Roland Midi parameters, About Midi, FR-2/FR-2b’s sections use the following Midi channels

About MIDI

You can use your FR-2/FR-2b with other MIDI-compatible instruments, sequencers and computers to record your per- formances in the same way as keyboard players, drummers, guitarists, etc., have been doing for a while.

All MIDI-compatible sound sources allow you to use the FR-2/FR-2b’s Treble and Bass keyboards for playing sounds the FR-2/FR-2b does not provide.

This is possible thanks to a common language for musical applications, which is called “Musical Instrument Digital Interface”, or “MIDI” for short. MIDI has a lot in common with the internet: you can link one or several instruments to one another via a cable (but you don’t need a telephone line).

You can also use the FR-2/FR-2b as “master keyboard”, i.e. an instrument that transmits MIDI messages to a device (or software program) that can record MIDI messages. Such a device or program is called a “sequencer”.

MIDI can simultaneously transmit and receive messages on 16 channels, so that up to 16 instruments (or parts of a mod- ule or synthesizer) can be controlled. Nowadays, most instru- ments –like your FR-2/FR-2b– are multitimbral, which means that they can play several musical parts with different sounds. This requires the use of several MIDI channels. The FR-2/FR-2b, for instance, has several accordion and orches- tral sections that can be played simultaneously. They can transmit and receive on different channels.

The FR-2/FR-2b’s sections use the following MIDI channels:

Part	Channel
Treble	1
Bass	2
Chord	3
Orchestra (Treble)	4
Orchestra Bass	5
Orchestra Chord	6
Pad sounds (see p. 16)	10
Basic channel (for selecting Sets)	13

MIDI parameters

The MIDI parameters belong to the FUNCTION environment. The setting procedure is therefore the same. See p. 18 for details.

Note: The FR-2/FR-2b’s MIDI channels cannot be changed.

Treble Octave Tx	[C3]/[17]	OK
–3~0~3	Default setting: 0

This parameter allows you to transpose the Note-on messages transmitted by the Treble section up to three octaves up or down. This can be used for songs where an accordion register of the Tre- ble section (for example) should be doubled by a piccolo flute played by an external module whose notes would be far too low if they were used as is. Each MIDI note has a unique number. This parameter allows you to add (or subtract) 12 (“1” octave), 24 (“2”

V-Accordion r

MIDI parameters

octaves) or 36 (“3” octaves) to (from) the note numbers generated by your playing. The settings you can select are:

1	–3	5	+1
2	–2	6	+2
3	–1	7	+3
4•	0

Note: “TX” means that this parameter only applies to the note mes- sages transmitted to external devices. Messages the FR-2/FR-2b receives from another device are not affected by it.

Orchestra Octave TX	[D3]/[18]	OK
–3~0~3	Default setting: 0

This parameter allows you to transpose the Note-on messages transmitted by the Orchestra section. The settings are the same as above.

Bass Octave TX	[E3]/[19]	OK
–3~0~3	Default setting: 0

This parameter allows you to transpose the Note-on messages transmitted by the bass buttons up to three octaves up or down. The settings are the same as above.

Chord Octave TX	[F3]/[20]	OK
–3~0~3	Default setting: 0

This parameter allows you to transpose the Note-on messages transmitted by the chord buttons up to three octaves up or down. The settings are the same as above.

Orchestra Bass Octave TX	[G3]/[21]	OK
–3~0~3	Default setting: 0

This parameter allows you to transpose the Note-on messages transmitted by the ORCH BASS part. The settings are the same as above.

Orchestra Chord Octave TX	[A3]/[22]	OK
–3~0~3	Default setting: 0

This parameter allows you to transpose the Note-on messages transmitted by the ORCH CHORD part. The settings are the same as above.

Bellows Expression TX	[B3]/[23]	OK
Off, On	Default setting: Off

The strength/speed with which the bellows is pressed or pulled influences the sound – which corresponds to an acoustic accor- dion’s response. This effect can be translated into a MIDI message most external instruments understand.

If you want to use the bellows for expressive purposes, switch this parameter on (register [2]). If you don’t (because the external instrument is too sensitive and therefore changes its volume too often), switch it off (register [1]).

MIDI Out/In	[C4]/[24]	POW
Out, In	Default setting: Out

This parameter allows you to set the function of the FR-2/FR-2b’s MIDI socket. Select “Out” (register [1]) if you want to play on the FR-2/FR-2b’s keyboards and transmit the MIDI data generated by your playing to an external device.

If you select “In” (register [2]) here, the FR-2/FR-2b’s sound source can no longer be played via its keyboards.

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