VK- Owner's Manual Printing Conventions in these Manuals «Button names are printed in square brackets [ je, [EDIT] ‘The names of fractional harmonic bars (p.19) are given as 11/3), 1-3/8,2-2/3', 5-1/3 ete * Indications of [<][>] or [+][-1 mean to press one or the other button, * 1) = [8] means that you are to press one of the Owner's Manual Panel Description’ (p.17) buttons [1] through [8}. + Paragraphs beginning with an asterisk * are cautionary notes. The dark/lit/blinking status of an indicator is distinguished as follows. OOO factory settings, but please be aware that in some cases they may be different than the factory settings. Before using this nit carefully read the sections entitle: IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS” (p. 2}, "USING THE UNIT SAFELY” (p.3), and “IMPORTANT NOTES" (p. 4). These sections provice important information concerning the proper operation ofthe Unit. Additionally, i order to fee assured that you have gained 2 good igasp of every feature proviced by your new unit this manual should be read in its entirety. The manwal should be saved and kept on hand as convenient reference Copyright © 1997, ROLAND CORPORATION All sights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of ROLAND CORPORATIONCon A ATTENTION nonce cccuammaevere onan [DONT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK) NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIOE Te tghnng Mah ih aad symbian caustew tinge, © inased to ale tbe ser te Sia an nse ge te arene eit se taco pene parang ad manterance orc) abun nthe A A INSTRUCTIONS PERTAINING TO A RISK OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS. IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS WARNING - When using electic products, basic precautions shoul aways be olowel, incng he lowing Rend alte insractons belo using he product 2. Do not use this product near wate — for example, near a batho, washoon, chen snk, ina wel basement. cr nese a syn poo or he tk. “Tvs product shoud be used only wit 8 cat or stan that racommended bythe manuiacturs. “Tis procuc etter lone orn combinaton wih an ampitier and headphones or speakers, may be capabie of producing ‘ound levels thal could ease potmanent Rearng oss. Do not eperate for @ lng pared of me ata high volume vel for ata level that ls ncomioabie. If you experiance any ‘hearing fos of ig in the ar, you should consult ah audios ‘5 The product should be located so thats laaton or postion does nal iter with te propor venta, 6, The produt should be located away tom nest sources such as rales, hea! tenses, rather products that proguce 7. The product should be connected fo a power supply ont of the type deserted inthe operating wtvastone ores manos con he product. clsctc current o reduce the riko lace shock ‘quale eecrcin or serviceman I you a stectiean GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS “Tg product must be grounded ehouls mallu of Breakdown, grounding provides patho east restance for 18. The power-supply cord of he product shoul be uneugged ‘rom th out ten et rsd fer long pore tne 9, Caro shoul be lakan 30 thal ject do pt fal ae lds fate not pled no tha enclosure ough openings. 10.The product shoud be senesd by uated sarvice ‘petsonnel wher: “The powar- supply cord othe pg has boon darraged oF 1. Onjecte have fen, uid has een spl onto the prose: oF C. The product has bon exposed fran: 5 e ‘The protct does not appear To. operate normaly oF ‘ante a marked changa n perfomance; or ‘The product has been Opped, or the enclosure damaged 11.00 not alert to serie he product beyons thet described Ine Usetmaterance Inebustons. Al oer sawing shouldbe reterec to quate sence personne, For the USA. “This product is enuipped witha cord having an equpment rounding conductor and a grounding plug. The plug must be plugged ilo an appropiate ull hal i prope stalled and grounded iv accordance wit al eal codes and serances. DANGER: Improper connection ofthe equipment-grounding conductor can recut Ina isk of leche shock. Check wih @ in doubt as To whaher the roduc ls propor groundea ‘Bo not mody the plug provides withthe product 8 wl ot It oul have 2 proper cue installed by qualified WARNING: THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED the terminal in you plug, proceed as folows: For the UK, IMPORTANT: THE WIRES IN THIS MAINS LEAD ARE COLOURED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CODE, (GREEN AND-YELLOW EARTH, BLUE: NEUTRAL, BROWN LIVE ‘Ashe colo of he wires the mans lead oth apparatus may nol coespone wih he colured markings entying “The wie wich coloured GREEN-AND-YELLOW must be connected othe eal ne plug which s marked bythe lotor or by he eaaty earth symbol @or coloured GREEN or GREEN-ANO- YELLOW. “The wire wich eotored BLUE must be connected ote lerninal which ie mark wih fe ltr N or coloured BLACK ‘The wie wich i eotouted BROWN must be conned lo he lomina! which e mark wih he ete Lor ered RED. “The produc which fs equipped wih & THREE WIRE GROUNDING TYPE LINE PLUG mus be groundedUSING THE UNIT SAFELY ING THE UNIT SAFELY INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS: ‘About AX WARNING and CAUTION Notices About the Symbols Used for instructions intended fo alert the user to the risk of death or severe injury should “the unit be sed improperly A\WARNING ‘Used for instructions intended to alert the ser to the isk of injury oF material damage should the unit be. used improper AXCAUTION | stateriat da ge teers to damage or | other adverse effects caused with Fespect to. the home and alli | Wenishings, as well to" domestic animals of pets ALWAYS OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING - [ [he J symbol alos the usar to important instructions] or warminge The specific meaning of the sym As |seermined by. the design contained within. the triangle Inthe case ofthe spiel at ey if sed for several caution, warning, oF alerts to dnger. “The & symbol alerts the user oem tht theca out (ore forbidden) The specie Hi {@ | Must not be done is indicated by the design contained fwithin the circle. Inthe care of the sym at Ite ams that the nit mst never be dsassembled [The @ symbol alerts the user ko things that mast be arsed out The specific thing tha must be dene 3 © nds by the design connie within the cee In the case ofthe sym at et it means tha the power cord ploy must be unplugged from the out AX\WARNING AXWARNING + Before using this unl, make sute to read the /)\ instructions below, and the Ovener' Manu + Bo not open or perform ay ine mitietons @) on the unit ‘+ When using the unit with 9 rack or stand recon mended by Roland, the rack or stand must be cate- fully placed so itis lvel nel sure to remain stable not using a rack or stand, you sil need to make sue that any location you choose for placing the tunit provides a level surface that will properly sup- Port the unit, and keep it from wobbling, tied pe henry ebeteen te) Slee oem Cy ee fo re faa ver e's perc er hs ben Suet * In households with smal children, an adil should provide supervision until the child is capable of fol- Towing all the rales essential forthe safe operation A + Protect the uni from strong impeet (De not drop it + Before using the unit in foreign country, consult with your dealer, or qualified Roland service persan= nel AX CAUTION «always grasp ony the gen the power supply Sond when pig nt oF unplugging from. an bute o this unit + Try to prevent cords and cables from becoming fntangled Also all cords and cables should be placed they are out of the reach of children, « Never li an apo or place heey abject on the unit + Never handle the power cord ots plugs with wet, hands when plugging into, or unplogging from, an ‘let or this ni * Before mowing the unit, disconnect the power plug AP from the outll, and pull out all cords from external vices, covity eortcon on coal + Whenever you suspect the possibility of lightning ABP in your atea, pull the plug on the power cord out of| the outlet.IMPORTANT NOTES In addition to the items listed under “IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS” and “USING THE UNIT SAFELY" on pages 2 and 3, please tead and observe the following: Power Supply “Do not use this unit on the same power circuit with any device that will generate line noise (such as an electric motor or variable lighting system) ‘Before connecting this unit to other devices, tur olf the power to all units. This will help prevent mal- functions and/or damage to speakers or other devi Placement ‘Using the unit near power amplifiers (or other equipment containing large power transformers) ‘may induce hum, To alleviate the problem, change the orientation of this unit; of move it farther awa from the source of interference. ‘This device may interfere with radio and television reception. Do not use this device in the vicinity of such receivers ‘Do not expose the unit to direct sunlight, place it near devices that radiate heat, leave it inside an enclosed vehicle, or otherwise subject it to tempera: ture extremes, Excessive heat can deform or discolor the unit Maintenance ‘For everyday cleaning wipe the unit with a soft, dry cloth or one that has been slightly dampened with water. To remove stubborn dirt, use a cloth impre nated with a mild, non-abrasive detergent. Afterwards, be sure to wipe the unit thoroughly witha soft, dry cloth ‘Never tse benzene, thinners, alcohol or solvents of any kind, to avoid the possibility of discoloration and /or deformation, Repairs and Data ‘Please be aware that all data contained in the unit's memory may be lost when the unit is sent for repairs. Important data should always be backed up in another MIDI device (eg, a sequencer), or writ- ten down on paper (when possible), During repairs, dlue care is taken to avoid the loss of data, However, in certain cases (such as when circuitry related to ‘memory itself is out of order), we regrel that it may not be possible 1o restore the data, and Roland assumes no liability concerning such loss of data, 4 Memory Backup ‘This unit contains a battery which powers the unit’s memory circuits while the main power is off. When this battery becomes weak, the message shown below will appear in the display. Once you see this message, have the battery replaced with a fresh one 1s soon 98 possible to avoid the loss of all data in ‘memory. To have the battery replaced, consult with your dealer, or qualified Roland service personnel “Battery Low I!” Additional Precautions * Please be aware that the contents of memory ean be inretrievably lost as a result of a malfunction, or the improper operation of the unit. To protect yourself against the risk of loosing important data, we rec ‘ommend that you periodically save a backup copy of important data you have stored in the unit’s ‘memory in another MIDI device (ex, sequencer) * Unfortunately, it may be impossible to restore the contents of data that was stored in the unit’s memo- ry and anather MIDI device (e.g, a sequencer) once it has been lost. Roland Corporation assumes no lis bility concerning such loss of data, Use a reasonable amount of care when using the unit's buttons, sliders, or other controls; and when using its jacks and connectors, Rough handling can lead to malfunctions, ‘Never strike or apply strong pressure to the display. + When connecting / disconnecting all cables, grasp the connector itsell—never pull on the cable. This way you will avoid causing shorts, or damage to the cable's internal elements, + small amount of heat will radiate from the unit, during normal operation *# To avoid disturbing your neighbors, ry to keep the tunit’s volume at reasonable levels. You may prefer to use headphones, so you do not need to be con: ccemed about those around you (especially when it is late at night) ‘When you need to transport the unit, package it in the box (including padding) that it came in, if possi ble. Otherwise, you will need to use equivalent packaging materials.IMPORTANT NOTES. Features of the VK-7 Panel Descriptions.. Front Panel Rear Panel 12 Before Playing the Sounds Connections: Turning on the Power 15 Power-on Condition 15 Adjusting the Volume. 16 Taming Off the Power. 16 Modifying the Sound While You Play “Types of Sound That the VK Pla Playing Organ Sounds. 7 Selecting an Organ Preset. 7 Creating the Basic Sound (Harmonie Bars). 9 Basic Patterns of Harmonic Bar Settings. Making the Sound Match the Harmonic Bar Settings (Manual function). 2 ‘Adding Snap to the Sound (Percussion) Adding Vibrato or Depth to the Sound (Vibrato /Chorvs) Distorting the Sound For a Hard-rock Feeling (Overdrive). ‘Adding the Modulation of a Rotary Speaker (Rotary), ‘Adding Dynamics to the Volume (Expression pedal) Adding Reverberance to the Sound (Reverb). Playing Different Sounds in the Lower and Upper Areas ofthe Keyboard (Split) ....29 ‘Combining a Non-Organ Sound to Make a New Sound (Orchestral Voice) 30 Layering an Orchestral Voice With an Organ Preset 31 Playing Only an Orchestral Voice 32 Playing the Bassin the Left Hand (Split) 3 Simultaneously Switching Sounds and Settings (User Presets) 35 Selecting a User Preset 5 How the VK-7 is Organized.. The Structure of the VK 7 About the Sounds, 37 About the Organ Presets 37 About the Orchestral Voices 37 About the User Presets. 38 Sounds and Memory. 39 About the Effects nm About the VK-7's Modes. 2 About the Sereen Display 43Contents Modifying Sounds in Detail and Saving Them Edit mode). 45 Modifying the Settings of an Ongan Preset 45 Setting the Volume for Each Preset (Organ Level) 45 (Geeating a “Vintage Organ” Feel (Tone Wheel, Leakage Noise, Key Click) 46 Percussion Settings 48 50 Vibrato/Chorus Settings Giving the Organ Sound a Metalic Tone (Ring Modulator). Overdrive Settings Rotary Settings “Modifying the Settings of an Orchestral Voice. Selting the Volume For Each Orchestral Voice (Orchestral Voice Level). ‘Modifying the Attack and Release of the Sound (Attack Time / Release Tine) Boosting /Cutting the High Frequency Range (Brilliance) Modulating the Sound (LFO) adjusting the Pitch of an Orchestral Voice Causing Keybonrd Dynamics to Affect the Volume (Velocity Sensitivity) Adding Depth to the Sound (Chorus) Modifying the Settings of a User Preset Specifying the Location at Which the Keyboard is Divided (Split Point) Changing the Pitch in Octave Units (Octave Shift. Adding Reverberation to the Sound (Reverb). Assigning a Name. Saving Sounds or Settings (Write mode) 7 Saving an Organ Preset 0 Organ Preset Can be Saved in an User Preset = a Saving an User Preset nm ‘The Organ Portion Settings of a User Preset Can be Saved in an Organ Preset. 7 Settings that Affect the En Adjusting the Overall Pitch (Master Tune) ‘Transposing the Entire Instrument (Key Transpose). Specifying the Namber of Oxgan Presets That Can be Selected (Bank Function). How Notes will Change when the Orchestral Voice is Changed (Orchestral Note Remain). Adjusting the Brightness of the Display (LCD Contrast). ire VK-7 (System) ing to Presets and 77 Convenient Functions Rela Orchestral Voices (Utility) . Copying a Preset 7 Exchanging a Preset With Another Preset (Swap) 80 Initializing Presets or Orchestral Voice... ) Restoring the Factory Settings (Factory Setup) 88 89 istening to the Demo Songs..Contents. More Advanced Ways to Use the VK-7........91 Using a Expression Pedal or Pedal Switch to Operate Function. a1 Seting the Polarity of the Pedal Connected to the VK-7 a1 Assigning Function ofthe Pedal Connected o the VE 2 Setting the Control Method for Rotary 94 Modifying an Orchestral Voice. 96 Using an External Keyboard ora Pedal Controller to Play VKc? Sounds. 7 ‘Switching the Part Controlled by the Harmonic Bars (HARMONIC BAR PART) on. 98 “Transmitting Receiving, Harmonic Bor Settings 9 Using an External Keyboard to Play VK-7 Sounds, cn Tuming Program Change Reception On/Off : 102 Setting the Receive Channel 103 Recording Your Playing on a Sequencer 10s Connecting/Disconnecting the Sound Source and Keyboard (Local Control). 1085 [Adding MIDI THRU Functionality to the MIDI OUT Connector (Sot Thr) vse 107 Setting theTransmit Channel 108 Transmitting/ Receiving the Messangs Unique tothe VK-7 110 Using a Sequencer to Play the Sounds ofthe VK-7, m Playing an External Sound Source. 112 Turning Prograin Change Transmission On/Off m2 Transmiting VK-7 Settings as MIDI Data (Bulk Dump) 13 Connecting a Rotary Speaker 6 Appendices . Troubleshooting 18 Error Messages 21 Messages That Appear When the Power is Turned On... 121 MIDItelated messages 121 Memory-relted message... 12 Organ Preset List.. Orchestral Voice List/User Preset List... EDIT Mode Paramater List What is Mi 126 ‘About MIDI Connectors a7 About MIDI Channels 128 Major Types of MIDI Message Used By the VK-7. 129 About the MIDI Implementation Chart 129 MIDI Implementation 130Features of the VK-7 Organ Sounds That are Strong on the Basics © Virtual ToneWiheel sound source ‘A newly developed Virtual ToneWheel sound! source faithfully reproduces those clas speak quickly, glissando playing techniques are especially effective, Because the VK playing conditions with no fear of notes being cut olf sic organ sounds. Since the note is completely polyphonic, you can enjoy ideal © Rotary sound A DSP (Digital Sound Processor) is used to simulate the rotary speaker sound tha indispensable for an organ, This means that you can enjoy that great rotary sound simply by connecting the VK-7 toa keyboard amp or stereo set © Overdrive sound Not only the rotary speaker, but also the distortion produced by the vacuum tube cir: cuitty of a stack-type or combo-type amplifier and the characteristics of their cabinets are also reproduced faithfully, giving you a thick overdrive sound suitable for hard rock, Orchestral Sound Source In addition to the organ sound source, source with six sound groups. These heightened possibilities of performance expression. + The sounds in the STRINGS, CHOIR, BRASS and OTHERS sound groups can be used not only as solo sounds, but also layered with the organ to create rich sonorities. the VK-7 contains a separate orchestral sound n be used in combination with the organ for + The sounds in the ATTACK sound group add a short accent to the beginning of each note. By layering these with the organ sound, you can add “snap” to your organ sound. ‘+ The sounds in the BASS sound group include si ‘gered bass and fretless bass. This enables performance expressions that were not pos: eral types of bass sound such as fin sible with the bass sounds of conventional organs, Other Features + The design emphasizes easy operation, with harmonic bars and large buttons. + In addition to the expression pedal jack, the VK-7 provides two other control pedal jacks. Expression pedals or pedal switches can be connected to these control pedal jacks to allow a variety of performance techniques, + Two MIDI IN connectors are provided on the rear panel, letting you connect another keyboard or a pedal keyboard to allow two-manual or pedal performance + In addition to the woodgrain cabinet, solid wood is used for the side panels for a lux turious appearancePanel Descriptions Front Panel | 2 GICCEEEELL It) mitt dd ” 7 @ PERCUSSION These buttons add percussion to the Main part or Sub part of the Organ Preset Organ portion of the User Preset. (p.23) 1 SECOND button ‘Adds second percussion (the note an octave higher) to the organ sound (p.23). 2 THIRD button ‘Adds third percussion (the note an octave and a Sth highes) to the organ sound (p23). 3. SOFT button Switches the volume of the percussion (p.24) 4 SLOW button Switches the decay time of the percussion (p.25) 5. VIBRATO/CHORUS button Switches the vibrato or chorus that is assigned to [VIBRATO/CHORUS] on off (p. 6 OVERDRIVE knob) Adjusts the depth of overdrive (p26). © ORGAN PRESETS 7 USER PRESETS button Specifies the type of sounds that willbe selected. When the User Presets will be selected (p 35) When the indicator is dark........Organ Presets will be selected (p.18). 8 EDIT button Press [1] ~ [8] after pressing [EDIT] to enter the Edit mode, and you can modify any setting (p45) 9 MANUAL button When this fumetion is used, positions (settings) of the harmonic bars on the panel (p.22), 10 Buttons [1}- [8] ‘These buttons select Organ Presets or User Presets (p.18, 35) Pressing [1] - [8] after pressing [EDIT], you can edit the various Edit modes (p45), 11 BANK button Switch the Organ Preset bank or User Preset bank (p.18, 35). the harmonic bar settings of the preset will change to the