Korg Sp-500 manual Connecting other equipment, Connecting Midi equipment, What is MIDI?

Connecting other equipment

1. Connecting MIDI equipment

What is MIDI?

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a standard for connecting a variety of MIDI instru- ments together allowing to talk to each other. By playing the SP-500, you can connect other MIDI- equipped instruments.

When doing so, your sound selections and damper pedal operations etc. will control the other instru- ment as well.

Conversely, other MIDI keyboards or sequencers (automatic playback devices) can control the SP- 500 to play its sounds. By combining two or more MIDI devices, you can expand the SP-500’s sound selection. You can also use MIDI to transfer data from the SP-500’s built-in recorder for external stor- age.

This section will explain how you can take advan- tage of the SP-500’s MIDI functionality. If you would like to learn more about MIDI, please refer to one of the many introductory books that are commercially available.

MIDI connections

MIDI cable

MIDI OUT MIDI keyboard

MIDI IN

MIDI tone generator module

MIDI channel settings

After you have finished making connections to your MIDI devices, set the MIDI channels of the SP-500 and the connected MIDI device to the same number. There are sixteen MIDI channels; 1–16.

1	Press the [FUNCTION] switch
2	Access the “Func 6/10” page

MIDI cables are used to transfer MIDI data. Connect this cable to the MIDI connectors of the SP-500 and the MIDI connectors of an external MIDI device. There are two MIDI port types.

MIDI IN connector	3	Set the value of each cell
MIDI messages are received at this connector.		Press each cell, and use the dial or the
This lets you use an external MIDI device (e.g.,
MIDI keyboard or sequencer) to play and control		[VALUE] switches to set the MIDI chan-
		nel.
the sounds of the SP-500. Use a MIDI cable to con-
nect the SP-500’s MIDI IN connector to the MIDI		“Chord Rx1,” “Chord Rx2”
OUT connector of the external MIDI device.
		Receive channel functions
MIDI OUT connector		This is used when using an external MIDI
MIDI messages are transmitted from this connec-		device to control the chords for the auto-

tor.	matic accompaniment.
	Chords can be specified by receiving
The MIDI messages that are transmitted when you
	MIDI note events from an external device
play the SP-500 can control an external MIDI
	on the specified channel. With this type of
device. Use a MIDI cable to connect the MIDI OUT
	input, chords can be detected over the full
connector of the SP-500 to the MIDI IN connector of
	range of the keyboard, regardless of the
the external MIDI device.
	split point setting.
	Since the normal keyboard input and the
	Chord Rx channels can function simulta-
	neously, unexpected results may occur if you
	use keyboard input together with MIDI input.

Functions

69