* 0 4 1 2 6 2 1 2 - 0 3 *

As of May 1, 2007 (ROLAND)

Information When you need repair service, call your nearest Roland Service Center or authorized Rolanddistributor in your country as shown below.

EGYPTAl Fanny Trading Office9, EBN Hagar Al Askalany Street,ARD E1 Golf, Heliopolis, Cairo 11341, EGYPTTEL: 20-2-417-1828

REUNIONMaison FO - YAM Marcel25 Rue Jules Hermann,Chaudron - BP79 97 491Ste Clotilde Cedex,REUNION ISLANDTEL: (0262) 218-429

SOUTH AFRICAT.O.M.S. Sound & Music (Pty)Ltd.2 ASTRON ROAD DENVER JOHANNESBURG ZA 2195, SOUTH AFRICATEL: (011)417 3400

Paul Bothner(PTY)Ltd.Royal Cape Park, Unit 24Londonderry Road, Ottery 7800 Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICATEL: (021) 799 4900

CHINARoland Shanghai Electronics Co.,Ltd.5F. No.1500 Pingliang Road Shanghai 200090, CHINATEL: (021) 5580-0800

Roland Shanghai Electronics Co.,Ltd.(BEIJING OFFICE)10F. No.18 3 Section Anhuaxili Chaoyang District Beijing 100011 CHINATEL: (010) 6426-5050

HONG KONGTom Lee Music Co., Ltd. Service Division22-32 Pun Shan Street, Tsuen Wan, New Territories, HONG KONGTEL: 2415 0911

Parsons Music Ltd. 8th Floor, Railway Plaza, 39 Chatham Road South, T.S.T,Kowloon, HONG KONGTEL: 2333 1863

INDIARivera Digitec (India) Pvt. Ltd.411, Nirman Kendra Mahalaxmi Flats Compound Off. Dr. Edwin Moses Road, Mumbai-400011, INDIATEL: (022) 2493 9051

INDONESIAPT Citra IntiRamaJl. Cideng Timur No. 15J-15O Jakarta PusatINDONESIATEL: (021) 6324170

KOREACosmos Corporation1461-9, Seocho-Dong,Seocho Ku, Seoul, KOREATEL: (02) 3486-8855

MALAYSIARoland Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd.45-1, Block C2, Jalan PJU 1/39, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, MALAYSIATEL: (03) 7805-3263

VIET NAM Suoi Nhac Company, Ltd 370 Cach Mang Thang Tam St.Dist.3, Ho Chi Minh City, VIET NAMTEL: 9316540

PHILIPPINESG.A. Yupangco & Co. Inc.339 Gil J. Puyat AvenueMakati, Metro Manila 1200,PHILIPPINESTEL: (02) 899 9801

SINGAPORESWEE LEE MUSIC COMPANY PTE. LTD.150 Sims Drive,SINGAPORE 387381TEL: 6846-3676

TAIWANROLAND TAIWAN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.Room 5, 9fl. No. 112 Chung Shan N.Road Sec.2, Taipei, TAIWAN, R.O.C.TEL: (02) 2561 3339

THAILANDTheera Music Co. , Ltd.330 Soi Verng NakornKasem,New Road, Sumpantawongse,Bangkok 10100, THAILANDTEL: (02) 224-8821

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND Roland CorporationAustralia Pty.,Ltd. 38 Campbell AvenueDee Why West. NSW 2099AUSTRALIA

For AustraliaTel: (02) 9982 8266For New ZealandTel: (09) 3098 715

ARGENTINAInstrumentos Musicales S.A.Av.Santa Fe 2055 (1123) Buenos AiresARGENTINATEL: (011) 4508-2700

BARBADOSA&B Music Supplies LTD12 Webster Industrial ParkWildey, St.Michael, BarbadosTEL: (246)430-1100

BRAZILRoland Brasil Ltda.Rua San Jose, 780 Sala BParque Industrial San JoseCotia - Sao Paulo - SP, BRAZILTEL: (011) 4615 5666

CHILEComercial Fancy II S.A.Rut.: 96.919.420-1Nataniel Cox #739, 4th FloorSantiago - Centro, CHILETEL: (02) 688-9540

COLOMBIACentro Musical Ltda.Cra 43 B No 25 A 41 Bododega 9Medellin, ColombiaTEL: (574)3812529

COSTA RICAJUAN Bansbach Instrumentos MusicalesAve.1. Calle 11, Apartado 10237,San Jose, COSTA RICATEL: 258-0211

CURACAOZeelandia Music Center Inc.Orionweg 30Curacao, Netherland AntillesTEL:(305)5926866

DOMINICAN REPUBLICInstrumentos Fernando GiraldezCalle Proyecto Central No.3Ens.La EsperillaSanto Domingo, Dominican RepublicTEL:(809) 683 0305

ECUADORMas MusikaRumichaca 822 y ZarumaGuayaquil - EcuadorTEL:(593-4)2302364

EL SALVADOROMNI MUSIC75 Avenida Norte y Final Alameda Juan Pablo II, Edificio No.4010 San Salvador, EL SALVADORTEL: 262-0788

GUATEMALACasa InstrumentalCalzada Roosevelt 34-01,zona 11Ciudad de GuatemalaGuatemalaTEL:(502) 599-2888

HONDURASAlmacen Pajaro Azul S.A. de C.V.BO.Paz Barahona3 Ave.11 Calle S.OSan Pedro Sula, HondurasTEL: (504) 553-2029

MARTINIQUEMusique & SonZ.I.Les Mangle97232 Le LamantinMartinique F.W.I.TEL: 596 596 426860

Gigamusic SARL10 Rte De La Folie97200 Fort De FranceMartinique F.W.I.TEL: 596 596 715222

MEXICOCasa Veerkamp, s.a. de c.v.Av. Toluca No. 323, Col. Olivar de los Padres 01780 Mexico D.F. MEXICOTEL: (55) 5668-6699

NICARAGUABansbach Instrumentos Musicales NicaraguaAltamira D'Este Calle Principalde la Farmacia 5ta.Avenida1 Cuadra al Lago.#503Managua, NicaraguaTEL: (505)277-2557

PANAMASUPRO MUNDIAL, S.A.Boulevard Andrews, Albrook, Panama City, REP. DE PANAMATEL: 315-0101

PARAGUAYDistribuidora De Instrumentos MusicalesJ.E. Olear y ESQ. Manduvira Asuncion PARAGUAYTEL: (595) 21 492147

PERUAudionetDistribuciones Musicales SACJuan Fanning 530MirafloresLima - PeruTEL: (511) 4461388

TRINIDADAMR LtdGround FloorMaritime PlazaBarataria Trinidad W.I.TEL: (868) 638 6385

NORWAYRoland Scandinavia Avd. Kontor NorgeLilleakerveien 2 Postboks 95 Lilleaker N-0216 Oslo NORWAYTEL: 2273 0074

POLANDROLAND POLSKA SP. Z O.O.UL. Gibraltarska 4.PL-03 664 Warszawa POLANDTEL: (022) 679 4419

PORTUGALRoland Iberia, S.L.Portugal OfficeCais das Pedras, 8/9-1 Dto4050-465, Porto, PORTUGALTEL: 22 608 00 60

ROMANIAFBS LINESPiata Libertatii 1,535500 Gheorgheni, ROMANIATEL: (266) 364 609

RUSSIAMuTekDorozhnaya ul.3,korp.6117 545 Moscow, RUSSIA TEL: (095) 981-4967

SLOVAKIADAN Acoustic s.r.o. Povazsk 18.SK - 940 01 Nov ZmkyTEL: (035) 6424 330

SPAINRoland Iberia, S.L. Paseo Garca Faria, 33-35 08005 Barcelona SPAINTEL: 93 493 91 00

SWEDEN Roland Scandinavia A/S SWEDISH SALES OFFICEDanvik Center 28, 2 tr. S-131 30 Nacka SWEDEN TEL: (0)8 702 00 20

SWITZERLANDRoland (Switzerland) AG Landstrasse 5, Postfach,CH-4452 Itingen, SWITZERLANDTEL: (061) 927-8383

UKRAINEEURHYTHMICS Ltd.P.O.Box: 37-a.Nedecey Str. 30UA - 89600 Mukachevo, UKRAINETEL: (03131) 414-40

UNITED KINGDOM Roland (U.K.) Ltd.Atlantic Close, Swansea Enterprise Park, SWANSEASA7 9FJ, UNITED KINGDOMTEL: (01792) 702701

BAHRAINMoon StoresNo.1231&1249 Rumaytha Building Road 3931, Manama 339 BAHRAINTEL: 17 813 942

IRANMOCO INC.No.41 Nike St., Dr.Shariyati Ave.,Roberoye Cerahe MirdamadTehran, IRANTEL: (021) 285-4169

ISRAELHalilit P. Greenspoon & Sons Ltd.8 Retzif Ha'alia Hashnia St.Tel-Aviv-Yafo ISRAELTEL: (03) 6823666

URUGUAYTodo Musica S.A.Francisco Acuna de Figueroa 1771C.P.: 11.800 Montevideo, URUGUAYTEL: (02) 924-2335

VENEZUELAInstrumentos Musicales Allegro,C.A.Av.las industrias edf.Guitar import#7 zona Industrial de TurumoCaracas, VenezuelaTEL: (212) 244-1122

AUSTRIARoland ElektronischeMusikinstrumente HmbH.Austrian OfficeEduard-Bodem-Gasse 8,A-6020 Innsbruck, AUSTRIATEL: (0512) 26 44 260

BELGIUM/FRANCE/HOLLAND/LUXEMBOURGRoland Central Europe N.V.Houtstraat 3, B-2260, Oevel (Westerlo) BELGIUMTEL: (014) 575811

CROATIAART-CENTARDegenova 3.HR - 10000 ZagrebTEL: (1) 466 8493

CZECH REP.CZECH REPUBLIC DISTRIBUTOR s.r.oVoctrova 247/16CZ - 180 00 PRAHA 8,CZECH REP.TEL: (2) 830 20270

DENMARK Roland Scandinavia A/SNordhavnsvej 7, Postbox 880,DK-2100 CopenhagenDENMARK TEL: 3916 6200

FINLANDRoland Scandinavia As, Filial FinlandElannontie 5FIN-01510 Vantaa, FINLANDTEL: (0)9 68 24 020

GERMANY Roland Elektronische Musikinstrumente HmbH.Oststrasse 96, 22844 Norderstedt, GERMANY TEL: (040) 52 60090

GREECE/CYPRUSSTOLLAS S.A.Music Sound Light155, New National RoadPatras 26442, GREECETEL: 2610 435400

HUNGARYRoland East Europe Ltd.Warehouse Area DEPO Pf.83H-2046 Torokbalint, HUNGARYTEL: (23) 511011

IRELANDRoland IrelandG2 Calmount Park, Calmount Avenue, Dublin 12Republic of IRELANDTEL: (01) 4294444

ITALYRoland Italy S. p. A. Viale delle Industrie 8, 20020 Arese, Milano, ITALYTEL: (02) 937-78300

JORDANMUSIC HOUSE CO. LTD. FREDDY FOR MUSIC P. O. Box 922846Amman 11192 JORDANTEL: (06) 5692696

KUWAITEASA HUSAIN AL-YOUSIFI & SONS CO.Abdullah Salem Street,Safat, KUWAITTEL: 243-6399

LEBANONChahine S.A.L.George Zeidan St., Chahine Bldg., Achrafieh, P.O.Box: 16-5857Beirut, LEBANONTEL: (01) 20-1441

OMANTALENTZ CENTRE L.L.C.Malatan House No.1Al Noor Street, RuwiSULTANATE OF OMANTEL: 2478 3443

QATARAl Emadi Co. (Badie Studio & Stores)P.O. Box 62, Doha, QATARTEL: 4423-554

SAUDI ARABIAaDawliah Universal Electronics APLCorniche Road, Aldossary Bldg., 1st Floor, Alkhobar,31952 SAUDI ARABIA

P.O.Box 2154, Alkhobar 31952SAUDI ARABIA TEL: (03) 898 2081

SYRIATechnical Light & Sound CenterRawda, Abdul Qader Jazairi St.Bldg. No. 21, P.O.BOX 13520, Damascus, SYRIATEL: (011) 223-5384

TURKEY ZUHAL DIS TICARET A.S.Galip Dede Cad. No.37Beyoglu - Istanbul / TURKEYTEL: (0212) 249 85 10

U.A.E.Zak Electronics & Musical Instruments Co. L.L.C.Zabeel Road, Al Sherooq Bldg., No. 14, Ground Floor, Dubai, U.A.E.TEL: (04) 3360715

CANADA Roland Canada Ltd.(Head Office)5480 Parkwood Way Richmond B. C., V6V 2M4 CANADA TEL: (604) 270 6626

Roland Canada Ltd.(Toronto Office)170 Admiral BoulevardMississauga On L5T 2N6 CANADA TEL: (905) 362 9707

U. S. A. Roland Corporation U.S.5100 S. Eastern AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90040-2938,U. S. A.TEL: (323) 890 3700

ASIA

AFRICA

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND

EUROPE

CENTRAL/LATINAMERICA

MIDDLE EAST

NORTH AMERICA

Thank you, and congratulations on your choice of the Roland MC-808 Sampling Groovebox.

201a

Convention used in this manual

Words enclosed in square brackets indicate buttons on the panel. (p. **) indicates a reference page.

985

* The explanations in this manual include illustrations that depict what should typically be shown by the display. Note, however, that your unit may incorporate a newer, enhanced version of the system (e.g., includes newer sounds), so what you actually see in the display may not always match what appears in the manual.

202

Copyright 2006 ROLAND CORPORATIONAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of ROLAND CORPORATION.

Before using this unit, carefully read the sections entitled: USING THE UNIT SAFELY and IMPORTANT NOTES (pp. 1013). These sections provide important information concerning the proper operation of the unit. Additionally, in order to feel assured that you have gained a good grasp of every feature provided by your new unit, Owners manual should be read in its entirety. The manual should be saved and kept on hand as a convenient reference.

O

wners M

anual

04126212 07-10-3N

Owners Manual

This product complies with the requirements of European Directive 89/336/EEC.

For EU Countries

For Canada

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numrique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Rglement sur le matriel brouilleur du Canada.

NOTICE

AVIS

For the USA

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSIONRADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENT

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.Unauthorized changes or modification to this system can void the users authority to operate this equipment.This equipment requires shielded interface cables in order to meet FCC class B Limit.

WARNING:IMPORTANT:

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this apparatus may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug, proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured GREEN-AND-YELLOW must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the letter E or by the safety earth symbol or coloured GREEN or GREEN-AND-YELLOW.

The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter N or coloured BLACK.The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter L or coloured RED.

THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHEDTHE WIRES IN THIS MAINS LEAD ARE COLOURED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CODE.GREEN-AND-YELLOW: EARTH, BLUE: NEUTRAL, BROWN: LIVE

For the U.K.

For the USA

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITYCompliance Information Statement

Model Name :Type of Equipment :Responsible Party :

Address :Telephone :

MC-808Sampling Groove BoxRoland Corporation U.S.5100 S. Eastern Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90040-2938(323) 890-3700

For China

Main features

Groovebox that unifies MIDI and audio

The MC-808synthesizeralong with performanc

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The synthesbased on a s808.

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Artists fromprovided thtotal of 256 range of styR&B.

Versatile editing functionality using your computer

MC-808_r_e.book 3 3

is a tabletop workstation that combines a serious and sampler in a single sound production unit, a built-in sequencer. From song production to e, this unit provides everything you need.

d faders for great tys of the motorized faders are updated in real time,

at youll never be confused during a performance by es between fader positions and the actual parameter faders are also touch sensitive, and can instantly be anually just by touching them.

formance synthesizer and sound generator features Rolands latest high-performance sound nifying MIDI and audio.

izer provides 896 patches and 128 rhythm sets et of waveforms updated specifically for the MC-

rformance sampler rivals dedicated units, and ifferent sampling modes that you can use as

for different purposes. You can also sample from analog input or resample the internal sound

n be expanded using DIMM modules up to 512 MB.

ion with the 4 MB of internal RAM (47 seconds of mpling), this gives you a total of 516 MB of sample 2 minutes of monaural sampling).

dge patterns from de artists North America, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere have eir latest patterns created for the dance scene, with a patterns categorized by artist, covering a broad les including techno, trance, house, hip hop, and

The MC-808 is designed for intuitive operation in live situations. However, it also comes with dedicated editor software for your computer that lets you edit the sounds and samples in detail.

Theres a Part Editor that lets you mix the sounds to bring your patterns to polished perfection, a Patch Editor to create sounds, and a Sample Editor to perform detailed sample editing. The Sample Editor makes it easy to adjust the looping, and you can use the special Chop function to create breakbeats by slicing up a waveform, as well as other functions such as Normalizeall in the spacious screen of your computer.

Versatile effectsStarting with a three-band stereo compressor for the mastering process, indispensable for contemporary music production, the MC-808 also provides two MFX units (47 types of multi-effects), a high-quality stereo reverb, and a two-band equalizer thats great on kick drum or other rhythm instruments.

An interface thats designed for intuitive operation

In addition to the motorized faders that give you a peerless advantage for live performances, the panel provides luminous lighting to indicate the state of the parameters controlled by those faders, and large highly visible 7-segment LEDs to unmistakably indicate pattern changes and the current BPM.

With Rolands unique D Beam controller, which lets you control various parameters simply by moving your hand over it, the MC-808 gives you a total package thats easy to understand and easy to use.

V-LINK function

V-LINK ( ) is a function that provides for the play of music and visual material. By using V-LINK-compatible video equipment, visual effects can be easily linked to, and made part of the expressive elements of a performance.

The MC-808 enhances previous V-LINK functionality, and now supports the EDIROL motion dive .tokyo console edition. Of course, it still allows you to switch images in sync with the music and control a wide range of effects, simply by hooking up a V-LINK-compatible device.

4

Contents

Main features...........................................................................................3USING THE UNIT SAFELY....................................................................10IMPOPane

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33

MC-808_r_e.book 4 RTANT NOTES .............................................................................12l descriptions ................................................................................14op panel ................................................................................................................................................... 14ear panel .................................................................................................................................................. 16

ng ready.........................................................................................17aking connections ................................................................................................................................. 17

urning on/off the power....................................................................................................................... 18nserting/removing the CompactFlash card........................................................................................ 18

verview of the MC-808 ..................................................................20he MC-808s four modes ....................................................................................................................... 20he basic structure of the MC-808 ......................................................................................................... 20

About the sound generator section ............................................................................................ 20The structure of the sounds ......................................................................................................... 21About the sequencer section........................................................................................................ 22About the controller section ........................................................................................................ 22About the motorized faders......................................................................................................... 23

aving your data....................................................................................................................................... 23

c operation of the MC-808 ............................................................24djusting the display contrast (LCD Contrast) ................................................................................... 24odifying a value .................................................................................................................................... 24

Quickly changing a value ............................................................................................................ 24anceling the previous action (Undo/Redo) ....................................................................................... 25estoring the factory settings (Factory Reset)...................................................................................... 25

k Start...............................................27tening to patterns ........................................................................28electing and playing a pattern .............................................................................................................. 28

eating an original pattern .............................................................29-0 Preparing an empty pattern ............................................................................................................. 29-1 Selecting a sound (patch) .................................................................................................................. 29-2 Using the MC-808s sounds to create a pattern ............................................................................. 30-3 Making effect settings for each part ................................................................................................ 36-4 Adjusting the volume balance and pan of the parts ..................................................................... 36-5 Adding a final polish to the pattern (Mastering) .......................................................................... 37-6 Connecting patterns to create a song .............................................................................................. 37ther: Using audio phrases to create patterns..................................................................................... 38ther: Creating original sounds............................................................................................................. 39

aying patterns ................................................................................40-1 Switching patterns in real time ........................................................................................................ 40-2 Add various effects to the sound..................................................................................................... 40

Contents

Pattern Mode ...........................................41

Play

S

M

U

T

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Appl

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MC-808_r_e.book 5 5

ing patterns ....................................................................................42electing and playing a pattern .............................................................................................................. 42

Basic playback operation ............................................................................................................. 43Changing the BPM (Tempo)........................................................................................................ 44Viewing the number of measures in a pattern ......................................................................... 44Turning the metronome (click) on/off....................................................................................... 44

uting a pattern....................................................................................................................................... 45Muting a specific part (Part Mute).............................................................................................. 45Various ways to mute................................................................................................................... 45

sing the motorized faders to edit the pattern settings ..................................................................... 46Adjusting the volume of each part (Part Level)........................................................................ 46Adjusting the panning of each part (Part Pan) ......................................................................... 46

ransposing during playback (Realtime Transpose) .......................................................................... 47Using the VALUE dial or [INC] [DEC]...................................................................................... 47Using the keyboard pads ............................................................................................................. 47

sing the keyboard pads to play sounds.............................................................................................. 48Sustaining the notes you play (Hold)......................................................................................... 48Shifting the pitch in octave units (Octave Shift) ....................................................................... 48

arious ways to use the keyboard pads ............................................................................................... 49Using the keyboard pads to recall patterns (Pattern Call) ...................................................... 49Using the keyboard pads to play phrases (RPS) ...................................................................... 50Pressing a chord to play an arpeggio (Arpeggiator)................................................................ 53Playing a chord by pressing a single pad (Chord Memory)................................................... 56

ix In ......................................................................................................................................................... 57Outputting the sound of an external device ............................................................................. 57Adjusting the Mix In settings ...................................................................................................... 57

oving your hand above the D Beam to change the tone (D Beam controller) ............................. 58Editing the D Beam controller settings ...................................................................................... 59

ynchronizing the tempo of a sample with the pattern tempo (Auto Sync) ................................... 60

ying effects ....................................................................................61ffect routing............................................................................................................................................. 61ffect on/off .............................................................................................................................................. 62

Playing pitches using the sound of an external device (Input Effect) ................................... 62Compressor .................................................................................................................................... 62Multi-effects (MFX)....................................................................................................................... 63Reverb ............................................................................................................................................. 64Mastering effect ............................................................................................................................. 64

ting an original pattern .................................................................65electing a recording method ................................................................................................................. 65ecording your performance as is (Realtime Recording)............................................................... 65

Recording procedure .................................................................................................................... 65Practicing while you record (Rehearsal).................................................................................... 66Erasing unwanted data during recording (Realtime Erase) ................................................... 66Canceling the entire recording (Recording Cancel) ................................................................. 66

sing the keyboard pads to record (TR-REC)...................................................................................... 67Recording procedure .................................................................................................................... 67

onsecutively recording notes one at a time (Step Recording)......................................................... 68Recording procedure .................................................................................................................... 68

ecording tempo changes and mute operations (Tempo/Mute Recording) .................................. 69

6

Contents

Editing patterns (Pattern Edit) .............................................................70

Basic procedure for pattern editing ....................................................................................................... 70

E

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MC-808_r_e.book 6 Copying a portion of a pattern (COPY) ..................................................................................... 71Erasing unwanted performance data (ERASE) ........................................................................ 71Deleting unwanted measures (DELETE)................................................................................... 72Inserting blank measures (INSERT) ........................................................................................... 72Transposing the pitch (TRANSPOSE)........................................................................................ 73Modifying the velocity of notes (VELOCITY) .......................................................................... 73Modifying the note length (DURATION) ................................................................................. 73Making slight shifts in the timing (SHIFT CLOCK) ................................................................ 74Thinning out unneeded data (DATA THIN) ............................................................................ 74Correcting the timing of a pattern (QUANTIZE)..................................................................... 75Converting the Note Timing of a Pattern (RECLOCK) ........................................................... 76Moving data of a specific note number to another part (EXTRACT RHY) .......................... 77Setting the part parameters (PART PARAM) ........................................................................... 77Initializing a pattern (INITIALIZE) ............................................................................................ 78

diting a pattern in detail (Microscope) ............................................................................................... 79Events you can edit using the Microscope ................................................................................ 79Editing the recorded events......................................................................................................... 80Inserting an event (Create Event) ............................................................................................... 81Erasing an event (Erase Event).................................................................................................... 81

icroscope Utilities.................................................................................................................................. 82Specifying the types of events to view (View Switch)............................................................. 82Moving an event (Move Event)................................................................................................... 82Copying an event (Copy)............................................................................................................. 83Pasting an event (Paste) ............................................................................................................... 83

ng a pattern ....................................................................................84

Contents

Patch/Sample Mode.................................85

Editi

H

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Editi

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MC-808_r_e.book 7 7

ng patches (Patch Edit) ................................................................86ow a patch is organized........................................................................................................................ 86

How a tone is organized .............................................................................................................. 86electing a patch ....................................................................................................................................... 87

Types of patch................................................................................................................................ 87Selecting a patch............................................................................................................................ 87Selecting patches by category (Category Lock) ........................................................................ 88

atch editing procedure .......................................................................................................................... 89Tips for editing patches................................................................................................................ 89Selecting the tones that will sound (TONE SWITCH)............................................................. 89Using the motorized faders to edit a patch ............................................................................... 89

aving a patch ........................................................................................................................................... 91

ng rhythm sounds (Rhythm Edit) ................................................92ow percussion instruments are organized ........................................................................................ 92hythm editing procedure...................................................................................................................... 92

Selecting a rhythm set................................................................................................................... 92Selecting the wave(s) that will sound ........................................................................................ 93Using the faders to edit ................................................................................................................ 93

aving a rhythm set.................................................................................................................................. 95

ng samples (Sample Edit) ............................................................96electing a sample patch.......................................................................................................................... 96

Types of sample patch.................................................................................................................. 96Selecting a sample patch .............................................................................................................. 96

etting the start/end points of the sample ........................................................................................... 97emoving unwanted portions of a sample (Truncate) ....................................................................... 97ample settings (SAMPLE PARAM) ..................................................................................................... 97

Specifying how a sample will play (Loop Mode)..................................................................... 98Calculating the BPM of a sample (BPM Calculator) ................................................................ 98

oading a sample (LOAD) ...................................................................................................................... 99nloading a sample (UNLOAD) ........................................................................................................... 99eleting a sample (DELETE) .................................................................................................................. 99eleting all samples (DELETE ALL) ..................................................................................................... 99

mporting WAV/AIFF data (IMPORT) .............................................................................................. 100oading all samples (LOAD ALL) ....................................................................................................... 100rasing all samples (UNLOAD ALL).................................................................................................. 101aving all samples (SAVE ALL) ........................................................................................................... 101

ng a sample..................................................................................102egarding the locations where samples are stored ........................................................................... 103

8

Contents

Song Mode ............................................105

Play

P

Reco

Editi

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Sam

Sam

Syst

Syst

H

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MC-808_r_e.book 8 ing songs......................................................................................106laying a song ......................................................................................................................................... 106

Basic playback operation ........................................................................................................... 106Song reset ..................................................................................................................................... 106Selecting a song to play .............................................................................................................. 106Changing the BPM or mute status............................................................................................ 106

rding a song................................................................................107Recording procedure .................................................................................................................. 107Editing the setup parameters .................................................................................................... 107

ng songs (Song Edit) ..................................................................108Copying a song (COPY) ............................................................................................................. 108Deleting a step (DELETE STEP)................................................................................................ 108Inserting a step (INSERT STEP) ................................................................................................ 108Initializing a song (INITIALIZE) .............................................................................................. 109Song mixer (SONG MIXER) ...................................................................................................... 109

ng a song......................................................................................110

pling ...............................................111pling procedure ...........................................................................112

em Mode .........................................117em mode.......................................................................................118

ow to make the system function settings......................................................................................... 118Settings for the panel controllers and the screen (PANEL) .................................................. 118Settings related to sequencer operation (SEQUENCER)....................................................... 119Settings related to MIDI transmission (Tx MIDI)................................................................... 120Settings related to MIDI reception (Rx MIDI)......................................................................... 120Settings related to tuning and how the sound is produced (SOUND) ............................... 121Settings related to sampling (SAMPLING) ............................................................................. 121Settings related to the input source (INPUT SETTING)........................................................ 122Settings related to USB mode (USB)......................................................................................... 122Settings related to V-LINK (V-LINK)....................................................................................... 123

iewing the system information (INFO) ............................................................................................ 124ettings related to the CompactFlash card (CARD).......................................................................... 124

Backing up user data (User Backup) ........................................................................................ 124Recovering backed-up user data (User Restore) .................................................................... 125Initializing a CompactFlash card (Card Format).................................................................... 125

erforming a factory reset (UTILITY) ................................................................................................. 126rotecting individual patch banks (UTILITY) ................................................................................... 126

Contents

V-LINK ...................................................127

Abou

WCU

Conn

to a

Conn

AST

C

E

Usin

IMAM

App

Expa

PH

C

ErroTrouSpecInde

MC-808_r_e.book 9 9

t V-LINK.......................................................................................128hat is V-LINK? .................................................................................................................................... 128

onnection examples ............................................................................................................................. 128sing V-LINK ......................................................................................................................................... 129

ecting the MC-808 computer ........................................131ecting to your computer via USB (USB mode) .......................132bout USB functions.............................................................................................................................. 132

witching the Storage mode and the MIDI mode ............................................................................. 132ransferring files to or from your computer (Storage mode) .......................................................... 133

Cautions regarding folders and files........................................................................................ 133Connections.................................................................................................................................. 133Specify the connection-destination........................................................................................... 134Importing audio file.................................................................................................................... 134

aution regarding folders and files ..................................................................................................... 135Exiting Storage mode.................................................................................................................. 135Canceling USB communication................................................................................................. 135

xchanging MIDI messages with your computer (MIDI mode)..................................................... 136Driver installation and settings................................................................................................. 136

g MC-808 editor ...........................................................................137nstalling MC-808 editor into your computer .................................................................................... 137

aking connections ............................................................................................................................... 137bout PC Mode ...................................................................................................................................... 137C-808 editor system requirements ................................................................................................... 138

System requirements (Windows) ............................................................................................. 138System requirements (Mac OS)................................................................................................. 138

endices ............................................139nding the memory ......................................................................140recautions for expanding memory .................................................................................................... 140ow to expand the memory................................................................................................................. 140

Removing the memory............................................................................................................... 141hecking that memory is installed correctly...................................................................................... 141

r messages...................................................................................142bleshooting..................................................................................143ifications......................................................................................145

x.....................................................................................................147

10

USING THE UNIT SAFELY

001

Before usininstruction

.........................

001-50

Connect msocket outlconnection

.........................

002d

Do not opetions on theexception wspecific insorder to pup. 140.)

.........................

003

Do not attewithin it (especific insall servicinService Cendistributor

.........................

004

Never use

Subject tsunlightduct, on are

Damp (eor are

Humid;

Exposed

Dusty; o

Subject t.........................

007

Make sure level and sustands that

.........................

Used for instructions intended to alert the user to the risk of death or severe

The symbol alerts the user to important instructions or warnings.The specific meaning of the symbol is determined by the design contained within the

MC-808_r_e.book 10 g this unit, make sure to read the s below, and the Owners Manual.

.................................................................................

ains plug of this model to a mains et with a protective earthing ..................................................................................

n or perform any internal modifica- unit or its AC adaptor. (The only ould be where this manual provides

tructions which should be followed in t in place user-installable options; see

.................................................................................

mpt to repair the unit, or replace parts xcept when this manual provides tructions directing you to do so). Refer g to your retailer, the nearest Roland ter, or an authorized Roland

, as listed on the Information page..................................................................................

or store the unit in places that are:

o temperature extremes (e.g., direct in an enclosed vehicle, near a heating top of heat-generating equipment); or

.g., baths, washrooms, on wet floors);

or are

to rain; or are

r are

o high levels of vibration..................................................................................

you always have the unit placed so it is re to remain stable. Never place it on

could wobble, or on inclined surfaces..................................................................................

008c Be sure to use only the AC adaptor supplied with

the unit. Also, make sure the line voltage at the installation matches the input voltage specified on the AC adaptors body. Other AC adaptors may use a different polarity, or be designed for a different voltage, so their use could result in damage, malfunction, or electric shock.

..........................................................................................................008e Use only the attached power-supply cord. Also,

the supplied power cord must not be used with any other device.

..........................................................................................................009 Do not excessively twist or bend the power cord,

nor place heavy objects on it. Doing so can damage the cord, producing severed elements and short circuits. Damaged cords are fire and shock hazards!

..........................................................................................................010 This unit, either alone or in combination with an

amplifier and headphones or speakers, may be capable of producing sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. Do not operate for a long period of time at a high volume level, or at a level that is uncomfortable. If you experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should immediately stop using the unit, and consult an audiologist.

..........................................................................................................011 Do not allow any objects (e.g., flammable

material, coins, pins); or liquids of any kind (water, soft drinks, etc.) to penetrate the unit.

..........................................................................................................

Used for instructions intended to alert the user to the risk of injury or material damage should the unit be used improperly.

* Material damage refers to damage or other adverse effects caused with respect to the home and all its furnishings, as well to domestic animals or pets.

injury should the unit be used improperly.

The symbol alerts the user to things that must be carried out. The specific thing that must be done is indicated by the design contained within the circle. In the case of the symbol at left, it means that the power-cord plug must be unplugged from the outlet.

triangle. In the case of the symbol at left, it is used for general cautions, warnings, or alerts to danger.

The symbol alerts the user to items that must never be carried out (are forbidden). The specific thing that must not be done is indicated by the design contained within the circle. In the case of the symbol at left, it means that the unit must never be disassembled.

012b

Immediately turn the power off, remove the AC adaptor from the outlet, and request servicing by your retailer, the nearest Roland Service Center, or an authorized Roland distributor, as listed on the Information page when:

The AC adaptor, the power-supply cord, or the plug has

If smoke

Objects hspilled o

The unithas beco

The unitor exhibi

.........................

013

In househoshould procapable of fsafe operat

.........................

014

Protect the(Do not dro

.........................

015

Do not forcshare an ouother devicextension cdevices youcords outle(watts/amploads can cup and eve

.........................

016

Before usinwith your rCenter, or alisted on th

.........................

022b

Always turadaptor becircuit boar

.........................

023

DO NOT paudio CD plevel that cDamage tomay result.

.........................

101b

The unit and the AC adaptor should be located so their location or position does not interfere with their proper ventilation.

..........................................................................................................

102c

Always grasp only the plug on the AC adaptor cord when plugging into, or unplugging from, an

MC-808_r_e.book 11 11

been damaged; or

or unusual odor occurs

ave fallen into, or liquid has been nto the unit; or

has been exposed to rain (or otherwise me wet); or

does not appear to operate normally ts a marked change in performance..................................................................................

lds with small children, an adult vide supervision until the child is ollowing all the rules essential for the ion of the unit..................................................................................

unit from strong impact.p it!)

.................................................................................

e the units power-supply cord to tlet with an unreasonable number of es. Be especially careful when using ordsthe total power used by all have connected to the extension t must never exceed the power rating eres) for the extension cord. Excessive

ause the insulation on the cord to heat ntually melt through..................................................................................

g the unit in a foreign country, consult etailer, the nearest Roland Service n authorized Roland distributor, as e Information page..................................................................................

n the unit off and unplug the AC fore attempting installation of the d (DIMM; p. 140).

.................................................................................

lay a CD-ROM disc on a conventional layer. The resulting sound may be of a

ould cause permanent hearing loss. speakers or other system components

.................................................................................

outlet or this unit...........................................................................................................103b At regular intervals, you should unplug the AC

adaptor and clean it by using a dry cloth to wipe all dust and other accumulations away from its prongs. Also, disconnect the power plug from the power outlet whenever the unit is to remain unused for an extended period of time. Any accumulation of dust between the power plug and the power outlet can result in poor insulation and lead to fire.

..........................................................................................................104 Try to prevent cords and cables from becoming

entangled. Also, all cords and cables should be placed so they are out of the reach of children.

..........................................................................................................106 Never climb on top of, nor place heavy objects on

the unit.

..........................................................................................................107c Never handle the AC adaptor or its plugs with

wet hands when plugging into, or unplugging from, an outlet or this unit.

..........................................................................................................108b Before moving the unit, disconnect the AC

adaptor and all cords coming from external devices.

..........................................................................................................109b Before cleaning the unit, turn off the power and

unplug the AC adaptor from the outlet (p. 18).

..........................................................................................................110b Whenever you suspect the possibility of lightning

in your area, disconnect the AC adaptor from the outlet.

..........................................................................................................115a Install only the specified circuit board (DIMM).

Remove only the specified screws (p. 140).

..........................................................................................................118a The screws that hold the card protector in place,

the screws that are removed from the bottom cover when expanding the memory, and the grounding screw should be kept in a safe place out of the reach of children so that small children will not accidentally swallow them.

..........................................................................................................

12

IMPORTANT NOTES

291a

In addition to the items listed under USING THE UNIT SAFELY on page 10, please read and observe the following:

Power S

301

Do not conneused by an el(such as a refconditioner), which the elecause this unis not practicasupply noise

302

The AC adapconsecutive u

307

Before conneall units. Thisspeakers or o

Placeme

351

Using the uncontaining laalleviate the pit farther awa

352a

This device mnot use this d

352b

Noise may beas cell phonecould occur wconversing. Srelocate suchfrom this uni

354a

Do not exposthat radiate hsubject it to tediscolor the u

355b

When movedature and/orsation) may fresult if you abefore using hours, until t

360

Depending owhich you plsurface.You can placeprevent this fthe unit will n

Mainten

401a

For everydaythat has beendirt, use a cloAfterwards, bcloth.

402

Never use beavoid the pos

MC-808_r_e.book 12 upplyct this unit to same electrical outlet that is being ectrical appliance that is controlled by an inverter rigerator, washing machine, microwave oven, or air or that contains a motor. Depending on the way in ctrical appliance is used, power supply noise may it to malfunction or may produce audible noise. If it l to use a separate electrical outlet, connect a power

filter between this unit and the electrical outlet.

tor will begin to generate heat after long hours of se. This is normal, and is not a cause for concern.

cting this unit to other devices, turn off the power to will help prevent malfunctions and/or damage to ther devices.

ntit near power amplifiers (or other equipment rge power transformers) may induce hum. To roblem, change the orientation of this unit; or move y from the source of interference.

ay interfere with radio and television reception. Do evice in the vicinity of such receivers.

produced if wireless communications devices, such s, are operated in the vicinity of this unit. Such noise

hen receiving or initiating a call, or while hould you experience such problems, you should wireless devices so they are at a greater distance t, or switch them off.

e the unit to direct sunlight, place it near devices eat, leave it inside an enclosed vehicle, or otherwise mperature extremes. Excessive heat can deform or nit.

from one location to another where the temper- humidity is very different, water droplets (conden-orm inside the unit. Damage or malfunction may ttempt to use the unit in this condition. Therefore,

the unit, you must allow it to stand for several he condensation has completely evaporated.

n the material and temperature of the surface on ace the unit, its rubber feet may discolor or mar the

a piece of felt or cloth under the rubber feet to rom happening. If you do so, please make sure that ot slip or move accidentally.

ance cleaning wipe the unit with a soft, dry cloth or one slightly dampened with water. To remove stubborn th impregnated with a mild, non-abrasive detergent. e sure to wipe the unit thoroughly with a soft, dry

nzine, thinners, alcohol or solvents of any kind, to sibility of discoloration and/or deformation.

Repairs and Data452 Please be aware that all data contained in the units memory may

be lost when the unit is sent for repairs. Important data should always be backed up on a CompactFlash, in another MIDI device (e.g., a sequencer), or written down on paper (when possible). During repairs, due 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 regret that it may not be possible to restore the data, and Roland assumes no liability concerning such loss of data.

Additional Precautions551 Please be aware that the contents of memory can be irretrievably

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 recommend that you periodically save a backup copy of important data you have stored in the units memory on a CompactFlash, or in another MIDI device (e.g., a sequencer).

552 Unfortunately, it may be impossible to restore the contents of

data that was stored in the units memory, on a CompactFlash, or in another MIDI device (e.g., a sequencer) once it has been lost. Roland Corporation assumes no liability concerning such loss of data.

553 Use a reasonable amount of care when using the units buttons,

sliders, or other controls; and when using its jacks and connectors. Rough handling can lead to malfunctions.

554 Never strike or apply strong pressure to the display.556 When connecting / disconnecting all cables, grasp the connector

itselfnever pull on the cable. This way you will avoid causing shorts, or damage to the cables internal elements.

558a To avoid disturbing your neighbors, try to keep the units volume

at reasonable levels. You may prefer to use headphones, so you do not need to be concerned about those around you (especially when it is late at night).

559a When you need to transport the unit, package it in the box

(including padding) that it came in, if possible. Otherwise, you will need to use equivalent packaging materials.

562 Use a cable from Roland to make the connection. If using some

other make of connection cable, please note the following precau-tions.

Some connection cables contain resistors. Do not use cables that incorporate resistors for connecting to this unit. The use of such cables can cause the sound level to be extremely low, or impossible to hear. For information on cable specifications, contact the manufacturer of the cable.

566a The usable range of D Beam controller will become extremely

small when used under strong direct sunlight. Please be aware of this when using the D Beam controller outside.

985 The explanations in this manual include illustrations that depict

what should typically be shown by the display. Note, however, that your unit may incorporate a newer, enhanced version of the system (e.g., includes newer sounds), so what you actually see in the display may not always match what appears in the manual.

IMPORTANT NOTES

Before Using Cards

704

Carefully insert the CompactFlash card all the way inuntil it is firmly in place.

fig.M512-Insert

705

Never touch getting the te

707

This units mcards. Microd

708

CompactFlashandle the ca

To prevento discharhandling

Do not tocontact po

Do not bevibration.

Do not keother such

Do not all Do not di

Handlin

801

Avoid touchisurface) of thread properlyavailable CD

Copyrig

851

Unauthorizedperformance,work (musicamance, or theprohibited by

853

Do not use thcopyright helwhatsoever wcopyrights ar

981a(revised)

The sounds, precordings proof this produccontained in thmusical worksthis product mrecorded, in wlimited to the via the interneor the manufasounds, phras

The sound recworks of Rolathe sound recoliability for anarising out of

MC-808_r_e.book 13 13

the terminals of the CompactFlash card. Also, avoid rminals dirty.

emory card slot accepts CompactFlash memory rive storage media are not compatible.

h are constructed using precision components; rds carefully, paying particular note to the following.

t damage to the cards from static electricity, be sure ge any static electricity from your own body before the cards.uch or allow metal to come into contact with the rtion of the cards.

nd, drop, or subject cards to strong shock or

ep cards in direct sunlight, in closed vehicles, or locations (storage temperature: -25 to 85 C).

ow cards to become wet.sassemble or modify the cards.

g CD-ROMsng or scratching the shiny underside (encoded e disc. Damaged or dirty CD-ROM discs may not be . Keep your discs clean using a commercially

cleaner.

ht recording, distribution, sale, lending, public

broadcasting, or the like, in whole or in part, of a l composition, video, broadcast, public perfor- like) whose copyright is held by a third party is law.

is unit for purposes that could infringe on a d by a third party. We assume no responsibility ith regard to any infringements of third-party

ising through your use of this unit.

hrases and patterns contained in this product are sound tected by copyright. Roland hereby grants to purchasers

t the permission to utilize the sound recordings is product for the creation and recording of original ; provided however, the sound recordings contained in ay not be sampled, downloaded or otherwise re-hole or in part, for any other purpose, including but not transmission of all or any part of the sound recordings t or other digital or analog means of transmission, and/cture, for sale or otherwise, of any collection of sampled es or patterns, on CD-ROM or equivalent means.ordings contained in this product are the original nd Corporation. Roland is not responsible for the use of rdings contained in this product, and assumes no

y infringement of any copyright of any third party use of the sounds, phrases and patterns in this product.

204

* Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft

Corporation.206j

* Windows is known officially as: Microsoft Windows operating

system.207

* Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer,

Inc.209

* Mac OS is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.213

* Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.220

* All product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or

registered trademarks of their respective owners.234

* CompactFlash and are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation

and licensed by CompactFlash association.235

* Roland Corporation is an authorized licensee of the CompactFlash

and CF logo ( ) trademarks.

14

Panel descriptions

fig.panel_j-001

D BEAM

VOLUM

SAMPLIN

Top panel

D BEAM(D Beam Contlers)

[SOLO SYNTH

[TURNTABLE

[FILTER]

OUTPUT knob

INPUT knob

[START/STOP

[MIX IN]

1

2

3

MC-808_r_e.book 14 E

G

MODE

GROUP

1243

1

2 5

6

7

8

10

9

11

13

14

15

rol-Switches the D BEAM on/off.You can modify the patterns or sounds by passing your hand over these (p. 58).

] Play the MC-808 as a monophonic synthe-sizer (p. 59).

* Hold down [SHIFT] and press one of the

corresponding buttons to access the D

BEAM setting screen.] Use the D Beam to control the pitch (p.

59).You can assign a variety of parameters and functions to D Beam to modify the sound in realtime (p. 59).

Adjusts the overall volume from the MIX OUTPUT jacks and the PHONES jack.Adjusts the volume of the input from the INPUT jacks.

] Starts/stops sampling (p. 112).Switches the external input on/off (p. 57).

[SYSTEM] Switches the MC-808 to System mode (p. 118).

[SONG] Switches the MC-808 to Song mode (p. 105).

[PATTERN] Switches the MC-808 to Pattern mode (p. 41).

[PATCH/SAMPLE] Switches the MC-808 to Patch/Sample mode (p. 85).

[USER] Press this to select patches or rhythm sets from the User group (p. 87).

[CARD] Press this to select patches or rhythm sets from the Card group (p. 87).

[PART LEVEL] After pressing this button, you can use the motorized faders to adjust the level of the parts (p. 46).

[PART PAN] After pressing this button, you can use the motorized faders to adjust the pan setting of the parts (p. 46).

[SYNTHESIZER 1][SYNTHESIZER 2]

After pressing these buttons, you can use the motorized faders to adjust patch pa-rameters (p. 89).

4

5

6

Panel descriptions

[V-LINK]

Switches V-LINK on/off (p. 129).

[PATTERN CA

[RPS]

[ARPEGGIO]

[CHORD MEM

[PART ASSIG

[AUTO SYNC]

[PART] (SELECT/MUT

Motorized fad

Part buttons[1][16]

[TEMPO/MUTE CONTR

[SCALE MEAS

[TRANSPOSE

[HOLD]

[OCT -] [OCT

Keyboard pad

[TAP]

7

8

9

10

11

CURRENT display

Indicates the currently playing pattern (p.

12

MC-808_r_e.book 15 15

EFFECTS SWITCH

SEQUENCER

LL] After pressing this button, you can use the keyboard pads to select patterns (p. 49).Switches RPS on/off (p. 50).Switches the ARPEGGIO on/off (p. 53).

ORY] Switches the CHORD MEMORY on/off (p. 56).

N] Selects the set of parts that will be con-trolled by the motorized faders.Parts 18 can be controlled when the indi-cator is not lit, and parts 916 can be con-trolled when the indicator is lit.This automatically synchronizes the play-back tempo of a sample (waveform) to the playback tempo of the pattern or song (p. 60).

E)Selects the function of part buttons [1][16].They will operate as part select buttons when the indicator is not lit, or as mute buttons when the indicator is lit.

ers These are used to adjust the volume/pan of each part, and to make various patch settings.Use these to select parts [1][16].[1][4] operate as TONE SWITCH buttons (p. 89), and [5][8] operate as TONE SE-LECT buttons (p. 89).

OL]Switches the Tempo/Mute part (p. 69, a part that records tempo changes, mute operations, and system exclusive messag-es) on/off.

URE] Selects the note value unit used for TR-REC (p. 68).

] Transposes the keyboard pitch in semi-tone steps (p. 47).Switches the Hold function on/off, caus-ing notes to be sustained even after you release the keyboard pads (p. 48).

+] These shift the range of the keyboard pads in one-octave steps (maximum of +/-4 octaves) (p. 48).Press both buttons simultaneously to re-turn the Octave Shift to 0.

s Use these as a keyboard to play sounds or start phrases.Set the tempo by hitting this button at the desired timing (p. 44).

42).NEXT display Indicates the pattern that will play next

(p. 42).LCD display Shows various information about the op-

eration youre performing.BPM display Indicates the tempo of the pattern or song.

[COMP] Switches the compressor on/off.[MFX1] [MFX2] Switches MFX1 and 2 on/off.[REVERB] Switches reverb on/off.[MASTERING] Switches mastering on/off.

[TOP] Moves to the beginning of the pattern or song.

[BWD] Returns to the preceding measure.[FWD] Proceeds to the next measure.[STOP] Stops playback or recording.[PLAY] Plays the pattern or song.[REC] Starts recording.

VALUE dial This is used to modify values. If you hold down [SHIFT] as you turn the VALUE di-al, the value will change in greater incre-ments.

[INC] [DEC] This is used to modify values. If you keep on holding down one button while press-ing the other, the value change acceler-ates. If you press one of these buttons while holding down [SHIFT], the value will change in bigger increments.

[CURSOR ] Moves the cursor location left/right.[WRITE] This button is used to store a pattern or

patch.[UNDO/ERASE] This button is used to redo the previous

operation, or to erase data.[SHIFT] This button is used in conjunction with

other buttons to execute various func-tions.

[ENTER] Use this button to execute an operation.[EXIT] Returns to the previous screen. In some

screens, it cancels the currently executing function.

13

14

15

16

Panel descriptions

fig.0-02

Rear panel

POWER switc

DC IN

Ground termi-nal

927

Cord hook

1

2

3

4

MC-808_r_e.book 16 988

For details on the front panel card slot, refer to Inserting/removing the CompactFlash card (p. 18).

4

31 2

5 6 78

h Press to turn the power on/off (p. 18).

Connect the included power cable here (p. 17).

The unit should be connected to a power source only of the type marked on the bottom of the unit.

Depending on the circumstances of a partic-ular setup, you may experience a discomfort-ing sensation, or perceive that the surface feels gritty to the touch when you touch this device, microphones connected to it, or the metal portions of other objects, such as gui-tars. This is due to an infinitesimal electrical charge, which is absolutely harmless. How-ever, if you are concerned about this, connect the ground terminal with an external ground. When the unit is grounded, a slight hum may occur, depending on the particu-lars of your installation. If you are unsure of the connection method, contact the nearest Roland Service Center, or an authorized Ro-land distributor, as listed on the Informa-tion page.

Unsuitable places for connection Water pipes (may result in shock or

electrocution) Gas pipes (may result in fire or

explosion) Telephone-line ground or lightning rod

(may be dangerous in the event of lightning)

924fig.CordHook.jTo prevent the inadvert-ent disruption of power to your unit (should the plug be pulled out acci-dentally), and to avoid applying undue stress to the AC adaptor jack, anchor the power cord using the cord hook, as shown in the illustra-tion.

Cord Hook

The cord ofthe supplied AC Adaptor

To the Power Outlet

MIDI connectors (IN, OUT)

These connectors connect the MC-808 with other MIDI devices, enabling the sending and receiving of MIDI messages. IN: This connector receives messages

from another MIDI device. OUT: This connector transmits

messages to another MIDI device.

USB connector This connector lets you use a USB cable to connect your computer to the MC-808 (p. 132).

INPUT jack (R, L/MONO/MIC)

Accept input of audio signals in stereo (L/R) from external devices. If you want to use mono input, connect to the L jack.

* When recording from a mic, connect it to the L jack, and set Input Select (p. 57, p. 112) to MICROPHONE.

OUTPUT jacks(DIRECT R/L, MIX R, L/MONO)

These are output jacks for audio signals. Connect them to your keyboard amp, au-dio system, or mixer. Use separately available audio cables to make connec-tions.

PHONES jack Headphones are plugged in here.

Security slot ( ) http://www.kensington.com/

5

6

7

8

Getting ready

The MC-808system, or c

921

* To prevent m

making any

fig.Connect.e

1.

Before

2.

Conne

3.

ConnePHON

Making connections

Connto thethe poelectr

MC-808_r_e.book 17 17

is not equipped with an internal amp or speakers. To hear sound, you will need to connect it to a keyboard amp or audio onnect headphones. Refer to the following figure when connecting the MC-808 with external devices.

alfunction and/or damage to speakers or other devices, always turn down the volume, and turn off the power on all devices before

connections.

making any connections, confirm that power to all devices has been turned off.

ct the AC power cord included with the MC-808 to the unit, then plug the other end into a power outlet.

ct audio and MIDI cables as shown in the diagram. If connecting headphones, plug the headphones into the ES jack.

ect the AC adaptor MC-808, and plug wer cord into an

ical outlet.

Mixer, etc. Speaker(with built-in Amp) Stereo set, etc.

Headphones

Make connections tothe MIX OUTPUT jacks

Power amp

MIDI OUT MIDI IN

MIDI IN MIDI OUT

External MIDI device(MIDI Keyboard, Sequencer, etc.)

18

Getting ready

941

* Once the con

various devic

wrong order,

and other dev

1.

Make sure connected

2.

Turn on the

3.

Turn on the

4.

Turn on the

5.

Adjust the

942

* This unit is e

seconds) afte

normally.

Turning O

Before switchingdevices in your sreverse order to

Turning on/off the power Inserting/removing the

MC-808_r_e.book 18 nections have been completed, turn on power to your

es in the order specified. By turning on devices in the

you risk causing malfunction and/or damage to speakers

ices.

that all volume controls on the MC-808 and devices are set to 0.

device connected to the INPUT jacks.

MC-808s POWER switch.

devices connected to the OUTPUT jacks.

volume levels for the devices.quipped with a protection circuit. A brief interval (a few

r power up is required before the unit will operate

ff the Power off the power, lower the volume on each of the ystem and then TURN OFF the devices in the which they were switched on.

930

The MC-808s power must be off when you insert or remove the CompactFlash card. If you insert or remove the card with the power turned on, you risk damaging the data on the CompactFlash card, or rendering the card unusable.

If youre using a CompactFlash card for the first time, you must format it using the MC-808. CompactFlash cards formatted by another device will not be detected by the MC-808.For details, refer to Initializing a CompactFlash card (Card Format) (p. 125).

1. Insert the CompactFlash card into the memory card slot located on the front panel.

931

Carefully insert the CompactFlash card all the way inuntil it is firmly in place.

1. Press the eject button located beside the memory card slot on the front panel. The CompactFlash card will be partially ejected. Grasp the CompactFlash card and pull it all the way out.

fig.01-001-

CompactFlash card

Inserting a CompactFlash card

Removing a CompactFlash card

Getting ready

Preventing theft of the CompacA card protectis included wias follows.

1. Insert thslot.

2. Attach th

3. Use a Phthe bottoscrew hoIn this stapreventin

928

When turnewspapcorners oand contrbuttons o

929

When turavoid dro

MC-808_r_e.book 19 19

tFlash cardor for preventing theft of the CompactFlash card th the MC-808. You can install the card protector

e CompactFlash card into the memory card

e card protector.

illips screwdriver to remove the screws from m panel and install them in the CARD LOCK les.te, the card protector cannot be removed, g the CompactFlash card from being stolen.

ning the unit upside-down, get a bunch of ers or magazines, and place them under the four r at both ends to prevent damage to the buttons ols. Also, you should try to orient the unit so no r controls get damaged.

ning the unit upside-down, handle with care to pping it, or allowing it to fall or tip over.

1.

2.

3.

20

An overview of the MC-808

The MC-808operations y

fig.02-004.e

This section

sampler.

This is the ssequencer, oThe MC-808parts at the

The MC-808s four modes

The ba

About th

In this mPress [

Pattern

In this mrhythmsselect P

Patch/S

Contr

Seqsec

Rec

MC-808_r_e.book 20 has four modes. Youll switch between these modes depending on how you want to play the MC-808 or according to the ou want to perform.

explains the major sections that make up the MC-808; the sequencer, the sound generator, the controllers, and the

fig.02-005.eThe data played back by the controller section is sent to the sound generator section, causing it to produce sound.

Alternatively, the data is recorded by the sequencer section and then sent to the sound generator section, causing the sound generator section to produce sound according to the recorded data.

ection that actually produces the sound. It can produce sound in response to data from the MC-808s controllers and r in response to data from an external MIDI device.s sound generator can produce up to 128 notes simultaneously, giving you plenty of capacity for playing numerous same time.

sic structure of the MC-808

e sound generator section

ode you can play, record, and edit patterns.PATTERN] to select Pattern mode.

mode (p. 41)In this mode you can play, record, and edit songs.Press [SONG] to select Song mode.

Song mode (p. 105)

In this mode you can make settings that apply to the entire MC-808 system, such as tuning and synchronization settings.Press [SYSTEM] to select System mode.

System mode (p. 117)ode you can edit sounds such as patches, , and samples. Press [PATCH/SAMPLE] to atch/Sample mode.

ample mode (p. 85)

oller section (keyboard pads, faders, etc.)

Playbackuencer tion

ording

Sound generator section

Playback

SamplerSynthesizer

Sampling

An overview of the MC-808

view

Songs

fig.02-006.e

A song

condesired play

You can spepatterns.

Patterns an

fig.02-007.e

A pattern

cplays the so

The MC-808

Each part isMC-808 hasdifferent paperformanc

Patches and

fig.2-008.e

A patch

corguitar. Eachprovides 89sounds thatthem.

Tones are thMC-808 proassigned to the L side a

The structure of the sounds

Pattern

Songs

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Part 16

* Assign a p

Pattern

Tone

Patch

MC-808_r_e.book 21 21

Ove

r

sists of one or more patterns connected in the back order.

cify a playback order consisting of up to fifty

d Parts

ontains 1998 measures of performance data that unds (patches or rhythm sets) of up to sixteen parts.

provides 256 patterns.

analogous to a musician in a band or orchestra. The sixteen parts, meaning that you can use sixteen tches or rhythm sets to play sixteen different es simultaneously.

Tones

responds to a single instrument such as a piano or patch consists of up to four tones. The MC-808 6 different patches, giving you a wide variety of you can enjoy simply by selecting and playing

e building blocks of which a patch is made. The vides 622 waveforms, and two waveforms can be a tone. (They can be assigned in stereo, with one for nd one for the R side.)

Rhythm setsfig.02-008.e

A rhythm set assigns a separate instrumental sound to each note. (You cant play scales or melodies using each instrumental sound.) The MC-808 provides 128 rhythm sets.

Effect processorsThe effect processors let you add a variety of effects to the sounds of the patches or rhythm sets. You can use six different effects simultaneously, using the six independent effect processors: Compressor (which evens-out irregularities in the level), Reverb (which adds reverberation), two Multi-effects (each of which lets you choose one of 47 effect types such as equalizer, overdrive, and delay), an External Input effect, and a Master effect (which is applied to the final output of the MC-808, making the overall volume more consistent).

SamplerA sampler is a device that captures wave files or external audio sources such as a CD as samples.

The MC-808 lets you change the pitch of a sampled sound, apply a filter to it, or modify its envelope, treating sampled sounds in the same way as the waveforms provided by the sound generator section.

Pattern Pattern Pattern

patch (piano)patch (guitar)patch (rhythm set)

patch

measure measure measure

atch to each part.

1 Tone 2 Tone 3 Tone 4

KICK

SNARE

TOM CYMBALRIM

HI-HATCLAPB3

22

An overview of the MC-808

A sequencer

is back the recorde

The MC-808 conpatterns and letstype of sequence

Recording aperformanc

The MC-808playback sim

You can alspreset patte

Playing mu

The MC-808

simultaneoushown belosimultaneouensemble.

Editing the

Unlike a cassequencer rcan easily epatterns.

About the sequencer section

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 10

About the controller section

MC-808_r_e.book 22 a device that records performance data and plays d performance data.

tains a sequencer that successively plays back you change the way in which they play back. This r is called a pattern sequencer.

nd playing back your e contains 256 preset patterns. You can enjoy pattern ply by playing back these patterns.

o create original patterns, either starting from a rn or completely from scratch.

ltiple parts simultaneously can play back multiple sounds (patches) sly. For example, with a part structure such as

w, you can play drums, bass, piano, and guitar sly, giving you the capability of a band or similar

performance datasette tape or MD (which records sound), a

ecords the performance data. This means that you dit the performance data to create your own original

The controllers consist of the keyboard pads, the D Beam controller, the panel knobs, and the faders. By operating these you can apply various effects to the performance and to the sounds.fig.02-017

1. Keyboard padsThese perform the same function as the notes of a keyboard. They are also used to play the RPS function (p. 50) and the arpeggiator (p. 53). Normally, key 2 corresponds to C4.

2. D Beam controllerThis controller lets you play or modify sounds by moving your hand above it (p. 58).

3. Motorized fadersYou can use the faders to control sound parameters (filter cutoff frequency or resonance, LFO rate, etc.) in real time.

For details on operation, refer to About the motorized faders (p. 23).

GuitarBassPianoRhythm (drum) set

3

1

2

An overview of the MC-808

view

The MC-808 letsvolume, panning

The MC-808s maccording to theinstant and extresettings.

You can als

faders won

When you brieflautomatic modeinternal state of fader will follow

The faders will rfollowing things

Switch patt

Switch song

The faders wfader functi