Alan Townsend, Roland's answer to Anna Raeburn, looks at those little problems that arise even out of the most sophisticated and well-balanced electronic relationship. If you wish to contribute a problem, or even a solution or an idea, write to Alan at Input, Roland (UK) Ltd., (Contact Details).

Les Paul Synth

Dear Sir,
I am seriously considering the purchase of a Roland GR700 guitar synthesizer system, I would really like to use it with my Les Paul however and wonder if there is any way in which this can be achieved.
Alistair Ramsey

Dear Alistair,
It is possible to have the GR electronics fitted into your Les Paul guitar. This would involve routing quite a large hole in the back however which you may not find to be acceptable.

Several guitar manufacturers are now producing their own guitars and incorporate the system from manufacture. Hamer and Steinberger guitars will soon be available and we have just heard that Gibson are producing a Les Paul and an Explorer model.

Details of these can be obtained from Rosetti & Co Ltd, (Contact Details).

CXSync

Dear Alan Townsend;
I am synchronising my TR-707 to a Yamaha computer using the MIDI sockets. This works very well until the end of the music when nothing works on the TR-707 and I have to switch it off and back on again.

Is this a fault?
M. Barham, London

Dear Mr Barham;
When the CX-5M begins to play it sends a code to tell the TR-707 to start and then it sends regular timing codes which synchronise the two instruments together. When the piece ends the Yamaha stops sending the timing data but it would appear that it doesn't send a 'stop' code.

The TR-707 is, consequently, 'locked' as it is waiting to receive the next time message. Unless the CX-5M programme can be edited to send this 'stop' instruction you will have to reset the TR-707 by switching off and then on again after a second or two.

Although this is quite a harsh way of doing things it should not cause any problems. Of course the voices of the TR-707 can be played by the CX-5M's own sequencer programme without these difficulties arising.

Through Route

Dear Sir,
I am about to buy a TR-909 rhythm unit but, before I do, I want to clear up a synchronization query.

I wish to know if the MC-202 Microcomposer will act as a master clock for the TR-909 and a distant MIDI device. In other words, will the pulses of the MC-202 go 'thru' the TR-909 to the MIDI OUT to control a sequencer which only accepts MIDI?
Yours sincerely
Anoop Sahal

Dear Mr Sahal
Yes, the TR-909 can be used in this way.

MIDI real-time messages appear at the MIDI OUT socket whether the rhythm unit is being controlled by its own clock or by an external one. Enjoy your TR-909!

Channel Crossing

Dear Alan,
We are experiencing some trouble with a MSQ700 and JP6 set up where the JP6 occasionally will register MIDI channels 1 and 2 together on MIDI channel 1, ie the 'top' keyboard. This is an intermittent fault and corrects itself by either turning the MSQ700 and JP6 on and off or swapping MIDI cables. I was wondering ifthis can be prevented? Yours sincerely,
Roderick Gordon

Dear Roderick,
Your problem of both JP6 MIDI channels playing the MIDI channel 1 part is caused by the JP6 being in OMNI ON mode. This is switched off by locating the MIDI/DCB switch on the rear panel of the MSQ700 and switching it towards DCB and then back to MIDI. This will send an "OMNI OFF'1 message to the JP6 which will then react to MIDI channels 1 and 2 independently.