The RD-800 can be connected to a computer for use with music software applications. There are two ways to make this connection:
- Direct USB connection. This will use a standard USB cable connected to the square "USB COMPUTER" port on the back of the RD-800 and then to a standard USB port on your computer.
or
- Connection using a MIDI interface. This will use the MIDI In and MIDI Out ports on the back panel of the RD-800, which will connect to the interface, and the interface will then connect to a standard USB port on your computer. This is useful it you already have a MIDI or Audio/MIDI interface connected to your system, or if there is not a USB driver available for your computer.
The functionality and operation of the RD-800 and your computer-based application(s) will be the same no matter which type of connection you are using - the only difference is how the MIDI signals are routed.
Note: if you wish to route the sound (audio) of the RD-800 into a computer, you will need to use an Audio Interface.
Connecting your RD-800 to a computer using the direct USB connection
1. On the RD-800, press MENU.
2. Cursor to "System" and press ENTER.
3. Cursor to "USB Driver" and use the Value Dial to select "ORIGINAL."
4. Press the WRITE button, followed by ENTER to save this setting, then press EXIT.
5. Power the RD-800 Off, then back On.
6. Download and install the RE-800 USB driver for your computer and connect the USB cable. You can download the latest drivers from our website here.
Make sure you download the driver that corresponds to the type of computer you have (Mac or Windows-based) and the version of operating system you are using. Once downloaded, you will need to run the setup application to install the driver into your system. This may include re-starting your computer.
Note: If you are using a Windows 10 computer, the driver will be automatically downloaded and installed when you connect the RD-800 to your computer.
7. Confirm that the USB driver is installed correctly and that the computer is communicating correctly with the RD-800.
- On a Macintosh, look in the Audio MIDI Setup utility and confirm that the RD-800 is listed in the MIDI Studio window.
- On a PC, open the Device Manager and confirm that the RD-800 is listed under "Sound, video, and game controllers."
8. Activate or enable the RD-800 in your music software. You will need to consult with the documentation for your specific application for this, but usually there is a preferences menu where you will need to enable the RD-800 so it can be used by your software.
This will allow you to transfer MIDI between the RD-800 and your computer.
Note: If you are connecting to a computer for which there is no USB driver available, you can change the USB Driver mode in the RD-800 to "Generic" (see steps 1-5 above). This will allow the RD-800 to connect to your computer (Mac or PC) without requiring a Roland USB driver.
Connecting your RD-800 to a computer using a separate MIDI or Audio/MIDI interface
1. Download and install the USB driver for your the interface (if necessary).
2. Confirm that the USB driver is installed correctly and that the computer is communicating correctly with the interface.
- On a Macintosh, look in the Audio MIDI Setup utility and confirm that the interface is listed in both the Audio and MIDI Studio windows if it is a Audio and MIDI interface, or only in the MIDI Studio window if it is a MIDI interface.
- On a PC, open the Device Manager and confirm that the interface is listed under "Sound, video, and game controllers."
3. Activate or enable the interface in your music software. You will need to consult with the documentation for your specific application for this.
4. Connect the RD-800 to the interface.