Roland XV-88 Midi Channels and Multi-timbral Sound Generators, About Midi Connectors

About MIDI

MIDI (Musical Instruments Digital Interface) is a standard specification that allows musical data to be exchanged between electronic musical instruments and computers. MIDI With a MIDI cable connecting MIDI devices that are equipped with MIDI connectors, you can play multiple instruments with a single keyboard, have multiple MIDI instruments perform in ensemble, program the settings to change automatically to match the performance as the song progresses, and more.

If you mainly use the XV-88 as a standalone keyboard instrument, you may really not need to know much at all about MIDI.

However, the following MIDI-related information is

MIDI Channels and Multi-timbral Sound Generators

MIDI transmits many types of data over a single MIDI cable. This is made possible by the concept of MIDI channels. MIDI channels allow messages intended for a given instrument to be distinguished from messages intended for another instrument. In some ways, MIDI channels are similar to television channels. By changing the channel on a television set, you can view the programs that are being broadcast by different stations. In the same way, MIDI also allows a device to select the information intended for that device out of the variety of information that is being transmitted to it.

provided so you can play the XV-88 using an external MIDI device, or master other advanced techniques.

About MIDI Connectors

The XV-88 is equipped with the three types of MIDI connectors, each which works differently.

fig.00-08

fig.midi-01.e

Station A

Station B

Station C

The cable from the antenna carries the TV signals from many broadcast stations.

The TV is set to the channel of the station you wish to watch.

MIDI IN Connector

This connector receives MIDI messages that are transmitted from external MIDI devices. The XV-88 can receive these messages to play notes or select sounds, etc.

MIDI OUT Connector

This connector transmits MIDI messages to external MIDI devices. The XV-88’s MIDI OUT connector is used for sending the performance data of the keyboard controller section as well as data used for saving various settings and patterns (Bulk Dump; p. 185).

MIDI THRU Connector

MIDI messages received at MIDI IN are re-transmitted without change from this connector to an external MIDI device. Use this in situations such as when you use multiple MIDI devices simultaneously.

MIDI uses sixteen channels; 1 through 16. Set the receiving device so that it will receive only the channel that it needs to receive.

Example:

Set the XV-88 to send Channel 1 and Channel 2, then set sound module A to receive only Channel 1 and sound module B only Channel 2. With this setup, you can get an ensemble performance, with, for example, a guitar sound from sound module A and bass from sound module B.

fig.midi-01.e

MIDI OUT	MIDI IN	MIDI THRU
Transmit channel: 1, 2	Receive channel: 1
	Sound
	Module
	A
MIDI keyboard	Sound Receive channel: 2	MIDI IN
	Module
	B

When used as a sound module, the XV-88 can receive on up to sixteen MIDI channels. Sound modules like the XV-88 which can receive multiple MIDI channels simultaneously to play different sounds on each channel are called multi- timbral sound modules.

Appendices

269