Roland GK-2 User manual
Roland
SYNTHESIZER
DAIVER
DK-Z
Owner's
Manual
The
Roland
Synthesizer
Driver
GK-2
can
turn
the
usual
electric
guitar
to
the
controller
for
the
GR-50
Synthesizer.
To
make
the
best
use
of
the
GK-2,
please
read
this
owner's
manual
carefully.
ff]
FEATURES
e
The
GK-2
is
designed
to
compact
that
it
can
be
connected
to
almost
all
types
of
electric
guitars.
e
The
GK-2
simply
consists
of
Pickup
and
Pickup
Controller
Unit
for
synthesizer,
therefore
does
not
need
complicated
procedure
for
installation.
e
The
switches
on
the
Controller
Unit
of
the
GK-2
can
change
patches
on
the
GR-50.
It
is
also
possible
to
assign
different
functions
other
than
Patch
selection
to
these
switches.
Mi
WARRANTY
OF
THE
GK-2
Roland
guarantees
the
GK-2
unit
and
all
the
parts
included
in
the
package.
Contact
Roland
service
Station
when
you
wish
to
have
the
unit
repaired.
Roland
does
not
guarantee
any
trouble
what-
soever
caused
by
your
processing
the
GK-2,
such
as
deterioration
in
appearance
or
function
of
the
GK-2
or
the
damage
on
the
guitar.
Such
troubles
should
be
consulted
with
the
shop
where
you
bought
the
GK-2.
Mi
CONTENTS
WH
FEATURES
accra
2
WI
WARRANTY
aee
ea
eee
eaaa
eee
ea
awae
2
WH
PANEL
DESCRIPTION
............iaar
eaaa
eaaa
3
MB
IMPORTANT
NOTES
nen.
4
INSTALLATION
anae
aranana
nana
nane
aana
aane
5
BB
IMPORTANT
NOTES
ocn
5
1.
Attaching
the
Pickup
Controller
Unit
.......
7
2.
Attaching
the
Divided
Pickup
...................
8
a.
Using
Both-sided
Adhesive
Tape
...........
8
b.
Using
SChEWS
enerne
11
OPERATION
|
baba
aan
aga
a
Sa
ana
aan
adi
12
1.
How
to
connect
the
GK-2
oo...
12
2.
Functions
of
Switches
acere
13
BI
SPECIFICATIONS
oiccen
13
Mi
PANEL
DESCRIPTION
@
Normal
Guitar
Input
Jack
@
Power
Indicator
\
@
Synthesizer
Volume
=
@
Divided
Pickup
DOWN/S1
©
GK-2
Socket
SYNTH
VOL
UP/S2
©
S2
Switch
@
S1
Switch
@
Selector
Switch
@
Divided
Pickup
The
Divided
Pickup
detects
the
vibration
on
the
guitar.
Connect
this
between
the
bridge
and
the
pickup.
©
S1
Switch
The
S1
Switch
controls
the
GR-50
in
many
different
ways
depending
what
Function
is
assigned
to
it.
e.g.
it
decreases
Patch
Chain
numbers
of
the
GR-
50.
When
the
GR-50
is
in
an
Editing
mode,
this
switch
changes
the
value
of
a
parameter.
©
S2
Switch
The
S2
Switch
controls
the
GR-50
in
many
different
ways
depending
what
Function
is
assigned
to
it.
e.g.
it
increases
Patch
Chain
numbers
of
the
GR-
50.
When
the
GR-50
is
in
an
Editing
mode,
this
switch
changes
the
value
of
a
parameter.
@
Selector
Switch
This
switches
the
signals
output
from
the
GK-2.
When
it
is
set
to
“Guitar”,
the
GK-2
outputs
only
the
signals
for
guitar's
normal
sound,
and
with
it
set
to
“Mix”,
it
outputs
the
signals
for
the
mixed
sounds
of
the
normal
guitar
and
synthesizer.
At
“Synth”
position,
only
the
signals
for
synthesizer
sound
is
output.
©
Synth
Volume
This
controls
the
volume
of
the
synthesizer
sound.
Adjust
the
guitar's
normal
sound
with
the
volume
control
on
the
guitar,
since
the
Synth
Volume
does
not
control
the
guitar’s
normal
sound.
@
Power
Indicator
This
lights
up
when
the
GR-50
and
GK-2
are
con-
nected
using
the
C-13A
cable.
@
Normal
Guitar
Input
Jack
Through
this
jack,
normal
signal
from
the
guitar
is
fed
into
the
Controller
Unit.
Use
the
supplied
normal
guitar
cord.
*
Please
do
not
fail
to
connect
to
this
jack.
©
GK-2
Socket
Connect
the
GR-50
through
this
socket.
Mi
IMPORTANT
NOTES
è
Be
sure
to
use
the
C-13A
cable
(supplied
with
the
GR-50)
to
connect
the
GK-2
to
the
GR-50.
Using
any
other
cable
will
cause
trouble.
è
Before
setting
up
the
GK-2
with
the
GR-50,
make
sure
that
GR-50
is
switched
off.
e
The
C-13A
is
a
lock-type
cable
which
cannot
be
disconnected
unless
it
is
unlocked.
So,
for
disconnecting,
do
not
pull
the
calbe
hard,
but
unlock
it.
®
Handle
the
cable
gently.
ə
Avoid
using
this
device
in
excessive
heat
or
humidity
conditions,
or
where
it
may
be
affected
by
direct
sunlight
or
dust
and
avoid
places
sub-
ject
to
high
vibration.
è
For
cleaning
the
unit,
use
a
dry
and
soft
cloth.
e
|f
the
casing
is
stained,
use
a
cloth
slightly
dampened
with
water.
e
To
remove
stubborn
stains,
clean
the
casing
with
a
cloth
moistened
with
a
nutral
detergent,
then
wipe
it
dry
with
a
soft
cloth.
e
Do
not
use
solvents
such
as
paint
thinner
when
cleaning.
e
If
this
unit
fails
to
operate
correctly,
turn
it
off
immediately
and
contact
your
Roland
dealer.
[1]
INSTALLATION
Before
installing
the
GK-2
with
the
electric
guitar,
read
the
following
“Important
Notes”.
E
IMPORTANT
NOTES
e
|f
your
guitar
is
provided
with
a
tremolo
arm,
attach
the
tremolo
arm
before
setting
up
the
GK-2.
e
Before
removing
the
tremolo
arm
from
your
guitar,
set
the
Selector
Switch
on
the
GK-2
to
the
“Guitar”
or
“Synth”
position.
è
Please
adjust
the
wrap
of
the
neck
and
the
height
of
the
strings
of
the
guitar
body
before
installing
the
GK-2.
@
Please
try
placing
the
Divided
Pickup
and
the
Pickup
Controller
Unit
on
the
guitar
to
see
if
they
are
compatible
before
actually
connecting
them.
At
first
please
confirm
with
adhesive
tape
and
if
there
is
no
problem
on
installation,
then
fix
GK-2
with
the
screws.
e
|f
the
pickup
on
the
guitar
is
too
close
to
the
bridge
to
connect
the
Divided
Pickup,
you
need
to
shift
the
pickup
towards
the
neck.
@
Please
use
the
screws
for
fixing
the
GK-2
more
securely.
Attaching
with
the
adhesive
tape
many
not
be
sufficient.
The
adhesive
tape
may
come
off
with
the
coating
of
the
guitar.
(The
supplied
both-sided
adhesive
tape
may
be
used
just
for
experimenting
the
right
position
of
the
GK-2.)
;
@
Please
handle
the
divided
pickup
gently.
Bend-
ing
or
twisting
it
will
break
the
coil.
First,
check
if
all
the
following
parts
are
supplied.
Tapping
Flat
A1
3x15
[mm]
Pickup
Spacer
B
|
x1
(For
fixing
GK-2)
Tapping
Pan
A1
3x20
[mm]
N
x10
x2
(For
fixing
Divided
Pickup)
Pickup
Spacer
C
Spring
x2
(For
adjusting
the
height
of
Divided
Pickup)
KA
Both-sided
Adhesive
Tape
A
Both-sided
Adhesive
Tape
B
Pickup
Cussion
x1
(For
attaching
the
divided
pickup)
LP
Spacer
h
jf
x6
(Sponge
type)
1.
How
to
attach
the
GK-2
@
Place
the
GK-2
at
the
appropriate
position
on
the
guitar.
Set
up
the
GK-2
to
the
guitar
at
an
appropriate
position
where
it
does
not
prevent
you
from
playing
the
guitar
comfortably.
If
your
guitar
has
a
fine
tuning
control,
set
up
the
GK-2
to
the
guitar
where
it
does
not
prevent
you
from
using
the
fine
tuning
control.
1:
Usual
type
2:
With
a
Fine
Tune
*
Set
up
the
GK-2
to
the
quitar
where
it
does
not
prevent
you
from
operating
the
S1
and
S2
switches
comfortably.
*
When
making
connections,
do
not
stretch
the
cords
of
the
Normal
Guitar
Socket,
Divided
Pickup
or
the
connection
cable
of
the
GK-2.
*
Make
sure
that
the
plug
of
the
GK-2’s
connec-
tion
cable
and
that
of
the
Normal
Guitar
are
well
inside
the
guitar's
body.
if
not,
they
will
be
damaged
when
the
guitar
is
put
down
with
the
pressure
and
strain
given
to
them.
@
Bore
on
the
holes
of
the
GK-2
to
make
holes
underneath.
*
The
diameters
of
the
under
holes
shculd
be
about
2mm
(0.08
inchas).
*
Please
make
sure
that
the
installation
of
Divided
Pickup
has
no
problem
(e.g.
height).
@
Fix
the
GK-2
with
the
screw
(flat-head
tapping
screw)
supplied
with
the
GK-2.
*
If
your
guitar
is
arched-top
type
(the
one
with
a
round
body),
the
gap
between
the
GK-2
and
the
guitar
may
make
it
difficult
to
fix
the
GK-2.
if
this
happens,
attach
the
supplied
LA
spacer
at
the
rear
of
the
GK-2.
ee
kakak,
kah
aa
ah
kanaka
N¥dvf
puejoy
kak
dhah
ara
an
The
both-sided
tape
and
LA
spacer
should
be
at-
tached
to
the
three
position
indicated
with
dotted
lines.
2.
Attaching
the
Divided
Pickup
The
Divided
Pickup
can
be
attached
to
your
guitar
using
both-sided
adhesive
tape,
or
using
screws.
Attaching
the
Divided
Pickup
with
screws
requires
higher
skills,
but
it
allows
you
to
adjust
the
height
of
the
divided
pickup
later.
a.
Attaching
the
Divided
Pickup
with
Both-sided
Adhesive
Tape
@
Insert
the
divided
pickup
under
the
strings
and
place
it
at
an
appropriate
position.
Basically,
the
pickup
should
be
located
at
the
middle
of
the
six
strings,
and
nearest
to
the
bridge.
If,
however,
your
guitar
has
a
tremolo
unit,
it
may
be
touched
by
the
Divided
Pickup.
If
so,
move
the
Divided
Pickup
so
far
that
it
will
not
interrupt
the
function
of
the
tremolo
unit.
When
using
a
guitar
with
heavy
gauge
strings,
attach
the
divided
pickup
about
15mm
(%e")
away
from
the
bridge.
*
In
any
case,
do
not
keep
the
Divided
Pickup
away
from
the
bridge
by
more
than
20mm
('%e").
Maximum
20mm
*
The
appropriate
position
of
the
divided
pickup
is
where
the
center
marker
marked
on
the
pickup
stays
about
the
middle
of
the
third
and
the
fourth
strings.
y~
Divided
Pickup
|
6th
String
`
4st
String
“GK2
Center
Marker
*
Please
mark
the
position
of
the
pickup
so
that
it
can
be
distinguished
later.
*
Be
sure
that
the
direction
of
the
divided
pickup
is
correct.
Where
the
cord
comes
from
is
the
sixth
string.
@
Check
if
the
warp
of
the
neck
and
the
height
of
the
strings
are
optimum
(if
not,
be
sure
to
ad-
just
them),
then
tune
each
string.
@
Adjust
the
height
of
the
divided
pickup
by
put-
ting
the
supplied
spacer
under
the
pickup.
(At
this
stage,
do
not
peel
the
tape
yet.)
Use
either
of
the
two
pickup
spacers
(thicker
and
thinner
ones)
depending
on
the
height
of
the
pickup.
When
using
an
arched-top
guitar,
put
a
pickup
cussion
under
the
pickup
spacers.
Pickup
Spacers
The
pickup
spacer
and
pickup
cussion
are
attached
to
the
guitar
with
the
supplied
both-sided
adhesive
tape
which
will
become
thinner
by
0.1mm
(0.047)
when
peeled.
Therefore,
when
using
many
num-
bers
of
adhesive
tapes,
you
must
set
the
height
slightly
higher.
The
optimum
height
of
the
pickup
is
where
the
distances
between
the
pickup
and
the
first
and
the
sixth
strings
are
about
1.0mm
with
the
highest
fret
being
pressed.
Adjust
and
check
the
height
using
the
supplied
clearance
and
gauge.
If
the
height
of
the
pickup
differs
at
the
first
and
the
sixth
strings,
add
half-cut
or
the
one
third
portion
of
spacer
to
make
the
height
even.
@
Loosen
the
strings
and
remove
them.
G)
Peel
the
tape
on
the
pickup
cussion,
pickup
spacer,
and
divided
pickup,
then
attach
them
onto
the
guitar.
©
Apply
the
strings
to
the
guitar
as
before,
and
tune
the
strings,
then
check
if
the
height
of
the
divided
pickup
is
correct.
Use
the
clearance
gauge,
then
play
the
string
to
see
that
it
does
not
touch
the
divided
pickup.
@
If
the
divided
pickup
is
too
high
or
too
low,
use
the
following
procedure:
(1)
If
it
is
too
low,
provide
as
many
spacers
as
necessary,
and
if
it
is
too
high,
work
out
how
many
spacers
to
be
removed.
(2)
Loosen
the
strings
and
remove
them.
(3)
Remove
the
divided
pickup
from
the
guitar.
*
Please
handle
the
divided
pickup
gently.
Bend-
ing
or
twisting
it
will
break
the
coil.
Insert
something
thin
such
as
table
knife
under
the
divided
pickup
from
the
sixth
string
side,
then
gently
peel
it.
4)
eee
HOW
TO
USE
THE
CLEARANCE
GAUGE
(4)
Remove
the
both-sided
adhesive
tape
from
the
bottom
of
the
divided
pickup
carefully
as
shown
in
the
picture.
It
is
necessary
to
adjust
the
divided
pickup
of
the
1st
and
6th
strings
so
that
the
distance
be-
tween
a
string
and
a
dvided
pickup
is
1.0mm
(0.04”)
with
the
highest
fret
pressed.
<=
The
supplied
clearance
gauge
is
1.0
mm
(0.04”)
‘thick.
As
shown
below,
insert
the
clearance
gauge
between
the
divided
pickup
and
the
string
and
adjust
the
distance.
(5)
If
the
both-sided
adhesive
tape
remains
on
the
upper
side
of
the
spacer
that
is
applied
to
the
guitar
side,
remove
it
similarly.
(6)
To
add
spacers,
simply
attach
them.
To
subtract
spacers,
remvoe
them,
then
the
both-sided
adhesive
tape
if
necessary.
(7)
Attach
the
supplied
both-sided
adhesive
tape
onto
the
bottom
of
the
divided
pickup.
(8)
Attach
the
divided
pickup
onto
the
upper
side
of
the
spacer
that
is
applied
to
the
guitar
side.
(9
Apply
the
string
to
the
guitar,
tune
it,
then
check
if
the
height
of
the
divided
pickup
is
correct.
b.
Attaching
the
Divided
Pickup
with
the
Screws
You
can
also
use
screws
for
fixing
the
divided
pickup.
How
to
mark
the
position
of
the
divided
pickup
and
check
the
height
of
the
divided
pickup
is
exactly
the
same
as
“a.
Attaching
the
Divided
Pickup
with
the
Both-sided
Adhesive
Tape”.
b
First
of
all,
carefully
read
“a.
Attaching
the
Divided
Pickup
with
the
Both-sided
Adhesive
Tape”.
@
Place
the
divided
pickup
at
an
appropriate
position.
Mark
the
screw
holes
located
at
the
both
sides
of
f
m
dl
the
pickup
on
the
guitar.
@)
Loosen
the
strings
and
remove
them.
@)
Carefully
bore
the
holes
underneath
the
screw
holes
you
marked.
*
If
the
holes
are
not
bored
at
the
correct
posi-
tions,
the
divided
pickup
will
not
be
attached
correctly.
*
The
diameters
of
the
holes
should
be
about
2mm
(0.08).
*
Ifthe
guitar
is
made
of
a
hard
material,
bore
the
holes
slightly
larger
than
2mm.
4)
As
shown
in
the
picture,
insert
the
supplied
Springs
between
the
holes
and
the
pickup,
then
tighten
them
with
the
screws.
©
Apply
the
strings
to
the
guitar,
then
tune
them.
©
Adjust
the
height
of
the
pickup.
By
rotating
the
screws,
adjust
the
height
with
the
clearance
and
gauge
so
that
the
distances
be-
tween
the
pickup
and
the
first
and
the
sixth
strings
are
about
1.0mm
(0.04”)
when
the
highest
fret
is
pressed.
1]
12
[2]
OPERATION
1.
How
to
Connect
the
GK-2
®©
Make
sure
that
the
GR-50
is
swiched
off.
Then
connect
the
GR-50
with
the
GK-2.
using
the
C-13A,
the
cable
supplied
with
the
GR-50.
*
Connect
the
“GK-2
Socket”
on
the
GR-50
to
that
on
the
GK-2.
*
Do
not
use
any
other
cable
but
the
C-13A.
*
The
C-13A
is
a
lock-type
cable
which
cannot
be
disconnected
unless
it
is
unlocked.
So,
for
dis-
connecting,
do
not
pull
the
cable
hard,
but
unlock
it
by
pressing
the
lock
with
your
thumb
and
meanwhile
sliding
the
plug.
GR-50
SYNTH
VOL
|
GUITAR
SYNTH
MIX
DOWN/S1
UP/S2
@
Connect
the
plug
(large)
of
the
supplied
cord
for
the
normal
guitar
to
the
output
jack
on
the
guitar,
and
the
smaller
plug
to
the
Noram!
Guitar
Input
Jack
@
on
the
Controller
Unit.
Normal
Guitar
*
This
connection
is
necessary
not
only
for
mixing
the
guitar’s
normal
sound
and
synthesizer
sound
but
also
connecting
the
guitar's
earth
and
the
GK-2's
earth.
Therefore,
be
sure
to
do
it
even
when
you
do
not
need
the
guitar’s
normal
sound
at
all.
If
you
fail
to
do
it,
the
guitar
will
not
work
properly.
©
Turn
on
the
GR
s-50.
The
Power
Indicator
@
on
the
Controller
Unit
will
light
up.
Now,
you
can
play
the
guitar
with
sound
of
the
GR-50.
The
Power
Indicator
does
not
light
up
unless
the
following
two
conditions
are
fulfilled.
(1)
When
the
GK-2
is
connected
with
GR-50
using
the
C-13A.
(2)
When
the
GR-50
is
switched
on.
Cord
for
2.
Functions
of
Switches
[Synth
Volume]
This
always
controls
the
volume
of
the
synthe-
sizer's
sound
regardless
of
the
GR-50's
condition
(no
matter
which
mode
the
GR-50
is
set
to).
*
Adjust
the
volume
of
the
normal
guitar
sound
with
the
volume
control
on
the
guitar.
[Selector
Switch]
This
switches
the
signals
output
from
the
GK-2.
When
it
is
set
to
“Guitar”,
the
GK-2
outputs
only
the
signals
for
guitar’s
normal
sound,
and
with
it
set
to
“Mix”,
it
outputs
the
signals
for
the
mixed
sounds
of
the
normal
guitar
and
synthesizer.
At
“Synth”
position,
only
the
signals
for
synthesizer
sound
is
output.
[S1
and
S2
Switches]
Various
different
funcitons
can
be
assigned
to
the
S1
and
S2
switches
which
then
control
the
GR-50
differently.
The
functions
which
can
be
assigned
to
these
switches
are
as
follows.
*
Sostenuto
S
shown
above
is
quite
different
from
MIDI
Sostenuto
messages.
The
above
control
funcitons’
assignment
is
done
in
the
System
Setup
mode
on
the
GR-50.
For
details,
see
“Control
Assign”
in
the
GR-50's
owner's
manual.
*
When
the
GR-50
is
set
to
an
Editing
mode,
the
S1
and
S2
switches
function
just
like
the
VALUE
button
(that
changes
values
of
parameters)
on
the
GR-50.
Wi
SPECIFICATIONS
GK-2:
GR-50
Synthesizer
Driver
Synth
Volume
Control
x
1
DOWN/S1
Switch
x
1
UP/S2
Switch
x
1
Selector
Switch
x
1
GK-2
Socket
(13
pin
type)
Normal
Guitar
Input
Socket
Power
Indicator
Divided
Pickup
(fixed
with
both-sided
adhesive
tape
or
a
screws
at
one
position)
Dimensions:
See
the
below
SYNTH
VOL
DOWN/S1
UP/S2
Weight:
70g
Accessories:
Cord
for
Normal
Guitar
x
1
Parts
for
installation
Clearance
and
gauge
Owner's
Manual
13
Roland’
79512291
ie
o-z
Roland
eae
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