Roland GR-33B User manual

Polyphonic
Guitar Synthesizer

FEATURES
eAny bassist can play the GR-33B, using
all standard bass techniques, hammering,
glissandos, harmonics, chopping, bowing,
etc.
eA small, compact unit (like an effects box)
with all the electronic-type foot-controlled
switch major functions; great for live per-
formances.
eTotally polyphonic: one VCO for each
string.
elnstant and accurate transposing to two
preset pitches.
eA duet switch for a chorus effect.
eSynthesizer ON/OFF for each string.
та жылуы s
INDEX
STANDARD CONNECTIONS
MIXED OUTPUT
GUITAR SYNTHESIZER OUTPUT
BASIC SETTING
PRODUCING SOUND
ENVELOPE GENERATOR
VCO VIBRATO
PITCH SHIFT
STRING SELECTOR. .
USING ATTACHMENTS
SAMPLE SOUNDS
SAMPLE NOTES
SPECIFICATIONS
Before Starting ......
eUse a transformer to produce the cor-
rect line voltage if the line voltage in your
area does not match the value specified
on the nameplate.
sKeep away from fluorescent lamps, neon
lights, and high-power transformers as
these will induce high noise levels in the
Guitar Synthesizer.
eAvoid the use of this instrument in places
ihat are dusty, of high temperature or high
humidity.
Clean the control panel with neutral
detergent. Use a soft, dry cloth for the
wooden parts. Do not use solvents such
as paint thinner. |
«Тһе GR-33B Bass Guitar Synthesizer has
been designed to work with the G-33 or
G-88 Bass Guitar and will not work with
the GR-500 and GR-300.
оТпе length of the sound may be shorter
than normal, or the synthesized sound
may be one octave higher than normal
with certain styles of picking and stopping
the strings.

STANDARD СОММЕСТІС
GUITAR CONNECTIONS
о О
ж-е”
GUITAR
LOCK
P d
$
@ INSERT
CONNECTOR LOCK
Connect the G-33 or G-88 as shown in the
drawing using the chrome guitar con-
nector. The connector is keyed and must
be inserted correctly (lock lever up) for a
proper fit. The NORMAL OUTPUT jack on
the Bass Guitar is not connected to the
Bass Guitar Synthesizer.)
NS
MIXED OUTPUT
USING ONE AMPLIFIER
BASS AMP
AUX
НЕЕРГАМР
When there is по connection to Не BASS
GUITAR OUTPUT jack on the rear panel
of the Bass Guitar Synthesizer, the output
at the MIX/SYNTH jack consists of an
equal mixture of the guitar and synthesizer
sounds.
Note: The GR-33B ош-`
puts are set at guitar
level for use with guitar
amplifiers. When using
the AUX IN of a hi-fi
type amplifier, a pre-
amp may be necessary
in order to bring the
sound level up to the
desired listening level.
GUITAR OUTPUT
USING TWO AMPLIFIERS
жә == kB өте жи кое =з эш »
BASS GUITAR AMP !
FOR BASS GUITAR !
SOUND.
BASS GUITAR AMP
Í FOR SYNTH
SOUND
OR USE
LEFT AND
RIGHT IN-
PUT OF ЖЕ
STEREO no
AMPLIFIER 0.0 6 ө
When both output jacks аге used, the out-
puts are separated with the bass guitar
sound at the OUTPUT jack and the synthe-
sizer sound at the MIX/SYNTH jack. These
separate outputs can be passed through
separate effects devices and amplifiers
for stereo sound.
| "------------і|----------

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ИНЕТЕ ER i тесер

PRODUCING
SOUND
Set the controls as shown on the left. Set
the external amplifier volume at the min-
imum level and turn on all the power
switches.
Turn
up
the
volume
control;
play-
ing
the
bass
guitar
should
produce
the
bass guitar sound. If needed, tune the Bass
Guitar in exactly the same way as an
ordinary electric bass is turned.
To produce the synthesizer sound,
The
sound
produced
now
is
the
unpro-
cessed
sound
from
the
synthesizer
VCO's
(voltage
controlled
oscillators).
The
VOICE
SELECT
switch
at
the
DUET
position,
adds
the
fundamental
pitches
of
the
bass
guitar
strings
to
the
VCO
sounds
to
produce
a
chorus
effect.
It
is
necessary
to
tune
the
VCO's
using
the
MASTER
TUNNING,
controls
so
that
they
match
the
pitches
of
the
strings.
For
accurate
tuning
use
at
least
ten
minutes
for
a
warm-up
period
after
first
turn
on
the
power
switch.
Turn
the
BALANCE
control,
counterclock-
wise
to
increase
the
normal
bass
guitar
sound.
Setting
the
BALANCE
CONTROL,
at
“0”,
will
produce
the
normal
bass
guitar
sound
only.
USING THE VCF
Let's
try
the
VCF
(voltage
controlled
filter)
section
next.
Set
the
BALANCE
control
at
7107,
Try
slowly
lowering
the
Bass
Guitar
CUTOFF
FREQ
control
to
“0”.
Note
that
the
sound
becomes
softer
with
fewer
harmonics.
The
purpose
of
the
VCF
is
to
contro!
the
tone
color
of
the
synthesizer
sound.
Next,
raise
the
Bass
Guitar
RESONANCE
con-
trol
a
little
at
a
time
while
trying
different
positions
of
the
CUTOFF
FREQ
control.
This
produces
an
electronic
type
of
sound
usually
associated
with
synthesizers.
The
two
controls,
CUTOFF
FREQ
and
RESO-
NANCE
combine
to
control
the
tone
color
of
the
sound
passing
through
the
VCF.
*VCF
Filter
Mode
This
switch
changes
the
roll-off
character-
istics
of
the
VCF,
either
—
12dB/OCT
or
—
?24dB/OCT,
and
controls
the
envelope
modulation
of
the
VCF.
M.TUNE
TUNES VCO'S
RESONANCE
If
a
foot
volume
pedal
(Roland
FV-20;
sold
separately)
is
connected
to
the
VCF
PEDAL
jack
on
the
rear
panel,
the
VCF
cutoff
frequency
(in
other
words,
the
tone
color
of
the
output
sound)
can
be
controlled
manual-
ly
with
your
foot.

—— — —————— ER
——— —
Raise
the
ENV
MOD
control
to
maximum.
Set
the
RESONANCE
control
at
“4”,
and
the
CUTOFF
control
at
“8”.
While
repeatedly
picking
a
string,
try
pressing
the
VCF
MOD
foot
switch.
In
this
mode
of
operation,
the
filtering
action
of
the
VCF
is
controlled
by
the
picking
of
the
bass
guitar
strings
instead
of
manually,
as
before
to
produce
а
"WOW"'
sound.
The
LED's
for
the
VCF
MOD
light
up
when
the
effect
is
ON,
and
flicker
when
the
ef-
fectis
OFF.
|
The
depth
of
the
modulation
is
determined
by
the
VCF
MOD
knob.
Try
slowly
lowering
the
VCF
MOD
control
to
“0”.
ENVELOPE GENERATOR
Set
the
ENV
MOD
at
“МАХ”,
and
ENV
GEN
"A",
ATTACK
knob
at
“MIN”
and
DECAY
at
“МАХ”.
Try
picking
one
of
the
strings
and
raising
the
ATTACK
control.
This
causes
the
raising
(attack
time)
of
the
"WOW"
sound
become
longer.
Set
the
ENV
GEN
"A"
ATTACK
knob
at
“MIN”
and
DECAY
at
“MIN”.
Try
picking
one
of
the
strings
and
with
raising
the
DECAY.
The
envelope
generator
generates
a
control
voltage
with
time
according
to
the
control
settings.
This
control
voltage
is
used
to
contro!
the
VCF
cutoff
frequency
point
so
as
to
vary
the
tone
color
during
the
production
of
a
note,
and/or
is
used
to
control
the
VCA
to
give
the
output
sound
its
loudness
contour.
ATTACK...... This knob controls the
amount of time which is required for the
voltage to reach its maximum level.
This is called an attack time.
DECAY...... This knob controls the
amount of time required for voltage to fall
to the level.
This time is called a decay time.
нана
аны
ааа
тәптә
итте
тунел
GC
HEUS
SES
TE
PRE
NSE
о
LE
рТ,
Ey
OR
ETE
HEC
EE
TESI:
CUTOFF FREQ.
See FREG сотой FRE@ CUTOFF FRED
Ыы
МУ
RESONANCE
жен ee БЕ ee RESONANCE
M8
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е АВ
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MAX мич
FILTER
MODE
"ATTACK
ATTACK
ми” Ма х Mma x мим МАХ
ENV MOD “DECAY DECAY
о
УСЕ МОО
о о
— асыл)
ENV А/В

The Envelope Generator has two chan-
nels, A and B, both with the same func-
tion. Controls are provided for attack and
decay, and the selected envelope curve
can be used for modulating the VCF or the
VCA. Channel A or B may be selected by
a foot switch. It is impossible to use the
different envelopes for both the VCF and
the VCA. The LED indicates which chan-
nel has been selected. When the power
source is turned ON, A is automatically
selected.
VCO VIBRATO
Next, let's try different ways of modulating
or controlling the VCO's. First is vibrato,
which is a slight wavering of pitch. Vibratos
can be produced in the normal bass guitar
way by using the finger to vary the tension
on the string, or it can be produced elec-
tronically for a wide number of effects.
Set the VIB DEPTH (vibrato depth) knob
on the Bass Guitar at 10”, This may ог
may not produce the vibrato effect. If not,
touch the upper metal end (Touch Plate
A) of the divided pickup of the Bass guitar
to turn the vibrato effect ON. To turn it
OFF, touch the opposite end (Touch Plate
B) of the pickup. The vibrato will decay
slowly after releasing the touch plate.
With
the
vibrato
ON,
try
various
positions
for
both
the
VIB
DEPTH
control
on
the
Bass
Guitar
and
the
LFO
RATE
(LFO
=
low
frequency
oscillator)
and
the
LFO
DELAY
control
on
the
Bass
Guitar
Synthesizer
and
note
the
effects.
VIB
DEPTH
controls
the
depth
of
the
vibrato
effect
and
the
LFO
HATE
controls
the
speed
of
the
vibrato.
The
LFO
DELAY
control
determines
the
delay
time
of
the
delay
vibrato.
‘INDICATOR
MODULATION
SWITCH
23—31
- LFO(VIB)DEPTH
TOUCH PLATE
Turns the VIBRATO
effect on.
TOUCH PLATE
Turns VIBRATO effect
OFF,
or
for
touch-Vibrato.

The
electronic
vibrato
affects
only
the
VCO's.
IN
the
DUET
mode,
the
combina-
tion
of
the
non-vibrato
fundamental
strings
pitches
with
the
vibrato
VCO
pitches
pro-
dues
the
chorus
effect
sound.
The
Bass
Guitar
OWNER'S
MANUAL
con-
tains
additional
information
on
the
vibrato
ON/OFF
function.
PITCH SHIFT
Another
VCO
effect
is
pitch
shift,
an
effect
where
the
VCO's
can
be
shifted
to
pitches
other
than
the
string
pitches.
Set
the
VOICE
SELECT
switch
at
the
“ОЦЕТ”,
the
fundamental
pitches
will
be
the
same
as
the
string
pitches,
and
the
VCO's
can
be
tuned
to
other
pitches
so
that
one
instru-
ment
produces
the
effect
of
a
very
large
group.
Set
the
Bass
Guitar
Synthesizer
and
Bass
Guitar
for
the
standard
settings
shown
on
page
4,
but
with
the
BALANCE
control
fully
clockwise.
Press
the
PITCH
“А”
foot
switch
and
take
note
of
the
LED
above
the
switch
and
the
LED
above
the
switch
lights.
While
producing
sound,
try
tuning
the
PITCH
“А”
knob
up
and
down
and
note
that
this
now
controls
the
VCO
pitches.
Try
tuning
the
VCO’s
to
a
perfect
on
octave
below
the
fundamental
string
pitch.
For
this,
the
PITCH
“А”
knob
will
be
set
somewhere
near
''
–3''.
Next,
try
PITCH
“В”
by
pressing
the
PITCH
“В”
foot
switch
and
adjusting
the
PITCH
“B”
knob
so
as
to
produce
the
interval
of
a
major
fifth
the
fundamental.
RTE ON
Қари аа ааа ааа аа
The VCO tuning can now be switched іп-
stantly and accurately between these two
preset pitches and unison by pressing the
appropriate PITCH foot switch. Pressing
PITCH “А” produces the “А” tuning;
pressing again cancels the “А” tuning.
Pressing PITCH “В” produces the “В”
tuning, and pressing again cancels it. It is
possible to switch from “А” to “В” or
from “В” to “А” without passing through
unison by merely pressing the new pitch
foot switch.
The UNLATCH/LATCH switch below each
PITCH knob controls the latching function
of the related PITCH foot switch. At LATCH,
the pitch change function will alternate
between the foot switch as described in
the preceding paragraph. At UNLATCH,
the tuning function will be ON only while
the foot switch is held down and OFF
when it is released.
2 CHANNEL
PITCH SHIFT
A-4—— —PITCH- —-&
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mAX ‘Max
UNLATCH
LATCH
UNLATCH
LATCH
SELECTS UNLACHILACH
mode FOOT SWITCH
SELECTS A or B by
FOOT SWITCH.
А
ара

STRING SELECTOR
When using the bass guitar and synthe-
sizer sounds simultaneously (Bass Guitar
BALANCE control somewhere near
center), the STRING SELECT switches
can be used to determine which strings
are to produce the synthesizer sounds.
There are four switches, one for each
string. Only those switches that are ON
will produce synthesizer sounds. These
switches can be used where it is desired
to play a melody or a bass line against
guitar chords, for example, or for other ef-
fects where the synthesizer notes are to
be relatively independent of the bass
guitar notes.
When
playing
the
arpeggio
with
the
VCF
and
VCA
modulation
on,
if
the
string
of
the
first
sound
is
still
vibrating
when
the
sec-
ond
note
is
played,
the
sound
of
the
first
note
will
be
affected.
If
this
effect
is
not
desired,
play
the
string
of
the
second
note
after
the
vibrations
of
the
string
of
the
first
note
have
been
stopped.
STRING SELECT
о о оо
а з 2 4
on ЕЗ ON
г Poor a
A foot switch can be used with the STRING SELECT
jack on the rear panel for selecting between the con
dition set with the STRING SELECT switches, or all
strings ON.

pm""—-—-—————— ——
eUSING ATTACHMENTS
Attachments can be connected between
the Guitar Synthesizer and the external
amplifier. Since the GR-33B is a synthe-
sizer, try devices designed for use with
synthesizers, such as phase shifters,
flangers, chorus and echo machines.
GR-33B + SPV-355
When a solo type synthesizer sound is
desired, try the Roland P/V Synthesizer
SPV-355. Use the NORMAL OUTPUT on
the Bass Guitar, or use the GUITAR OUT-
PUT FROM THE GR-33B.
10
x
=
СНАМВЕВ
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RE-150
ANALOG
DC-30
ECHO
DC-20
|
PHASER
SPH-323
|
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FLANGER
SBF
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CE-1
CHORUS
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СЕ-10
|
EQUALIZER
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|
REVERB
RV-100
P/V
SYNTH
SPV-355
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