Zoom AR-48 Service Manual

Aero RhythmTrak

A

Operation Manual

© 2017 ZOOM CORPORATION

Copying or reprinting this manual in part or in whole without permission is prohibited.

Contents

Usage and Safety Precautions .......................3

Introduction ....................................................6

Explanation of terms ......................................8

Overview

Names of parts ...............................................9

Using the A ..........................................12

The 4 Base Station areas .............................13

STEP key overview.......................................14

Ring Controller overview ..............................15

Connecting other devices ............................17

Switching modes .........................................18

Instrument overview ..................................... 19

Preparations

Turning the power on and o ....................... 20

Loading SD cards ........................................22

Character input screen use ..........................23

PATTERN mode

PATTERN mode overview ............................24

Operation overview ......................................29

Real-time pattern input ................................31

Pattern step input ........................................32

Playing back patterns ..................................34

Clearing parts of patterns ............................35

Arpeggiator ..................................................36

Clearing patterns ..........................................38

Other settings ...............................................39

Making pattern settings ...............................41

Pattern management ...................................44

Editing sounds

Sound editing overview ................................48

Editing instruments ......................................50

REC/PLAY area

REC/PLAY area overview ............................. 70

Motion sequences ........................................72

Capturing audio ...........................................74

Automatic saving .........................................78

EFFECT area

EFFECT area overview .................................79

Selecting and setting eects ........................80

Changing parameters ...................................81

Ring Controller Performance

Controlling parameters with the

Ring Controller .............................................82

System settings

Changing various settings ............................84

Outputting MIDI messages from the Base

Station ..........................................................87

Backing up data ...........................................89

SD card management ..................................91

Ring Controller settings ................................95

Updating the rmware ................................102

Troubleshooting .......................................... 104

Product specications ...............................105

Appendix

Oscillator list ...............................................106

Instrument and parameter lists .................. 11 0

Eects lists ................................................. 11 7

Arpeggiator parameter lists ........................ 11 8

Setting pad LED colors from a computer ..120

MIDI implementation charts .......................121

SONG mode

SONG mode overview .................................57

Operation overview ......................................60

Creating songs .............................................61

Song settings ...............................................65

Managing songs ...........................................67

Usage and Safety Precautions

Safety Precautions

In this operation manual, symbols are used to high­light warnings and cautions that you must read to
prevent accidents. The meanings of these symbols
are as follows.

Something that could cause serious injury
or death

Something that could cause injury or
damage to the equipment

Other symbols used

An action that is mandatory

An action that is prohibited

Warning

Operation using an AC adapter

Never use any AC adapter other than a ZOOM AD-

14.

Do not do anything that could exceed the ratings

of outlets and other electrical wiring equipment.

Before using the equipment in a foreign country

or other region where the electrical voltage diers,

always consult with a shop that carries ZOOM
products and use the appropriate AC adapter.

Operation with batteries

Use 2 commercially-available 1.5V AA batteries

(alkaline or nickel metal hydride).

Carefully study warning indications on batteries

before use.

Always keep the battery cover closed during use.

Alterations

Do not open the case or modify the product.

Caution

Product handling

Do not drop, bump or apply excessive force to the

unit.

Be careful not to allow foreign objects or liquids to

enter the unit.

Operating environment

Do not use in extremely high or low temperatures.
Do not use near heaters, stoves and other heat

sources.

Do not use in very high humidity or where it could

be splashed by water.
Do not use in places with frequent vibrations.
Do not use in places with much dust or sand.

AC adapter handling

When disconnecting the power plug from an out-

let, always pull on the plug itself.

Disconnect the power plug from the outlet when

the unit will not be used for a long time and when­ever there is lightning.

Battery handling

Install batteries with the correct +/− orientations.
Use the specied batteries.

Do not use new and old batteries together. Do not

use batteries of dierent brands or types together.

Remove the batteries when the unit will not be

used for a long time.

If a leak occurs, thoroughly wipe the battery case

and battery terminals to remove the leaked uid.

Connection cables and input/output jacks

Always turn the power OFF for all equipment be-

fore connecting any cables.

Always disconnect all connection cables and the

AC adapter before moving the unit.

Volume

Do not use at a loud volume for a long time.

Usage Precautions

Interference with other electrical equipment

In consideration of safety, the
signed to minimize its emission of electromagnetic
waves and to suppress interference from external
electromagnetic waves. However, equipment that is
very susceptible to interference or that emits power­ful electromagnetic waves could result in interference
if placed nearby. If this occurs, place the
the other device farther apart.
With any type of electronic device that uses digital
control, including the
ference could cause malfunction, corrupt or destroy
data and result in other unexpected trouble. Always
use caution.

Cleaning

Use a soft cloth to clean the exterior of the unit if it
becomes dirty. If necessary, use a damp cloth that
has been wrung out well to wipe it.
If the Ring Controller surface becomes dirty, wipe it

with a soft damp cloth that does not shed bers.

Never use abrasive cleansers, wax or solvents such
as alcohol, benzene or paint thinner.

Breakdown and malfunction

If the unit becomes broken or malfunctions, imme­diately disconnect the AC adapter, turn the power
off and disconnect other cables. Contact the store
where you bought the unit or ZOOM service with the
following information: product model, serial number

and specic symptoms of breakdown or malfunction,

along with your name, address and telephone num­ber.

A

A

, electromagnetic inter-

has been de-

A

and

Usage and Safety Precautions

3

Usage and Safety Precautions (continued)

Copyrights

• Windows

Usage and Safety Precautions

dows
Microsoft

®

, Windows® 10, Windows® 8 and Win-

®

7 are trademarks or registered trademarks of

®

Corporation.

• Mac, Mac OS, iPad and iOS are trademarks or reg­istered trademarks of Apple Inc.

• Intel and Intel Core are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries
in the US and other countries.

• The SD, SDHC and SDXC logos are trademarks.

• Bluetooth and the Bluetooth logo are registered

trademarks of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and are used un­der license by Zoom Corporation.

• MIDI is a registered trademark of the Association of
Musical Electronics Industry (AMEI).

• Ableton and Ableton Live are trademarks of Ableton
AG.

• Other product names, registered trademarks and
company names in this document are the property
of their respective companies.

Note: All trademarks and registered trademarks in this doc-

ument are for identification purposes only and are not
intended to infringe on the copyrights of their respective
owners.

Recording from copyrighted sources, including CDs, records,
tapes, live performances, video works and broadcasts, without
permission of the copyright holder for any purpose other than
personal use is prohibited by law.
Zoom Corporation will not assume any responsibility related
to infringements of copyrights.

4

FCC regulation warning (for U.S.A.)

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These
limits are designed to provide reasonable protec­tion against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses, and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not in­stalled and used in accordance with the instruc­tions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular in­stallation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which

can be determined by turning the equipment o

and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following
measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equip-

ment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a
circuit different from that to which the re­ceiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/
TV technician for help.

For EU Countries

Declaration of Conformity

Usage and Safety Precautions

The contents of this document and the specications of

the product could be changed without notice.

5

Introduction

Thank you very much for purchasing a ZOOM

Introduction

Aero RhythmTrak
following features.

A

. The

A

● Ring Controller with 16 pads and LEDs

You can input instruments by assigning dier­ent sounds to these 16 pads like drums or as-

signing them dierent pitches like a keyboard.

In addition, the multicolor LEDs allow you to
see instrument input status at a glance.

● 32 STEP keys on Base Station

The Base Station has 32 STEP keys especially
for step input.

By using these keys, you can quickly input se­quences for the selected instrument.

● Ring Controller can be removed from

Base Station

The Ring Controller can be removed from the
Base Station to perform with it in hand. You
can now realize entertaining performances in
ways that are not possible with conventional
rhythm machines.

●

Accelerometer built into Ring Controller

You can control the arpeggiator timing, instru-

ments and eect parameters by tilting the Ring

Controller. Enjoy a new feeling of controlling
sound with your body.

● Automatic detection of grip area

The grip area setting function can prevent
misoperation when holding the Ring Controller
during performances.

The position can be set easily when holding it
in the most comfortable position.

● Ring Controller and Base Station

can be connected with Bluetooth LE

(using BTA-1 sold separately)

By using BTA-1 units (sold separately), the
Ring Controller and the Base Station can be
connected wirelessly with Bluetooth LE. Power
consumption is low, so use for long periods of
time is possible.

has the

● Use as a MIDI controller possible

The Ring Controller can be independently
used as a multifunction MIDI controller when
connected to a computer or other device by
USB. When using a BTA-1 (sold separately), it
can also be connected to a Mac or iOS device
by Bluetooth LE.

The Base Station also has a MIDI OUT jack.
By connecting it to a computer or synthesizer,
MIDI messages can be output by using the

A

sequences and operating the keys and

knobs on the Base Station.

● Built-in sound sources can be edited in

various ways

The sounds included in the
variety of adjustable parameters that increase
their expressive ranges.

Each of the sound parameters can be set
easily while checking them on the display.

In addition, each pattern can use the sounds
of up to 16 instruments (16 simultaneous
voices), allowing the creation of rich musical
pieces.

A

have a

● Over 400 PCM sound sources and 70

synthesizer oscillator types built-in

From the rich selection of sound sources, you

will be able to nd sounds that t your image

of the music you want to make.

The sounds are organized by categories so

you can nd them quickly.

● Various creation modes

Performance patterns can be created in two
ways. You can build patterns one step at a
time using the STEP keys and you can record
patterns by playing the 16 pads in real time.
Furthermore, in SONG mode, you can com­bine patterns to create complete songs.

6

●

Use up to two eects simultaneously

You can use an effect on individual instru-

ments, as well as a master eect at the same

time. This vastly increases sound design
possibilities.

● Inputs for electronic instruments and

audio devices

You can perform while listening to the input
from a connected device and capture input
sounds to use as sound sources.

● Loading of audio les possible

You can use a computer to save WAV files
on an SD card and load them for use as
sound sources. (An SD card (not included) is
required.)

● Headphone output independent from

other outputs

The second stereo output allows you to output
a metronome just to the headphones, for
example.

Introduction

7

Explanation of terms

Pattern

Explanation of terms

This is a short musical part of several bars.
Patterns are made of sequences (performance
information) and oscillators (sounds). You can
also save parameters controlled by the Ring
Controller, quantization and other settings for
each pattern separately.

A

The
variety of musical genres.

has preset patterns that cover a

Song

This is a combination of multiple patterns that
form a single musical piece.

Step

A step is the length of the shortest notes that
can be input to a sequence.

Steps are usually one 16th of a bar, so you can
set sounds to occur in 16th note intervals. This
length can be changed in the settings.

Sequence

A sequence is performance data that records
the timing when various sounds are played.

With the
step at a time and record sequences by play­ing the pads in real time.

A

you can input sequences one

Instrument

These are the smallest elements of sounds. A
variety of sound sources, including drum sets,
percussion instruments, basses and synthesiz­ers, are already prepared for use.

You can also use WAV files saved on an SD
card by a computer as instruments.

In addition to selecting sounds, various set­tings are available in each instrument. These
include envelopes with attack and sustain

times, lters and eects.

8

Overview

Names of parts

Overview

Base Station

■

Top

SOUND area

SCALE button

PAD button

Display

Sound parameter

knob 2

Sound parameter

Selection encoder

knob 1

NEW button

COPY button

Effect ON button

Effect type knob

Effect parameter

knob 1

Effect parameter

knob 2

EFFECT area

STEP button

BAR 1-2 button

BAR 3-4 button

LAST STEP button
FUNCTION button

SEQUENCE area

PATTERN button

SONG button

Display

SWING knob

TEMPO knob

TAP button
Selection encoder

POWER button

RENAME button

ERASE button

VOLUME knob

REC button
PLAY/PAUSE button
STOP button
CLEAR button

AUTO SAVE button
MOTION SEQUENCE
button

AUDIO CAPTURE
button

REC/PLAY area

Names of parts

9

Names of parts (continued)

Overview Names of parts

■

Back

■

Front

Power

connector

BTA-1

connector

MIDI OUT

jack

SD card

slot

OUTPUT

jacks

Ring Controller

connection port

AUDIO INPUT

jack

Headphone

jack

USB

port

10

Ring Controller

(Side)
BTA-1
connector

GRIP button

POWER LED BATT LED

(Side)
Power button

Touchpads

Overview

Names of parts

PAD/SCALE button

PLAY/PAUSE button

EFFECT

button

SOLO button

MUTE button

SPLIT
button

ARPEGGIATOR button

(Side)
USB port

11

Using the A

Overview

The A consists of a Base Station and a Ring Controller.

Ring Controller

Using the

Base Station

A

With the Base Station, you can create and save patterns, songs and other musical pieces, as well as

edit tones, for example. Use the Ring Controller for input when creating music.

Since the Ring Controller can be detached from the Base Station, you can hold it in your hand and

play it like an instrument. You can also connect it by USB or Bluetooth LE to a Mac computer or iOS

device and use it as a MIDI controller. (→ P. 96)

NOTE

BTA-1 units (sold separately) are necessary to connect by Bluetooth LE.

The Ring Controller has 16 pads with multicolor LEDs. The Base Station also has 32 STEP keys, so

you can quickly create patterns and songs. Arranging the STEP keys in a ring, instead of the usual

straight lines, enables conrmation and operation of all steps in a compact form.

1 2 3

…

31

32

30

…

1

30 31 32

…

2

3

…

12

The 4 Base Station areas

The Base Station is divided into four areas according to use.

Overview

SOUND

area

EFFECT

area

SOUND area: Use to control the parameters of instruments assigned to pads. Parameters related to

the instrument are shown on the display.

SEQUENCE area: Use to set the tempo and other sequence parameters. The display shows pattern

and song names.

REC/PLAY area: Use to control sequences, including playback and recording.

EFFECT area: Use to control eects applied to output.

SEQUENCE

area

REC/PLAY

area

The 4 Base Station areas

13

STEP key overview

Overview STEP key overview

The Base Station has 32 STEP keys that can be used to input sequences, for example.

You can input instruments one step at a time to create patterns.

Sequence steps

1

2 3

… …

30 31 32

…

30

31

32

1

2

3

…

Playback position

During playback of a pattern or song, for example, the STEP key LEDs light green at the step currently

playing.

Playback position

14

Ring Controller overview

The A Ring Controller surface has 16 pressure-sensitive touchpads.

Using these pads, you can input and edit patterns and songs and perform in real-time, for example.

Overview

Pressure-sensitive
touchpads with
multicolor LED indicators

Assignment of functions

Various functions are assigned to the Ring Con-

troller pads according to the operation status

and mode.

Example: In PATTERN mode and PAD layout,

you can play the instruments assigned to pads

in real-time by tapping them.

Instrument

Touchpad locations

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Example: In SONG mode, dierent patterns can

be assigned to each pad, allowing you to tap the

pads to change and play back patterns

Pattern

Ring Controller overview

Example: In PATTERN mode and SCALE layout,

you can play the Ring Controller like a keyboard

with each pad having a dierent pitch.

Scale

HINT

Since input procedures dier for each mode,

see the explanation pages for each operation

for details.

15

Ring Controller overview (continued)

Overview Ring Controller overview

Grip area

Accelerometer

You can set a grip area that does not respond

to touch in order to prevent pads from being

pressed unintentionally when using the Ring

Controller separately from the Base Station. You

can set the grip area range as you like.

For details about how to set this, see "Grip area

setting" (→ P. 98).

Using the accelerometer built into the Ring Con-

troller, you can control arpeggiator timing, instru-

ments and eect parameters by tilting it.

See “Controlling parameters with the Ring Con-

troller” for details (→ P. 82).

16

Connecting other devices

Mixer, audio system or

Audio source

for capture

AUDIO INPUT MIDI OUT

other playback device

OUTPUT

Overview

Connecting other devices

Sound module,

synthesizer or other

MIDI device

DC IN

AC adapter

Headphones

A

Computer

(USB connection)

17

Switching modes

Overview Switching modes

With the A, you can create patterns and

combine multiple patterns to create songs.

The A has two main modes for creating

music . By switching between these modes, you

can alternate between creating patterns and

creating songs.

Use PATTERN mode to create patterns.

The two ways to input patterns are real-time

input and step input.

· Real-time input: Record a performance as a

pattern by playing the pads in real-time.

· Step input: Record instrument sounds one

step at a time to create patterns.

Use SONG mode to create songs.

· In SONG mode, create songs by playing and

changing patterns in real-time and recording

the results.

PATTERN mode

Create and record patterns

Realtime input

Play in real time and
record patterns

Combine created patterns into songs

Step input

Input step by step to
create patterns

SONG mode

18

layout

Instrument overview

The A can use up to 16 sound sources in a single pattern. Each of these is called an instrument

and produces sound from waveform data, such as a drum hit, from a WAV le loaded from an SD

card, or from the built-in synthesizer. In addition to its sound (oscillator), each instrument has various

settings. These include envelopes with attack and sustain times, lters, eects and pad colors.

Instruments are assigned numbers from 1 to 16. In PATTERN mode, you can edit the sound and

sequence for the instrument selected by number.

Overview

Changing the Ring Controller layout

The A Ring Controller has the two following layouts. Press W and X to switch between
them. Up to 16 sounds can be generated simultaneously in either layout.

Various instruments can be assigned to the 16 pads and used to perform.

PAD layout

SCALE layout

15

14

13

Instrument No.

12

11

10

This layout is especially useful for playing drum sets, but other instruments can

also be assigned in the same way.

The note (pitch) that sounds when a pad is played in PAD layout is C4.

Play one instrument with a musical scale, using the pads like a keyboard.

The pads become like a keyboard in a musical scale order. The Ring Controller

LEDs light with a pale color for white keyboard keys and a dark color for black

keyboard keys. The scale can also be set to major or minor, for example.

This is useful for playing instruments that produce scaled pitches, but it can also

be used to play snares and other percussion instruments.

PAD layout

16

Selected

instrument

9

1

2

3

4

5

W

6

7

8

X

Switch

C#

C

B

A#

SCALE layout

D#

D

Note

A

G#

C

C#

F#

G

C1

D

C2

D#

E

C3

F

Selected
instrument

Instrument overview

19

Preparations Turning the power on and o

Preparations

Turning the power on and o

Base Station power

1. Connect the included AC adapter

to the Base Station.

2. Press and hold p on the

Base Station.

The Base Station software version

appears on the screen.

3. Press and hold p to turn the

power OFF.

HINT

When the Ring Controller is connected to the

Base Station by USB, turning the Base Station

power ON/OFF will also turn the Ring Control-

ler ON/OFF.

Ring Controller power

■

When connected by USB

When the Ring Controller is connected to the

Base Station or a computer by USB, it will

automatically turn on and operate on USB bus

power.

When operating on USB bus power, the Ring
Controller POWER LED will light red, and W

will be disabled.

■

When using a BTA-1 and connected

by Bluetooth LE

If BTA-1 (sold separately) units have been

installed in the Base Station and Ring Controller

and they are connected by Bluetooth LE, the

Ring Controller will be powered by AA batteries.

In this case, the Ring Controller BATT LED will
light and W will be enabled.

HINT

• Press W to show the Ring Controller

remaining battery charge on the SOUND

display.

• Even if a BTA-1 is installed, it will operate

on USB bus power if connected by a USB

cable.

NOTE

Use the AC adapter to power the

when it is connected to a computer or other

device by USB.

A even

20

Turning the power on and o (continued)

■

Turning the Ring Controller on

1. Press W for at least 2

seconds.

This turns on the Ring Controller.

Preparations

Ring Controller underside

Remove

■

Turning the Ring Controller o

1. Press W for at least 2

seconds.

HINT

• When connected to the Base Station by

Bluetooth LE, turning o the Ring Controller

will also turn o the Base Station.

• When operating on AA batteries, the BATT

LED will blink when the remaining battery

charge is less than 10%.

■

Changing the Ring Controller

batteries

The Ring Controller can be powered by two AA

batteries.

1. Turn the Ring Controller o.

2. Unlock and remove the battery

Unlock

Turning the power on and o

3. Install the batteries.

Be sure to orient the batteries correctly.

4. Replace and lock the battery

compartment covers.

NOTE

Always replace both batteries at the same time

with new batteries.

compartment covers.

The Ring Controller has battery compart-

ment covers in two places.

21

Preparations Loading SD cards

Loading SD cards

■

Loading and removing SD cards

1. Turn the power o.

2. Open the SD card slot cover on the

Base Station.

3. Insert the SD card into the slot.

To eject an SD card:

Push the card further into the slot and

then pull it out.

NOTE

• If no SD card is loaded in the

tured data cannot be saved and patterns and

songs that are created cannot be backed up.

• When inserting an SD card, be sure to insert

the correct end with the top side up as

shown.

• Before using SD cards that have just been

purchased or that have been formatted on

a computer, they must be formatted by the

A.

• SD card formatting instructions (→ P. 91)

A, cap-

22

Character input screen use

■

Changing characters

Preparations

4. To end editing, turn H to select

1. Turn H to underline the charac-

ter to change.

2. Press h to conrm the character

to change.

3. Turn H to change the character,

and press

HINT

Select "INS" to insert a space at that position

and move that character and all those follow-

ing one to the right. This cannot be used if

there are already 16 characters

Select "DEL" to delete that character and

move all those following one to the left.

h to conrm it.

OK, and press

HINT

• The following characters can be used.

(space) ! # & ' ( ) + , - 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ; =

@ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T

U V W X Y Z [ ] ^ _ ` a b c d e f g h i j k l m n

o p q r s t u v w x y z { } ~

• Some characters might not be usable

depending on the item being input.

h.

Character input screen use

23

PATTERN mode PATTERN mode overview

PATTERN mode

PATTERN mode overview

Use PATTERN mode to create patterns.

You can input patterns in two ways: real-time input and step input.

Real-time input

You can tap pads to perform as you like. You can also record performances in real-time to create

patterns.

With this input method, each pad on the Ring Controller corresponds to a single instrument (PAD

layout) or note (SCALE layout). (→ P. 19)

PAD layout SCALE layout

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

D#

D

C#

C

B

A#

A

G#

HINT

In PAD layout, the note (pitch) C4 is output when a pad is played.

C

C#

G

C1

D

C2

D#

E

C3

F

F#

24

PATTERN mode overview (continued)

Creating patterns in PAD layout

After starting real-time input, tap pads for an instrument to input it.

The pattern will start loop playback, and you can overdub as many times as you like.

PATTERN mode

Bar 1 Bar 2

Instrument 1

16

15

1

Instrument 2
Instrument 3

…

Instrument 16

Realtime input (loop playback)

Creating patterns in SCALE layout

After selecting an instrument, start real-time input and tap pads to input their notes.

The pattern will start loop playback. When set to polyphonic, you can also input chords.

Scales can be used to input every instrument numbered 1–16.

Bar 1 Bar 2

B

C

C#

D

D#

E

F

…

G

F#

Realtime input (loop playback)

Instruments

2

3

…

Notes

C

C#

D

PATTERN mode overview

…

25

PATTERN mode PATTERN mode overview

PATTERN mode overview (continued)

Step input

With STEP input, you can create patterns by inputting them one step at a time.

Using this input method, each 0 step key on the Base Station corresponds to one step.

31

32

30

29

…

Step

Bar 1 Bar 2

Instrument

……

1 2 3 …

…

30 31 32

Since the Base Station is divided into 32 steps, you can input two musical bars at a time (when the

smallest step is a 16th note).

Bar 2

Bar 1

Bar 2

Step

1

2

3

4

…

…

Instrument

…

Bar 1 Bar 2

Bar 1

If the pattern is longer than two bars, the Base Station display will switch every two bars (when the

smallest step is a 16th note).

…

Instrument

…

Bar 1 Bar 2

Bar 3 Bar 4

Press a Ring Controller pad, to show the sequence for that instrument on the 0 step keys.

26

Press a 0 to brightly light the pads on the Ring Controller for the instruments recorded at that step

and play those instrument sounds.

Press a 0 during playback to start the sequence from that position.

Creating patterns in PAD layout

The Ring Controller pads correspond to dierent instruments. While pressing a pad that corresponds

to an instrument, use the Base Station 0 keys to input the sequence for that instrument.

This method allows you to quickly switch between and input multiple instruments.

16

15

1

2

3

…

While pressing a pad for an instrument… …set its steps

Creating patterns in SCALE layout

The pads on the Ring Controller correspond to notes in a scale. While pressing 0 for the step to

input, tap pads to input notes.

This method allows you to easily input cords.

PATTERN mode

PATTERN mode overview

Press and hold

27

G

F#

…

C

C#

D

…

…set the pitchWhile pressing the key for the step to input…

PATTERN mode PATTERN mode overview

PATTERN mode overview (continued)

Screen overview

SOUND display SEQUENCE display

Number of currently
selected instrument

Name of currently
selected instrument

Parameter 1

Pattern number

Currently playing bar

Parameter 2 Pattern name

28

Operation overview

Enter PATTERN mode

Press Y to enter PATTERN mode.

PATTERN mode

Select a pattern

Turn H in the SEQUENCE area to select the pattern number.

Conrm the instruments

Tap the pads on the Ring Controller if you want to listen to

the sounds of the input instruments.

When a pad is tapped, its instrument becomes "selected"

and it lights white. The name and parameters of the instru-

ment are shown on the SOUND display.

Press

X to change the Ring Controller to SCALE layout.

HINT

By pressing

Y as you tap a pad, you can select its instrument without playing its sound.

1 Start real-time input

Press R to enter standby, and press P

to start real-time input.

In PAD layout, tap the pads of instruments

to input them in time with the pattern that

is playing back in a loop.

In SCALE layout, tap the pads of notes to

input them in time with the pattern that is

playing back in a loop.

Instruments

16

15

1

2

3

…

Notes

G

F#

…

C

C#

D

…

While pressing a pad that corresponds

to the instrument to input, press the 0

keys to edit the sequence for that instru-

ment.

In addition, you can tap pads while press-

ing a

0 key to input instruments (in PAD

layout) or notes (in SCALE layout) to input

them at that step.

Instruments

16

15

2 Start step input

30

29

1

2

3

…

…

Steps

31

32

Operation overview

1

2

3

…

4

End real-time input

Press S to end real-time input.

29

PATTERN mode Operation overview

Operation overview (continued)

Preparations

■

Enter the mode

1. Press Y.

■

Select a pattern

Select a pattern to use for input.

1. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the pattern.

The name of the selected pattern

appears on the SEQUENCE display.

HINT

• If a pattern is in the middle of playing back,

the pattern will change after the current pat-

tern plays back. The name of the pattern will

blink until it changes.

• Press

y to create a new empty pat-

tern. (→ P. 47)

■

Select an instrument

Use the Ring Controller pads to select

instruments.

1.

CONTROLLER

instrument to be input.

Tap the pad for the

2. Press h in the SOUND area,

and turn

H to select the instru-

3. Use ! and " to adjust sound

parameters.

HINT

• Editing sounds (→ P. 48)

• One pattern can use up to 16 instruments.

■

Set the tempo

1. Turn

HINT

You can also press

desired tempo to set it (in quarter notes).

■

Set the pattern length

You can change the pattern length. This can be

set between 1 and 4 bars.

When making a pattern longer, you can also

copy the sequence you have already input to the

lengthened part.

When a pattern is shortened, the already input

sequence will not be cleared.

T

.

The tempo can be set from 40.0–250.0

BPM in 0.1BPM increments.

a repeatedly at the

1. While pressing F, press

0-9 (LEN:1) – 0-12 (LEN:4).

The length in bars is set according to the

0 pressed.

Press

0-9 (LEN:1) to set it to 1 bar.

Press 0-12 (LEN:4) to set it to 4 bars.

ment sound parameter that you

want to edit.

30

Notes →

SCALE layout

C

C#

D

D#

E

F

F#

G

G#

A

A#

B

C

C#

D

D#

Real-time pattern input

PATTERN mode

Input a pattern

1. Press R.

R lights, showing that recording

standby has started.

2. Press P.

This starts the precount. After the

precount completes, you can input

instruments.

HINT

• Setting the precount (→ P.39)

• You can press

to start input. In this case, there will be no

precount.

3.

In PAD layout, tap the pad for the

instrument you want to input.

In SCALE layout, tap the pad for

the note you want to input.

Play along with the metronome.

R during pattern playback

CONTROLLER

Notes →

C

C#

C

B

A#

D#

D

SCALE layout

A

G#

C#

D

D#

E

F

F#

G

HINT

• By setting quantization, input can automati-

cally be corrected if it varies from the rhythm.

(→ P.41)

• Changing the metronome settings (→ P. 39)

• The velocity that a pad is tapped is also

recorded.

4. Press S to end input.

This ends recording.

HINT

P to pause recording.

Press

Press

R to stop recording but continue play-

back. You can tap pads at this point to check

the sounds without recording the performance.

Real-time pattern input

14

13

12

11

Instruments →

16

15

PAD layout

10

9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

31

PATTERN mode Pattern step input

Pattern step input

Pattern input

■

Select an instrument and input a

pattern

1. Press B or b to select

the bars to input.

2.

CONTROLLER

the instrument to be input.

The SEQUENCE display will appear as

shown below. The velocity that the pad is

tapped will be recorded in the step.

Press the pad for

3. To change the length of the sound

input, turn

H in the SEQUENCE

5. To clear an input step, tap that

0 again.

The step will be cleared and the LED will

become unlit.

NOTE

This method can be used when playing back

and when stopped.

area.

4. While pressing the pad from step

2, press

The LED for the tapped key will light red.

15

0 for the step to input.

16

1

2

3

…

32

PATTERN mode

■

Select steps and input a pattern

1. Press B or b to select

the bars to input.

2. Press 0 for the step to be input.

The pressed 0 lights green, and the

SEQUENCE display will appear as shown

below.

3. To change the length of the sound

input, turn

area.

H in the SEQUENCE

4. While pressing 0 from step 2,

5. To clear an input instrument, tap

the pad again.

The tapped pad will light dimly.

NOTE

This method can only be used when playback

is stopped.

Pattern step input

HINT

If QUANTIZE is set to 1/32 or 1/16T, the ring of

0 keys will show one bar. In this case, press
B to switch between bars 1 and 2. In the

same manner, press b to switch between

bars 3 and 4.

tap the pad to input.

The tapped pad will light brightly. The

tapping velocity is also recorded in the

step.

16

15

1

2

3

…

33

PATTERN mode Playing back patterns

Playing back patterns

1. Press P.

Playback starts and P lights.

2. Press P again to pause.

Playback pauses and P blinks.

3. Press S to stop playback.

P becomes unlit when playback stops.

HINT

• When a pattern has 3 or more bars,

and b will automatically switch during

playback.

• Press a 0 to start playback of the

sequence from that step.

B

34

Clearing parts of patterns

1. Press P.

The pattern plays back.

2. Press and hold C.

C lights, and the SEQUENCE display

will appear as shown below.

PATTERN mode

Clearing parts of patterns

3.

4.

CONTROLLER

want to clear is playing back:

In PAD layout, press and hold the

pad for the instrument you want to

clear.

In SCALE layout, press and hold

the pad for the note you want to

delete.

The sequence (performance data) will be

deleted while the pad is being pressed.

CONTROLLER

pad when playback of the part you

want to clear has stopped.

While the part you

Stop pressing the

5. Release C to stop clearing.

35

PATTERN mode Arpeggiator

Arpeggiator

This function can be used to make an instru-

ment play automatically when triggered by a

pad. Pressing multiple pads will trigger multiple

instruments in order.

By pressing chord tones in SCALE layout, the

notes in the chord can be played back one at a

time.

■

Operation procedures

1.

2. Use

CONTROLLER

The arpeggiator setting screen opens on

the SEQUENCE display.

G

This enables the arpeggiator.

When ON is selected, sound will be

output automatically while pads are being

pressed.

When LATCH is selected, sounds will

automatically start output when pads are

pressed and stop when their pads are

pressed again.

Press A.

to select ON or LATCH.

3. Turn T to change the arpeggiator

style.

The STYLE can be set to REPEAT,

SEQUENCE, UP, DOWN, UP&DOWN, or

RANDOM.

Depending on the selected STYLE, per-

formance types and other detailed set-

tings can be made.

4. If the selected STYLE has parame-

ters 2 and 3, turn

SEQUENCE area.

Use G and T to make the settings

shown on the next page.

H in the

HINT

Automatic output in LATCH mode can also be

stopped by pressing

S.

36

Arpeggiator parameter list

Style Eect

Parameter 2

G to set)

(use

PATTERN mode

Parameter 3

(use T to set)

Repeat Pressed pads will sound repeatedly.

If multiple pads are pressed, they
will all sound at the same time
repeatedly.

Sequence If the pressed pad has a recorded

sequence, the instrument will play
with that sequence.
If the pad does not have a recorded
sequence, it will sound just once
without repeating. If multiple pads
are pressed at the same time, they
will sound at the same time repeat­edly.

Up If multiple pads are pressed at the

same time, they will sound in order
from the lowest instrument number.

Down If multiple pads are pressed at the

same time, they will sound in order
from the highest instrument num­ber.

Up & Down If multiple pads are pressed at the

same time, they will sound in order
from the lowest to the highest
instrument number. Then, they
will sound from the highest to the
lowest.

Random If multiple pads are pressed at

the same time, they will sound in
random order.

Pattern

This sets the timing of the
arpeggiator.
In addition to simply repeating

the sounds at xed intervals

(1/32, 1/16Tri, 1/16, 1/8Tri,
1/8, 1/4, 1/2 or 1/1), you can
also select preset sequences
(Seq 1–32).
(Arpeggiator parameter lists

→

P. 119)

Pattern

This sets the timing of the
arpeggiator.
In addition to simply repeating

the sounds at xed intervals

(1/32, 1/16Tri, 1/16, 1/8Tri,
1/8, 1/4, 1/2 or 1/1), you can
also select preset sequences
(Seq 1–32).
(Arpeggiator parameter lists →
P.119)

Number of note

In addition to the note of the
pad, a number of intervals can
also be set to sound.
When set to 1, only the pad
sounds. Higher numbers add

fths and octaves above. If the

number is set to 2 or higher,
you can select Up, Down,
UpDown or Random as the
order they make sound.
(Arpeggiator parameter lists

→

P. 118)

Octave

This can be set from 1 to 4.
If Octave is set to 1, only the
pads pressed will sound. If it
is set to 2, notes one octave
above will sound in addition to
the pad notes.
In the same manner, if sets
to 3 or 4, notes 2–3 octaves
above will also sound.

Arpeggiator

37

PATTERN mode Clearing patterns

Clearing patterns

Clearing entire sequences

1. Press S to stop sequence

playback.

2. Press C.

This opens the CLEAR SEQUENCE

screen on the SEQUENCE display.

Press

C again to cancel.

HINT

z if you want to erase all pattern

Press

data, including instruments and pattern names,

along with sequences. (→ P. 45)

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select the sequence you want to

HINT

• Select "All Instruments" to clear the entire

sequence.

• In SCALE layout, notes will be cleared. Select

"All Notes" to clear the entire SCALE layout

sequence.

• If an instrument is cleared in PAD layout,

notes input in SCALE layout will also all be

cleared.

clear, and press

This opens a confirmation screen.

Use H in the SEQUENCE area to
select YES, and press h to clear the

sequence.

h.

38

Other settings

Metronome settings

■

Changing the metronome volume

PATTERN mode

Make settings related to the metronome that

plays back as a guide during recording.

■

Turning METRONOME OUTPUT

on/o

1. While pressing F,

press

0-17.

When the metronome is set to playback,

0-17 lights red.

■

Turning METRONOME headphone

output on/o

1. While pressing F,

press

0-18.

When the metronome is set to playback,

0-18 lights red.

1. To lower the volume, while press-

ing

F, press 0-19.

To raise the volume, while pressing

F, press 0-20.

This can be set from 0 to 10.

■

Turning precount on/o

1. While pressing F,

press

0-21.

When the precount is on, use H in the

SEQUENCE area to set the count to 1–8

or SPECIAL.

Other settings

HINT

When Special is selected, the count will sound

as follows.

39

PATTERN mode Other settings

Other settings (continued)

Setting the pad splits

When PAD layout is selected, you can change

the number of instruments assigned to the Ring

Controller.

By default, you can play 16 instruments with the

Ring Controller. You can, however, also reduce

the number of instruments to make it easier to

play when performing with it in hand.

1.

CONTROLLER

L lights, and the number of

instruments assigned to the Ring Con-

troller decreases.
While pressing L, use

the SEQUENCE area to set the number

of assigned instruments to 8, 4, 2 or 1.

Press L.

H in

2. To cancel this split setting, press

L again.

When L is unlit, the number of

instruments assigned to the Ring Con-

troller in PAD layout reverts to 16.

HINT

When the split setting is enabled, the instru-

ments will be assigned to pads in order starting

with instrument number 1.

For example, when set to 4, instruments num-

bered 1–4 will be assigned to pads.

40

Making pattern settings

PATTERN mode

Pattern settings include Auto Save, Quantize,

Bar length, and Swing, as well as Ring Controller

Accelerometer parameters.

These settings are saved separately for each

pattern.

Changing the last step position

You can change the last step in the STEP key

cycle on the Base Station.

For example, you can create patterns in triple

time by setting the cycle to 24 steps.

1. While pressing L, press the

0 that corresponds to the

number you want to set as the nal

step.

This can be set between 1 and 32.

NOTE

• If the Last Step is less than 32, sequence

data up to that step will not be cleared.

• If the QUANTIZE setting is 1/32 or 1/16T, one

step will be 1/32nd of a bar. If the Step set-

ting is 1/16 or 1/8T, one step will be 1/32nd

of 2 bars. So, the timing change when setting

the Last Step will be dierent.

• When inputting steps, instruments and notes

can not be input after the last step.

Quantization setting

This sets the shortest note length that can be

input into the sequence.

This sets timing correction during real-time input

and when input can occur during step input.

1. Press F

2. Press 0-1 to 0-8 to set the

quantization value.

This can be set to OFF, 1/32, 1/16T (16th

note triplet), 1/16, 1/8T (8th note triplet),

1/8, 1/4 or 1 BAR.

Making pattern settings

41

1 cycle = 1 bar

1 cycle = 2 bars

PATTERN mode Making pattern settings

Making pattern settings (continued)

1 bar 2 bars

Quantize set to 1/32

8 steps = 1 beat

1 cycle = 1 bar

1 bar 2 bars

Quantize set to 1/16T

6 steps = 1 beat

HINT

• When QUANTIZE is set to OFF, 1/8, 1/4 or 1

BAR, the Base Station

same as when QUANTIZE is set to 1/16.

• When QUANTIZE is set to 1/16T or 1/8T,

instruments and notes cannot be input at

steps 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 or 32.

0 keys function the

Quantize set to 1/16

4 steps = 1 beat

1 cycle = 2 bars

Quantize set to 1/8T

3 steps = 1 beat

Swing setting

The amount of swing (rhythmic groove) can be

set.

1. Turn

G

in the SEQUENCE area to

set the amount of swing.

The swing range is ±50%.

42

PATTERN mode

Soloing

You can solo the playback of just the selected

instrument.

1.

CONTROLLER

tap the pad for the instrument to

be soloed.

Only the tapped pad lights, and other

instruments stop making sounds.
S stays lit while the solo function is

activated.

While pressing S,

Muting

You can mute just the selected instrument.

1.

NOTE

The solo and mute functions can only be used

in PATTERN mode with PAD layout.

CONTROLLER

tap the pad for the instrument to

be muted.

The tapped pad becomes unlit and stops

making sound.
M stays lit while the mute function is

activated.

While pressing M,

Making pattern settings

43

PATTERN mode Pattern management

Pattern management

Copying and swapping
instruments

1.

CONTROLLER

instrument to be copied or

swapped.

Tap the pad for the

2. Press w.

The destination for copying/swapping

the instrument appears on the SOUND

display.

3. Use H in the SOUND area to

select the copy/swap destination

instrument, and press

This opens copy/swap destination selec-

tion on the SOUND display.

h.

Copying/swapping patterns

1. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the pattern to copy/swap.

2. Press w.

The destination for copying/swapping

the pattern appears on the SEQUENCE

display.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select the copy/swap destination

pattern, and press

This opens copy/swap destination selec-

tion on the SEQUENCE display.

h.

HINT

You can also tap a pad to select the copy

destination.

4. Use H in the SOUND area to

select COPY or SWAP, and

press

h.

Press w to cancel and return to the

previous screen.

4. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select COPY or SWAP, and

press

h.

Press w to cancel and return to the

Home Screen.

44

PATTERN mode

Erasing instruments

1.

CONTROLLER

instrument to erase.

Tap the pad for the

2. Press z.

The instrument to erase appears on the

SOUND display.

HINT

You can tap a dierent pad to select a dierent

instrument to erase.

3. Use H in the SOUND area to

select Yes, and press

This erases the selection, turning the

oscillator off and restoring the other

parameters to their defaults.

h.

Erasing patterns

1. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the pattern to erase.

2. Press z.

The pattern to erase appears on the

SEQUENCE display.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select Yes, and press

This erases the pattern, including

sequences and pattern names.

h.

Pattern management

45

PATTERN mode Pattern management

Pattern management (continued)

Changing instrument names

1.

CONTROLLER

instrument with the name to

change.

Tap the pad for the

2. Press x.

The instrument with the name to change

appears on the SOUND display.

3. Use H in the SOUND area to

select the character to change,

and press

Press x to cancel editing and

return to the Home Screen.

h.

Changing pattern names

1. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the pattern with the name

to change.

2. Press x.

The pattern with the name to change

appears on the SEQUENCE display.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the character to change,

and press

Press x to cancel editing and

return to the Home Screen.

h.

4. Use H in the SOUND area

to change the character, and

press

h.

5. Use H in the SOUND area

to select OK, and press

to conrm the name change.

h

4. Use H in the SEQUENCE area

to change the character, and

press

h.

5. Use H in the SEQUENCE area

to select OK, and press

conrm the name change.

46

h to

Creating new patterns

1. Press y.

The name of a new pattern appears

on the SEQUENCE display and can be

edited.

2. To change the name, use H

in the SEQUENCE area to select

the character to change, and

press

h.

Press y to cancel and return to the

Home Screen.

PATTERN mode

Pattern management

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area

to change the character, and

press

h.

4. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select OK, and press

A new pattern will be created.

NOTE

A new pattern cannot be created if no empty

patterns are available.

h.

47

Editing sounds Sound editing overview

Editing sounds

Sound editing overview

Use H, ! and " in the SOUND area to edit instruments and change their sounds.

The instruments are made of the following blocks, which can each be specically set.

Oscillator

SCALE layout

settings

Set the scale and
how sound is made
when in SCALE
layout.

This sets the basic
instrument sound.
You can select
from built-in sound
sources, captured
recordings and

WAV les loaded

from the SD card.
For information
about these sound
parameters, see
the Oscillator list
(→ P. 106).

Oscillator pitch

modulation

The oscillator pitch
can be altered with
an envelope or
LFO.

Noise

Noise can be
added to the
sound.

Noise level

modulation

The noise level can
be altered with an
envelope or LFO.

Insert

Eect

Sounds can be

altered with eects.

Eect parame­ter modulation

Insert eect param­eters can be altered
with an envelope or
LFO. This cannot
be used with some

eects.

Filter

Sounds can be

altered with lters.

Filter frequency

modulation

The lter frequency

can be altered with
an envelope or
LFO.

48

Sound editing overview (continued)

Editing sounds

Volume

envelope Output mixer

This sets how
quickly sound starts
when a pad is
tapped, the sound
level while it is being
pressed, and how
quickly it becomes
silent after the pad
is released.

Volume

modulation

The volume can
be altered with an
envelope or LFO.

This sets the
panning (stereo
position) and level.

Pan modulation

The panning can
be altered with an
envelope or LFO.

Eect

send amount

These set the
amounts sent to

the master eect.

LED settings MIDI settings

This sets the pad
color and lighting
style.

NOTE

Modulation blocks will not be shown if their modulation destinations are o.

Use this to set the
MIDI channel used
for playing instru­ment sounds by
USB MIDI and for
outputting playing
sequences from the
MIDI OUT.

Sound editing overview

49

Editing sounds Editing instruments

Editing instruments

Common operations

1.

CONTROLLER

Tap the pad for the

instrument to be edited.

The selected parameters are shown on

the SOUND display.

Selected parameters

2. Press h in the SOUND area,

and turn

to edit.

Use ! and " to adjust the parameters

shown.

HINT

See "Instrument parameter lists" in the appen-

dix for details about each block. (→ P. 110)

H to select parameters

Making SCALE layout settings

You can set, for example, the octave, scale

and whether only a single sound (monophonic)

or multiple sounds (polyphonic) can be output

when the Ring Controller is in SCALE layout.

■

Octave setting (Octave)

You can change the note range that can be

played on the Ring Controller. The octave shown

will start on pad 1.

■

Changing the scale (Scale)

The layout of notes on the Ring Controller

changes according to the scale set.

This allows you to assign only notes from the

desired scale to the Ring Controller.

Select from the following scales.

CHROMATC (Chromatic), MAJOR (Ionian),

MINOR 1 (Harmonic Minor), MINOR 2 (Melodic

Minor), MINOR 3 (Dorian), PHRYGIAN, LYDIAN,

MIXOLYDN (Mixolydian), AEOLIAN, LOCRIAN,

S-LOCRN (Super Locrian), MajBLUES (Major

Blues), MinBLUES (Minor Blues), DIMINISH

(Diminished), COM DIM, MajPENTA (Major Pen-

tatonic), MinPENTA (Minor Pentatonic), RAGA 1

(Bhairav), RAGA 2, RAGA 3, ARABIC, SPANISH,

GYPSY, MinGYPSY (Minor Gypsy), EGYPTIAN,

HAWAIIAN, PELOG, HIROJOSI, IN-SEN, IWATO,

KUMOI, MIYAKO, RYUKYU, CHINESE, WHOLE

(Whole tone), WHOLE1/2 (Whole half), 5th

■

Polyphony setting (Mono/Poly)

This sets whether only a single sound (mono-

phonic) or multiple sounds (polyphonic) are

output when multiple pads are pressed at the

same time.

Select Mono or Poly.

50

■

Setting the glide (Glide)

When a dierent note is triggered, the pitch can

change instantly or gradually over time accord-

ing to this setting.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

The higher this value is set, the more gradual the

change will be.

Oscillator

This sets the basic instrument sound.

• Press

h in the SOUND area, and use H

to move to the oscillator block.

Editing sounds

HINT

Glide is only enabled when the polyphony

mode is Mono.

■

Changing the key (Key)

You can change the key when the scale is set to

anything other than Chromatic.

You can select from C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G,

G#, A, A# and B.

NOTE

The Ring Controller layout also changes

according to the key setting.

• Press h.

• Use

! in the SOUND area to select the

oscillator category.

Use H in the SOUND area to select the

oscillator.

■

Selecting captured audio and WAV

les

WAV les saved in the “Capture” subfolder in the

"AR-48" folder on the SD card can be added as

oscillators.

• Select FILE as the oscillator category.

• Use

audio le on the SD card, and press h.

NOTE

When an audio le is selected as an oscillator,

the lter and other parameters will be reset to

default values.

in the SOUND area to select the

H

Editing instruments

51

Editing sounds Editing instruments

Editing instruments (continued)

HINT

• Files that meet the following conditions can

be used as oscillators.

– WAV format les that have been recorded

as 16/24-bit PCM audio with 44.1kHz

sampling frequency

– Playback time is 6 minutes (12 minutes if

mono) or less

File name uses only English letters and

numbers

• The total length of audio files that can be

added as instruments on the

minutes (or 12 minutes if mono). For exam-

ple, if a one-minute stereo audio le has been

added, the total length of additional audio

files that can be added as instruments is 5

minutes (or 10 minutes if mono).

• If an audio file is used in multiple patterns,

this will not change the remaining time for

assigning additional les.

■

Playing audio les

The playback method for audio les can be set.

One Shot: The audio file plays once and

stops.

Toggle: Tapping the pad alternately starts

and stops playback of the audio

le.

Gate: The audio le plays back in a loop

while the pad is being pressed.

Playback stops when it is released.

A is 6

Noise

Noise can be added to the sound.

■

Type of noise (Type)

You can change the type of noise.

Select O, White or Pink.

■

Noise level (Level)

You can change the noise volume.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

52

Insert eects

Sounds can be altered with eects.

■

Compressor (COMP)

The compressor reduces volume variation.

■

Pumper (PUMPER)

This eect adds a pulsing feeling to the sound.

■

Sub Bass (SUB BASS)

This emphasizes low frequencies.

■

Talk Filter (TALK)

This eect creates a sound like a human voice.

■

3Band Equalizer (3BAND EQ)

This is a three-band equalizer.

■

Ring Modulator (RING MOD)

This eect creates a metallic sound.

■

Lo-Fi (LO-FI)

This eect intentionally lowers the delity of the

sound.

HINT

• See "Instrument parameter lists" in the

appendix for details about each insert eect.

(→ P. 112)

Editing sounds

Editing instruments

■

Flanger (FLANGER)

This eect adds movement and a strong swell-

ing to the sound.

■

Phaser (PHASER)

This effect adds a bubbly undulation to the

sound.

■

Chorus (CHORUS)

This mixes the original sound with the effect

sound, which has fluctuating pitch, to add

movement and thickness.

■

Distortion (DIST)

This eect distorts the sound.

53

Editing sounds Editing instruments

Editing instruments (continued)

Filter

The frequency and other parameters can be set

for the lter.

■

Type (TYPE)

You can change the lter type.

Peaking Filter (Peaking)

This lter emphasizes a specic range.

High-pass lter (HPF)

This lter cuts low frequencies and allows high

frequencies to pass through.

Low-pass lter (LPF)

This lter cuts high frequencies and allows low

frequencies to pass through.

Band-pass lter (BPF)

This filter only allows a specific range to pass

through.

■

Frequency (FREQ)

This changes the lter frequency.

Volume envelope (ADSR)

This sets how quickly the sound starts and how

quickly it becomes silent, for example.

■

Attack (Attack)

This changes how fast the sound starts.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

■

Decay (Decay)

This changes how long it takes from the attack

to reach the sustain level.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

■

Sustain (Sustain)

This changes the sound level while the pad is

being pressed.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

■

Release (Release)

This sets how long it takes for the sound to stop

after the pad is released.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

■

Resonance (RESO)

This changes the amount of resonance.

■

Level (LEVEL)

This sets the level after passing through the lter.

54

Editing sounds

Output mixer (OUTPUT)

This sets the panning (stereo position) and level.

■

Panning (Pan)

The left and right output level balance can be

changed.

This can be set from R100 to L100.

■

Level (Level)

The output volume can be changed.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

Eect send amount

The amount of sound sent to the master eect

can be changed.

■

Send amount (Amount)

The volume sent to the eect can be changed.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

When set to 0, the master effect will not be

used.

Editing instruments

55

Editing sounds Editing instruments

Editing instruments (continued)

LED settings

You can set the color used by the Ring Control-

ler LEDs, as well as how pads light when a pad

is tapped.

■

Color (Color)

You can select from 32 colors. When set to OFF,

LEDs will not light.

■

Animation (Animation)

You can select the animation used when pads

are played.

The animation can be set to O, Moire, Firework,

Cross, Circulation or Rainbow.

MIDI settings

Use this to set the MIDI channel for playing

instrument sounds by USB MIDI and for output-

ting playing sequences from the MIDI OUT.

■

Channel (Channel)

If the unit receives a MIDI message on this chan-

nel by USB, the instrument assigned to the pad

will play at the pitch that corresponds to the note

number.

In addition, if a sequence is recorded for the

selected pad, note numbers will be output on

the set MIDI channel during pattern playback.

This can be set to OFF or from 1 to 16.

The A can output sounds for note numbers

0–108.

NOTE

The

A cannot record MIDI messages

received by USB as a sequence.

56

SONG mode

SONG mode overview

In SONG mode, you can combine multiple patterns that you have created into one complete song.

Song

Pattern A Pattern B Pattern C …

You can create songs in two ways: real-time input and step input.

■

Real-time input

The pads on the Ring Controller are assigned 16 patterns. You can change the patterns assigned to

each pad.

Tapping a pad starts playback of its assigned pattern.

After completing preparation, start real-time input and tap pads with assigned patterns to add them to

the song.

Playback order →

…

SONG mode

SONG mode overview

Song
sequence

Pattern 1

Realtime input

57

16

Patterns

15

1

2

3

…

SONG mode SONG mode overview

SONG mode overview (continued)

■

Step input

With step input, you can set which patterns to play and how long to play them in order.

Use Base Station 0 to add patterns for playback in order starting with 0-1.

Add the first pattern for playback

Pattern 1 will play
for 4 bars

Add the next pattern for playback

Pattern 2 will play
for 4 bars

STEP key

Song
sequence

Pattern 1

STEP key

Song
sequence

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

HINT

During playback of a completed song, you can use the Ring Controller to perform with the instru-

ments assigned to the playing patterns. You can also switch between PAD and SCALE layouts at

this time.

58

Screen overview

■ When song stopped

Song name

Name of pattern
assigned to currently
selected pad

Number of currently
selected pad

Song number Tempo

SOUND display

■ When song stopped

■ When song playing

SEQUENCE display

Parameter 2Parameter 1

■

When song playback stopped

SONG mode

SOUND display

Number of currently
selected pad

Name of pattern

HINT

Tempo appears on the SEQUENCE display only when SONG TEMPO is ON. (→ P. 65)

■

When song playing back

SOUND display SEQUENCE display

assigned to currently
selected pad

Parameter 2Parameter 1

Number of currently
selected instrument

Name of currently
selected instrument

SEQUENCE display

Song number Tempo

Number of next pattern

SONG mode overview

Song name

Playback tempo

Parameter 2Parameter 1

Number of currently

playing pattern

Name of currently

playing pattern

59

SONG mode Operation overview

Operation overview

Press Z to enter SONG mode.

Turn H in the SEQUENCE area to select a song.

Tap the pad on the Ring Controller for the pattern to play

back, and check it.

HINT

If the pattern you want to play back has not been assigned

to a pad, use

assign to the pad (→ P. 65).

Enter SONG mode

Select a song

Select a pattern to play back

! in the SOUND area to select the pattern to

1 Start real-time input

Press R to start

real-time input.

Creating songs

Tap pads for patterns

to play them and add

them to the song in

real time.

End real-time input

S to end real-time input.

Press

Patterns

2 Start step input

Press the blinking 0 to add a new pat-

tern at that step.

Press a lit

the pattern at that position on the SE-

QUENCE display. You can edit pattern in-

formation, insert a new pattern, or delete

this step, for example.

60

0 to see information about

Creating songs

Preparations

■

Enter the mode

1. Press Z.

■

Selecting songs

Select a song to input.

1. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select a song.

Press y to create a new song

immediately.

Assigning patterns to pads

1.

HINT

Tap a pad while pressing

pad without playing the pattern.

CONTROLLER

it for pattern assignment.

The pattern assigned to the selected pad

is shown on the display and starts play-

ing back.

Tap a pad to select

Z to select a

Real-time input

1. Press R.

This starts the count.

2.

HINT

• If no animation has been set, the tapped pad

will blink.

• If even a single animation has been set, the

tapped pad will show the animation, and it

will light with the pattern color.

3.

HINT

• The timing of pattern changes depends on

the quantize setting (→ P. 66).

• A maximum of 64 pattern changes can be

recorded. Pattern changes over this amount

will not be recorded.

CONTROLLER

a pattern to play.

The tapped pad will light according to the

pattern animation type setting (→ P. 66).

CONTROLLER

switch patterns.

Tap a pad to select

Play other pads to

SONG mode

Creating songs

2. In the SOUND area, press h,

turn

H to open the pattern

selection screen, and turn

change the pattern.

This assigns that pattern to the pad.

! to

4. Press S when done playing all

patterns.

This ends song creation.

61

SONG mode Creating songs

Creating songs (continued)

Step input

In SONG mode, the timing of pattern changes is handled in step intervals.

For example, if patterns 1–4 are added in order, the song sequence will have four steps, and the pat-

terns will be assigned to 0-1, 2, 3 and 4.

Pattern 1

（4 bars playback）

Playback order

Pattern 2

（16 bars playback）

Pattern 3

（16 bars playback）

Pattern 1

（2 bars playback）

Blinking

Press the blinking 0 to add a new pattern at that step.
Press a lit 0 to see information about the pattern at that position on the SEQUENCE display. You

can edit pattern information, insert a new pattern, or delete this step, for example.

1. Press the 0 that is blinking red.

The SOUND and SEQUENCE displays

will appear as follows.

SOUND display

2. While pressing 0, use H, !

and

" in the SOUND area to set

the pattern number and playback

length to use.

This screen has two pages.

SEQUENCE display

!: Select the pattern number

Page 1

Page 1

": Set the playback length in

bars

62

Page 2 !: Set the playback length in

beats (BEAT)

Page 2

": Set the playback length in

ticks (smallest sequence time

unit, equal to 1/96 beat)

Page 2 !: Set the playback length in

beats (BEAT)

Page 2

": Set the playback length in

ticks (smallest sequence time

unit, equal to 1/96 beat)

SONG mode

3. To add a pattern, press h in

the SEQUENCE area while

pressing

The pattern will be added with the play-

back length set in the SOUND area.

0.

4. Press a 0 that is lit red to edit

an already added pattern.

The SOUND and SEQUENCE displays

will appear as follows.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

5. While pressing 0, use H, !

and

" in the SOUND area to set

the pattern number and playback

length to use.

This screen has two pages.

Page 1

!: Select the pattern number

6. To insert a new pattern, while

pressing

SEQUENCE area to select

PATTERN INSERT, and press

The pattern at the current step will be

moved to the following step, and a new

pattern will be inserted with the playback

length set in the SOUND area.

0, use H in the

h.

PATTERN INSERT

Pattern 4

Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3

Selected step

7. To delete the selected step, while

pressing

SEQUENCE area to select DELETE

STEP, and press

The pattern added at the current step will

be deleted, and patterns after it will be

moved forward.

0, use H in the

h.

DELETE STEP

Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3

Selected step

Creating songs

Page 1

": Set the playback length in

bars

63

SONG mode Creating songs

Creating songs (continued)

Playing back songs

Clearing song sequences

1. Press P.

This starts song playback.

The

0 that corresponds to the playing

pattern will light green.

2. Press P to pause.

P will blink.

Press

P again to resume playback.

3. Press S to stop playback.

Playback stops, and the playback posi-

tion returns to the beginning.

HINT

• Sound parameters changed during playback

are not recorded to patterns.

• The

0 that have patterns assigned will

light red. During song playback, pressing a

red 0 will cause the song to play back

from that position.

• The song will stop after patterns have played

to the end.

• As in PATTERN mode, 16 instruments are

assigned to the pads. During song playback,

you can use the Ring Controller to perform

with the instruments assigned to the playing

patterns. You can also switch between PAD

and SCALE layouts.

1. Press S to stop sequence

playback.

2. Press C.

A conrmation message appears on the

display and C lights.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select Yes, and press

This clears the song sequence that has

the order for pattern playback.

h.

64

Song settings

Setting tempo synchronization

Set whether each pattern uses its own tempo

setting or all patterns use the same tempo when

playing a song.

1. Press F

Making settings for patterns
assigned to pads

■

Assigning patterns to pads

1.

CONTROLLER

Tap a pad.

2. Press h in the SOUND area,

SONG mode

Song settings

2. Press 0-13.

LED lit (SONG TEMPO ON): Patterns

in the song will play back at the same

tempo. The current tempo will be shown

in the SEQUENCE area. You can use a

and T to set the tempo.

LED unlit (SONG TEMPO OFF): Patterns

in the song will play back at their own

tempos. With this setting, the tempo

cannot be set in SONG mode.

and turn

number selection screen.

H to open the pattern

3. Turn ! in the SOUND area to

change the pattern.

65

SONG mode Song settings

Song settings (continued)

■

Setting the pattern switching timing

1.

CONTROLLER

Tap a pad.

2. Press h in the SOUND area,

and turn

selection screen.

H to open the quantize

3. Turn " in the SOUND area to

change the timing.

Select OFF, 1/32, 1/16T, 1/16, 1/8T, 1/8,

1/4, 1/2, 1 BAR or 2 BAR.

If OFF is selected, the pattern will switch

as soon as the pad is tapped.

If any other value is selected, the pattern

will switch according to that timing.

■

Setting the pattern LED animation

type

1.

CONTROLLER

Tap a pad.

2. Press h in the SOUND area,

and turn

ANIMATION parameter selection

screen.

H to open the LED

3. Turn " in the SOUND area to

change the LED animation.

■

Setting pattern pad colors

1.

CONTROLLER

Tap a pad.

2. Press h in the SOUND area,

and turn

COLOR selection screen.

H to open the LED

3. Turn ! in the SOUND area to

change the pad color.

66

Managing songs

Copying/swapping patterns
assigned to pads

SONG mode

Copying/swapping song
sequences

1.

CONTROLLER

the pattern to be copied/swapped.

Tap the pad with

2. Press w.

The destination for copying/swapping the

pattern appears on the SOUND display.

3. Use H in the SOUND area to

select the copy/swap destination

pad, and press

This opens copy/swap destination

selection on the SOUND display.

h.

1. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the song to copy/swap.

2. Press w.

The destination for copying/swapping

the song appears on the SEQUENCE

display.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select the copy/swap destination

song, and press

This opens copy/swap destination

selection on the SEQUENCE display.

h.

Managing songs

4. Use H in the SOUND area

to select COPY or SWAP, and

press

h.

Press w to cancel and return to the

previous screen.

HINT

You can also tap a pad to select the copy

destination.

4. Use H in the SEQUENCE area

to select COPY or SWAP, and

press

h.

Press w to cancel and return to the

Home Screen.

67

SONG mode Managing songs

Managing songs (continued)

Erasing songs

Changing song names

1. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the song to erase.

2. Press z.

The song to erase appears on the

SEQUENCE display.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select Yes, and press

Press z to cancel and return to the

Home Screen.

h.

1. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the name to change.

2. Press x.

The song with the name to change

appears on the SEQUENCE display.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select the character to change,

and press

Press x to cancel and return to the

Home Screen.

h.

4. Use H in the SEQUENCE area

to change the character, and

press

h.

5. Use H in the SEQUENCE area

to select OK, and press

conrm the name change.

68

h to

Creating new songs

1. Press y.

The name of a new song appears on the

SEQUENCE display and can be edited.

2. To change the name, use H

in the SEQUENCE area to select

the character to change, and

press

h.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area

to change the character, and

press

h.

Press y to cancel and return to the

Home Screen.

SONG mode

Managing songs

4. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select OK, and press

A new song will be created with that

name.

NOTE

A new song cannot be created if no empty

songs are available.

h.

69

REC/PLAY area REC/PLAY area overview

REC/PLAY area

REC/PLAY area overview

Use the REC/PLAY area to control sequences, including playback and recording.

The following are the main operations that can be made here.

REC/PLAY
area

Clearing

Use C to clear sequence data, for example.

HINT

The function of this button depends on the

selected mode and the statuses of other but-

tons. For details, see the explanation pages for

each operation.

Motion sequences

You can adjust the parameters of instruments

and eects while playing back a created pattern

and record these changes in real time.

These recorded changes will be saved as a part

of the pattern and re-created during playback.

See "Motion Sequences" for detailed information

about this function (→ P. 72).

70

REC/PLAY area overview (continued)

REC/PLAY area

Capturing audio

The A can capture (record) as audio data

the sound of patterns and songs it plays back as

well as sounds input through the AUDIO INPUT

jack.

Captured audio data can be used as an

instrument.

For details about this function, see "Capturing

audio" (→ P. 74).

Automatic saving

Use v to change the automatic saving setting.

When AUTO SAVE is ON, changes to patterns

are automatically saved.

Turning this function ON can be useful when

creating patterns.

On the other hand, turn this OFF when per-

forming with already completed patterns so that

changes are not recorded.

For details about this function, see "Automatic

saving" (→ P. 78).

Volume

Use V to adjust the OUTPUT and headphone

volume.

NOTE

The OUTPUT and headphone volumes are

both adjusted together.

REC/PLAY area overview

71

REC/PLAY area Motion sequences

Motion sequences

You can adjust the parameters of instruments

and effects and record these changes in

sequences.

You can record changes in real time while a

pattern is playing as well as record parameter

setting values step-by-step.

These recorded changes will be saved as a part

of the pattern and re-created during playback.

NOTE

Motion sequences cannot be recorded in

SONG mode.

Recording motion sequences
in real time

1. Select the pattern for which you

want to record a motion sequence.

2. Press s.

s blinks, showing that standby has

started.

3. Press P.

P lights and pattern playback starts.

4. Adjust the parameters of instru-

ments and eects.

These changes will be recorded as a

motion sequence.

· Editing sounds (→ P. 48)

HINT

• Recording starts from the moment that a

parameter is operated.

• If a parameter that has already been recorded

is operated again, the new data will overwrite

the old.

5. Press s or S when done

recording.

72

REC/PLAY area

Recording motion sequences
step by step

1. Stop or pause pattern playback.

2. Press s.

3. Press the 0 for the position

where you will change parameters.

4. While pressing 0, adjust the

parameters of instruments and

eects.

These operations are recorded at the

corresponding 0position.

Clearing motion sequences

1. Press S to stop pattern

playback.

2. Press C.

The sequence clearing screen appears

on the SEQUENCE display.

Press

C again to cancel this operation.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select the sequence you want to

clear, and press

This opens a conrmation screen.

h.

Motion sequences

4. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select YES, and press

This clears the sequence.

73

h.

REC/PLAY area Capturing audio

Capturing audio

Capturing overview

The A can capture (record) audio it is

playing back and audio input through its AUDIO

INPUT jack in every mode.

Captured audio can be used for instruments.

NOTE

• Captured audio data is saved on the SD

card. Be aware that you will not be able to

use the captured recordings if you remove

the SD card or replace it with a dierent SD

card.

• The maximum length of captured record-

ings and audio files that can be added

as instruments on the

minutes (or 12 minutes if mono).

For example, when a one-minute stereo

audio file has been assigned, the remaining

length of audio that can be assigned is 5

minutes if stereo or 10 minutes if mono.

• If a captured recording or an audio file is

used in multiple patterns, this will not change

the remaining time for assigning les.

A is 6

Setting the auto stop function

You can set capturing to automatically stop a set

time after starting.

1. While pressing F,

press

0-14.

2. Turn ! in the SOUND area to

change the AUTO STOP value.

Select O or 1–32 quarter notes.

SOUND display

74

REC/PLAY area

Switching between stereo and
mono

Captured audio can be saved as stereo or

mono.

Audio capture is possible for up to 6 minutes in

stereo or 12 minutes in mono.

1. While pressing F,

press

0-14.

2. Use " in the SOUND area to

switch between stereo and mono.

Capturing audio recordings

1. Play the pattern, song or other

sound that you want to capture, or

connect the instrument or other

audio device that you want to use

to capture recordings to the Base

Station AUDIO INPUT jack.

2. Press c.

Capturing starts, and the SOUND display

shows the remaining capture time.

HINT

• REMAIN (remaining time) shows the following

information.

When AUTO STOP is ON: the time until cap-

turing stops

When AUTO STOP is OFF: the maximum

amount of remaining capture time

• Up to 6 minutes stereo or 12 minutes mono

can be captured.

• When capturing, press

to stop capturing.

• If the input level is too high, c will flash

rapidly. Lower the volume of the connected

device or the input level. (→ P. 84)

• Turning effects ON/OFF, changing parame-

ters, playing pads, and changing patterns, for

example, will be recorded while capturing.

• If precount is ON, a click sound will play

before capturing starts. (→ P.39)

• If the metronome is ON, its sound will play

during the capture.

C when you want

Capturing audio

75

REC/PLAY area Capturing audio

Capturing audio (continued)

3. After the audio has been captured,

press

c.

You can adjust the captured recording

and save it on the Capture Setting screen

that opens. (→ P. 76)

If automatic stopping is on, capturing will

stop automatically and the capture set-

ting screen will open.

Adjusting and saving captured
audio

After capturing audio completes, the CAPTURE

settings screen opens, and the captured record-

ing begins loop playback.

The captured audio can be edited on the screen.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

HINT

P to pause and resume playback.

• Press

• Press

S to stop playback and reset the

playback position to the beginning of the

loop.

• The entire ring of 0 on the Base Station

corresponds to the length between start and

end points. During playback, press a 0 to
start loop playback from that position. Press
a 0 when stopped to play only the interval

assigned to that position.

• The 0 that corresponds to the current
position lights green, and the other 0 light

red.

1. Use ! and " in the SOUND area

to set the range of the captured

audio assigned to the pad.

!: Start point

Change starting point of captured audio.

": End point

Change ending point of captured audio.

When setting start and end points, the

waveforms around those points are

shown magnied.

HINT

• Start and end points can be set after the rst

500 ms and before the last 500 ms of the
captured recording.

• Pressing

editing of the captured recording and reopen
the original screen.

Z , Y or C will cancel

2. Use H in the SEQUENCE area

to select "Assign to PAD", and

press

h.

A screen opens where you can select the

pad for audio assignment.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

76

REC/PLAY area

HINT

You cannot assign captured audio if it exceeds
the length that can be used as an instrument. If
you try to do so a message will appear. To make
more time available, remove already assigned
captured recordings and other audio files, or
shorten intervals between start and end points.
At this time, it is still possible to just save to the
SD card (Only SAVE to SD).

3. Turn H in the SOUND area to

select the pattern for assignment.

4.

CONTROLLER

it for assignment, turn

Tap a pad to select

H in the

SEQUENCE area to select YES,

and press

This assigns the captured audio to the

selected pad.

h.

6. If you want to change the name of

the captured audio, turn

SEQUENCE area to select

RENAME, and press

HINT

• The captured audio will be saved inside the

“Capture” subfolder in the “AR-48” folder on
the SD card.

• The capture name will be used unchanged

as the le name.

• Captured audio that has been assigned to

a pad can have envelopes, lters and other

parameters set in the same way as the
built-in instruments.

H in the

h.

Capturing audio

5. To save the captured audio to the

SD card without assigning it to a

pad, use

area to select "Only SAVE to SD",

and press

This will save the captured audio as a

WAV le to the SD card.

HINT

Captured audio data is also saved on the SD
card when it is assigned to a pad.

H in the SEQUENCE

h.

77

REC/PLAY area Automatic saving

Automatic saving

You can set whether or not changes made to

instruments and eects are saved automatically

to patterns.

When AUTO SAVE is set to OFF, the results

of changes to instruments and effects will not

be saved to patterns. Changes made will be

discarded when you switch to SONG mode or

select a dierent pattern. Moreover, you will not

be able to save sequences.

1. Press v.

v lights and AUTO SAVE is turned ON.

2. Press v again to turn automatic

saving o.

v becomes unlit and AUTO SAVE is

turned OFF.

NOTE

• The automatic saving function cannot be

changed when in SONG mode. Setting

changes are all saved even when the song is

changed.

• When you switch the AUTO SAVE setting

from OFF to ON, a screen will appear to

conrm whether or not you want to save the

current status. If you select "NO", the current

settings will not be saved, but future changes

will be saved.

SEQUENCE display

78

EFFECT area

EFFECT area overview

In the EFFECT area, a master eect can be applied to the overall output during the playback of pat-

terns and songs.

EFFECT area

EFFECT area

EFFECT area overview

79

EFFECT area Selecting and setting eects

Selecting and setting eects

A variety of types of master eects are available.

Turning the eect ON/OFF

Changing the eect type

1. Use t to change the eect

type.

The LED for the selected eect will light.

NOTE

• The eect type cannot be recorded to motion

sequences.

• In SONG mode, effect operations are only

possible during song sequence playback,

The eect operations during song sequence

playback, however, are not recorded to

patterns.

1. Press o.

o lights when the eect is ON.

The effect stays ON even after

released.

HINT

• The Ring Controller E is linked to

the Base Station

• LOOPER FX and RELEASE are enabled only

while o is being pressed.

o.

o is

2. Press o again to turn the eect

OFF.

80

Changing parameters

The eect parameters can be adjusted.

The parameters that can be set depend on the

type of eect.

HINT

See the "Eect list" appendix for details about

eect parameters. (→ P. 117)

EFFECT area

1. Turn 1 and 2 to adjust the

desired parameters.

The current setting values are shown on

the SOUND display.

If the the knob position does not match

the parameter value, turn the knob to the

current value once to enable adjustment.

Changing parameters

81

Ring Controller Performance Controlling parameters with the Ring Controller

Ring Controller Performance

Controlling parameters with the Ring Controller

Using the Ring Controller accelerometer, you can

control arpeggiator timing and the parameters

of instruments and effects. Parameters can be

changed by the movement and tilt of the Ring

Controller.

X axis

Y axis

NOTE

• This can be used when the Ring Controller

grip area has been set. (→ P. 98)

• The directions of the X and Y axes are auto-

matically set based on the grip area position.

• Do not hit the Ring Controller with excessive

force.

■

Assigning parameters

1. While pressing F, press

0-24.

This opens a screen where X and Y axis

parameters can be assigned.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

2. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the assignment for the

parameter.

Up to three parameters each can be

assigned to the movement of the X and

Y axes.

82

Controlling parameters with the Ring Controller (continued)

Ring Controller Performance

3. Turn H in the SOUND area to

select the parameter.

You can select from the following

parameters.

Parameter Explanation

None No parameter assigned

EFFECT Knob1 Parameter 1 of the selected eect

EFFECT Knob2 Parameter 2 of the selected eect

01 SOUND Knob1

01 SOUND Knob2

02 SOUND Knob1

02 SOUND Knob2

16 SOUND Knob1

16 SOUND Knob2

ARPEGGIATOR

Rate

ARPEGGIATOR

Note

Parameter 1 shown on the SOUND display for
instrument 01

Parameter 2 shown on the SOUND display for
instrument 01

Parameter 1 shown on the SOUND display for
instrument 02

Parameter 2 shown on the SOUND display for
instrument 02

…

Parameter 1 shown on the SOUND display for
instrument 16

Parameter 2 shown on the SOUND display for
instrument 16

The speed of the arpeggiator output will change
in response to the tilt of the Ring Controller.
This is enabled only if the arpeggiator Style
is not “Sequence” and the “Pattern” is set to
1/1–1/32.

The notes output by the arpeggiator will change
in response to the tilt of the Ring Controller. The
notes will change according to the scales set in
the SCALE layout of each instrument.
(→ P. 116)

…

4. Remove the Ring Controller from

the Base Station.

If the eect or arpeggiator has a parame-

ter assigned, enable that function.

5. Set the Ring Controller grip area.

Setting the grip area (→ P. 98)

6. Tilt the Ring Controller to control

the assigned parameters.

Controlling parameters with the Ring Controller

83

System settings Changing various settings

System settings

Changing various settings

Setting the audio input and

eect send levels

When a signal is being input through the AUDIO

INPUT jack, set the input level and the amount

sent to the master eect.

1. While pressing F,

press

0-16.

This opens the input setting screen.

2. Turn ! in the SOUND area to

change the input level.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

3. Turn " in the SOUND area to

change the send level.

This can be set from 0 to 100.

Setting the clock mode

Set whether the internal clock or an external

clock is used when connected to other MIDI

devices by USB.

1. While pressing F,

press

0-30.

External clock is selected when 0-30

is lit.

NOTE

• When external clock is selected, songs

cannot be recorded.

• When the CLOCK MODE is set to INTER-

NAL, it will function in the following ways.

- The

A will constantly output MIDI

clock from its USB port.

- The A will send a start message when

playback starts and a stop message when it

stops.

- It will send a continue message when play-

back resumes from a paused state.

- Start, stop and continue messages will not

be output, however, when the A does

not play back because, for example, it does

not have a song sequence.

84

Changing various settings (continued)

System settings

Setting the display contrast

The display contrast can be adjusted.

1. While pressing F,

press

0-32.

The SOUND and SEQUENCE displays

show their own contrast settings.

2. Turn H in the same area as the

display to adjust its contrast.

The display contrast can be set from

1 to 13.

Checking the software version

The Base Station software version is shown on

the display when the A starts up.

NOTE

The Ring Controller software version can only

be checked on the Ring Controller update

screen. (→ P. 102)

Changing various settings

85

System settings Changing various settings

Changing various settings (continued)

Restoring default settings

■

Ring Controller

The Base Station and the Ring Controller can be

restored to their factory default settings.

■

Base Station

NOTE

Restoring settings to their defaults will erase

everything you have created including pat-

terns and songs. Save them to an SD card in

advance if you do not want to lose them.

Backing up data (→ P. 89)

1. While pressing F, press C.

A conrmation message appears.

2. Use H to select Yes,

and press

This will restore the factory default

settings.

h.

1. While pressing F,

press

0-22.

A conrmation message appears on the

SEQUENCE display.

2. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select YES, and press

This resets the Ring Controller to its fac-

tory default settings.

h.

86

Outputting MIDI messages from the Base Station

System settings

The Base Station can send MIDI messages from

the USB port and MIDI OUT jack when the Ring

Controller pads and Base Station knobs and

buttons are used. You can set the MIDI mes-

sages output.

The A will output the set MIDI messages

without change even if the mode is switched.

These MIDI messages can be used to control

DAW software, for example.

1. While pressing F,

press

0-31.

This opens the setting screen.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

2. Turn H in the SEQUENCE area

to select the assignment for the

parameter.

The Ring Controller pads, Base Station

buttons and knobs, and accelerometer X

and Y axes can be selected.

3. Turn H in the SOUND area to

select the message.

The following parameters can be

selected

■

PAD 1-16

MIDI Ch Message Type Number

O –

Note 0-127

CC (control change) 0-127

Prg Chg (program change) 0-127

1-16

Ch Press (output the same value of
aftertouch only on entire MIDI channel)

PolyPress (output aftertouch only on
each pad)

HINT

If the Message Type is set to CC, the CC
number set by “Number” is sent with the
strength (velocity) that the pad is tapped. “0” is
sent when the pad is released

NOTE

Sequences recorded on the
independently of the MIDI messages sent when
pads are pressed. (→ P. 56)

■

Buttons

MIDI Ch Message Type Number

O –

Note 0-127

1-16

CC (control change) 0-127

Prg Chg (program change) 0-127

HINT

When Message Type is set to Note, pressing
a button will send the note set by “Number”
at a velocity of 127. Releasing the button will
send it at a velocity of 0. If the Ring Controller is
connected to a computer, when the computer
sends a message with a velocity other than
0, the corresponding pad will light. The corre­sponding pad will become unlit when it sends a

velocity 0 or a note o message.

When Message Type is set to CC, pressing a
button will send the CC number set by “Number”
at a value of 127. Releasing the button will
send it at a value of 0. If the Ring Controller is
connected to a computer, when the computer
sends a message other than 0, the correspond­ing pad will light. The corresponding pad will
become unlit when it sends a 0 message.

A are output

–

0-127 (Note

Number)

Outputting MIDI messages from the Base Station

87

System settings Outputting MIDI messages from the Base Station

Outputting MIDI messages from the Base Station (continued)

■

Knobs (selection encoders, sound parameters, SWING, TEMPO, eect type)

MIDI Ch Type CC Number Minimum/Dec Number Maximum/Inc Number

O

Absolute (send the knob rotation
position as an absolute value)

1-16

Relative (when the knob is turned,
send the counterclockwise (Dec) or

clockwise (Inc) value dierence)

0-127

– –

0-127 (Minimum) 0-127 (Maximum)

0-127 (Dec Number) 0-127 (Inc Number)

HINT

• When Type is set to Absolute, the value of the current knob rotation position is output if it is within

the range between Minimum and Maximum. If turned counterclockwise from the Minimum value or

turned clockwise from the Maximum value, no message will be output. Beware that even though

this can be used with many DAW applications, dierences could occur with the values sent by the

A if the controlled parameters are changed in the DAW.

• When Type is set to Relative, the value set by Dec Number is sent when the knob is turned coun-

terclockwise, and the value set by Inc Number is sent when the knob is turned clockwise.

Even if parameters have been changed in the DAW, values can be increased or decreased rela-

tively. However, correctly setting the Dec Number and Inc Number might be necessary depending

on the DAW.

■

Knobs (eect parameters, volume)

MIDI Ch CC Number Min Value

1-16

OFF –

0-127 0-127

HINT

Sent values are limited to the range from the set Min Value to 127.

■

Accelerometer X and Y axes

MIDI Ch CC Number Min Value

1-16

OFF –

0-127 0-127

HINT

Sent values are limited to the range from the set Min Value to 127.

88

Backing up data

System settings

The data for patterns and songs created can be

backed up to SD cards.

Moreover, when saving and loading data, you

can manage all the data at once or choose only

some data.

Backing up data

1. While pressing F,

press

0-25.

The backup type selection appears on

the SOUND display, and a confirmation

message appears on the SEQUENCE

display.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

4. Input the backup le name.

HINT

Character input operations (→ P. 23)

5. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select OK, and press

This backs up the data with the le name

set in step 4.

h.

Backing up data

2. Turn H in the SOUND area to

select the type of data to back up.

ALL DATA: This backs up all data.

PATTERN: This only backs up the cur-

rently selected pattern.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select YES, and press

This opens a screen to input the backup

le name.

h.

89

System settings Backing up data

Backing up data (continued)

Loading data

1. While pressing F,

press

0-26.

The backup type to load appears on

the SOUND display, and a confirmation

message appears on the SEQUENCE

display.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

2. Turn H in the SOUND area to

select the type of data to load.

ALL DATA: This loads all data.

PATTERN: This only loads a pattern.

ALL SONG SEQUENCE: This loads all

song data.

3. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select YES, and press

This opens a screen to select the backup

le.

h.

4. Turn H in the SOUND area to

select the backup data to load.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

5. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select Yes, and press

The data will be loaded.

HINT

If the type of backup to be loaded is a pattern,

a screen where you can select the pattern to

be loaded to the

Turn H in the SOUND area to select the pat­tern to load, turn H in the SEQUENCE area
to select YES, and press h.

NOTE

• When you load data, the contents on the

A are overwritten.

• If the loaded pattern uses audio files as

instrument oscillators, those audio les must

be saved in the “Capture” subfolder in the

"AR-48" folder on the SD card.

• When loading song data, pattern data used

by song sequences will not be loaded. If the

current pattern data is dierent from the data

at the time of backup, also load the pattern

data used by the sequence.

• In order to load song data later, you must

select ALL DATA when backing up.

A opens.

h.

90

SD card management

System settings

Managing SD card open space

1. While pressing F,

press

0-27.

The SD card space used is shown on the

SOUND display.

Formatting SD cards

1. While pressing F,

press

0-27.

A conrmation message appears on the

SEQUENCE display.

2. Use H in the SEQUENCE area to

select Yes, and press

This formats the SD card.

NOTE

• Before using SD cards that have just been

purchased or that have been formatted on

a computer, they must be formatted by the

A.

• Be aware that all data previously saved

on the SD card will be deleted when it is

formatted.

h.

SD card management

91

System settings SD card management

SD card management (continued)

Testing SD card performance

■

Full testing

You can test whether an SD card can be used

with the A. A basic test can be done

quickly, while a full test examines the entire SD

card.

1. While pressing F,

press

0-28.

A test method selection message

appears on the SOUND display.

QUICK: This conducts a quick test.

FULL: This conducts a full test.

HINT

When FULL is selected, the estimated execu-

tion time will appear on the SOUND display.

■

Quick testing

• Turn H in the SOUND area to select

QUICK.

• Use

H in the SEQUENCE area to select

YES, and press h.

This will start the quick SD card test.

The result of the test will be shown when it

completes.

• Turn H in the SOUND area to select

FULL.

• Use

H in the SEQUENCE area to select

YES, and press h.

This will start the full SD card test.

The result of the test will be shown when it

completes.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

HINT

You can press

is being executed.

NOTE

Even if a performance test result is "OK",

there is no guarantee that writing errors will

not occur. This information is just to provide

guidance.

F to cancel a test while it

92

Exchanging data with
computers

By connecting the A with a computer, you

can check and copy data on the SD card loaded

in it.

■

Connecting

1. While pressing F,

press

0-29.

This puts the A into card reader

mode.

■

Disconnecting

1. Disconnect on the computer.

Windows:

Select

A from "Safely Remove

Hardware".

Mac OS:

Drag the

drop it.

NOTE

Always conduct computer disconnection pro-

cedures before removing the USB cable.

A icon to the Trash and

2. Disconnect the USB cable from the

System settings

SD card management

2. Use a USB cable to connect the

A and the computer.

NOTE

• The supported operating systems are as

follows.

Windows: Windows 7 or later
Mac: OS X 10.8 or later and macOS

• The

A cannot operate on USB bus

power. Use the AC adapter to supply power.

computer and the

press

F.

A, and

93

System settings SD card management

SD card management (continued)

SD card folder structure

AR-48_SD

AR-48

Capture

Data

PCM file

UserPCM_001.WAV

UserPCM_002.WAV

DATA0001.ARD

DATA0002.ARD

……

[pattern name]1.PAT

Captured audio files and
files used as instrument
oscillators

Backup files
(all data for patterns
and songs)

Backup files
(data for single patterns)

[pattern name]2.PAT

94

Ring Controller settings

System settings

Ring Controller and Base
Station connection and
disconnection

■

Connection methods

The Base Station and a Ring Controller use a

USB connection to communicate.

If BTA-1 (sold separately) units have been

installed in the Base Station and Ring Controller,

wireless transmission using Bluetooth LE is also

possible.

NOTE

If a Ring Controller and Base Station are con-

nected by USB, they will communicate via the

USB cable even if they both have BTA-1 units

installed.

Likewise, USB will be used for communication

if a Ring Controller with a BTA-1 installed is

connected to a computer by USB.

■

Connecting by USB

1. Use a USB cable to connect the

Base Station and Ring Controller.

This automatically turns the Ring Control-

ler on.

■

Connecting by Bluetooth LE

Pairing beforehand is necessary to connect

using Bluetooth LE.

1. Turn o both the Base Station and

2. Install 2 AA batteries in the Ring

Controller (→ P. 21), and turn on

both the Base Station and Ring

Controller.

After the Ring Controller starts up, an

LED animation will appear and it will be in

connection standby mode.

A list of devices that can be con-

nected will appear on the Base Station

SEQUENCE display.

Press F to return to the original

screen.

You can press

show this screen again.

F and 0-23 to

3. Turn H in the Base Station

SEQUENCE area to select the Ring

Controller you want to connect,

and press

The selected Ring Controller will be con-

nected to the Base Station, and all its

pads will ash blue.

A check mark will appear next to the

connected Ring Controller.

h.

Ring Controller settings

the Ring Controller, and Install

BTA-1 units (sold separately) into

both of them.

NOTE

• After doing this once, connection will be

automatic in the future.

• Connecting a Base Station and Ring Control-

ler that have BTA-1 units installed by USB will

automatically pair them.

95

System settings Ring Controller settings

Ring Controller settings (continued)

■

Disconnecting a Ring Controller

and Base Station

Connecting a Ring Controller
to a computer by USB.

1. Press F

2. Press 0-23.

This opens a list of devices that can be

connected on the SOUND display.

A check mark will appear next to the cur-

rently connected Ring Controller.

3. Use H in the SOUND area to

select the Ring Controller to dis-

connect, and press

This disconnects it.

h.

The Ring Controller can be used as a MIDI

controller.

■

Connecting to a computer by USB

1. Use a USB cable to connect the

Ring Controller to a computer.

This automatically turns the Ring Control-

ler on.

NOTE

• The Ring Controller will operate on USB bus

power from the computer.

• MIDI messages output when the Ring Con-

troller is connected to a computer or other

device (→ P. 87)

• When the Ring Controller is connected to

a computer, the pads will light white. When

pressed, they will light blue. You can changed

the colors that the pads light by sending MIDI

messages from the computer. (→ P. 120)

96

System settings

Connecting the Ring Controller
to a Mac or iOS device using
Bluetooth LE

You can connect the Ring Controller directly to

a Mac or iOS device by Bluetooth LE using a

BTA-1 (sold separately), and use it as a MIDI

controller.

HINT

When waiting to be connected, the Ring Con-

troller pad LEDs show an animation, and the

BTA-1 BLE LED blinks.

NOTE

• Install the BTA-1 before turning the Ring

Controller on.

• The supported computers and operating

systems are as follows.

MacBook, iMac and Mac Pro computers

that support Bluetooth LE and run Mac OS X

10.10.5 or later or macOS

iOS device running iOS 8.0 or later

• The BLE LED will light when connected.

• If a Ring Controller and computer are con-

nected by USB, they will communicate

via the USB cable even if a BTA-1 unit is

installed.

3. Open the Audio MIDI Setup appli-

cation on the Mac

4. Select "Window" in the menu bar,

and then "Show MIDI Window".

This opens the MIDI Studio window.

5. Double-click the Bluetooth icon.

This opens the Bluetooth Configuration

screen.

6. Click "Connect" for the Ring

Controller shown in the list.

When connection succeeds, all of

the pads will blink blue on the Ring

Controller.

NOTE

If connection fails, open the System Prefer-

ences and click the × next to the Ring Control-

ler in the list of Bluetooth devices before trying

again.

Ring Controller settings

■

Connecting to a Mac using

Bluetooth LE

1. Install 2 AA batteries in the Ring

Controller. (→ P. 21)

2. Turn the Ring Controller on.

This puts the Ring Controller into con-

nection standby.

97

System settings Ring Controller settings

Ring Controller settings (continued)

■

Connecting to an iOS device using

Bluetooth LE

1. Install 2 AA batteries in the Ring

Controller. (→ P. 21)

2. Turn the Ring Controller on.

This puts the Ring Controller into con-

nection standby.

Grip area

You can set a grip area that does not respond

to touch in order to prevent pads from being

pressed unintentionally when using the Ring

Controller separately from the Base Station.

■

Setting the grip area

1.

CONTROLLER

All the Ring Controller pads will light blue.

Press G.

3. Launch an app that supports MIDI

over Bluetooth LE on the iOS

device.

4. On the app Settings screen, con-

duct Bluetooth connection.

When connection succeeds, all of

the pads will blink blue on the Ring

Controller.

HINT

• For app setting procedures, see the manual

for that app.

• MIDI messages output when the Ring Con-

troller is connected to a computer or other

device (→ P. 87)

• When the Ring Controller is connected to a

computer or other device, the pads will light

white. When pressed, they will light blue.

• You can changed the colors that the pads

light by sending MIDI messages from the

computer. (→ P. 120)

2.

HINT

If a grip is not detected for 30 seconds, detec-

tion will automatically be canceled.

CONTROLLER

set as the grip area.

The pads in the grasped range light white

and the grip area is set.

Pads outside the grip area can be used

as normal.

Grasp the area to

98

After the grip area is set, the LED lighting

of the Ring Controller returns to its pre-

vious state, except the LEDs in the grip

area become unlit showing that they will

not respond to use.

HINT

• If a grip is detected and 1 second passes, it

will be set automatically.

• When the grip area is set, the G LED will

light.

■

Disabling the grip area setting

System settings

Ring Controller settings

1.

2.

CONTROLLER

All the Ring Controller pads will light blue.

CONTROLLER

This disables the grip area setting,

making all pads usable again.

Press G.

Press G.

99

System settings Ring Controller settings

Ring Controller settings (continued)

Ring Controller function
settings

1. While pressing F, press

0-22.

This opens the Ring Controller Setting

screen.

SOUND display

SEQUENCE display

2. Turn H in the SOUND area to

select items to set, and use

" to change the parameters.

■

Velocity

This sets the pad sensitivity.

Setting Function

MAX Velocity is always maximum regardless

HIGH High sensitivity (playing strength great-

MID Standard

LOW Low sensitivity (playing strength aects

■

LED

This sets the brightness of pads when they light.

Setting Function

BRIGHT Pads will light brightly

DARK

of playing strength

ly aects velocity)

velocity little)

Pads will light dimly (reduces power
consumption)

! and

■

Aftertouch

This aftertouch sensitivity of pads when they are

pressed.

Setting Function

ON (HIGH)

ON (MID) Standard

ON (LOW)

OFF Disables the aftertouch function

■

Accelerometer sensitivity

High sensitivity (reacts easily to chang­es in pad pressure)

Low sensitivity (does not react easily
to changes in pad pressure)

(X/Y AXIS SENS)

This sets the sensitivity of the Ring Controller

accelerometer.

Setting Function

HIGH

MID Standard

LOW Low sensitivity (less response to tilting)

■

Battery type (BATTERY)

This sets the type of batteries used.

Setting Function

ALKALINE Alkaline batteries (default)

Ni-MH Nickel-metal hydride batteries

NOTE

• Use alkaline batteries or rechargeable NiMH

batteries.

• This setting cannot be changed during

recording or playback.

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Automatic powering o

High sensitivity (responds even to
slight tilting)

(AUTO OFF)

You can set the Ring Controller to turn off

automatically.

Setting Function

2min When using batteries, automatically

OFF Do not turn o automatically

turn o when not operated for 2 min­utes

100