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Features of the CV-13:
- Converts Vintage Roland 24-pin GR Signals to Modern 13-pin Signals
- Four top panel foot switch controls for Synthesizer Volume, Filter, Resonance and Guitar Mute
- Up to FIVE simultaneous control voltage outputs in Roland EV-5 standard
- Six internal precision Phifer cermet trimmers to adjust response range
- Rear panel EV-5 volume pedal input for direct guitar signal
- Bi-directional support for Ibanez IMG2010 virtual whammy bar
- "Pin-9 to Ground" switch to reduce grounding issues with Roland synthesizers
- Powered by 13-Pin Guitar Cable! No External Power Supply or Batteries Required
- Solid oiled walnut sides on a black, ventilated steel base with contempra grey (beige) aluminum top panel, 280 mm x 220 mm x 100 mm.
- Backed by One-Year Parts and Labor Warranty
- Elegant Design
Introducing the CV-13 with New Levels of Expression And Expanded Control Possibilities:
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The onboard controllers that made the early Roland synths so much fun to play disappeared when Roland switched from the 24-pin design to 13-pin design. While Roland has continued to dramatically advance their guitar synthesizer design, modern 13-pin systems are still limited compared to their 24-pin predecessors. Realizing that guitar players wanted more control options, Roland added both a D Beam controller and Ribbon Controller to the new VG-99. These options are great, but they are not as convenient as the vintage 24-pin onboard controllers. And the D Beam and Ribbon controllers require the guitar player to be relatively near the VG-99.
The new CV-13 completely bridges the gap between a vintage 24-pin guitar controller and the VG-99/FC-300 combination. How? The VG-99 has an EV-5 control pedal input on the back, plus there are three EV-5 inputs on the FC-300, making a total of four continuous control inputs to the VG-99/FC-300 combination. With a Roland G-303 and the CV-13, for example, and you can use the filter, resonance, vibrato, and balance controls on the guitar to operate the VG-99. The virtual GR-300 in the VG-99 can now work exactly like a real GR-300, with the player adjusting GR-300 parameters from the guitar!
But this is just the beginning! The CV-13 also supports the virtual whammy bar found on the super-cool Ibanez IMG2010. And the CV-13 provides two whammy bar outputs, one control signal for moving the bar up, and one for moving the bar down! While recreating a virtual GR-300 was the initial inspiration for the CV-13, so much more is possible! The VG-99 has over 4000 target parameters, and any of these can be assigned any controller on a vintage 24-pin guitar. Or the guitar controllers can be assigned to continuous MIDI controllers, for manipulating soft synths in real time!
This setup requires several TRS cables from the CV-13 to the VG-99/FC-300 EV-5 inputs. For this reason, the CV-13 package also includes one 12’ TRS cable and three 3’ TRS cables. These are brand new, high-quality cables from Orange Country Speaker, specially modified for the VG-99/FC-300.
Input and Output Connections:
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Foot switch Controls with LEDs:
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The CV-13 adds four foot switch controls to mute/disable the synthesizer volume, filter control output, resonance control output, and direct guitar output. The synthesizer volume on the guitar is routed to the GK Volume control. The "SYNTH" foot switch mutes this control, so you can instantly mute the output of your VG-99. The direct output of the standard pickup(s) on the vintage guitar can also be muted with the "GUITAR" foot switch. The CV-13 has a rear panel input for a Roland EV-5 pedal. This pedal allows the player to control the level of the standard guitar pickup(s). This is the same design I used for the BX-13 series. With the original Roland BC-13 this volume was fixed.
You can also mute the output of the Filter and Resonance control knob. This is a new feature, unique to the CV-13. For example, the Filter control could be assigned to Delay level in the VG-99. Turning the Filter control on the guitar could vary the delay level, and tapping the "Filter" foot switch would turn the delay off. Similarly, the Resonance control could be assigned to MIDI volume in the VG-99. Turning the Resonance control on the guitar would vary the volume level of an external MIDI synth, and tapping the "Resonance" foot switch would turn the synth off.
The Ibanez IMG2010 and the Virtual Whammy Bar:
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I am a huge fan of the amazing Ibanez IMG2010, the most feature packed guitar synthesizer controller ever built. So naturally the CV-13 has direct support for the Ibanez IMG2010. In fact, the CV-13 actually produces two different control voltages for the Ibanez IMG2010: one for pushing the bar "down", and one for pulling the bar "up"!
The CV-13 has a dedicated, direct, top panel output for the control voltage created when the virtual whammy bar is pushed "down." However, I found that I did not pull the whammy bar up that often, but I did like to use the filter, resonance and LFO controls quite a bit. Since the VG-99/FC-300 has only four control inputs (total), I decided to double-up on the whammy bar "up" output. For this reason, the whammy bar "up" output is on the same output jack as the "balance" control. A top panel switch selects between the balance control and the whammy bar "up" output. Consequently, the output from the balance knob is not available at the same time as the whammy bar "up" output.
Also, the VG-99 does not support bi-directional pitch bending. However, in the Tone Zila demos you will see the virtual whammy bending notes up and down. To achieve this effect, the guitar is actually tuned down -12 semitones, and the bend range is set up +24 semitones, so when a minimal bend value of "50" is sent, the patch is back to normal. If this seems confusing, download the "Tone Zila" patch and you can experiment to see how it works.
LFO and Balance Control Output:
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With the vintage Roland GR controllers, vibrato is engaged by using the touch pads on the guitar. The CV-13 works exactly the same way, with one touch pad turning the LFO on or off, and the other touch pad working on as long as the finger is on the touch pad. With the Ibanez IMG2010, the LFO output is controlled solely by the LFO depth knob.
Similarly, the output of the balance control is dependent on two things: the position of the balance knob, and the position of the master volume knob. You can assign the output of the balance control to any parameter in the VG-99, but the final output of the balance knob will depend on the master volume knob. So if the master volume knob is at 50 percent, the maximum output from the balance knob will only be 50 percent. And, as noted above, the output from the balance knob is not available at the same time as the whammy bar "up" output.
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Video Demos Classic "Pat Metheny" Guitar Rig - Roland GR-300 with Gibson ES-175:
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This setup is designed to recreate some of the most popular sounds of jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. COSM Guitar A of the VG-99 recreates the sound of Pat’s GR-300 lead. COSM Guitar B of the VG-99 creates a virtual Gibson ES-175. Check out the video clips below, and you can get an idea of the amazing versatility that is the unique combination of a vintage Roland GR controller with the VG-99.
Filter, resonance, vibrato depth, balance and mode are all active on the Ibanez IMG2010 just as they would be with a real GR-300. CTL 2 on the FC-300 engages Pat’s signature octave leaps, and CTL 1 on the FC-300 engages a GR-300 duet of 5ths, calling to mind King Crimson. There has never, ever, been a guitar rig as compact, versatile and as flexible as this in the history of guitar synthesis. CTL 1 on the VG-99 engages the reverb on the ES-175, and CTL 2 on the VG-99 engages the internal GR-300 compressor. I add the compressor at the end of the first demo for extra sustain while string bending a classic "braying" GR-300 tone.
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| Since the VG-99/FC-300 combination has four control inputs, I am using the four controllers found on a typical Roland G-202/303/505/707/808: filter cutoff frequency, resonance, vibrato rate, and the balance control knob. But the VG-99 has dual COSM guitar paths, so COSM guitar B is designed to emulate a Gibson ES-175. I play the guitar dry at first, for that in-you-face jazz tone, then add reverb, since it helps to cover my mistakes! The balance controls then blends the output to pure GR-300. With a vintage Roland controller and the CV-13 you can pretty much recreate the GR-300 experience! | |
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| Accomplished jazz guitarist Brad Rabuchin does his turn with the IMG-2010, CV-13 and VG-99. The virtual GR-300 becomes a reality! Brad shows how the filter, resonance, LFO and mode switch are mapped to the VG-99. In every respect, this rig plays and sounds like a GR-300 with a vintage 24-pin controller. In this demo, the octave jump switch is mapped to the front panel of the VG-99 instead of the FC-300 foot controller. | |
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| The Hex Fuzz sound was one of the highlights of early Roland guitar synthesis. This feature was discontinued with the Roland G-707 and later guitars, but the VG-99 recreates the hex fuzz circuit. This demo first shows the polyphonic distortion of hex fuzz, then I switch to a blend of the hex fuzz and the VCO synthesizer output, then back to the virtual hollowbody jazz guitar. Roland actually made several different hex fuzz circuits, and the circuit in the VG-99 reminds me more of the G-202 design which had more clarity and less saturation. | |
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| Click on the image on the left to download the patch I used to create these video demos. This is the cabling setup: custom CV-13 12’ TRS cable from CV-13 Filter output to VG-99 EXP Pedal input. Custom CV-13 3’ TRS cable from CV-13 Resonance output to FC-300 EXP 3 Pedal input. Custom CV-13 3’ TRS cable from CV-13 Mod output to FC-300 EXP 4 Pedal input. Custom CV-13 3’ TRS cable from CV-13 Balance output to FC-300 EXP 5 Pedal input. The Balance/Control Up switch is in the down position (off). The Control Down output is not used. |
Video Demos Tone Zila - Pure Tone, Pure and Simple:
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This setup is all about sweet, pure guitar tones. It is no secret that players spend thousands of dollars to buy a guitar and amp that has "that sound." The VG-99 has tons of great tones available, but all too often the playing experience is static. What is missing is so basic to playing your guitar: tweaking a knob or two, finding that "sweet spot" and playing! In this demo, the master volume is assigned to mimic the master volume knob on a guitar. The filter knob is a virtual tone knob! Yes a TONE knob! The resonance knob adjusts the input gain to the amplifier. The mode switch acts as a virtual pickup switch, selecting from bridge, both pickups, and neck. And the virtual whammy bar on the IMG2010 is a whammy bar, capable of bending notes up and down one octave!
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| Check out the huge range of tones that are available, simply by adjusting the guitar volume, guitar tone, and input gain to the amplifier! But, since this is the virtual world, a few enhancements have been made. As the input gain to the amplifier is reduced, the master volume is increased at the same time. Everyone does this instinctively when they "clean up" their guitar sound to maintain an even volume from the amp. Finally, this mega-cool patch actually features TWO guitars, a COSM Les Paul and Classic Strat, through a Soldano and Marshall stack (respectively), and panned wide. | |
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| The Tone Zila patch just begs to be played, so I put together a simple demo with some familiar blues chord progressions so that you can hear Tone Zila in a more musical situation. The focus of this demo is not the exotic bells and whistles of the VG-99, while it has plenty of those, but simply musical responsiveness of this incredible guitar processor. Since the VG-99 does not support bi-directional pitch bending, I cheated a bit. The guitar is tuned down -12 semitones, and the bend range is set up +24 semitones. When you first call the patch up the guitar is one octave down, but a tap on the virtual whammy bar sets the pitch back to normal. | |
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| This is the cabling setup: custom CV-13 12’ TRS cable from CV-13 Filter output to VG-99 EXP Pedal input. Custom CV-13 3’ TRS cable from CV-13 Resonance output to FC-300 EXP 3 Pedal input. Custom CV-13 3’ TRS cable from CV-13 CTL LO output to FC-300 EXP 4 Pedal input. Custom CV-13 3’ TRS cable from CV-13 BAL/CTL HI output to FC-300 EXP 5 Pedal input. The Balance/Control Up switch is in the up position (on). The CV-13 Mod output is not used. |
Video Demos Mighty Morphing Guitar Tones:
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OK...this demo is a little crazy. You push the whammy bar down, and one guitar goes down an octave in pitch, and the other goes...up one octave. Or you can pull the whammy bar up and use it as a wah-wah pedal! And there is a lot more. This was just a little "let’s go crazy" demo to see what kind of effects we could pull together in one VG-99 patch. Unlike the previous demo, this demo is a little more flash. Enjoy!
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| Flexibility is the key! In this demo CV#1 (filter) is routed to the COSM A/B balance control. Pressing the virtual whammy bar down bends the pitch of the distorted guitar down. At the same time, pressing the virtual whammy bar down bends the pitch of the clean guitar up! When the balance is set at 50/50, one guitar bends down while the other bends up! Mode switch down turns the delay on, and then CV#2 sets the delay time, from long delay to slap-back effects. Mode switch up turns the virtual wah on, and pulling the whammy bar up controls the wah-wah effect. | |
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| Brad Rabuchin takes his turn with the mighty morphing guitar! We had to keep notes handy to remember what-does-what on the IMG2010. With all the options that the VG-99 has to offer, coupled with the control possibilities of the CV-13, I strongly recommend coming up with one cabling configuration and being consistent. If you have a Roland G-303, then I would use the filter, resonance, mod and balance outputs of the CV-13. If you have an Ibanez IMG2010, then I would use the filter, resonance, mod and CTL LO (virtual whammy bar pressed down) outputs. If you mistakenly plug the wrong cable into an output jack, everything will still active, but you may be frustrated while trying to figure out why the virtual whammy bar stopped working! | |
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| This is the cabling setup: custom CV-13 12’ TRS cable from CV-13 Filter output to VG-99 EXP Pedal input. Custom CV-13 3’ TRS cable from CV-13 Resonance output to FC-300 EXP 3 Pedal input. Custom CV-13 3’ TRS cable from CV-13 CTL LO output to FC-300 EXP 4 Pedal input. Custom CV-13 3’ TRS cable from CV-13 BAL/CTL HI output to FC-300 EXP 5 Pedal input. The Balance/Control Up switch is in the up position (on). The CV-13 Mod output is not used. |
Video Demo VG-99 and VG-88 Together:
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This demo features the VG-99 and a VG-88 used together! I used a US-20 clone so the CV-13 can be used to drive both a VG-99 and a VG-88. The VG-99 is connected to the Synth A output, and the VG-88 is connected to the Synth B output. The FC-300 is not used in this demo, instead, CV-13 Filter CV#1 is connected to the VG-99 EXP Pedal input, and CV-13 Resonance CV#2 is connected to the VG-88 EXP Pedal input. This provides independent control over two different parameters on two different synthesizers.
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| The VG-99 is connected to the Synth A output, and the VG-88 is connected to the Synth B ouput. VG-99 is panned to the left, playing a hard distortion patch, and the VG-88 is panned hard right, playing a processed clean Strat patch. Filter is used to bend the pitch of the distortion guitar down one octave, and Resonance is used to control the Chorus level on the clean Strat. You can also see the footswitches in action, turning the pitch bend and chorus on and off. |
Programming Direct Guitar Level Tip (VG-88):
Start with the VG-88 factory Patch 28-2, 12st+EGt. This patch features a virtual 12 string with the direct output of the guitar. If you check the CHAIN page on the VG-88, you will see the direct output goes through some effects, including a Limiter. We will control the volume level of the direct guitar by changing the output of the Limiter.
In this example, the RESO output from the CV-13 is plugged into the SUB EXP PEDAL input on the VG-88. Press the PEDAL ASSIGN button to call up the control assign page. Go to PAGE 2 and press F2 to activate control assign one. Next press F5 to edit the control assign. The first item highlighted is the TARGET of the control assign. Using the data wheel on the VG-88, scroll until the display shows FX:LM LEVEL. Now press the cursor right arrow to SOURCE. Change the SOURCE to SUB EXP. Next press F5 to select the MAX level. I suggest changing this value to 40. If you check the setting of the Limiter, you will find a value of 25, but I think a little more level is required to get a good balance of the two guitar sounds.
Now, store your patch, and you are done!
By moving the Master Volume control on the guitar, you will change the level of the virtual 12 string guitar. If you move the Resonance control on the guitar, you will change the level of the direct guitar sound. You can also use the SYNTH and GTR foot switches on the CV-13 to mute either the virtual or real guitar sound.
Video Demo MIDI Control with VG-99:
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This demo features the VG-99 with a Roland XV-5080 module. I have the Roland SRX-07 Ultimate Keys card installed, with all the original waveforms from the SR-JV80-04 Vintage Synth card, and I am playing the patch "Pats GR-300." on the high E string. In MIDI Mono mode, you can assign different sounds to different strings, so I am also using acoustic guitar and electric and acoustic pianos on other strings. You can hear the blend of the XV-5080 GR-300 patch with the GR-300 emulation in the VG-99. Also, in the middle of the demo I am using the touch pads to trigger the LFO in the VG-99. As of Version 1.04 software, the MIDI capability of the VG-99 is not as good as the GI-20 or other Roland guitar synthesizers, but it works pretty well.
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| The VG-99 MIDI OUT is patched to the MIDI IN on a Roland XV-5080. The Filter Cutoff knob on the guitar is assigned to control MIDI volume, so Filter Cutoff controls the volume of the XV-5080, and the Master Volume on the guitar controls the volume of the VG-99. The guitar is a Fender Stratocaster with vintage Roland STK-1 electronics installed, the same electronics package found in a Roland G-707 guitar. |
Software Notes and Calibration:
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I strongly recommend using version 1.04 software with your VG-99. Earlier versions of the VG-99 operating system would have all the continuous controllers intermittently lock-up. The VG-99 still played, but none of the continuous control knobs, D Beam controller, etc. would respond. And this means the CV-13 would stop working as well. You can download the version 1.04 software here.
Secondly, the CV-13 needs to be calibrated to respond properly to your Roland guitar and guitar synthesizer controller. It has been my experience that all the vintage Roland gear is designed, and operates, a little differently. In the analog domain, this is not very noticeable, but with the VG-99 it can make a difference. The calibration procedure is outlined in the CV-13 manual. If you can tune a guitar, you can calibrate the CV-13. For this reason, I recommend using the same controller with the CV-13. An Ibanez IMG2010 will output a master volume value of 100, but a Roland G-202 will output a volume of 89. This has to do with the design of the control voltage circuits in the guitar. The CV-13 includes a small screwdriver to adjust the trimmers inside the CV-13. This is much the same procedure used by vintage Roland guitar synth owners to adjust the output trimmers inside their guitar as well.
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| This clip demonstrates calibrating CV#1, or Filter Cutoff. I used the patch "Pat’s Rig" in this demo. I accessed the GR-300 page so I could see the value of the filter cutoff parameter. On the IMG2010 CV#1, or Filter Cutoff, is set to maximum by turning the knob fully clockwise. I then adjusted the CV#1 trimmer inside the CV-13 so the filter cutoff value in the VG-99 just barely hits 100. This is essential for proper operation of the CV-13. After setting CV#1, I moved on to CV#2. Because every guitar has slightly different electronics, I recommend using the same model guitar and the same cabling configuration with the CV-13. |
Frequently Asked Questions:
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- Does the CV-13 add any latency or delay?
- Can I control the synthesizer volume with the optional EV-5 pedal?
- Will the CV-13 work with ANY Vintage Roland Guitar Controller or Guitar Synth?
- The CV-13 was designed for the VG-99/FC-300 combination. What if I am using a VG-88 or GR-20?
- Does this unit require any power?
- What is with the "Pin-9 to Ground" switch switch on the back? What is Pin-9 anyway?
- How was the CV-13 developed? Is there anything else like the CV-13?
- Is there anything like a "reverse" BC-13 or CV-13? 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.
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 volume.
YES! I have tested this with the Roland G-303, G-505, G-707, G-808 electronics and the Ibanez IMG2010. The CV-13 is also designed to work well with the Roland GK-1, and other third party controllers built by Gibson, Steinberger and others. The CV-13 has also been tested with the Roland GR-20 and VG-88 as well as the VG-99.
The CV-13 will work with any Roland 13-pin guitar synthesizer, but if you do not have a FC-300, or have only a VG-99 without the FC-300, then you can get many of the same key features in the BX-13 V3. Futhermore, the hex pickup processing in the CV-13 has been slightly adjusted for the input sensitivities of the VG-99.
NO. The CV-13 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.
A thorough check of most 13-pin connections on a typical Roland 13-pin guitar connector shows that Pin-9 is connected to...nothing. On a Fender Roland-Ready Strat there is not even a wire connected to Pin-9. However, a check of a Roland VG-88 schematic shows that Pin-9 is connected to the ground plane on the circuit board. If you are having ground loop hum problems with your VG-88 Roland synthesizer, you can try flipping this switch up, and Pin-9 on the 13-pin output will be connected to the grounding circuit in the CV-13. Pin 9 is active on the GK-3 to help a VG-99 sense what position the switch is in. This aids in proper pickup detection using the "auto-detect" mode. This switch does not effect the VG-99, and I recommend leaving the switch in the down (off) position.
YES! The CV-13 contains circuitry derived from 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.
