Roland MT 120 User manual

Roland
Digital Sequencer
And Sound Module
OWNER'S MANUAL
GENERAL
-~

Information
When you need repair service, call your local Roland Service Station or the authorized Roland distributor in your country as
shown below.
U.S. A.
GERMANY GREECE
QATAR KOREA
Roland Corporation US Roland Elektronische
V. Dimitriadis & Co. Ltd. Badie Studio & Stores Cosmos Corporation
7200 Dominion Circle Musikinstrumente 20, Alexandras Avn.,
GR P.O.Box 62, Service Station
Los Angeles, CA. 90040- Handelsgesellschaft mbH. 10682 Athens,
GREECE
DOHA Qatar
261 2nd 1-ioor Nak-Won
3&%, U.S. A. Oststrassc
%, 2000
TEL: [phone] TEL: [phone] Arcade Jong-Ro ku, Seoul,
TEL: [phone] Norderstedt, GERMANY KOREA
TEL: [phone]
PORTUGAL BAHRAIN
TEL: (ll21 742 8844
CANADA Casa Caius lnstrumentos Moon Stores
Roland Canada Music
FRANCE
Musicais Lda. Bad Al Bahrain Road,
SINGAPORE
Ltd.
Musikengro
Rua de S,mta Catarina 1 31
P.0.Box 20077 Swee
Lee Company
(Head Office) 102
Avenue jean-Jaures
4000 Porto, PORTUGAL State
of Bahrain
BLOCK 231.
5480 Parkwood Way
b'l007 Lyon Ceuex 07
TEL: [phone]
TEL: (0973l 211 005 Bain Street #03-23
Richmond B. C.. V6V 2M4
rRANCE
Bras Bas.ih Complex,
CANADA
TEL: [phone]
HUNGARY
BRAZIL
Singapore 071 H
TEL: [phone] lntermusica Ltd. Roland Brasil Lida.
TEL: [phone]
Musikengro (Paris Office) Warehouse Area 'DEPO'
R. Alvarenga 591 C:EP-05.509
Roland Canada Music
Centre Region Parisienne 41 Torokbalint, Budapest
Sao Paulo BRAZIL
PHILIPPINES
Ltd.
rue Charles-Fourier, Y4400
HUNGARY
TEL: [phone]& G.A. Yupangco & Co.
(Montreal Office) Vitry
SUR/SEINE FRANCE
TEL: (11 18&8905 Repair Service
for Rul.md and Inc.
9425 Tr,m!>canadienm .. •
TEL: [phone] b2
Rhode_, product5 Ll9 Gil
J. Puyal Avt'nut>
Service Rd. N., St Laurent,
ISRAEL
Oliver do Brasil S.A. Makati, Metro
Manila 1200,
Quebec H4S 1VJ,
CANADA
BELGIUM/HOLLAND/ D.J.A. International Ltd. lnstrumentos Musicais
Pl IILll'PIN[S
TEL: [phone]
LUXEMBOURG 11 Bar Gyiora St., Tel Aviv
TEL: [phone] :J
Rua Boturoca. 198/206
Roland Benelux N. V.
ISRAEL
CEP 05586-010 Vila lndian.i
Roland Canada Music Houtstraat 1 B-22b0 O,•vel-
TEL: 972-J-5283329
Butanta Sao Paulo-SP BRAZIL
THAILAND
Ltd. Westerlo BELGIUM
TEL: (0111 B14-1 344 Theera Music Co., Ltd.
(Toronto Office)
TEL: [phone]
CYPRUS
Repair Service for BOSS products 330 Verng
Nakorn Kasem,
346 Watline Avenue, Radex Sound Equipment
Soi 2, Bangkok 10100,
Mississauga, Ontario L4Z
DENMARK
Ltd.
MEXICO
THAILANf)
1X2, CANADA
Roland Scandinavia A/S 17 Di,1gornu
SL P.0.Rox
Casa Veerkamp, s.a. de
TEL: [phone]
I EL: {41 b) 890-6488
Langebrogade b Bu\ 1937 2046, Nicosia CYPRUS c.v.
VIETNAM
DK-1023 Copenhagen K. TEL: 453426, 466423
Mt>~one~ No. 21 Col. Centm
AUSTRALIA
DENMARK Saigon Music Distributor
Roland Corporation MEXICO D.F. 06080
TEL: [phone]
U.A.E
TEL: iSI 709-3716 3831\ Dien Bien Phu
St.
Australia Pty. Ltd. Zak Electronics & Jrcl. District
38 Campbell Avenue
SWEDEN
Musical Instruments Co.
La Casa Wagner de
Ho Chi l\·1i11k City, Vietnam
Dee Why West. NSW 2099
TEL: 84-8-391 J'l5/JJ2b74
AUSTRALIA Roland Scandinavia A/S P.O.
llox 11050
Guadalajara s.a. de c. v.
TEL: {021982-82bb Danvik
Center 28 A, .::! tr. DUBAI.
LJ.A.E
Av. Coron.a No. 202 S.J.
5-1 31 30 Nacka SWEDEN
TEL: 695774 C.P.44100 Guadalajara, MALAYSIA
TEL: [phone] Jalisco MEXICO Syarikat Bentley
NEW ZEALAND
SAUDI ARABIA
TEL: [phone] No. I42,
Jal.m Bu kit 8intang
Roland Corporation (NZ)
NORWAY
Omar Badoghaish
55100 Kuala Lumpur,
Ltd.
Roland Scandinavia Avd. Trading Corp.
VENEZUELA
MALAYSIA
97 Mt. Eden Road, Mt. Eden, Kontor Norge
lEL: (031 244JJ:U
Auckland :l, NEW ZEALAND P.O. Box
5980
Musicland Digital C.A.
Lilleakerveicn 2 Poslboks 95 Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA Av.
Francisco De Miranda,
TEL: [phone] l.ille.1ker
N-0216 Oslo 2
TEL: %6-02-6607038
Cl:>ntro Parque Cristal, Niwl
INDONESIA
NORW/\\'
C2 Lot:dl 20 CJr acas
PT Citrarama Belantika
UNITED KINGDOM
l"ll: 22-73 00 74
KUWAIT
VENEZUELr\
IL Alaydrus 84 B
Roland (U.K.) Ltd.
Easa Husain Al·Yousifi
TEL: [phone]
Jakarta 1(113ll
Rye Close Ancells Business
FINLAND
INDONESIA
P.O. Box 126 Saiat 13002
Park Fleet, Hampshire
CU! 3
fazer Musik Inc.
KUWAIT
PANAMA
TEL: 1021 i 38026 lU,
BUY, UNITED
KINCDOM
Lansituulentie POB 1b'J, Productos Superiores, 380263')
T[L:0252-816181
Ttl: %5-5719499
SF-02101 E,poo FINLAND
S.A.
TAIWAN
TEL: [phone]
LEBANON
Apartado 655 .. Panamu 1
Roland (U.K.) Ltd.,
A. Chahine & Fils
REP. DE PANAMA
Siruba Enterprise
Swansea Office
SWITZERLAND
(Taiwan) Co., LTD.
P.O. Box 16-5857
TEL: 26-3112
At!Jntit Clu~e. Swan~ed Musitronic
AG
Room. 5, 9fl. No. 112 Chung
Beirut,
LEBANON
[nterprise Park, Swansea,
Gerberslrassc 5, CH-4410
TFL: ·n57qg
ARGENTINA
Sh,rn N.Road Sec.2 Taipei,
West Glamorgan SA79Ff, Liestal, SWITZERLAND lnstrumentos Musicales
TAtWAN, R.0.C.
UNITED KINGDOM
TEL: [phone]
TEL: 107n) 700-139
TEL: Obl/911 16 15
TURKEY
S.A.
Barkat Sanayi ve Ticaret Florida 638
SOUTH AFRICA
ITALY
Roland CK (Switzerland) Siraselviler Cad.
8616 Taksim (1005) Buenos Aires
Roland Italy S. p. A.
AC Istanbul, TURKE\' ARGENTINA That
Other Music Shop
P.0.Box Landstrasse 5
TEL: [phone]
TU: 11 )]94-4029
(PTY) Ltd.
Viale delle lnuustric 8 20020
CH-4451 ltingen (BL)
11 Mi>lle StrPl't (Cnr Melle
ARESE MILANO IT AL\'
SWITZERLAND
and Juta Street)
EGYPT
HONGKONG
TEL: [phone] J 11
TEI: (bl I 971 RO 80
Brailmiontein 2001
RepJir Sen,it.e by Mu!o1l1om( AC
Al Fanny Trading Office Tom
Lee Music Co., Ltd. Republic
of South Africa
SPAIN
9, Ebn Hagar Ai Askalany Service Division
TEL: 17 11 40J-41ll5
Roland Electronics de
AUSTRIA
Street, Ard El Golf.
22-32 Pun Shan Street, Tsucn
Espana, s. A.
Heliopolis, Cairo. 11341 V\fan,
New Territories, Paul Bothner
(PTY) Ltd.
E. Dematte &Co.
Calle Bolivia 239 08020
EGYPT
HONG KONG
17 Werdmuller Centre
Neu-Rum Siemens-Slrasse 4
TEL: [phone]
TEL: [phone]
Barcelona, SPAIN 6021 Innsbruck P.O.Box 83 Claremont 7700
TEL: [phone] AUSTRIA Republic
of South Africa
TEL: (05121 lb 44 2b0
TEL: [phone]
As of Jun. 28. 1993

Roland
MT 120
Digital Sequencer
And Sound Module
IBM PC i~ a registered trademark of the International Business
Machines Corporation.
Macintosh
is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
DaynaFile is a trademark of Dayna Communications Inc.
Copyright © 1993 by Roland Corporation
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
in any form without the written permission of Roland Corporation.
1

Contents
Panel Description....................................................... .4 5. Recording Along with a Song on the Disk...............22
Accessories ...................................................................4 Recording the Right Hanel ...................................
..'..'
Control Functions..........................................................5 R<:>duing a Recording .............................................23
Introduction ..................................................................6
R<:>cording the Left Hand.......................................24
About this
Milnuill .........................................................6 Listening to the Song You have just Recorded ........24
MT-120 Features ...........................................................7 6. Playing Piano with the MT-120 as Accompaniment .25
With the MT-120, You Can...........................................7 Select a Song with MT-120 Accompaniment ......... 25
Basic Precautions ..........................................................8 Adjust the Volume of the MT-I20 ..........................25
Using Disks ...................................................................9 Music Minus One: Playing the piano part yoursell.25
Inserting a Disk........................................................9 7. Recording a New Song............................................26
Removing a Disk .....................................................9 Calling up d lllank Song ........................................2b
Write Protecting Your Disks .....................................9 Recording Along with the Metronome ...................26
Floppy Disks: Handle with Care ..............................9 Recording
without the Metronome Sound ............. 2B
Recording each Hand Separately...........................28
1. Operating the MT-120.............................. 11
8. Saving Data onto a Disk..........................................29
1. Making
the Connections .........................................12 Formatting a Disk ..................................................
2lJ
2. Turning the Power ON ............................................13 Saving
lo a Disk..................................................... {1
3. Listening to a Song on Disk.....................................14 9. Turning
the Power OFF ...........................................32
Inserting the Disk...................................................14
Selecting a Song ....................................................14
Starting Play ..........................................................15
2. Playing the Sounds of the MT-120 ............33
1. Tuning the MT-120 to Your Digital Piano (Tune)......34
MT- I 20 Tuning ......................................................34
Stopping Playback .................................................
15
Tuning Your Digital Piano ......................................34
Start/Stop Using the Pedal ................................. 15
2. Enjoying the Sounds of the MT-120 (Sound) ............35
Starting Playback Again from the Beginning........ 1h Selecting the MT-I 20's Sounds ..............................35
Starting Playback from the
Middle of the Song ....16 About Part 10 (!he Rhythm
P,1rl) ............................. lb
Transposing the Key of the Song..........................16
4. Playing Along with a Song on the Disk ...................17
Selecting a Song ....................................................17
Changing the Volunw of a Parl............................... Jb
Turning Pilrt Mute On or Off ................................... ~b
When You Want lo "Lock in" the Changes
for
Part Volume ...................................................37
Adjusting the Tempn..............................................17 Returning to the Piano Sound.................................\7
Right Hand Practice (Mute the Right Hand Part) .... 18
3. Recording an Ensemble Song................................... 38
Left Hand Practice (Mute the Left Hand Part) .........18
Calling Up a Blank Song ........................................38
Going Back to the Original Tempo .....................19
Playing
without Tempo Changes (Tempo Mute) ... 19
How to Set Up for an lnscmble .......................... JB
Recording the Drums .............................................39
Selecting the Rhythm Part....................................39
Playing Along with the Metronome .....................19 Loop Recording .....................................................40
About the Count-In .............................................20 Recording the
Bass .................................................42
Practice the same Section Over and Over
Selecting the Bass Part.........................................42
(Repeat Play) ....................................................... 21
Recording the Bass Part .......................................43
Recording the Chords and
Melody .........................43
2

3. Handy Features.........................................45
7. Appendix .................................................. 81
1. Playing Songs on the Disk One After Another 1. Contents of the Demo Song Disk.............................82
(All Song Play) .......................................................46 Profiles
of the Demo Song Composers ...................83
2. Changing the Metronome Resolution
2. Selecting Functions..................................................84
(Metro Beat) .........................................................
.4i
3. Data List ..................................................................85
3. Marking Places
in the Music (Marker A and B) ........48
4. Tone List ..................................................................86
Using the Marker Featurc.......................................48 5. Troubleshooting.......................................................
91
How to Set a Marker............................................48 6. Messages .................................................................92
Setting Marker Resolution ......................................49
How to Set a M,irker..............................................49 MIDI Implementation Chart........................................
94
Deleting a Marker..................................................50 Specifications ..............................................................96
lumping to a Ma1·ker ..............................................50 Index .........................................................................
9i
4. Recording Pickup Notes .......................................... 51
Printed Music for "Minuet".......................................... 99
5. Playing in Sync with Other Instruments ..................52
Getting Ready ........................................................ 52
Synchronized Pl;iy ................................................. 52
Playing with Count-In On or Off...............................101
Recording with Count-In
On or Off..........................102
Starting and Stopping Playing
on Other lnstruments...........................................53
Ending SynchmniLed Play......................................
53
4. Disk Handling...........................................55
1. Saving a Song onto Disk .........................................56
Saving a Song onto the Disk (Save) ........................56
Saving it
as a New Song (Save As) ..........................57
2. Copying a Song on the Disk (Song Copy) ................59
3. Copying
All the Songs on a Disk (All Song Copy) ....60
4. Deleting Songs on a Disk (Song Delete) ..................62
5. Making Use of Many Kinds of Data ..........63
1. ism music data (3.5-inch Disks) ...............................64
2. Standard MIDI Files.................................................65
3. Trying Minus
One Play ............................................ bi
Using an Electronic Piano to play
the MT-120's internal sound source.....................67
Using a Guitar
or Keyboard
(with its own sound source) ...................................69
6. MT-120 Ml DI Information........................73
1. About MIDI ............................................................. i4
2. The MT-120's Sequencer ......................................... i5
3. The MT-120's GS Sound Source...............................76
About the Number of Sounds that can be Played
Simultaneously....................................................77
About
Songs made on the MT-120 .........................77
4. MIDI Diagram of the MT-120..................................iB
5. MIDI Switching (MIDI) ...........................................79
3

Panel Description
Front Panel
Front Panel
il'.5)
Rear Panel
Roland
~IT 120 ~~~:;~M::~
Disk Drive IP!Ji
Mar>.er O O O
Clear A~Marke1~B Aopaat Volume
CJ CJ CJ CJt '-_ _._, ..... , 1..> ... , _....,
Power Switch Wn 32)
lnpul Seleclor SW (P.69) lnpul lacks (P.69)
o\115:myPt..iy M1t1u,,Onc,
_9ona
oCJ CJ
',,
Sound 0,~J...!1rna,
. :•... BeatC i
CJCJ
- Vwluc +
CJCJ
CJ CJ
,.., ...
O CJ
L...:Eriter
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CoLn! In M<=lrur,1.111.c
CJCJ
Track. O O
CE:]
~~
Reset
l:3wd Fwd
Stop Play
Rec
Making the Conneclions (P.12)
,L..-0_0_ -0-, -+i--r1--+---~---r .• ;
O OG"'~"·@~"""O) 0 (O"'P~ 6 0
Piano
SW
Me!ro11ome (P. 1])
Voh ... rnu
Ou!
In
--MIDI--
lnpul Volume Conlrol (P.69)
Accessories
AC adaptor ( 1)
(J
DC/DC cable (1J
~ P11mo
~ fat ffimJ Int
P.19
MIDI cables (2)
Demo Song f)isk (1)
4
Audio cables (I)
Owner's Manual t I)
Supplement (1)

Control Functions
Track huttons P.18
If you press J hulton so thdl the green
light is turned off, 110 sound will be
heard. WhC'n thC' MT-120 is in the
1·ecordi11g stand hy mode, these buttons
determine' which tr,ick will be recorded
on
Reset button
P.16,-
Rest-ts a song to tlw beginning.
Volume sl icier
P.15, 25
Use 1hi,
lo adjust the ovn.:ill volume
of the MT-120.
Transpose button P.16
Press to chJngC' thC' kC'y of J
pC'rformance.
Tempo button P.1 7
PrPSS to SPI the tempo.
Beat bullon P.27 i--
Press to set the beat.
Song button
P.14
Press to select a song.
Sound button P.35
This sPlects the Part to be pl;iyed
by the electronic pi;ino ;ind sets
Tcmes for each Part.
All Song Play button P.46
This plJys ;ill the songs on J
disk, one ;ifter another.
Disk/Tune button P.55/34 -
This is used lo execute disk-
related functions, and to set
tuning.
Minus One button P67
This is used for Minus One
play.
+ /
I
~o~J' F-''_ -' '. ."..'.'.~ '<~· "'" Beat~)
~ ~ IJ
I Measure Beal.. empo nspose1
~ ~ .= l
"" ~-----·--·------ - ~ c::J O b
c:::::::J I • r
..
;ck i'°I' I
Sound o,sk/Tune/
L.,._ c::J c::J
I
-
Value +
c::J c::J
~~~ O ._
0
... O LE~er
L__-----t-----"\ [!:] G:J G:J ~ CJ
o~
Counlln M~~
Marker O O
Clear A-Marker-B 0 Repeal
\.. Track O
"1-01u111e
r+-CJ CJ CJ
LI __ .._, _.(~l-1..I ----''
Fil I o
,.., C O I
R:.I I I'--,._·_..,
I
Repeat button P.21,
40
Activates the Repeat
function.
Marker buttons P.21, 48
Sets Markers A and B.
Marker Clear button
P.21, 50
Clears Markers A and
B.
Stop / Play
Stop button r. 15
Press to stop playback.
Play button P.15
Press to start play. -
Rec button r.22
This button puts the MT-1 20 in
the recording standby mode.
Count In button P.20
Activ;ites the count in function.
5
0
• A'~~
1/I Bwd Fwd
/r l
7/ __ ....._
Bwd button
Fwd button
P.16
Used to locate J specific
measure within a song.
Metronome button P. 19
Turns the
metronome on
and off.
Value buttons
These buttons change
the value
at the cursor
"11
1
·" position.
...

Introduction
We'd like to take a moment to thank you for purchasing
the Roland MT-120 Digital Sequencer and Sound
Module.
The MT-1 20 features an easy-to-use 5-lrack sequencer for
recording and playback, as well as a 16-part multi-
timbral GS sound source.
Concerning this Unit's Sound Sources
•General MIDI System
GENERAL The General MIDI System is a set of
fflliJI recommendations which seek lo provide a way ior
going bc>yond the limitations of proprietarv designs,
and standardize the MIDI capabilities provided by
sound generating devices.
If
you use a sound generating unit which carries the
General MIDI logo, you will be able to faithfully
reproduce any song data which also carries the
General MIDI logo.
•GS Format
~< The GS Format is Roland's universal set of
~ specifications which were formulated in the interest
of standardizing the way in which sm111d generating
devices
will operate when MIDI is used for the
performance of music. If
you use a sound generating
unit which
carries the GS logo, you will be able to
faithfully reproduce any commercially available song
data which also carries the GS logo.
This
unit's sound source supports both General MIDI
and GS. Song data which carries either of these logos
can he accurately reproduced (when the Piano switch
is
set to Int) .
About this Manual
Chapter 1 contains information on how to listen to the
songs recorded on the disks and practice
along with them
on the piano, and
how to record your piano songs and
save them
onto a disk as well. These are the most basic
things
you'll need to know to operate the MT-120.
6
The MT-120 was specifically designed for use with ,1
MIDI keyboard, and ior Roland Digital Pianos in
particular.
' Roland also offers the .MT-200, dc>signed ior 111-1ki11g d,1l.i iu1
conductors.
Concerning the Sequencer in this Unit
ISffl This unit is capJble of plJying "ism music dJta"
(
L'i inch floppy disks}.
This
unit is capable of playing Standard MIDI
SMF Files, such as "SMF Music Data" (720
KB/1.44MB formal 3.5 inch floppy disks).
Concerning the Demo Song Data of this Unit
Ism The datJ
on the demo song disk can be played
on any
unit that supports "ism music data" 13.5
inch floppy disks).
The song data on the demo song disk is
designed
to be played on any unit which carries
the
GS logo.
* The demo song disk is write-protected. As a result, its contc>nt
cannot be altered when used with the MT-120.
~ Note also that although you are allowed to make a copy of
the data on the> demo song disk, no further copies can lie>
made from that copy.
With this information, you'll be able to play an arnazing
variety of sounds on the MT-1 20. Check out Chapter 2
and later chapters for practical examples of combining
these sounds to make ensemble songs and
accompaniment, or using song data from other disks, and
a
wide range of other applications.