BOSSCO ME-20 User manual

©2007 Roland Corporation U.S. www.BOSSUS.com TBS251
ME-20 Guitar Multiple effects
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Welcome
Congratulations on your purchase of the Boss ME-20 Guitar Multi Effects. This TurboStart
contains step-by-step instructions that’ll quickly introduce you to the ME-20’s major
features.
Making Connections
Use the following procedure to connect your guitar to the ME-20, and then listen to it:
Connect an instrument cable from your guitar to the INPUT jack of the ME-20.1
Note: The ME-20 can be turned on only when a cable is inserted into its INPUT jack.
To hear the ME-20:
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Connect headphones to the ME-20’s PHONES output if you want to listen•
through headphones.
Use the ME-20’s L (MONO) OUTPUT jack if you’re connecting it to a mono
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guitar amp. If you’re using two guitar amps for a stereo sound, connect the
amps to the ME-20’s L (MONO) and R OUTPUT jacks.
Tuning the Guitar
The ME-20 features a built-in chromatic auto-tuner that allows you to tune your guitar
quickly and easily. Here’s how to use the tuner:
Press Pedals 1 and 2 simultaneously to switch to Tuner mode— two dashes appear
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in the display.
Play your high open E string—the display shows the name of the note closest to the
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pitch of the string you’ve played. If the string’s already nearly in tune, you see “E.”
Tune the string until its name appears in the display and an arrow on either side
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of the display points to the string’s name. When only the left-side arrow is lit, the
string’s tuned flat. When only the arrow on the right side lights, the string’s tuned
sharp.
Repeat Step 3 to tune the other five strings.
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To leave Tuner mode, press Pedals 1 and 2 simultaneously, or press EDIT/EXIT.5
Switching Between Manual and Memory Mode
The ME-20 features a Memory mode that lets you to store and recall up to 30 user
patches so you can quickly and easily load your favorite setups. The ME-20 also offers
Manual mode that lets you turn on and off the currently selected effects using the
pedals. Here’s how to switch between Manual and Memory modes:
Press Pedals 2 and 3 simultaneously to toggle between Manual and Memory
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Mode.
When you’re in Memory mode—
• the currently selected Bank number shows in
the display and the MEMORY indicator lights in the display.
When you’re in Manual mode—
• the MEMORY indicator is unlit, Pedal 1 turns the
OD/DS (Overdrive/Distortion) effect on and off, Pedal 2 turns the MOD effect
on and off, and Pedal 3 turns the DELAY effect on and off.
Selecting Patches
Patches are stored in the ME-20 in ten “banks,” numbered from 1 to 10. Each bank holds
three patches. To load a patch, you first select the bank that contains the patch, and then
you select the patch. Use the following procedure to load Patch 5-3—Bank 5, Patch 3—as
an example:
Press Pedals 2 and 3 simultaneously to enter Memory mode where the current Bank
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number shows in the display and the display’s MEMORY indicator lights.
Press the BANK
2 or button so the number “5” flashes in the display. This tells
you that Bank 5 is selected and that the ME-20 is waiting for you to choose the
desired patch in Bank 5.
Now step on Pedal 3—the “5” stops flashing and Patch 5-3 is loaded.
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Using the same procedure, try out some of the other patches in the ME-20.4
Tip: You can also select different banks using Pedals 2 and 3. To do so, press and hold Pedal
2 for two seconds until the pedal indicators are flashing, and then press Pedal 1 or 2 to
select a desired bank. Once you’ve chosen the bank, press Pedal 3, and then press one of the
three pedals to select the desired patch.

©2007 Roland Corporation U.S. www.BOSSUS.com TBS251
ME-20 Guitar Multiple effects
b®
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Editing Patches
You can change the sound of any patch by editing its parameters. Use the knobs to
change effect parameter settings, and use the pedals to turn effects on or off.
Use the “Selecting Patches” steps on the previous page to select a patch for
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editing.
Press EDIT/EXIT—the MEMORY indicator and“Ed”flash in the display to show you’re
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in Patch Edit mode.
Press the OD/DS, MOD, and DELAY pedals to turn the OD/DS, MOD and DELAY
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effects on and off as desired.
To edit an effect, press its pedal so its indicator lights.
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Turn the knobs to change the effect’s parameter settings as desired.5
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to adjust other the parameters of other effects.6
Note: You may need to fully sweep a knob past the value stored in the current patch to hear
a change in the effect.
Tip: For detailed information on the various effects, refer to Pages 16–21 in the ME-20
Owner’s Manual.
Saving a Patch
You can store your own custom settings as one of the ME-20’s 30 user patches using the
following procedure:
Press WRITE—the MEMORY indicator and bank number begin to flash.
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Note: To show you the currently selected bank and patch location, the bank number on the
display and the indicators on Pedal 1, 2, and/or 3 flash.
Press BANK
2  or  to select the bank in which you’d like to store your new
patch.
Press Pedal 1, 2, or 3 to select the desired patch location within the selected bank.
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Press WRITE—the patch is now stored into the ME-20’s memory.4
EZ Edit
EZ Edit is a feature that lets you create your own custom patches quickly and easily,
allowing you to adjust combinations of effect parameters with a single knob. Use the
following steps to try out EZ Edit:
Enter Manual mode as described earlier.
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Press EZ EDIT.2
Press the OD/DS, MOD, and DELAY pedals so their indicators are lit. This turns on3
each of the effect groups.
Turn the Parameter knobs to change the different effects. The OD/DS knob
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selects different overdrive and distortion types. The MOD knob selects different
modulation effects. The DELAY knob selects different delay and reverb effects.
The Expression Pedal
The ME-20 features on on-board expression pedal to control volume, as well as a wah
effect. The built-in switch underneath the expression pedal makes it quick and easy to
toggle between controlling volume or wah. Here’s how:
Press the pedal all the way forward, and then give it a stronger push. When the WAH
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indicator lights up red, the pedal is controlling wah. When the indicator is unlit, the
pedal is controlling volume.
Each time you press the pedal forward and give it a solid push, it toggles between
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wah and volume.