Roland GR-33 User Manual

Information
When you need repair service, call your nearest Roland Service Center or authorized Roland distributor in your country as
shown below.
As of June 1, 2000 (Roland)
ARGENTINA
Instrumentos Musicales S.A.
Florida 656 2nd Floor
Office Number 206A
Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA, CP1005
TEL: (54-11) 4- 393-6057
BRAZIL
Roland Brasil Ltda.
R. Coronel Octaviano da Silveira
203 05522-010
Sao Paulo BRAZIL
TEL: (011) 3743 9377
CANADA
Roland Canada Music Ltd.
(Head Office)
5480 Parkwood Way Richmond
B. C., V6V 2M4 CANADA
TEL: (0604) 270 6626
Roland Canada Music Ltd.
(Toronto Office)
Unit 2, 109 Woodbine Downs
Blvd, Etobicoke, ON
M9W 6Y1 CANADA
TEL: (0416) 213 9707
MEXICO
Casa Veerkamp, s.a. de c.v.
Av. Toluca No. 323, Col. Olivar
de los Padres 01780 Mexico D.F.
MEXICO
TEL: (525) 668 04 80
PANAMA
SUPRO MUNDIAL, S.A.
Boulevard Andrews, Albrook,
Panama City,
REP. DE PANAMA
TEL: (507) 315-0101
U. S. A.
Roland Corporation U.S.
5100 S. Eastern Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90040-2938,
U. S. A.
TEL: (323) 890 3700
VENEZUELA
Musicland Digital C.A.
Av. Francisco de Miranda,
Centro Parque de Cristal, Nivel
C2 Local 20 Caracas
VENEZUELA
TEL: (02) 285 9218
AUSTRALIA
Roland Corporation
Australia Pty., Ltd.
38 Campbell Avenue
Dee Why West. NSW 2099
AUSTRALIA
TEL: (02) 9982 8266
NEW ZEALAND
Roland Corporation (NZ) Ltd.
97 Mt. Eden Road, Mt. Eden,
Auckland 3, NEW ZEALAND
TEL: (09) 3098 715
HONG KONG
Tom Lee Music Co., Ltd.
Service Division
22-32 Pun Shan Street, Tsuen
Wan, New Territories,
HONG KONG
TEL: 2415 0911
CHINA
Beijing Xinghai Musical
Instruments Co., Ltd.
6 Huangmuchang Chao Yang
District, Beijing, CHINA
TEL: (010) 6774 7491
INDIA
Rivera Digitec (India) Pvt. Ltd.
409, Nirman Kendra Mahalaxmi
Flats Compound Off. Dr. Edwin
Moses Road, Mumbai-400011,
INDIA
TEL: (022) 498 3079
INDONESIA
PT Citra IntiRama
J1. Cideng Timur No. 15J-150
Jakarta Pusat
INDONESIA
TEL: (021) 6324170
MALAYSIA
Bentley Music SDN BHD
140 & 142, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur,MALAYSIA
TEL: (03) 2443333
PHILIPPINES
G.A. Yupangco & Co. Inc.
339 Gil J. Puyat Avenue
Makati, Metro Manila 1200,
PHILIPPINES
TEL: (02) 899 9801
SINGAPORE
Swee Lee Company
150 Sims Drive,
SINGAPORE 387381
TEL: 748-1669
CRISTOFORI MUSIC PTE
LTD
Blk 3014, Bedok Industrial Park E,
#02-2148, SINGAPORE 489980
TEL: 243 9555
TAIWAN
ROLAND TAIWAN
ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.
Room 5, 9fl. No. 112 Chung Shan
N.Road Sec.2, Taipei, TAIWAN,
R.O.C.
TEL: (02) 2561 3339
THAILAND
Theera Music Co. , Ltd.
330 Verng NakornKasem, Soi 2,
Bangkok 10100, THAILAND
TEL: (02) 2248821
BAHRAIN
Moon Stores
Bab Al Bahrain Road,
P.O. Box 20077
State of BAHRAIN
TEL: 211 005
VIETNAM
Saigon Music
138 Tran Quang Khai St.,
District 1
Ho Chi Minh City
VIETNAM
TEL: (08) 844-4068
ISRAEL
Halilit P. Greenspoon &
Sons Ltd.
8 Retzif Fa'aliya Hashnya St.
Tel-Aviv-Yaho ISRAEL
TEL: (03) 6823666
JORDAN
AMMAN Trading Agency
Prince Mohammed St. P.O. Box
825 Amman 11118 JORDAN
TEL: (06) 4641200
KUWAIT
Easa Husain Al-Yousifi
Abdullah Salem Street,
Safat KUWAIT
TEL: 5719499
LEBANON
A. Chahine & Fils
P.O. Box 16-5857 Gergi Zeidan St.
Chahine Building, Achrafieh
Beirut, LEBANON
TEL: (01) 335799
QATAR
Badie Studio & Stores
P.O. Box 62,
DOHA QATAR
TEL: 423554
SAUDI ARABIA
aDawliah Universal
Electronics APL
P.O. Box 2154 ALKHOBAR 31952,
SAUDI ARABIA
TEL: (03) 898 2081
SYRIA
Technical Light & Sound
Center
Khaled Ibn Al Walid St.
P.O. Box 13520
Damascus - SYRIA
TEL: (011) 2235 384
TURKEY
Barkat muzik aletleri ithalat
ve ihracat Ltd Sti
Siraselviler cad.Guney is hani 84-
86/6, Taksim. Istanbul. TURKEY
TEL: (0212) 2499324
U.A.E.
Zak Electronics & Musical
Instruments Co. L.L.C.
Zabeel Road, Al Sherooq Bldg.,
No. 14, Grand Floor DUBAI
U.A.E.
TEL: (04) 3360715
EGYPT
Al Fanny Trading Office
P.O. Box 2904,
El Horrieh Heliopolos, Cairo,
EGYPT
TEL: (02) 4185531
REUNION
Maison FO - YAM Marcel
25 Rue Jules Merman, ZL
Chaudron - BP79 97491
Ste Clotilde REUNION
TEL: 28 29 16
SOUTH AFRICA
That Other Music Shop
(PTY) Ltd.
11 Melle Street (Cnr Melle and
Juta Street)
Braamfontein, 2001,
Republic of SOUTH AFRICA
TEL: (011) 403 4105
Paul Bothner (PTY) Ltd.
17 Werdmuller Centre Claremont
7700
Republic of SOUTH AFRICA
P.O. Box 23032
Claremont, Cape Town
SOUTH AFRICA, 7735
TEL: (021) 64 4030
CYPRUS
Radex Sound Equipment Ltd.
17 Diagorou St., P.O. Box 2046,
Nicosia CYPRUS
TEL: (02) 453 426
DENMARK
Roland Scandinavia A/S
Nordhavnsvej 7, Postbox 880,
DK-2100 Copenhagen
DENMARK
TEL: (039)16 6200
FRANCE
Roland France SA
4, Rue Paul Henri SPAAK,
Parc de l'Esplanade, F 77 462 St.
Thibault, Lagny Cedex FRANCE
TEL: 01 600 73 500
FINLAND
Roland Scandinavia As,
Filial Finland
Lauttasaarentie 54 B
Fin-00201 Helsinki, FINLAND
TEL: (9) 682 4020
GERMANY
Roland Elektronische
Musikinstrumente HmbH.
Oststrasse 96, 22844 Norderstedt,
GERMANY
TEL: (040) 52 60090
GREECE
STOLLAS S.A.
Music Sound Light
155, New National Road
26422 Patras, GREECE
TEL: 061-435400
HUNGARY
Intermusica Ltd.
Warehouse Area ‘DEPO’ Pf.83
H-2046 Torokbalint, HUNGARY
TEL: (23) 511011
IRELAND
Roland Ireland
Audio House, Belmont Court,
Donnybrook, Dublin 4.
Republic of IRELAND
TEL: (01) 2603501
ITALY
Roland Italy S. p. A.
Viale delle Industrie 8,
20020 Arese, Milano, ITALY
TEL: (02) 937-78300
NORWAY
Roland Scandinavia Avd.
Kontor Norge
Lilleakerveien 2 Postboks 95
Lilleaker N-0216 Oslo
NORWAY
TEL: 273 0074
POLAND
P. P. H. Brzostowicz
UL. Gibraltarska 4.
PL-03664 Warszawa POLAND
TEL: (022) 679 44 19
PORTUGAL
Tecnologias Musica e Audio,
Roland Portugal, S.A.
RUA DE SANTA CARARINA
131/133, 4000-450 PORTO
PORTUGAL
TEL: (022) 208 4456
RUSSIA
Slami Music Company
Sadojava-Triumfalnaja st., 16
103006 Moscow, RUSSIA
TEL: 095 209 2193
SPAIN
Roland Electronics
de España, S. A.
Calle Bolivia 239, 08020
Barcelona, SPAIN
TEL: (93) 308 1000
SWITZERLAND
Roland (Switzerland) AG
Musitronic AG
Gerberstrasse 5, CH-4410 Liestal,
SWITZERLAND
TEL: (061) 921 1615
SWEDEN
Roland Scandinavia A/S
SWEDISH SALES OFFICE
Danvik Center 28, 2 tr.
S-131 30 Nacka SWEDEN
TEL: (08) 702 0020
UKRAINE
TIC-TAC
Mira Str. 19/108
P.O. Box 180
295400 Munkachevo, UKRAINE
TEL: (03131) 414-40
UNITED KINGDOM
Roland (U.K.) Ltd.
Atlantic Close, Swansea
Enterprise Park, SWANSEA
SA7 9FJ,
UNITED KINGDOM
TEL: (01792) 700139
KOREA
Cosmos Corporation
1461-9, Seocho-Dong,
Seocho Ku, Seoul, KOREA
TEL: (02) 3486-8855
AUSTRIA
Roland Austria GES.M.B.H.
Siemensstrasse 4, P.O. Box 74,
A-6063 RUM, AUSTRIA
TEL: (0512) 26 44 260
BELGIUM/HOLLAND/
LUXEMBOURG
Roland Benelux N. V.
Houtstraat 3, B-2260, Oevel
(Westerlo) BELGIUM
TEL: (014) 575811
AFRICA
CHILE
Comercial Fancy S.A.
Avenida Rancagua #0330
Providencia Santiago, CHILE
TEL: 56-2-373-9100
URUGUAY
Todo Musica S.A.
Cuareim 1844, Montevideo,
URUGUAY
TEL: 5982-924-2335
EUROPE
AUSTRALIA/
NEW ZEALAND
ASIA
CENTRAL/LATIN
AMERICA
NORTH AMERICA
MIDDLE EAST
AFRICA
EL SALVADOR
OMNI MUSIC
75 Avenida Notre YY Alameda,
Juan Pablo 2, No. 4010
San Salvador, EL SALVADOR
TEL: (503) 262-0788
ROMANIA
FBS LINES
Plata Libertatii 1.
RO-4200 Cheorgheni
TEL: (066) 164-609
PARAGUAY
Distribuidora De
Instrumentos Musicales
J.E. Olear y ESQ. Manduvira
Edeficio, El Dorado Planta Baja
Asuncion PARAGUAY
TEL: 595-21-492147
PERU
VIDEO Broadcast S.A.
Portinari 199 (ESQ. HALS),
San Borja, Lima 41,
REP. OF PERU
TEL: 51-14-758226
La Casa Wagner de
Guadalajara s.a. de c.v.
Av. Corona No. 202 S.J.
Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico
C.P.44100 MEXICO
TEL: (3) 613 1414
COSTA RICA
JUAN Bansbach
Instrumentos Musicales
Ave.1. Calle 11, Apartado 10237,
San Jose, COSTA RICA
TEL: (506)258-0211
Owner’s Manual
02125145 ’00-8-C3-21N
Owner’s Manual
To resize thickness, move all items on the front cover to left or right
Thank you, and congratulations on your choice of the Roland
GR-33 Guitar Synthesizer.
Before using this unit, carefully read the sections entitled:
• USING THE UNIT SAFELY (page 2–3)
• IMPORTANT NOTES (page 9)
These sections provide important information concerning
the proper operation of the unit.
Additionally, in order to feel assured that you have gained a
good grasp of every feature provided by your new unit,
Owner’s manual should be read in its entirety. The manual
should be saved and kept on hand as a convenient reference.
Copyright © 2000 ROLAND CORPORATION
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form
without the written permission of ROLAND CORPORATION.

Roland GR-33 Specifications

General

Type	Guitar Synthesizer
Sound Source	PCM
User Patches	128
Effects	Chorus, Delay, Reverb
Inputs	Guitar Input, GK Input
Outputs	Headphones
Power Supply	AC Adaptor
Display	2-line, 16-character LCD

Summary

Introduction and Safety Information

Using the Unit Safely

Safety precautions for operating the unit, including symbol explanations.

Important Notes and Precautions

Key operational advice covering power, placement, maintenance, and data safety.

GR-33 Panel Layout

Front Panel Controls Overview

Detailed description of buttons, knobs, and displays on the front panel.

Rear Panel Connectors and Jacks

Explanation of all input, output, and power connectors on the rear panel.

Chapter 1: Producing Sounds

Required Equipment and Setup

Lists necessary items and provides a guide for installing the GK-2A pickup.

Making System Connections

Illustrates how to connect the GR-33 with amplifiers, headphones, and other equipment.

Powering Up and Initial Setup

Steps for connecting, powering on the GR-33, and understanding Play Mode.

Factory Reset Procedure

How to restore the GR-33 to its original factory default settings.

System Settings and Configuration

Setting Input Sensitivity (Pickup Sensitivity)

Adjusting pickup sensitivity for individual strings and guitars.

Using the Guitar Tuner Function

Step-by-step guide to tuning the guitar using the built-in tuner.

Output Device Selection

Choosing the correct output setting for connected devices (Guitar Amp or Line).

Chapter 2: Selecting and Playing Sounds (Patches)

Selecting Patches via GK-2A

How to choose patches using the GK-2A pickup controller.

Selecting Patches via Base Module Pedals

Using the unit's four pedals to navigate through patches.

Chapter 3: Controlling Functions with Pedals

Understanding and Entering Pedal Effect Mode

How to access and use Pedal Effect mode for performance effects.

Using Pedal Effects in Play Mode

Enabling pedal effects while in Play mode for seamless performance.

Controlling Arpeggiator and Harmonist On/Off

Using pedals to toggle Arpeggiator and Harmonist functions.

Base Module Pedal Effects

Details on Wah, Pitch Glide, and Hold effects controlled by pedals.

Chapter 4: GR-33 Operating Modes

Navigating GR-33 Modes

Entering and Exiting GR-33 Modes

Visual guide to switching between Play, Pedal Effect, Patch Edit, System, and Tuner modes.

Chapter 5: Setting and Changing Sounds (Patches)

String-Specific Parameter Settings

Adjusting parameters individually for each guitar string.

Saving Patches and Best Practices

Step-by-step guide to saving patches and important considerations.

External Data Management

Bulk Dump: Exporting Patch and System Data

Transferring patch and system data to external MIDI devices.

Bulk Load: Importing Data

Receiving patch and system data from external MIDI devices.

Controlling Functions with CTRL Pedal

Specifying CTRL Pedal Function

Assigning the CTRL pedal to control Arpeggiator/Harmonist or Multi-FX Bypass.

Chapter 6: Using Built-in Effects

Configuring Multi-Effects On/Off

Setting which tones the multi-effect applies to.

Chorus and Reverb Effect Settings

Troubleshooting Built-in Effects

Temporarily Bypassing Effects

How to temporarily turn off effects during editing.

Troubleshooting Built-in Effects

Steps to resolve issues when onboard effects are not functioning.

Chapter 7: Arpeggiator Functionality

Controlling Arpeggiator On/Off

Methods to turn the arpeggiator on or off during performance or editing.

Selecting Tones for Arpeggiation

Choosing which tones (internal/external) the arpeggiator affects.

Chapter 8: Harmonist Functionality

Controlling Harmonist On/Off

Turning the Harmonist on/off via pedal or in Patch Edit mode.

Harmony and Transpose Settings

Selecting Harmony Tones

Choosing which sound sources (1st/2nd tone, external) produce harmony.

Setting Harmonic Intervals (Harmony Style)

Defining the interval relationship between melody and harmony.

Setting the Harmony Key

Selecting the musical key for the patch's harmony.

Chapter 9: External Sound and Sequencer Connections

Connecting External MIDI Sound Devices

Physical connection guide for MIDI devices.

Setting MIDI Channel and Bend Range

Configuring basic MIDI channel and pitch bend settings.

Using GR-33 with Sequencers

Connecting GR-33 to a Sequencer

How to connect the GR-33 for recording performances.

Sequencer Input Procedures and Settings

Essential setup steps for recording with a sequencer.

MIDI Data Optimization

Sequencing Troubleshooting Tips

Common issues and solutions for sequencing difficulties.

Chapter 10: Other Convenient Functions

Re-assigning Program Change Numbers

Reordering PC numbers to match patch sequence after re-writing.

Terminating MIDI Controller 7 (Volume) Transmission

Disabling Volume (CC#7) transmission to prevent conflicts.

Chapter 11: Appendices and Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting: Normal Play Issues

Resolving common problems during standard operation.

Troubleshooting: Pitch and Sound Variation Issues

Diagnosing pitch and sound variation problems.

Troubleshooting: Tone and Volume Issues

Resolving problems related to missing tones or volume balance.

System Error Messages and Causes

Explains common error messages and their solutions.

Troubleshooting (Continued)

Troubleshooting: Effect and Pitch Issues

Resolving issues with built-in effects and pitch changes.

Troubleshooting (Continued 2)

Troubleshooting: MIDI Keyboard/Instrument Playback

Resolving sound and message reception issues when using MIDI controllers.

Troubleshooting: Pitch and Tuning Accuracy

Addressing pitch discrepancies and tuning issues.