Guitar Synthesizer

TurboStart

Using the Tuner

Its important to tune your guitar accurately so the GR-20 can operate efficiently. Use the following steps to tune your guitar: 1. Press TUNER so its lit. Note: Immediately after pressing TUNER, two numbers show briefly in the displaythey represent the reference pitch. By default, the GR-20 is set to 440Hz which is shown as 40 in the display. 2. 3. 4. If desired, you can select a different reference pitch from 427Hz to 452Hz by turning the NUMBER/VALUE dial. st Play the 1 (High E) string unfretted repeatedly. Tune the guitar so that only the green indicator under SW MODE is lit and the display shows Ethe display shows E if youre close to the correct pitch. If a different letter is in the display, continue tuning the string until E shows up.

Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of the Roland GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer. This TurboStart contains step-by-step instructions that will quickly introduce you to a few of the GR-20s major features.

Making Connections

1. 2. 3. 4. Confirm that the power is OFF on the GR-20. Connect one end of the 13-pin cable to your GK-3 pickup (or 13-pin receptacle on an RMC type pickup). Connect the other end of the 13-pin cable to the GK IN jack on the GR-20. With a standard guitar or instrument cable, connect the R (MONO) OUTPUT on the GR-20 to the INPUT on your amp, mixer or PA. If you prefer, connect your headphones to the L (PHONES) OUTPUT.
Note: No synth sound is produced at the GUITAR OUT of the GR-20. Use the GUITAR OUT to send your dry guitar signal to a different amp or effects processor if desired. 5. Now turn on the GR-20, and then your amp.
Note: If the red indicators under PATCH LINK SETUP or MIDI CH light, the string is too sharp. If the red indicators under SIGNAL or OUTPUT LINE/AMP light, the string is too flat. 5. 6. Repeat the process for each of the remaining strings. Press TUNER so its not lit, or EXIT when youre finished tuning.

Setting Sensitivity

Adjusting the sensitivity in the GR-20 is crucial for optimum tracking results. Use the following steps to set the sensitivity: 1. Press SENS so its lit. 2. Play the 6th string (High E) repeatedly with the maximum amount of force youll use during your performance. Note: The left-most character in the LED represents the string number. The right-hand character represents the sensitivity value. The vertical set of BANK indicatorsjust to the right of the BANK dial]function as a level meter and show the strength of the guitar signal. 3. Turn the NUMBER/VALUE knob to adjust the sensitivity so that all of the indicators light up briefly each time the string is played. You can set sensitivity anywhere from 1 to 9. Repeat the process for each of the remaining strings. When youre finished setting the sensitivity, press SENS so its not lit, or press EXIT.
Selecting the Correct Output Setting
Its a good idea to tell the GR-20 what youre connected to for amplification; i.e. a guitar amp or PA system, etc. This settingreferred to as Output Selectallows the GR to internally optimize its sound for the type of playback system youre using. Use the following procedure to change the Output Selection to match your setup: 1. Press SYSTEM/EDIT so the indicator under OUTPUT LINE/AMP is lit. 2. Turn the NUMBER/VALUE dial to select the appropriate setting; GA if youre connected to a guitar amp, or Ln if youre connected to a PA, keyboard amp, mixer, recorder or headphones. 3. Press EXIT when youre finished.

TBS209

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Storing a User Patch
There are 99 user locations to store your own patches. Use the following procedure to save a patch: 1. Select a desired patch. 2. Edit or change the patch as desired. 3. Press WRITE. 4. Turn the VALUE dial to select the desired patch location (1-99) for storing your changes. 5. Press WRITE to store the patch.
Selecting and Auditioning Patches
The GR-20s preset Patches are grouped in ten sets, or banks, by type, with individual patches numbered within each bank. Use the following steps to select and try out some of the patches in the GR-20: 1. Turn the LEVEL (volume) knob on the GR-20s back panel to MAX. 2. Turn the GK-3s pickup volume clockwise. 3. Turn the BANK dial to select PIANO. 4. Turn the VALUE dial to select 06. 5. Confirm that the GR-20s EXP pedal is in the toe forward position. 6. Now play your guitar. Experiment with your playing technique. Try plucking the strings instead of strumming. 7. Now turn the BANK dial to select ORGAN/Kb and turn the VALUE dial to select 01. 8. Play your guitar. While youre playing the patch use the EXP pedal to control the rotary speaker effect. 9. Turn the BANK dial to select RHYTHM/PERC and the VALUE dial to 31. 10. Play the Low E string and then press and hold the HOLD pedal. While the loop is playing back, play the other strings. Tip: You can also use the S1/S2 buttons on the GK to scroll through patches.

Exchanging User Patches

You can exchange, or swap, patches within the user bank area. This can be helpful for organizing patches or putting them in a specific order for performance. Use the following procedure to exchange patches: 1. Select the patch to be exchanged. 2. Hold EXIT and press WRITEthe patch number flashes. 3. Release EXIT and WRITE, and then turn the VALUE dial to select the other patch that you want to exchange. 4. Press WRITE. Note: Do not turn the power off at this time.

Starting Over

If youd like to redo the GR-20s settings from scratch, you can use the following procedure to clear the GR-20s internal memory and reload its factory settings. Caution: All USER information will be lost. Be sure to back up any information you wish to keep. 1. 2. Power on while holding WRITEALL flashes in the display. Release WRITE, and then press WRITE again.

Changing the Function of the Footswitches (SW MODE)
By default, the GR-20s footswitches are set to control GLIDE and HOLD. Use the following steps to change their function so they scroll up and down through the patches: 1. Press SYSTEM/EDIT so the indicator under SW MODE is lit. 2. Turn the VALUE dial until 2 shows in the display. This selects Switch Mode 2. 3. Press EXIT.

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