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Features of the BX-13 V2:
The New Link Between Vintage and Modern Roland Guitar Synth Technology:
For about ten years, Roland Corporation and other manufacturers produced a range of unique, very high quality 24-pin guitar synthesizer controllers. With the advent of the contemporary Roland 13-pin standard, vintage guitar synth owners could only access the latest in guitar synthesizer technologies with the incredibly rare, hard-to-find Roland BC-13 Bus Converter.
The BX-13 V2 is the answer for vintage guitar synthesizer players who want to access modern guitar synthesizer technology, and do not need the extra features of the DC-13 or SBC+. The BX-13 V2 is more affordable than the typical "collector" prices on the Roland BC-13, and it has more features.
Expanded Dedicated Foot Switch Control over Synthesizer and Guitar Outputs:
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The BC-13 uses the Resonance Knob (CV#2) in a way that is very similar to the Mode switch on the vintage GR-series guitar. But rather than having a three-position switch, the knob has three "zones." The first zone is guitar only, the middle zone is guitar and synth, and last zone is synth only. Confusing? Yes.
As you can imagine, it is almost impossible to quickly and accurately turn guitar and synth signals on and off. |
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| The BX-13 V2 improves on the BC-13 by adding two dedicated foot switches with LEDs instead of using the Resonance knob. One foot switch is for Synthesizer Output, and one is for Guitar Output. Nothing could be simpler for controlling the outputs of your Synth and Guitar signal. In addition, the BX-13 V2 in enclosed in a rugged, stomp-box type enclosure. The BC-13 is an inline design, basically a giant lump in the middle of your guitar cable, much like the AC transformers popular with some manufacturers. | |||
Top Panel Precision Volume Controls for Synthesizer and Guitar:
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A look at the schematics of various Roland guitar controllers reveals that no two are wired exactly the same. Likewise, the internal circuitry of a Roland GI-10, GI-20 and GR-20 differs with each unit. As a result, maximum volume levels can change with different guitars or different synthesizers. The original BX-13 used a "one-size-fits-all" calibration like the BC-13. Now, the BX-13 V2 adds a top panel control to easily fine-tune to synth volume output for maximum sensitivity and maximum output.
The BX-13 V2 also adds a top panel control for the direct (humbucker) output of the guitar as well. With the original Roland BC-13 and BX-13 this volume was fixed. Also, if you are using a Roland G-202, G-303, G-505, or G-808 you can also select the hex fuzz guitar output instead of the direct (humbucker) output. And, by plugging a Roland EV-5 volume pedal into the BX-13 V2 you can control the volume of the direct (humbucker) or hex fuzz output.
Just like the original Roland BC-13, plugging a 1/4” cable into the BX-13 V2 defeats the line-level guitar signal or line-level hex fuzz signal and this also bypasses the EV-5 volume pedal. This is because the 1/4” cable from the guitar allows the player to use the volume knob on the guitar to control the direct (humbucker) output. The EV-5 volume pedal is bypassed for the cleanest sound and to maintain proper impedance.
- Does the BX-13 V2 add any latency or delay?
- Can I control the synthesizer volume with the optional EV-5 pedal?
- Can I get the hex fuzz sound with my G-707?
- Will the BX-13 V2 work with ANY Vintage Roland Guitar Controller or Guitar Synth?
- How do I calibrate the synth volume?
- Does this unit require any power?
- How was the BX-13 V2 developed? Is there anything else like the BX-13 V2?
- Is there anything like a "reverse" BC-13 or BX-13 V2? I want to use a modern, 13-pin guitar synth controller to control a vintage, 24-pin synth.
- Where do you get the connectors? I thought they were discontinued by Roland a long time ago.
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Top Panel Controls |
| The BX-13 V2 adds top panel controls for synthesizer and direct (humbucker) guitar output, plus a switch to select from guitar or hex fuzz sound for Roland G-202, G-303, G-505, or G-808 players. All three outputs can be accessed by selecting the hex fuzz sound with the BX-13 V2 and using the 1/4” Guitar output jack on the guitar. |
Buffered Electronic Connections:
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The early Roland Guitar synth controllers, such as the G-202, G-303, G-505 and G-808, do not buffer the output of their volume controls. Later guitars, like the Roland G-707 and the Ibanez IMG 2010, added a buffer stage to their volume controls. As a result, early guitars tend to "load" the input to the Roland BC-13, resulting in only 80 to 90 percent of the full volume output.
The BX-13 V2 solves this problem by adding an electronic buffer stage for the volume signal. The electronic buffer stage isolates the volume control signal so that any vintage guitar works smoothly with any modern guitar synthesizer.
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Inputs and Outputs |
| Like a Roland BC-13, the BX-13 V2 has a 24-pin Guitar Synth and 1/4” Guitar input jack, and a 13-pin Guitar Synth output connector. With only the 24-pin cable plugged in, the level of the direct (humbucker) guitar sound is controlled by the top panel guitar volume knob, and by the optional EV-5 volume pedal. If you want to vary the level of the direct (humbucker) sound using the volume knob on the guitar, then a second cable is connected from the 1/4” Guitar output jack on the Guitar Controller to the 1/4” Guitar input jack on the BX-13 V2. This is the same design used by the Roland BC-13, but the BX-13 V2 adds foot switches to switch the outputs on and off. |
Compatible with Vintage Bass Guitar Synthesizers:
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The BX-13 V2 has also been thoroughly tested with the vintage Roland bass guitar synthesizer controllers like the G-88. To test for compatibility, the G-88 was plugged into the BX-13 V2, then the BX-13 V2 was connected to a GI-20. The Roland GI-20 supports bass guitar synths with a switch on the back panel for bass operation.
Other Roland guitar synths, such as the GR-50 may not work properly, since they were not designed to handle to lower frequencies of a bass guitar.
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Bass Control |
| The BX-13 V2 is also designed to work with bass controllers as well. However, it is important that the connected synthesizer supports bass synthesizer operation. |
QuickTime Video Demos:
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| A BX-13 V2 converts the XJ-S to 13-pin format, then a US-20 selects from VG-88 and a GI-10 hooked to a Yamaha VL-70M. Direct output with the VG-88 features BX-13 V2 volume swells and hex fuzz. A BC-2 breath controller is used with the VL-70M | |
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| A BX-13 V1 with the Ibanez IMG2010 guitar is used to access the cool sounds of the cutting edge Roland VG-88 Virtual Guitar System. In this short demo, the IMG2010 is used to simulate a guitar with "Nashville" tuning, strings E through G tuned one octave up. By using the foot switch control found only on the BX-13 V1, the direct guitar sound can be switched on and off. | |
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| In this demo, the aBX-13 V1 is used with the Ibanez IMG2010 to play drive a Yamaha CS6R with a Roland GI-10 Pitch-to-MIDI converter. Notice how quickly the CS6R responds and how well it tracks both pitch bends and dynamic range. | |
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| Calibration of the BX-13 V2 is simple: turn the synth volume off on the BX-13 V2. Next, turn the filter knob on the guitar synth controller to maximum. Next, slowly increase the synth volume on the BX-13 V2 until your guitar synthesizer is at maximum volume. In this video, I am using a Roland VG-88. The mixer page under guitar edit shows when the volume reaches 100, maximum on the VG-88. | |
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| The BX-13 V2 is used here with a Roland GI-20 driving a Roland XV-5080. I also demonstrate using the optional EV-5 pedal to create volume swells with the natural bass pickup output. The Roland GI-20 has a rear panel switch for bass operation. | |
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NO! None of my processors add any delay at all. Like the GR-300 and GR-100, they are purely analog processors that do not suffer from the inevitable latency introduced by digital systems. Many players notice that their guitar synths actually play better, since the gain stages have been especially designed to deliver the best possible signal to the guitar synthesizer.
NO! Only the direct (humbucker) guitar or hex fuzz volume.
NO! Only the Roland G-202, G-303, G-505, or G-808 have the hex fuzz sound. The G-707, and GK-1 and the Ibanez IMG2010 do not have hex fuzz. Some third party guitars, like the Custom Shop Les Paul or the Pedulla MVP guitars do have the hex fuzz circuit.
YES! I have tested this with the Roland G-303, G-505, G-707, G-808 and the Ibanez IMG2010. The BX-13 V2 is also designed to work well with the Roland GK-1, and other third party controllers built by Gibson, Steinberger and others. The BX-13 V2 has also been tested with the Roland GI-10 and VG-88.
First, turn the BX-13 V2 synth volume knob fully counter-clockwise (zero). Then turn the Filter/CV1 knob on the Guitar to maximum (fully clockwise). While playing your guitar, slowly turn the BX-13 V2 synth volume knob clockwise until you reach maximum volume. If you are using a VG-88 you can monitor the mix level output. When the mix level reaches 100, you are at maximum volume. The typical position for the BX-13 V2 synth volume knob is 3 o’clock.
NO. The BX-13 V2 gets its power from the connection to the guitar synthesizer. This is the same approach Roland used for the BC-13, US-20 and GKP-4.
YES! The BX-13 V2 contains circuitry derived from the DC-13 and the SBC+.
YES! The RC-1324 translates modern, 13-pin signals into 24-pin signals, and provides all the necessary control voltages plus hex fuzz.
YES! Roland discontinued the connectors from active production about fifteen years ago. So the 24 pin connectors are virtually impossible to find. I bought as many of these connectors as I could from Roland a while back. Depending on availability, I also use connectors refurbished vintage guitars and synths. Either way, there is no new supply of these connectors, so all the processors I build have a very, very limited production run.
View the BX-13 Version 1
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