Roland SH-09 User manual

^Roland®
Owner's Manual

Introduction 1
The Roland SH-09 Synthesizer is acompact lead
synthesizer designed to offer the musician
uncompromised sound, performance flexibility and
durability at amoderate price. The SH-09's excep-
tional quality combined with its unique live perfor-
mance and interfacing features allow it to surpass
the capabilities of many larger, more expensive
synthesizers.
The VCO section features virtually rigid pitch
stability in even the most difficult conditions and
produces precise, rich waveforms including: Noise,
Sawtooth, Square and variable Pulse Wave with
both LFO and Envelope Modulation options. ASub
Oscillator produces any one of three parallel tones
that may be mixed with the VCO at the internal
Audio Mixer for thickness and extra flexibility with-
out introducing tuning difficulties. Both the VCO
and Sub Oscillator may be modulated by the LFO
Modulator which includes Square Wave, Delayed
Sine Wave or Sample and Hold options.
The VCF section of the SH-09 features the highest
quality 24 dB/octave Low Pass Filter available for
stability, flexibility and rich, deep tones. The extra
flexibility is achieved through the SH-09's modula-
tion options including: apositive or inverted
envelope, an envelope follower for processing
external instruments, three LFO modulation options,
resonance control that may be pushed into self-
oscillation for use as an extra sine wave oscillator,
and control of the filter from the Bender section.
The VCA may control volume with the Envelope
Generator, directly from the Keyboard Gate, or be
fully opened with aHold switch for added flexibility.
This control is enhanced by the complete four
slider ADSR Envelope Generator which may be
activated by either the Keyboard Trigger and Gate,
.
the Keyboard Gate alone, or by the LFO and the
Keyboard Gate together. These options combine
with other control possibilities to make the SH-09
an exceptionally sensitive musical instrument.
The LFO Modulator control offers Sine Waves with
or without delay, Square Waves, Sample &Hold
and aseparate Sine Wave without delay for the
Pulse Width Modulation section. The LFO speed is
fully adjustable and indicated by LED for precise,
predictable control.
The SH-09 Bender section is the finest available.
The center sprung lever returns to its origin
automatically for quick, easy, musically secure
playing. The Bender may control pitch through the
VCO or tone through the VCF either separately or
simultaneously with amounts preset by the per-
former for exact, predictable control of the syn-
thesizer.
Interface options on the SH-09 include industry
standard CV and Gate inputs and outputs for con-
nection with Roland digital sequencers, other
Roland synthesizers and with any other equipment
offering 1volt per octave Keyboard Control Voltage
and positive voltage Keyboard Gate inputs and out-
puts.
Other instruments may be processed through the
SH-09 using the self contained External Audio
Input with the Envelope Follower contained in the
VCF section.
The SH-09 is equipped with aV* inch phone jack
output for connection with any conventional
amplification and with aseparate Vi inch stereo
phone jack connection for headphone monitoring
through self-contained headphone amplifier. Acon-
nection cable is included with options for connec-
tion to either aVi inch phone jack socket or any
female RCA jack socket.

Front and
Back Panel
Layout
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AUDIO IN
GATE CV
INPUT
GATE CV
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OUTPUT

Control
Descriptions
Modulator Section The Modulator is acontroller used tor producing
regular changes in pitch and tone in the VCO and
VCF sections and for repeatedly triggering the
Envelope generator. The Modulator is based on a
Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) producing wave-
forms with speeds ranging from 0.2 to 25 Hz. The
Sample and Hold mode also produces random sig-
nals by sampling the output of the noise generator
at arate determined by the LFO.
Mode Switch This switch determines which waveform will be
used for VCO and VCF modulation. The three
options include: (~\j (sine wave), fTJ (square
wave), and Random (S/H) for the Sample and Hold
output
Rate Control The Rate slider controls the frequency or speed of
change for all Modulator outputs. Raising the con-
trol increases the frequency, which may be
monitored with the associated flashing LED.
r\j Delay Time Control When this control is raised, pressing akey on the
keyboard will delay the entry of the LFO sine wave
to the VCO and VCF. Raising the control increases
the delay time, and lowering it fully results in a
continuous output with no delay.
VCO
(Voltage Controlled
Oscillator Section)
The VCO is the basic sound source of the SH-09
and is responsible for the pitches produced and
the basic tone color used.
Tune Control This small tuning knob controls the overall pitch of
the SH-09. The tuning range is ±65 cents.
Range Switch The rotary Range switch changes the VCO pitch in
exact one octave steps from 2' to 32' for atotal
range change of four octaves.
MOD (Modulator)
Control
This slider changes the pitch of the VCO with the
Modulator output according to the Rate and Mode
shape set in that section. Raising the slider
increases the amount of change in pitch.
Control Voltage The SH-09 includes several VCO controls which
are internally wired and do not appear on the VCO
panel. The most important is the Keyboard control
Voltage which permanently controls the VCO pitch
in relation to the keys played. The VCO may also
be controlled by the Bender section through the
associated Bender Sensitivity control.

Waveform Switch This rotary switch selects the VCO output wave-
form, providing abasis pure tone tor the SH-09
to shape and process. The basic waveforms .
include Noise (a hiss including all frequencies, for
various sound effects), Sawtooth wave (a rich tone
for strings, brass and full synthesizer sounds),
Square wave (a tone very similar to aclarinet or
xylophone), and Pulse Width Mod (a variable Pulse
wave sounding from Square wave to very nasal in
tone). The Pulse Width Mod. section includes a
three position Mode switch including Manual, LFO
and ENV modulation options, and aPulse Width
slider control to manually adjust Pulse Width or the
amount of LFO or ENV modulation.
SUB OSC
(Sub-Oscillator)
The Sub-Oscillator is actually apart of the VCO
and produces any one of three parallel tones
including aSquare wave at one or two octaves
below or aPulse wave two octaves below the
VCO. The Sub-Oscillator follows the VCO pitch in
all particulars including LFO and Bender modula-
tion.
Audio Mixer Section The Audio Mixer mixes the VCO, Sub-Oscillator
and External Input signals in infinitely variable pro-
portions before sending them on for processing.
VCF
(Voltage Controlled
Filter Section)
The VCF is used to alter the tone of the Audio Mix-
er output by cutting or boosting harmonics in that
sound. The tone may be altered manually or
automatically through voltage control as anote is
played. The VCF is a24 dB/octave Low Pass filter
which passes low frequencies and blocks high fre-
quencies
Cutoff Frequency
Control
The Cutoff Frequency Control determines how
much of atone will be filtered away by the VCF. In
its highest position the sound will pass unchanged.
As it is lowered the sound will become progres-
sively more mellow until it is filtered away to
silence at its lowest position. This control acts as a
starting position for all other control functions within
the VCF section.
Resonance Control This control emphasizes the frequencies at the
point where the Cutoff Frequency begins to filter a
sound. It is most often used to emphasize motion
within the filter. At its lowest level it has no effect
increasing as the slider is raised until it begins to
self-oscillate near the top of the slider travel. In this
position, the VCF becomes aseparate sine wave
audio oscillator which is controlled by all the
Modulation controls within the VCF section.
Envelope Mode Switch This three position switch determines the source of
Envelope control for modulation of the VCF. In the
/N^ (positive Envelope) mode, the filter cutoff fre-
quency will rise and fall following the shape of the
Envelope. The tone will become brighter and then
more mellow once each time the Envelope
Generator is activated, providing the manual Cutoff
Frequency control is lowered to make room for this
sweep.
In the Kjf (Inverted Envelope) mode, the filter
cutoff frequency will fall then rise agaia following a
mirror image of the Envelope pattern set The tone
heard will begin bright become more mellow, then
more bright agaia Beginning and ending tone is
determined by the position of the VCF Cutoff slider.
The ENV FOL'R (envelope follower) position will
use the changing volume of any audio signal
appearing at the EXT AUDIO IN jack on the back
panel to modulate the VCF cutoff point in aposi-
tive direction. In this mode, the filter cutoff will rise
and fall as the External Audio Input grows louder
and softer, providing the manual Cutoff Frequency
control is lowered to allow for this movement

Control
Descriptions (com)
VCF Envelope Control This control determines the depth to which the
Envelope Mode selected will modulate the VCF.
With the slider at '0' there is no modulation,
increasing gradually as the control is raised to full
depth at '10'.
MOD (Modulator)
Control
This control allows the VCF cutoff to be controlled
by the Modulator section output The slider deter-
mines the depth of modulation whose shape and
rate was selected in the Modulator section.
Modulation increases as the slider control is raised,
with no modulation when the control is lowered to
'0'.
Control Voltage Inputs The SH-09 includes several VCF controls which are
internally hardwired and do not appear on the VCF
panel. The Keyboard Control Voltage is permanent-
ly fed to the VCF so that the tone may subtly
follow the pitch, the way most acoustic instruments
do. The VCF may also be controlled by the Bender
section through the associated Bender Sensitivity
control.
VCA
(Voltage Controlled
Amplifier Section)
The VCA allows the SH-09 output loudness contour
to be shaped automatically by acontrol voltage.
There is no increase in volume in the VCA.
VCA Mode Switch The VCA may be switched between three control
options. Setting the VCA in HOLD mode holds the
VCA wide open so that any sound emerging from
the VCF is passed directly to the SH-09 output
jacks. The ENV f\^ mode shapes the output
volume with the Envelope Generator output. The
GATE _n_ mode shapes the output volume direct-
ly with the Keyboard Gate, fully '0' when akey is
pressed, fully 'off' the next instant all keys are
released.
ENV
(Envelope Generator)
The Envelope Generator produces ashaped control
voltage that may be used to control the VCF cutoff
frequency point and/or to control the VCA loudness
contour.
Envelope Mode Switch The envelope Generator may be activated from the
keyboard in three ways, depending on the position
of the Envelope Mode Switch. In the Gate and Trig-
ger mode, both the Keyboard Gate and Keyboard
Trigger are used to activate the Envelope (this is
sometimes referred to as aMultiple trigger). In the
Gate mode, only anew Keyboard Gate will activate
anew Envelope. The LFO mode activates anew
Envelope each time the Modulator LFO begins a
new cycle (as indicated by its LED indicator), with-
in aMaster Gate command from the keyboard.
Specifics on these choices are given in the Opera-
tion section of this text.
Envelope Function
Sliders
The Envelope Generator is often referred to as an
ADSR, aterm made from the initial letters of the
words Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release —the
four slider functions within the Envelope Generator.

(Attack Time)
The Attack slider controls the amount of time
required for the Envelope voltage to reach its max-
imum level after akey is pressed. This Attack time
is virtually instantaneous with the slider at '0' and
lengthens as the slider is raised.
D
(Decay Time)
The Decay slider controls the amount of time
required for the voltage to fall from its level at the
end of the Attack time to the level set by the Sus-
tain control. Again, Decay time is virtually instan-
taneous with the slider at '0' and lengthens as the
slider is raised.
(Sustain Level)
This control determines the level to which the
voltage will fall at the end of the Decay time. Once
this level is reached it will be held until the key is
released. ASustain level of "0' will Decay to and
hold at silence, effectively cancelling Sustain. A
Sustain level of '10' will not Decay, but will remain
at '10', effectively cancelling Decay. Sustain levels
between these extremes combine with the various
Decay times aavailable to subtly shape notes as
they are held.
R
(Release Time)
This slider determines the amount of time required
for the voltage to fall to minimum level after the
release of the key. The Release will begin at any
time within the Attack, Decay or Sustain sections of
the Envelope as instructed from the keyboard.
Keyboard Control
Functions
The keyboard of the SH-09 provides three control
functions: the Keyboard Control Voltage, Keyboard
Gate and Keyboard Trigger. These are internally
hardwired, sometimes appearing as aselectable
control and others providing aconstant control
function.
Keyboard Control
Voltage
(KCV)
The Keyboard Control Voltage is permanently wired
to the VCO and VCF for precise control of pitch
and tone in relation to the keys played on the
keyboard.
Keyboard Gate The Keyboard Gate is an on/off switching function
used to signal the Modulator for Delayed sine wave
output as apreset Envelope choice for the VCA
and/or to initiate Envelope events. Both the KCV
and Keyboard Gate are available as inputs and
outputs for interfacing on the back panel of the
SH-09.
Keyboard Trigger The Keyboard Trigger is avoltage spike appearing
for an instant at the initial pressing of akey. It is
used in conjunction with the Keyboard Gate to pro-
vide one of the control organs for initiating
Envelope events.

Control
Descriptions (com.
Portamento Control The Portamento control determines the time
required to change pitches when different keys are
pressed. Set at '0', the keyboard will react with ins-
tant pitch changes. As the slider is raised, new
keys pressed will slide from the last pitch to the
new one, taking longer as the control is raised
further.
Bender Section The Bender section allows the performer to change
pitch and/or tone freely as he performs to add
expression and vitality to the sound.
Bender The Bender lever is center-sprung to return to its
original setting reliably after each bend for great
speed and accuracy. The center position has no
effect on the SH-09 sound or settings, while the left
and right extremes of movement (— and +)
achieve the same amount of bend in opposite
directions.
VCO and VCF Bender
Sensitivity Controls
These two sliders control the exact amount of pitch
and/or tone change at the extremes of the Bender
travel. These may be set either separately or
together to achieve the exact amount of sharp and
flat pitch and/or brighter and more mellow tone
change with exact predictability and control.
Volume Control The Volume Knob determines the final signal level
present at the SH-09 Output jack for standard
amplification and at the Headphone output jack for
any stereo headphones.
Power On/Off Switch This push-on/push-off switch controls the flow of
AC. power to the SH-09. The power must be
switched on for the SH-09 to perform any function.
An LED status indicator is provided to allow a
visual check of this function.

Basic
Connections
The Roland SH-09 synthesizer is an exceptionally
flexible musical instrument capable ot producing a
broad range of sounds from gentle to brutally
savage in character, over awide pitch range. The
SH-09 may be monitored through any conventional
amplification, however individual musical needs
should be considered in choosing an ideal
amplification setup.
To maximize the SH-09 sultimate sound flexibility,
ideal amplification will reproduce all of the syn-
thesizers sounds faithfully with aminimum of
added distortion or coloration. Avariety of quality
PA's, combo amps and component amplification
systems will fill this need, but there are several
special items to consider. Synthesizers are capable
of producing sudden, high level output signals
which may cause distortion in the pre-amplifier
section of amps not built to handle them —such
as many vocal PA's. Also, avoid equipment or
speakers chosen to color the sound to suit apar-
ticular instrument such as guitar. Finally, be sure
that any effects, whether built-in or outboard, per-
form well in your particular setup and do not dis-
tort An example of this would be the reverb, units
contained in many PA's built for vocals that cannot
handle synthesizers.
Consideration should also be given to an alterna-
tive approach, choosing amplification that will color
the sound in aspecific way to support amore
specific, narrower range of sounds you may wish to
pursue with your SH-09. If the SH-09 is primarily
used to provide guitar-style lead lines, aguitar amp
with its particular distortion and coloration circuitry
and speaker choice may be an ideal choice.
Likewise, an SH-09 to be used almost exclusively
for bass lines could be played through abass
setup. Remember, this approach influences the
sound considerably and at the same time limits
certain styles while it supports others.
The SH-09 is provided with aconnection cord
terminating in a%inch phone jack for connection
to the synthesizer on one end and with an RCA
connection with an adapter to V* inch phone jack
for output connection at the other end. The %inch
phone jack adapter will be used for most
amplification connections including combo amps
and mixers.
8
The RCA jack offers access to most hi-fi
component systems, asignificant advantage when
the SH-09 is used for practice at home without the
inconvenience of transporting and setting up stage
amplification. Connect the SH-09 to an AUX. input
or TAPE input avoiding aPHONO input with its
special internal equalization. The SH-09 will appear
at one speaker only, unless aTcable or junction
box such as the Roland J-5 is used. IMPORTANT
NOTE: begin with the volume level on your SH-09
at Zero, and the hi-fi at normal or lower than
normal levels. By gradually raising the SH-09 level
and using caution as you change patches you can
easily avoid high level sounds that might otherwise
damage sensitive hi-fi equipment
The SH-09 provides self-contained headphone
amplification for any conventional stereo
headphones through aV* inch stereo phone jack
on the back panel. This is not only convenient
when practicing, but allows for fine adjustments to
be made to critical patches while on stage. To do
this, simply turn the SH-09 output off at the mixer
or amplifier input volume control and monitor
through headphones during breaks in playing.
Return the amplification to normal settings when
you are finished making your adjustments.
Other rear panel connections on the SH-09 include
an External Audio Input to allow interfacing with
other instruments by using the Envelope Follower
included in the SH-09, or to allow interfacing with
instruments equipped with apositive voltage Gate
Output such as the Roland RS-09 Organ Strings or
the SA-09 Saturn.
Control Voltage and Gate Inputs and Outputs are
provided to allow interfacing with other synthesizers
such as the Roland SH-2 or Jupiter-8 or for
connection to the Roland CSQ series computer
sequencers. These applications are detailed in the
Interfacing section of this manual. All interface
connections follow the industry standard one volt
per octave Keyboard Control Voltage and positive
voltage Keyboard Gate to allow for connection to
all other major brands, giving the SH-09 the
maximum amount of flexibility and potential for
growth and innovation.

Operation
Blank Interfacing The easiest way to get familiar with the SH-09 is to
systematically explore the controls and their effect
on the sound itself. Once the basic exploration is
completed, combinations of these controls will be
used to piece the information gained into a
practical, useful whole.
Connect the SH-09 to suitable amplification and
begin your examination with the following settings:
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Set the Volume control at Zero, then gradually
increase it to acomfortable level. After exploring
each control, return it to this basic setting (patch)
to assist the rest of your initial examination.
Voltage Controlled
Oscillator
The Voltage Controlled Oscillator is the primary
sound source of your synthesizer, where the basic
pitch range and tone color of your sound must be
chosen. The Voltage Controlled Oscillator is the
second major section along the top of the SH-09,
labelled VCO.
Pitch Control The pitch you are hearing may be switched up or
down manually in single octave increments with
the Range selector. The pitch is also automatically
controlled by the keyboard —include pressing
both extremes of the keyboard with each of the
various range selections to get an aural picture of
how the SH-09 keyboard can fit into many different
instrumental ranges easily and accurately. It is
helpful to understand that nearly all instruments
have auseful range that falls within asingle
keyboard length of the SH-09, and by selecting
that range thoughtfully your imitations will be more
authentic and your new creations more believable
than if those ranges were exceeded. Figure 1will
assist in relating the SH-09 keyboard and range
options to other musical references.
The SH-09 is asolo instrument —as are the vast
majority of other musical instruments. It will play
only one note at atime and its keyboard operates
accordingly. The SH-09 keyboard has low note
priority —if more than one note is played, the bot-
tom one will be sounded by the VCO. More details
on how to make maximum advantage of the SH-
09 keyboard will follow.