Build a 1/4" Guitar Input > GK 13 pin out adapter cable?

Started by bigfoot, January 28, 2012, 05:27:19 PM

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HoosierMan

Quote from: Elantric on January 28, 2012, 07:28:41 PM

Or you can build a cable to do this.

On the GR-55  side of the 13 pin connection, Pin # 7 is the  Normal Guitar signal input.

So a cable with a 1/4" male plug on one end ( to your guitar) , and a DIN13 Male plug on the other, with 1/4" plug Tip wired to DIN13 #7 Pin (Normal Guitar input) , and 1/4" plug Sleeve wired to  DIN13 Shell (Ground) gets you half way there.   

The Next issue, No sound on most patches  because if the GK-3 "GK-VOL" control (or equivalent in your Axon/ Yamaha/ RMC / Ghost / LR Baggs  GK 13pin preamp) , you may have to tweak all your GR-55 patches to adjust the level. Also realize 90% of the GR-55 patches DO NOT employ the Normal Guitar Signal, you will have no sound until you Enable the Normal Guitar on each patch.

The next issue is the 1/4" to 13pin adapter cable described above is missing several important "GK-3" features, for example it does nothing for the missing GK-VOL Voltage control (Pin # 8 )

Here is a work-around solution!
Inside the 13 pin plug on your adapter cable, you can add one 240 ohm resistor (243 1%) and one 120 ohm (121 1%) and wire as a voltage divider and feed +5VDC to Pin#8 (Synth Volume  / GK Volume), this makes the GR-55's internal circuitry think an external GK-3 GK VOL control set at "10" exists on the other end of the 13 pin cable

So guys.....I built this cable per the above but sadly after connecting it to my GR-55 it appears that it fried my MIDI in/out circuitry.  I did a system reset.  No change.  Any suggestions other than to buy a new unit or send it in to Roland for a main board replacement which is probably as much as buying a new GR-55.  :-(

HoosierMan

I do know the difference between the 13 pin connector and the MIDI in and out ports.  I did not work on the MIDI connectors.  I did not work on the GR's 13 pin connector.  I built the 1/4" guitar input to GK 13 pin adapter cable as described in this forum.  After simply connecting the adapter cable to the GR-55 13 pin connector I discovered that I can no longer get any response from the MIDI ports.

gumtown

The normal guitar input does not do pitch to midi, you will also need to connect pin 7 to one of the pins 1~6. But and specific gk input pin will only work within a specific note range for that string input.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

HoosierMan

#53
I didn't want to do pitch to midi, but just have access to the unit's COSM processing.  The problem is that I can't get the Librarian app or the Floorboard editor to connect to the GR-55.  I also cannot get it to respond to program change commands from my iPad.  Perhaps it's due to the fact that I didn't have a 243 ohm resistor but used a 220 instead thinking that resulting voltage was close enough. Poop....this was an expensive mistake.

gumtown

Do you use the GR55 USB port to connect your GR55 to a computer for the editor ?
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

HoosierMan

Yes.  It won't connect via usb.  But my Mac does see the GR-55 as an audio device.  Strange.

admin

Quote from: chartzog on January 06, 2020, 03:10:02 PM
I didn't want to do pitch to midi, but just have access to the unit's COSM processing.  The problem is that I can't get the Librarian app or the Floorboard editor to connect to the GR-55.  I also cannot get it to respond to program change commands from my iPad.  Perhaps it's due to the fact that I didn't have a 243 ohm resistor but used a 220 instead thinking that resulting voltage was close enough. Poop....this was an expensive mistake.

If you are on MacOS Catalina - you must update the GR-55 USB Driver

HoosierMan

I checked Roland's site and it says, "GR-55    Support for macOS Catalina is currently under consideration."  https://www.roland.com/global/support/support_news/19091015r/

admin


billbax

Hi All,

This thread seems to have morphed a little.

Simple 1/4 inch to 13-pin adaptor
. Parts costs £10.00GBP tops!
Add the 240/120 resistor phantom-power Pin-8 modification, and you can easily trigger GR-55 voices from a normal guitar  into a GR-55 13-pin input.  I find string 'A' to be the best GR-55 string choice when triggering synth voices. As I remember going back a couple of years, GR-55 string 'A' note voice recogition is F-Sharp bottom E, and E5 12-fret Top-E.


Further project enhancements might include a pin-7 buffer, 1/4 switch-jack box using a 6-7 way rotary switch and choose any GK string input 1-6 + pin-7. A passive guitar string input buffer will also improve note recogition string transients (GK-3 buffer to GR-55 1-6).


Finally, add a 3-pole led-ring switch with GK-IN 13-pin Pin-7 / Pin-7 1/4" insert function. Total project costs £30.00GBP tops.

Food for thought.

Bill

HoosierMan

After no luck getting my GR-55 to work again, including having a local authorized Roland service center look at it and unable to figure out the problem or fix it I decided to send it in to Roland.  I got an RA number and shipped it off.  It was delivered Tuesday of this week.  I contacted Roland tech support today to inquire on its status and I received the following auto reply! :'( :-\

##- Please type your reply above this line -##
Please note that Roland and BOSS support will be closed for The NAMM Show starting Monday, January 13, 2020. We will be back Tuesday, January 21, 2020 and will respond to your request at that time.

In the meantime, be sure to check our online Knowledge Base. We have thousands of articles answering many common questions regarding Roland and BOSS products.

https://www.roland.com/us/support/knowledge_base/


Clane13169

I bought this cable adapter on eBay.

MIDI-M 13-PIN ROLAND GUITAR SYSTEM PLUG to 1/4" FEMALE JACK GR GKC GK ADAPTER
Looks the same and says it does what it supposed. I plunged it into my GR55. Copied a patch, turned off the PCMs and turned on the Normal PU's...... Nothing...... not a sound. Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to change the system settings? Maybe the cable is bad.  ??? ???



Quote from: billbax on January 07, 2020, 01:48:07 PM
Hi All,

This thread seems to have morphed a little.

Simple 1/4 inch to 13-pin adaptor
. Parts costs £10.00GBP tops!
Add the 240/120 resistor phantom-power Pin-8 modification, and you can easily trigger GR-55 voices from a normal guitar  into a GR-55 13-pin input.  I find string 'A' to be the best GR-55 string choice when triggering synth voices. As I remember going back a couple of years, GR-55 string 'A' note voice recogition is F-Sharp bottom E, and E5 12-fret Top-E.


Further project enhancements might include a pin-7 buffer, 1/4 switch-jack box using a 6-7 way rotary switch and choose any GK string input 1-6 + pin-7. A passive guitar string input buffer will also improve note recogition string transients (GK-3 buffer to GR-55 1-6).


Finally, add a 3-pole led-ring switch with GK-IN 13-pin Pin-7 / Pin-7 1/4" insert function. Total project costs £30.00GBP tops.

Food for thought.

Bill

admin

Quote from: Clane13169 on March 23, 2020, 09:10:33 PM
I bought this cable adapter on eBay.

MIDI-M 13-PIN ROLAND GUITAR SYSTEM PLUG to 1/4" FEMALE JACK GR GKC GK ADAPTER
Looks the same and says it does what it supposed. I plunged it into my GR55. Copied a patch, turned off the PCMs and turned on the Normal PU's...... Nothing...... not a sound. Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to change the system settings? Maybe the cable is bad.  ??? ???

Its likely that may destroy your GR-55 if its wired wrong

I do not trust the Ebay sourced versions of this adapter

billbax

Hi Clane13169 & HoosierMan,

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences with the purchased 13-pin 1/4 inch adaptor cable. What it is you want to do with this cable - access pin-7 with a 1/4 inch, or perhaps play GR55 voices from a 1/4 inch input?

If you have a multimeter, you can go through continuity checks with the adaptor cable.

PINS TO CHECK

P13 -V. Check P13 with plug ground shell.  If there is continuity, then you've most likely incurred damage to your v-synth.

P12 +V - As above with continuity checks.

P12 & P13. Good idea to check continuity between these pins as well. If there is a connection between these pins, then it's usually fireworks night for your v-synth  :'(

P8 - Synth Volume. If your adaptor cable doesn't have the phantom power resistor mod, there will be no v-synth output. If your cable adaptor includes the 'phantom power' mod, test the 13pin plug's ground shell continuity with pin-8.  You should have a resistance reading of something like 240ohms (as I remember btw). Also check pin-8 for continuity between P12 and ground shell.

As admin said, buying 13-pin cables/adaptors from ebay is always a concern.

Bill

kirikl

Quote from: Dany_Lane on October 31, 2018, 03:32:03 AM
I've made Jack-to-GK13pin cable with FULL access to PCM, MODELING and COSM sounds of Roland GR-55



Hey! I've tried one from eBay by gettpuggedin and it didn't work. I use Cantini violin with GR55, but talking about converting GR to an audio in. I want details!

gumtown

This
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=28031.0
If you want monophonic GK PCM synth and Modelling too.

Select one or more of the 6 DIP switches to select which GK string input suits the range you are playing in.
I have it as a floor box with a GK Volume knob and S1 and S2 foot switches.

Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

Dany_Lane

Quote from: kirikl on July 02, 2020, 07:09:48 PM
Hey! I've tried one from eBay by gettpuggedin and it didn't work. I use Cantini violin with GR55, but talking about converting GR to an audio in. I want details!

Dunno what to answer... I've took all information from this thread and principal schemas.
So as we know, the clean signal goes to pin7, but I also use the same signal to pin2 to use midi and modeling capabilities of GR-55

Barclay

Has anyone successfully found a way to make the adapter cable to work? I have the GR55 that came with my Cantini violin which comes with 13pin connector, I wanted to be able to connect it to my electric fender or my bass using a 1/4 inch jack. After reading someone had his GR55 not working from attempting this I'm scared to try. Just reaching out to see if anyone has successfully figured this out. I have other instruments that have 1/4 pickups in them and would love to utilize the GR55 with all the other instruments I own.
Any advice would be most helpful,
Thanks,
Cindy

gumtown

Quote from: Barclay on March 17, 2022, 05:34:24 PM
Has anyone successfully found a way to make the adapter cable to work? I have the GR55 that came with my Cantini violin which comes with 13pin connector, I wanted to be able to connect it to my electric fender or my bass using a 1/4 inch jack. After reading someone had his GR55 not working from attempting this I'm scared to try. Just reaching out to see if anyone has successfully figured this out. I have other instruments that have 1/4 pickups in them and would love to utilize the GR55 with all the other instruments I own.
Any advice would be most helpful,
Thanks,
Cindy

As per my previous post, with the schematic diagram, does work, although these solutions will only yield monophonic results.
The cheaper 1/4" jack to 13 pin cable adapter lacks any active input buffer, as the GK signals including the normal pickup line, all work at a 120 ohm impedance.
Such low low impedance is good for noise rejection, but kills any high impedance device plugged into it, unless some active electronics are used.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/