

MAIN

REV

REVERB

LEVEL

REVERB