/goplus

Unlock the hidden potential of your Roland GO:PIANO or GO:KEYS, with access to expanded sounds and performance features.

Primary LanguagePythonApache License 2.0Apache-2.0

GO:Plus

Expanding the Sonic Capabilities of Roland GO:PIANO and GO:KEYS

GO:Plus gives you access to a wider range of sounds and performance features normally not accessible on your GO keyboard. This utility leverages MIDI protocol to expose these hidden capabilities.

Empirical evidence suggests a near-identical synth engine to the Roland Juno-DS (excluding sample-based sounds), with lineage tracing back to Fantom and XV series synths.

Features

  • Enable Splits and Layers: Combine multiple sounds to create richer performances.
  • Access Hidden Patches: Discover a vast library of additional instrument sounds normally not available on your keyboard.
  • Explore Loop Mixing (even on GO:PIANO!): Experiment with fun beat combinations and rhythmic patterns. Customize your loops further by changing instruments!

Roadmap

  • Easier selection of sound patches.
  • Better command structure for smoother workflow.
  • Saving customized sound settings to keyboard memory.
  • Unlocking a capable effects module.

Important Notes

  • GO:Plus is experimental: It's an unofficial tool and not supported by Roland. Use at your own risk.
  • Designed for exploration: This tool is best for discovering new possibilities, not for live performance reliability.
  • Experiment. Discover. Share.
  • A vision for the future: An interactive app on a tablet or phone would provide a more performance-friendly interface. Community collaboration is welcome on this idea!

Terminology

  • Sounds in GO:KEYS and GO:PIANO: While the manuals refer to individual sounds as "tones," these are functionally equivalent to what other Roland synths call "patches." They're the playable units of sound.
  • Patches vs. Tones: Patches can be made up of up to four sounds (referred to as "tones" on other synthesizers, like the Juno-DS), interacting in complex ways. These individual "tones" cannot be played by themselves.
  • Layering and Splits: Roland synthesizers do not use explicit "layer" terminology internally. To achieve sound layering or splits, you set up a "performance" in which you configure multiple "parts" with different sounds and keyboard "zones" as active key ranges. To create a split with piano on the right and strings on the left, enable two parts, assign the desired patches, and set their zones to the appropriate key ranges.
  • Performances: A "performance" allows you to assign a patch to each of its 16 parts, enabling you to play up to 16 sounds simultaneously. For example, a "performance" could combine layered piano and strings across the full keyboard with a bass patch on the lower octaves.
  • Consistent Terminology: For clarity, this project will use the Juno-DS terminology (performances, patches, tones, etc.) as it's the closest and more capable relative to GO keyboards.

Installation

  1. Have Python 3 installed
  2. Download gotool.py: Get the latest version from this GitHub repository.
  3. Install dependency: pip install python-rtmidi
  4. Connect your GO: device: Ensure it's powered on and connected to your computer via USB or Bluetooth MIDI (compatibility varies by OS).

Basic Usage

  • Basic Command: goplus [command] [options]
  • List Available Commands: goplus --help
  • Each subcommand has a dedicated help section

Commands

  • Example 1: Create a Layered Piano/Strings Sound:

    • python goplus.py part set 1 --patch 87,64,4: Select a piano sound
    • python goplus.py part set 2 --patch 87,67,27: Select a strings sound
    • python goplus.py zone set 1 --on: Piano across the keyboard
    • python goplus.py zone set 2 --on: Strings layered on top

  • Example 2: Set Up a Keyboard Split:

    • python goplus.py part set 1 --patch 87,73,37: Select a bass sound
    • python goplus.py part set 2 --patch 87,64,9: Select a piano sound
    • python goplus.py zone set 1 --high-key B3 --octave-shift -1: Bass on lower keys
    • python goplus.py zone set 2 --low-key C4: Piano on upper keys

  • Additional Examples:

    • Exploring patches: python goplus.py part preview 1: Play a demo of part 1 sound
    • Listing configurations:
      • python goplus.py part show : Show status of all parts
      • python goplus.py zone show 2 5 8 : Show info on zones 2, 5, and 8

Important Notes:

  • Patch exploration: Want an easier way to browse the available sounds before diving into customization? Check out the TouchOSC templates for a convenient patch selection interface.
  • Find patch numbers: See Roland's Parameter Guide for Juno DS or the project's GO-sounds.md file.
  • Case sensitivity: Key notes (e.g., C4, G#5) must be provided in the correct case.
  • Value Ranges:
    • MSB, LSB: 0-127
    • PC: 1-128
    • Level: 0-127
    • Octave Shift: -3 to +3
  • Layer 1 is always active, even if set to off

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve GO:Plus. Please check out our CONTRIBUTING.md file for guidelines.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.