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

In case anyone was still following my thread: I was trying to get the 
XL7 to control my ER1,EA1 and Yamaha DX200 by bypassing their 
internal sequencers so I could use longer patterns [store as part of 
a std midi file in the XLs memory]. Here is what I found:
Nothing to do with rechannelize, which was off.
Nothing to do with changing midi channels on the external gear, the 
external gear would still only respond to its internal sequencers.
Setting the external gear to sync internally only resulted in not 
receiving the midi start command from the XL, so nothing happened.
Finally I thought of connecting my Juno 106, which of course has no 
internal sequencer, to the output of the XL. Bam! It played first 
thing [even tho there was some confusion on the midi port being 
received on the Juno, which is understandable considering its midi 
spec is unlike any other on the planet].
So from this I conclude that, thru no fault of its own, the XL cannot 
control my groove boxes, except for midi start/stop.
This sucks in a huge way, since it was one of the main reasons I 
bought the XL, but there it is.
If anyone has any further ideas on this, or if by some reason you 
have one of the machines in question and have made this work, I would 
love to hear from you.
Good thing I like the XL, in and of itself, so much!
Dana

Hi Dana

Sounds like you need to work with the manuals of your other groove
boxes. This is their limit, not one of the XL. I can control all my
external synths and racks with no trouble, regardless of whether or not
they are tied to an internal sequencer or not.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

-M@

Well, no that is actually a help, since it proves that at least on 
some gear this actually works. And of course there is never a problem 
using Sonar, so obviously somehow the internal sequencers can be 
bypassed. Could you tell me what other gear you are using?
thx
--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "Matt Picone" <matman@m...> wrote:
> Hi Dana
> 
> Sounds like you need to work with the manuals of your other groove
> boxes. This is their limit, not one of the XL. I can control all my
> external synths and racks with no trouble, regardless of whether or 
not

> they are tied to an internal sequencer or not.
> 
> Sorry I can't be of more help.
> 
> -M@

"Matt Picone" <matman@m...> wrote:
> > Hi Dana
> > Sounds like you need to work with the manuals of your other groove
> > boxes. This is their limit, not one of the XL. I can control all 
my external synths and racks with no trouble, regardless of whether or 
not they are tied to an internal sequencer or not."

Hi Matt /Dana, 
Same as Matt, here - although the only extrernal synth I control from 
my xx7 is an Emu (convenient,hehe:) Vintage Keys Plus where I dont 
even use programmable knobs to access the parameters that I want to 
control. I just transmit the knobs in my preset and have the 
appropriate cords patched! I must admit that I only need to control 
volume/pan/and realtime controllers a,b,c and d which are configured 
in the Vintage Keys to control filter cut-off, pitch, sustain etc.
e.g:
Realtime controller A: 01  (in xx7)
Realtime controller A: 01  (in in VKeys)
CtrlA -> FiltFc
and hey presto in quick edit, knob1 changes the filter cut-off in my 
Vintage Keys.
Good Luck
:p

OK, so maybe I am thick as a brick, but I finally got it all to work. 
The main piece was that I didn't make my std midi file 16 tracks. On 
the piece I was testing, I wasn't using all the tracks, and I guess 
it just confused the hell out the Xl or the groove boxes. As soon as 
I put in empty tracks so that it made 16, it all worked.
Thanks so much for the the kind folks that sent me suggestions!
Dana
--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "Matt Picone" <matman@m...> wrote:
> Hi Dana
> 
> Sounds like you need to work with the manuals of your other groove
> boxes. This is their limit, not one of the XL. I can control all my
> external synths and racks with no trouble, regardless of whether or 
not

> they are tied to an internal sequencer or not.
> 
> Sorry I can't be of more help.
> 
> -M@

Actually Dana I have to step in and tell you that you're 100% wrong.
I am an ER-1 owner so listen up ;).
Set sync to external on the ER-1 and set the midi channel of your 
choice.
Configure the appropriate track on the XX-7 to external only same 
midi channel.
Press the Midi button (last function button in ER-1) and scroll down 
to filter . Make sure you turn all filtering off so the display 
blinks like this " - - - " . This disable Program changes etc etc .
Now progaram a set of percussion sounds (small kit in the ER-1)
DO NOT STEP PROGRAM ANYTHING ON THE ER-1 !!!!!!!
Set the XX-7 into grid mode and assign the pads on the ER-1 to 
corresponding Midi note numbers of keys with an octave keyspan.
The ER-1 can be programmed in realtime ,step and grid modes via the 
XX-7 with full velocity control ,all the swing ,scale and clock 
offset options of the sequncer in the XX-7 apply.
The ER-1 sequencer will light up the  > (play button).
However it's tempo will be locked to the XX-7 and all note data will 
be recieved from the XX-7 as nothing is stored on the coresponding 
ER-1 pattern other than tempo sync delay and the sounds themselves.
You can set the ER-1 to respond under midi filter to PC messages and 
have a swag of programmmed kits without and pattern data stored in 
the ER-1 for recall and full dynamic sequencing on the XX-7.
Lastly - the only limitation you will have is Motion sequencing.
The XX-7's do no recognise NRPRN's and therefore realtime knobtweeks 
cannot be recorded into the XX-7's sequencer.
However if you hit record and play on the ER-1 empty pattern and 
tweek the knobs then store. The Motion sequncers will be store in 
the pattern and the XX-7 can do all the other work for you with all 
those time signature features you wan't.
Trust ME it DOES WORK !!!!!!!!!

I use an ER-1 too. It works. 

I'm SURE the other synths will too. 

Just read the manuals and play some more! That's the fun of it.

-m@

Our messages must have crossed in the mail, since I did get it to 
work - horray! -but this gives me even a bit more to work with. What 
I found with the DX is that I can turn off the sounds from playing on 
the box, and totally controll them with the track buttons on the XL - 
its really excellent, and I will incorporate your ideas also, cause 
they make lots of sense.
THANKS SO MUCH to all the helpful people in the group - now I can 
finally start getting the live show together.
D
--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "faxorgy" <Oscar_Finch@e...> wrote:
> Actually Dana I have to step in and tell you that you're 100% wrong.
> I am an ER-1 owner so listen up ;).
> Set sync to external on the ER-1 and set the midi channel of your 
> choice.
> Configure the appropriate track on the XX-7 to external only same 
> midi channel.
> Press the Midi button (last function button in ER-1) and scroll 
down 
> to filter . Make sure you turn all filtering off so the display 
> blinks like this " - - - " . This disable Program changes etc etc .
> Now progaram a set of percussion sounds (small kit in the ER-1)
> DO NOT STEP PROGRAM ANYTHING ON THE ER-1 !!!!!!!
> Set the XX-7 into grid mode and assign the pads on the ER-1 to 
> corresponding Midi note numbers of keys with an octave keyspan.
> The ER-1 can be programmed in realtime ,step and grid modes via the 
> XX-7 with full velocity control ,all the swing ,scale and clock 
> offset options of the sequncer in the XX-7 apply.
> The ER-1 sequencer will light up the  > (play button).
> However it's tempo will be locked to the XX-7 and all note data 
will 
> be recieved from the XX-7 as nothing is stored on the coresponding 
> ER-1 pattern other than tempo sync delay and the sounds themselves.
> You can set the ER-1 to respond under midi filter to PC messages 
and 
> have a swag of programmmed kits without and pattern data stored in 
> the ER-1 for recall and full dynamic sequencing on the XX-7.
> Lastly - the only limitation you will have is Motion sequencing.
> The XX-7's do no recognise NRPRN's and therefore realtime 
knobtweeks 

> cannot be recorded into the XX-7's sequencer.
> However if you hit record and play on the ER-1 empty pattern and 
> tweek the knobs then store. The Motion sequncers will be store in 
> the pattern and the XX-7 can do all the other work for you with all 
> those time signature features you wan't.
> Trust ME it DOES WORK !!!!!!!!!

--- faxorgy <Oscar_Finch@...> wrote:
> Lastly - the only limitation you will have is Motion sequencing.
> The XX-7's do no recognise NRPRN's and therefore realtime
> knobtweeks cannot be recorded into the XX-7's sequencer.

Um, the XL-7 should record NRPNs and RPNs just fine...  Is the ER-1
transmitting them?

-Aaron

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