issue02

EMUSIC-L Digest                                      Volume 46, Issue 02

This issue's topics:
	
	alesis QuadraVerb+ SysEx (2 messages)
	ART SGE mach II SysEx Spec (2 messages)
	Controller 7 (5 messages)
	SySex ID
	Where do I start? (2 messages)

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Date:         Mon, 2 Nov 1992 16:26:56 +0200
From:         Jari Riitala 
Subject:      Re: alesis QuadraVerb+ SysEx

>
>Hello there !!
>Could someone send me the Sysex specifications for the alesis
>QuadraVerb+ .Or where can I get this (ftp-site?).

try ucsd.edu at /midi/doc or something. it is not the official doc
but the previous version (plain QV) was fine so I suppose that the
updated one should work too

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|      Jari Riitala       |  Kuusiharjunkatu 34      | "My friends say she's |
|                         |  SF-20660 LITTOINEN      |  a dumb blonde        |
|     jriitala@utu.fi     |  FINLAND                 |  but they don't know  |
|  JRIITALA@KONTU.UTU.FI  |  home: +358 21 442 371   |  she dyes her hair."  |
|    riitala@hcc.utu.fi   |  work: +358 21 633 8772  |      - Thomas Dolby   |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Date:         Mon, 2 Nov 1992 14:41:00 MEZ
From:         Peter Dorsch 
Subject:      alesis QuadraVerb+ SysEx

Hello there !!
Could someone send me the Sysex specifications for the alesis
QuadraVerb+ .Or where can I get this (ftp-site?).
Please send it direct to my mail address.Thanks a lot !!
                                                       Peter
                                      ui1t@dkauni2.bitnet
                                      ui1t@ibm3090.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de

------------------------------
Date:         Mon, 23 Nov 1992 13:39:00 LCL
From:         Peter Dorsch 
Subject:      ART SGE mach II SysEx Spec

Hallo
Can someone tell me where I could get the SysEx Specification
for the ART SGE machII.(or send it in a mail)
                                             Thanks  Peter
        Please send the mail to    ui1t@dkauni2.bitnet
                             or:   ui1t@ibm3090.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de

------------------------------
Date:         Mon, 23 Nov 1992 13:03:47 CST
From:         Al Vigland 
Subject:      Re: ART SGE mach II SysEx Spec

Peter,

I just recently acquired the SysEx spec for the SGX-2000 (and that
family) from ART.  You can call customer service (ask for Lisa) at
(716) 436-2720.  If that is too inconvenient, send e-mail to
jpass@rochgto.fidonet.org.  He wrote the spec for the SGX series
devices and could get you the information on the SGE mach II, I'm
sure.

I am thinking about writing a Windows-based patch editor for the
SGX-2000. If you don't mind my asking, what are you up to?

Al Vigland                                             vigland@asia1.mdc.com

------------------------------
Date:         Tue, 24 Nov 1992 14:49:42 EST
From:         Jon Crystal 
Subject:      Controller 7

Here's what should be a simple question, which still has me stumped. In adjusti
ng volume on my sequencer (SPG) I usually utilize note-on velocity for effects,
 etc. I recently decided to try inserting controller 7 messages instead, and th
e results were confusing. Is it standard for the balance of a track to retain t
he last controller message, and ignore note-on velocities (this is what seems t
o be happening)? How can one best combine both velocity and controller 7 for vo
lume effects? Any suggestions appreciated.

                                          Jon

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 25 Nov 1992 08:37:06 AST
From:         Alan Edwards 
Subject:      Re: Controller 7

> Here's what should be a simple question, which still has me
> stumped. In adjusting volume on my sequencer (SPG) I usually
> utilize note-on velocity for effects, etc. I recently decided
> to try inserting controller 7 messages instead, and the results
> were confusing. Is it standard for the balance of a track to
> retain the last controller message, and ignore note-on velocities
> (this is what seems to be happening)?

If you use controller 7 to set the volume to 1/2, then until you
change it again, the volume is going to stay at 1/2, and note
velocities will give correspondingly scaled results.

> How can one best combine
> both velocity and controller 7 for volume effects? Any suggestions
> appreciated.
>                                           Jon
>
It is best if you think of Controller 7 as the volume control, and
use the individual velocities of notes to put in the expression and
dynamics. Some synths actually change more than just volume in
response to velocity...a good piano patch should get brighter as
well as louder as velocity is increased. Are you playing the parts
in from a velocity-sensitive keyboard ? I find that this is the best
way to get the proper shape to the part, and then you can use
controller 7 to do the mix control when the other instruments are
in without changing your velocity data.
If you are not using a velocity sens. kbd. then you should probably
do your adjusting by scaling the velocity values and leave #7 alone.

Alan

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 25 Nov 1992 12:52:26 GMT
From:         Hendrik Jan Veenstra 
Subject:      Re: Controller 7

Jon Crystal  writes:

>Here's what should be a simple question, which still has me stumped. In
>adjusting
>volume on my sequencer (SPG) I usually utilize note-on velocity for effects
> etc. I recently decided to try inserting controller 7 messages instead, and
>the
>results were confusing. Is it standard for the balance of a track to retain
>the last controller message, and ignore note-on velocities (this is what
>seems to
>be happening)? How can one best combine both velocity and controller 7 for
>volume effects? Any suggestions appreciated.

Normally one could view Cont.7 as a volume-knob, whereas velocity is just
'how hard you hit the key'. So with vel.127 you get the maximum volume, as
determined by controller 7. So, in theory, when you set volume (cont.7) to
64 and hit a key with velocity 127, you should get half the volume compared
to having cont.7 set to 127 (or to hitting the key with vel.64 of course).
So note-on velocities should *not* be ignored -- they just work in the range
determined by the volume-controller.
I use velocity in obvious places -- e.g. piano-tracks et.al :) -- and use
controller 7 when I want to change the volume of an already sounding note
or chord (e.g. fading in a strings-chord), since then there isn't a note-on
to use as a volume controller :). So velocity for attack-sensitive sounds
and controller 7 for realtime-dynamics (like brass, woodwind, strings...)
I got the impression I sound a bit vague today... O well, hope you get the
point anyway...

--
Hendrik Jan Veenstra    hjv@phil.ruu.nl  *  How can I save my dreams
Dept. of Philosophy                      *  in the nightmare, in the flood
University of Utrecht                    *  But I try.
The Netherlands                          *

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 25 Nov 1992 08:15:45 EST
From:         Jon Crystal 
Subject:      Re: Controller 7

Thanks Alan. I think I get it now. In trying to use Cont 7 to adjust overall vo
lume of a track down for one section, I was failing to also use #7 to return it
 to where it was (default of 127?) and hence later midi events in the same trac
k were still constrained by the last #7 message.


                                              Jon

------------------------------
Date:         Thu, 26 Nov 1992 21:14:44 +0000
From:         Nick Rothwell 
Subject:      Re: Controller 7

>Is it standard for the balance of a track to retain t
>he last controller message, and ignore note-on velocities

Nope. Thou doest have a software bug or a dumb module. I wouldst suggest
that thou doff it from thine rack immediately.

                      Nick Rothwell  |  cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk
   CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance  |  cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk

------------------------------
Date:         Sun, 15 Nov 1992 14:20:26 AST
From:         Alan Edwards 
Subject:      SySex ID

I realize that this is not the proper list for this, but I have posted
with no results to SYNTH-L and rmms...

I am working on yet another MIDI widget, and have decided that the proper
way to implement this one is with SySex. I recall seeing somewhere that
there is a manufacturer id reserved for independent research. Since my
company is not big enough to have its own id (maybe someday...) this is
the one that I should be using. Can anyone confirm this ?
I think that it is 127 (7FH).

Oh...you want to know what the widget does?

This may seem weird (oooh I typed wired for that...Freudian or what?)
but in the upcoming show(s) I have to cue the lighting and video
guys somehow, but it is tricky from on stage (besides, I will be busy
myself..) so I am setting up an old video terminal, and I want the
sequencer to put their cues up for them, so the project...MIDI to
RS-232 converter.

Those clever and witty amongst you might suggest using the KEY
Electronics MIDIator, and plugging it in backwards.

Bzzzzt. Sorry.  Wrong answer.

update to follow...

Alan




------------------------------
Date:         Tue, 3 Nov 1992 18:01:20 -0800
From:         XJCHEN@FULLERTON.EDU
Subject:      Where do I start?

Hi, I am interetsed in knowing more about SYSTEM EXCUSIVE.  What it is and how
 do you input it into your Midi Keyboard?

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 4 Nov 1992 15:07:02 MET
From:         cgra@BTMA74.DNET
Subject:      RE: Where do I start?

Hi whoever you are. This is the kind of thing that really belongs in a FAQ,
but I just checked the netjam-computer-music-faq on comp.music and it really
contains very little info on the internals of MIDI.

System Exclusive information is information that only makes sense to one
particular brand or model of synth or whatever. For example my venerable
MIDI Switch Box (with a Z80 inside) accepts SysEx commands like "route all
MIDI input from port 1 to the Filter; tell the Filter to add 4 to the MIDI
Channel number; and route the filter output to MIDI port 2". Someone was
asking recently about SysEx data for the Alesis Quadraverb; they want to be
able to send MIDI messages to specify the type and duration of reverb and stuff
like that. Sound samples can be downloaded into a sampling synth using SysEx
messages.

Less commonly, SysEx info can flow the other way: I can ask my MIDI switchbox
"just how are you set up at the moment?".

SysEx info is sent as a MIDI message (maybe a rather long one) bracketed by
two special codes, which I have forgotten (F0 and F7???) - hopefully you won't
need to go down to that level of detail, as I'll explain later. Normally any-
thing that can be done using the instrument's front panel can be done by sending
SysEx messages - sometimes more. The great thing about SysEx is that the
commands are sent from your sequencer:
	- they can be programmed into the piece, allowing you to tell the
reverb unit to use a shorter decay for that bit with all the fast runs in it,
or automatically switch master keyboards at the point where you cartwheel
across the stage and start playing with your feet on an upside-down synth.
(But beware of downloading big Sysexes online, you could have timing problems).
	- if your sequencer just happens to be a computer then you can use
special software - called a SysEx Editor, wdya beleive - to translate your
wishes into whatever hexadecimal gibberish the instrument understands.
Looking in the PD catalogue for my Atari ST I see SysEx editors available for
just about every MIDI instrument that was ever made (except my MIDI switchbox),
so whatever synth you own there should be one just for you. Presumably the
situation is similar for Macs, maybe even PC-contemptibles too. This can be a
lot more fun than pushing little buttons and peering at an LCD display the size
of a postage stamp.

Hope this info is if some use.

	Best wishes,


	Chris Gray

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