Configuring a MIDI 'rack'

[Alexbt]

Hi all,

I could use a bit of advice on setting up my midi 'rack' (I have 2 rack modules, and no physical rack to put them in, but you get the point).

My keyboard equipment:

Kurzweil Stage Piano SP88
Kurzweil Micro Ensemble
Yamaha TX7

Now, I know that the TX7 can recieve on one channel or all channel.
The Micro Ensemble can recieve on all channels.

What I don't know how to do is configure all the MIDI channels correctly from the Stage Piano. The biggest problem is the Micro Ensemble, because the documentation is very sparse. The Micro Ensemble also doesn't allow saving any changes to presets, so everything would have to be reloaded every time.

Is there anyone here that is good with this or very familiar with the Micro Ensemble or even the Kurzweil PC2/PC2R (which is near identical)?

[ssscientist]

It is true that the TX7 can recieve on one channel or on all channels, but you want to set it to just one channel. Otherwise it will be in omni mode and will play every note transmitted on all 16 midi channels. Since you have 2 midi outs you can dedicate one to the TX7, but you still want to set it to a channel.

The key to configuring your system lies mostly in program change commands. Set up one of the 32 user midi setups to reflect the sounds you want to hear from the Micro Ensemble by using program change commands to select the sounds. You can also set the volume and pan of each sound using continuous controllers -- cc 7 is volume and cc 10 is pan.

Then just store the setup in your keyboard. Whenever you want to return to that setup just bring up the preset on the keyboard and presto! Everything will be there just as you saved it.

[ssscientist]

BTW - is this brand new gear for you? Seems I remember you as a KX88 man...

[Alexbt]

Umm, perhaps you're thinking of someone else? This gear is the same stuff I've had, basically, though the Micro Ensemble is brand new for me.

You've basically summed up what I know already, but I have a couple questiosn

It is true that the TX7 can recieve on one channel or on all channels, but you want to set it to just one channel. Otherwise it will be in omni mode and will play every note transmitted on all 16 midi channels. Since you have 2 midi outs you can dedicate one to the TX7, but you still want to set it to a channel.

I only have one MIDI OUT on my SP88 (just IN and OUT). The TX7 itself, however, has IN, OUT, and THRU. The Micro Ensemble has IN and THRU.

The key to configuring your system lies mostly in program change commands. Set up one of the 32 user midi setups to reflect the sounds you want to hear from the Micro Ensemble by using program change commands to select the sounds. You can also set the volume and pan of each sound using continuous controllers -- cc 7 is volume and cc 10 is pan.

I have started to do this. However, from my testing so far, the panning doesn't work. I don't know why. Also, I wonder if there is an easy way to disable reverb effects from the keyboard rather than on the unit itself (which is reset every time it is turned off).

My only other questions are as follows--what is the ideal cable setup?
and
If the Micro Ensemble is using 1-16, how can I set it up so that both the Micro Ensemble and the TX7 don't play at the same time on a specific channel. (Say, if I set the TX7 to Channel 3)

Thanks!

Alex

[ssscientist]

To answer the last question first, you need to find a way to turn off channel 3 in the Micro Ensemble. Even though you can't save actual multi setups I can't imagine that Kurzweil would handicap this unit by not letting you pick the channels you want it to recieve on. Simply turning down the volume won't do it -- you'll still eat up polyphony.

Continuous controller 91 is traditionally the cc for reverb control. Just assign the slider to cc 91 and you should be able to change the reverb level on the sound for the channel you are setting up. Then save the setup to a user slot.

Set up your cables like this: SP88 out to Micro Ensemble in, then Micro Ensemble thru to TX7 in.

And I don't know why the pan is not working. Maybe because the unit itself is operating in mono or maybe because you're monitoring it in mono...

[Alexbt]

Perhaps it's not panning because of the Stereo voices... this is not a big problem to me as of yet because I'm going to be doing live stuff where I'll be mono anyways, but in the future I want to do some heavy sequencing through this box.

[ssscientist]

To quote good ol' SpongeBob, 'good luck with that'...

[Alexbt]

Well, another problem I had in rehearsal yesterday was patches sustaining over when I switched them.