Setup Instructions for SD2 - SOLVED !!! See End of Manual for Pictures

[Deane]

Is there a "How To" some place that explains how to run the cables
between the MacBook Pro, a midi keyboard, and the SD2 unit?

Deane

[Admin]

1) Plug your Roland A800 USB cable to the computer
This Keyboard own a USB MIDI Interface on it, so
2) Plug a MIDI cable from A800 MIDI OUT to KETRON SD2 MIDI IN
3) Plug the SD2 line outs to the speakers.
4) On vArranger OPTIONS/MIDI PORTS, select the A800 for the midi IN and A800 for the midi OUT.
5) Don't forget to select KETRON SD2 on the list.

Done. You should start enjoying

[Deane]

Thank you Dan - you are the best!  My wife wants to know when you ever sleep. 

I'll report back here tomorrow on my progress - can't wait to get it going.


By the way, how is Paris in August?  We have been looking at airfares and August has a few affordable ones.

Deane

[Dan]

When I am creating, I canno't stop ... sometimes I see the sun in the morning

August in Paris is the most touristic period of the year here. It is a very nice city..... We are waiting for you

Dan

[Deane]

I will let you know how our travel plans develop but I am very serious about
meeting you and helping with an English version of your manual and learning all I can about your software.  We usually spend two weeks when we visit and will probably move on to Germany before returning to Texas. 

More tomorrow - don't want to interrupt your work time.

Deane

[Dan]

If you come to Paris, I will be please to meet you and to present you some interesting things about vArranger

Dan

[Lionel]

Hey Deane, you got room in your ports for a couple of stow-aways mate

[Deane]

Dan,

I have it working !!! and it really sounds great!!  Now I have to practice using it and get it gig ready.  I'll probably have a ton of questions but for now I am going to explore things.

Lionel,
Unless you are small enough to fit in a back pack it might be a problem.  We travel light.

Deane

[mgf]

Deane,

I'm somewhat of a newbie here at the vArranger forum. I'm 74 years old & came up on the accordion.

I'm seriously considering purchasing Dan's software. I currently have the demo version. There is a lot
in his program to chew on! I belong to some other forums & noticed you sold your BK-m7 & bought vArranger.
That is a powerful endorsement for vArranger, especially for a gigging musician

I no longer gig, so its main usage for me is another tool in my project studio arsenal. I'm in the process of creating backing tracks for my long-time tenor sax/clarinet player & me. I've invested in some top of the line software & so far I'm pleased with the results.

I'd appreciate any feedback you may have.

Thanks,

mgf

[Deane]

MGF,

I Have not had a lot of time to really know what I am talking about here but what I do know is along with the SD2 unit the sounds are truly amazing.  I spent the first day just auditioning styles and voices and was really impressed with what I was hearing.  What I am trying to learn now are the very basics which includes how to program controls on my Roland A-800 controller to do the very simple things like change variations, and voices easily. 

Dan is a wonderful guy and his efforts to support his customers is the best I have encountered ever and I am 71 years old.  The real problem is there is no users manual in English or simple "how to" videos.  That makes it a bit harder to get started but Dan is helpful and answers every question put to him.

What I have been doing is copying his answers and pasting them into MS Word where I rewrite them in standard English and save them as a PDF document.   I also read the entire English forum yesterday and will go back and copy some of the posts there and reword them when necessary.   Over time I will end up with a list of posts about vArranger and it's features that Dan might be able to turn into an English users guide. 

Getting back to the software - it runs great on my MacBook Pro with Windows 7 installed on it.   I did not find it intuitive at first but after looking at it awhile it started to make a lot of sense.   I just sold a Roland BK-7M Backing Module and this software outshines it by miles.  I hope though that Dan adds Roland style functionality to the software because many of the Roland styles are pretty good. 

I hope all this wordiness helps.

Deane

[Lylo]

Hello, you can use the manual by the French translation using google translation.
You copy the text of the pdf in French and paste it into google translation.

The message I am writing is in French and translated by google translation.

It is good, you can not find?

Google translation : http://translate.google.fr

[Deane]

Hi Lylo,
Where is the French Users Guide?
Deane

[Dan]

Here :

http://www.varranger.fr/vforum/index.php?topic=238.0

It's written by the vArranger user LOUGUIT

[mgf]

Deane,

I had to rip myself away from Dan's Demo long enough to respond to you.

For what I'm doing I see possibilities, especially for the MIDI out he is working on.

My old axe is a Roland G-800 which I use as a 76-note controller keyboard.

I just bought a Roland A-500PRO & am learning it also. The key size & touch
is somewhere between a synth & the semi-weighted G-800. So far I like it.
Looking forward to setting up a map to control VArranger.

Thanks for your input.

mgf

[Dan]

I have the A500s. Here are the bonus of this keyboard :

- 49 Keys, very compact and lightweight. The keybed is very OK compared to other midi keybs
- I assigned the unique Rotary Knob as the Master Volume of vArranger
- You can assign 2 of the 4 buttons of the kb side, to control vArranger. I assigned VAR DOWN and VAR UP.
- You can plug an expression pedal to control another volume
- There is an included MIDI OUT on the keyboard. You can plug your Ketron SD2 on it. No need of an external MIDI/USB adapter
- The midi is very stable and fast, as usual with ROLAND.  (put the switch at advanced drivers ON, and install the roland drivers on your PC)
- USB powered, so only one cable to the PC, and we are ready to play

More infos on http://www.roland.com/products/en/A-500S/

Just look at thoses pictures http://www.varranger.fr/vforum/index.php?topic=273.0

Of course, if you need many controllers the A800Pro is better, because it has many buttons, faders...

Regards,

Dan

[mgf]

Lylo & Dan,

Thanks for the links to the manual.

Dan,

Have you recovered from your 4:00 am all nighter?

MGF

[Dan]

I recover every morning and one night a week :p

This way, I can support Europe and USA users

[mgf]

Dan,

Keyboard Clarification:

As I understand it, you have the Roland A500s (49 keys etc.)

I have the Roland A-500PRO, also 49 keys but it has many buttons, faders...

There is also a Roland A-800PRO, same as A-500PRO, except 61 keys

My intent is not to be critical, just to clarify for anyone contemplating a new keyboard.

mgf

[Dan]

Maybe I need some sleep

Your choice is very good to enjoy vArranger at its best.

To assign your buttons to control vArranger, just click on OPTIONS / CONTROLLERS.
Choose on the list, and move the physical control.

Dan

[Dan]

My Dear US friends,

I just purchased a video camera on a website, to be able to record and show you everything about vArranger...

I am just worried about my spoken English.....!!! I just came 2 weeks in USA. One time in NYC and one time in Miami FL...

I love your inspiring world

Dan

[mgf]

Dan,

Forge ahead. Some may chide you but many Americans, myself included, can speak only English

and some of the Brits will argue that.

At least that is my 2 cents.


mgf

[Lionel]

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!

[Deane]

Dan,
Do you speak other languages?  On our trips to Europe we noticed almost everyone spoke several
languages.  They said it was because of the close proximity of all the countries.   Here in the US
we really have no need to learn other languages unless we travel or do business overseas.

Deane

[Lylo]

The French are zero of zero for talk an another language because ...

Ouf !!! thank you Google translation,  I rest the best with you.

[Deane]

Oui!!

Deane

[Dan]

In France we are learning English at school. I can say that it is VERY basic.
Then, I read a lot of websites in English. Musical forums, computer programming...
Speaking and understanding English at oral is 1000 times harder than to read and write.
Some years ago, I met a girl from NYC who introduced me to the US world...That opened a little bit my way of thinking

By the way, I like to learn from everyone.

[Lionel]

Good Mate,

You will learn some lingo from the Land Down Under.

Stone the crows you buggers, put another snag on the barbie will ya!

Land where things are upside down but right way up

[Dan]

 

[Deane]

Yes Dan, your users manual has great pictures of various setups using vArranger and the SD2 module.
Seemed very clear to me once I found them.

Deane

[Dan]

Thanks to the vArranger user LOUGUIT from the french forum