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

Erik,
 
seems you´re my personal mp-7-consultant! Thanx again.
Okay, this is what I do:
I have some drum patterns I once recorded directly from an old yammie-
PSR-Keyboard to - I think cubase light - via midiman. I saved the 
patterns as *.mid files on my computer.
Some of the patterns are quite good, have at least a bit of human 
feel. I play back the files now with a cakewalk sonar demo version I 
recently took from a covermount-CD-ROM. I use this program because it 
gives me the opportunity to switch off resets of program changes so I 
can filter this data out.
My computer is linked via the midman sport 2x2 to the mp-7. I play 
back the pattern on my computer and record parts of it directly to 
the mp-7. Cakewalk runs the pattern on Channel 9 and 10. I use 
realtime record on the mp-7 and record to track 1. I want to build up 
a drum pattern database apart from whats to be found in the presets. 

(Later I split the patterns according to voices and record them to 
track 1 (kick), 2 (snare).... to 8 (alt. percussion). Then you can 
mute/unmute to your likes and play variations by that. Sounds 
terrible, I know, but this is a way to have a little more human feel 
in the drum section. The user arp section I wanted to use fully for 
Percussion licks and program some afro cuban rhythms (I have the 
rhythm sheets from my conga teacher), then tweak the hell out of it. 
Should go nicely with basic r&b and hiphop beats. Yes, you can 
sample, but then again its not my own stuff.)

This is basically what I do right now with the mp-7. Its a bit off 
the road but - well - why not?

Unfortunately they didnot integrate the audition riffs in the command 
stations for further use. (I´m a bit Yammie-spoiled) And, pity, thers 
no way how to grid record rhythm arps instead of programming them the 
hard way.

Best regards

Heinrich


--- In xl7@y..., erik_magrini@B... wrote:
> Heinrich, don't worry mate we're getting there!  It can be 
frustrating I 
> know, but this is just the way iot is sometimes when working on 
electronic 
> music, especially when you bring a computer into the picture.  If 
nothing 
> else, think how much you're learning!  Ummm, ok that was lame I'll 
admit 
> it. :)
> 
> So, to help me narrow this down, I guess I need to understand what 
you're 
> doing a bit more.  We know WHAT the problem is now, we just need to 
figure 
> out how it's happening.  Are you writing the patterns in Cakewalk 
(which 
> version BTW) and then savin the patterns as SMF"s to be loaded via 
> E-loader into the MP-7?  Or are you writing the parts in the MP-7 
and then 
> having problems once you get it in Cakewalk?  Consider me dense 
(shouldn't 
> be too hard) and walk me through your process of writing.
> 
> Thanx, just trying to understand completely what you're doing,
> rEalm
> 
> 
> 
> So I checked the bars where notes are missing and found that notes 
that 
> usually have the same position in 
> the bar, have moved to a different position in the bar with 
the "missing" 
> notes. Instead of - say - 14/1/32 - 14/2/32 - 14/3/32 - 14/4/32 
they went: 
> 14/1/32  - 14/2/32 - 14/2/232 - 14/2/238 - I moved them to the 
right 
> position to see if it works - it does! But the velocity still was 
very low 
> and I had to fix that as well. 
> 
> Final point: Cakewalk played back fine while recording on the mp-7, 
but 
> the recorded results are moved notes with changed velocity in some 
bars, 
> but sometimes just as well missing notes.One hint: Before I 
recorded the 
> pattern I actually copied a formerly recorded pattern to an empty 
pattern, 
> just to have the settings, then cut track 1 to clipboard to delete 
it, 
> then record a new pattern on track one. Is it possible that some 
> information (except the settings sure enough) still remains on the 
track 
> when cutting it to clipboard? Could these bits and pieces disturb 
the 
> newly recorded track?
> 
> Sorry for the long posting. Maybe somebody knows whats going on 
here. 
> I am so tired with all this fixing and asking. I can´t make music 
> like that. I´m close to moving over to a simple machine thats 
working 
> at least for me. 
> 
> Any suggestions are welccome.

I saved the patterns as *.mid files on my computer.Some of the patterns 
are quite good, have at least a bit of human feel. I play back the files 
now with a cakewalk sonar demo version I recently took from a 
overmount-CD-ROM.  My computer is linked via the midman sport 2x2 to the 
mp-7. I play back the pattern on my computer and record parts of it 
directly to the mp-7.

>>>Why not save the MIDI pattrn as a ".mid" file in Sonar, and then use 
E-Loader to transfer into your MP-7?  That would be far easier and way 
more accurate than realtime recording it into the MP-7! Also, did you turn 
off Rechannelize MIDI before recording?<<<

(Later I split the patterns according to voices and record them to track 1 
(kick), 2 (snare).... to 8 (alt. percussion). Then you can mute/unmute to 
your likes and play variations by that. Sounds terrible, I know, but this 
is a way to have a little more human feel in the drum section.

>>>Again why not split the channels in Sonar, save the mid file and E-Load 
it into the MP-7?  You're making yourself do unneccesary steps currently. 
<<<

This is basically what I do right now with the mp-7. Its a bit off the 
road but - well - why not?

>>>Hey, to each his own!  If we all did the same way, there'd be a million 
Walter (er...Wendy) Carlos's running around right now! <<<

Hi, Eric, 
you´re definitely right!

The only reason I do not use the E-loader is: I bought the mp-7, got 
the box without E-Loader of the Emu sales rep in Germany and I am 
waiting for the new box to arrive with CD-ROM and stuff - since five 
or six weeks by now!!!

Download? - At the moment I am using a very old laptop without 
internet facilities at home for sequencing. I am waiting for my newer 
laptop to be fixed but the retailer went broke and refuses to send it 
back. Shall I ask some repo-man???

The Posting I do at work (if I find the time).

Still: Any ideas about these missing notes? Maybe this thing is just 
obsolete when my mp-7 finally arrives. So I keep waiting. Is E-loader 
running okay? I read about some people havin difficulties installing 
it.

Thank you for answering

HEinrich



#--- In xl7@y..., erik_magrini@B... wrote:
> I saved the patterns as *.mid files on my computer.Some of the 
patterns 
> are quite good, have at least a bit of human feel. I play back the 
files 
> now with a cakewalk sonar demo version I recently took from a 
> overmount-CD-ROM.  My computer is linked via the midman sport 2x2 
to the 
> mp-7. I play back the pattern on my computer and record parts of it 
> directly to the mp-7.
> 
> >>>Why not save the MIDI pattrn as a ".mid" file in Sonar, and then 
use 
> E-Loader to transfer into your MP-7?  That would be far easier and 
way 
> more accurate than realtime recording it into the MP-7! Also, did 
you turn 
> off Rechannelize MIDI before recording?<<<
> 
> (Later I split the patterns according to voices and record them to 
track 1 
> (kick), 2 (snare).... to 8 (alt. percussion). Then you can 
mute/unmute to 
> your likes and play variations by that. Sounds terrible, I know, 
but this 
> is a way to have a little more human feel in the drum section.
> 
> >>>Again why not split the channels in Sonar, save the mid file and 
E-Load 
> it into the MP-7?  You're making yourself do unneccesary steps 
currently. 
> <<<
> 
> This is basically what I do right now with the mp-7. Its a bit off 
the 
> road but - well - why not?
> 
> >>>Hey, to each his own!  If we all did the same way, there'd be a 
million 
> Walter (er...Wendy) Carlos's running around right now! <<<

I had some troubles initially with E-Loader, but once I installed the Sun 
Java instead of the Microsoft Java Environment, all is well.

rEalm
(Hmmm, maybe I should have told you to go read the FAQ now that we have 
one huh?)  :)



Is E-loader running okay? I read about some people havin difficulties 
installing it.