Roland Vs-880 important safety instructions Use with Midi devices, About Midi

Chapter 5 Use with MIDI devices

This chapter explains how the VS-880 handles MIDI mes- sages, and the following operations that can be done using MIDI messages.

●Using a MIDI sound source to play the metronome

●Synchronized operation with a MIDI sequencer

●Controlling the mixer from a MIDI sequencer (Compu- mix)

About MIDI

This section explains the basic concepts of MIDI, and how the VS-880 handles MIDI messages.

■MIDI messages

The VS-880 uses the following types of MIDI message.

Note messages

These messages are used to play notes. On a keyboard, these message transmit the key (note number) that was pressed, and how strongly it was pressed (velocity). On the VS-880, these messages are used when you use a MIDI sound source to play the metronome sound.

Program Change messages

These messages are for the purpose of selecting sounds, and contain a program number of 1Ð128. The VS-880 V-XPAND- ED uses these messages to select scenes and effects.

■What is MIDI

MIDI stands for ÒMusical Instrument Digital Interface.Ó It is a worldwide standard that allows electronic musical instru- ments and personal computer to exchange musical perfor- mance data and messages such as sound selections. Any MIDI-compatible device can transmit musical data (as appropriate for the type of device) to any other MIDI-com- patible device, regardless of its manufacturer or model type.

■MIDI connectors

MIDI messages (the data handled by MIDI) are transmitted and received using the following three types of connectors. On the VS-880, MIDI OUT and MIDI THRU are handled by a single connector, which can be switched to act as the desired connector. (p.90)

MIDI IN: This receives MIDI messages from exter- nal MIDI devices.

MIDI OUT: This transmits MIDI messages from the VS-880.

MIDI THRU: This re-transmits all MIDI messages that were received at MIDI IN, without modi- fying them.

■MIDI channels

MIDI is able to send information over a single MIDI cable independently to two or more MIDI devices. This is made possible by the concept of MIDI channels. You can think of MIDI channels as being somewhat similar in function to the channels on a television. By changing the channel of a TV set, you can view a variety of programs being transmitted by different broadcast stations. This is because data is received only from the transmitter whose channel is select- ed on the receiver.

In the same way, a MIDI device whose receive channel is set to Ò1Ó will receive only the data being transmitted by anoth- er MIDI device whose transmit channel is also set to Ò1.Ó

Control Change messages

In general, these messages are used to transmit information such as vibrato, hold, and volume etc., that makes a perfor- mance more expressive. The various functions are differen- tiated by a controller number from 0Ð127, and the controller number is defined for each function. The functions that can be controlled on any given device will depend on that device.

On the VS-880, these messages are used in a completely dif- ferent way than on most instruments; they are used to con- trol mixer parameters.

Exclusive messages

Unlike note messages and control change messages, exclu- sive messages are used to transmit settings that are unique to a particular device. On the VS-880, exclusive messages can be used to control mixer parameters (in the same way as control change messages). Normally, control change mes- sages are easier to handle, so they should be used rather than exclusive messages. Exclusive messages intended for different units are distinguished by their Device ID, rather than by MIDI channel. When exclusive messages are to be transmitted or received, you must set the Device ID of both units to a matching setting.

■MIDI implementation chart

MIDI allows a variety of electronic musical instruments to communicate with each other. However it is not necessarily the case that all devices will be able to communicate using all types of MIDI message. They can only communicate using those types of MIDI message that they have in com- mon.

Each ownerÕs manual for a MIDI device includes a MIDI Implementation Chart. This chart shows you at a glance the types of MIDI message that can be transmitted and received. By comparing the implementation charts of two devices, you will be able to see the types of message with which they will be able to communicate.

Chapter 5

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