Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

Just to be clear, here's a little primer on MIDI sync/control
protocols:

MIDI Song Start/Stop/Continue:
These are all 1 byte system realtime messages.  They're 0xFA, 0xFC, and
0xFB respectively.  These are all you need to start and stop your XL-7.


MIDI Song Position Pointer:
This tells your sequencer where it should start when it receives a
continue (0xFB) message.  It is a three byte message system common
message (0xF2 lsb msb) where msb and lsb are two 7 bit numbers that add
up to a 14 bit song position, measured in 16th notes.


MIDI Clock:
This conveys both tempo and relative position in beats.  It as well is
a 1 byte system realtime message.  It is 0xF8.  Each one that comes in
advances the song by 1/24th of a quarter note.  If you time the
interval between them, you can derive tempo.  The XL-7 uses the
positional information to drive the sequencer and derives tempo for the
tempo-based effects.  (side note: this is why despite the tempo
jittering on the LED display, the sequencer is dead on.  tempo can only
be derived, but position is absolute)


MIDI Time Code (MTC):
This is a different form of synchronization and control that is based
on SMPTE time (i.e. hours, minutes, seconds - not beats).  It is
commonly used with video equipment.  The XL-7 does NOT respond to these
types of messages.  There are actually two types of MTC: full frame
messages and quarter frame messages.

Full frame messages are a 10 byte sysex message (0xF0 0x7F id 0x01 0x01
hr mn sc fr 0xF7) where id is the sysex unit ID and the other 4 are
hours minutes seconds and frames.  It essentially is a locate command,
containing all the data necessary to specify an exact time.

Quarter frame messages are a collection of 2 byte realtime messages. 
They are 0xF1 followed by one of 8 data bytes: 0x0n - 0x7n.  Basically,
this accomplishes a similar thing to MIDI Clock in that it is a quick
message that carries position.  Each one of the 8 different messages
contains half of a byte of the 4 byte location, so, after 8 quarter
frame messages, you know your full location.


MIDI Machine Control (MMC):
This is a large part of the spec that specifies a way for devices to
tell each other to do stuff.  It is a a whole collection of message,
the most simple being a 6 byte sysex message (0xF0 0x7F id 0x06 cmd
0xF7) that can convey simple play, stop, continue, record, etc
(specified in the cmd byte).  There are many other more complicated MMC
commands beside the simple one above.  The XL-7 does NOT support any
MMC messages.

-Aaron

--- steve_the_composer <smw-mail@...> wrote:

> I just tested MidiOx and the P2500. MidiOx has both a Midi Sync 
> Transport window and a Midi Time Code window.  Midi Sync uses the 
> stream of F8 bytes. MTC uses a stream of F1 bytes based on frame 
> settings.
> 
> The P2500 responds to the MidiOx Sync Transport controls.  I am not 
> sure if you can slave MidiOx to the ReMOTE 25 and slave your CS to 
> MidiOx.
> 
> My reading of the MidiOX help leads me to believe it is worth 
> testing if you haven't found another solution yet. There is an 
> example of how to slave Cakewalk to the MidiOx Sync Transport.
> 
> Then it says:
> 
> The [x] Sync and Send MTC concurrently checkbox allows the 
> synchronization of MIDI clock and MTC. When it is checked, the MTC 
> view will be loaded (with its transport disabled), and both items 
> will be controlled by the MIDI sync transport. When play is started, 
> both MTC and MIDI Sync will be generated, and both views will stop 
> upon pressing Stop.
> 
> The question is, can MidiOx be slaved to the ReMOTE? I couldn't find 
> how to do that with MidiOx, but perhaps MidiYoke would help. I don't 
> have MidiYoke installed, so I couldn't test it out.
> 
> Let me know either way if you test it.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> --Steve
>   
> 
> --- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "funkjunke" <earworm@g...> wrote:
> > Thanks for all the help guys, I didn't realize I would need to be
> > sending Midi Clock or time code, I assumed I could program it to 
> just
> > 'play' on command. Alas, it doesn't seem to want to via the 
> remote. I
> > can't even enter the code '00 FA' unless I enter it as an Nrpn 
> command
> > strin....the remote25s sysex won't allow any value to be entered in
> > one bit that equals more than 127 (FA being 250). MidiOX spit out a
> > different play command however (7F 7F 01 01 60 00 00 00), so I 
> tried
> > that, and it was wierd, when I would upload the change to the
> > remote25, it would pass through and the sysex would hit the XL, 
> and it
> > WOULD start playing, but then after the initial burst, the now
> > programmed Play button on the remote would do nothing....really 
> odd.
> > I'm no expert on sysex whatsoever, so maybe I'm missing something, 
> oh
> > well, lol.
> > 
> > And as for MMC, yeah, the CStations don't respond to that 
> unfortunately.
> > 
> > No big loss, although it would have been nice to work it out like
> > that. I guess I can just rearrange stuff so that the XL is more 
> hands
> > accessible when I'm using the remote as well.
> > 
> > BTW Steve, the Remote's are pretty nice, great keys, lots of knobs 
> and
> > sliders, and even though they can do sysex strings and whatnot, the
> > capabilities of the peavey pc1600x seem far beyond the Remotes for
> > string command programming!
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > ByronIV
> > 
> > --- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "steve_the_composer" <smw-mail@p...> 
> wrote:
> > > I just checked the pdf for the Novation ReMOTE 25. (It looks 
> really 
> > > nifty, btw.) However, I have no experience with it.
> > > 
> > > I didn't see anywhere that it sends MTC.  I suppose you might be 
> able 
> > > to route it through some software which receives MMC and in turn 
> would 
> > > send out the MTC.  IF you really want to do that.
> > > 
> > > --Steve
> > > 
> > > --- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "funkjunke" <earworm@g...> wrote:
> > > > Just wondering if anyone knows the commands for play and stop 
> on the
> > > > CS. I'm setting up for a live configuration, and am trying to 
> program
> > > > my remote 25's Play and Stop buttons to control the XL7. It's 
> really
> > > > strange though, I even tried different midi monitors, and 
> can't seem
> > > > to find the code needed to do this? 
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > ByronIV

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