Dumb MIDI question

[WeAreAs1 at aol.com]

Larry Hendry <jlarryh at iquest.net> wrote:

<< I am relatively certain that the MPG-80 programmer 16 position switch
changes only the midi channel byte.  So, yes you could chain 16 MKS-80s
together with one programmer.  However, each MKS-80 would be set to a
different MIDI channel.  >>

You're "relatively certain" because of Roland's confusing use of the words 
"MIDI Channel" on the MPG-80 front panel.  If you dig into the detailed MIDI 
spec, you'll find that what that rotary switch *really* did was change the 
Unit ID byte.  However, back then (1984), the MIDI landscape was still the 
wild west, and most people didn't yet know what a Unit ID was (including some 
manufacturers, even).  Roland set up their instruments to automatically 
internally change their Unit ID number to correspond with their current MIDI 
Channel number.  Yamaha did the same thing on the DX/TX series.  Thus, when 
you set your Super Jupiter to recieve on Channel 1, its Unit ID is 
accordingly set to Unit #17.  Changing to MIDI Channel 2 changes the Unit ID 
to #18.  I think they chose numbers 17 through 32 in hopes of avoiding 
confusion.  Hah!

Anyway, that "MIDI Channel" knob on the MPG-80 is really "Unit ID".  Keep in 
mind, sysex messages don't normally have channel ID's, and the MPG-80 
transmits sysex, and nothing else.

BTW, you can emulate the 
impossible-to-find-and-impossible-to-afford-if-you're-lucky-enough-to-find-one
 MPG-80 with one of those Peavey PC-1600's.  It'll control pretty much 
anything else in the same way, too.  Without a doubt, the best thing that 
Peavey ever made!  (although their Classic 30 amp is pretty darn nice...)

Michael Bacich