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

On 11/28/02 10:15 AM, "pocketd@..." <pocketd@...> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I don´t know, if I understand you right:
> 
> Enter step-record.  Change the panel so that the sixteen knobs control
> volume and adjust each in turn to the desired value.  - drK
> 
> Using a multitrack, I have to do it for every single tracks in the
> multitrack. F.e. setting track 1B ,
> enter vol+Pan in step record, choose track 2 B and do the same again and
> again...
> (The note value is not changing if I turn the knob, right? Cause the XX-7
> hides that)
> Unfortunately it don´t works using the Edit Pattern at the beginning.
>

I probably did not explain this very well.  You enter the volume and pan
control changes into the single multitrack (which is directed to your
external MIDI synths - in other words if the synths are connected to MIDI-B
you would set the track to MultiB and EXT).  yes you will need a setting for
each of the MIDI channels you wish to set up for that pattern.  But it is
very easy to record these changes because all you have to do is move the
corresponding knob while in step record.  So if you want to set the volume
for external MIDI devices using MIDI channels 1, 2, and 10 all you need do
is change the knobs to Volume and move knobs 1, 2 and 10 into the right
position.  You would do the some with pan only the knobs would be in PAN
mode.

Here is what I do.  I play the pattern and adjust the pans until they sound
correct. I then stop playback, enter step record, and slightly move each of
the knobs (still set to PAN mode) just enough back and forth for the change
to be registered.  I then exit record and play again only this time setting
the volume levels.  When those are satisfactory I again enter step record
and slightly move each of the volume controls so their values are recorded.

> If you go into the EDIT PATTERN mode you can look at find these control
> changes in the EVENT screen at position 01:01:000. One thing though, unless
> you have the track destination set to EXT or BOTH you will never see events
> at the beginning because the XX7 hides these "administrative" details when a
> track is only set for INT.  - drK
> 
> I think that´s quiet uncomfortable, so I can´t see the values of Vol+Pan in
> the main Preset Screen
> if I choose the Pattern before playing it.
> I think that`s a strange concept, I can´t assign Pan+Vol for all 32 Channels
> if there´s nothing in all
> the tracks if I save it as a pattern, but if I save it as a multisetup, I
> get the right settings for all the
> 32 Channels, but can´t send the Pan+Vol initial values for my ext. modules.
> Something for a new OS I hope.
> 

No you can't and there is actually a good reason for this, a decision that
every Sequencer I have ever used that also contain a sound module has made.
it is very confusing until you understand why they do things like this.

You have to remember that the XX-7 is really a Emu sound module and a
sequencer which just happen to be placed in the same box and share a common
user interface (the panel).  Each more or less operates independently of the
other.  So when you are looking at the Preset Screen you are really looking
at the sound module's status.  This is confusing because it can also seem
like you are looking at the sequencer's track status because most of the
time each sequencer track is controlling the corresponding sound module
channel (track1 -> module channel 01A).  so it seems like you are setting up
the sequencer when you are changing the the Preset Screen settings but you
are not.

You will notice, for example, that nothing you do when adjusting the Preset
Screen volume, pan, or program/bank settings results in any MIDI information
being sent no matter how the XX-7 is set up.  The reason is that those
changes are sent directly to the internal sound module.  If you tried the
same thing with a Proteus 2K module or some other Emu module it behaves the
same way.

The QuickEdit knobs (and the Volume, Pan, and Programmable modes) send MIDI
values when you have "send panel knobs" On in the MIDI setup menus.  This is
consistent with how Emu modules work.  Those that have front panel knobs can
send the control information

So you see the synthesizer in the XX-7 is very much an independent sound
module and behaves accordingly.  When you are in the Preset Screen, The Mix
Screen and the EDIT PRESET menus you are "talking" to the sound module.
These really have nothing to do with the sequencer, which is why they have
no influence over your external MIDI devices.

a Multisetup is mostly for configuring the XX-7's sound module (Emu's
modules have an nearly identical multisetup too).  So while you can save the
configuration of the 32 sound module channels to a multisetup you can not
expect that to also be used to configure an external module.

I am not sure just how Emu can or will address this.  I agree that the
sequencer should be able to have as part of its pattern setup information a
way to directly control an external MIDI device without using the "hidden"
approach I mentioned.  But there are some practical considerations.  What
settings should they directly support?  and how would a track set to "multi"
be done?  Some interesting alternatives to be considered.

One thing though that I must pat Emu on the back about, something they did
that almost no one else has gotten right.

Emu lets you have control information recorded at the beginning of a pattern
that will only play once, the first time the pattern plays.  This
information does not play on each lap of the pattern.  if you look at page
53 in the most recent version of the manual you will see a great description
of this and how it works.  This is a real godsend because other sequencers
when used with external MIDI device send the track information on every
repeat of the pattern.  So if you place a program change at the beginning to
set up your module that change gets sent every time the pattern repeats, and
that is usually not a good thing.  likewise initial settings like Volume
would be repeated which would defeat any real-time changes you have made.
because of this other hardware sequencers can not be used realistically for
recording setup information in a pattern at all.  At least Emu lets you do
this!

> Thanx a lot to drK,
> what a great list we have,
> Christoph
> 
Your welcome!  There are a lot of people sharing their knowledge here and it
is a great place to learn!

Take care,


drk

www.delora.com/music
www.mp3.com/zdrk
drk.iuma.com


> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 11/27/02 2:47 PM, "pocketd@..." <pocketd@...> wrote:
> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> how can I send Pan+Volume from XX-7 to external stuff?
>> 
>> If I use restore multisetup it is not sent, some parameters are
> transmitted.
>> but not all, what´s
>> that?
>> If I switch patterns it happens...sometimes, but incorrect.
>> 
>> please help,
>> Christoph
> 
> probably the best approach is to insert the pan and volume commands at the
> beginning of a pattern.  And the easiest way to do this is to place the
> information on one track which is set up to be a multichannel track (MultiA
> or MultiB) which of course is set to either external or both.
> 
> Enter step-record.  Change the panel so that the sixteen knobs control
> volume and adjust each in turn to the desired value.  Do the same with pan.
> The XX7 will record the last value of each control as a 01:01:000 event,
> which will be sent at the start of the pattern but never once the pattern
> repeats.
> 
> If you go into the EDIT PATTERN mode you can look at find these control
> changes in the EVENT screen at position 01:01:000.  One thing though, unless
> you have the track destination set to EXT or BOTH you will never see events
> at the beginning because the XX7 hides these "administrative" details when a
> track is only set for INT.  But the events are indeed there and will do
> their job.
> 
> 
> drk
> 
> www.delora.com/music
> www.mp3.com/zdrk
> drk.iuma.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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