Roland A-01 Controller+Generator

Started by Elantric, December 22, 2016, 09:44:08 AM

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Elantric




Roland A-01 Controller+Generator
https://www.roland.com/uk/products/a-01/

POWERFUL POCKET MODULE WITH MIDI/ANALOG CONNECTIVITY AND SOUND ENGINE
A controller is a vital part of any music production setup, but choosing the right one can be a dilemma. You want a unit with the flexibility to drive all your MIDI and CV/GATE-equipped analog gear. You need to connect to the huge range of music-making apps for tablets and smartphones. And as a modern musician moving from gig to gig, you need to be able to work on projects whenever inspiration strikes. The Roland A-01 ticks all of your boxes—whether you want to warm up backstage, control every element of an elaborate home studio setup, or create original music from scratch, this flexible controller and sound generator is your one-stop solution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqmVcTgkvYk&list=PLjE3lpIJr8X0Gy-Qjj8ZEErCjWdW0-8A3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms8Ez8VtiQU&index=4&list=PLjE3lpIJr8X0Gy-Qjj8ZEErCjWdW0-8A3


Features
A-01
Memory Controller Mode :  16 patches (4 patches x 4 banks)
Synth Mode :  16 tones (8 tones x 2 banks)
Seq Mode :  16 patterns (8 patterns x 2banks)
Connectors  : PHONES jack :  Stereo miniature phone type
CV OUT jack :  Stereo miniature phone type
GATE OUT jack :  Stereo miniature phone type
MIDI (IN, OUT) connectors
USB port :  MicroB type (MIDI)
BluetoothBluetooth LE
Power Supply : Rechargeable Ni-MH battery (AA, HR6) x 4
Alkaline battery (AA, LR6) x 4
USB bus power   
Current Draw : 500 mA (USB bus power)
Expected battery life under continuous use : Rechargeable Ni-MH battery :  Approx. 12 hours   
Size And Weight
Width : 300 mm 11-13/16 inches
Depth128 mm 5-1/16 inches
Height : 46 mm 1-13/16 inches
Weight : 950 g 2 lbs 2 oz.
K-25m
Connector : 16 pin flat cable
Accessories : Owner's manual
Applicable Models : JU-06, JP-08, JX-03
Size And Weight
Width : 308 mm 12-1/8 inches
Depth : 209 mm  8-1/4 inches
Height : 44 mm 1-3/4 inches
Weight : 700 g 1 lb 9 oz


Elantric


Elantric

http://www.dtmstation.com/archives/51969602.html

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MIDI, USB, CV / GATE, Bluetooth ... The power of Roland A-01, a gateway that bridges all
January 26, 2016 10:00
MIDI Synthesizer
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While this NAMM various products from each company in has been announced, to see in terms of the DTM, it is very equipment that the A-01 of Roland that was interesting. This is " JUPITER-8, JX-3P, Roland Boutique debut! That revived the JUNO-106 to modern with new models that have been added as a lineup of Roland of Boutique series was also introduced in the article, such as", on January 29, What is going to be released.

It's pretty much different from the three products released so far and it is a product with a strong utility implication rather than a musical instrument. Glance is not visible only to a small synthesizer keyboard, actually used to try and "The wanted to now the DTM environment is exactly this kind of equipment is it!" It was a convenient product that ends up inspiring . I tried that A-01 before launch, so I checked what I can do.


Roland's A-01 functioning as a gateway that acts as a mediator for various devices, software and applications
Sales of limited quantity that is, the end of last year, I think that not a few people who have purchased the Boutique series in a hurry. I I also purchased the JU-06, which was reprinted JUNO-106 in a nostalgia-filled, but, A-01, which appeared this time has become a product that considerably orientation is different from them.




A-01 was born as Roland Boutique series. Just before I bought JU - 06

Before entering the actual function commentary, idea to introduce the product configuration, to be launched in the domestic A-01K (market expected price 52,000 yen: tax not included) those that are released from the A-01 body and a conventional and we are united formula that was to set the K-25m of the keyboard. Personally, I already have K - 25m, so I could not eliminate it, but it seems that there is no plan to release A - 01 alone at this time. Also, A-01 is not limited launch, it seems to be a line-up that will continue to be sold in the future.


It will be sold as A-01K which is a set of A-01 main body held in hand and K-25m combined keyboard

Well, that A-01, certainly a monophonic synthesizer function is also included, so it can be used as an instrument, but it's rather a value-added feature. The main thing is to connect with various devices, mainly A - 01, and to mediate as a HUB.

More specifically, it is possible to exchange signals with each other on a PC, an iPad / iPhone, a MIDI keyboard, a MIDI sound module, an analog synth such as CV / GATE ... ... etc. It is. The figure which briefly shows it is as follows, but do you understand?


System connection diagram of Roland A-01

Even if you look at only this, it may be hard to imagine how to use it yet. Let's consider examples of how to use it while showing an example.


If it connects to the USB, it will be immediately recognized from the PC as a MIDI device and MIDI input / output becomes possible

First of all, this A - 01 is powered by AA batteries × 4 or microUSB as well as other Boutique series, and A - 01 standalone launch is possible. However, if you are a DTM user, you can connect it as a MIDI device by connecting it with Windows or Mac via a USB cable, and it can be connected as a MIDI device.


Connect using GarageBand's Bluetooth MIDI device function

On the other hand, A - 01 supports MIDI connection using Bluetooth LE. It is the same specification that "MIDI over Bluetooth LE" recent companies are starting to issue, so you can connect with iPad or iPhone. For example, in GarageBand, you can connect by selecting "Bluetooth MIDI device" in the setting menu details.


The Bluetooth logo changes from blinking to lit when connection is established

Descriptions of detailed setting procedures are omitted, but once you establish a connection, you can interact with each synth application etc. even if you drop GarageBand. Also, when this Bluetooth LE connection is established, the blue Bluetooth logo will change from blinking to lit on A - 01.

If you play the keyboard of A-01 in this state, the sound source of iPad or iPhone will sound, but I do not feel the latency very much. Of course, there should be a difference strictly, but I think that there is almost no difference between MIDI connection with wired using Lightning cable.

What is unique here is that you can connect with MIDI over Bluetooth LE while connecting to the PC at the same time. And, PC, iPad and iPhone are connected via A - 01. In other words, if you move the DAW on the PC and set the MIDI output destination to A - 01, you can also play the sound source of the iPad or iPhone.


Rear panel of A-01. MicroUSB, headphone output, CV output, GATE output, MIDI OUT / IN and various terminals line up from the left
In addition, it is also a big point that MIDI IN and MIDI OUT terminals are also prepared for A - 01. If you connect this MIDI OUT MIDI sound module, you can sound it from the DAW on the PC as MIDI interface and sound from the iPad / iPhone DAW or keyboard sound source application Become.

Also, if you connect a MIDI keyboard to MIDI IN, you can perform real time recording to PC's DAW with this MIDI keyboard performance, and you can also play the sound source application running on iPad / iPhone via Bluetooth LE .


Since A - 01 has CV OUT and GATE OUT terminals, you can control it by connecting it to an external analog synth

And another important feature is that the CV / GATE terminal for controlling the analog synth is prepared on A - 10. In recent analog synthesizer boom, sound sources equipped with CV / GATE terminals are released from each company, but these are also made to be connectable from A - 01.

However, CV / GATE has two major standards of Hz / V adopted by V / Oct and KORG etc. adopted by many manufacturers including Roland, but adopting A-01 There is V / Oct. Actually, when I connected to MicroBrute of Arturia at hand, I can control thoroughly with this! As you can see from the previous figure, as for CV / GATE, it is one way.


Monophonic analog modeling synthesizer realized with 8bit CPU is also installed

About the connection, to some extent, I found out interesting things from here. First of all, as mentioned above, A-01 is equipped with an 8-bit CPU synthesizer internally created by an engineer responsible for development such as JX-3P. As it is a monophonic synthesizer based on analog modeling, the usage scene seems to be limited to a certain extent, but preset tones are also prepared and memory at 16 tones (8 tones × 2 banks) is also possible, so it can be used quite fun Yes. From the PC, iPhone / iPad, MIDI keyboard etc. connected to A - 01, it can be used as one sound source.

Furthermore, it is also interesting that A - 01 also has a 16 - step sequencer. A-01 It is a sequencer that can be driven easily by itself, this pattern can sound not only the built-in 8-bit CPU synthesizer, but also the analog synth connected by CV / GATE can be played, and software instruments on DAW and sound source applications of iPhone / iPad You can even play it.

A 16-step sequencer is also installed

Also, this 16 step sequencer is one point that can memorize the pattern you created. Memory can be done up to 16 patterns (8 patterns × 2 banks), so once you set it, you can control according to the application. Well, it is a matter of course that memory of the era sequence pattern can be memorized, but it is unexpectedly few that it can be memorized with an affordable sequencer capable of CV / GATE control. I think that there is no loss even if you buy it for just that use.

If you think that A-01 is a gateway that is a HUB of various devices, it may be easier to understand if you consider an 8-bit CPU synthesizer and a 16-step sequencer to be one of the devices. In that sense, if you dare dare add it to the previous figure like another device, it will look like this.


A-01 Figures drawn by a built-in synth and sequencer like other devices (light blue is A-01 internal function)

But, "Wake and has led so full you do not know", "playing one of the keyboard when the trouble is all to ring", "and the analog synth of CV / GATE connection from DAW, separately control the sound source of MIDI connection It is that you want to "...... Nante seem to hear the voice. It's okay there, A-01 is working well.

You can use MIDI channel here. By default all settings are ON, so if you play the keyboard of K - 25m, the 8bit CPU synthesizer, the sound source of the iPhone / iPad, the analog synth of the CV / GATE connection will all sound, but which There is a patch allocation function that can set which MIDI channel the signal is allocated. For example, if you set it to 1 ch for an 8-bit CPU synthesizer and 2 ch for CV / GATE, you can split from DAW.


With the patching function of the MIDI channel, you can set the flow of the signal freely

You can also set which MIDI channel the output of the 16 step sequencer is allocated. Of course, since the MIDI channel setting on the iPhone / iPad iPhone / iPad connected with MIDI equipment or Bluetooth LE should be able to set it, you can control them individually. Moreover, in A - 01, it can store up to 16 patches (4 banks × 4 patches), so once you set it, you can control according to the application.


You can also send control change information etc. by using the knob under the liquid crystal

In this way, it is the equipment called A-01 that can connect all the various equipment that is mixed and freely control the flow of the signal. If you have one as a modern MIDI patch bay as the current DTM environment traffic control equipment, it seems to be said that it is an absolutely convenient equipment.

admin

https://www.roland.com/global/support/by_product/a-01/updates_drivers/a5ccc651-0ff6-40b3-ab43-c281c884509e/

Update history
[ Ver.1.02 ]
Bug Fixes
The following bugs were fixed.
Some patch parameters ( C1/C2 Hold, CV Portamento SW, CV Portamento Time, and CV Pitch Bend Range ) are not updated when patches are switched.
The Hold pedal is sometimes not correctly applied to the synthesizer or CV/GATE.
Synthesizer and CV/GATE pitch bend and hold are not reset on receiving Reset All Controller.

MotorBongo

Thanks for creating this page about the Roland A-01, great reference.

I just pulled out my A-01 again after a while, and was actually surprised to find that I couldn't find how to send Program Changes out of the MIDI-OUT port.

The manual mentions that in controller mode the A-01 can transmit PC's (plus bank, if required), but I'm wondering how to actually trigger it.
My best guess is that these are then sent when changing patches, but I'd hoped for an easy way of sending PC's, say controlled by one of the buttons/controls.

In case anybody reads this and knows how/more, please tell, thanks, would be much appreciated.

roland_a01_user

To make the Roland A-01 send Program Change messages you need to know that Controller mode has its own set of patches. These patches store how you have set-up the MIDI Controller (which knobs control which CC messages, what the ribbon controllers do, etc.). The information in the "Patch" submenu is stored as part of a patch. Controller mode has 4 banks with 4 patches so it can store 4 x 4 = 16 Controller presets.

To set which Program Change is sent when you select a patch, do the following:

- Go into MIDI Controller mode
- Press Menu
- Select the Patch submenu and press Inc
- Select the Program Change item and use Inc / Dec to set the correct Program Change number
- Press Menu to exit the Menu
- Long press "v" (the down-arrow button, top left) and hold it to select a patch bank.
- Select the desired patch bank with the number buttons 1-4 and release the "v" button.
- Long press the desired patch number with the number buttons 1-4 to save your patch at this position.
- The unit will let you know on the screen that the patch is being saved.
- Use the buttons 1-4 to select another (random) patch.
- Use the buttons 1-4 to go back to the patch you just saved.
- On loading the patch, the A-01 will send out the Program Change number you selected in the Patch submenu. It will do this any time you select this patch.

(I registered just to post this, since I originally found your post when I had the same question. I have since figured it out, so I thought to share it here.)

MotorBongo


Thanks for the message, registering to post this much appreciated!

So as I understood it, there will only be a new ProgramChange sent from the MIDI-OUT (and/or via USB) when a new patch is selected, correct?
In other words: without reprogramming the patches, it'll be limited to max 16 different PC's.
So 'on the fly' sound-selection/browsing from/by this controller on a connected external soundmodule is limited to 16 then.

It'd have been cool if for instance one of the controls could be used to dial in any PC and then hit one of the buttons to send it.   

Thanks/bye