M-Audio 88 manual Zone Keys, Zone Voice

18 User Guide Oxygen 88

8: Zone Keys

The Zone feature allows splitting the Oxygen 88 keyboard into a maximum of four programmable non-overlapping or overlapping sections, while transmitting MIDI notes of each on separate MIDI channels. This makes it possible to play up to 4 different instrument sounds of a connected multi-timbral synthesizer, by playing notes in different sections (zones) of the keyboard. If Zones are configured to overlap partially or completely, multiple instrument sounds will play simultaneously (layered) if a key in such an area of the keyboard is pressed.

Pressing any of the four Zone buttons will activate the corresponding keyboard Zone. To activate multiple Zones, simultaneously press their respective Zone buttons. An LED above each button indicates if the Zone is active.

When in Advanced mode and editing a parameter for an active Zone by pressing one of the Zone keys, the LED screen will display the current value of the associated function for that key. The LED above each active Zone will flash.

The LED above each active Zone will flash while editing Zone parameters. When more than one Zone is active, any changes made will be applied to all active Zones.

Parameters such as Zone Range, MIDI Channel, Program/Bank number (selects Instrument Sound Patch), Octave and Transpose shift can be edited for each Zone. These settings are saved as part of a User Patch when stored to a Memory Location.

Zone Voice

The Zone Voice (ZONE VOICE) function is a global parameter that is applied to all zones of the same number (for example, Zone one) across all memory locations of Oxygen 88, regardless of the currently active Preset Patch. Zone Voice can be enabled or disabled for each of the four zones. When the Zone Voice function is set to "On" (default), recalling an Oxygen 88 Preset Patch will cause the Zone to transmit Bank and Program Change messages on the MIDI channel of the Zone, causing a connected synthesizer to load the corresponding instrument sound patch. When Zone Voice is set to "Off" for a Zone, no Bank or Program change message is transmitted when an Oxygen 88 Preset Patch is recalled, and you need to select the desired instrument sound patch manually on your synthesizer.

Disabling Zone Voice (Bank/Program Change transmission) for a Zone:

1.Select a Zone by pressing its Zone button.

2.Press the Advanced button.

3.Press the ZONE VOICE key - the LED screen will indicate that Zone Voice is now set to "OFF".

4.Repeat steps 1 - 3 for any Zone that should not transmit Bank/Program change messages.

Repeat the above steps to re-enable the Zone Voice function for any combination of Zones.

After configuring the Zone Voice function and exiting Advanced mode, activate all desired Zones by simultaneously pressing their respective Zone buttons.