Roland Gr-20 User Manual
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Workshop
GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer
Using the GR-20 with a Sequencer
© 2006 Roland Corporation U.S.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the
written permission of Roland Corporation U.S.
GR20WS03
About the Workshop Booklets
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Roland’s GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer opens up spectacular new sonic
possibilities for the electric guitarist. With the included GK-3 Divided
Pickup installed, any six-string electric guitar can play the GR-20’s amazing
collection of synthesizer sounds and sampled real-world instruments. You
can also mix your guitar’s own sound with those in the GR-20 to create new
timbres that are all your own.
Each GR-20 Workshop Series booklet focuses on one GR-20 topic, and is
intended as a companion to the GR-20 Owner’s Manual.
This booklet requires GR-20 O.S. Version 2.00 or higher. You can download
the latest GR-20 O.S. for free from www.RolandUS.com.
About This Booklet
A MIDI sequencer captures and plays back MIDI performances. It’s a powerful
tool that allows you to layer multiple performances, and do all sorts of things
to hone your sequenced music to perfection. The GR-20 provides a way for
you to record MIDI data into a MIDI sequencer from your guitar, using the
GR-20’s own sounds or any other MIDI sounds you like. This booklet explains
how to sequence with the GR-20.
Understanding the Symbols in This Booklet
Throughout this booklet, you’ll come across information that deserves
special attention—that’s the reason it’s labeled with one of the following
symbols.
A note is something that adds information about the topic at hand.
Each Workshop booklet is meant to be read in order from beginning
to end. However, if we mention an upcoming section—and you see
this arrow—you can click the arrow to jump there immediately.
About MIDI, Sequencers, and the GR-0
If you’re experienced with MIDI and sequencers, feel free to skip this
section.
A full discussion of MIDI is beyond the scope of this booklet—in fact, we
have an InFocus booklet devoted entirely to MIDI called An Introduction to
MIDI. You can download this booklet from the Support Documents section of
the Roland US website.
Meanwhile—if you just want to get started—there are three basic things
you really need to know about MIDI, sequencing, and the GR-20:
MIDI isn’t sound, it’s instructions—When you play a MIDI instrument,
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your performance is converted into instructions that tell a soundproducing MIDI device what notes to play, and how to play them. These
instructions are called “MIDI messages.”
A sequencer—captures MIDI data, and can play it back. This can make a
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sequencer seem like an audio recorder, but it’s not: it’s just playing back
instructions that cause a sound-producing MIDI device to recreate your
performance. A sequencer, by the way, can be a software program on a
computer, part of a keyboard workstation such as the Roland Fantom-X,
or a standalone hardware device.
Your GK-3 and the GR-20—convert your playing to MIDI data, which can
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play the GR-20 sounds and/or be transmitted to another device, such as
a sequencer, from the GR-20’s MIDI OUT jack.
A tip offers suggestions for using the feature being discussed.
Warnings contain important information that can help you avoid
possible damage to your equipment, your data, or yourself.
Many sequencers offer standard audio tracks in addition to MIDI tracks.
You can, of course, easily record standard audio from the GR-20 into
this kind of sequencer by simply connecting the GR-20’s OUTPUT jacks
to the sequencer’s audio inputs. To learn about the GR-20 OUTPUT
jacks, see the Getting Started with the GR-20 Workshop booklet.
Connecting the GR-0 to a Sequencer
SEQUENCER
Preparing the GR-0 for Sequencing
On the Sequencer Side of Things
To connect your sequencer to the GR-20, the sequencer has to have a MIDI
IN jack and a MIDI OUT jack. If you’re using a:
hardware, standalone sequencer—you’ll typically find a MIDI IN jack and
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a MIDI OUT jack on its rear panel.
keyboard workstation—you’ll typically find a MIDI IN jack and a MIDI
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OUT jack on its rear panel.
sequencing program on a computer—MIDI connectivity has to be added
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to the computer in either of two ways. You can use a:
MIDI interface —which is usually a rack-mounted or tabletop box
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that connects to the computer via USB or FireWire, and provides
MIDI ports you can connect to your other MIDI devices.
sound card—that offers MIDI jacks, or a game port to which you
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connect a special cable that provides MIDI jacks.
On the GR-0 Side of Things
Using a MIDI cable:
Connect the GR-20’s MIDI OUT jack to the sequencer’s
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MIDI IN jack.
Connect the sequencer’s MIDI OUT jack to the GR-20’s
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MIDI IN jack.
MIDI Channel
Select the basic MIDI channel on which you want the GR-20 to send and
receive data. (As we’ll see, this channel also acts as the first channel the
GR-20 uses in its Mono transmission mode.)
Unless you have a MIDI system that provides each MIDI device its own
set of 16 MIDI channels, select a channel no other device is using.
To set the GR-20’s basic MIDI channel:
Press SYSTEM EDIT repeatedly until the MIDI CH indicator lights.
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Turn the Number/Value dial to select a basic MIDI channel, from 1-11.
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Press EXIT—the GR-20 stores your settings.
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Local Off
When you’re using a GR-20 patch while sequencing, notes can play twice:
once from your guitar, and once more from the output of your sequencer.
1 The guitar plays the GR-20 note.
2 The GR-20 sends a note event to the sequencer via MIDI.
If you don’t intend to use the GR-20’s own sounds, you don’t
need to connect the sequencer’s MIDI OUT jack to the GR-20’s
MIDI IN jack.
3 The sequencer plays the GR-20 note again.
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