S-760 Monitors


	USING MONITORS WITH THE S-760

	Once you have the OP-760-1 installed in your S-760, you have three options to connect a monitor. Via the RGB Digital out (8-pin), via the S-Video out (4-pin) or via the RCA Video out (1-pin).




	Connection via RCA Video out

	Present in all previous Roland samplers next to the RGB out port, the RCA Video port is integrated on the OP-760-1 board near the S/PDIF audio plugs. Used to connect the S-330/550 to a monochrome monitor (colour via RGB), the RCA plug outputs colour on the S-760.

	The RCA plug is very often coloured yellow (see pic. below) to distinguish it from the red and white RCA audio plugs. RCA to RCA video cables are inexpensive and easy to find. Typically, you will use an RCA cable to connect the S-760 to a TV equipped with RCA Video in.



	If your TV hasn't got an RCA Video in port, maybe your VCR has. This is how I was able to test my S-760 RCA port. Note that even using a cable with gold plated RCA plugs, the picture quality will not be as good as with the RGB or S-Video connectors. The cable is not the problem, the problem lies in with the PAL colour encoder which signal is encoded in the phase of the 4.43MHz colour carrier. The RCA port will give a much better display with a monochrome monitor since the colour information will not be used. Saying that, if you can connect the S-760 to your TV or VCR, it is the cheapest option yet.


	Connection via S-Video out

	Any monitor or video device with S-Video in will work. The 'nec plus ultra' solution being of course a TFT screen with S-Video in, that is if your pockets are deep enough. The cheapest solution would be a small TV with S-Video in.

	There is also the option of finding a scan converter, something that will take S-Video in and output the signal to VGA. One such device was the JAM! from AIMS Lab Inc. (no longer in business). It was developed to enable using a Sony Playstation or Nintendo 64 game console with a PC or Mac monitor but the range of applications is wider. The street price was around $80 when new so you could find a used unit at bargain price. One disadvantage of using a converter is the need for a PSU (otherwise known as wall-warts!), which means more cluter behind the monitor.




	Connection via RGB Digital out

	This is where things get a little bit more complicated. Roland used to make three cables available but they are no longer available from the UK operation (I don't know about Roland US). The cables were model RGB-25a to connect to an Atari colour monitor such as the SC-1224, model RGB-25i to connect to an IBM 9-pin DSub (also known as TTL) such as the Philips CM-8833, and model RGB-25n to connect to the Roland monitor also known as the Sharp CU-14GB. US users can contact Redmond Cable in Washington on (615) 478-5760, they'll be able to supply a cable. UK Users can try SYCO in London on (0207) 625 6070 or Interactive (0208) 668 8077.

	Regarding the RGB-25n cable, I've never seen one but it seems that the plug is in fact similar to a VTR plug (see pic. below). That's what it looks like in my S-330 manual but I can't vouch for it. You can also see the DSub 9 plug (TTL), marked here as Digital RGB.




	*Monitors specifications*

	The RGB out provided by the OP-760-1 board conforms to the 200-line type, in other words, CGA. So regardless of the cable issue, any CGA monitor should work. Units sold with Amiga, Atari, Commodore and early IBM PC machines will be CGA monitors. Popular and less well-known brands and models are: Atari SC-1224 and SC-1435 Amtek Color 600 Commodore 1080 & 1084 Darius TSM-1431 Magnavox 8762 Mitsubshi DiamondScan NEC 3D Philips CM-8832 and CM-8833 Taxan 610/420 Sony KV1311 and PVM series Zenith ZVM13
	In case you have bought an OP-equipped Roland but haven't got a monitor, you best bet is to find a CGA monitor coming with a DSub 9 (TTL) plug. They are fairly common second-hand on eBay or in your local ads rag. The cable shouldn't be difficult to track either as it was used by the first generation IBM PC machines (I paid £2 used for mine). Atari monitors are fairly common too but you have the problem of finding the cable. All Atari colour monitors have a 13-pin DIN plug but no Atari machine ever came with the same 8-pin out as fitted on the S-760.

	*Other options*

	I can think of three other possibilities to connect your Roland but two are expensive. All would need the relevant 25a or 25i cable.

	- One is to get a professional video monitor. The picture above is the back of a Sony PVM-1442QM. As you can see, it has a TTL in plug (Digital RGB) so you could connect your Roland. However, even used, these monitors cost a fortune. Normal used prices for a 14" screen like the Sony are in the region of £150 to £250 ($240 to $400), although I've seen other makes sold for less on eBay.

	- The other is to use your current VGA/SVGA monitor. For this, you need a scan doubler, i.e. a gizmo that is going to take the 15Hz CGA signal sent by the Roland and double it to feed the VGA monitor which takes 31Hz. I have never seen any cheap solution. They go for anything from £60 to £150 ($90 to $250). You can find an example here.

	- Finally, if you have a multiscan SVGA monitor that can accept CGA signal in, then you just need to find an adapter for your 25a or 25i type cable. You can see an Atari solution here, and a 9-pin CGA to 15-pin VGA here. If the links are no longer working one day, do a search on 'gender changer', 'CGA to VGA' or search Atari specialist shops.

	Atari to VGA CGA to VGA

	*Making your own cable for RGB connection*

	This presumes you are a dab-hand at soldering. If not, then you could always have it made for you. Note that you may have to adapt the impedance. The Digital RGB out of all Roland samplers has an impedance of 100 ohms.


	Cable pinout to connect to a 13-pin Atari monitor

	ROLAND 8-pin MALE ATARI 13-pin FEMALE GROUND 2 <-----> 13 GROUND HSYNC 4 <-----> 9 HSYNC VSYNC 5 <-----> 12 VSYNC RED 6 <-----> 7 RED GREEN 7 <-----> 6 GREEN BLUE 8 <-----> 10 BLUE
	When you look at the Atari plug, the pins are reversed.

	Cable pinout to connect to a 9-pin DSub or TTL monitor

	click here to display a large picture.


	Cable pinout to connect to a Roland monitor

	click here to display a large picture.


	That's all I have to say on the monitor front but feel free to send me any info you may have that I have not covered here.