Roland Aerophone mini User manual

Owner’s Manual
* Before using this unit, carefully read “USING THE UNIT SAFELY” (p. 16) and
“IMPORTANT NOTES”(p. 18). After reading, keep the document(s) where it
will be available for immediate reference.
Contents
Panel Descriptions ................... 2
Before You Play ...................... 4
Selecting the Power Source .......... 4
Turning the Aerophone mini On ...... 5
Wrapping the Band ................. 5
Changing the Sound Settings ........ 6
Provide As Necessary................ 8
Connecting Your Headphones or
External Speakers ............... 8
Returning to the Factory Settings
(Factory Reset) .................. 8
Playing ............................. 9
Attaching the Neck Strap ............ 9
Holding the Aerophone mini......... 9
How to Make Sound ................10
Using the Octave keys...............10
Pressing the Performance Keys .......11
Using the Bluetooth Functionality ..... 12
Here’s What You Can Do .............12
Connection Procedure ..............12
Performing Along with Music
Played by Your Smartphone ......12
Using the Aerophone mini with
an App......................... 13
If You Can’t Connect via Bluetooth ....14
Caring for the Aerophone mini ........15
USING THE UNIT SAFELY .............. 16
IMPORTANT NOTES .................. 18
AE-01 © 2019 Roland Corporation

22
Panel Descriptions
1Mouthpiece
A mouthpiece that is constructed as a single unit with the reed.
2Performance keys
These keys are used for performance. You can play using ngering that’s
based on that of a recorder.
&“Pressing the Performance Keys”(p. 11)
3Built-in speakers
4Mouthpiece Cap
Protects the mouthpiece. When you’re not playing, leave the mouthpiece
cap attached. Taking care that it does not touch the reed, press it on until
you hear it click into place.
5Octave keys (UP/DOWN)
Switch the octave. You can use these to raise or lower the pitch by one
octave. Operate them using the left-hand thumb.
You also use these keys to select the value of a sound setting.
&“Using the Octave keys” (p. 10)
&“Changing the Sound Settings” (p. 6)
6Thumb rest
Place your left thumb here.
&“Holding the Aerophone mini”(p. 9)
7[FUNCTION] button
Use this button to specify various settings such as the sound, volume,
and transposition.
&“Changing the Sound Settings” (p. 6)
1
2
5
6
7
8
39
4
10
15
16
17
11
13
14
12

33
Panel Descriptions
8Thumb hook/Strap ring
Place your right thumb under the hook. You can attach a neck strap to
the strap ring.
&“Holding the Aerophone mini”(p. 9)
&“Attaching the Neck Strap” (p. 9)
9Battery case
If you are using the Aerophone mini on batteries, insert four Ni-MH
batteries (AA).
&“Selecting the Power Source”(p. 4)
* Please note that alkaline batteries and zinc-carbon batteries cannot be
used.
10
Water drain
Drops of water will exit here. Wipe them o with a soft cloth.
11
PHONES/OUTPUT jack
Connect this jack to your headphones or external speakers.
&“Connecting Your Headphones or External Speakers”(p. 8)
12
Bluetooth LED (blue)
The LED indicates the Bluetooth connection status.
Lit Connected via Bluetooth
Blinking Waiting to connect via Bluetooth
Unlit Bluetooth o
13
Power LED (orange)
The LED indicates whether the power is on/o and the amount
remaining in the batteries.
Lit Power on
Blinking Batteries are low
Unlit Power o
14
[L] switch
This switches between power o, power on, and power on + Bluetooth
on.
&“Turning the Aerophone mini On” (p. 5)
15
Power Select Switch
This selects the Aerophone mini’s power source (batteries or USB AC
adaptor).
&“Selecting the Power Source”(p. 4)
16
USB Port
If you are powering the Aerophone mini from a USB AC adaptor, connect
the included USB cable.
&“Selecting the Power Source”(p. 4)
* Do not use any cable other than the included USB cables.
17
Cord hook
When using a USB cable, use this cord hook to secure it.
&“Selecting the Power Source”(p. 4)

44
Step 1 Selecting the Power Source
The Aerophone mini can be powered by batteries or by a USB AC adaptor.
When using batteries
This allows approximately 10 hours of playing.
1. Insert four Ni-MH (AA) batteries.
* Please note that alkaline batteries and zinc-carbon batteries cannot be
used.
2. Set the power select switch to“BATTERY.”
* When turning the unit over, be careful so as to protect the buttons and knobs
from damage. Also, handle the unit carefully; do not drop it.
* Battery life can vary depending on the specications of the batteries, capacity
of the batteries, and the conditions of use.
* When the batteries run low, the power LED (orange) blinks.
* If you handle batteries improperly, you risk explosion uid leakage. Make sure
that you carefully observe all of the items related to batteries that are listed in
“USING THE UNIT SAFELY” (p. 16) and“IMPORTANT NOTES”(p. 18).
When using USB AC adaptor
You can play without being concerned about how much battery power you
have left.
1. Connect a USB cable (included) and USB AC adaptor
(sold separately) to the Aerophone mini’s USB port.
* A USB AC adaptor is not included. Use a charger such as intended for a
smartphone or tablet.
* This unit cannot charge batteries that are installed in it, even if it is
connected by a USB cable to a USB AC adaptor that’s plugged into an AC
outlet.
USB cable
USB AC adaptor
2. Use the cord hook to secure the USB cable.
Before You Play

55
Before You Play
3. Set the power select switch to“USB.”
* Use only the included power supply USB cable. When connecting or
disconnecting the cable, grasp the plug itself; do not pull the cable.
* Handle USB cables with care. If saliva drips down the USB cable and reaches
the interior of the USB AC adaptor, malfunctions or electrical shock might
occur.
Step 2 Turning the Aerophone mini On
Set the [L] switch to “ON.” If you want to use Bluetooth functionality, set it
to the “ ” position.
[L] switch
Power LED
Bluetooth LED
NOTE
The sensitivity of the mouthpiece is automatically adjusted when you
turn on the power (this unit takes about seven seconds for the system to
start). For this reason, don’t bite or touch the mouthpiece while turning
on the [L] switch.
* The power LED indicates whether power is on or o.
* When you turn the power switch“OFF,”the power LED blinks and the shutdown
process occurs. Do not remove the batteries or disconnect the USB AC adaptor
until the LED goes dark.
* The power to this unit will be turned o automatically after a predetermined
amount of time has passed since it was last used for playing music, or its
buttons or controls were operated (Auto O function). To prevent the power
from turning o automatically, make settings in the app to disable the Auto O
function. To turn the power on again, set the [L] switch to the “OFF”position,
and then move it back to the“ON” position.
Step 3 Wrapping the Band
If you continue playing for an extended time, saliva from
your mouth might drip down across the instrument and
enter the interior from around the [L] switch or any keys.
When playing the instrument, wrap the included band
around it as shown in the illustration.

66
Before You Play
Step 4 Changing the Sound Settings
1. While holding down the [FUNCTION] button,
press the performance key of the item you
want to set, pressing it the appropriate
number of times for the setting you want.
Each time you press the performance key, the
setting value increases, and you hear a number of
beeps corresponding to the selected value.
Example: If you want to change the“1: SAX”
tone to“5: VIOLIN,”hold down the [FUNCTION]
button and press the [TONE] button four times in
succession.
MEMO
You can also change the value of a setting by holding down the
[FUNCTION] button and using the [UP][DOWN] buttons.
Tone Performance key 1 [TONE]
Tone List
Value Tone Name
1SAX
2FLUTE
3CLARINET
4TRUMPET
5VIOLIN
6SAW LEAD (Synthesizer sounds)
* The tone names are also listed on the battery cover of the Aerophone mini
unit.
Volume Performance key 2 [VOLUME]
This adjusts the volume of the Aerophone mini unit. This aects the volume
of the built-in speaker and the volume from the device that’s connected to
the PHONES/OUTPUT jack.
Value Explanation
1–5 Higher values are a louder volume; lower values are a lower volume.
[TONE]
[VOLUME]
[BREATH]
[REVERB]
[FUNCTION]
[UP]
[DOWN]
[TRANSPOSE]
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
¾
²

77
Before You Play
How your breath aects the sound Performance key 3 [BREATH]
Species how the sound responds to the force of your breath.
Value Explanation
1 Light2 We recommend these settings if you’re a beginning wind
instrument player, or if you’re not condent of your lung
capacity. Fortissimo () can be produced even by blowing
relatively softly.
2 Light1
3 Middle This setting is the closest to the response of an actual wind
instrument.
4 Heavy1 We recommend these settings for wind instrument players.
Fortissimo () is produced only when you blow quite strongly.
5 Heavy2
Reverberation Performance key 4 [REVERB]
This adjusts the depth of reverberation.
Value Explanation
1–5 Higher values produce deeper reverberation; lower values
produce shallower reverberation (A value of 1 is no reverberation).
Selecting the key Performance key ¾oro²[TRANSPOSE]
You can transpose in semitone steps. For example if you’re reading music
written for alto sax, set this to“+3”(E²).
MEMO
If you press [UP] and [DOWN] simultaneously, the transpose setting is
reset to “C.”
Value Key Explanation
+6 F
¾
You hear a short, high-pitched “beep” for a number of times
corresponding to the value of the setting.
+5 F
+4 E
+3 E²
+2 D
+1 C¾
0C You hear a medium-pitched “beep”twice.
-1 B
You hear a long, low-pitched“beep” for a number of times
corresponding to the value of the setting.
-2 B²
-3 A
-4 A²
-5 G

88
Before You Play
Step 5 Provide As Necessary
Connecting Your Headphones or External Speakers
If you want to connect headphones or an external
speaker, connect them to the PHONES/OUTPUT jack.
* To prevent malfunction and equipment failure, always
turn down the volume, and turn o all the units before
making any connections.
Headphones
Since sound is not produced by the built-in speaker of the Aerophone mini,
this is convenient for night-time practice.
External speakers
Since this allows high volume to be produced, it is convenient when you’re
performing live for a large number of people.
Returning to the Factory Settings (Factory Reset)
Here’s how to return the Aerophone mini to its factory-set state.
1. While holding down both of the buttons [UP] and [DOWN], turn
the [L] switch “ON.”
A series of short “beeps”is heard, asking you to conrm the operation.
2. Press the [FUNCTION] button.
A long “beep”is heard, and the settings return to the factory-set state.
3. Turn the power o, and then on again.
This completes the factory reset.
or

99
Playing
Step 1 Attaching the Neck Strap
Attach the hook of the strap to the strap ring of the Aerophone mini.
Step 2 Holding the Aerophone mini
1. Hold it as shown in the illustration.
* If saliva runs down during performance, use a dry cloth to wipe it o
diligently.
2. Place your left thumb on the thumb rest, and place your right
thumb under the thumb hook.
Left thumb
Right thumb
Thumb hook
Thumb rest

1010
Playing
Step 3 Using the Octave keys
Use your left thumb to switch the octave.
You can raise or lower the pitch by one octave.
-1
+1 UP
DOWN
Step 5 How to Make Sound
To begin, let’s try playing C D E F G A B C.
Take a deep breath, and blow as through you’re lling the entire instrument.
C D E F G A B C
&For details on ngering, refer to “Fingering Chart”
at the end of this manual.