Roland SH-09 - Interfacing Digital Sequencers

The
RS-09
Organ/Strings
has a
special
Raw
Organ
Output making
it
ideal for
synthesizer
interfacing.
This
output is
a straight mix of
the
oscillators
before
any Chorus
Ensemble or
Tone
Selectors,
allowing
the RS-09
String
and Organ
sounds
to
be
used normally
while
providing
the
SH-09
with
a
pure
sound
as a
basis for
poly-synthesizer
sounds.
Both the
RS-09
and
SA-09
provide
Drawbar
Mixing
control
over
the
output
that
you
will
process with
the
SH-09.
Each has
four
parallel
octave
tones
at
8', 4',
2',
and
1
'
pitches
which may
be
mixed in
a
form
of
additive
synthesis
to
provide
different
waveforms
for
the SH-09
to
work
with.
The RS-
09/SH-09
Woodwind
patch provided
here
uses
33
one slider
to
provide
a
Square wave
Tne
RS-
09/SH-09
Brass
patch
comDines
tour
sliders
tc
provide
a
Staircase
wave, very
similar
to the
Sawtooth
wave
normally
used
for
synthesizer
brass
patches.
Each RS-09
drawbar
slider
provides
a
pure
Square
wave on
its own, while
the
SA-09
has
four
Tone
Selectors
which
can alter
the
tones
from
the
basic
square wave
before they
are
mixed
and
sent for
processing
Four
examples each are
presented for
interfacing
the RS-09/SH-09
and the SA-09/SH-09
combina-
tions. Carefully
study the diagram
and
the accom-
panying
text to fully understand the
principles
behind interfacing external
instruments
possessing
gate
outputs.
Interfacing
Digital
Sequencers
A
digital
sequencer
may be interfaced with
the SH-
09 to
actually
play the synthesizer for
you, accord-
ing
to your
instruction. A
Roland
CSQ Digital
Sequencer
may
be connected directly
to your SH-
09 as
diagrammed in
the examples given,
actually
placing
it within
the synthesizer between
the
keyboard
and the
rest of
the instrument No
patch
cord changes
are
necessary
to
bring
the
sequen-
cers into
work
—
they can
be loaded, played
back,
or
return
your SH-09
to normal keyboard
control
with
no
hesitation or
interruption
of the musical
line.
Both
the
CSQ- 100
and CSQ-600 Digital
Sequen-
cers are
loaded
and manipulated from
the syn-
thesizer
keyboard.
The
CSQ's memorize
exactly
how
you play
the SH-09's
keyboard:
pitches,
rhythms,
and the
exact length
of each note or
rest
for
every
nuance
and
subtle change in
tempo or
style.
Since
the
CSQ's memorize
the performance
and not
the
sound itself,
the sound
patch of the
SH-09
may
be
altered
before or
even during
per-
formance.
The
CSQ Digital
Sequencers can
be loaded during
live
performance or
prepared
beforehand.
Any
musical
line loaded can
be played
back
exactly
as
originally
performed,
as notes
of
equal
value no
matter
what
the
original
rhythm,
or with
the original
pitches over
a different rhythm
rewritten
from
the
synthesizer keyboard.
Tempo
may
be
adjusted
over
a wide range,
sequences may
be played
once or
repeated
automatically,
and may
be
transposed
from
the
keyboard of
the
synthesizer.
Two
examples
are given
here,
each
interfaced
onj
step further
by
linking
the
CSQ
sequencers
with
a
Roland
Rhythm
unit
so that they
will run
together in
rhythmic
sync.
In
Example 1
the smaller
CSQ-
100
is
actually
being
driven
rhythmically
by the
gate
output
of
the DR-55
programmable
rhythm
unit
Example
2
shows
the larger
CSQ-600
driving
the
internal
clock
of the
more
flexible CR-78
Program-
mable
Rhythm
unit
so that
each has
total
rhythmic
flexibility,
yet
will
run
in perfect
tempo
with
one
another.
Only
the jack
connections
are
shown
here,
for further
information
refer
to
a CSQ
owners
manual or
your Roland
dealer.
Patches
A
blank
patch sheet is
provided
for
each of
the
interfacing
combinations
discussed.
Photocopy
them
for
use with
the
actual
instrument
combina-
tion
or
to work
out in
advance
which
combination
of
interfacing
suits
you
best