Appendices Exclusive Communications | Roland GI-20 specification

Chapter 5 Appendices

4. Exclusive Communications

The GI-20 is capable of transmitting and receiving system parameters and patch parameters using certain exclusive messages. The model ID is 00H 6AH. The Device ID is fixed as 10H. The use of Device ID 7FH (Broadcast) is not supported.

●Data Set 1 DT1 (12H)

Byte	Explanation
F0H	Exclusive Status
41H	Manufacturer ID (Roland)
10H	Device ID (Dev=10H)
00H	Model ID MSB	(GI-20)
6AH	Model ID LSB	(GI-20)
12H	Command ID	(DT1)
aaH	Address MSB
bbH	Address
ccH	Address
ddH	Address LSB
eeH	Data
:	:
ffH	Data
sum	Checksum
F7H	EOX (End of Exclusive)

*The GI-20 can only transmit and receive bulk data, not individual data.

*Data is received only when the unit has been placed in standby, in the Bulk Load screen.

*The use of Data Request is not supported.

*Data is transmitted when [WRITE] is pressed in the Bulk Load screen.

*Does not respond to Identity Request inquiry messages.

Decimal and Hexadecimal table

With a MIDI System, the data value, the address, or size in an exclusive message is expressed in 7-bit hexadecimal values.The table below shows decimal value and their hexadecimal counterparts.

+——————+——————++——————+——————++——————+——————++——————+——————+ 10 16 10 16 10 16 10 16 +——————+——————++——————+——————++——————+——————++——————+——————+

0	00H	32	20H	64	40H	96	60H
1	01H	33	21H	65	41H	97	61H
2	02H	34	22H	66	42H	98	62H
3	03H	35	23H	67	43H	99	63H
4	04H	36	24H	68	44H	100	64H
5	05H	37	25H	69	45H	101	65H
6	06H	38	26H	70	46H	102	66H
7	07H	39	27H	71	47H	103	67H
8	08H	40	28H	72	48H	104	68H
9	09H	41	29H	73	49H	105	69H
10	0AH	42	2AH	74	4AH	106	6AH
11	0BH	43	2BH	75	4BH	107	6BH
12	0CH	44	2CH	76	4CH	108	6CH
13	0DH	45	2DH	77	4DH	109	6DH
14	0EH	46	2EH	78	4EH	110	6EH
15	0FH	47	2FH	79	4FH	111	6FH
16	10H	48	30H	80	50H	112	70H
17	11H	49	31H	81	51H	113	71H
18	12H	50	32H	82	52H	114	72H
19	13H	51	33H	83	53H	115	73H
20	14H	52	34H	84	54H	116	74H
21	15H	53	35H	85	55H	117	75H
22	16H	54	36H	86	56H	118	76H
23	17H	55	37H	87	57H	119	77H
24	18H	56	38H	88	58H	120	78H
25	19H	57	39H	89	59H	121	79H
26	1AH	58	3AH	90	5AH	122	7AH
27	1BH	59	3BH	91	5BH	123	7BH
28	1CH	60	3CH	92	5CH	124	7CH
29	1DH	61	3DH	93	5DH	125	7DH
30	1EH	62	3EH	94	5EH	126	7EH
31	1FH	63	3FH	95	5FH	127	7FH

+——————+——————++——————+——————++——————+——————++——————+——————+

*When expressing a MIDI channel number or a program change number, please notice that the values are less by one. For example, MIDI channel is expressed as 0 through 15 instead of 1 through 16.

*The range of 7 bit can express 128 steps from 0 to 127. To express broader range, use several data bytes.

GI-20 specifications

The Roland GI-20 is a groundbreaking MIDI guitar converter that allows electric guitarists to explore the vast world of MIDI technology. Designed to bridge the gap between traditional guitar playing and digital music production, the GI-20 transforms standard guitar signals into MIDI data, giving players access to a wide array of synthesized sounds and virtual instruments.

One of the main features of the GI-20 is its ability to track the guitar’s pitch with high accuracy. Utilizing Roland’s advanced technology, the device boasts rapid response times and minimal latency, ensuring that every note plucked or strummed is translated into MIDI in real-time. This precision is crucial for guitarists who wish to maintain their playing style while experimenting with synthesizers and sampled instruments.

In terms of connectivity, the Roland GI-20 is equipped with a 13-pin connector, allowing it to interface seamlessly with compatible Roland synths, sound modules, and other MIDI devices. Additionally, standard MIDI outputs enable connection to MIDI controllers and computers, providing an expansive toolkit for music creation.

The user interface is designed with simplicity in mind. A large LCD display allows for easy navigation of settings, while intuitive controls help players adjust parameters on the fly. Guitarists can also customize their performance by altering the sensitivity levels, enabling them to fine-tune how the device responds to their playing style.

The GI-20 offers an array of built-in sounds that mirror the capabilities of traditional synthesizers. These sounds can be layered or split into different tones based on the player’s preferences, offering a variety of sonic textures to enhance compositions. Furthermore, the ability to save and recall user settings allows for quick access to preferred configurations during live performances.

Another significant characteristic of the GI-20 is its compatibility with a wide range of guitars, including both electric and bass guitars. As long as the instrument is equipped with the appropriate pickup system, the GI-20 can effectively convert its output into MIDI signals.

In summary, the Roland GI-20 is a versatile and innovative tool for guitarists seeking to expand their creative horizons. With its accurate tracking, extensive connectivity, user-friendly interface, and a wealth of sounds, it unlocks the potential for guitarists to dive into the realms of electronic music and MIDI composition. Whether in the studio or on stage, the GI-20 opens up a world of possibilities for musicians looking to blend traditional guitar playing with modern technology.

Roland GI-20 owner manual Appendices Exclusive Communications, Data Set 1 DT1 12H

Models: GI-20