Ashton AK110 User manual

USER MANUAL
AK110
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CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION 1
PACK CONTENTS 1
SPECIFICATIONS 1
SETTING UP:
POWER SUPPLY, USING HEADPHONES, MUSIC STAND 2
SUSTAIN INPUT, USB CONNECTION 3
TOP/REAR/LCD PANEL DESCRIPTION 4 - 5
BASIC OPERATION: VOLUME & DEMO 6
VOICES AND EFFECTS:
SELECTING A VOICE, DUAL VOICE FUNCTION 7
SUSTAIN, TOUCH, METRONOME, PIANO 8
STYLE CONTROL:
SELECT/START A STYLE, A.B.C MODE, SYNC START, STOPPING A STYLE 9
SYNC START, STOPPING A STYLE 9
OTHER OPERATIONS: INTRO/START, MAIN/FILL, END, TEMPO 10
CHORDS: CHORD RECOGNITION 11
CHORDS: A QUICK BASIC GUIDE, READING CHORD NAMES 12
MEMORY 13
ONE TOUCH SETTING 13
RECORD:
START RECORDING, STOP RECORDING, PLAYBACK THE RECORDING 14
FUNCTION MENU:
TRANSPOSE, OCTAVE, BEAT 15
SPLIT POINT, MIDI CHANNEL, ACCOMP VOLUME, BANK SELECT 16
SONG 17
LESSON MODE: 17
LESSON 1, LESSON 2, LESSON 3, GRADE FUNCTION 18
CHORD DICTIONARY 19
MIDI FUNCTION 20
APPENDIX: VOICE LIST 21
APPENDIX: STYLE LIST 22
APPENDIX: SONG LIST 23
APPENDIX: DEMO LIST 24
APPENDIX: CHORD LIST 24
SAFETY INFORMATION 25
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PACK CONTENTS:
1 x AK110 keyboard unit
1 x Ashton “Learn To Play” DVD
SPECIFICATIONS:
61 keys with touch response
157 voices
100 styles
100 songs
2 demo songs
Polyphony: 32-note (max)
Accompaniment
Controls: start/stop, sync, intro/ending, main/fill, A.B.C.
Overall controls: dual, touch, sustain, function, one touch setting
Other controls: record & playback
Connectors: 12V DC, sustain, headphones, USB
Lesson function & DVD
Chord dictionary function
Dimensions: 97.5cm x 35cm x 13.5cm
Optional adaptor: DC12V1A+
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INTRODUCTION:
Ashton is designed in Australia by a team of industry experts that have years of experience
in the development, design and production of musical instruments and equipment. Ashton’s
range of products are a result of years of development and careful testing. Every Ashton
product is designed with value in mind and features the highest quality materials available.
We highly recommend that you read and understand the information in this manual before
beginning use.
Enjoy,
The Ashton Team
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SETTING UP: POWER SUPPLY
USING AN ADAPTOR:
Connect the adaptor to the DC IN jack located on the
rear panel of the unit and plug into power outlet. Do not
use adaptors other than what is specified. The technical
specifications for the power adaptor on the Ashton
AK110 is DC12V1A+.
USING BATTERIES:
1. Open the battery compartment cover on the underside
of the unit.
2. Insert 8 x alkaline “D” sized, R 20, SUM-1 or equivalent
batteries. Read the polarity instructions (negative and
positive guide). Close the battery compartment.
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SETTING UP: USING HEADPHONES
Alternative to using the internal speakers or an
amplifier, you may choose to play using headphones.
To do this, simply connect a pair of headphones to
the ¼” stereo phones jack located on the back panel
of the unit.
SETTING UP: INSERTING MUSIC STAND
To set up the music stand, locate the tabs on the
bottom of the music stand and slot them into the slots
located at the top end of the AK110 keyboard.
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SETTING UP: SUSTAIN INPUT
An optional footswitch can be plugged into the SUSTAIN
input jack for sustain control. The sustain pedal acts as a
damper pedal (like on a piano). Press for sustain, release
for normal sound. Attach the sustain as shown in the
diagram on the left.
SETTING UP: USB CONNECTION
Connect a PC or other USB host device that
supports USB audio via the USB input. When you
have installed the keyboard on the external device,
choose USB audio device in the device menu of the
keyboard to transfer midi data.
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DESCRIPTION: TOP PANEL
1. POWER ON/OFF
2. TEMPO +/-
3. MASTER VOLUME
4. LEFT HAND LESSON MODE
5. RIGHT HAND LESSON MODE/
CHORD DICTIONARY
6. LESSON
7. FUNCTION
8. DEMO
9. STYLE
10. VOICE
11. SONG
STYLE MODE :: SONG MODE
12. START/STOP ::
13. SYNC ::
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14. INTRO/ENDING ::
15. MAIN/FILL ::
16. A.B.C.
17. STORE
18. PANEL MEMORY (M1-M4)
19. ONE TOUCH SETTING
20. METRONOME
21. PIANO
22. DUAL
23. TOUCH
24. SUSTAIN
25. RECORD
26. NUMBERIC KEYPAD
27. LCD DISPLAY
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DESCRIPTION: REAR PANEL
1. USB CONNECTION
2. SUSTAIN INPUT
3. PHONES JACK
4. POWER DC IN
DESCRIPTION: LCD DISPLAY
1. LESSON 1 FLAG INDICATOR
2. LESSON 2 FLAG INDICATOR
3. LESSON 3 FLAG INDICATOR
4. A.B.C. FLAG INDICATOR
5. RIGHT FLAG INDICATOR
6. LEFT FLAG INDICATOR
7. DUAL FLAG INDICATOR
8. TOUCH FLAG INDICATOR
9. CHORD INDICATOR
10. VOICE/STYLE/DEMO/SONG IND.
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11. TEMPO/COUNT INDICATOR
12. BEAT INDICATOR
13. METRONOME ON/OFF INDICATOR
14. VOLUME LEVEL INDICATOR
15. BASS CLEF NOTE INDICATOR
16. TREBLE CLEF NOTE INDICATOR
17. 61 KEY KEYBOARD NOTATION INDICATOR
18. NORMAL/VARIATION
19. ONE TOUCH SETTING FLAG INDICATOR
20. MEMORY (M1 - M4) FLAG INDICATOR
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BASIC OPERATION
MASTER VOLUME:
The keyboard volume can be adjusted from the
values of 0 to 31 via the (MASTER VOLUME +/-)
button. The LCD screen will read MVL24, 24
being the example volume setting,
DEMO:
The AK110 keyboard includes 2 classic demo
songs. Press (DEMO) to enter the demo mode.
Select a demo song with the (+/YES), (-/NO) or
number (1 & 2) buttons. Press (START/STOP)
or (DEMO) to exit the demo mode.
Note: all function keys excluding the ones needed to control the demo mode are disabled
when the demo mode is engaged.
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VOICES AND EFFECTS:
The following pages contain detailed sets of instructions on how to set up voices and effects
on your AK110 keyboard. There are 157 voices in total (see appendix).
SELECTING A VOICE:
Press the (VOICE) button to enter the
voice mode. The default voice is Voice 1
(01) - this will be displayed on the LCD
screen.
Press the (+/YES) and (-/NO) buttons
to choose the desired voice from the
library. If you know the exact number of
your desired voice - you may want to use
the number pad to select it.
DUAL VOICE FUNCTION
(PLAYING 2 VOICES AT ONCE):
The AK110 has the option of playing 2
voices simultaneously. You can also get
creative and make multiple combinations.
To set the dual voice press the (DUAL)
button whilst a voice is selected. The
“DUAL” and “VOICE 2” signals will appear
on the LCD screen to indicate you are in
dual mode. In dual mode you are selecting
the second voice you wish to play - the
first is the voice you are set on before you
press the (DUAL) button. Pressing the
(DUAL) button again will take you out of
dual mode.
VOICE
STYLE
SONG
NO YES
4
7
2
5
8
0
3
6
9
1
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VOICES AND EFFECTS:
SUSTAIN:
This function allows you to set a voice with a sustain
effect. Press the (SUSTAIN) button to activate the
desired effect. “SUSTAIN” will be displayed on the
LCD screen. To turn the sustain effect off, simply
press the (SUSTAIN) button again. Note: the
sustain pedal has a stronger sustain effect and works
separately from the in-built sustain function.
TOUCH:
The touch function engages touch response on
the keyboard. This will allow for greater diversity
when playing. To turn the touch function on, press
the (TOUCH) button. To determine whether this
function is enabled - simply refer to the right hand
side of the LCD screen - a small flag will appear
next to the “touch” text to indicate the function
is enabled.
METRONOME:
Press the (METRO) button to engage or disengage
the metronome function. A metronome illustration
will appear on the LCD screen to indicate it is on.
The metronome can not be used in SONG/CHORD
DICT modes. When recording the metronome will
sound but will not be recorded.
PIANO:
Press the (PIANO) button to enter to the piano
mode. The LCD displays “PIANO”, and the voice
changes to piano immediately. If any of the
(FUNCTION)/(DEMO)/(VOICE)/(SONG)/(STYLE)
buttons are pressed to recall memory, the piano
mode will quit automatically.
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STYLE CONTROL: BASIC OPERATION
SELECTING A STYLE:
To select a style press the (STYLE) button and use the
the (+/YES) or (-/NO) buttons, or type the number in
using the numeric buttons.
STARTING A STYLE:
Press the (STYLE) button to enter the style mode.
Then press (START/STOP) to start the backing
accompaniment track. You can play over the top freely
using any of the other keys.
A.B.C MODE:
The A.B.C mode’s default is off; when the A.B.C mode
is enabled, you can navigate the lower split of the
keyboard to choose the ‘key’ of a style’s preset looped
accompaniment. When A.B.C is enabled the keyboard
will be split; the first octave and a half being the looped
accompaniment (auto bass chord) area and the rest of the keyboard being free to play with
your current chosen voice.
SYNC START:
Press the (SYNC) button to enter the sync start waiting
mode. The beats on the LCD will flash together. Play
any of the keys in the accompaniment range to start
the accompaniment.
STOPPING A STYLE:
To stop a style press the (START/STOP) button again and the style will stop.
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STYLE CONTROL: OTHER OPERATIONS
INTRO/START:
Press the (INTRO/END) button when the style is not playing. The “NOR” flag will flash on
the LCD, indicating the intro section is ready to play. The length of the intro section varies
in different styles. Press the (START/STOP) button to start the intro section; this will lead
straight in to the main section.
MAIN/FILL:
In MAIN mode, press the (MAIN/FILL) button to insert a fill into the accompaniment. The
“VAR” variation section will continue after the fill. Press the (MAIN/FILL) button again to go
back the “NOR” normal accompaniment. In VARIATION mode, press (MAIN/FILL) button
to insert a fill. The main section will continue after the fill. If you hold down the (MAIN/FILL)
button when the style is playing, it will repeat until the button is released.
END:
The accompaniment can be stopped at any time using the (START/STOP) button. Though
you may also want to complete the style with an ending section; to do this press the (INTRO/
END) button and the ending sequence unique to the style selection will play.
TEMPO:
Press the (TEMPO +/-) buttons to change the tempo
of a current style. To set the tempo back to the default
for your current style, press both the (TEMPO +) and
(TEMPO -) buttons simultaneously. When you change
the style the new style will automatically be set to the default tempo for that style.
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STYLE CONTROL: CHORDS
CHORD RECOGNITION:
When the A.B.C. mode is enabled, and a style is
selected, you can navigate the accompaniment
range to create chords while the accompaniment
is playing. There are two methods of creating
chords; single & multi finger chords.
SINGLE FINGER CHORDS:
This method allows you to play chords easily within the accompaniment range using one, two or
three fingers. (Example chords are: C, Cm, C7 and Cm7, shown below.)
MULTI FINGER CHORDS:
This method allows you to play chords with normal fingering within the accompaniment
range of the keyboard.
To play a major chord,
press the root note of the chord
To play a minor chord, press the root
note together with the nearest black
key to the left of it.
To play a seventh chord, press the
root note together with the nearest
white key to the left of it.
To play a mintor seventh chord,
press the root notes together with the
nearest white and black keys to the
left of it.
.
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STYLE CONTROL: CHORDS
CHORDS (A QUICK BASIC GUIDE):
The most basic kind of chord is the “triad” consisting of three notes: the
root, third and fifth degrees of the corresponding scale. For example
the “C major triad” is made up of the notes C (the root), E (the third note
in the C major scale) and G (the fifth note in the C major scale).
In the C major triad (shown above), the
lowest note is the “root” note. The root
is the central sound of the chord- which
supports and anchors the other notes.
The distance (interval) between the notes
of a triad in root position is a MAJOR or a MINOR chord.
The lowest interval in our root-position triad (between the root and the third) determines
whether the triad is a major or minor chord, we can shift the highest note up or down a
semitone to produce two additional chords; augmented and diminished.
READING CHORD NAMES:
Chord names tell you just about everything you need to know
about a chord. The chord name tells you what the root of a chord
is, whether it is major, minor or diminished, whether it requires a
major or flattened seventh and what alteration of tension it uses
- all at a glance. Below are some example chords:
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MEMORY:
There are 4 memory banks for storage; (M1), (M2), (M3) and (M4) - see diagram below.
To store, press together (STORE) and one
of the 4 memory buttons. The data will be
stored in the memory bank as follows:
VOICE DATA:
- VOICE: VOICE 1, VOICE 2;
- VOICE EFFECT: TOUCH ON/OFF, SUSTAIN
- ON/OFF, TRANSPOSE, OCTAVE SPLIT POINT;
ACCOMP DATA:
STYLE NUMBER, TEMPO, A.B.C. ON/OFF,
NORMAL/VARIATION STATUS.
ONE TOUCH SETTING:
One touch setting is a powerful and convenient function that allows you to reconfigure all
settings instantly with the touch of a single button. In this function four types of parameters
(M1 - M4) will be loaded for operating the current style.
Press the (O.T.S) button to turn this
mode on and the O.T.S flag on the LCD
will be lightened. Press any of the (M1
- M4) buttons, the data parameter will
be loaded according to the current style.
The keyboard will turn the A.B.C. mode on
automaticcaly while the O.T.S. is on.
Press any of the (M1 - M4) butons,
which correspond to your desired setting
- press the (O.T.S) button again to turn off
the one touch setting mode.
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RECORD:
START RECORDING:
Press the (RECORD) button, the four-beat
LCD will flash simultaneously, indicating the
“record waiting status”. A voice, style and
memory can be selected in this status. The
ACCOMP track and MELODY track can be
recorded together. After all the settings in the
“record waiting status” have been selected,
play the keyboard (or chord area when using
ACCOMP) or press the (START/STOP)
button; it will start recording and the beat will
be displayed according to the current tempo.
When new recording has started, original
data will be lost.
STOP RECORDING:
1. While recording, if the memory is full,
the recording will stop automatically.
“FULL” will be displayed on the LCD
screen.
2. Press the (RECORD) button again to
stopthe recordingor pressthe (INTRO/
END) button to allow the recording to
end with an ending sequence.
PLAYBACK THE RECORDING:
Press the (SONG) button, use the
numeric keypads (+/YES)/(-/NO) to
select from song 101 or 102. The
recorded data will be played.
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FUNCTION MENU:
Press the (FUNCTION) key to enter the
function menu. The default option of the menu
is “TRANSPOSE”. Every time you enter the
menu, the last used function will be displayed.
Press (FUNCTION) to select the option you
desire. Use the (+/YES) and (-/NO) buttons to
set the parameter. The options/parameters
are displayed on the right. Note: If there is no
response after 5 seconds in the (FUNCTION)
mode, the mode will quit automatically.
TRANSPOSE:
Press the (FUNCTION) button to enter the
TRANSPOSE sub-menu. The LCD will display
current transpose value. Use the (+/YES) and
(-/NO) buttons to adjust the transpose value
from -6 to 6 semitones. To set to default press
(+/YES) and (-/NO) buttons simultaneously.
OCTAVE:
Press the (FUNCTION) button to enter the
OCTAVE sub-menu. The LCD will display current
octave value. Use the (+/YES) and (-/NO)
buttons to adjust the octave value from -1 to
1 octaves. To set to default press (+/YES) and
(-/NO) buttons simultaneously.
BEAT:
Press the (FUNCTION) button to enter the
BEAT sub-menu. The LCD will display current
beat value. Use the (+/YES) and (-/NO)
buttons to adjust the beat value: 0, 2 - 9.
OPTION LCD RANGE DEFAULT
TRANSPOSE XPS 00 -6 TO 6 0
OCTAVE OCT 00 -1 TO 1 0
BEAT BET 04 0, 2 TO 9 4
SPLIT SPT 19 1 TO 61 19 (#F3)
MIDI IN CHI ALL 1 TO 16, ALL ALL
MIDI OUT CHO 01 1 TO 16 1
ACCOMP VOL AVL 20 00 TO 31 20
BANK SELECT BAK 01 1 TO 128 1
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FUNCTION MENU:
SPLIT POINT:
Press the (FUNCTION) button to enter the
SPLIT POINT sub-menu. The LCD will display
current split point value. Use the (+/YES)
and (-/NO) buttons to adjust the split point
value.
MIDI CHANNEL:
Press the (FUNCTION) button to enter the MIDI CHANNEL sub-menu. Use the (+/YES) and
(-/NO) buttons to select a midi in/out channel from 1 to 16.
ACCOMPANIMENT VOLUME:
Press the (FUNCTION) button to enter the
ACCOMP VOLUME sub-menu. The LCD will
display current accompaniment volume
value; ranging between 0 and 31). Use the
(+/YES) and (-/NO) buttons to adjust the
accompaniment volume value. To set to
default press (+/YES) and (-/NO) buttons
simultaneously- LCD will display ACC OFF.
BANK SELECT:
Press the (FUNCTION) button to enter
the BANK SELECT sub-menu. The LCD will
display BNK 01; the bank of the midi output
sound could be adjusted from 1 to 128.
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SONG:
There are 100 songs on the AK110 keyboard (see appendix). Each song can be practised in
the MELODY OFF mode.
1. START/STOP the song: Press the
(SONG) button to enter the “song mode”,
the song flag will light on the LCD- all songs
are looped. Press (START/STOP) button to
stop the song.
2. LOOP: The second time you start playing
the song, press the (START/STOP) button,
it will play the current song repeatedly.
3. SELECT the song: Use the (+/YES), (-/NO) buttons or the numeric keypad to select a song.
4. REW/FF/PAUSE: When a song is playing press (REW) to rewind, (FF) to fast forward or
(PAUSE) to pause the song. When the song is stopped press (STYLE), (VOICE) or (DUAL) to exit
the song mode.
LESSON MODE:
The lesson mode allows you to learn a song
via timing and accuracy. To enter lesson
mode, select song mode (press [SONG]
button), then press the (LESSON) button.
There are 3 levels to score the performance
of your playing. You can use the (R) or (L)
buttons to select which hand you want to
practice with. (R) hand is default. You can also
select both hands for the lesson.
Note: The hand choice varies on different
songs. If a chord song is chosen the left hand provides the chord and the right hand for the
melody. The LCD will indicate the melody position .
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LESSON MODE:
LESSON 1: PRACTICE TIMING:
When you have entered the lesson mode by pressing the (LESSON) button. It will default to
“LESSON 1”. Lesson 1 will test your accuracy of keeping in time. Press the (START/STOP)
button to begin.
Select either (L), (R) or (L) & (R). Whatever you have chosen, you will need to follow the melody
of that hand/hands, Once the lesson is completed - your evaluation will be announced.
LESSON 2: PRACTICE NOTE ACCURACY:
When you have entered the lesson mode by pressing the (LESSON) button. It will default to
“LESSON 1”. Press (LESSON) again to start Lesson 2. Lesson 2 will test your accuracy of notes.
Press the (START/STOP) button to begin.
Select either (L), (R) or (L) & (R). Whatever you have chosen, you will need to follow the melody
of that hand/hands, Once the lesson is completed - your evaluation will be announced.
LESSON 3: MELODY OFF
When you have entered the lesson mode by pressing the (LESSON) button. It will default to
“LESSON 1”. Press (LESSON) twice to start Lesson 3. Lesson 3 will test your accuracy of timing
and notes. Press the (START/STOP) button to begin.
Select either (L), (R) or (L) & (R). Whatever you have chosen, you will need to follow the melody
of that hand/hands, you must play the song melody correctly and in time. Once the lesson is
completed - your evaluation will be announced.
GRADE FUNCTION:
Lesson 1/Lesson 2/Lesson 3 all have the grading function. There are four levels; OK, GOOD,
VERY GOOD and EXCELLENT. After a grade is given , the song will be played again and retain
the lesson mode selected.
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