Kawai Digital Drum Machine R-50e User manual

KAWAI
DIGITAL DRUM MACHINE

INTRODUCTION
FEATURES
PROFESSIONAL-QUALITY PCM SOUNDS
The R-50e's 24 separate drum and tuned percussion
sounds have all been recorded in the professional 12-bit
PCM with asampling rate of 32k. The sound quality is
suitable for any recording situation, including Compact
Disk.
EASY TO USE
Getting around on the the R-50e is straight-forward
and intuitive. It even comes with 50 preset rhythm
patterns and 4preset pad set-ups to get you started.
PROGRAMMABLE DRUM KITS
The R-50e provides for 8user-defined pad set-ups. Each
pad can be assigned adrum, tuning, pan, accent, level,
delay, gate and flange.
PROGRAMMABLE TRIGGERS
Eight triggers can be incorporated into drum patterns to
fire external MIDI devices.
FLEXIBLE OUTPUT
Stereo and mono outputs are fed by the stereo pan control
on each drum. Asound can also be assigned to the
individual output on the rear panel.
Thank you for purchasing the Kawai R-50e Digital
Drum Machine! While the R-50e is easy to operate,
this Owner's Manual contains valuable information to
help you get the most from your new instrument. We
recommend that you read it carefully and keep it handy
for future reference.
COMPLETE CAPABILITIES
50 user-defined rhythm patterns with step or real-time
recording and editing. Build songs with sophisticated
features like insert, delete, and mulitply. 10 songs can
be linked together to make performances smoother.
FULL MIDI IMPLIMENTATION
The R-50e's MIDI features let you record patterns
from external sources such as keyboards and drum
pads. The internal sounds can also be triggered by
external devices such as sequencers. MIDI clock in and
out includes Song Pointer for synchronization with
sequencers, drum machines and tape. The system-
exclusive implimentation also enables remote
operation and MIDI Data Dumps to another R-50e or
MIDI data storage device.
POLYPHONIC
Sounds are dynamically assigned to the R-50e's eight
voices. Sounds can be replayed without cutting off the
decay of the original sound.
WARNING: This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy. If not installed and
used in accordance with the instruction manual, it can cause interference to radio communicatVons S
rules w.th which it must comply afford reasonable protection against interference when used in most
ocations. However, there can be no guarantee that such interference will not occur in aparticular installa-
tion. If this equipment does not cause interference to radio or the equipment off and on the user is
encouraged to try correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
-reorient the receiving antenna.
-move the receiver away from the drum machine
~circuit^ digkal Plan°int °3different °utlet so that drum machine and receiver are on different branch
-consult the dealer or an experienced radio television technician.
K3Wai R-50e P*™* Manual •Text: Jeff Burger Design: Interface •S1987 Kawai Musical Ins.. Mfg. Co., Ltd •AH Rights Reserved Printed in Japan

1.TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. TABLE OF CONTENT? I8. EDITING RHYTHM PATTFPNS 17
OVERDUB RECORDING 17
2. CARE AND MAINTFNANrP 2Overdubbing Preset Patterns 17
ERASING 17
3. CONTROLS 4Erasing aPattern 17
FRONT PANEL 4Erasing an Instrument 17
R-50e PRESET RHYTHMS 4Erasing aBar 18
REAR PANEL 5Erasing aNote 18
Erasing All Memory 18
4. OVERVIEW £SWING 19
SOUNDS 6COPYING PATTERNS 20
Pads 6
GETTING AROUND 69. SONGS 2J.
Cursor Keys 6BUILDING SONGS 21
Volume 6Song Tempo 21
Song Construction 21
5. WORKING WITH DPI IMKITff zBuilding Tools-
CHANGING USER SETTINGS 7Insert, Delete, and Multiply 22
CHANGING DRUMS 7Linking Songs 23
Level 7PLAYING SONGS 24
Accent 8Start at aDesignated Section 24
Tuning 8Bar Count 24
Pan 8ERASING SONGS 25
Gate 8Erase All Songs 25
Delay 9
Flange 9JUL MIDI 2£
MIXER 10 MIDI SYNC 26
Level 10 MIDI IN 27
Manual Pan 10 Omni Mode 27
Pan 10 Receive Channel 27
Key Info 27
6. PLAYING RHYTHM PATTERNS 11 Velocity 28
TEMPO 12 Volume 28
Tap Tempo 12 Program Changes 28
Start/Stop 28
LRECORDING RHYTHM PATTFRNS _L3. MIDI Note Assignments 29
REAL TIME RECORDING 13 Initial Reset 29
Number of Bars 13 ;MIDI OUT 30
Time Signature [
13 Poly/Mono Mode 30
Error Correct 13 Send Channel 30
Metronome 13 !Inst Info 30
Recording i4 ;
Trigger Info 31
STEP RECORDING 15 !Velocity 31
Number of Bars 15 Program Change 31
Time Signature 15 Stop/Start 31
Recording 15 MIDI Note Assignments 32
Note Trigger 32
MIDI SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE 33
Transmit 33
Receive 34
Kawai R-50e Owner's Manual •Page 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Continued)
11. ASSIGN 22
ASSIGN VOICE 37
Assign Hi-Hat 37
ASSIGN OUTPUT 38
ASSIGN FOOTSWITCH 39
Footswitch Functions 39
12. CASSETTE STORAGE 4Q
CASSETTE SAVE 40
CASSETTE VERIFY 41
CASSETTE LOAD 41
13. MEMORY MANAGEMENT 42
CHECKING AVAILABLE MEMORY 42
ERASING ALL OF MEMORY 42
14. R-50e PAD SETTING C^ART 43.
15. MIDI NOTE ASSIGNMENTS 45
16. MIDI DATA FORMAT &
17. MIDI IMPLEMENTATION 47
18. SPECIFICATIONS 4g
19. R-50e PRESET PATTERNS 42
Page 2•Kawai R-50e Owner's Manual

2. CARE AND MAINTENANCE
PROTECT YOUR R-50e FROM:
•Direct sunlight and exposure to the elements
•Temperature and humidity extremes
•Unstable or "noisy" AC power
•Dust and sand
Vibration during transport
POWER SUPPLY
•Use only the 12-volt power supply included with your R-
50e. Other power supplies may damage the unit.
•Make sure that all power switches are off before
changing equipment connections
CLEANING
•Clean the instrument with asoft cloth, amild detergent
and lukewarm water.
•Never use harsh or abrasive cleansers or organic
solvents.
HELPFUL HINTS
•BATTERY BACK-UP
The lithium battery that preserves memory contents while
the power supply is off is good for more than five years of
normal use. We recommend however, that you have your
nearest authorized service representative replace it after 5
years have passed.
•LINE NOISE RESET
In the unlikely event of a
interference, simply turn the
seconds and then turn it back on.
"lock-up" due to line
R-50e off for afew
•REPAIRS
The R-50e should only be service by an authorized
Kawai repair station. Always save your valuable
internal data to acassette tape or MIDI before taking
the drum machine in for service, as the data may be
erased during repair.
Kawai R-50e Owner's Manual •Page 3

3. CONTROLS
FRONT PANEL
COMMAND KEYS LCD DISPLAY VOLUME CONTROL
KAWAI
.DRUM MACh
!-50
DIGITAL DRUM MACHINE -J^ JVAfJ}*?/
CflUPfiTTERH REfiCfcMEREC STEP REC SHIHG Cnpy
"HIvIi i [
—
CALL SUMO BUILD
I
MIDI fiSSIGH Sfi'.'E/LOfiD
-IHSER TDELE TE HUL TIFLV
PAD 1PAD 2PAD 3PAD 4
PADS PAD? /AD SPAD SPAD 10
ACCENT KEY
ERASE KEY
DRUM PADS (1-10)
R-50e PRESET PATTERNS
(PATTERNS 5099)
CURSOR KEYS
START /STOP KEYS
SYSTEM CONTROL KEYS
i
T" 2
1
345I67
1
81
9
Elec. Pop 1
50
Elec. Pop 1
Fill In
Elec. Pop 2Elec. Pop 2
Fill In
8Beat 18Beat 1
Fill In
Disco 1Disco 1
Fill In
Elec. Pop 3Elec. Pop 3
Fill In
Heavy Rock
60
Heavy Rock
Fill In
Heavy Metal Heavy Metal
Fill In
8Beat 28 Beat 2
Fill In
Disco 2Disco 2
Fill In
Elec. Pop 4Elec. Pop 4
Fill In
Count
70
16 Beat 116 Beat 1
Fill In 1
16 Beat 1
Fill In 2
16 Beat 216 Beat 2
Fill In
16 Beat 316 Beat 3
Fill In
16 Beat 416 Beat 4
Fill In
16 Beat 5
80
16 Beat 5
Fill In 1
16 Beat 5
Fill In 2
Ballad 1Ballad 1
Fill In
Ballad 2Ballad 2
Fill In
Disco 3Disco 4Disco 4
Fill In
Ballad 3
90
Ballad 3
Fill In
Echo Shuffle 1Shuffle 1
Fill In
Shuffle 2Shuffle 2
Fill In
Shuffle 3Shuffle 3
Fill In
Street Kids
Page 4•Kawai R-50e Owrler's Manual

REAR PANEL
POWER DC IN
OFF
HCD 12U FHWHE5 RL<riDNO> IHDIU fl-FF. 5W.-B rTFF'E-, OUT- MI DI-I H
OUT i„ /^ ^
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•POWER -Main power ON/OFF switch
•DC IN -Connection for 12V 500mA power supply.
•OUTPUTS
The R-50e does not include apower amplifier or
speaker. To hear the instrument you must use
headphones or connect it to asound system
(preferably full-range).
PHONES
Connection for standard stereo headphones.
R
Connection for right portion of slcrco output.
L(MONO)
Connection for left portion of stereo output Also
used as amono output if stereo is not required.
INDIV.
Connection for the Individual Output channel to
which any given drum can be assigned.
FT. SW. A
Connection for first optional F-l footswitch.
Footswitch functions are programmable.
FT. SW. B
Connection for second optional F-l footswitch
Footswitch functions are programmable.
TAPE OUT
For connection to cassette deck input for data
storage.
TAPE IN
For connection to cassette deck output for data
retrieval.
MIDI IN/OUT
Connection to external MIDI gear.
Kawai R-50e Owner's Manual •Page 5

4. OVERVIEW
SOUNDS
The R-50e features the following 24 digital drum and
tuned percussion sounds:
ELECTRONIC BASS DRUM
REVERB BASS DRUM
ACOUSTIC BASS DRUM
ELECTRONIC SNARE DRUM
REVERB SNARE DRUM
ACOUSTIC SNARE DRUM
GATED SNARE DRUM
RIM SHOT
ELECTRONIC TOM HIGH
ELECTRONIC TOM MID
ELECTRONIC TOM LOW
REVERB TOM HIGH
REVERB TOM LOW
HI-HAT CLOSED
HI-HAT OPEN
CRASH CYMBAL
HAND CLAPS
CLICK
FINGER SNAP
NORMAL ELECTRIC BASS
FUNK ELECTRIC BASS
ORCHESTRA HIT 1
ORCHESTRA HIT 2
TIMPANI
(BD1)
(BD2)
(BD3)
(SD1)
(SD2)
(SD3)
(SD4)
(RIM)
(TOM1)
(TOM2)
(TOM3)
(TOM4)
(TOM5)
(HHCL)
(HHOP)
(CRSH)
(CLAP)
(CLIK)
(SNAP)
(BAS1)
(BAS2)
(HIT1)
(HIT2)
(TIMP)
These instruments can be assigned to Pads 1-10 along
with other parameters such as tunings, accent, panning,
level and processing. Four pad set-ups arc preset and
eight combinations arc user-definable.
Rhythm patterns can be recorded individually using any of
the pads in memory and up to eight voices can sound
simultaneously. Rhythm patterns can then be assembled
into asong and individual songs can be linked together to
automate entire sets.
PADS
The sounds in the current pad set-up or drum kit are
played using the 10 pads labeled PAD 1-PAD 10.
Additional kits are accessed using the PAD key.
GETTING AROUND
Operations on the R-50e are fairly uniform. Please take
amoment to familiarize yourself with standard
communication with the R-50e.
Major command categories are engaged by pressing the
correspondingly marked button. For keys with two
commands, the lower command is accessed by pressing
the key twice in succession. In either case, pressing the
same button again exits the command category.
Additional commands are structured in amenu/sub-menu
format and are accessed by pressing the ENT./REP. key
successively for each command. In some instances, the
BACK key can be used to move backward through aseries
of sub-menu choices. The ENT./REP. and BACK keys
also serve as "Execute" and "Cancel" for certain
operations.
CURSOR KEYS
The 4and keys arc used to increment and decrement
(lie value displayed in the window. The -a. and "w keys
change similar parameters in steps of +/-10. -*> and -w also
change certain other display attributes such as drum
selection. The arrow keys repeat their functions when held
clown.
VOLUME
The VOLUME control serves as amaster volume control
for the entire instrument. Individual volumes are accessed
via the MIXER.
Page 6•Kawai R-50e Owner's Manual

5. WORKING WITH DRUM KITS
It is important to understand that pads and drums are
independent of one another. Adrum can be assigned to
more than one pad at atime and the different pads can then
be set for different variations in tuning, level and
process.ng to facilitate easy and versatile entry of
patterns. y
Pressing PAD displays the current drum kit. The R-50e
comes with 4preset drum kits (PRE. 1-4) and 8user-
defined drum kits (USER 1-8). (The instrument comes out
of the box with PRE. 1assigned to the pads.) Play the 10
pads to hear each sound.
Pressing the 4and keys moves through PRE 1-4
(presets) and USER 1-8. Select each kit in turn and
play the 10 pads.
CHANGING USER SETTINGS
While the presets cannot be altered,
USER 1-8 are designed to be
programmed to suit your needs.
After selecting the appropriate
USER drum kit, ENT./REP.
accesses the next function and
BACK returns you to the previous
function. To exit PAD mode at
any time press PAD again.
You can select apad during any of
these functions simply by hitting it.
The pad number is displayed along
with the appropriate information
for the current function and the
pads can be played while making
changes.
PAD
w
DRUM
•w
LEVEL
v
ACCENT
•w
TUNE
•w
PAN
•
GATE
DELAY
•v
FLANGE
CHANGING DRUMS
This IS where drums are selected for the current pad
(the one played last). Besides the 24 percussion and
drum sounds, eight triggers are available which can be
programmed to play external MIDI devices Trigger
parameters are set up under MIDI OUT.
Press ENT./REP. from the' USER display. Press the ^
«!!m Tkeyut0 chan?e^d™"1assignment. The display
will show the currently selected drum Py
LEVEL
While the front-panel pads are not physically sensitive
they can be programmed to record notes into patterns at a
specified velocity or volume.
Press ENT./REP. from the DRUMS display. Use the
4and keys to change the LEVEL assignment The
bar graph in the display represents the LEVEL setting.
EXAMPLE
Press PAD to enter PAD
mode.
Use 4and Kto select akit.
Press ENT./REP. to get into
the kit.
Play apad to access
settings for that pad.
*PHD
*PRD
E
Press ENT./REP. to access
LEVEL.
Use 4and to change the
pad volume. E
PRE .1
USER1
pad iTurn :
*PHD 9TOM
4
Press -a. and tochange
the assigned instrument. |*PRD 9T0M5
*PRD 9LUL. II
'PRO 9LUL. I
(continued on next page)
Kawai R-50e Owner's Manual •Page 7

ACCENT
Each pad can be given an accent level which is invoked
when the ACCENT key is depressed in conjunction with
the given pad. The ACCENT level can actually be higher
or lower than the LEVEL setting.
Press ENT./REP. from the LEVEL display. Use the 4
and keys to change the ACCENT level. The bar graph
in the display represents the level.
TUNING
Each pad can be tuned -8/+7semitones from the drum's
original pitch. Several pads using the same drum could be
tuned differently to create tuned percussion.
Press ENT./REP. from the ACCENT display. Use the 4
and keys to change the tuning. The graph in the
display increases as the pitch gets higher and decreases as
the pitch gets lower.
8bars represent original pitch.
PAN
Each pad can be positioned anywhere in the stereo field
when both the LEFT and RIGHT outputs are used.
EXAMPLE (continued)
Press ENT./REP. to
access ACCENT.
Use 4and to change
the ACCENT setting.
Press ENT./REP. to
access TUNE.
Change pad tuning using 4
and .
Press ENT./REP. to
access PAN.
Use 4and to change
pad panning.
Press ENT./REP. to
access GATE.
Use 4and to change
the pad gate setting.
*PRD 9
*PAD 9
*PflD 9
*PflD 9
PAD 9
*PHO 9
PAD 3
RC. II
AC. I
TUHEI
TUNEil
PAD 9PAH
PRH II
GATE 9
GATE 1
(continued on next page)
Press ENT./REP. from the TUNE display. Use the 4and
keys to place the sound. The graph in the display
indicates the left-to-right placement of the current
pad.
8bars represent center position.
(0-7: Left, 9-15: Right)
GATE
Gating refers to cutting off part of asound. Apopular
recording technique today is to apply agate to areverbed
drum sound to choke the reverb effect off abruptly.
Press ENT./REP. from the PAN display. Each pad can be
given its own gate setting using the 4and keys to
select GATE 1, GATE 2or GATE 3. GATE indicates
no gating effect.
Page 8•Kawai R-50e Owner's Manual