Find out how you can control your Roland SH-101 with MIDI using Kenton MIDI Retrofit Kits or MIDI to CV converters
The Roland SH-101 did not have MIDI, but does have a CV/Gate sockets, as well as a clock socket for its arpeggiator. Kenton offers a variety of options to get your SH-101 connected to MIDI.
For current Kenton products:
- Control your Roland SH-101 with MIDI by fitting a MIDI Retrofit Kit to your SH-101
- Control your Roland SH-101’s notes with MIDI using a Pro Solo Mk3 and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
- Control your Roland SH-101’s notes and filter with MIDI using a Pro Solo Mk3, a SH-101 Filter Socket Upgrade kit and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
- Clock your Roland SH-101’s internal arpeggiator using a MIDI converter
For previous Kenton products:
- Control your Roland SH-101’s notes with MIDI using a MIDI to CV converter and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
- Control your Roland SH-101’s notes and filter with MIDI using a MIDI to CV converter, an SH-101 Filter Socket Upgrade kit and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
- Control your Roland SH-101’s notes, filter and modulation with MIDI using a Pro 2, an SH-101 Filter/Modulation Socket Upgrade kit and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
Fitting a MIDI Retrofit Kit or Socket Upgrade Kit is a skilled job which should be undertaken only by a competent synth service engineer or fitted by us at our premises in Tadworth, near London (UK customers only).
1. Control your Roland SH-101 with MIDI by fitting a MIDI Retrofit Kit to your SH-101
You can fit a MIDI Retrofit Kit which will allow you to control the Roland SH-101 directly using MIDI from your DAW, MIDI Sequencer or other MIDI controller. Fitted inside your SH-101, our MIDI Retrofit Kit adds MIDI IN and THRU sockets to your synth.
With the Retrofit Kit you’ll have MIDI control of Notes, Pitchbend, Modulation, Filter cutoff, Portamento / Glide, Sustain. Note that the retrofit is MIDI IN and THRU only, there is no MIDI Out.
See Roland SH-101 MIDI Retrofit Kit for more details.
2. Control your Roland SH-101’s notes with MIDI using a Pro Solo Mk3 and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
The SH-101 already has CV & Gate sockets which are suitable for connection to a Pro Solo Mk3 MIDI to CV converter. The Pro Solo will allow you to control notes, pitchbend, modulation and portamento.
Which products do I need?
You will need the Pro Solo MK3 and 2 x 3.5mm to 3.5mm mono jack leads
Connecting the Pro Solo Mk3 to the SH-101
| Pro Solo Mk3 | Roland SH-101 | Using |
|---|---|---|
| CV (Hz/V) | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
Configuring the Pro Solo Mk3
| Output | Parameter | Setting |
| CV (Hz/V) | P15 – CV/Hz | [CV] 1 Volt per Octave (default) |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | P16 – Gate Type | [g10] Gate (V-trig) at +10V |
3. Control your Roland SH-101’s notes and filter with MIDI using a Pro Solo Mk3, an SH-101 Filter Socket Upgrade kit and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
The SH-101 already has CV & Gate sockets which are suitable for connection to a Pro Solo Mk3 MIDI to CV converter. The Pro Solo will allow you to control notes, pitchbend, modulation and portamento. By adding a Filter Socket to the SH-101, you can also control the filter cutoff frequency using MIDI.
Which products do I need?
You will need the Pro Solo Mk3, an SH-101 Filter Socket Upgrade Kit and 3 x 3.5mm to 3.5mm mono jack leads
Connecting the Pro Solo Mk3 to the SH-101
| Pro Solo Mk3 | SH-101 | Using |
| CV (Hz/V) | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| Aux 1 | Filter | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
Configuring the Pro Solo Mk3
| Output | Parameter | Setting |
| CV (Hz/V) | P15 – CV/Hz | [CV] 1 Volt per Octave (default) |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | P16 – Gate Type | [g10] Gate (V-trig) at +10V |
| Aux 1 | P20 – Aux 1 Controller Number | whichever CC you wish to use1 |
| P21 – Aux 1 Minimum Value | 0 (default) | |
| P22 – Aux 1 Maximum Value | 100 (default) |
Notes
1. The Pro Solo Mk3 will also allow you to use its own ADSR Envelope Generator to modify the filter cutoff.
4. Clock your Roland SH-101’s internal arpeggiator using a MIDI converter
You can clock the internal arpeggiator of the SH-101 using a MIDI converter. Note that you can only arpeggiate notes played on the keyboard of the SH-101. Anything plugged into the CV/Gate inputs overrides the internal arpeggiator.
Note that although the internal sequencer of the SH-101 takes its speed from the LFO, this does not mean that connecting an external clock source to the EXT CLK IN of the SH–101 will affect the LFO.
See Clocking the arpeggiator of your synthesiser for more detailed information.
KENTON electronics
5. Control your Roland SH-101’s notes with MIDI using a MIDI to CV converter and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
Connecting the MIDI to CV converter to the SH-101
| MIDI to CV Converter | Socket | SH-101 | Using |
| Pro Solo MkI and II | CV (Hz/V) | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Pro 2000 MKI and II | CV | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Pro 2 | CV CHAN A or B | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE CHAN A or B | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Pro 4 | CV CHAN A, B, C or D | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE CHAN A, B, C or D | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
Configuring the MIDI to CV Converter
| MIDI to CV Converter | Output | Parameter | Setting |
| Pro Solo MkI | CV (Hz/V) | i – CV/Hz | Volt/Oct (default) |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | j – Gate Type | Gate (V-trig) high | |
| Pro Solo MkII | CV (Hz/V) | P15 – CV/Hz | [CV] V/Oct (default) |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | P16 – Gate Type | Gate (V-trig) high | |
| Pro 2000 MkI and II | CV CHAN A or B | CV x CV/HZ | [CV] V/Oct (default) |
| GATE CHAN A or B | CV x Gate | Gate V-Trig 15v pull-up | |
| Pro 2 | CV CHAN A or B | CV x CV/HZ | [CV] V/Oct (default) |
| GATE CHAN A or B | CV x Gate | Gate V-Trig 15v pull-up | |
| Pro 4 | CV CHAN A or B | CV x CV/HZ | [CV] V/Oct (default) |
6. Control your Roland SH-101’s notes and filter with MIDI using a MIDI to CV converter, an SH-101 Filter Socket Upgrade kit and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
Connecting the MIDI to CV converter to the SH-101
| Socket | SH-101 | Using | |
| Pro Solo MkI and II | CV (Hz/V) | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Aux (MkI) or Aux 1 (MkII) | Filter | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Pro 2000 MKI and II | CV | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Aux | Filter | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Pro 2 | CV CHAN A or B | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE CHAN A or B | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Aux 1 CHAN A or B | Filter | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Pro 4 | CV CHAN A, B, C or D | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE CHAN A, B, C or D | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead | |
| Aux | Filter | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
Configuring the MIDI to CV Converter
| MIDI to CV Converter | Output | Parameter | Setting |
| Pro Solo MkI | CV (Hz/V) | i – CV/Hz | Volt/Oct (default) |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | j – Gate Type | Gate (V-trig) high | |
| Aux | 8 – Aux Controller Number | whichever CC you wish to use1 | |
| 9 – Aux Minimum Value | 0 (default) | ||
| A – Aux 1 Maximum Value | 100 (default) | ||
| Pro Solo MkII | CV (Hz/V) | P15 – CV/Hz | [CV] V/Oct (default) |
| GATE (S-TRIG) | P16 – Gate Type | Gate (V-trig) high | |
| Aux 1 | P20 – Aux Controller Number | whichever CC you wish to use1 | |
| P21 – Aux Minimum Value | 0 (default) | ||
| P22 – Aux 1 Maximum Value | 100 (default) | ||
| Pro 2000 MkI and II | CV CHAN A or B | CV x CV/HZ | [CV] V/Oct (default) |
| GATE CHAN A or B | CV x Gate | Gate V-Trig 15v pull-up | |
| Aux x | AUX x CONTROLLER | whichever CC you wish to use1 | |
| AUX x OUTPUT LEVEL For cntrl Min | 0 (default) | ||
| AUX x OUTPUT LEVEL For cntrl Max | 64 (default) | ||
| Pro 2 | CV CHAN A or B | CV x CV/HZ | [CV] V/Oct (default) |
| GATE CHAN A or B | CV x Gate | Gate V-Trig 15v pull-up | |
| Aux 1 or 2 | AUX x SOURCE | whichever CC you wish to use1 | |
| Pro 4 | CV CHAN A or B | CV x CV/HZ | [CV] V/Oct (default) |
| Aux x | AUX > x CONTROLLER | whichever CC you wish to use1 | |
| AUX > x OUTPUT LEVEL For cntrl Min | 0 (default) | ||
| AUX > x OUTPUT LEVEL For cntrl Max | 100 (default) |
7. Control your Roland SH-101’s notes, filter and modulation with MIDI using a Pro 2, an SH-101 Filter/Modulation Socket Upgrade kit and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
The SH-101 Filter/Modulation Socket Upgrade kit allows owners of the Pro-2 to control modulation as well as filter/VCF. You don’t need this variation of the kit if you have a one of our other MIDI to CV converters, as these all have modulation built-in.
Connecting the Pro 2 to the SH-101
| Socket | SH-101 | Using |
| CV CHAN A or B | CV IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| GATE CHAN A or B | Gate IN | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| Aux 1 CHAN A or B | Filter | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
| Aux 2 CHAN A or B | Mod | 3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead |
Configuring the Pro 2
| Output | Parameter | Setting |
| GATE CHAN A or B | CV x Gate | Gate V-Trig 15v pull-up |
| Aux 1 | AUX 1 SOURCE | whichever CC you wish to use1 |
| Aux 2 | AUX 2 SOURCE | whichever CC you wish to use1 |
