Roland FR-5, FR-7 owner manual Global Midi parameters, Final note regarding sequencers

Roland dealer for details. And finally, you may need to install applications called “drivers” on your computer to ensure that it can talk and listen to the MIDI interface.

Final note regarding sequencers

If you use the FR-7/FR-5 as MIDI controller for record- ing new songs, there is one more thing you need to be aware of. Always ask yourself which MIDI sound source should play back the part you are recording.

V-Accordion r

Final note regarding sequencers

•If the FR-7/FR-5’s tone generator is not used for the part you are recording, you need to connect the external module’s MIDI IN socket to the sequencer’s MIDI OUT port and activate the sequencer’s “MIDI Soft Thru” function:

External module MIDI IN

External sequencer

MIDI IN		MIDI OUT
	(FBC-7)	FR-7/FR-5’s tone
		generator
MIDI OUT

Note that this is only necessary for recording new material. You do not have to worry about them dur- ing playback.

Global MIDI parameters

The parameters discussed here are part of a separate mode (called “MIDI”). Their settings, however, are saved to the FR-7/ FR-5’s Global memory (there is no separate MIDI memory). Let us first look at the parameters that apply to all Sets. See page 86 for the parameters that can be set for each section individually and saved to a Set.

MIDI channel numbers (12.1 RealTime RX-TX)

The table on page 80 specifies the default MIDI channel assignments the FR-7/FR-5 uses. Those choices are based on how most accordion players prefer (or are allowed) to use their instrument. You can, however, change the MIDI channel assignments. An obvious can- didate for such a change would be the Treble section if you want it to conform to a generally accepted (i.e. standardized) usage, whereby the melody part trans- mits on MIDI channel 4.

There is indeed a format called “General MIDI” that requires you to use MIDI channel 4 for the melody. General MIDI-compatible musical instruments use that channel for the most important part of a song, so it may be a good idea to assign it to the Treble section.

The table on page 80 states that channel 4 is already used by the (Treble) ORCHESTRA section. That is not really a problem as long as you don’t use that section. If you use it alongside the Treble section, changing the Treble accordion’s MIDI channel to “4” would mean that both sections transmit on the same MIDI channel. And that would be a problem – or rather one of two prob- lems:

•In Dual mode (page 26), each note you played would be transmitted twice and recorded like that (or played back by the external tone generator).

•In High or Low mode, the “accompaniment” and “solo line” would control the same sound on an external module, which may not correspond to what you had in mind.

In such cases, either assign a different MIDI channel to the ORCHESTRA section – or select “Off” (no transmis- sion).

Note that such changes are only necessary when you want to add the sound of an external tone generator to the Treble section’s accordion sound. If you are working with an arranger module whose sole function is to pro- vide an accompaniment, you may have to select “Off” for all of the FR-7/FR-5’s sections.

And even that is only necessary if you use the FBC-7’s switches to remotely control the external instrument (page 68) and therefore connected the FBC-7’s MIDI OUT socket to the module’s MIDI IN port.

Also bear in mind that the channel assignments set here apply both to the transmission (“TX”) and reception (“RX”) of MIDI data.

And finally: in DUAL, HIGH and LOW modes (page 26), the Treble keyboard transmits on two channels simulta- neously – the Treble and Orchestra channels. If you add the Orchestra Bass part to the Bass or Free Bass section, the same applies to the bass notes. As stated earlier, the chord buttons of the Bass keyboard use a separate MIDI channel.

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