Re: [sdiy] MIDI isn

[jhaible at debitel.net]

I thought polyphonic AT is about the worst that can happen to fill up the Midi
data stream. (?)

Rainer Buchty <buchty at cs.tum.edu> schrieb: 
> > Pitch bend is the biggest reason you need to use 6 channels.  When playing
> > guitar you commonly bend a single string while others are still ringing out
> > at their normal pitch.  Can't be done with only a single MIDI channel...
> 
> That's what polyphonic pressure (poly AT) is good for - if more than
> half a synth vendor would support it...
> 
> Rainer (always wondering how people can have a hand free for juggling
> 	with control wheels & levers while playing)

I like putting several parameters on aftertouch, too. The CS-50 has
this built-in (for its own parameters, with individual attenuators). My next
module (JH-5B) will contain a cascaded attenuator (a la Moog) to make
use of this on the modular.

I have considered the pro's and cons of controlling the JH-5 Modular
from various keyboards that I already have:

Option 1 was buying another expensive Midi/CV converter with several
CV outputs and high resolution, and using the VL7 as keyboard.

Option 2 was buying a cheap Midi/CV converter like the Pro Solo, or
Tony's, or Tom's, just for the note information, and bringing out 
the Aftertouch and other controllers from the VL7 as analog CVs.
(No zipper noise, and inexpensive. I did it before, many years ago,
though I don't remember if it was on the DX7 or on the Kawai K1.)

Option 2 is much better than Option 1, IMO. But now I decided+
on Option 3:
Using the CS-50 as modular keyboard. I had brought out most of the
CVs for the PolyModular project. And while this is currently put aside,
the CVs get a lot of use for monophonic and duophonic (high note
+ low note) applications.

Since I am playing external modules (MOTM and the JH-5 stuff)
from the CS-50 for a while now, I'm convinced more than ever
that the real value of the CS-synths lies in their controllers and
playability to 80%, and just to 20% in their "sound".
(Just to choose some descriptive figures - percentage is nonsense,
of course.)

So, no Midi here, finally. The CS-50's keys are scanned, but the
access to Aftertouch and the CS-50's LFOs (3 of them brought
out!) is very immediate.

Not intended as fuel for flames - just to show a possible setup,
and why I prefer it.

Too bad that there are no keyboards which have aftertouch
*and* Yamaha's early sidwards key modulation at the
same time - that would be the ultimate keyboard for a modular !

JH.