Roland SH-101

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:

  1. Control your Roland SH-101 with MIDI by fitting a MIDI Retrofit Kit to your SH-101
  2. Control your Roland SH-101’s notes with MIDI using a Pro Solo Mk3 and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
  3. 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
  4. Clock your Roland SH-101’s internal arpeggiator using a MIDI converter

For previous Kenton products:

  1. Control your Roland SH-101’s notes with MIDI using a MIDI to CV converter and the SH-101’s CV/Gate sockets
  2. 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
  3. 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 Mk3Roland SH-101Using
CV (Hz/V)CV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
GATE (S-TRIG)Gate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Connecting the Pro Solo Mk3 to the SH-101’s CV/Gate Sockets

Configuring the Pro Solo Mk3

OutputParameterSetting
CV (Hz/V)P15 – CV/Hz[CV] 1 Volt per Octave (default)
GATE (S-TRIG)P16 – Gate Type[g10] Gate (V-trig) at +10V
Configuring the Pro Solo Mk3 for use with the Roland SH-101’s CV/Gate Sockets

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 Mk3SH-101Using
CV (Hz/V)CV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
GATE (S-TRIG)Gate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Aux 1Filter3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Connecting the Pro Solo Mk3 to the SH-101’s CV/Gate/Filter Sockets

Configuring the Pro Solo Mk3

OutputParameterSetting
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 1P20 – Aux 1 Controller Numberwhichever CC you wish to use1
 P21 – Aux 1 Minimum Value0 (default)
 P22 – Aux 1 Maximum Value100 (default)
Configuring the Pro Solo Mk3 for use with the SH-101’s CV/Gate/Filter Sockets

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 ConverterSocketSH-101Using
Pro Solo MkI and IICV (Hz/V)CV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 GATE (S-TRIG)Gate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Pro 2000 MKI and IICVCV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 GATEGate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Pro 2CV CHAN A or BCV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 GATE CHAN A or BGate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Pro 4CV CHAN A, B, C or DCV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 GATE CHAN A, B, C or DGate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Connecting a MIDI to CV converter to the Roland SH-101’s CV/Gate Sockets

Configuring the MIDI to CV Converter

MIDI to CV ConverterOutputParameterSetting
Pro Solo MkICV (Hz/V)i – CV/HzVolt/Oct (default)
 GATE (S-TRIG)j – Gate TypeGate (V-trig) high
Pro Solo MkIICV (Hz/V)P15 – CV/Hz[CV] V/Oct (default)
 GATE (S-TRIG)P16 – Gate TypeGate (V-trig) high
Pro 2000 MkI and IICV CHAN A or BCV x CV/HZ[CV] V/Oct (default)
 GATE CHAN A or BCV x GateGate V-Trig 15v pull-up
Pro 2CV CHAN A or BCV x CV/HZ[CV] V/Oct (default)
 GATE CHAN A or BCV x GateGate V-Trig 15v pull-up
Pro 4CV CHAN A or BCV x CV/HZ[CV] V/Oct (default)
Configuring a MIDI to CV converter for use with the Roland SH-101’s CV/Gate Sockets

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

 SocketSH-101Using
Pro Solo MkI and IICV (Hz/V)CV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 GATE (S-TRIG)Gate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 Aux (MkI) or Aux 1 (MkII)Filter3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Pro 2000 MKI and IICVCV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 GATEGate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 AuxFilter3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Pro 2CV CHAN A or BCV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 GATE CHAN A or BGate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 Aux 1 CHAN A or BFilter3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Pro 4CV CHAN A, B, C or DCV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 GATE CHAN A, B, C or DGate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
 AuxFilter3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Connecting a MIDI to CV converter to the Roland SH-101’s CV/Gate/Filter Sockets

Configuring the MIDI to CV Converter

MIDI to CV ConverterOutputParameterSetting
Pro Solo MkICV (Hz/V)i – CV/HzVolt/Oct (default)
 GATE (S-TRIG)j – Gate TypeGate (V-trig) high
 Aux8 – Aux Controller Numberwhichever CC you wish to use1
  9 – Aux Minimum Value0 (default)
  A – Aux 1 Maximum Value100 (default)
Pro Solo MkIICV (Hz/V)P15 – CV/Hz[CV] V/Oct (default)
 GATE (S-TRIG)P16 – Gate TypeGate (V-trig) high
 Aux 1P20 – Aux Controller Numberwhichever CC you wish to use1
  P21 – Aux Minimum Value0 (default)
  P22 – Aux 1 Maximum Value100 (default)
Pro 2000 MkI and IICV CHAN A or BCV x CV/HZ[CV] V/Oct (default)
 GATE CHAN A or BCV x GateGate V-Trig 15v pull-up
 Aux xAUX x CONTROLLERwhichever CC you wish to use1
  AUX x OUTPUT LEVEL For cntrl Min0 (default)
  AUX x OUTPUT LEVEL For cntrl Max64 (default)
Pro 2CV CHAN A or BCV x CV/HZ[CV] V/Oct (default)
 GATE CHAN A or BCV x GateGate V-Trig 15v pull-up
 Aux 1 or 2AUX x SOURCEwhichever CC you wish to use1
Pro 4CV CHAN A or BCV x CV/HZ[CV] V/Oct (default)
 Aux xAUX > x CONTROLLERwhichever CC you wish to use1
  AUX > x OUTPUT LEVEL For cntrl Min0 (default)
  AUX > x OUTPUT LEVEL For cntrl Max100 (default)
Configuring a MIDI to CV converter for use with the Roland SH-101’s CV/Gate/Filter Sockets

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

SocketSH-101Using
CV CHAN A or BCV IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
GATE CHAN A or BGate IN3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Aux 1 CHAN A or BFilter3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Aux 2 CHAN A or BMod3.5 to 3.5mm mono jack lead
Connecting the Pro 2 to the Roland SH-101’s CV/Gate/Filter/Modulation Sockets

Configuring the Pro 2

OutputParameterSetting
GATE CHAN A or BCV x GateGate V-Trig 15v pull-up
Aux 1AUX 1 SOURCEwhichever CC you wish to use1
Aux 2AUX 2 SOURCEwhichever CC you wish to use1
Configuring the Pro 2 for use with the Roland SH-101’s CV/Gate/Filter/Modulation Sockets