Page 2 - NOTICE; FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION; WARNING; DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
For Canada This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations. NOTICE AVIS For the USA FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENT This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class...
Page 3 - To avoid confusion, let’s agree to...
r Shoulder Synthesizer Owner’s Manual ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH Thank you and congratulations on your choice of the Roland AX-Synth Shoulder Synthesizer. Fitted with a powerful sound engine, the AX-Synth represents the next generation of Roland’s legendary AX-series of shoulder...
Page 6 - Important notes
Important notes 6 In addition to the items listed under “USING THE UNIT SAFELY” on p. 4, please read and observe the following: Power supply • The AX-Synth can be operated using 8 rechargeable AA-type Ni-MH batteries or the supplied adaptor. Be careful to insert the batteries the right way around. I...
Page 7 - Battery handling
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 7 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH • Be sure to carefully instruct any person on the proper way of han- dling batteries. • Never dispose of the battery in a fire. Never heat it. Doing so may melt the insulation, damage the gas release vents or protective devi...
Page 8 - Contents
Important notes 8 USING THE UNIT SAFELY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Important notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1. The AX-Synth in...
Page 9 - High-quality Internal sound source
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 9 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH High-quality Internal sound source A “shoulder synthesizer”, the AX-Synth comes with 256 high-quality sounds specially selected for solo performances, 4 SuperNATURAL™ sounds (Violin, Cello, Shakuhachi, Trombone) and 4 SPECIA...
Page 10 - Front panel; button allows you to use; Panel descriptions; C D
Panel descriptions 10 Front panel A PGM CHANGE INC & DEC buttons These buttons are used to transmit program change messages on the selected MIDI channel. They work in a sequential fashion (incremental or decremental). Program change numbers can also be entered directly, however (see p. 28). B TX...
Page 11 - If you hold down; Bottom panel; Front view
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 11 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ‘Neck’ (control) section K VOLUME knob This knob allows you to set the AX-Synth’s overall output volume. L AFTER TOUCH knob This knob sends channel aftertouch messages for the notes you are playing (see p. 23). M OCTAVE/VAR...
Page 12 - PHONES socket
Panel descriptions 12 Connection panel (rear) U OUTPUT R & L/MONO sockets These 1/4” sockets need to be connected to the inputs of a keyboard amplifier, mixer, etc. To take advantage of the AX-Synth mobility factor, consider using a commercially available wireless system. Note: If you can/want t...
Page 13 - Connecting the AC adaptor; switch is in the “OFF”; Inserting or replacing batteries; (2) Remove the battery cover located on the bottom; Making connections
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 13 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH Note: To prevent malfunction and/or damage to speakers or other devices, always turn down the volume, and turn off the power on all devices before making any connections. Note: When audio cables with resistors are used, the...
Page 14 - Battery charge indication; Note about rechargeable batteries; Connecting the AX-Synth; panel to the input jacks of your external device.
Making connections 14 (3) Insert 8 rechargeable AA-type Ni-MH batteries into the compartment (4 on either side), taking care to orient them in accordance with the “+” and “–” indications. (4) Close the AX-Synth’s battery compartment. Battery charge indication If, while using batteries, three flashin...
Page 15 - (1) Connect the wireless transmitters to the OUTPUT; Controlling a MIDI-compatible sound source
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 15 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH Using a wireless system to connect the AX-Synth to your amplifier, etc. Using a commercially available wireless system and bat-teries has the advantage that you are free in your move-ments on stage—with no cables to worry a...
Page 16 - Working with a computer or sequencer; Using headphones; jack; (2) The headphone volume can be adjusted with the; Some notes on using headphones; • To prevent damage to the cord, handle the head-
Making connections 16 Working with a computer or sequencer If you want to use the AX-Synth as Master keyboard for recording applications that involve a computer with sequencing software, or take advantage of the “AX-Synth Editor” software, here is the most useful con-nection system: Note: The AX-Syn...
Page 17 - Powering up; Turning the power off
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 17 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH Powering up Once the connections have been completed (page 14), turn on the power to your various devices in the order specified. By turning on devices in the wrong order, you risk causing malfunction and/or damage to speak...
Page 18 - Selecting ‘regular’ Tones; Selecting ‘regular’ Tones sequentially; Uar; Numeric selection of a ‘regular’ Tone
Playing the AX-Synth 18 Selecting ‘regular’ Tones The AX-Synth contains 256 Tones derived from Roland’s cutting-edge synthesizers, 4 “SuperNATURAL™” Tones, and 4 “SPECIAL” Tones. These sounds can be played via the 49 velocity-sensitive keys (or via MIDI). Selecting ‘regular’ Tones sequentially The A...
Page 19 - Selecting ‘SuperNATURAL’ Tones; See the blue legends above the buttons.; Selecting ‘SPECIAL’ Tones; The button you press lights and the
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 19 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH You can repeat this step to select other sounds at a later stage. If you entered the wrong number, you can erase it by pressing the CANCEL key, then start again. (5) Release the [SHIFT] button. Selecting ‘SuperNATURAL’ and ...
Page 20 - Recalling FAVORITE memories; or
Playing the AX-Synth 20 Recalling FAVORITE memories To select the Tones assigned to the FAVORITE memories, proceed as follows. (1) Press the FAVORITE [A] or [B] button to select the bank. The FAVORITE button you press lights and the display shows “ A - ” (bank “A”) or “ b - ” (bank “B”). (2) Press o...
Page 21 - Master Tune; Press; Transpose; The; Using the AX-Synth’s performance functions
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 21 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH The AX-Synth provides several functions that allow you to add expression to your music, change the pitch/key, etc. Master Tune This parameter allows you to change the AX-Synth’s overall tuning. The factory default, 440Hz, r...
Page 22 - Octave Switch mode; Using the Modulation Bar
Using the AX-Synth’s performance functions 22 Shifting the keyboard pitch in octave steps You can shift the pitch of the currently selected Tone upward or downward in steps of an octave, over a max-imum of three octaves up or down. Octave Switch mode This mode means that the octave transposition you...
Page 23 - Selecting the Bender Mode; Aftertouch; Using the D Beam controller; The usable range of the D Beam controller; the button you pressed in step
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 23 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH In most cases, the ribbon allows you to change the pitch of the notes you are playing (Pitch Bend). Selecting the Bender Mode The [BENDER¥MODE] button at the back of the neck can be used to select one of two modes for the T...
Page 24 - Portamento; Selecting the Portamento mode
Using the AX-Synth’s performance functions 24 Assigning a different function to the D Beam controller While the functions of the D BEAM [PITCH] and [FILTER] buttons are fixed, you can assign a MIDI control change number (CC) to the [ASSIGNABLE] button to control the desired parameter in real-time. (...
Page 25 - (4) Confirm your selection by pressing the; button; Sustaining notes; HOLD button; Play a note or chord and press; FOOT PEDAL socket
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 25 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH (4) Confirm your selection by pressing the [WRITE] button. Note: This selection is remembered even after switching the AX-Synth off. (5) Release the [SHIFT] button Sustaining notes The AX-Synth provides two controls for hol...
Page 26 - UOL; Editing Tone settings; UOl
Editing Tone settings 26 Editing the volume and Reverb Send levels Though most sound parameter can only be edited using the dedicated “AX-Synth Editor” software and a com-puter, you can change the volume and Reverb Send lev-els of the Tones on the AX-Synth itself and save those changes to a FAVORITE...
Page 27 - Please see page 15 for how to connect the AX-Synth to your MIDI rig.; About the AX-Synth’s receive channel; MIDI IN socket of the device you wish to control.; Setting the MIDI transmit channel; button and press the
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 27 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH The AX-Synth can transmit and receive performance data when connected to an external MIDI device, which enables the two devices to control each other’s performance. For example, one device can play or switch sounds on the o...
Page 28 - button to confirm your setting.; and; Entering Program Change numbers directly
Using the AX-Synth as MIDI controller 28 (4) Press the [WRITE] button to confirm your setting. (5) Release the [SHIFT] button. Transmitting Program Change numbers The AX-Synth automatically transmits the Program Change numbers of the sounds you select in the TONE section. The messages sent in this w...
Page 29 - Using the Bulk Dump function; dMP; dMP
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 29 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH Using the Bulk Dump function The AX-Synth provides a Bulk Dump function that allows you to archive its settings by transmitting them to a MIDI sequencer, and to send them back to the AX-Synth at a later stage. Archiving the...
Page 30 - The AX-Synth’s FAVORITE; switch it back on again.
Using the AX-Synth as MIDI controller 30 The AX-Synth’s FAVORITE [WRITE] button flashes to indicate that SysEx data are being received. When all data blocks have been received, the display changes to “ Urt ” (writing data) and the FAVORITE [WRITE] button lights. (5) Wait until “ dne ” appears in the...
Page 31 - General considerations; Possible applications; Caution; If connection to your computer is unsuccessful...
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 31 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH The AX-Synth is equipped with a USB port for MIDI communication with a computer. General considerations Possible applications If you connect the USB port located on the AX-Synth’s rear panel to a USB port of your computer, ...
Page 32 - Gen
Using the AX-Synth’s USB port 32 Making the settings for the USB driver For successful USB communication, you need to specify the USB driver you want to use, and then activate that driver. (1) Hold down the [SHIFT] button and press PGM CHANGE [INC] . The display now shows the name of the driver that...
Page 33 - MIDI IN socket of your optional Edirol video device.; Operations on the AX-Synth; • Video clip selection: the keys in the lowest octave
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 33 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH V-LINK ( ) is a function that allows music and images to be performed together. By using MIDI to connect two or more V-LINK compatible devices, you can easily enjoy performing a wide range of visual effects that are linked ...
Page 34 - Battery-related functions; Checking the remaining battery charge; Sleep mode setting; Off; Loading the factory settings; FCt; Additional functions
Additional functions 34 Battery-related functions Here are two functions that may come in handy when you are using the AX-Synth with batteries. Checking the remaining battery charge If you are not sure whether your AX-Synth contains fresh (or fully recharged) batteries, you may want to check how muc...
Page 35 - Troubleshooting; OCS
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 35 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH Troubleshooting This section provides points to check and actions to take when the AX-Synth does not function as you expect. Refer to the appropriate section for the problem you are experiencing. Power does not turn on Is t...
Page 36 - Control Change list
Appendix 36 Control Change list Here are the official or frequently-used functions of Control Change numbers CC00~127. Not all MIDI instruments support all Control Changes, while some instruments may use certain numbers for different pur-poses. Be sure to check the MIDI implementation chart of the e...
Page 37 - Tone list
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 37 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH Tone list SuperNATURAL Tones SPECIAL Tones Regular Tones Position Tone CC00 CC32 PC 1 Violin 66 0 1 2 Cello 66 0 2 3 Shakuhachi 66 0 3 4 Trombone 66 0 4 Position Tone CC00 CC32 PC 5 Trumpet 87 64 1 6 Sax 87 64 2 7 Strings 8...
Page 39 - Roland AX-Synth Shoulder Synthesizer
r AX-Synth Owner’s Manual 39 ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH Roland AX-Synth Shoulder Synthesizer Note: In the interest of product improvement, the specifications and/or appearance of this unit are subject to change without prior notice. 12. Specifications Keyboard 49 keys, velocity ...
Page 40 - MIDI implementation chart
MIDI implementation chart 40 [Shoulder Synthesizer] Date: March 2009 Model: AX-Synth Version: 1.00 13. MIDI implementation chart Function... Transmitted Recognized Remarks BasicChannel DefaultChanged 11~16, Off 11~16 Memorized Mode DefaultMessageAltered Mode 3Mono, Poly***** Mode 3Mode 3, 4 (M= 1)X ...
Page 42 - Information
42 As of Jan. 1, 2009 (ROLAND) Information When you need repair service, call your nearest Roland Service Center or authorized Rolanddistributor in your country as shown below. EGYPT Al Fanny Trading Office9, EBN Hagar Al Askalany Street,ARD E1 Golf, Heliopolis, Cairo 11341, EGYPTTEL: (022)-417-1828...
