Roland TB-3 User Manual

Owner’s Manual

English

Before using this unit, carefully read the leaet “USING THE UNIT SAFELY.” The leaet provides important information concerning the proper operation of the unit. Additionally, in order to feel assured that you have gained a good grasp of every feature of your new unit, read Owner’s Manual in its entirety. This manual should be saved and kept on hand as a convenient reference.

Panel Descriptions

Knobs

These adjust the following values.

Knob Explanation VOLUME Volume CUTOFF RESONANCE Filter resonance (distinctive character) ACCENT Strength of accents you’ve input in the pattern

EFFECT

Use these pad mode buttons to switch the mode of the touchpad (which we’ll simply refer to as “the pad”).

* Don’t touch the pad in two or more locations simultaneously; the locations cannot be detected

Button Explanation

KEYBOARD

XY PLAY

ENV MOD

PTN SELECT

SCATTER

Filter cuto (brightness of the sound)

Eect depth

* The most suitable eect for the sound you’ve selected is applied.

Pad mode buttons / 3 Touchpad

correctly (the pad does not support multi-touch).

Use the pad to play notes.

Play notes Apply pressure to the pad: modulation

Octave up

• Key pads that can be operated are lit.

• If you press the pad while a pattern is playing, the sound of the pad takes priority (mono playback).

Use the horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) axes of the pad to perform pitch.

• This controls the most appropriate parameters for the sound that’s selected. In general for most sounds, the parameters listed above are controlled.

• If you press the pad while a pattern is playing, the sound of the pad takes priority (mono playback).

• By holding down the [XY PLAY] button and turning the [VALUE] knob you can change the tonic note (key).

Control envelope modulation (tonal change) and decay (duration of the sound).

• This controls the most appropriate parameters for the sound that’s selected. In general for most sounds, the parameters listed above are controlled.

• If the pattern is stopped, pressing the pad won’t produce sound.

Select a pattern.

Refer to “Playing, Selecting, and Performing a Pattern” – “Selecting a pattern”

Use the Scatter function to add a digital-feeling groove.

What is Scatter?

“Scatter” adds a digital-feeling groove to the loop playback by exchanging individual steps within the loop playback and also by changing the playback direction or gate length.

• Scatter will be on while you’re pressing the pad. It turns o when you take your nger o of the pad.

• Turn the [VALUE] knob to select the scatter type (

* The Scatter eect will not apply to the rst cycle of the loop; the eect will apply to the second

and subsequent cycles of the loop.

Octave down

X-axis: Perform pitch (continuous change) Y-axis: Volume Apply pressure to the pad: modulation

X-axis position is lit

X-axis: Envelope modulation (tonal change) Y-axis: Decay (duration of the sound) Apply pressure to the pad: modulation

X-axis: Scatter depth (10 steps)

5 6 7

8 9 10

SC1–SC8

16-step indicators

The step numbers (1–16) light during pattern playback or step recording.

[TEMPO] button

When you press the [TEMPO] button, the display shows the tempo. You can use the [VALUE] knob to change the tempo.

• Tap tempo: To set the tempo, hold down the [TEMPO] button and tap the [SCATTER] button several times at the desired interval.

• Shue: To specify shue, hold down the [TEMPO] button and turn the [VALUE] knob(-50–0–50; 0=shue o).

Display

Shows the currently selected sound number (e.g.,

1-1), step number, or tempo may be shown.

(e.g.,

What is a “sound”?

The TB-3 provides cutting-edge synth tones powered by four oscillators and eects, including faithfully reproduced classic tones from the TB-303 (A01: TB-303 sawtooth wave, A02: TB-303 square wave). On the TB-3, each of these is called a “sound.” You can use the [VALUE] knob to easily select sounds.

* You can’t edit the sounds.

[VALUE] knob

Modies the value that’s shown in the display.

[STEP REC] button

[REALTIME REC] button

] button

[

Plays/stops the pattern.

Refer to “Step Recording”

Refer to “Realtime Recording”

A01). Depending on the mode, the pattern number

Sound Explanation

–

TB-303 sounds

A 01

–

Bass sounds

b 01

–

Lead sounds

C 01

–

SFX (Sound eects)

d 01

Connecting Your Equipment

* To prevent malfunction and equipment failure, always turn down the volume, and turn o all the units

before making any connections.

) port

USB (

Use a commercially available USB 2.0 cable to connect this port to your computer. It can be used to transfer USB MIDI and USB audio data. You must install the USB driver before connecting the TB-3 to your computer. Download the USB driver from the Roland website. For details, refer to Readme.htm which is included in the download.

http://www.roland.com/support/

DC IN jack

Connect the included AC adaptor here. Use only the included AC adaptor. Using any other adaptor may cause overheating and malfunction.

* When connected via USB, power is supplied from the USB connection, so the AC adaptor does not need to

be connected.

MIDI connectors

For connecting MIDI device.

OUT jacks

Connect these jacks to your amp or monitor speakers. If your system is monaural, use only the L/MONO jack.

PHONES jack

Connect headphones (sold separately) here.

Security slot (

http://www.kensington.com/

A B C D E F

)

Turning the Power On/O

[POWER] switch

This turns the power on/o.

* After you’ve made connections correctly, be sure to turn on the power in the order of the TB-3 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 TB-3.

* This unit is equipped with a protection circuit. A brief interval (a few seconds) after turning the unit on is

required before it will operate normally.

* Before turning the unit on/o, always be sure to turn the volume down. Even with the volume turned down,

you might hear some sound when switching the unit on/o. However, this is normal and does not indicate a malfunction.

Playing, Selecting, and Performing a Pattern

What is a “pattern”?

A “pattern” is musical data that you’ve recorded by step recording or realtime recording. There are 64 patterns (8 patterns x 8 banks). In Pattern Select mode, the display shows the current bank and pattern (e.g.,

1-2 = bank 1, pattern 2).

Playing a pattern

1. Press the [ ] button to play a pattern.

Selecting a pattern

1. Press the [PTN SELECT] button.

2. Use the pad to select a pattern.

Select a pattern (1–8)

Bank up

You can also use the [VALUE] knob to select a pattern.

Bank down

Switching sounds

1. Press the [KEY-BOARD], [XY PLAY], or [ENV MOD] button to make the display show the sound number

A01).

(e.g.,

2. Use the [VALUE] knob to switch sounds.

If you hold down the [KEYBOARD] button and turn the [VALUE] knob, the sound number changes in steps of +/-10.

“Performing” with the TB-3

You perform on the TB-3 by operating the knobs (1), pad mode buttons (2), and touchpad (3) while a pattern plays.

Advanced Pattern Functions

Functions Explanation

Pattern transpose

Playing patterns consecutively

Random pattern

Random pattern 2

Copying a pattern

Deleting a pattern

To transpose the pattern, hold down the [KEY-BOARD] button and press a key pad (default: C).

When selecting a pattern, you can select multiple patterns by sliding your nger while continuing to press the pad. The patterns you’ve selected will play consecutively. The currently-playing pattern lights.

If you hold down the [PTN SELECT] button and press the [SCATTER] button, a random pattern is generated for the current pattern number. If you want to save the random pattern, press the [REALTIME REC] button (blinking). If you want to discard the random pattern, select a dierent pattern.

If you hold down the [KEYBOARD] button and press the [SCATTER] button, the octave shift, slide, and accent will randomly change from the current pattern, letting you create variation without changing the character of the pattern. You can save or discard the variation in the same way as for Random Pattern.

1. Hold down the [PTN SELECT] button and press the pad to select the copy-source pattern.

The copy-source pattern lights, and the other patterns blink.

2. Select the copy-destination bank and pattern (blinking pad).

1. Select the pattern that you want to delete.

2. Hold down the [PTN SELECT] button and press [CLEAR] in the pad.

The display indicates “

3. Press the [

Clr” and the [ ] button blinks.

] button; the pattern is deleted.

Step Recording

In this method of recording, you enter notes or rests, accents, and slides/ties at each step. When you record, the current pattern will be overwritten.

What is “step”?

Each pattern is divided into 16 grid locations called “steps.” (You can change the number of steps in the range of 1–32.) One step is a 16th note long (

1. Press the [STEP REC] button.

2. Use the pad and the [VALUE] knob to enter musical data for each step.

• The display shows the current step number (

• Even during step recording, you can press the [

3. When you’re nished step recording, press the [STEP REC] button to make it go dark.

Enters a rest and proceeds to the next step.

Enters a note and proceeds to the next step.

Advanced Step Functions

Functions Explanation Changing the number of steps in the pattern

Selecting a triplet grid

Hold down the [STEP REC] button and turn the [VALUE] knob to change the number of steps in the pattern (1–32, default: 16).

Hold down the [STEP REC] button and press the [TEMPO] button to switch the triplet grid on/o.

OFF: 1 step =16th note ( ) (default) On: 1 step =8th note triplet ( )

). The current step is shown by the 16-step indicators (4).

Enters accent on/o.

Enters a slide (if the preceding step is the same note, a tie) on/o.

Octave up

Octave down

). You can use the [VALUE] knob to move between steps.

1–32

] button to play the pattern.

Realtime Recording

In this method of recording, the notes you perform are recorded in real time. The current pattern will be overwritten.

1. Press the [REALTIME REC] button.

The [

] button blinks; the TB-3 is in record-ready mode. To cancel, press the [REALTIME REC] button to

make it go dark.

2. Press the [

3. Perform on the pad; your performance is recorded.

4. When you’re nished realtime recording, press the [REALTIME REC] button to make it go dark.

• The TB-3 will return to pattern playback. To stop pattern playback, press the [

• During playback, you can switch realtime recording on/o by pressing the [REALTIME REC] button.

] button to start recording.

Notes that loop-play while you hold down [CLEAR] are deleted.

Record notes. Hold down the same note pad to enter a tie.

* Use step recording to enter accents or slides.

Octave up

Octave down

] button.

Synchronizing with Other MIDI Devices

The TB-3 can receive MIDI Clock (F8) data to synchronize its tempo. It can also receive MIDI Start (FA) and MIDI Stop (FC) to start/stop itself.

Synchronizing with a TR-8

You can synchronize the TB-3 with a TR-8 by using a commercially available MIDI cable to make connections.

Synchronizing with your computer DAW via USB

By using a commercially available USB 2.0 cable to connect the TB-3 to your computer, you can synchronize the TB-3 with your computer DAW or record the sound of the TB-3 to a track of your DAW via USB audio.

MIDI OUT MIDI IN

TR-8 (master) TB-3 (slave)

Various Settings

Restoring the Factory Settings (Factory Reset)

Here’s how to return the TB-3 to its factory-set state.

1. While holding down the [REALTIME REC] button, turn on the power.

The display indicates “ If you decide to cancel the factory reset, turn o the power.

2. Press the [

3. When the display indicates “

rSt” and the [ ] button blinks.

] button to execute the factory reset.

CNP,” turn the TB-3’s power o, then on again.

MIDI and Other Settings

1. While holding down the [SCATTER] button, turn on the power.

The display indicates the current MIDI channel (e.g., If you decide not to make settings, turn o the power.

2. Use the [VALUE] knob and the pad to change the settings.

Parameter Controller Explanation

MIDI Channel

MIDI Clock Source

MIDI Thru Pad [D]

Pad Aftertouch Sensitivity

3. Press the [

The settings are saved, and the TB-3 restarts.

OFF, C 1

[VALUE] knob

ONn

(OMNI)

Lit (AUTO)

Pad [C]

Unlit (INTERNAL)

Lit (ON)

Unlit (OFF)

[KEY-BOARD] button (hold down) + [VALUE] knob

] button to save the settings.

Species the MIDI transmit/receive channel. The display indicates the

–

channel. (default: C 2)

C16

MIDI messages of all channels are received. The MIDI transmit channel will be 2.

If MIDI clock is being input to the MIDI IN connector or the USB port, the TB-3’s tempo will automatically synchronize to MIDI clock. (default)

* I f MIDI clock is being simultaneously input from the MIDI IN connector

and from the USB port, the USB port takes priority.

The TB-3 operates at the tempo specied on the unit itself. Choose the “INTERNAL” setting if you don’t want to synchronize to an external device.

Species whether data received from the MIDI IN connector will be retransmitted from the MIDI OUT connector (ON: default) or will not be retransmitted (OFF).

Adjusts the sensitivity of the pad to pressure (aftertouch). With higher settings, it will be easier to apply an eect even when you apply light pressure to the pad. (default: 3)

C 2), and the [ ] button blinks.

Main Specications Roland TB-3: TOUCH BASSLINE

Power Supply Current Draw Dimensions Weight Accessories

* I n the interest of product improvement, the specications and/or appearance of this unit are subject to

change without prior notice.

AC adaptor, or obtained via USB port (USB bus power) 500 mA 240 (W) x 173 (D) x 57 (H) mm 9-1/2 (W) x 6-13/16 (D) x 2-1/4 (H) inches 820 g (excluding AC adaptor) 1 lb 13 oz AC adaptor, Owner’s manual, Leaet “USING THE UNIT SAFELY”