GR-1 Supplemental Notes
© 1995 Roland Corporation U.S.
GR-1 MIDI Sequencing
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6) Play your guitar, and you should hear the Patch being played through MIDI. If you have been using Auto
Channelize, turn it off so that incoming MIDI messages pass through your computer on the channels
transmitted from your GR-1. Start recording on your sequencer and play your guitar.
V. Common Questions
Q: I play a note on my guitar, hold it and after a little bit, it jumps an octave in pitch.
A: This problem is caused because the guitar in question is not outputting the correct pitch. This typically occurs
because of one of two reasons. If this is occurring on a particular fret and note then chances are that you have
a 'sweet spot' on your guitar that is outputting a tone that the GK-2A pickup is interpreting as an octave above
the intended pitch. If this is occurring on a particular string or range of frets, the chances are that a harmonic
of a note is being accidentally triggered for that string or group frets. This effect can also occur with open
strings. When the GK-2 or GK-2A pickup sees this new pitch, it assumes you meant to play a harmonic on the
guitar and accordingly matches it with the appropriate note one octave up. This is primarily caused when a
string vibrates and hits a loose or high fret and in turn creates a harmonic. Whichever problem you are having,
typically the solution is a 'fret file'. A 'fret file' is an operation where a technician will file down the frets of your
guitar so they have more consistent height. This operation should be performed by a qualified guitar
technician. Raising the action of the strings can also yield results.
Q: I play my guitar and get bizarre pitch results when using the GR-1 through MIDI.
A: This problem is primarily caused when the pitch bend range of the transmitting device and the pitch bend of
the receiving device do not match. Check the settings in the GR-1's MIDI Out section and the receive section
of the sound module and make sure they match. Ideal settings for pitch bend range send and receive are
typically 12 or 24.
Q: I play the same string and fret but get different notes each time I play through MIDI..
A: This problem is typically caused by uneven pitch being generated by the guitar. You can test this by plugging
the guitar into a guitar tuner (not the GR-1) to check and see if your guitar is outputting different pitches each
time you play. If this is the case, then your guitar frets may need work. Remember the tracking of the GK-2
pickup is only as good as your guitars output.
Q: I play notes that are on pitch, but I still see pitch bend messages on my sequencer.
A: Whether you play perfectly or not, you’ll always send small amounts of pitch bend. It is not possible to play
perfectly all the time. By playing a little bit off-the-fret of your guitar you will generate pitch bend messages.
Turn the BEND to OFF when not needed. If you already have pitch bend range turned OFF and are still
getting a pitch bend message with a value of '0,' this is normal. Even with the BEND set to OFF the GR-1
always outputs a pitch bend message with a value of '0' before each note to make sure the previous notes will
be played in tune.
Q: Can I use the GR-1 with a 12-string guitar, bass, pedal steel guitar, banjo or ukulele?
A: While the GR-1 is not designed for a banjo, pedal steel, or ukulele, we’ve heard of some success with these
types of instruments. However, since this unit was not designed for these types of instruments, Roland cannot
endorse this application. What does this mean? Take your instrument of choice to a store and hook it up with a
GK-2A and decide if the unit is able to track your instrument in the fashion you desire.
Q: Why does the GR-1 seem to track slower through MIDI?
A: Consider this - the cable that connects from the GK-2A to the GR-1 has 13 pins, so the internal sound source
of the GR-1 tracks very quickly. A MIDI cable only has two pins connected, so many messages must wait in
line and therefore will take longer to get down the MIDI cord. Turning BEND to OFF will cut down on the
amount of MIDI messages the GR-1 will have to transmit and therefore possibly the waiting time.
Q: The GR-1 receives continuous controllers 7 and 11. What are they used for?
Summary of Contents for GP-100
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