MIDI and Data Compatibility

■MIDI

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a worldwide standard communication interface that allows MIDI-compatible musical instruments and equipment to share musical information and control one another.

•Depending on the MIDI device, the transmittable/receivable data differs, and only data which is commonly recognized among the connected MIDI devices can be transmitted or received. You can check whether your instrument supports certain data types by referring to the MIDI Implementation Chart in the owner’s manual for that instrument. The MIDI Implementation Chart for the CVP-98/96/600 is found on page 25 in this Manual.

MIDI Terminals

This terminal transmits the MIDI data.

 

Data received via the

 

 

MIDI IN terminal is re-

 

This terminal

transmitted unchanged

 

receives the MIDI

through this terminal.

 

data.

THRU

OUT

IN

MIDI

MIDI Cable

Connect MIDI devices with special MIDI cables.

•The various MIDI settings can be made from the Function section’s MIDI 1 - 3 pages.

•Further information on MIDI and its applications is avail- able in various music books and magazines.

■Data Compatibility

This section covers basic information on data compatibility: whether or not other MIDI devices can playback the data recorded by CVP-98/96/600, and whether or not the CVP-98/96/600 can playback commercially available song data or song data created for other instruments or on a computer.

Depending on the MIDI device or data characteristics, you may be able to play back the data without any problem, or you may have to perform some special operations before the data can be played back. If you run into problems playing back data, please refer to the information below.

●Basic Check Points

The data and the MIDI device must match in regards to the items below.

•Disk Format•Sequence format•Voice allocation format●Disk format

Floppy disks are the main storage medium for data used with various devices, including computers. Different devices have different systems of storing data, therefore it is necessary to first configure the floppy disk to the system of the device being used. This operation is called “formatting.”

•There are two types of floppy disks: MF2DD (double sided, double density) and MF2HD (double sided, high density), and each type has different formatting systems.

•CVP-98/96/600 can record and playback with both types of floppy disks.

•When formatted by the CVP-98/96/600, a 2DD disk stores up to 720 KB (kilobytes) and a 2HD disk stores up to 1.44 MB (megabytes). (The figures “720 KB” and “1.44 MB” indicate the data memory capacity. They are also used to indicate the format type of disk.)

•Playback is only possible when the MIDI device to be used is compatible with the format of the disk.

●Sequence Format

The system which records song data is called “sequence for- mat.”

•Playback is only possible when the sequence format of the disk matches that of the MIDI device.

[Common Sequence Formats]SMF (Standard MIDI File)

This is the most common sequence format.

•Standard MIDI Files are generally available as one of two types: Format 0 or Format 1.

•Many MIDI devices are compatible with Format 0, and most commercially available software is recorded as Format 0.

•The CVP-98/96/600 is compatible with both Format 0 and Format 1 (for Format 1, up to a maximum of 17 chunks).

•Song data recorded on the CVP-98/96/600 is automatically recorded as SMF Format 0.

ESEQ

This sequence format is compatible with many of Yamaha’s MIDI devices, including the Clavinova series instruments. This is a common format used with various Yamaha software.

•The CVP-98/96/600 is compatible with ESEQ.

●Voice Allocation Format

With MIDI, voices are assigned to specific numbers, called “program numbers.” The numbering standard (order of voice allocation) is referred to as the “voice allocation format.”

•Voices may not play back as expected unless the voice allo- cation format of the song data matches that of the compat- ible MIDI device used for playback.

[Main Voice Allocation Formats]GM System Level 1

This is one of the most common voice allocation formats.

•Many MIDI devices are compatible with GM System Level 1, as is most commercially available software.

•The CVP-98/96/600 is compatible with GM System Level 1.

XG

XG is a major enhancement of the GM System Level 1 format, and was developed by Yamaha specifically to provide more voices and variations, as well as greater expressive control over voices and effects, and to ensure compatibility of data well into the future.

•The CVP-98/96/600 is compatible with XG.

•Song data recorded on the CVP-98/96/600 is automatically given XG voice allocation.

DOC

This voice allocation format is compaible with many of Yamaha’s MIDI devices, including the Clavinova series instru- ments.

This is also a common format used with various Yamaha soft- ware.

•The CVP-98/96/600 is compatible with DOC.

Even if the devices and data used satisfy all the conditions above, the data may still not be completely compatible, depending on the specifications of the devices and particular data recording methods.

CVP-98/96/600 8