issue08

EMUSIC-L Digest                                      Volume 61, Issue 08

This issue's topics:
	
	Beginner's MIDI question (11 messages)

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Date:         Mon, 21 Feb 1994 16:30:08 -0700
From:         GREEN JOHN CRAIG 
Subject:      Beginner's MIDI question

I have owned a Roland D-50 for a couple of years, but am just now beginning
to explore its MIDI capabilities. I borrowed a MIDI adaptor and some cheap
software to hook the D-50 up to a 486 computer. I thought it was possible
to assign each track of the sequencing program to a different voice of the
synthesizer, but I couldn't get this to happen. Is this because of a
limitation of the D-50, the software, or my lack of MIDI-implimentation
knowledge (please, no flames...   :)
I was able to create a number of different tracks using the sequencer,
but was able to play them back with only one voice through the D-50.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

                                                John

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Date:         Mon, 21 Feb 1994 20:07:21 -0500
From:         Elissa Brill 
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

>I have owned a Roland D-50 for a couple of years, but am just now beginning
>to explore its MIDI capabilities. I borrowed a MIDI adaptor and some cheap
>software to hook the D-50 up to a 486 computer. I thought it was possible
>to assign each track of the sequencing program to a different voice of the
>synthesizer, but I couldn't get this to happen. Is this because of a
>limitation of the D-50, the software, or my lack of MIDI-implimentation
>knowledge (please, no flames...   :)
>I was able to create a number of different tracks using the sequencer,
>but was able to play them back with only one voice through the D-50.
>Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 >                                               John


The synthesizer has to be multi-timbral in order for it to play several sounds
at once.  It sounds like the D-50 isn't.

------------------------------
Date:         Mon, 21 Feb 1994 20:36:31 -0500
From:         William Matthews 
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

> I was able to create a number of different tracks using the sequencer,
> but was able to play them back with only one voice through the D-50.
> Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
>
>                                                 John
Check to see what MIDI *channels* you're using.  If the D50 is
multitimbral, you'd have to send it tracks on separate channels to hear
different programs (instrumental sounds)
>

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Date:         Tue, 22 Feb 1994 08:46:17 +0000
From:         Jo@EXETER.UNI
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

Dear ppl,


William Matthews wrote:
>
> > I was able to create a number of different tracks using the sequencer,
> > but was able to play them back with only one voice through the D-50.
> > Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
> >
> >                                                 John
> Check to see what MIDI *channels* you're using.  If the D50 is
> multitimbral, you'd have to send it tracks on separate channels to hear
> different programs (instrumental sounds)
> >
>

>From what I can remember, the D50 is not multitimbral. The D5, D10, and D20
are, and the D70 is 4-part!, but the D50 was monotimbral. Stupid, I think.

Sorry about that. &:(


Joseph.
xxxxxxx
--
 Jo Hornsby                           |*| "For five years I've been watching
 Ug_student in Electronic Engineering |*|    Sam Beckett risk his life for
 Exeter Uni, UK.                      |*|  total strangers, think about it."
 Email: J.M.Hornsby@exeter.ac.uk      |*|            -- Al, "Killin' Time (QL)

------------------------------
Date:         Tue, 22 Feb 1994 09:52:42 -0500
From:         Joe McMahon 
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

>I was able to create a number of different tracks using the sequencer,
>but was able to play them back with only one voice through the D-50.
>Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

This is due to an unfortunate limitation of the D-50. It is polyphonic
(more than one sound at once) but monotimbral (only one particular sound
at once). The original DX-7 shares this characteristic.

 --- Joe M.

------------------------------
Date:         Tue, 22 Feb 1994 10:56:11 -0600
From:         hinkle-turner elizabeth 
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

Regarding the D-50 problem.  It is not a multitimbral synth.

                                E H-T

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 23 Feb 1994 03:16:19 GMT
From:         Jason S Hoffman 
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

In <01H95RER7C06AUW4G7@RCNVMS.RCN.MASS.EDU> Elissa Brill
 writes:

>>I have owned a Roland D-50 for a couple of years, but am just now beginning
>>to explore its MIDI capabilities. I borrowed a MIDI adaptor and some cheap
>>software to hook the D-50 up to a 486 computer. I thought it was possible
>>to assign each track of the sequencing program to a different voice of the
>>synthesizer, but I couldn't get this to happen. Is this because of a
>>limitation of the D-50, the software, or my lack of MIDI-implimentation
>>knowledge (please, no flames...   :)
>>I was able to create a number of different tracks using the sequencer,
>>but was able to play them back with only one voice through the D-50.
>>Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

> >                                               John


>The synthesizer has to be multi-timbral in order for it to play several sounds
>at once.  It sounds like the D-50 isn't.

Yes, it is.  I don't know the exact structure of the D-50 menu architecture,
but if Roland holds true to form, there should be a "Patch" key. Hit that.
Then one of the increment keys will move you through the menus to a "MIDI
CHANNEL FOR PART x" where x is the part in the patch you want to assign.
Set this with the other increment keys.  You should be able to assign seperate
parts to each of 16 midi channels.  Keep drums on 10 (industry standard).

This is the procedure for most Roland D-series synths.

Deeper Faith and Higher Understanding,
/\/\<|
MC MAX 1
--
Jason S Hoffman
hirez@iastate.edu

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 23 Feb 1994 11:03:15 +0000
From:         Nick Rothwell 
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

Best you can manage on a D-50 is two sounds at once, and even then they
share the reverb (although they have independent chorus and EQ). There is a
3rd-party upgrade (MEX) to make it multitimbral, but a lot of the resources
are shared (such as the LFO's I think) so it's not necessarily a good
thing.


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

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 23 Feb 1994 11:03:40 +0000
From:         Nick Rothwell 
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

>From what I can remember, the D50 is not multitimbral. The D5, D10, and D20
>are, and the D70 is 4-part!,

6.

>but the D50 was monotimbral.

2.


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

------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 23 Feb 1994 13:25:33 GMT
From:         Kon Wilms 
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

In article  GREEN JOHN
CRAIG  writes:
>I was able to create a number of different tracks using the sequencer,
>but was able to play them back with only one voice through the D-50.
>Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Regarding stuff you may get from others about the D50 not being 'multi-
timbral' etc. Don't let this scare you off! Dont sell such a classic
synth because it's not multitimbral (many see monotimbral as crap).
In fact, give Valhalla USA a call as to what upgrades they have for the
D50. :)

Just dont trade it in someday for something like a crappy SC55 or General
MIDI synth (down with General Midi) :))

Later
                             ToneDEF Productions

                        Raytracing, MIDI productions
                   email/fax us for your game productions!

                             Fax ++27-41-38-2061

------------------------------
Date:         Thu, 24 Feb 1994 16:54:44 +0000
From:         Nick Rothwell 
Subject:      Re: Beginner's MIDI question

>>The synthesizer has to be multi-timbral in order for it to play several sounds
>>at once.  It sounds like the D-50 isn't.

>Yes, it is.

No it's not.

>Then one of the increment keys will move you through the menus to a "MIDI
>CHANNEL FOR PART x" where x is the part in the patch you want to assign.

Nope. The D-50 does not have "parts." It has a patch of two tones, which
can be split to two MIDI channels. That's yer lot.

>Set this with the other increment keys.  You should be able to assign seperate
>parts to each of 16 midi channels.  Keep drums on 10 (industry standard).

Nope: Roland standard. And the D-50 does not have a drum map at all.

>This is the procedure for most Roland D-series synths.

Except for the D-50.

>Deeper Faith and Higher Understanding,

Uh...


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

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